Comments on: ’tis the season

By: Cynthia Thomet

Cynthia Thomet — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

There’s a wonderful organization in Hawaii (on Maui) called Akaku: Maui Community Television. Not only do they produce a community-based news program called, The Maui Daily, but they also offer video equipment training, and video production training for people of all ages. Most important about them is the fact that they help keep Maui’s diverse audiences connected with each other across geographical divides (Maui County is comprised of three islands), but they also help them remain culturally and socially connected with programs produced by ordinary members of the community who have stories to tell about their special events, issues, and of course, politics!In one example, one courageous member of the community is extremely active in shining a light on the growing Meth problem in the islands, and directing attention to some of the important members of the community who work daily to help rehabilitate the domino effect it has on the community.In another example, the organization pulled together members of the community to air live inter-island coverage of the General Elections. You can imagine how excited people from some of the islands’ remotest communities were to see themselves on the television—a rare event, which the organization works to turn around.Thanks, Kathryn, for your creativity with this Dirt and Sunshine idea and for this fan of Akaku to toot the organization’s horn! Happy Holidays!

By: Nicole Petrak

Nicole Petrak — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Looks like I am just a few minutes too late, but I thought I would leave a comment anyway to say that this is such a fantastic and giving thing for you to do! Not only are you showing the best way to think of the season of giving, but you’ve inspired people to think about causes that makes us all reflect on how lucky we really are! My favorite organization right now is the Tiziano Project. They go to war torn countries like Rwanda and Iraq, bringing donated cameras and laptops, and teach at risk youth community journalism skills. The object is threefold:1) Provide useful technological & communication skills that can help these kids get a variety of jobs.2) Provide a local means of telling stories that are too often reported to the world by outside journalistic sources.3) Give the community a means to get instant, up-to-date information about what is going on in their countries to the world. The Tiziano Project hopes to help stop war crimes and genocide by giving people a worldwide voice.Best of luck to everyone and their causes!

By: Gabriele Kraft

Gabriele Kraft — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Well, maybe this is peanuts for you in the US but here in Germany we didn´t have a single magnetic resonance tomograph for children. We are very pleased these days that our city (Karlsruhe) has one starting to work next week. This was just possible due the fact that MANY private person were donating lots of money. Now children from all over Germany will have the chance if they will be sick by cancer not doing all the radiation procedures and can come to having pics from the tomograph!So, our favorite donation is helping the poor and helping getting better chances to cure kid´s cancer disease!Kath, love this idea and thanks for reminding all of us how thankful we should be of being so granted by everything especially for so wonderful friends like the Besser´s!

By: Charlie DeGraw

Charlie DeGraw — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

This is a great idea and very generous of you. As others have pointed out, there are many good charities out there. One I am suggesting is the Autism Research Institute.

By: Terry Anderson

Terry Anderson — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Kathy and Paul – I love your generous spirit! One of our favorite programs is Turning Wheels for Kids. They build bikes at Christmas time to give to underprivileged kids. This year over 2,000 bikes will be assembled by volunteers at the convention center in SJ, all in 1 day! This sounds like a lot of bikes, but even this year they needed more money to honor the request for a little girl that recently lost her Mom.Ken and Patrick will there to build bikes again this year!www.turningwheelsforkids.org

By: Tara Whitney

Tara Whitney — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Kathryn, what an amazing idea. If I win, I would love my/your donation to go to charity: water. :)xo

By: Lisa Riddle

Lisa Riddle — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Oh my gosh… there are so many good charities to choose from. Kathy, what a generous gesture.I volunteer my professional services to a few small local nonprofits and sponsor a child through ChildReach/Plan USA… but the nearest and dearest to my heart these days is the Laguna Creek High School Band Booster Club. Sounds corny and perhaps self-serving, but here’s why:There are so many reasons why I am passionate about this organization, but high on the list is the sense of community that band brings *all* its students. High school can be brutal. And unfortunately, for some of these kids, home life can be brutal as well. Band has become a tremendous source of friendship and support for a rather disparate group of students from all walks of life. My awkward and often overly-emotional son (shhh, don’t tell him I said that!) started high school with a community waiting for him. Many of the graduating seniors come back to visit or help out. The booster club established itself as a nonprofit organization last year and it exists primarily to give *all* students interested in music a chance to play in the band, regardless of the family’s ability to pay the fees for the uniform, the instruments, competitions, etc. Unfortunately, the arts aren’t typically well-funded in the public schools.The band has a record number of students this year — I think around 85. For the first time in school history, the high school band/auxilliary competed in local "field show" competitions this year. The students have to work hard — and work together — to pull it all off. As ready as my son was for the marching season to end (now they start the concert season), he admitted that he’ll feel a little empty inside when it’s over.Last year the band was selected to play at Carnegie Hall in 2011 at a festival with other high school bands from all over the country. How awesome is that? Now we just have to figure out a way to pay for the trip! (hint, hint).

By: Lori Ried

Lori Ried — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Kathy and Paul, what a wonderful (and generous!) idea, during this season of giving. My vote is for the Elk Grove Food Bank (also known as the EGCAN-ElK Grove Comminuty Assistance Network). I have been a volunteer over the years to pick up food from various canned food drives (mostly from schools and local businesses) and it is truly amazing to see first hand how much the community participates in such a worthly cause.

By: Gi Paoletti

Gi Paoletti — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

This donation is so generous of you to do. In light of my Mom suffering a massive stroke this year I’ve started to lean towards donating towards stroke research through the American Stroke Association whereas before this experience I was all about putting all of my efforts towards children and animals. As long as everyone gives what they can I’m happy. What a great gift you are giving. Happy Holidays!!!

By: Shannan Lackey

Shannan Lackey — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hi Kathy and Paul! You two are truly amazing!! Definitely an inspiration to me and others! My charity is One Warm Coat. They provide coats to those in need free of charge. http://www.onewarmcoat.org

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

What more important for a site that promotes the proper raising of kids than a charity that helps the poorest of the poor children have a life? World Vision is my charity of choice. "Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness; Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so" http://www.wvi.orgFrom the Lyons to the Bessers – Joyous Noel et Bonne Annee

By: Peter Crosby

Peter Crosby — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I would send it to the ACLU…