I wanted to share some organizations that we have supported throughout the years and have done a really good job making the world just a little bit better.
Musana Community Development Organization. Schools, hospitals, women empowerment projects, and more. A model where your gifts are actually investments creating a snowball that will continue to impact more and more people, lifting many people out of poverty. 4 campuses in Uganda with more to come. (disclaimer: I serve on the board of directors and have been involved for over ten years. Would love to chat more if anyone is interested.)
Court Appointed Special Advocates. (National Office, Boulder CASA, 17th Judicial District CASA) CASA provides a trained volunteer for kids in foster care to hang out with and advocate for the best interests of kids. We’re fortunate that the kids we have fostered have had CASAs and they have been really awesome. My wife also served as a CASA for a kid before we became foster parents.
Local foodbanks. (here in Colorado we have supported Sister Carmen in Lafayette, FISH in Broomfield, and the OUR Center in Longmont) These provide important resources in the community in the form of food, transportation and other ways to stand in the gap for people facing hard times in our communities.
Youth For Christ Juvenile Justice Ministry. Have you ever visited a kid locked up in juvenile justice programs? I have and it is a bleak and dark place. All kids—even and maybe especially kids who have offended—need hope and someone to believe in them. YFC JJM takes great care of kids who most of the rest of the world so easily overlooks.
Local Humane Societies. (for us, Longmont Humane Society is a favorite) Humane societies provide important help to pets and helping them find great homes. We have adopted several dogs, cats and guinea pigs specifically from LHS and love the work they do.
I’ll save the lecture for some other time. A value that I have tried to live out is that we give up things we love for things we love even more. What you give up is the true testimony for what you do and do not love. We love to try to make the world a slightly better place, one person, one hour, one dollar at a time.