84: Honor. Valor. Legacy.

March 25, National Medal of Honor Day 

I solemnly and humbly will give you today's Donations by the Dozen and a video about it, because my words feel inadequate.

The Congressional Medal of Honor page: http://themedalofhonor.com

The history of the Medal of Honor narrated by Gary Sinise https://vimeo.com/180770360

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Thanks and cheers to charity

83: A Voice and Care for Potentially Isolated Niches and More

Somehow thinking about spring led me to today's Donations by the Dozen, Caring Voice Coalition. CVC cares for patients with orphan or ultra-orphan disease. These can be very rare diseases or common diseases not financially beneficial for pharmaceutical companies to invest in medicines for them."Caring Voice Coalition possesses a unique and holistic approach to improving the lives of patients with chronic illnesses. From comprehensive outreach programs to services aimed at financial, emotional and educational support, Caring Voice Coalition has empowered and supported patients and their families, as well as the friends who care for them." (http://www.caringvoice.org/2011/09/our-story/) The diseases CVC supports can be found here http://www.caringvoice.org/supported-diseases/. With many resources offered and a list of other resources, Caring Voice Coalition appears to have created a widespread community from unique niches who may not have local support.
CVC  publishes "Community Magazine" quarterly, and I appreciate how it truly intends to educate, foster support, and create a community amongst people who may feel isolated by the rarity of the disease. The issues feature case workers, case studies, personal stories, strategies, and more with an inclusive, educational, and empathetic approach.

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Our email is DonationsByTheDozen@gmail.com.

Thanks and cheers to charity

82: National Puppy Day - Don't Forget They Don't Stay Puppies For Long

On National Puppy Day, I know you'll be seeing lots of adorable puppies - swoon. I'm all about those cuties, but I thought I would focus on something people forget about when they want that sweet little yapper: aging dogs. Sorrowfully, many people choose to give up animals for myriad reasons, but senior dogs have it extra bad at times. Here is a a dog who has loved and been loyal to a family for it's life, and now that it is old and needs more care, the family doesn't want to be bothered. It happens too often. Enter the Sanctuary for Senior Dogs.

      At The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs, our mission is

• To rescue senior dogs abandoned in shelters
• To provide lifelong quality care for rescued senior dogs
• To adopt appropriate dogs into loving, permanent homes
• To develop programs that match senior dogs and senior people to their mutual benefit
• To foster an awareness of our lifelong responsibility to our companion animals
• To strengthen the bonds between humans and animals by teaching respect and compassion for all living things (http://www.sanctuaryforseniordogs.org/id2.htm)

The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs offers some creative events and programs to hep with the care of these dogs as well as adoption and fostering. For people who cannot foster or adopt or for dogs who cannot be adopted, donations cover care. "Sometimes dogs come to us so ill or so emotionally damaged that rehoming them is not in the dog's best interests. In our Forever Fosters program, our hospice foster homes provide Sanctuary-sponsored care and lots of love for these dogs for the rest of their lives. You can be a part of this exciting program by sponsoring one of our wonderful senior dogs like Tidbit or Theo. Read their stories and the stories of our other permanent dogs on the  Forever Fosters: Sponsor a Senior Dog page." (http://www.sanctuaryforseniordogs.org)

I know the difficulty in keeping an aging animal. The two oldest animals in my house are about to be 16 and 17. Not only do they need more attention and care, but it is sad and difficult to determine what they need at times. What I really appreciate on the Sanctuary for Senior Dogs website is this page, http://www.wonderpuppy.net/canwehelp/index.html,  "Often people feel they must give up their pets for various reasons. On these pages, you'll hopefully find some alternatives and be able to keep your animal.  There is also lots of info here for those who would never dream of giving up their pet, but  just need some advice on basic pet problems .  They are often the very same problems for both groups of people.First and foremost, pets are living creatures, capable of fear, love, pain, loneliness, and joy. They should never be considered disposable property, for they should be considered members of the family.There are many reasons people feel they must give up their animals. If you can find a solution to the problems, and help make your pet a member of the family in good standing, that's one less animal that needs rescuing, and both the animal and humans will be happier. If the problems cannot be resolved, there is information to help you find a good home for your pet. But, please try to resolve the problems first, it might cost your pet his or her life otherwise. " (http://www.wonderpuppy.net/canwehelp/index.html)

At any rate, happy National Puppy Day, and enjoy all of the great puppy things you see. Here's a Nessie video to celebrate my favorite puppy turning senior dog.

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Our email is DonationsByTheDozen@gmail.com.

Thanks and cheers to charity

81: WWW - Not the Web, World Water Day

Today marks World Water Day, and I know how lucky it is to have running water and toilets. As I sat down to write this, I imagined living in Kenya or Ethiopia, having to walk a few miles just to carry home the water I need to drink or to use in cooking each day. Then I imagine trying to keep myself or my home clean. How many trips would I have to walk with buckets to get enough water? Could I even do that in one day? I appreciate my water, but I also take it for granted. I do try to conserve and be efficient, especially since I read my friend Katie's book about rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean in order to raise awareness about the global water crisis. And it's more than just getting access to water. I mean, we could ship a pallet of water to a small village, and that would last a day. Not a great solution. We could install pipes and pumps and get water running, but who would maintain the system over time? Water solutions must include education and training about the systems, the engineering, hygiene, sanitation, and so much more. If we can do this, though, we can eliminate many diseases and deaths in areas who previously had limited or distant water access. We also help make living safer, especially for women. 
Thankfully organizations like Water.org are helping people get access to water and sanitation around the world. "We find that Water.org is open to new ideas and experimentation. They are quick to respond and very quick to answer. All of the staff members are committed to the water development and sanitation process. [Water.org] believes that this work is important and good for the people. They have commitment as well as empathy. This attitude is quite reassuring to us. We are not left wondering whether they see an idea the same way . . . We know we are sailing together.'' - Nanda Vardhan, Society for Integrated Development in Urban and Rural Areas (SIDUR)" (http://water.org/solutions/) Water.org partners with many business and organizations to help find and fund solutions. This media page, http://water.org/news/, contains many resources for further research, including lesson plans for K-12 http://water.org/news/lesson-plans/. 
One of these days, i will challenge myself to simulate what it is like, but for now, I applaud the effort of organizations like Water.org and honor days like World Water Day. 

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Our email is DonationsByTheDozen@gmail.com.

Thanks and cheers to charity

80: Getting Down with Down Syndrome

It's World Down Syndrome Day, and "The National Down Syndrome Society is proud to announce the organization’s new mission statement: the leading human rights organization for all individuals with Down syndrome." (http://www.ndss.org/About-NDSS/Newsroom/Recent-News/New-Mission-Statement/) I feel happy seeing advocacy and self-advocacy for people with Down Syndrome getting more popular, especially in the media the last few years. I know there's more to do and NDSS has so much to offer. The NDSS site holds a wealth of information, so please check it out for many resources and to see if there is a BuddyWalk® in your area. For today, I wanted to share this Preferred Language Guide:

USE THIS LANGUAGE WHEN REFERRING TO DOWN SYNDROME AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE DOWN SYNDROME:

• People with Down syndrome should always be referred to as people first.

• Instead of "a Down syndrome child," it should be "a child with Down syndrome." Also avoid "Down's child" and describing the condition as "Down's," as in, "He has Down's.”

• Down syndrome is a condition or a syndrome, not a disease.

• People "have" Down syndrome, they do not "suffer from" it and are not "afflicted by" it. 

• “Typically developing” or “typical” is preferred over “normal.”  

• “Intellectual disability" or "cognitive disability” has replaced “mental retardation” as the appropriate term.

• NDSS strongly condemns the use of the word "retarded" in any derogatory context. Using this word is hurtful and suggests that people with disabilities are not competent.

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Our email is DonationsByTheDozen@gmail.com.

Thanks and cheers to charity

79: Happy Happiness Day

The relationship between happiness and purpose or meaning has been interesting me for quite some time in articles like this https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-time-cure/201301/happiness-vs-living-life-meaning. If you have about 7 minutes, the kids in the attached video explore it nicely as well. The concept or having purpose and meaning can truly mitigate the ups and down of life with a balance and comprehension unlike looking for brief and fleeting moments of "happiness" sometimes perceived.  I bring this brief topic into today's Donations by the Dozen because I believe exploring it can improve the lives of people dealing with depression, PTSD, anxiety and more.

What do we choose for International Happines Day? Project Happiness. I chose Project Happiness specifically for this section in their goals, because it's both meaning based and has anti-bullying, which I find hugely important:

• School bullying will no longer be a socially accepted behavior

• Young adults will be taught to know and value their passions and personal strengths, and become more compassionate to themselves and others

• Building one’s character will be as important as building one’s resume

• Success will be measured by the degree to which we experience meaningful, fulfilling lives (not just by our job titles and credentials) (https://projecthappiness.com/mission/) 

Project Happiness  offers a variety of empathy based programs and curricula. They also produces a book and documentary, which can be scheduled for school and community events. Normally, I would watch the movie to give you feedback, so I will post an edit here or a follow up after I do instead.
I wish you the very greatest of all kinds of happiness, meaning, and purpose each and every day. Happy International Happiness Day and happy first day of spring.

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Our email is DonationsByTheDozen@gmail.com.

Thanks and cheers to charity

78: National Let's Laugh (it's the best medicine) Day

Let's laugh to celebrate National Let's Laugh Day.  The nonprofit I found for you today is no laughing matter, yet the Laughter Saves Lives Foundation (LSLF) uses comedy to raise funds "to provide assistance to First Responders trying to overcome financial hardship due to an unforeseen tragedy or illness. These First Responders are the silent heroes who do not hesitate to put their lives in harm’s way to help others in an emergency. LSL will focus on the stories that do not make the front pages in the media, yet these individuals and families need our support." (http://www.laughtersaveslives.org) 
The LSLF comedy tour dedicates each show to a fallen first responder from the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and uses part of the proceeds and other donations or raised funds to assist these first responders and to support other fire, police, and military charities. You can find a list of their comics here http://www.laughtersaveslives.org/About_John.html.
The LSLF "Almost Gala" is this week. You can get tickets on this link, or if you can't make it, you can also donate here on their Indiegogo campaign page and watch it from home: https://www.generosity.com/community-fundraising/laughter-saves-lives-3rd-annual-almost-gala. If you want to support it in a bigger way and can't go to the gala, there are options to buy your tickets and donate them to a veteran. 
I hope you find a smile and a laugh in your day for Let's Laugh Day and every day, because it's fun and good for you. "Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing." Ken Kesey 

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Our email is DonationsByTheDozen@gmail.com.

Thanks and cheers to charity