charity

I am subscribed to a lot of charity email lists and like a bunch of favorite charities on Facebook, so throughout my week, lots of great events, fundraisers, and other initiatives cross through my inbox.

Sometimes, I scan and delete, and other times, something catches my eye, and I need to find out more. There were three occasions this past week that really stood out to me as simple opportunities to help, and I thought I would share.

The Women’s Lunch Place Mother’s Day cards – Mother’s Day is this weekend, and The Women’s Lunch Place in Boston is selling cards to raise money for the many services they provide, including daily meals to homeless women in Boston. I have volunteered at The Women’s Lunch Place in the past, and I love that they do not just give meals, but they provide community,  a sense of dignity, job skills, and other things that human beings all crave and things that many don’t have access to.

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If you’re interested in buying cards, please see the below information from The Women’s Lunch Place.

· Click here to order online and select Mother’s Day Card as your ‘donation reason’ ·You can always call us! (617) 449-7185                                                                                           · Visit our kiosk at Shops at Prudential Center: Thurs, 5/3 – Sat, 5/5  &  Thurs, 5/10  – Sat, 5/12. 10 AM-6 PM weekdays & 10 AM-5 PM on Saturdays (Located in the Belvidere Arcade, adjacent to Dunkin Donuts and the Post office)                                                         · Visit Tasti-D-Lite located at 205 Newbury Street! Receive a coupon for $5 off any “tasti” cake or pie with your purchase of a                                                                                     · On Friday, May 11, WLP volunteers will be selling cards at Starbucks on 165 Newbury Street.  Find us on the patio!

Gremlin’s Wish

Gremlin is a therapy dog and a pit bull. Her life before being rescued was not a good one; she was rescued from a dog fighting ring and at the time had broken legs that had grown back so badly they had to be re-broken. She also had other very visible signs of cruelty. Now? She spends her time reading with school children and brightening the days of cancer patients.

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From Gremlin’s Facebook page: Gremlin’s Wish is that all animals and children are given an equal opportunity to succeed. In order for us to make that happen we are trying to build Gremlin’s Wish Therapy Center. This center will be a one of a kind facility in which it will be open to the community to come spend time with our registered therapy dogs in a multitude of different programs. We all know that not all kids are given the same chances, not all schools offer the programs that are needed to help them succeed.

In the same effort to help the animals, we will be taking dogs from the local high kill shelters and work with them to be able to go back into the community as a registered therapy dog. We will be a completely volunteer run center so there will be no cost to the families that will come and use our programs.

Gremlin’s dad Chris has also suggested that the therapy dogs will be used to work with other people who need it such as soldiers with PTSD. He is doing amazing work, 100% volunteer, saving dogs, training them, and bringing them to schools, hospitals, and other places where a furry, gentle friend does a world of good. His Facebook updates alternately make me laugh and cry.

If you’re interested in finding out more or supporting Gremlin’s Wish, check out Rowdy to the Rescue.

The author of Where Hash Rules, The Story of Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe is donating a dollar from every e-book sold to Alex’s Lemonade Stand – Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country carrying on her legacy of hope.

Where Hash Rules can be found on iTunes and Amazon among other places, and is $9.99.

If you have any great charity events or initiatives you’d like to share, please feel free to post them here!