Maya's Charity Painting Project for PUPS

My 3.5 year old daughter, Maya, loves to paint.  She also loves to give to charity.  I was recently invited to sell my jewelry at a craft fair, and I thought it would be fun if Maya could be involved.  I asked her if she wanted to make some paintings, which we would "sell" at the fair for donations.  She was very excited and chose People United for Pets (after a quick Google search for Seattle-area 'puppy charities').  She painted 10 paintings, and we sold 4 paintings for $5 each at the fair, raising $20 for PUPS!

Here are some photos of the paintings.  There are 6 left, if you'd like one, please let me know! (Update, only 3 left, $45 raised!)

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Thank you for reading!  Do you think I should set up an Etsy shop for her to sell these online?  They are TINY but so cute!

Day 26: Mother's Milk Bank

About the organization

Mother's Milk accepts donated breast milk from screened donors, pasteurizes and tests it, and passes it on to hospitals for needy babies, often preemies.   Access to breast milk makes a significant difference in the health of sick and early infants.  Mother's Milk is based in California, but there are milk banks all across the U.S.  To find a milk bank near you, check out the Human Milk Banking Association of North America.



Why does it appeal to me?

When you're pregnant, your mind races through many possibilities of what can go wrong during pregnancy and birth.  For me, a big one was the possibility of an early delivery, because my contractions started around 30 weeks with both pregnancies.  One thing that made me feel better about this possibility was the existence of milk banks, that even if I couldn't nurse, that my baby would still be able to have some breast milk.  There are also some awesome milk exchanges where you can link up with someone local, who can give you fresh or unpasteurized milk which may have even more health benefits for your baby.



Want to learn more?

To learn more, click here.

To donate, click here.



Follow along with my challenge here on the blog or on Twitter with the hash tag #30daysofcharity.

Want me to see if your favorite organization accepts microdonations, or want me to feature it?  Post a comment below.

Day 21: Child's Play, bringing joy to kids in hospitals and shelters

About the organization

Child's Play is a brilliant organization that brings toys, books and games to kids in hospitals and domestic violence shelters.  They have a presence in 85 US hospitals and 19 abroad, creating access to video games in patient common areas as well as toys and books given to individual kids.  Their pilot program in 10 domestic violence shelters entertains and uplift kids in tough situations.



Why does it appeal to me?

I think this program is just so sweet and thoughtful, and am amazed at how much they've accomplished since they started in 2003.  I've had a few friends in the hospital as a kid/teenager and know they needed every ounce of joy and love they could get, whatever form that came in.



Want to learn more?

To learn more, click here.

To donate money, click here.

To find a local hospital and purchase an item from their Amazon Wish List, click here.  Seattle Children's Hospital, for example, is asking for a Radio Flyer, Where's Waldo and an inexpensive portable DVD player.



Follow along with my challenge here on the blog or on Twitter with the hash tag #30daysofcharity.

Want me to see if your favorite organization accepts microdonations, or want me to feature it?  Post a comment below.

Day 18: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

About the organization

CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, is a national organization of volunteer advocates that represent the best interests of children in the court system.  King County Family Law CASA is one of my local CASA groups.  They act as investigators, representatives and advisers to the court on a range of issues including custody and domestic abuse.  This CASA group only has funding to assign a volunteer to only 60% of cases even though really every child in the family court system would benefit from one.

Why does it appeal to me?

I think volunteering as an advocate is about the coolest thing you can do - they have a major impact in improving outcomes for children in custody, abuse and foster care situations.  Volunteers do 28 hours of training and spend countless hours interviewing everyone in the child's life in order to make the best recommendation to the court.  Basically, they are volunteer social workers and that is amazing.



Want to learn more?

To learn more about King County Family Law CASA, click here.  To find a CASA near you, click here.

To donate, click here.

Support CASA at no cost to you by shopping online through Amazon Smile, where 0.5% of your Amazon purchase gets funneled to the charity.



Follow along with my challenge here on the blog or on Twitter with the hash tag #30daysofcharity.

Want me to see if your favorite organization accepts microdonations, or want me to feature it?  Post a comment below.

Day 17: Project Night Night

About the organization

Project Night Night works to make homeless children feel just a little more comfortable and secure by giving them a sweet canvas tote bag with a security blanket, book and stuffed animal inside.  PNN's website states that 1 in 30 US children will face homelessness this year.


Why does it appeal to me?

I just learned about Project Night Night via a parent's group I'm part of.  I like that they are working to make kids feel comfortable in a sad situation.  Could I have donated directly to an organization that helps get kids out of homelessness?  Yeah, I could have.  (Have a favorite one?  Let me know.)  But I do feel like many charities that help homeless kids focus on the holidays and I like that this is an anytime gift, just something to make them feel a little more comfortable and safe.


Want to learn more?

To learn more, click here.

To donate, click here.



Follow along with my challenge here on the blog or on Twitter with the hash tag #30daysofcharity.

Want me to see if your favorite organization accepts microdonations, or want me to feature it?  Post a comment below.