Monday, November 24, 2008

Suited for Change

The economy is bad, folks, and it's only going to get worse before it gets better. Low-income women, some of who may be either the primary family wage-earner or a single parent, are particularly vulnerable these days.

Suited for Change is an excellent charity in the Washington, D.C., area that helps these women obtain professional clothing and career counseling that can help them get and retain better-paying jobs. Clients come from a variety of disadvantaged backgrounds, and the charity "suits up" more than 100 women each month. Since 1992, the charity has helped 13,000 women transition to the workforce.

Yes, the right clothes and the right counsel can make all the difference. And so can we, especially when charities like Suited for Change will see more and more clients in the coming months. So check out their good work here, then click here to donate your five bucks. Together, maybe we can add one more woman to the workforce and help change a life.

If you're looking for a charity a little closer to your own home, check out The Women's Alliance, co-founded by the Suited for Change folks as an organization of charitable groups dedicated to helping low-income women gain employment.

More visitors...and props from a fellow blogger

Hello, everyone! Naturally, I join millions of bloggers across the globe when I say...I never get to blog as much as I'd like. But I'm still pretty good about getting that weekly charity up there, and I hope everyone is putting up their five bucks!

In the meantime, FDH (my new acronym for the blog!) had its 200th unique visitor over the weekend. That's over 200 in just three months which, given the number of offerings out there in the blogosphere, is pretty darn good. Thanks, of course, to the Blogger's Choice Awards and BlogCatalog for driving some traffic over here.

Also, the Five Dollar Heroes blog got an award! The owner of the Baby Bundles International blog has given FDH her "Gracious Givers Award." Normally, I wouldn't necessarily post about one blogger giving another blogger props, but in this case, I'm taking the opportunity to point out the good work that the Baby Bundles blog does.

Baby Bundles International is collecting diapers, bottles, formula, wipes, etc. to bundle up and donate to new parents who need a helping hand. Overall, a really noble effort. So head on over there and check out that blog, too. And if the spirit moves you, be a Gracious Giver and bundle up some baby stuff!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Marine Corps Toys for Tots

'Tis the season, my fellow Heroes! The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is going up outside my office, and the bins for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots are already in place. And this is a very worthy charity, folks.

Toys for Tots is a program of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Like the Army Reserve and National Guard, these citizen soldiers are the same folks being called up to Iraq or Afghanistan. Each year, the reservists in communities around the country gather toys and distribute them via other charities to kids who might not otherwise have a present for Christmas.

So surf on over to check out the Toys for Toys program, and then click here to make a $5 donation along with me to help support their good work. And if you see those bins around town...even a simple gift would really make a difference to a kid.

Finally, for those concerned about the ever-earlier arrival of Christmas, don't count this post as evidence! Even the Marines need time to collect and distribute all these toys to the kids who need them. (Amphibious assault vehicles are much slower than reindeer.)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

For those who served...the Wounded Warrior Project

I'm a day late, but for a good reason. Today is Veteran's Day, and I wanted to blog today about the Wounded Warrior Project in honor of this special day.

The WWP helps wounded soldiers not only cope with their injuries, but gives them practical and emotional support as well. Their programs aid severely injured soldiers with the new difficulties of everyday life, help wounded veterans get jobs after their military duties are done, and provide support groups so that the wounded soldiers can help each other contend with the stresses of both war and peace.

This is a great organization, and I urge you to check it out here. And then donate your five bucks by clicking here.

And to all our nation's veterans...thank you. Our nation owes you more than can ever be repaid.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Free Cakes for Kids!

First off, welcome to my new friends from BlogCatalog! Nice to see you drop by! Now go spam everyone you know and tell them to come here, too.....!

Now then. This week's charity comes courtesy of my sharp-eyed spouse, who saw an article on this in People and suggested it to me. Foster parent Toni Poulos of Trenton, Ga., made a birthday cake for one of her foster kids -- and it turned out the eight-year-old had never had a birthday cake before. Toni rightly figured that other kids didn't have a cake, either, and that someone should do something about it.

So she did. And others joined her. Today, Free Cakes for Kids is a network of dozens of home bakers who do what they can to bring a little happiness to the lives of kids around the country. They bake for the poor, the hospitalized, really anyone who needs one. Check out their site here, and you'll see that this little band of bakers are making a big difference.

And then click here to donate $5 to the cause -- in this case, that'll likely pay for the cake mix and icing!