UNICEF for Halloween!

Sorry about the delay in posting...busy weekend! But it's not for lack of inspiration. My daughter already has her little UNICEF collection box for trick or treating! So this week, in a show of solidarity, I'm featuring UNICEF on here, too.

For those who might not remember collecting for UNICEF as a kid, this is the United Nations Chidren's Fund, which helps underprivileged children around the world. These are kids who are suffering from hunger, disease, war, you name it. Sort of makes the Wall Street meltdown seem tame by comparison, doesn't it?

So refresh your memory and check out UNICEF U.S.A.'s Web site, and then click here to put your five bucks down! And hey...if you're taking your kids around on Friday, it's a great way to help educate them about helping others.

October is breast cancer awareness month

I've been meaning to put up some ideas on volunteering and more active charity work, and now's a good a time as any. October is breast cancer awareness month, and there's plenty to do to help battle this illness.

For starters, the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is hitting New York City on Oct. 4-5, so if you're in the NYC area like I am, check it out. The walk helps under-insured women to get checked out, since early detection is so critical. For any North Carolina readers out there, the Charlotte walk is next up, at the end of October.

The American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks are certainly more plentiful -- they're happening throughout the nation, throughout the month. Click on over, register, and help fund research and education about breast cancer around the country. Thanks to loyal Five Dollar Hero (and amazing, wonderful wife) Kate for the links!

And, of course, keep an eye out for the weekly charity postings; Five Dollar Heroes will be sure to get in the spirit by devoting a week's worth of donations to these important efforts.

Hole in the Wall Camps

Paul Newman readily confessed that he exploited his celebrity. Indeed, it was on every bottle of salad dressing, pasta sauce, salsa and popcorn his company produced: Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good.

The talented actor, director, producer and, yes, salad dressing impresario, died Friday at the age of 83. His Newman's Own Foundation got all the proceeds from his food business and, over the course of Newman's life, donated $250 million to various charities. Newman, of course, was rich, but he wasn't Bill Gates rich; the foundation probably gave away more than Newman earned over his entire career.

One of Newman's favorite charities was the Hole in the Wall Camps, which he helped start in 1988. These camps allow chronically ill children a chance to have a normal, fun camp experience. Over the past 20 years, more than 119,000 severely ill kids have been able to leave the hospitals, hospices and confining bedrooms and know what it's like to spend some time in the sun.

So in tribute to one of the great philanthropists of the past 30 years, Five Dollar Heroes is naming the Hole in the Wall Camps as the weekly charity. So check out what the camps do, and please, donate by clicking here. And yes, it's another $10 minimum. And yes, once again I think I need to rename the blog...!

Finally, if you're of an athletic bent, consider joining Team Hole in the Wall for your next race, and run on behalf of a local camp!

Doctors Without Borders

Here we go! The first organization I want to spotlight is Doctors Without Borders. Every day, some 27,000 doctors, nurses and medical professionals from all over the world go to where they're needed most -- usually the worst places on the planet, where plague, natural disaster and armed conflict have resulted in a critical need for medical care.

These medical professionals are the doctors and nurses next door, but instead of playing golf in their free time, they're going to Darfur or Georgia to care for others. They're making huge sacrifices, and in some cases, they're putting their lives on the line.

Our donations will help get these professionals to the place they're needed most, and give them the tools they need to treat those in desperate need. For more info on Doctors Without Borders and their activities, click here. And to put your five bucks down next to mine, click here for the donation page. And remember, when you donate, e-mail this blog to others so they can join us!