Tuesday is “Giving Tuesday,” an annual event when Americans will donate up to $550 million to their favorite charities. It’s essential that this Giving Tuesday, on December 1, 2020 be as successful as last year. COVID has wreaked havoc with the economy, and people have much less disposable income. The unemployment rate is at 10%. But the needs are even greater. According to Project Bread, more than 80%, or 4 in 5, food banks are serving more people now than they did a year ago.
And while the pandemic has hit America hard, overseas, developing countries are struggling even more. That’s why I give to Save One Life, the international nonprofit I started in 2001. We support children with bleeding disorders who, even in the best of global health times, suffer cruelly. They often lack access to injections of factor, which would give them a normal life. This medicine is readily available in the US and other developed countries, but we forget about those in need who cannot get this medicine.
Save One Life offers one-to-one sponsorships with a child in need; scholarships for college or vocational school; microenterprise grants to those who wish to start businesses to sustain themselves, and camp funding for children to have some joy in their lives. And of course, medicine—factor to inject into their bloodstream to replace the missing protein that makes their lives painful and short. Look at our stats so far this year!
While we’ve been successful despite the challenges, each day we learn of more children in need. Help us to help them. Consider giving to Save One Life on Giving Tuesday. Visit our website to see if one of the beautiful children there speaks to your heart—they are waiting for a sponsor. I sponsor 17 myself! Or give, any amount, to our mission, so we can continue our wonderful work.
And… just give. To Save One Life, to an animal shelter, to a food bank… find your cause, and act. Many organizations need your support, so they can support those most in need.
A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with your dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog. —Jack London