After reading my blog on Pinoy Charity Burnout?, those of you who don't have familial obligations back home but would like to help others, here's a list of my favorite charities. You don't have to give to them all the time, and you don't have to give as much as you send to your families back home. Sometimes just $5 will do. I have to warn you, though, if you start donating to these organizations, you will soon be inundated with junk mail. So if you want to avoid that, make sure you opt out of that by checking the appropriate boxes. So here's my list:
1. ANCOP Foundation USA is the US arm of Gawad Kalinga. The acronym itself stands for Answering the Cry of the Poor. (The word in Tagalog, angkop, means fit or proper.) Basically, they solicit donations and support from mostly Filipino expats and OCWs living in the US. These are then channeled to Gawad Kalinga (literally, "bestow care" or "give help") in the Philippines. Gawad Kalinga builds houses for the poor, rebuilds villages and towns devastated by typhoons, gives free vaccinations to school-age children, finances sports and art classes for designated public schools, and even provides scholarships to deserving students who may not otherwise be able to go to school or college. To help Gawad Kalinga when you live here, you go through ANCOP. ANCOP has links and articles on their website about what they do, how they are set up (i.e., your donation is actually tax deductible), and how to be a partner if you want to keep helping them consistently. You can send your donations to them by mail or do it online.
2. Fuller Center for Housing. I would have directed you to Habitat for Humanity if the founders weren't ousted by the money- and power-hungry execs at Habitat for Humanity. (Nevertheless, just to be fair, the link here to Habitat is active.) Habitat for Humanity was founded by Millard Fuller and his wife, Linda. Under his leadership, Habitat for Humanity built several houses in poor communities in the Philippines, and that's why I liked them. However, when Fuller refused to give pay raises to the other executives in Habitat, they voted him out of the company. So now I have doubts as to where my donation to Habitat will go, especially since a bigger percentage of it will surely go to those execs who wanted the pay raise in the first place. (So much for being a charitable organization.) That's why I followed Fuller and direct you to his new website as well. You can donate online using Google checkout.
3. Compassion in Action is a nonprofit organization supporting the medical work of one doctor, Dr. Bob Paeglow, my former boss, for whom I worked as a volunteer for 3 years (while waiting for my EAD/green card) at Koinonia Health Care. He provides truly free medical care (which is practically nonexistent in the US) to the Arbor Hill area in Albany. I'm sure there are other people like him in your area you can donate to. I only mention him because he awakened civic responsibility within me and the realization na kahit sa US ay maraming mahihirap.
4. Your local Rescue Mission. I can't give you a link here because rescue missions are all over the US. There should be one near where you live, and you can google their website or donate to them directly, if they haven't asked you for donations yet. I got connected to our local Rescue Mission through Dr. Bob Paeglow (see above). The rescue missions take in homeless people off the streets, operate soup kitchens, and even direct people who need help to the right government or nonprofit organization to go to if they have specific needs.
5. St. Jude's Children's Hospital is one of the more profitable, high-profile nonprofits out there. Donations you give fund cancer research, especially cancers that afflict children and cancer cures specifically tailored for children. I have children, and children are gifts from God. I feel helpless sometimes when my kids are sick, hoping I could ease the pain and suffer with them. That's why I give to St. Jude's.
6. Your own church, community, and library. Close to home, there's your local church and/or community center and library. Gaya ng sabi ng ating mga pari sa Pinas, "Charity begins at home" and "To give is to receive." What better way to donate than to give back to your local church, community, and library who serve you? The church takes care of your spiritual life and spiritual health, the library has lots of cool neat programs for kids and seniors, and your community center will have childcare options, summer camps, and rides for the disabled and seniors.
7. Unless I'm mistaken, Samaritan's Purse is founded by one of Billy Graham's sons, Franklin. It is an international aid and relief organization famous for the Christmas shoeboxes they send to poor children all over the world called Operation Christmas Child. I got connected to OCC through our church who buys several boxes each year to fill up with little items. The boxes can be gotten from your local radio stations and dropped off by the deadline at the same place. Besides the items in the shoebox, you have to put in a check made out to Samaritan's Purse to cover the shipping of that box (anywhere from $5 to $7 per box).
8. Finally, there's also something to satisfy those of you who are environmentally conscious: World Wildlife Fund. The reason I like it is because it's truly international, almost like the Red Cross. They have a Phil. office and is known locally as Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas. The WWF works to help save the planet for future generations by helping to conserve plant and animal wildlife, the climate, environment, etc. I first got connected with the WWF in the US through my daughter who once asked for a subscription to Ranger Rick and Your Big Backyard, which are publications of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). I don't know if they are related, but we got a mailing from WWF, and from then on, my daughter was hooked: they give stuffed toys of the endangered animal you want to support if you donate $50. You can donate lower than that, but to get the animal, you have to give $50. This is probably my most expensive donation to a single organization, so I only do it once a year, usually around Christmas. Despite the cost, I keep doing it because it's a good way to teach giving and charity to my kids. An expensive lesson, yes, but nevertheless a good way to show that giving doesn't hurt, it could actually be fun.
So there you have it, my favorite charities. If I was a millionaire, I might have a longer list. But for now, this is the best I can do. You might have your favorite charities, too, and I hope you don't forget or give up on them. It feels good inside to be able to give and help others and make a very tiny, small difference in this world. It doesn't even hurt because here in the US, you actually get a tax deduction if you donate. If that's not enough incentive, then I don't know what else is.
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