Pay to the order of…

I don’t know about you, but whenever I get my tax return back I usually end up telling myself that part of this money is mine to spend however I see fit. I may blow some of it on a new outfit, dinner out, scrapbook stuff…basically frivolous stuff. So I decided that this year I need to put some of that money to good use. So…I am giving you the task of finding, and researching a little bit about some great charity, organization, or local group that is helping others.

Thirty One (There's only 30 this month) days of giving back...

I was searching for great charities for you to make your check out to when I stumbled upon on an old issue of Glamour (Dec issue) It had exactly what I wanted. A few were more geared for the holidays but may of them are great for year round giving.

Here are a few that I think sound great:

1. Support the troops with warm socks, deodorant, cheezeIts: find their wish list at anysoldier.com

2. Donate New blankets to kids in homeless shelters at projectnightnight.org

3.Buy funky gifts at thrift shops that give back, such as Out of the Closet sales support AIDs healthcare foundation, or a Hospice thrift store sales support Hospice families.

4. Before you shop online, go to goodshop.com. Then buy from participating retailers and the site donates a portion of your purchase to the charity of your choice.

5. Give manicures at a local nursing home.

6. Spend an hour or 2 a week helping a immigrant learn English (check out literacyvolunteers.org)

7. Help protect half an acre of rain forest in South and Central America with a $25 donation at rainforestalliance.org

8. Donate old cell phones to victims of domestic violence for emergencies (go to ncadv.org and click "donate")

9.Vaccinate 50 people around the world against deadly diseases such as meningitis, measles or polio with a $50 donation at http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

10. Provide a month of care for a woman or child rescued from sexual slavery for just $30 at sharedhope.org

11. Clean out your closet! Then donate old glasses (neweyesfortheneedy.org), shoes (shareyoursoles.org) and even wedding gowns (makingmemories.org)

12. Find projects that help people in your very own zip code at dosomething.org

13. Make a $10 donation to freethechildren.org and a special matching-funds program will turn it into a $100 worth of medical supplies for kids around the world.

14. Mentor a at risk teen online at icouldbe.org

15. Help an aspiring student pay for college at scholarshipamerica.org

16. Staying home for the holidays? Donate frequent-flier miles to injured soldiers' families at heromiles.org

17. Loan money to a budding entrepreneur in the developing world at kiva.org

18. Sell gifts you don't need through eBay's Giving Works program (givingworks.ebay.com)

19. Give blood (to find where go to givelife.org). What better reason to stop and lie down for 10 min?

{These are just a few great org's to give to...So make out that check and let us know who/what you are helping out.}