Monday is exhausted . . . but still giving to charity!

Okay, so super fast and short post this week. I am in the midst of moving and it's 237 degrees outside and there's not AC or Internet in my new apt, which all kinda sucks and doesn't give me much of a window for, you know, posting things.

But onto the challenge!

Now, I'm familiar with an awful lot of charities, as my extended family has now started giving to charity every Christmas instead of giving individual presents to everyone. So I'm familiar with First Book and Heifer International and Adopt a Classroom and Autism Speaks and all the other charities my family has been involved in receiving gifts for or giving gifts to. And much as I love all those charities, I really wanted to find a new one for this project.

So I started to realize what time of year it was, and I thought, what better way to honor Ethan's memory and his sixteenth birthday than by finding a new cancer-related charity to donate to?

Anyone who knows me in person has probably noticed the bracelet I wear all the time. It's one of those rubber band bracelets, orange and purple (goes with nothing and therefore goes with everything!), and it reads, "Hope Street Kids -- Join the Fight Against Childhood Cancer." I've been wearing this bracelet for going on seven years now, first in Ethan's honor, then in his memory. My cousin Heather bought them for the family one Christmas.

So, first I thought, Great! I'll give to Hope Street Kids. Unfortunately, when I went to their page, I found that it's been inactive for the past couple of years. However, their page lead me to a charity called CureSearch, and I did a bit of research into them, and I really like what they have to offer. They're a children's cancer research center that places emphasis on research and education, which I appreciate. Also, something like 97% of the money donated to them goes to the charity itself.

I was all set to make my donation when something made me search for childhood cancer groups one more time. That's when I found Camp Quality USA. Basically, this is a camp organization that takes kids with cancer for a week and gives them the normal kid's summer camp experience. Each child has a companion assigned to them for the whole week that is trained to assist the kids with whatever needs they have, and they also have year-round programing available. But what really sold me is that Camp Quality also has a Sibs Camp option.

When a child in a family is diagnosed with cancer, everyone is affected. And it's really easy for the healthy children to feel neglected and pushed to the side.When I discovered that Camp Quality recognizes the healthy siblings and supports finding ways to assist them as well, I knew I'd found my charity.

Here's their website, if anyone wants more info: http://www.campqualityusa.com/

Can't wait to hear about everyone's charities!