This year, instead of cramming anime and manga down reluctant friends’ and family’s throats, consider reducing your superfluous gift giving and donate extra cash to a needy nonprofit organization. The world may not be a post-apocalyptic wasteland, but for disadvantaged and unadopted children, it probably feels like one. Here are three worthwhile but less publicized charities you may be interested in:
ZERO TO THREE
http://www.zerotothree.org/
“ZERO TO THREE is a national, multidisciplinary organization that supports the healthy development and well-being of infants, toddlers and their families. We carry out that mission through a range of activities that inform, educate and support the adults who influence very young children’s lives. ZERO TO THREE informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. Additionally, we offer comprehensive resources about early childhood development and child and family well-being. We build, prepare and inspire professionals; advance policies and build systems; and raise awareness and inform parents.”
Pajama Program
http://www.pajamaprogram.org/
“Founded in 2001, Pajama Program’s mission is to provide a loving environment for children who have lived through a great deal of hurt in their young lives to give them hope for a better tomorrow. The program identifies key institutions in major cities in the U.S. and other countries where children are living temporarily as they wait and hope for adoption. It is to the children in these circumstances and temporary living quarters that the pajamas are delivered with love an affection. Since 2001, we have given away over 537,842 pajamas and 248,168 books.”
Nurses for Newborns Foundation
http://www.nfnf.org/
“Nurses for Newborns Foundation (NFNF) exists to provide a safety net for families most at-risk through home visiting by experienced, registered nurses who provide healthcare and resources and teach positive parenting skills. The overall goal is to prevent child abuse and neglect and infant mortality. NFNF provides services to babies who are born with medical problems, born to teen moms or born to mothers with disabilities/mental health concerns, or who are born into families who do not have money for even basic necessities. In addition to medical care, we assist families whenever possible with donated materials needed for safe care, such as diapers, formula, baby food, clothing, bedding, and cribs. We welcome hundreds of volunteers each year who help us manage the logistics of this work.”
