Who Gives and Who Doesn’t?
December 13th, 2006
ABC’s John Stossel recently aired a special edition of 20/20 called “Cheap in America” to answer the question, “Who Gives and Who Doesn’t?”
The show was a very interesting look into the lives of America’s uber-wealthy to find out why some people feel the need to give back and some simply consume.
But they also debunked some very interesting myths that Americans have about just who gives in this country.
It turns out that the idea that liberals give more is a myth. Of the top 25 states where people give an above average percent of their income, 24 were red states in the last presidential election.
The second myth is that the people with the most money are the most generous. While the rich do give more in overall dollars, according to the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, people at the lower end of the income scale give almost 30 percent more of their income. “The two most generous groups in America are the rich and the working poor,” says Arthur Brooks, the author of “Who Really Cares.” “The middle class give the least.”
Finally, the single biggest predictor of whether someone will be charitable is their religious participation. Religious people are more likely to give to charity, and when they give, they give more money: four times as much. And Brooks stated that giving goes beyond their own religious organization:
“Actually, the truth is that they’re giving to more than their churches,” he says. “The religious Americans are more likely to give to every kind of cause and charity, including explicitly non-religious charities.”
Bottom line? It sounds like more of us need to be putting our money where our mouth is!
If you need to find a charity you can trust, log on to Charity Navigator to research thousands of charities online and find one that’s right for you!
Circumcision Dramatically Reduces AIDS Risk
December 13th, 2006
Results of new studies by the National Institutes of Health show that male circumcision can cut the transmission of HIV by up to 53 percent.
In a report in today’s NY Times,
Circumcision appears to reduce a man’s risk of contracting AIDS from heterosexual sex by half, United States government health officials said yesterday, and the directors of the two largest funds for fighting the disease said they would consider paying for circumcisions in high-risk countries.
Dr. Mark Dybul, executive director of President Bush’s $15 billion Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, said in a statement that his agency “will support implementation of safe medical male circumcision for H.I.V./AIDS prevention� if world health agencies recommend it.
He also warned that it was only one new weapon in the fight, adding, “Prevention efforts must reinforce the A.B.C. approach — abstain, be faithful, and correct and consistent use of condoms.�
The NY Times also reported that male circumcision benefits women, citing a study of the medical records of 300 Ugandan couples last year which estimated that circumcised men infected with H.I.V. were about 30 percent less likely to transmit it to their female partners. And earlier studies on Western men have shown that circumcision significantly reduces the rate at which men infect women with the virus that causes cervical cancer.
For more information on prevention, transmission or HIV testing, check out the CDC website on HIV/AIDS and if haven’t already, get yourself tested today!
Child’s Play Charity
December 12th, 2006
Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins thought that gamers got a bad rap. So to combat the stereotype of gamers as violent and antisocial, the two founders of the popular webcomic Penny Arcade encouraged their minions to band together in 2003 through their Seattle-based charity, Child’s Play.
The result? Over a million dollars in donations of toys, games, books and cash for sick kids in children’s hospitals across North America.
How does it work? With the help of hospital staff, Child’s Play sets up gift wishlists of video games, toys and movies on Amazon.com, and the hospital is added to the map on the Child’s Play website.
Visitors to the website can click through to the lists and buy items for hospitals in whichever region they choose. Purchases ship directly from Amazon to the hospital, and 100% of all PayPal donations pay for things like pediatric research and facility improvements.
In 2006, the charity added four hospitals in the United States, two in Australia, and even one in Egypt!
Whether or not you’re into the world of video gaming, maybe this charity effort is something you and your teenaged gamer can finally agree on! Click through and give a kid something to smile about.
Lifeline Aid/Relief Radio
December 12th, 2006
As much as most of us long to get away from the noise, most people in developing countries have never made a phone call or surfed the Internet. For many individuals in the remotest parts of the world, something as low tech as a radio can be an important lifeline.
Enter the Freeplay Energy Group’s Lifeline radio! Designed specifically to provide dependable, sustainable access to information, the multi-band radio runs on wind-up energy and solar power and can used practically anywhere. Fully charged, it can play for up to 24 hours.
Freeplay radios have been used as a coordinated effort to deliver humanitarian aid with information covering agriculture, HIV/AIDS prevention, education, conflict resolution and disaster relief.
Just $65 will deliver sustainable access to this vital radio programming, and a gift of 10 radios will reach up to 400 children. Check out the Freeplay Foundation to learn more about purchasing radios for people who need them most!
Recycled Packaging Peanuts
December 11th, 2006
If the flurry of packages arriving in the mail is leaving your house overflowing with those annoying peanuts, why not take a little time to recycle them?
The Peanut Hotline is the national reuse program for plastic packing peanuts. Consumers can drop off their leftover plastic packing peanuts at Peanut Hotline collection sites. There are over 1,500 collection sites in the U.S., and the Hotline has referred close to a million consumers to local businesses that accept plastic loose fill for reuse.
Call 800-828-2214 or click on Drop-off Sites to find the nearest drop-off location for plastic loose fill.
Keep peanuts out of the landfills and in circulation!