Give a little bit.

(random lolcat sent to me by my brother-in-law)

Today I want to share about a few interesting charities that have come to my attention recently!

Nashville flood relief continues. The United Way has opened five "Restore the Dream" centers around Nashville, where people who lost their homes to the May 2010 flood can find the resources available to them all in one place. I think this is great - with any tragedy, it's easy to find help and support right after it happens. But people tend to forget over time. I'm glad the United Way hasn't.

Nella's ONEder Fund was created by one of my favorite bloggers, Kelle Hampton, in honor of her daughter's first birthday, to benefit the National Down Syndrome Society. (It also makes me think of one of my favorite movies, That Thing You Do, in which the band is repeatedly called "The Oh-needers" until they change the spelling of their name.)

Abolition! Ministry is out to increase awareness about human trafficking, which is thriving not only in Third World countries, but also right here in America. The statistics are very scary, unsettling, and difficult to accept, but it's important to get the word out so more people can do something about it.

This ministry isn't new to me, but I've wanted to sponsor a Compassion International child for years and have always hesitated for a few reasons. This week, I finally signed up, and I'm excited about it! :) Compassion is a very reputable organization - no worries about them pocketing the money instead of giving it to the kids.

Finally, my alma mater, The University of Memphis, announced this week that a life-size bronze tiger sculpture will be built on campus next year for the university centennial. Of course, they're accepting donations. Do it for Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey! (I still miss those guys.)

*****

In unrelated news, I'm considering a professional redesign of this blog. Can anyone recommend a good designer with reasonable rates? I'm not sure I want to get into the whole "self-branding" side of blog design, because that makes me feel like I can't develop and change, and I don't like that. But the exercise might do me good. I'm open to ideas. :)