So around thanksgiving, I was feeling very grateful about all the things I've been blessed with: Family, Love, Money, A nice house, 3 meals a day and many other luxuries of life. While stuffing myself with turkey and mashed potatoes, I stopped for a moment because I suddenly got this feeling that some of you may have experienced when we're being gluttons (tis' a joke. Please don't rage at me over this..).
I wondered how blessed and truly fortunate I am to be able to enjoy this dinner with my family whereas there are people out there who go on hungry for days simply because they can't even afford one meal a day, let alone 3. This made me lose my appetite completely (at least for that day).
Now I know I sound like some arrogant entitled prick when I use this tone in my post but isn't that what we've all become? We've learnt to ignore the sufferings of everyone else so long as our needs are met. My mum has always taught me to take a fraction of whatever I earn every month and give that away to charity so as to keep me grounded and so that I don't forget that the real reason I've been given these blessings is also a test by God to see how many people I can help with what He has given me. She's always called it Humanity Tax, i.e., a tax to ensure I never forget about those who haven't been as fortunate as I have been. And I do that but will my $100-200 be enough for people?
I'm not saying that it won't but there's a harsh reality that we all have to admit here: Charities in US aren't able to help as many people as efficiently as you'd like to believe. There's a very simple reason for that too. When it comes to charities in US, there are salaries of the executives that need to be paid and the people that are being helped require more expenses due to the high prices of everything that is provided to them.
Please don't take this the wrong way. I'm not saying that people in US aren't deserving of my money but I've always wondered if there was a way that the same amount of money could be possibly used to make a bigger difference in someone's life. And that was one of the reasons why I started looking for charities that could use my money and help to make a bigger impact in the lives of someone. After some intensive research, I came across 2 charities that I really liked as follows:
AND
Both of these websites have been around for a few years and according to what I found out, when it comes to givedirectly, they donate 93 cents for every dollar that you donate to them to the people who genuinely deserve it. Charitywater claims to donate 100% of the proceeds towards providing clean water to villages and towns that are in need of it. I have done som digging and seen how the organization works with local communities in rural villages and installs hand pumps, wells, taps etc to provide access to clean water for them.
So I have decided to continue donating the 5% of my earnings ($100) towards Red Cross and Salvation army but also give 10% of my monthly income to both of those charitable organizations. I've been fortunate enough to always have more money that I need due to the fact that I am earning around $2k at 21 years of age. Since I currently live with my parents (and will continue to do so till I graduate college at least), I don't have other expenses such as rent, bills etc. although I do try to help out as much as I can. This is my opportunity to give back and maybe.... just maybe help make a difference.
I pledge to continue donating every month with whatever I can.
Here's a little proof for my donation towards givedirectly.org . I will also be donating $100 towards charitywater in a day or 2:
The reason I'm posting here is simply because maybe I could inspire someone else to take an initiative such as this and help those out in need. It doesn't have to be $100. It doesn't even have to be $10 or $1. It's about what you can give with a clear conscience knowing that this is what you can do to help someone in need. Let us not harden ourselves towards people who need our support. Let us not become indifferent towards HUMAN BEINGS who need our help (like most of our leaders). If we have the means to support people, we should do whatever we can to do so.
Regards,
Arthestically