Dear Friends,

I am sharing with you what has been the happiest, most fulfilling holiday gift season I’ve ever experienced. I wrote my children and grand children that this year I was not buying material gifts but wanted to make a donations in their honor to an organization/group/event they cared about. The response I got was amazing. The gift was three-fold: for me, for my loved ones, and making a small difference in the world. Look at the logos, check the links below… it’s an exciting list… maybe you might be inspired for next year.

I wish you a fruitful, healthy, and satisfying 2015.

Penny and Craig: – a legal organization fighting the  use of Wild and Scenic River Corridors  for “megaloads” – trucks the size of the space shuttle taking equipment to the Tar Sands. http://fightinggoliath.org/

Ben: – “de-Worm” is one of several initiatives of Evidence Action. It costs about 30cents to clean parasites from children of India. http://www.evidenceaction.org/#about

Forrest: – gifts of computer games to children in hospitals, homeless shelters,‘  http://www.childsplaycharity.org/

David – A group connecting with National Forest Service to give inner city children a summer in the wilderness. http://wildlinkprogram.org/

Lucia, Mark & Ryan Savage and Steve: ACLU – always there fighting for our civil rights and justice  https://www.aclu.org/

Willow: Youth Equine Alliance – Teen girls in Arizona who are saving the wild horses and burros from becoming dog food.h ttp://www.windwildhorse.com/windblog/2013/11/20/youth-equine-alliance-campaign-to-adopt-wild-horses/

Gyelse & Nile – For purchase of a bus to take sixty Cambodian children to school every day. http://www.indie.gogo.com/projects/let-s-get=tiny=toones-a-van-for-christmas

Judith: Sebastopol teens learn cooking and preparation of nutritious meals for persons with serious and /or life threatening diseases. http://www.ceresproject.org/

Grandma (from Ben) An anti-racism training and education program. http://collectiveliberation.org/