yes, it is birthday time

That time of year has rolled around again. I try not to make too much of the day, it is really just one more to be grateful for waking up in this wonderfully challenging environment.

I won't do a birthday challenge with Facebook. They don't need your data. There are way too many opportunities for them to misuse it.

If you do chose to mark my day with a donation to a worthy cause, I have several suggestions where you can make a donation.

Honor Flight - the group organizes trips to the war memorials in Washington, DC. My brothers and I were fortunate to take Dad there before he passed on and it is a very worthy cause.
https://www.honorflight.org/

Reading is Fundamental - yes, learning is lifelong and reading is one of the keys to that process.
https://secure.rif.org/page/7549/donate/

American Cancer Society - I lost both my parents and a number of other relatives and friends to this disease.  https://www.cancer.org/

Crohn's and Colitis Foundation - coincidentally. Dec 1-7 is awareness week. One of my daughters has Crohn's so this is also a cause close to home.
http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/

Horace Mann Education Association - a Franklin based org doing wonderful work with those challenged by a disability. My cousin had Down syndrome so this is close to home too.  https://www.hmea.org/

Franklin Food Pantry - and last but not least, if not Franklin, every community should be serviced by a food pantry or food bank to help those challenged by food insecurity.  https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/

Dad recounting a story for Mark, Bob, Mike and I in WDC 2007

"I have not forgotten the face of my father"

Or my mother for that matter. I am re-reading Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series while my birthday rolls around. Yes, the birthday does come around once a year. It will take awhile to finish re-reading the series but that should be done before my next birthday comes around again.

If you would like to do something special, I would have you consider a donation to the Honor Flight organization. Honor Flight brings World War II veterans to Washington, DC. To see the memorials they fought for.

My brothers and I were fortunate to bring Dad there while he could get around. He treasured that trip. Your help to bring the few WW II veterans that are left while they can go, is worth it.

And since I have not forgotten the face of my mother (who left us at too young an age) I'd also suggest a contribution to the American Cancer Society. Cancer took both Mom and Dad.

Mom and Dad at Division St. (in the 70's )

Honor Flight  https://www.honorflight.org/donate-now/

American Cancer Society  https://www.cancer.org/involved/donate.html

#GivingTuesday

The day after Thanksgiving is "Black Friday".

The Monday after Thanksgiving is "Cyber Monday"

In response to these two commercial efforts, there is "#Giving Tuesday"

Franklin Food Pantry appreciates #GivingTueday

Make it right - summary

As a follow up to my pledge to help Make it Right by Writing made here and here, I have tallied the posts that I published between October 18th up through and including November 1st. According to my count I wrote the following quantity of posts:

Steve's 2 Cents - 35
Franklin Matters - 37
quiet poet - 17
Joyful Jubilant Learning - 2

This totals out to be 96 posts (assuming my math is correct). At $2 per post, that will be $192 split between the Franklin Food Pantry and the MA Good Neighbor Energy Fund.

What can you do to help fight poverty?

Make it Right by Writing

Image by adria.richards via Flickr

Coming out of the recent Blog Action Day, David Zinger is encouraging a campaign to raise money to help fight poverty.

If you blog and want to join the pledge to donate 2 cents per word during the last week of October.

You can read more about the pledge details here.

If you don't blog, no problem, you can still donate to a charity of your choice that will help the cause.

I have taken the pledge and will donate for each blog posting I make across the following sites:

Franklin Matters
quiet poet
Joyful Jubilant Learning

and of course, here at Steve's 2 Cents.

In lieu of counting words, I will contribute two dollars per post and divide the donation between the Franklin Food Pantry and the Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund.

Will you join me?

Contribute what you can to a charity of your choice that works to address poverty.

Thank you!