Heifer International also has become well-known for its disaster rehabilitation services, and ecologically friendly procedures. Here at The Orchid Recovery Center, we endorse the work Heifer International is doing to combat the global issues of hunger and poverty. You can help donate to Heifer through our Orchid Recovery Center Heifer page.

The Gift of Sustainable Food Through Heifer International

Matching natural gifts to local climate and need, Heifer International offers communities in need an array of seedlings and livestock, ranging from cattle to water buffalo and from sheep to honeybees. Emphasis is placed on the livestock’s ability to continue to feed the community over the long-term, and recipients of Heifer’s gifts also receive a mating partner for the animal to help continue the source of sustainable food years into the future. Additionally, Heifer International requires families receiving its aid to pay the gift forward by offering offspring of the livestock to another family who has been likewise trained to maintain the source of food.

Heifer International’s Unique Giving Plan

Heifer International also provides a singular way for donors to participate in charitable giving. With gift certificates and even wedding registries that enable the “purchase” of an animal or plant, Heifer International allows gift givers to make a donation in a loved one’s name while attaching the notion to a tangible item. Donors see how far their funds will go, allowing them to select which resources they would like to send to families and communities in need.

As a result, individuals receiving gifts made possible by Heifer’s donors not only receive wholesome, nourishing food such as dairy, eggs and vegetables, but become able to provide for themselves and their families on an ongoing basis. By resolving the consequences of poverty and hunger, families can foray into commerce, building their own shelters and allowing children to receive educations.

How The Family Violence Prevention Fund Makes a Difference

In the United States, The Family Violence Prevention Fund helped the creation and passing of the groundbreaking Violence Against Women Act initiated in early 1990s. Today, domestically and beyond, The Family Violence Prevention Fund has continued its efforts to bring about social change. Here are just a few ways in which The Family Violence Prevention Fund continues to promote family and community safety.

• Public Education Awareness Campaigns
  Public education is one of the consistent aims of The Family Violence Prevention Fund. The organization has expanded its public education initiatives to include outreaches aimed at men and youth, in order to prevent violence before it begins and facilitate healing for victims of violence.

• Training Initiatives
  In partnering with the health care system, legal system and corporate world, The Family Violence Prevention Fund has provided awareness, education and training to help those in authority change attitudes regarding familial and community violence, providing better prevention on the issue’s front lines. Enabling these agencies to better spot the symptoms of domestic violence and abuse, The Family Violence Prevention Fund also provides training in necessary, expedient steps for intervention and reestablishment of safety. Leadership training is also provided in at-risk populations, particularly among minority women or those who have immigrated to the country.

• Child Protection Efforts and Parental Education
  The Family Violence Prevention Fund helps create safety and healing for children who witness – or are the victims of – violence within the home. Furthermore, The Family Violence Prevention Fund offers coaching to moms, dads and mentors about safety, personal boundaries and healthy interactions to help prevent incidents of violence.

• Legislation Activism

The Family Violence Prevention Fund works alongside members of Congress to help enact and bolster laws that provide funding for agencies that offer services to victims of physical and sexual violence.

Fundraising Ideas for Charitable Causes

Original and streamlined fundraising ideas can make a difference in your charitable organization’s bottom line. Here are just a few of the avenues for private donations funding that you may want to employ in order to incite further giving and begin to attract funds you need to function.

• Online Giving Campaigns

In the 21^st century, many organizations are beginning to use online means in order to attract donations. Campaigns aimed at visitors of popular websites, owners of online businesses and niche blog audiences (as well as the bloggers themselves) can help encourage giving. Often accompanied by easy-to-use “donate” buttons and streamlined by online payment solutions, these campaigns can build donations funds – and bases – quickly and easily. (examples: RAINN and Heifer).

• Host an Event or Performance

One of the most time-tested fundraising ideas is to organize a charitable event or performance. From New Year’s Eve parties and silent auctions to symphony nights and special speakers, social events and artistic performances can give donors an evening to enjoy while knowing their ticket price is going to a good cause.

• Company Donations Initiatives
  Many corporations – particularly those of some size – offer donation-matching programs to employees, as well as make annual contributions to charity. Some companies will also donate a portion of their sales – particularly for a limited time window – to a charity of their choice. Consider seeking out corporations whose core values may be a match for your organization and meet with them to create a giving and participation plan that may be mutually beneficial.

• Roll Up Your Sleeves

Traditional approaches to fundraising for charitable organizations still do work. In fact, car washes, bake sales, magazine subscriptions, t-shirt vending and gift basket sales all can create funds for nonprofit organizations.  Even the simplicity of door-to-door donations drives can also prove effective – so long as you are aware of any area-wide regulations that may apply.

Ways to Become More Involved in Your Local Community

Here are a few simple and accessible ways to foster your involvement in your local community. From activities you can perform on your own to those you can join with others to accomplish, increasing your involvement in your community can be mutually rewarding for you and those around you.

• Find a Cause

Many individuals forge deep connections with their communities when they find a cause about which they feel passionately. Look into local organizations involved with social, political or charitable change and seek ways to volunteer. You will meet others who have strong convictions and empathy for others – and will undoubtedly feel energized as you make progress for social change and contribute to worthwhile causes.

• Learn a Sport or Craft
  Most cities offer a wealth of sports classes, intramural teams, and art and dance classes through their Parks and Recreation Departments, open to virtually any skill level. Group sports lessons and arts classes can help you get to know others in your community while fostering a hobby you may grow to love.

• Visit Convalescent Homes
  The sad truth is that in every city, there are convalescent homes, retirement homes and convalescent hospitals where patients go without social interaction beyond the facility’s walls. Consider getting to know some of the patients and tenants at local homes. Call the administration office first to ask about visitation regulations, volunteer opportunities and visiting hours. You’ll be amazed at how much richer your life will become as you learn from the experience of those further on in their years.

• Attend Neighborhood Functions

All too often, we take our neighbors for granted. Consider getting involved in neighborhood watch meetings, participating in local potlucks or alcohol-free block parties, or simply stopping as you unload your groceries to chat.

• Participate in 12-Step Meetings

For those in recovery, participating in local 12-step meetings can provide both a bolstered support network and a way to get to know those in your locale. Visit several 12-step meetings in your area and find one that best fosters your recovery and seems like a natural fit to your personhood.

• Attend Local Events and Productions

Most cities have festivals throughout the year, which can provide a wonderful opportunity to get to know artists, vendors and other residents in your area amid a positive atmosphere. Consider also attending local school or community theatre plays, charity events, dances and presentations – many of which are as affordable as they are enthralling.

• Connect with Your Spiritual Side

Many religious organizations and spiritual groups provide positive atmospheres in which to fellowship with others. Consider returning to church, temple or a meditation space if you have not done so in a while. If you are not religious, consider attending spirituality workshops or taking a walk through an open space area or state park to interface with the natural world around you – and the people in it – on a deeper level.

Rape Abuse Incest National Network

RAINN is the largest anti-sexual assault network in the nation. In 1994 they established the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1.800.656.HOPE) and in 2007 they launched the free and confidential online version of the hotline. In addition to the hotline network across the nation, RAINN also gets out into local communities to educate the public about sexual assault and helps ensure rapists are brought to justice. Through partnerships with community organizations, celebrities, athletes and caring volunteers, since it’s founding, 1.5 million women and men have been helped. and over 1.2 million individuals are educated on the issues each year.

Sexual Assault Statistics

• 1 in 6 women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime
• 1-33 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime
• College women are 4 time more likely to be a victim of sexual assault
• In 2007 there were 248,300 victims of sexual assault
• Every two minutes someone becomes a victim of sexual assault
• 60% of these are not reported
• 73% know who their rapist is.

According to RAINN.org

With participation from breast cancer survivors as well as their families and friends, the Susan G. Komen foundation has created a support network for millions of women fighting breast cancer worldwide. The foundation’s now-famous “Race for the Cure” event has raised record-breaking levels of donations each year, making the organization the number-one nonprofit fundraising organization in the world among organizations joining in the fight to end breast cancer.

Ways the Susan G. Komen Foundation Is Making a Difference

In addition to providing an education and support network to survivors of breast cancer and their loved ones, the Susan G. Komen foundation has seen its efforts help bring about social and medical change. In the time since the foundation’s inception, early detection techniques have improved, with three-quarters of women over 40 regularly undergoing preventative mammograms.

Additionally, in the time since the organization’s birth, early breast cancer’s five-year survival rate (used as the most predictable measure of long-term survival in oncology) increased from 74 to 98 percent over the last two and a half decades. The Susan G. Komen Foundation has also been pivotal in facilitating government funding for breast cancer research, now totaling more than $900 million annually. Perhaps most poignantly, America now boasts more than two and a half million individuals who have survived breast cancer, making these courageous individuals the single largest group of cancer survivors in the country.

The Inception and Growth of Women to Women International

Founded by husband-and-wife team Zainab Salbi and Amjad Atallah, Women to Women International began by partnering female American sponsors with women who had survived the horrors of war – and the ensuing rape camps – in the Bosnia region. From its meager beginnings, Women to Women International has grown astronomically. Since 1993 alone, the organization has distributed an excess of $33 million in relief efforts and loans to those in need. More than 120,000 women have benefited from Woman to Women International’s efforts – an immense level of growth since the organization’s first year of dedicated work with eight women.

Today, Women for Women International brings aid and educational efforts to women throughout the world, including Colombia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, the Congo, Rwanda, Kosovo, Sudan and Iraq, with the help of more than 20,000 sponsors internationally.

How Women to Women International Makes a Difference

Some of the means that Women for Women International uses to achieve these goals include direct relief efforts, human rights awareness training, and business education and development courses. Women for Women International has also earned a reputation as a champion of women’s rights – particularly in third-world countries. As part of their training, disadvantaged women learn to transcend the social exclusion they may have come to suffer, understanding their rights, boundaries and personal power as women. Many of the women helped by the organization have suffered repeated incidents of injustice and violence, including threats of death, sexual assault, female trafficking, forced migration and physical abuse.

Here at The Orchid Recovery Center, we’re encouraged by employers’ willingness to support their employees’ charitable efforts. View our Orchid Recovery Center Charity page.

Donating to Charity Through Your Work

Most employer matching programs have a one-to-one ratio of giving involved; that is, each dollar an employee donates to the charity becomes “matched” by a dollar donated by the corporation itself. However, some companies will go even further, donating on a two-to-one or three-to-one ratio, enabling the tripling or quadrupling of employee gifts.

Protocols for each company’s donations matching program tend to vary by corporation, so it’s important to first check your employee handbook or talk to your human resources professional to become clear on the rules and regulations of your particular initiative. Many times, employees will have to do more than simply self-report charitable donations, such as complete company forms to obtain matching funds. Some companies may even “match” employee volunteer efforts or time investments with a monetary value, though verification procedures vary by corporation.

Some companies only provide matching gifts for those donations that are considered tax deductible. This sometimes means that even large-scale donations are not completely matched by a company if they exceed limitations on deductions according to IRS rules. In some cases, donations of the employee’s family will be also matched, though it’s increasingly common for donations restrictions to be limited to the employee alone.

Making the decision to partner with a charity can be the start of a wonderfully rewarding experience. However, many individuals and corporations find themselves at a loss initially as to how to begin the selection process amid so many worthwhile causes. By learning about the background of a given charity and  finding causes that resonate with you personally or professionally, you can embark on a mutually beneficial partnership to help create social good.

Factors in Selecting a Charity to Partner With

Though you may feel overwhelmed as you begin the charity selection process, keep in mind that you will engender the most positive outcomes if you align yourself well with a charity of your choice. By finding a cause that shares your values and enjoys a sterling reputation, you can create a lasting partnership for the greater good.

• Ask About Donor Fund Distribution
  Many charities understand consumer concerns about the percentage of donated funds that goes directly towards charitable actions rather than administrative costs. While any charity will experience necessary overhead, many charities exist that use the vast majority of their donated funds (often 85 percent or more) for their core work. Most will provide visual breakdowns of donated fund use for potential donors.

• Go with Your Passion
  In finding a charity to partner with, consider going quite simply with those you feel a personal connection towards. As you invest your time, energy and money, you’ll want a cause you can remain passionate about. While many causes are worthy ones, seek out a cause that you feel an emotional connection with.

• Ask About Non-Profit Status

If you intend to take donations as tax deductions, you’ll want to inquire as to official non-profit status. Keep in mind that many venerable charities do function as “not-for-profit” corporations, many for valid reasons. However, if you wish to benefit at tax time from your donation of goods or funds, you should ensure you are working for a “non-profit” rather than a “not-for-profit” charity.

• Explore the Charity’s Reputation

Using online search engines, news archives and word of mouth reviews, explore any complaints, violations or issues that may have involved the charity you’re considering. Ensure that in a broad view, at least, the charity carries a reputation for dignity and transparency.

• Become Clear on a Time Commitment

Some charities have a deeper or longer time investment need from volunteers. If you apply to do volunteer work, ask about the number of hours per month – and the number of months – they prefer from volunteers. This will help set your expectations in line with the charity’s needs.

People familiar with Orchid Recovery Center because of their work in the community and charity work around the world know The Orchid cares about women but they might not know what happens behind the scenes at the Orchid Treatment Center?

The Orchid is a gender-specific drug and alcohol rehab center for women.   One of the only facilities of its kind in the United States, it has helped countless women overcome addiction by providing them with expert treatment, holistic care and a safe place to heal.

The addiction treatment experts at The Orchid have taken part in extensive studies that have found that women are able to overcome addiction more effectively when they are surrounded by other women.  The sense of community and support that is created at The Orchid Recovery Center truly enhances the healing process and allows women to move forward with a clean and sober life.

Located in South Florida, The Orchid is a luxury residential rehab center for women of all ages.   For more information, visit www.orchidrecoverycenter.com today.