Your Epiphany, My Solution

Have you ever sat there thinking about whatever it is you're thinking about and wham! Suddenly these thoughts just burst into your head like a lightning storm...

Self, I've got money to burn before the end of the year AND I'd like to put it to a worthy cause that will use it well AND I think that Cheryl girl is a slacker and should get in touch with me.

What an agonizing epiphany! What should you do? How can you harmonize all three of these deep issues?? Fret not. i have the answer. Ready?

Spend your extra money or forgo a few extras in your life and give to Children's Hunger Fund!!!

Allow me to explain...

i could give you statistics or stories about the poverty and problems of this world, but i'm not going to because let's be honest...you and i both know full well those problems are there, in our backyards and around the world. i'll simply say that if you'd like to give to a nonprofit that is serving the poor in California and internationally, that is well established, and that has very high standards of integrity and financial accountability, look no further than CHF. You can go on the website (www.childrenshungerfund.org) to learn more about who they/we are, our programs, countries we're working in, etc. But if you're going to give, know that one of our selling points is that over 99% of our total revenue goes to our programs. In other words, we spend less than 1% on overhead. We are also members of several accountability and watchdog groups that audit how nonprofits spend their money, and our annual report is available to anyone and everyone.

So yes, CHF is a great place to unload your money. If your thinking, sounds good let me empty my wallet, you can go to the website and give online by credit card, or you can just send a check. However if you're thinking, hm I want to give but I want to designate it toward some specific stuff, then the CHF Christmas Catalog is for you! The catalog is online at www.childrenshungerfund.org/catalog. And check out the supercool dynamic catalog flip book that the communications guys slaved over for the past couple of weeks.

Now you're thinking, Wait how does any of this intersect with Cheryl getting in touch with me? Well a couple of my job responsibilities include processing and databasing the donations that come in and merging files to receipt the donor (you in this case, hopefully). SO, if you give money to CHF there is a 99.999999% chance i will know about it, process it, and receipt you. And in receipting you, it would brighten my day to be able to think of you and write a mini letter to you on your receipt.

Well there you have it. Some of you may be thinking, waaaaaait a minute she's just trying to get me to cough up money and avoid getting in touch with me for real. To those that are thinking that i say, uh, DEAL WITH IT!

In all seriousness though, i'll conclude this post by adding that this isn't about me trying to guilt anyone into giving. i process countless donations every week, anywhere from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. i have no idea whether the people giving the donations have pure or selfish motivations, whether they were guilted into giving or whether they gave genuinely, whether the donation was stingy or generous, etc. That's not for me to know or judge. The point of this post is to give you one quality giving option that i can personally vouch for, and merely encourage you to give if that's what you'd like to do.

And tell your friends, family, and everyone you know about CHF too. It really is a great place to give, whether you're a Christian or not a Christian, boring or exciting, supercool or a huge loser, etc.

And let me know if you have any questions, like,

Cheryl, I want to give online but I don't know how to use the Internet...

or

Cheryl, I don't know how much postage is because they keep raising it...

Yeah...questions like that.