Advocate Spotlight: Lynn Baker

If CafeGive was a child, we would be a healthy six-month-old, starting to roll over and master finger foods. Oh, the simple things in life! But we are a healthy six-month-old organization, thus we are starting to master success stories that we’d love to share with you. One of them is the story of Lynn Baker, a CafeGive “Top Raiser” and an advocate for the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center. Lynn Baker is the Clinic Manager at Virginia Garcia Memorial Hospital at Cornelius. In addition, she is the Project Manager of Electronic Health Records (EHR) and is a friend of CafeGive Co-Founder, Ketan Sampat. The two met while working at Intel and both believed Virginia Garcia would be a great match for CafeGive. When asked how CafeGive has changed her shopping habits, Baker explained, “Yes, anything I buy, I first check out CafeGive.” The primary focus of her shopping is on books and music. To make her online purchases worth her while, she cashes in coupons and free shipping opportunities to save additional money. So far her favorite purchases have been: the Pink Martinis’ new CD, “Splendor in the Grass” (which she also bought for her sisters), Rupa and the April Fishes’ “CafeMundo” and a pair of KEEN shoes. One of the reasons Baker is our Top Earner is because of her Virginia Garcia Challenge, which she posted on her personal Facebook page as well as publicly on the Virginia Garcia Facebook page. Lynn challenged her friends to shop on CafeGive. For the first 10 people to shop on CafeGive and write about it on their own Facebook pages, Baker donated $10 to Virginia Garcia! She spends her time giving demonstrations to friends on how to use CafeGive, showing them how they can cash in on all the “after the holidays” sales! “Learn now, save later,” as Baker put it. For those who haven’t purchased on CafeGive yet, Lynn asks, “Why not? What are you waiting for?” If you’re buying online already there is no reason not to buy through CafeGive. And if you’re buying online for the first time, why not try CafeGive? It doesn’t cost anything extra. Just getting over that mental hurdle is the hardest part, which isn’t that big of a hurdle if you think about it. In summary, Baker says, “Some of the best work I’ve done, the rewarding kind, has been in the non-profit world. Finding new ways to give back is just wonderful. Something I appreciate is the opportunity to do it and CafeGive is just another way to do this.” So take Lynn Baker’s advice, get over that hurdle and start helping out a cause close to your heart, just by shopping on CafeGive!

Virginia Garcia was just named one of the top 15 Portland-area non-profits by the Portland Business Journal. Check out the article at: http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2009/12/virginia_garcia_health_center.html.

Shop online and support Virginia Garcia by checking out their profile page on CafeGive, advocating for them and purchasing great products like those under our Health and Beauty tab. Interested in learning more about CafeGive? Check out our website, Facebook Fan page, blog and Twitter. Involved with Virginia Garcia or another great health cause? We want to know, so be sure to leave a comment here on our blog.

Plant the Seeds of Greatness

Get out your gardening gloves! It’s time to Plant the Seeds of Greatness in the month of February. This month is not just about planting botanical seeds, but also the seeds of change. If you are unhappy with how your life is going at the moment, this month has been set aside to sit-back and reflect on what you can do to improve your situation. One thing you can do is shop through CafeGive and choose “Friends of the Trees” as your cause. So get out there, plant the seeds of greatness, and help change the world for the better.

Share Your Love... Time is Running Out!

In the immortal words of Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates… You never know what you’re going to get.” Nearly everyone loves chocolate and everyone wants to know you're thinking about them on Valentine's Day. If your loved one is in the small group of people who do not like chocolate, why not give a beautiful bouquet of begonias? Shop for your loved ones through CafeGive at sites such as Organic Bouquet, 1-800-FLOWERS.com and Ghirardelli Chocolate. You still have a few weeks to check out CafeGive's Valentine's Gift Guide and anything you buy benefits great causes such as the Children’s Heart Foundation, so what have you got to lose?

CafeGive Widget

Featured Cause: FeelGood

We at CafeGive are proud to have our newest cause, FeelGood, as part of our community. This non-profit is committed to ending world hunger through two interwoven initiatives. The FeelGood Academy is a training program for college students which teaches them to be more aware of global issues and become better citizens. FeelGood Delis give these students a chance to make a difference by raising money to end world hunger through the sale of grilled cheese sandwiches. Help FeelGood fight the good fight by shopping through www.cafegive.com. Together we can help end world hunger in our lifetime!

MercyCorps' Relief Efforts in Haiti

CafeGive supports Mercy Corps’ efforts in Haiti. On January 12, a 7.0 earthquake hit near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, and destroyed much of the city. It is estimated that over 100,000 people were killed in the tragedy. There are many ways to get involved including monetary donations to their website, www.mercycorps.org, donations of items such as new clothing or footwear, or as always, online shopping through CafeGive. Together, we can help improve for quality of life for the survivors of this catastrophe.

Share Your Love ... Shop & Earn for Your Cause!

Don't know what to get that special someone for the most romantic day of the year? CafeGive merchants have many ways to say "I love you" and show you care. Whether he or she is an avid reader or an outdoor enthusiast, sites such as Borders.com and Altrec.com can make the search for the perfect gift a little easier. A share of each purchase goes to your favorite cause, so it's a win-win situation. Be sure to visit CafeGive's Valentine's Gift Guide to share your love for your cause as well as your valentine!