Black Women In Sport Foundation Now Raising Funds on CafeGive

If you've ever participated in a sport of had a child that participated in a sport you know firsthand what a difference that participation can make. Added confidence from being part of a team, confidence in what your body can do or just added social skills, participation in a sport can significantly impact the life of a young woman.

Since 1992, The Black Women In Sport Foundation (BWSP) has been dedicated to facilitating the involvement of Black women in every aspect of sport in the United States and around the world, through the "hands on" development and management of grass roots level outreach programs.

CafeGive is all about grassroots funding, which is why we believe Black Women In Sport Foundation is such a great "fit" for our community. Their active involvement in sport as an activity, and athleticism, as a way of life, are character-building endeavors that every young woman (and especially black women) all walks of life need. The Foundation is unique in its ability to address the needs and wishes of young black women and girls, and to define the best ways to guide and support them in their path to life-long achievement.

While the Foundation has enjoyed many years of continued success, much more can be done. Young women in urban and rural areas still lack the financial, emotional and spiritual support necessary to rise to the level of their own brillance. The Foundation's future focuses on reaching out to these young women and girls, by incorporating emerging internet technologies, increasing sports clinics, expanding sport opportunities for young black womena nd girls, providing consulting serverices for athletic program development, and devoloping collaborative programs with educational institutions and corporate stakeholders to design, manage and promote athletic programming.

Whether you or someone you know needs new sport equipment, athletic apparel (check out the sports tab) or something from one of the many other CafeGive stores, you can help Black Women In Sport Foundation reach more future athletes by purchasing through CafeGive.

For more information on Black Women In Sport Foundation check out their profile page on CafeGive and become and advocate for them.

Interested in learning more about CafeGive? Check out our website, Facebook Fan page, blog and Twitter.

Involved with Black Women In Sport Foundation or CafeGive? We want to know, leave a comment here on the blog.

Halloween Shopping with CafeGive

“What did one ghost say to the other ghost?” … “Do you believe in people?”

Ha-ha! I love Halloween. It is hands down the best holiday of the year. Changing leaves, hot apple cider, jack-o-lanterns, costumes, and candy! What isn’t there to love? Now you can make Halloween extra sweet by purchasing everything you need for the greatest holiday through CafeGive and support an awesome cause. To get your mind going on all things ghoulish here are some suggestions:

• Ghirardelli Chocolate: For a special treat for your loved ones.
• Kodak Gallery: For pictures of your little princess and Superman.
• Costume Express: Avoid the crowds at those Halloween Warehouses.
• Celebrate Express: For all your Halloween decorations and party gifts.
• PetSmart: Because Fido makes the cutest pumpkin.
• Moon Costumes: Shop for costumes in the privacy of your own home.
• Nothing but Costumes: I believe the name speaks for itself.
• Gap: Great Fall clothing for those with an office job during this wonderful season .
• Old Navy: Halloween clothing for babies to dads.

For more information on Halloween stores check out the Halloween products page on CafeGive and start creating widgets and shopping.

Interested in learning more about CafeGive? Check out our website, Facebook Fan page, blog and Twitter.

What is your favorite Halloween purchase on CafeGive?

MountainStar Family Relief Nursery is Raising Money on CafeGive

One summer in college I interned at a safe house for teenage mothers. While these girls faced the challenge of being young mothers, I got the chances to hear their stories. A lot of them come from broken homes and abusive relationships.  MountainStar Family Relief Nursery works to prevent child abuse and neglect in young children. It provides crisis intervention and a therapeutic classroom for at-risk children and support for families through parent education classes, mental health services, respite care and basic needs support. A highly visible and respected local non-profit located in Central Oregon, MountainStar provides support for babies and young children aged 6 weeks to 4 years in age. Based on a model that is over 30 years, it’s easy to see how MountainStar Family Relief Nursery has served over 348 children (and families) in 2007-2008.

Their work builds on the family’s commitment to provide their children a loving home and a solid foundation for growth and development. MountainStar fundamentally believes their work can change the community over time. Most issues facing communities (think prison, suicide, drug abuse and drop out rates) occur because of abuse in the earliest years of life. Happy safe babies, lead to happy safe families, which ultimately leads to happy safe communities. Not to mention MountainStar Family Relief Nursery helps children escape the possibility of being abused! MountainStar Family Relief Nursery gives a voice to children who would otherwise not have a voice and keeps an eye on the most vulnerable of children. Did you know that 90% of your brain develops before the age of three? Abused children’s brains are physically smaller than babies born into healthy families.

CafeGive is excited to work with MountainStar Family Relief Nursery. We believe in their cause and their opportunity to make a huge impact in the community.

Won’t you help MountainStar Family Relief Nursery be even more successful by purchasing items through a CafeGive Widget that support MountainStar Family Relief Nursery?

For more information on MountainStar Family Relief Nursery check out their profile page on CafeGive and become an advocate for them.

Interested in learning more about CafeGive? Check out our website, Facebook Fan page, blog and Twitter.

Involved in MountainStar Family Relief Nursery or CafeGive? We want to know, leave a comment here on our blog!

New Merchants Coming Soon to CafeGive

When you do great things for good causes your success becomes a magnet and soon others want to be part of that success. CafeGive will soonhave even more stores for your shopping pleasure! The more brands we bring in, the more people will find what they are looking for through our site and thus the more funds we will raise for your causes. It’s a win, win, win, win!

Check out the great stores coming soon to CafeGive:

• Old Navy – Gap’s younger sibling
  
• Piperlime - Gap's shoe brand
• Banana Republic - Gap for the professionally dressed
• OnlineShoes.com - great source of shoes online
• Beauty.com - purchase name brand beauty supplies here
• Ebags - luggage and bags super store
• KL Sport - for all your sporting needs
• The Artful Home - get something new for your home like a piece of art
• Forzieri.com - Italian leather goods
• As We Change - clothing for women over 40

Already Available on CafeGive:

• Gap - Classic clothing
• Athleta - Gap's athletic clothing line for women

What is your favorite Back to School purchase on CafeGive?

Help Make a Difference in the Life of Migrant Farm Worker Family by Supporting Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center

Most parents take for granted the ability to take their children to a doctor should the need arise. For many migrant and seasonal farm workers who are parents, that is not the case. When 6-year old Virginia Garcia cut her foot, it became infected. Due to economic, language and cultural barriers in healthcare, Virginia died from what should have been an easily treatable wound on Father’s Day, as her own father worked in the fields, unaware of the tragic turn of events. Determined to prevent similar tragedies from occurring, the community rallied together to open the first Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center (VGHC) in a three-car garage.

There are many dedicated folks who passionately believe in this mission and have jumped in with both their feet -- one of them is Ketan Sampat (one of CafeGive's founders) good friend, Lynn Baker -- she started out in a volunteer position on their Foundation Board and eventually believed in Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center's mission enough to take a hefty pay cut and left the for-profit world so she could dedicate herself fully to this task.

The Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center has expanded considerably since then and now provides over 110,000 office visits to more than 30,000 patients a year at four primary care clinics, three dental offices and two school-based health centers. VGHC provides high quality, comprehensive and culturally appropriate primary healthcare to the communities of Washington and Yamhill counties (the only federally qualified health center) with a special emphasis on migrant and seasonal farm workers and others with barriers to receiving healthcare. In addition they provide outreach to schools, community health fairs and to migrant and seasonal farm workers at local camps through a mobile clinic.

Some facts about the patients served at Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center:

• 68% of patients are at or below the Federal Poverty Level (which translates to earnings of $20,500 a year for a family of four)
• 48% of patients lack insurance
• 63% are best served in a language other than English

Won’t you help Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center expand their care even more by creating and purchasing items that support Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center with CafeGive widgets?

For more information on Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center check out their profile page on CafeGive and become an advocate for them.

Interested in learning more about CafeGive? Check out our website, Facebook Fan page, blog and Twitter.

Involved with Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center or Cafegive? We want to know, leave a comment here on the blog.

Save the Cord Foundation now raising funds on CafeGive

Save the Cord Foundation is dedicated to helping parents making the decision of banking their baby’s cord blood or donate it to help others as simple as possible. By providing unbiased, educational information regarding cord blood preservation and its life-saving qualities. Cord blood is currently being used to treat over 70 diseases (like cancer, immune deficiencies and genetic disorders) and research has shown even more potential (like regenerative medicine). Unfortunately, 97% of cord blood in the US is discarded as medical waste because of lack of education and awareness.

Save the Cord Foundation is working to make the collection of cord blood the standard of care in hospitals throughout the nation and to make public cord blood banks a national priority with the following three goals:

1. Save the Cord Foundation wants to be a clearing house of information for hospitals and other programs looking to start a cord blood donation program. This involves gathering information from hospitals that have already established a successful cord blood collection program and using best practices to help others do the same.
2. Save the Cord Foundation has initiated a pilot program with a hospital in southern Arizona and hopes to expand the program throughout the country. This hospital-based program will provide an on-site health educator, who will be solely dedicated to educating expectant mothers about cord blood and their options for donations, or private banking.
3. Save the Cord Foundation hopes to have legislature in all 50 states mandate that cord blood be collected following each birth and public blood banks that are easily accessible.

Cord blood is the blood left in the umbilical cord and placenta following the birth of the child. It’s a potent and non-controversial source of stem cells. The mother and child are not harmed in the collection of cord blood and the collection does not interfere with the birthing process. Cord blood is becoming the favored source of stem cells used in transplant therapy. It is easy to collect, store and access quickly for transplant. Other advantages of cord blood stem cells include the fact that cord blood is rich, natural, controversy-free (unlike embryonic stem cells – and is backed by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American Academy of Pediatrics, legislatures and religious institutions) source of life-saving stem cells.

Won’t you help Save the Cord Foundation accomplish their goals by creating and purchasing items that support Save the Cord Foundation with CafeGive widgets?

For more information on Save the Cord Foundation check out profile page on CafeGive and become an advocate for them.

Interested in learning more about CafeGive? Check out our website, Facebook Fan page, blog and Twitter.

Already involved in Save the Cord Foundation or CafeGive? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Back To School Blog Post #3

It’s weird being a recent college grad and not having to go back to school. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy right where I am. No more finals and writing papers on topics I don’t care about or boring required courses.

But what I do miss from when I was younger is back to school shopping. As I shop at Office Depot, memories of Lisa Frank folders, boxes of markers, and begging my mom for things that I really NEEDED, but something I knew she wouldn’t deem necessary come flying back to me.

Whether you’re shopping for a preschooler or a senior in college. If you’re a parent, student, grandparent or teacher, CafeGive has something for you! Here is the list of Back to School products being offered right now on CafeGive. Why not make someone’s day a little brighter by giving them the tools to succeed in their education and through our causes help those who might not get such an opportunity.

• Miss Matched – great source of school supplies
• Soccer Garage – soccer is a fall sport (Kick n Chase to Varsity gear)
• Apple iTunes – everyone needs a little pick me up song
• Office Depot – avoid the crowds (and begging) by ordering online
• Borders – get all the required readings here (we won’t tell if you didn’t do the assigned summer reading)
• MacMall – better selections than Apple for home electronics
• Bagsbuy.com – great place to get backpacks and purses for the fall
• CookiesKids – brand name back to school clothes at discounted prices
• The Land of Nod – great clothes for young kids (who wants to be a trend setter?)
• Team Express Football – football is also a fall sport (PeeWee to Varsity gear)
• Adidas – gym clothes to running shoes for Cross-Country (another fall sport) or just everyday school wear
• Adobe – help your college student be successful with this suite package
• HP – seems like kids need computers younger and younger these days
• NB Web Express –if you’re not a fan of Adidas gear – New Balance is a great option
• Exclusively Green – dorm supplies (twin XLong – never forget this)
• Shoplet.com – another great source of school supplies
• BestBuy – for all your electronics needs (blank CDs are a must for back to school)
• RosettaStone – planning on visiting your kid while they are on study abroad? Might be a good time to brush up on the Spanish you took.
• Keen – back to school shoes and bags (I’m a personal fan of the backpacks made out of recycled rice bags.)
• Shoebuy.com – great source of back to school shoes

Coming soon (sneak peak benefit of coming to our blog): Gap, Athleta, Old Navy, Chocolate.com, Ghiradelli, Teavana, Tea Forte, Gaiam, Naturals of Ashland, SitStay.com, 1800PetMeds.com, Western Bikeworks, Flower Delivery Express, Academic Superstore, In the Hole! Golf, illy caffe, Isabubu Designs, iThreads, and Mom Agenda.

For more information on Back to School products check out the products page on CafeGive and start creating widgets and shopping.

Interested in learning more about CafeGive? Check out our website, Facebook Fan page, blog and Twitter.

What is your favorite back to school purchase on CafeGive?

Hands on Greater Portland Now Raising Funds on CafeGive

I’m a firm believer that volunteering makes you a better person. I think my fellow staffers at CafeGive would agree with me on that one. Not only does volunteering have a huge impact on a community, there is something about volunteering that changes your heart and puts things into perspective. Hands on Greater Portland believes everyone can do something for the community. They help develop this potential by connecting people with opportunities to feed the hungry, teach children, house the homeless, restore the environment and meet other important community needs. Just imagine a community where everyone volunteers.

Last year Hands on Greater Portland:
• Made 14,848 volunteer connections with 263 partner organizations
• 8,773 connections by creating volunteer projects
• Engaged 150 volunteer leaders
• 89% of volunteers said participating in a Hands On Project helped them learn about a community need and 90% took an action.
• 95% of volunteers said participating in a Hands On Project made them more likely to volunteer again or take other action in the community

By purchasing or creating widgets to share with other purchasers, you’ll be helping Hands on Greater Portland connect more volunteers with community organizations and in doing so you’ll be making Portland a better place to live, work and play.

Check out the Hands on Greater Portland profile page on CafeGive and become an advocate for them.

Interested in learning more about CafeGive? Check out our website, Facebook Fan page, blog and Twitter.

Involved in Hands on Greater Portland or CafeGive? We want to know, leave a comment here on our blog!

Support Your Cause with Back To School Shopping

Let your back to school shopping support a cause you care about!

CafeGive now has a wide selection of great stores to meet all your back to school needs.

Do you have kids heading to primary school in September? If yes, buy their supplies, sport equipment and uniforms at CafeGive and feel good knowing a percentage of the purchase will go to your favorite cause.

Is your teenager off to college? Then you'll be needing dorm room essentials and possibly a new computer. Check out the great options at CafeGive and have all your purchases earn funds for the cause you care about.

Here are a just a few of the great stores to choose from:

MacMall -- all things Macintosh

Office Depot -- school supplies

CookiesKids -- uniforms, backpacks, shoes and more

Shoebuy -- shoes for students of all ages

Bagsbuy -- backpacks, computer bags and luggage

Little Miss Matched -- bags, school essentials, socks

itunes -- all the tunes you need

and much more!

Visit CafeGive for all your back to school needs.

What has been your favorite back to school purchase on CafeGive?