Donating to a Cause

We live in a world where we depend on others. This concept became real to me while I listened to a talk at TEDxRexburg. The talk was called, "How to lose your self-esteem" and by far my favorite talk. We are taught from a young age to have a high self-esteem that we need to love ourselves. When this is not true, we need to focus on other people. We lose ourselves and then we find ourselves. When we claim to have high or low self-esteem we are basically telling the world that they are not doing a good enough job.

                I want to give back to those around me, but sometimes some of the organizations I come across, I just do not want to. I consistently pay for tithing and fast offering for the LDS church and that is really it.  This past summer we saw the ASL ice bucket challenge blow up social media. I was nominated and had no desire to dump ice water on my head, so I donated money. I knew nothing about ASL until I did that, but I still was not passionate about it because it did not have an effect on my. I donated, but I did not think twice about it. On my 101 things in 1001 days I wanted to find a cause that I believed in and donate to it.

                Recently, I have come across a couple of organizations and causes that I really believe in and I want to share them with you! The first one is becoming really popular and if you have not seen posts on Facebook, you are connected to the wrong people! The first one is Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). This organization headed by Tim Ballard, is on a mission track down child traffickers in developing nations. On average there are 2 million children are being trafficked as sex slaves in the world today. Working with the governments of these countries, OUR goes in undercover as buyers of these children and not only frees the children, but also arrests the traffickers. I knew that sex trafficking is an issue, but when it comes to children, I am extremely sensitive. Children are entitled to happiness and not to be used. There is a documentary about this work that I really want to see!  You can see a video about this cause HERE. 

                After research and looking at all I can, I decided to sign up to donate to this cause. I became an Abolitionist; you give a Lincoln to save a slave. Basically, I donate $5 a month to this cause. If that does not inspire you, OUR is teamed up with The Elizabeth Smart Foundation. Elizabeth Smart was a young girl in Utah that kidnapped and used as a slave. I read her book and it is terrible what happened to her, but she has moved on and is helping people in return. There is also a breakdown of how they spend their money, and 58% of the proceeds go to rescue missions. It costs an average of $20,000 for an operation to save 1-50 children. If my $5 can help even a tiny bit, then I know that the $5 is worth it. I encourage you all to check out this organization and join the fight in ending child slavery   

                Last Monday (3/16) I saw “The Drop Box”. This is a topic that is part of my senior project, so I will not go into too much detail here. Here is what you can find on the official website.

“The Drop Box tells the story of South Korean pastor Lee Jong-rak and his heroic efforts to embrace and protect the most vulnerable members of society. It is a heart-wrenching exploration of the physical, emotional and financial toll associated with providing refuge to orphans that would otherwise be abandoned on the streets. But The Drop Box movie is also a story of hope—a reminder that every human life is sacred and worthy of love.”

                The proceeds to this movie go to supporting Pastor Lee and the adoption and orphanage care work of Focus on the Family. This is a controversial topic because it deals with abandoning babies and children; however, there are ways we can help by just being here in the United States. Family is important and children deserve to be part of a loving family, even if it is not biological.

I hope you all do more than read about these causes and go out of your way to see what you can do to help. Or find an organization or cause that you are passionate about!

What organizations do you donate to?