Putting an End to Bullying in American Schools

Founded in 1999 with a mission to keep children safe and strengthen families, Love Our Children USA has since become the the leading non-profit organization preventing all forms of mistreatment and violence against the youth. Throughout its history, Love Our Children USA has created programs designed to empower kids and families. In 2005, the charity launched STOMP Out Bullying, an anti-bullying and cyberbullying initiative for kids and teens, in response to the urgent need to address this growing problem. The popularity of the Internet, unfortunately, has given bullies new ways to harass their fellow students.

The goal of STOMP Out Bullying is to stop both offline and online bullying in schools and communities across America. By teaching bullies against racism, hatred, homophobia, and other issues, the program aims to reduce incidences of school violence and absences. STOMP Out Bullying also reaches out to bullied students by educating them on effective ways of responding to harassment, through its website and in-school programs. For children and teens who need someone to talk to and/or are at risk of suicide, a hotline and online chat portal have been set up as well.

In addition, STOMP Out Bullying serves as an educational resource for parents and school administrators, as they, too, play important roles in such situations. The initiative has garnered the support of celebrities, and its global ambassadors include JoJo, Lance Bass, and Emily Osment, all of whom have participated in STOMP Out Bullying PSA's.

Recently, Love Our Children USA started the annual Blue Shirt Day as a grassroots movement to STOMP Out Bullying. The objective of the campaign, which takes place every October, is to increase awareness about bullying and give hope to every student who has experienced violence at school. Blue was the selected color as it represents peace in many cultures.

Change the World, $5 at a Time

If you've got a talent or skill, you can make a positive difference in the world. Founded by a group of young entrepreneurs, Toronto-based Raise5 is an online marketplace that makes it easy for anybody to raise money for a good cause. All products and services on the site, which are offered by its users, are priced at a flat rate of $5. Raise5 takes $1 from each transaction to cover its operating costs, and the remaining $4 goes to the service donor's charity of choice.

If you're not able to offer a service or product at the moment but still would love to support a cause, you can browse the marketplace and make a purchase instead. You can learn basic Spanish or have yourself turned into a cartoon, among others, while helping non-profits such as charity: water, the Red Cross, and the World Society for the Protection of Animals. Not a bad deal for $5, right?

Setting the Wheels in Motion for Disabled Individuals

Inspired by his brother Mark, David Richard started Wheels for Humanity in his garage in 1995 to help people with disabilities increase their mobility and self-sufficiency. After collecting and repairing 130 wheelchairs with the assistance of Boy Scouts and church youth group volunteers, he delivered them to people in need in Guatemala towards the end of that year.

Not long after, Wheels for Humanity was registered as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and has since moved from David's garage to an expansive warehouse in North Hollywood, California. Today, staff and volunteers collect donated wheelchairs and restore them to fit the needs of each recipient.

Five years ago, Wheels for Humanity became a member of the United Cerebral Palsy network of organizations and officially changed its name to UCP Wheels for Humanity. Since its incorporation in 1996, UCP Wheels for Humanity has helped improve the lives of over 50,000 individuals in more than 68 developing countries.

CA Charity Provides Nourishment to Those in Need

Founded in 1989 by internationally acclaimed spiritual author and speaker Marianne Williamson, Project Angel Food is a non-profit organization dedicated to nourishing the body and spirit of people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other serious illness. The charity prepares and delivers nutritious meals, gratis, to those who are too sick to shop and cook for themselves.

From delivering 15 meals a day during its first year, Project Angel Food now delivers more than 13,000 meals per week throughout Los Angeles County. In 2010, 735,000 meals were received by 2,200 men, women, and children in need. To date, the organization has delivered more than 7 million meals.

Despite these impressive figures, Project Angel Food is a very personalized program. Meals, which are prepared by professional chefs and volunteer assistants, are individualized to meet the specific needs of each client. The goal of Project Angel Food is not to be merely a source of food, but also to enhance and maintain the health of its clients. Hence, every person enrolled in the program receives an initial nutrition assessment as well as regular follow-ups on their condition. At the same time, all Project Angel Food menus follow a particular set of nutrition guidelines to ensure proper nourishment.

Aside from preventing hunger by delivering fresh, quality meals, Project Angel Food recognizes the need to care for the spirit of its clients, as most people who are affected by life-threatening illnesses must face isolation, too. Volunteers who make the deliveries also provide human contact, friendship, and compassion. Moreover, Project Angel Food sends gift bags to its clients on special occasions like birthdays and holidays.

From a small grassroots organization, Project Angel Food has grown tremendously over the years thanks to the kindness and generosity of its volunteers and donors. Celebrity supporters include Eric McCormack, Leonard Nimoy, and the late Elizabeth Taylor.

Reef Relief: 25 Years of Protecting the Florida Reef

Founded in 1987 by Craig and DeeVon Quirolo, Reef Relief started out as an effort to educate boaters and divers about reef damage caused by negligence. The Key West, Florida-based non-profit was one of the first environmental groups to focus on coral reef preservation, a mission it carries out to this day.

Since its inception, Reef Relief has been committed to restoring and improving the coral reef ecosystem of the Florida Keys through education and advocacy. For more than 15 years, the organization has run the Discover Coral Reefs School Program, which teaches local fourth grade students about the importance of the coral reef ecosystem and what they can do to protect it. A glass-bottom boat trip follows the lessons. Another program for kids by Reef Relief is Coral Camp, an educational summer camp for children between 6 and 12.

The non-profit has also established the Reef Relief Environmental Center, located at busy Historic Seaport in Key West. Here, visitors learn about the coral reef ecosystem, its threats, and conservation methods with the help of the center's theater, exhibits, and educational materials.

Other efforts of Reef Relief include coastal cleanups and the distribution of brochures to various establishments in the Florida Keys. To date, the group has given out close to 100,000 pamphlets to resorts, hotels, schools, and Chambers of Commerce. Moreover, Reef Relief has teamed up with community groups and government agencies to organize cleanup activities.

A respected authority on coral reef protection, Reef Relief has worked with scientists, environmental leaders, and government officials to improve water quality standards on the state and national levels. In 1990, Reef Relief received the Point of Light award from President George H. W. Bush for successfully leading the reef conservation movement in the Keys. Over the years, the non-profit has been honored with several accolades, including the 1995 Governor's Environmental Achievement Award and the 1996 President's Council on Sustainable Development.

Good Samaritans Put Smiles on Seniors' Faces

Started out of Karole and Floyd Kettering's home in 1979, the Humanitarian Service Project (HSP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the underprivileged children, seniors, and families of Illinois. 

Among HSP's programs is the Senior Citizen Project, which began in 1982 with three beneficiaries. Today, HSP delivers over 90 pounds of groceries (food, household products, personal care items) to the project's 120 seniors in DuPage and Kane counties every month. The Senior Citizen Project exists to help its members maintain a healthy lifestyle and overcome the challenges of aging and financial problems more easily.

Additionally, the Senior Citizen Project's secret pals bring extra joy into the lives of the seniors by sending them small gifts on a regular basis. Secret pals usually spend $5 to $25 on items such as plants, puzzles, and gift cards. Though the gesture is simple, it makes a profound difference for the seniors.

Anybody can sign up to become a secret pal. If you're interested in assisting a needy senior, you may contact the Humanitarian Service Project at 630-221-8340 or hsp@humanitarianservice.org.

Charity Invites Teens to Walk for Clean Water in Africa

Do Something, the charity that encourages teens to change the world by taking action, is currently asking young people to join one of its most recent campaigns, The Water Games: Walk for Africa. By organizing water walks in their community, teens can help raise awareness about the lack of access to clean water in many developing countries.

If 15,000 people participate by April 13, Do Something's partner organization The Thirst Project will construct a well in Swaziland, Africa, where young girls have to walk about three hours every day to look for clean water. Participants also get the chance to win prizes, including a trip to the Do Something Awards, scholarships, and movie tickets.

Founded by Andrew Shue and Michael Sanchez in 1993, Do Something was started to make community service a normal part of young people's lives, such as watching television or playing sports. The charity launches a new national campaign on its website almost every week.

Auction Website Combines Unique Experiences With Philanthropy

Wouldn't it be great if you could have the experience of a lifetime (e.g. meet your favorite celebrity or go on a seven-day luxury cruise) and make a positive difference in the world, too? At CharityBuzz, it happens all the time.

The Manhattan-based for-profit company helps non-profit organizations raise funds by auctioning off celebrity and business experiences, travel packages, shopping sprees, luxury items and collectibles, and a host of other events and memorabilia most people normally wouldn't have access to. CharityBuzz, the world's first charity auction site, was founded by entrepreneur Coppy Holzman and launched in April 2004 out of his Westport, Connecticut home.

Holzman, who previously co-founded online grocery Webvan, came up with the idea for CharityBuzz after attending a fundraiser for the Clinton Library, where he rubbed elbows with former President Bill Clinton and actor Chevy Chase. At a friend's suggestion, he applied his Internet know-how and organized the first CharityBuzz auction to help raise money for an organization Chase was supporting. The experience that was auctioned off was a golf outing with Chase and Bill Murray, based on the 1980 film Caddyshack that the actors had starred in.

Already well-connected with the rich and famous, Holzman subsequently contacted other celebrities and charities, and the company eventually grew through word-of-mouth. In 2008, after running the company part-time for more than three years, Holzman focused on CharityBuzz full-time and moved the business to its current location in New York City. By then, CharityBuzz had already partnered with over 500 non-profits and attracted tens of thousands of bidders.

Since its inception, CharityBuzz has raised over $60 million for more than 1,000 chairities worldwide, including the American Red Cross, LIFEbeat, Oceana, Habitat for Humanity, and the Robert F. Kennedy Center. Of course, the company has also helped several happy customers fulfill their dreams.