California Police Youth Charities Makes Positive Changes

Incorporated as a non-profit organization in June 2002, the California Police Youth Charities (CPYC) has grown in its scope. Its real impact, however, cannot be solely measured by the donations it has received and distributed to deserving persons and groups but by the positive changes it has made in their lives.

With its mix of law enforcement officers, businessmen, and professional athletes on its board of directors, the organization works toward providing under-privileged children with the opportunities for their welfare and advancement. It has established strong ongoing partnerships with various organizations including the Sacramento Kings, Oakland A’s, and San Diego Chargers, among others, to provide kids the opportunity to be just kids.

Its programs and projects accomplish several goals, such as bridging the gap between the kids and police officers, providing productive activities, and stressing positive values. Usually, police officers and professional athletes speak to the kids about issues affecting their lives including drugs, alcohol and gang violence.

In our world, every kid saved from these issues is a step in the right direction.

Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America Works For Cures

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis affect millions of men, women and children in the United States and worldwide, a disease that most patients will carry for the rest of their lives. Fortunately, there is a ray of hope – the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) works toward the discovery of better diagnostics, management and treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). With the foundation’s passionate commitment toward the collective diseases, patients as well as their families and caregivers have hope in their hearts that cures will be discovered in the near future.

CCFA is currently engaged in IBD Plexus, one of the biggest research initiatives of its kind. The research project was made possible via a grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, which will allow CCFA to create the first multi-dimensional research platform integrating medical, scientific and patient data.

With IBD Plexus, the foundation hopes to facilitate the creation of novel research and the facilitation of current research into the diseases. The desired result: Cures for IBD that will benefit every patient and his/her family members and caregivers.

Donations made to CCFA are in good hands. According to Charity Navigator, CCFA complies with the industry standards for sound fiscal management, accountability, and transparency, thus, its 4-star rating. The foundation’s financial and non-financial principles and practices have also been cited for their outstanding qualities.

Indeed, donors and contributors have the assurance that every cent of their donations will be used according to the organization’s mission. You have several ways of promoting its cause from making monetary donations to volunteering your time and talents to its programs and projects. Your donations and contributions will definitely make an impact on the fight against IBD so choose your way now.

The more you donate, the closer we are to finding a cure. Come and donate to the CCFA, join a team challenge, engage in social fundraising, and volunteer with us, among other types of contributions.

United Spinal Association: Empowering People with Spinal Injuries and Diseases

In the US, around 12,000 people suffer from new spinal cord injuries ever year. Add to that the number of people who are diagnosed with spinal cord related illnesses such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Post-Polio, and Spina Bifida each year. These injuries and diseases have forced millions to be confined to wheelchairs, or worse, to their beds for the duration of their lives. Aside from the people affected by spinal cord injuries and diseases (SCI/D) , the people who are hit the hardest are the people who look after them – their families and primary caregivers.

The United Spinal Association is a non-profit organization that provides much needed help and support to people afflicted with these debilitating injuries and diseases as well as to those who help them through their daily activities. The main goal of the organization is to advance and promote policies that would give people with SCI/D more independence and civil rights. Some of the advocacies they are pushing for are better, more affordable healthcare and preservation of social security benefits just to name a few.

United to End Genocide: Working to End Genocide and Mass Atrocities

In 2011, several organizations including the Save Darfur Coalition, the Genocide Intervention Network, Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND), and the Sudan Divestment Task Force came together to create a single organization that would work to end genocide and mass atrocities not only in Sudan, but in other areas where mass atrocities and genocide are prevalent. The new organization was called United to End Genocide and is currently under the leadership of former Maine congressman Tom Andrews.

One of the coalition’s main programs is the End Genocide Network which aims to stop mass atrocities and genocide through building an activist movement that is large and powerful enough to be heard. This movement is tasked to ring alarm bells and showcase those who are known to enable or cause genocide and mass atrocities, and in the process, pressuring them to stop what they are doing. They also call for action from elected leaders who have the power to do something about the issues these places and the people living there face on a day to day basis. The End Genocide Network also works with faith-based, community-based, and human rights organizations all over the world in sounding the alarm and calling for action to solve genocide and mass atrocity issues in particular areas.

Another major program that United to End Genocide focuses on is their End Genocide Survivors. This program was created to generate more awareness of the problems genocide and mass atrocity survivors have faced and are still facing today. The network is comprised of survivors not only of Darfur, but of other well known incidents of mass atrocities and genocide like the Holocaust, as well as people from Rwanda, Congo, Bosnia, Burma, and Sudan. These survivors speak in front of people to make them aware of what’s happening on the other part of the world and provide inspiration for people who have the desire to help out.

Children's Hunger Relief Fund: Saving the Future One Child at a Time

They say that the children are the world’s future. Unfortunately, in many poor nations, as well as in calamity-stricken countries, millions of children are dying of hunger. The Children’s Hunger Relief Fund is an organization that aims to secure a better future for all of us by helping the children that need it the most.

The organization was founded in 1975 when a large number of independent churches across America came together to form an association that would raise funds and work hard to help those in need, most especially the children. The churches involved in the organization had a combined total of several thousand members. This made it possible for them to raise enough funds to send their first group of volunteers to help refugees in South Vietnam which was in total chaos at that time. Since then, the Children’s Hunger Relief Fund has helped many children all over the world, not just by feeding them, but also by providing them with potable water and responding to natural disasters in a timely manner.

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence: Committed to Reducing Incidents of Gun Violence in America

Gun violence is fast becoming a problem in America. Today, on average, eight young people under the age of 20 are killed by guns on a daily basis. Also, one-third of the American population knows someone who has been shot. These numbers are alarming and are rising every year. This is why the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has been hard at work to keep guns out of the wrong hands by pushing for legislation such as the Brady Law which requires background checks for those who would like to purchase firearms. The organization is also pushing to close down the so-called “bad apple” gun dealers. These are the 5% of gun dealers who sell around 90% of the firearms used in gun-related crimes. Another way the organization wants to lessen the number of gun related injuries and deaths is to educate the people about the danger of keeping guns at home which may lead to incidents of suicide, accidental shooting, and homicide.

The organization was named after the husband and wife team of Jim and Sarah Brady. Jim Brady was once President Reagan’s Press Secretary. He was seriously injured during an assassination attempt on the President in 1981. Since then, the Jim and Sarah have been actively participating in efforts to reduce the incidents of gun violence in the country. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence was founded in 1974 under the name National Council to Control Handguns. In 1980, the organization changed its name to Handgun Control, Inc. A sister organization called the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence (CPHV) was founded in 1983. While Handgun Control worked to influence policy making, CPHV worked to educate people in order to reduce the incidents of gun-related violence. The change to Handgun Control’s name to the Brady Campaign happened in 2001. CPHV changed its name to the Brady Center as well.

Cancer Survivors’ Fund: Continuing the Fight

Beating the Big C is a big accomplishment for many young people afflicted with one form or another of this disease. However, the fight continues even after one survives cancer. The main concern of parents of children with cancer is to make sure their child survives. More often than not, they spend all the money they have just for medical expenses. Once their child is in remission, there’s not much left for their education and other important things like prosthetics if needed.

The Cancer Survivors’ Fund is a nonprofit organization that aims to help families of cancer survivors by offering scholarships and prosthetic limbs to deserving individuals. Aside from financial aid, the organization also helps cancer survivors by providing them with counseling and emotional support in order for them to face the next chapter of their lives with confidence. The Cancer Survivors’ Fund also encourages those they’ve helped to volunteer with the organization and inspire other cancer survivors to continue the fight even after they’ve lived through the worst part of their lives.

Fresh Air Fund: A Breath of Fresh Air for Low Income City Kids

The Fresh Air Fund is a non-profit organization that aims to provide low income kids who live in the crowded, noisy, and polluted city a chance to experience the outdoors every summer. The organization was founded in New York City in 1877 by Reverend Willard Parsons, a minister from a rural area in Pennsylvania. During this time, a tuberculosis epidemic swept through the crowded tenement buildings of New York City, affecting mostly the children living there. Since breathing fresh air was the treatment of choice for people with respiratory ailments, Reverend Parsons asked members of his congregation to open up their homes and “adopt” children from New York City for the summer. The program was a success and the rapid expansion of the organization prompted Reverend Parsons to seek the help of the New York Tribune in 1881. Seven years later, the organization was formally incorporated as The Tribune Fresh Air Fund Society. The program still continues today, but for a different reason. It is no longer done to rehabilitate children with respiratory issues; rather, it has become a summer camp where kids can just be kids. Today’s Fresh Air Fund beneficiaries can come to one of the organization’s five camp sites or be sponsored by a host family in a volunteer community and enjoy the outdoors, learn new things, and unleash their potential.

The Fresh Air Fund has managed to acquire a 2,300 acre property called the Sharpe Reservation. This piece of land is home to the organization’s camp sites which the kids use during the summer. During the off season, the camp sites are utilized by school groups, community organizations, and Girl Scout troops to learn about the environment, enhance camaraderie, learn survival skills in the outdoors, and enjoy the many amenities each of the camps have to offer.

DebRA: Brings Hope Where There Appears To Be None

Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a medical condition characterized by chronic, painful blistering leading to rough skin, scarring, and even limb disfigurement, is the worst disease that the general public has never heard of. The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America (DebRA) works toward changing it.

DebRA, the only national non-profit organization dedicated to providing services and funding research into epidermolysis bullosa (EB), was established by Arlene Pessar and Eric Lopez (her son) in 1980. Lopez, who was born with the condition, has testified before Congress in the interest of promoting increased funding for research, public awareness, and clinical centers for patients including a national registry.

Today, the organization provides patients as well as their families, caregivers, and healthcare providers with direct services including education and information to improve their quality of life. It is also known for its active participation in activities related to finding a cure for EB including funding for research and development.