charity stuff
it's that time of year when my workplace is asking for charitable contributions. i shy away from any org affiliated with united way, and prefer to give thru local offices, so i can ignore half the book they give us to pick from.
usually, i've given money to health charities, based on those family members and friends who have been afflicted by something horrible and deadly, and last year, i gave big to children's hospitals.
this year, i maintained one gift to a health charity, but, found 4 environmental/sustainability/green charities to give to as well. one focuses on farms, one focuses on fuels, one focuses on energy conservation in home life, and one focused on foods. since my grandmother was a big proponent of organic living and sustainability, and this was mentioned repeatedly at her funeral, it was fresh in my mind, and felt like the right thing to do.
however, also due to my changing focus in my own life, i decided to give less this year than in last. i want to think about the future more (family, retirement, home and farm maintenance, etc.) and to do that, i'm going to need every last bit of cash.