JAMIE:

I've been enamored with bears for as long as I can remember, and I was stunned to realize at a young age that there are people who would actually do them harm. Vital Ground is an exceptional organization dedicated to ensuring bears (and other wildlife) can roam freely and safely in the West.

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VASIYA:

The Pink Daisy Project: Debbie Cantwell's children were 4 and 5 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. Though the treatments were tough, Debbie was surrounded by friends and family on whom she could rely. There was usually someone available to help take care of the kids, pull dinner together, and stay ahead of the mess that accompanies small children. As she was recovering from her treatments, she was struck by the contrast between her own situation, and women who are battling cancer without their own army of volunteers. She started the Pink Daisy Project to help women with cancer, physically and financially exhausted by the disease, to take care of themselves and their families. The Pink Daisy Project helps to support women diagnosed with cancer under the age of 45 with groceries, house cleaning, diapers, dinners, and other needs that arise during the cancer battle.

My Aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40 with four young children at home. Even with the army of support she found in her family and friends, the smallest tasks could become overwhelming. Many women do not have the same level of support as she did but still manage to gather themselves with grace and face each day. This charity hits home for me because even the simplest of things can sometimes make a huge difference.

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GUS:

Since the age of 12, I have volunteered for the Special Olympics of Northern California and have witnessed firsthand how for many individuals with intellectual disabilities, the Special Olympics is often the only place where they have an opportunity to feel like champions. But for every Special Olympics athlete, there are many more waiting for their chance to step into the spotlight. A donation to the Special Olympics will help those with disabilities believe in themselves and forever change their lives.

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JESSE:

“Reading is Fundamental” reaches out to underserved children in schools, homeless shelters, community centers and elsewhere, providing them with free books and literacy resources, and offering activities that inspire reading. With nearly two-thirds of low-income families in the U.S. without any books in their homes, the organization promotes the importance of literacy in underserved communities. It has a network of 400,000 volunteers who carry out its mission. Having tutored inside and outside the classroom – and because many of my family members and friends work as teachers in schools across the country – I'm constantly reminded not only of the joys of learning to read as a young child, but the significance of early literacy in opening the floodgates to new ideas, opportunities and passions.

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MONICA:

Rather than providing expendable goods like money or food, Heifer International works to combat world hunger by giving farm animals to families in more than 100 countries. Families in Latin America receive llamas, whose fleece can be spun into valuable wool, then sold or woven into warm blankets and clothing, while families in Africa are given cows or goats, whose milk provides vital nutrition and can be sold or used to make cheese, butter or yogurt. Whenever possible, Heifer International provides animals in pairs, and recipients agree to give the offspring to neighboring families, allowing whole communities to lift themselves out of poverty.

My family donates an animal each year at Christmas, and I love the idea that it's not just a one-time gift, but a lasting contribution that allows families to become self sufficient, greatly improving their lives and the lives of those around them.

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DENISE:

FOVEA Exhibitions is a non profit organization whose mission is to educate through visual journalism. It was founded to create a space where today's important humanitarian and social issues can be explored in depth through the medium of photojournalism. Fovea mounts exhibitions by the world's most talented and thoughtful photojournalists, and hosts events where the public can engage them, and industry experts in discussion about the subjects they have covered. In an effort to reach the next generation, Fovea also brings photojournalists to public schools in the Hudson Valley where they give interactive presentations to elementary, middle and high school students.

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SOPHIE:

I have been donating both time and money to local animal welfare organizations for as long as I can remember. While nationwide charities such as the ASPCA and Humane Society of the United States are both wonderful organizations that do a lot of good, I believe local shelters often have a more direct impact, as less money is lost to fundraising efforts and administrative costs.

I began volunteering for the San Francisco SPCA when I moved to the city in the spring of 2010. I truly believe in the shelter's “no–kill” philosophy and have personally seen how effectively monetary donations help the shelter fulfill their promise to place all healthy and treatable animals in loving homes. Funding allows the SF SPCA to continue providing accessible and affordable spay/neuter programs to prevent overpopulation; promoting adoption programs to find homeless animals a loving home; and implementing programs to keep animals in their homes. As the pioneer of the now-popular movement, I would like to see the SF SPCA guarantees stay a no-kill shelter for years to come.

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NICK:

Disability Rights Advocates: DRA is a non-profit legal center whose mission is to ensure dignity, equality, and opportunity for people with all types of disabilities throughout the United States and worldwide.

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ADAM:

Homes for Our Troops, a national non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2004. We are strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to our country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries since September 11, 2001. It is our duty and our honor to assist severely injured Servicemen and Servicewomen and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and to coordinate the process of building a home that provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently.

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ZACH:

Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness was founded in March 2005, by attorney Jennifer C. Jaff. After more than 30 years of living with chronic illness, pushing past pain and fatigue, building a successful career as a trial lawyer, in 2002, Jennifer's Crohn's disease finally got the best of her, and she realized that it was becoming increasingly difficult to get out of the house in the morning and make it to courtrooms. She was determined to finish the major litigation she had on her plate, working from home and from hospital rooms until she could figure out what to do next. Now, almost six years later, we have a strong team of staff, volunteers, and student interns working with over 1500 patients per year. We have made major inroads with insurance companies, winning more than 80% of the insurance appeals we file.

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REBECCA:

Families First Brooklyn is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families. We offer a wide variety of high-quality classes for children ages 0–7, support groups for parents, and enriching parenting workshops. Our facility also has a play space where parents, caregivers, and children can socialize and play indoors. Families First is located in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, adjacent to Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, and Red Hook.

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LAUREN:

Founded in 1991 by then-Oakland Athletics Manager Tony La Russa after he helped rescue a stray cat who'd darted onto the field during a game with the Yankees, the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) was the first no–kill facility in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. ARF saves dogs and cats who have run out of time at public shelters – including my stellar sibling tuxedo cats, Remy and Sage, whom I adopted in 2006.

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