Alabama Gives Day

Tomorrow is Alabama Gives Day. Thursday, February 2, 2012, is your opportunity to help nonprofits in Alabama raise money in a unique and collective way. Join others in the effort to promote charitable giving. There are hundreds of organizations participating and all are listed here at Alabama Gives Day.

You can search by zip code, by category, by keyword or other ways to find nonprofits with a mission that fits your favorite cause.

Just as examples, here are three nonprofits that I plan to support.

Clay House


The Clay House Children's Center in Bessemer provides a non-threatening child-friendly atmosphere designed for child abuse victims and the necessary mental health treatment. This is a typical story.
 

Imagine being afraid to sleep in your own bed at night. Afraid, because you know your father will come into your room later and “touch” you. Your step-mother knows what your father is doing to you and beats you every day because she hates you. You are forced to live as a slave in your own house and you are beaten if your chores are not done “correctly.” You are not allowed to have birthday parties, go on school trips, or have friends like other kids. You are completely cut off from the outside world.

Child abuse is a serious problem, and is more common than you might imagine. Please consider donating to the Clay House Children's Center.


First Teachers @ Home

First Teachers @ Home is a parent centered program that helps low income parents prepare their 3-4 year old children for success in school.

Alabama's pre-k attendance is only at 7%.  The programs can be expensive, and public programs like Head Start have long waiting lists.

Unlike other education achievement programs that focus on schools, First Teachers @ Home focuses on the primary educators of children: their parents.

We believe that by educating parents on how to communicate with their children, how to read and write with their children, and how to instill self-confidence and high self-esteem in their children before they enter kindergarten, children can enter school ready to succeed despite the fact that they lack a formal pre-k education.

First Teachers @ Home is planning to expand into Bessemer. Susan Swartz, the president of First Teachers @ Home, sent me this.

 

We are starting a new First Teachers @ Home program at one and probably two schools in the Bessemer School System – Abrams and Hardy Elementary Schools.  The families who attend this new site must necessarily be residents of Bessemer or their older children wouldn’t be able to go to that Bessemer School.  We are really excited about this, since we have had some Bessemer residents asking us about doing First Teachers @ Home in their community.  Our target start date is at the end of Feb./early March.

We need this in Bessemer. Please consider donating to First Teachers @ Home.

Magic City Choral Society

 The Magic City Choral Society is an inclusive community of singers and supporters united around the performance of choral music that entertains, educates, and inspires.

The MCCS understand that arts, and choral arts in particular, makes a positive contribution to people's quality of time/life. The choral arts bring people together creating new communities, which connect and strengthen the larger communities in which these individuals belong. However, this only happens when people have access to the choral arts either as participants and/or as audience members. Providing a men's and women's chorus for people without audition accomplishes one aspect of creating access, however, all to often, the performing arts have admission costs which create financial barriers for some. The MCCS accomplishes the other aspect of access by providing concerts at world class venues free of charge.

Please consider donating to Magic City Choral Society.

Remember, tomorrow, Thursday, February 2, is Alabama Gives Day. Some organizations have matching gifts tomorrow. Check it out today, and return tomorrow to give.