Helping People, Community & the Planet

Be of service.

Join me in helping people, community and our planet.

In Yoga there is an important practice called seva. Seva is a Sanskrit word meaning “selfless service” or work performed without any thought of reward or repayment. In ancient India seva was believed to help one’s spiritual growth and at the same time contribute to the improvement of a community. I believe deeply in observing seva and I invite you to join me.

Together, we can help people around the world who have limiting circumstances. We can also help shape society and communities by supporting social justice action. Our planet Earth also needs our attention and support.  You can donate your time, money, specific items or your expertise to helping . There are many charity organizations and these here are a just few of my favorites that I like to support and hope you will too!

women's global empowerment

The mission of Women’s Global Empowerment Fund is to support women through economic, social and political programs; creating opportunities while addressing inequality, strengthening families and communities. The strategy is to provide women with the framework necessary to create viable opportunities for themselves and their families.  Through grassroots strategies, marginalized women are given the tools necessary to alleviate poverty thus facilitating sustainable development and empowerment. Our goal is to work for social justice, increased human security and women’s empowerment.

 

 

The SPLC is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy, the SPLC works toward the day when the ideals of equal justice and equal opportunity will be a reality. Your gift will help win justice on behalf of those who have no other champion, expose and fight the hate that thrives in our country, and provide tolerance education materials free of charge to schools across our nation.

Through programs that are proven to work, No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger by ensuring that kids get the food they need. Through our campaigns, we will end childhood hunger in the United States and will help low-income families learn to shop and cook healthier. It’s a big job, but we’re not alone. We believe that everyone has a strength to share to help ensure every individual can live a healthy and productive life.

 

 

Feed the Children stands ready to help – near and far. From an international child who needs a nourishing meal and school supplies, to grandparents who are raising their grandchildren on a fixed income, or a U.S. military family trying to make ends meet while a parent is deployed, we are unwavering in our dedication to helping our neighbors and building caring communities.

Ending human trafficking one life at a time through trauma- and survivor-informed services, prevention, and advocacy.
Since founding in 2003, FAIR Girls has served well over 1,200 girls and young women, providing safe housing, client-centered, trauma-informed direct services, and the life skills they need to transition from victim to survivor. FAIR Girls’ mission is deeply rooted in reducing the barriers faced by young women and girls being trafficked and assisting them, not only in safely liberating themselves, but also in having the skills, resources and support they need to remain free.

RAICES promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees. With legal services, social programs, bond assistance, and an advocacy team focused on changing the narrative around immigration in this country, RAICES is operating on the national frontlines of the fight for immigration rights.

 

GFW’s vision is to create a renewable and sustainable multi-use resource that will provide economic opportunities while enhancing the local and global environment. By converting reclaimed, non-native grasslands and shrublands into healthy, productive forestland, GFW is effectively addressing two needs of the region. Our reforestation projects provide jobs for equipment operators, nursery workers, and tree planters, and improve the environment by eradicating non-native species and restoring ecosystem services. With the help of our partners and volunteers, this vision is quickly becoming a reality… Since 2009, we have planted more than 3 million trees across nearly 5,000 acres.

The oceans are vast, but they are not immune to human influence. We have already altered or destroyed marine ecosystems and driven million-year-old species to the brink of extinction. According to a study published in Science, less than 4 percent of the oceans remain unaffected by human activity. Oceana seeks to make our oceans more biodiverse and abundant by winning policy victories in the countries that govern much of the world’s marine life.Oceana, founded in 2001, is the largest international advocacy organization focused solely on ocean conservation.

The symbiotic relationship between creativity and empathy can grow a virtuous cycle of sustainable prosperity, public health, and peace. Human understanding of creativity and empathy is rooted in the arts. Though we need science to survive, art can make us thrive with expressions that become mirrors and windows for the human soul. ICAF serves American children as their national arts organization that employs the power of art to foster their creativity and develop empathy among them and with their peers worldwide.

 

 

 

 

Ultra poverty is the most difficult and deepest form of poverty to address. Over 400 million people live in ultra poverty, with 80% living in just 14 countries, including Uganda. Ultra-poor families primarily practice subsistence farming on less than one acre and live in last-mile rural areas. Operating in Southwestern Uganda, RTV has developed a low-cost, livelihood-based solution that can support ultra-poor households to become economically self-sufficient. RTV partner families increased their daily income from $0.45 to $2.67 in 36 months, moving themselves out of extreme poverty.

Established in 1990 within the United States, IEN was formed by grassroots Indigenous peoples and individuals to address environmental and economic justice issues (EJ). IEN’s activities include building the capacity of Indigenous communities and tribal governments to develop mechanisms to protect our sacred sites, land, water, air, natural resources, health of both our people and all living things, and to build economically sustainable communities.IEN accomplishes this by maintaining an informational clearinghouse, organizing campaigns, direct actions and public awareness, building the capacity of community and tribes to address EJ issues, development of initiatives to impact policy, and building alliances among Indigenous communities, tribes, inter-tribal and Indigenous organizations, people-of-color/ethnic organizations, faith-based and women groups, youth, labor, environmental organizations and others. IEN convenes local, regional and national meetings on environmental and economic justice issues, and provides support, resources and referral to Indigenous communities and youth throughout primarily North America – and in recent years – globally.

 

EJI works with communities that have been marginalized by poverty and discouraged by unequal treatment. We are committed to changing the narrative about race in America. EJI produces groundbreaking reports, an award-winning wall calendar, and short films that explore our nation’s history of racial injustice, and we recently launched an ambitious national effort to create new spaces, markers, and memorials that address the legacy of slavery, lynching, and racial segregation, which shapes many issues today.