1. Help the People of Aleppo– As you might have heard lately there is a lot going on in the city of Aleppo located in the Syria. There is a war going on in the city where it is being taken over by the government’s troops who are suppressing bystanders who just happen to live in this city. The government troops along with Isisl have come in and are mass executing the women & children because they can due to a sad war. The saddest part of all of this is that Russia has closed it doors to refugees trying to escape and Americans are not even paying attention to what’s going on. Since November 15, more than 1,071 civilians have been murdered in Aleppo and the world sits back and watches while more are dying. This year, take it upon yourself to get educated on this issue and then go to a protest, donate to help get aid to the people of Aleppo and pray for them. This is real life people! Help those who are fighting for their lives because everyone deserves to not feel oppressed in their own country.
More information on how to help: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/aleppo-conflict-syria-war-latest-five-things-you-can-do-to-help-a7472681.html
Where to Donate: http://www.cidi.org/syria-ngos/#.WFAWGyN97L8
2. Volunteer at your Local Food Banks & Shelters– This 2017 give back to those less fortune in your community by volunteering at your local food backs & shelters. Here where I live in Fairfax, Virginia there are a few great food banks and shelters to help out. One is called James Mott Community Program, Inc. which has some of the nicest people who volunteer there and some very good food for a very low price. Even just going to get your holiday meal items from this food bank will help the community greatly and help to keep this place running. There is also the Lamb Center which has many services for homeless people in the community. They can take showers there, get a nice warm bed to sleep in and get a good meal to eat. Oh and if your into animals there is a place for you too. My mom and I often volunteer and buy from our local Humane Society Thrift Shop which has its own farm and is connected to the National Humane Society that takes care of the animals till they can find a nice place to call home. Go find the local shelters and food banks in your city.
James Mott Community, Inc.- http://www.jmcap.org/
The Lamb Center- https://www.thelambcenter.org/
The Humane Society- http://hsfc.org/
3. Invest in Small Businesses– Now if your the type of person who just really loves to spend money consider purchasing from a local small owned business. You will be supporting your community as well as getting something unique you might not see somewhere else. One place in Fairfax that is pretty great to shop at is Spice Merchants a tea, spice and chocolate shop. There is also the Fairfax Surf Shop if your into surfing and snowboarding as well as the Alpine Ski Shop. There is a bike shop called Spokes Ect, a floral shop Rose Florist Inc, comic book and gaming shop called Comics and Gaming, a running shop called Pacers Running, Mobius Records a record shop and more. Go find your local small business in your city and go out and support it.
http://www.hearts.com/ecolife/find-local-small-businesses/
4. Give to the Standing Rock Fight– As you know I have been big in helping to fight with Standing Rock against the DAPL in North Dakota. I traveled to the Standing Rock Camps in North Dakota and have been to many different protest in the area as well. If you don’t know what is going on in Standing Rock I will link my other blog posts so you can learn more.
How to Donate to Standing Rock Master Post:
#noDAPL #WaterisLife #StandwithStandingRock #MniWiconi
Text Water to 82623 to help take DAPL to the Supreme Court
Go donate to the Lakota People’s Law Project which are the lawyers helping the tribe http://lakotalaw.org/
Go to http://standwithstandingrock.net/ to help donate to the daily ins and outs of the #noDAPL movement on the ground in ND
Go to http://www.ocetisakowincamp.org/ to donate directly to the largest camp Oceti Sakowin Camp
Go to http://sacredstonecamp.org/ to donate directly to the Sacred Stone Camp
Go to Red Warrior Camp to find out more information and help donate to our warrior sisters and brothers as well.
https://www.gofundme.com/redwarriorcamp
Go to Last Real Indians to donate to them as well. http://lastrealindians.com/
Go to Indigenous Environmental Network http://www.ienearth.org/ to donate to our indigenous climate justice sisters and brothers.
Go to Honor the Earth http://www.honorearth.org/ to donate to them as well.
Go to Lastrealindians to donate to Chase Iron Eyes fundraiser for the camp https://www.generosity.com/fun…/last-real-indians-nodapl-aid
5. Send Water to Flint– Flint, Michigan a small town right outside of Detroit is going through a crisis. This crisis sadly has been happening since 2014 and due to the Michigan government has just gotten worse and worse. Let me break it down for ya. So Flint and Michigan in a whole has been going through a water crisis for a while. Detroit has been dealing with this for so long and it’s all due to money. People in Detroit have been having their water turned off due to not paying their bills. Now I know what you’re thinking but people where not just forgetting to pay their water bills. For most people paying their bills is they pay one bill or the other depending how much money they have. Because jobs people jobs but that’s another story. In 2014 the governor of Flint Rick Snider decided to switch the water system from the Detroit to the Flint River which is polluted. The residents of Flint started to use the water and found it to be polluted and cause heavy illness. Their water came out brown and green and it was just discussing. I heard an interview with Michael More who said that Flint is made up of half black people and 41% of the residents living below the poverty line.
http://www.blackenterprise.com/news/5-ways-you-can-help-the-water-crisis-in-flint/
6. Support Local Art/Music/Movies– This year a movie called Hidden Figures about the three black women in the ’60s who helped to get a man on the moon. Go check it out and support small black made movies. This goes for art, music and movies support your local scene. One day those people might get really big and you will be the ones to help them get there. Also with the recent death of those we lost in the Oakland Ghost Ship Fire where many artist and musicians are gone with out ever getting to really show the world their potential.
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/why-you-should-support-your-local-artists
http://www.cultivatingculture.com/2014/08/02/support-local-artists-without-going-broke/
https://www.youcaring.com/firevictimsofoaklandfiredec232016-706684
7. Give to Real Charities– Spend the holiday money you received on real charitable causes. This meaning that not all charities you see out there are actually using your hard earned dollars to help the people they say they are. Organizations like Susan G. Komen and others are not all their cracked up to be. Here is a list of places where you know your money will go directly into the hands of the people. Go support them in 2017.
http://www.consumerreports.org/charities/best-charities-for-your-donations/
Alright World Until Next Time Have A Happy Hippie 2017!
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/simple-ways-to-give-back-and-help-others-starting-today/
http://www.generationon.org/teens/resources/65-ways-make-difference
