Do you shop? Then you can give.
I’m not as consistent when it comes to charitable giving as I’d like to be.
I’ve belonged to service organizations, donating time and monetary proceeds. I’ve donated via the Combined Federal Campaign each of my years of military service. I even write checks to people who ring my doorbell during naptime. But I’ve never made a consistent commitment to a cause.
Kyle, on the other hand, is no commitment-phobe like me. When we met, he was spending his Friday evenings handing out soap and toothbrushes at St. Vincent’s homeless shelter in downtown Dayton. He learned to play dominoes and got great insight into the reasons why these men became homeless and were still homeless.
In Dover, he volunteered as a mentor to an at-risk local boy. He helped him with homework, took him to sporting events, and even arranged a visit to the state penitentiary - a small-scale version of “Scared Straight“.
These are only two examples of how he has reached out to others in a way that I couldn’t fathom doing. He doesn’t pat himself on the back or polish his halo for doing so, and he doesn’t do it for recognition or as resume padding. He truly enjoys the ways in which he has dedicated his time, or else he wouldn’t do it.
Keeping that in mind, about five years ago I found a charity that benefits a place I love and wish to support - Colonial Williamsburg - and I started donating.
I visited Williamsburg first as a child. While I wasn’t nearly as interested in the minute details as my mother was - she took literally dozens of pictures of furniture, so much so that none of us could remember in which house each piece was found - I appreciated the historic atmosphere and how the village strived to be an authentic representation of colonial life.
There is also a preponderance of boxwood hedges in Williamsburg. At the time, I disliked their smell, but now it never fails to remind me of that first visit.
I donated faithfully - not enough that they’ll name a building after me, but what I could afford - until I had to pull that stint as a repo woman, during which all income went to bills. And even though that nightmare ended over a year ago, I haven’t yet sent another check to Colonial Williamsburg.
But now I don’t have to send a check. All I have to do is shop online.
You’ve probably heard of iBakeSale already - the new site where you shop via their gateway (meaning that you click through their site to whichever online merchant you choose) and earn cash back that you can either keep or donate. I know that Discover already offers the same sort of deal (and I participate in it myself), but where it comes to the donation aspect, iBakeSale beats the pants off Discover.
That’s because you can choose any one of a million charities to receive your donations. Plus, you don’t just earn 1% cash back - you can earn up to 20% cash back, depending on the merchant. And the merchants include great stores like Nordstrom, Lucky Brand Jeans, Disney Store, Sharper Image, and The Body Shop.
So join up with me if you like, or start your own group. But either way, consider putting your online shopping to charitable use.
July 20th, 2007 at 7:05 am
Cool. I’ll look into it, especially since I work for a non-profit.
July 20th, 2007 at 7:27 am
[…] Julie — Colonial Williamsburg […]
July 20th, 2007 at 7:40 am
great idea. i hardly do any on-line shopping. but i will definitely check it out.
have a great weekend.
July 20th, 2007 at 11:17 am
Colonial WIlliamsburg! I never would have guessed. That is very cool, Julie!
Sometimes I use the Goodsearch search engine for Operation Migration, ‘cuz they certainly need the help. This fall I want to go watch the ultralight take off with this year’s batch of whooping crane chicks. (I’m a nerd like that.)
July 20th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
It IS a truly awesome thing, and I thank you guys for introducing me
July 20th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
Like Jess, I didn’t know this about you. Fun!
August 24th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Colonial Williamsburg is one of my favorite places. I was there many years ago and still have vivid memories of the horse-drawn carriages and the antique clothing. This is a very cool cause, especially since it’s something you have a personal fondness for.
I also really like your comment about not donating to charity on a regular basis. iBakeSale was created just for that purpose, to allow people to support special causes on a more regular basis in a way that is easy and free. Thanks so much for signing up! Take care,
Jonathan Treiber
CEO iBakeSale.com