I’m going to take this challenge on for Fast and Female. 

Fast and Female is a registered Canadian charity committed to empowering girls through sport, physical activity, and education. We aim to build confidence and leadership skills by hosting a wide range of national and local events and programs, both in-person and virtual.

Read more here: https://fastandfemale.com/about-us/

I’m going to take this challenge on for Trans Lifeline.

Trans Lifeline connects trans people to the community support and resources we need to survive and thrive.

Read more here: https://translifeline.org/

Hi all! 

It’s hard to pick just one, but I’ve decided I’m selecting Bow Foodbank as my charity for this competition. https://www.bowfoodbank.org/

They are a local foodbank in London, near my office, where I have volunteered before. According to their site:

Bow Foodbank is a charity that exists to provide food and emergency items to people in crisis in Tower Hamlets.

Our approach is welcoming and friendly, offering our clients dignity and understanding within a non-judgmental environment.

Best of luck to everyone! 

Hey, everyone!

I’ve selected He She Ze & We, which supports Transgender and Nonbinary people by empowering their families, communities, and allies to create life-saving, inclusive environments. 

Core Values:

• We believe that everyone should have access to and insurance coverage for gender-affirming healthcare.
• We believe that inclusive policies and legal protections benefit everyone and improve overall health and wellbeing
• We believe that transgender and nonbinary people of all ages deserve knowledgeable and affirming families, community leaders, and service providers.

Because trans rights are human rights.

There’s a lot to choose from in British Columbia, Canada but the Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA) has been doing consistently incredible work for the last 30 years empowering Indigenous young people from all over the province, especially holding space for Queer and 2 spirit youth. 

Urban Native Youth Association is the centre of Indigenous youth excellence, supporting youth on their journeys by amplifying and celebrating their voices. 

You can read more about their work here: UNYA

Hi, all!

I’ve chosen Active Minds, which is a leading nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental health awareness and education, particularly among young adults. Their mission is to break the stigma surrounding mental health, foster open conversations, and provide vital resources to those in need.

I’ve chosen Active Minds for this competition because mental health is a cause close to my heart. Now more than ever, it’s crucial to support initiatives that encourage understanding, advocacy, and accessible care for all.

You can learn more about them here: https://www.activeminds.org/about-us/our-story/

I’m going to take this challenge on for the Aubrey Rose Foundation, in Cincinnati Ohio, USA.

Along with providing help for families who seek to be lifted from the complexities of life who have sick kiddos, they also provide scholarships to to local students, and provide other support as well. This is my family’s nonprofit, started in memory of my baby cousin, Aubrey, who passed away before her 3rd birthday after complications with a heart and double lung transplant. It’s an org that is near and dear for many reasons. 

Learn more about them here: https://aubreyrose.org/

Hey everyone!

I’m choosing Archway Community Services, which covers various local community needs from foodbank, housing, and mental health, to refugee help. 

This charity is close to my heart because of the deep need for these services in the community, and I’m so glad that there is a big charitable organization that can cover all of these needs. 

Registered in 1969, Archway Community Services is a non-profit, multi-service, multi-funded community based social service agency.

Our more than 500 staff members and 2,500 volunteers provide services at 28 locations in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, and Langley, BC.

Looking forward to seeing all the causes we are choosing to support this month!

I’m choosing the Canadian Mental Health Association. 

Founded in 1918, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the most established, most extensive community mental health organization in Canada. They are a federated charity, which means they are a collective of organizations bound together by a brand and mission to identify and respond to Canada’s most pressing mental health priorities. At the national level, they push for nationwide system and policy change. At the community level, millions of people in Canada rely on CMHA’s extensive grassroots presence. 

I am going with the organisation that helped me fall in love with reading, The Rossing Foundation.

The Rössing Foundation is a Namibian charity established in 1978, with the mission to transform lives through community empowerment and innovation. The foundation focuses on four pillars: Education and entrepreneurship, Water Security and food Systems, Health and climate Change, and Governance and partnerships. The foundation aims to contribute to achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and support Namibia's development goals outlined in the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP).

I choose the Rössing Foundation as my preferred charity organisation due to their:

• Comprehensive approach
• Alignment with global goals
• Long-term strategy
• Transparency and accountability

Hey Everyone! 

Super excited about this project. 

The charity I’ve chosen is extremely important to me, especially as we navigate this holy month of Ramadan. 

Hidiyah is a charity based in the UK and US who’s mission is to provide support and welfare for LGBTQI+ Muslims and promote social justice and education about our community to counter discrimination, prejudice and injustice.

There are very few charities supporting queer Muslims so being able to support one would mean the world. 

About Hidayah UK - Hidayah LGBT+

Thank you so much for the opportunity!

Sad to say I have not done much research into charities in the past, so this was a great opportunity to learn a little bit. I’ve decided to go with Aspen Global Change Institute. Their mission is to “advance global change science and solutions...by furthering interdisciplinary understanding, catalyzing science-informed action, and nurturing a community of solutions-seekers.”

I love that they not only advocate change and improvement but also push for expanding our understanding of the world we live in and how we can be better stewards!

I’ve selected vzw Kinderkankerfonds, a Belgian non-profit organization dedicated to supporting children with cancer and their families. Since 1988, the organization has been providing additional support to make treatments more bearable and to improve the quality of life for the children and their families.

I got to know this organization through acquaintances whose son was seriously ill. The support and help this family received from this organization was priceless. They offer not only financial assistance but also psychological support and peer contact. Additionally, they invest in scientific research to find new treatments and improve the quality of care.

Happy Friday, ​@mfrontiero. I love that you are choosing a LGBTQIA+ organization. Did you know we have a resource group for LGBTQIA+ Meltwater users and their allies? Come check out the UPLIFT: Connecting LGBTQIA+ and Allied Professionals group!

Happy Friday, ​@crzepa. I love that you are choosing an organization that works with Queer and 2 spirit youth. Did you know we have a resource group for LGBTQIA+ Meltwater users and their allies? Come check out the UPLIFT: Connecting LGBTQIA+ and Allied Professionals group!

Thank you!!!

Happy Friday, @Ibz. I love that you are choosing a LGBTQIA+ Muslim organization. This is an area where these is still so much meaningful work to be done. Did you know we have a resource group for LGBTQIA+ Meltwater users and their allies? Come check out the UPLIFT: Connecting LGBTQIA+ and Allied Professionals group!

I have chosen a charity near me because I believe change starts at home. When you make an impact it has ripple effects and those can be felt far beyond the region you make them in and further in time than the moment you made it. Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio enhances the lives of adults by assisting them to remain independent at home through a range of quality services. While many adults aren’t always empowered to ask for help, they need it all the same. I see as an adult my mother helping my grandmother (who now lives at home with the former). While my mother talks about the “help” my grandmother needs and the “care” the irony is, my mother asks for very little of it herself. This could be because of stigmas, lack of information, being unsure where to start, etc. Regardless, having the information and feeling empowered to act can change not only the lives of the aging loved ones who need support and care, but also the loved ones who have been doing the support and care for their aging family members and friends.