Welcome to October!
The leaves may be changing color around your home, sweaters may be in the process of being pulled out of closets and pumpkin spice is everywhere. It is a wonderful season and it always reminds me of thankfulness even if we are a couple months away from Thanksgiving.
Our Comments for a Cause for September was Books for Africa – a non profit that provides wonderful books for folks in Africa who do not have easy access to books. Their mission is simple:
We collect, sort, ship, and distribute books to students of all ages in Africa. Our goal: to end the book famine in Africa.
Books For Africa remains the largest shipper of donated text and library books to the African continent, shipping over 41 million books to all 54 countries on the African continent since 1988. In fiscal year 2018 alone, Books For Africa shipped 2.3 million books, and 123 computers and e-readers containing 283,000 digital books, to 29 African countries. More than $2.2 million was raised last year to ship these books to the students of Africa.
I think most people would be hard pressed to find anything wrong with this charity and their mission and they have been a 4 star rated charity on Charity Navigator for seven years. Today Chris and I are pleased to share that we will be making a donation of $145 to Books for Africa as a result of YOUR comments here on It’s Just Life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. YOU are what fuels our giving to these causes.
Hurricane Florence has caused such widespread damage in the states of North and South Carolina. While Chris and I are safe from any of the flooding and wind damage that swept through our state we do know plenty of folks who were not so fortunate. Our hearts are with them.
Time and time again when disaster strikes we reach out to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) and support their efforts because they are some of the first boots on the ground after a disaster. 100% of our donation goes directly to the relief efforts as administrative costs are paid through a totally different funding area. That makes a difference to me. Our dollars go directly where they need to go.
October Comments for a Cause had to be UMCOR. For every comment made on the blog during the month of October on any post we will make a 50 cent donation to UMCOR designated to Florence recovery efforts. At the time of writing this the efforts are in the beginning stages in various areas but because the flood waters are still prevalent in so many areas the process will be long and difficult.
If you wonder what ways you can help on your own there are many ways. UMCOR offers these suggestions :
5 THINGS YOU CAN DO FOR DISASTER RESPONSE
The United Methodist Committee on Relief is grateful for your prayers and support.
1. Pray for those whose lives have been impacted by this disaster. Please also pray for Early Response Teams, disaster coordinators and the many volunteers who are working tirelessly to provide relief.
2. Make relief kits. Download the packing list and shipping label at umcor.org/UMCOR/Relief-Supplies.
3. Give to UMCOR’s relief and recovery efforts at umcor.org/donate (U.S. Disaster Response, Advance #901670; International Disaster Response, Advance #982450; Undesignated, Advance #999895).
4. Donate requested items only. To keep relief supplies in stock, give to Material Resources, Advance #901440 at umcor.org/donate.
5. Please wait for an invitation to volunteer.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief is grateful for your prayers and support.
Text to Give: UMCOR to 91999 • umcor.org
Thank you to each and every one who takes the time to read and comment here at It’s Just Life. It means more to me than you will ever know. Keep coming back and leaving me comments – they always make me smile.
33 Comments
Leave a commentSo kind of you and Chris with your charity donations! This months is close to my heart due to being a victim of the hurricane. Thankfully, we did not lose our home, but know of others who are struggling. Thank you so much Beth Ann for thinking of the hurricane disaster😘
Amy, I know that there are so many who will be trying to get some semblance of order back in their lives after Florence. What a traumatic event for so many. I am sure your clean up is far from over and while I am so glad your home was spared I am sure there is still a great deal to do to get it back in livable condition. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your story with us. Love you!
How wonderful that you were able to donate a nice amount to Books for Africa. To support those who suffered loss during hurricane Florence is a wise choice. Hugs to you and Chris for doing this.
Thanks, Darlene. I was pleased to be able to have that many comments for Books for Africa. There are so many many great causes out there and I will most likely never run out of causes. 🙂 Thank you, as always, for commenting.
You always choose such good, worthy causes. 🙂
Thanks! This one is an easy one–they really do do a lot of great work and I am happy to support them often.
Thanks for always choosing the great charities and giving all of us a chance to learn about some new ones too. You and Chris are the best 😇
Rachel, Thanks so much for taking the time and stopping by and leaving a comment. I am so grateful for all of my readers!
So happy to be supporting your causes in even such a small way! Hurricane relief will be an ongoing thing for a while I guess, it takes so long to get everything fixed up (if it can be fixed). Hoping for a quiet two months until hurricane season is over.
You understand what hurricanes do and it can be so devastating. Thank you so much for being so faithful about stopping by and commenting. It means so much to me.
As always, thank you for your kind heart and giving spirit.
Thanks, Audrey, for always being the supportive and encouraging friend and reader and number one commenter. You always make me feel like I am doing something right here. 🙂
Another wonderful cause. Can not thank you and your husband enough for what you do through this blog for so many much needed causes. God bless you.
Shirley, thank you so much for your kind words but more for your dedication to stopping by the blog and reading and commenting. It is people like you who keep me writing and keeping this going! Thank YOU!
happy to comment for hurricane relief.
Thanks so much, Jeni!
“Rosa” is giving us some much-needed moisture in drought-stricken southwest Arizona, at this very moment! Hurricanes aren’t all bad; they can pump moisture into areas that REALLY need it. Unfortunately, they often do it WAY too vigorously! There have been so many devastating hurricanes in the last decade, and projections are that the trend will continue.
I wondered if you were finally going to get some rain out of Rosa. That’s a very good thing when the right areas get the rain that they need. I think folks in NC and SC are over the rain by now. I always wish it could just be redirected to where it is needed!
Happy to support any and all Hurricane relief!
Thank you so much Val!
[…] forget to leave me a comment — Comments for a Cause this month will mean a donation to UMCOR for Hurricane Florence relief. Please comment often as each comment means a 50 cent donation. Thank […]
We were very fortunate, lost our electricity numerous times and spent a lot of time doing puzzles by candlelight, but it could of been, much, much worse. A worthy cause as many people were not nearly that fortunate.
Good choice!
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Yes I would hug a stranger. Hugs are some of the most powerful affirmations that anyone can give. Each hug is special in itself. A hug shared is a wonderful way to truly connect to another person in a show of happiness or expressing sincere sorrow and sympathy.
Thanks, Ozzie. You are one of the most gracious and empathetic people that I have ever met and I know that you would always show your concern in an appropriate way. Thank YOU for being you!
I still think it’s a little creepy and I probably would not do it. But then I may have had more negative experiences with creepy men than you have, which makes me more apprehensive about touch. Plus the training I’ve had that says I am not to touch anyone—even to hold a hand for prayer—without first getting permission. I admit I wasn’t there and I am certainly not judging you—but I still find it a bit creepy.
You are right that you weren’t there and it was very innocent and natural and loving. And it was not forced upon me at all–my “training” has also told me to respect boundaries and while this was not done in a work atmosphere it was an expression of true kindness which is why I shared it on the blog. Of course not everyone would feel comfortable doing this but in the moment it was totally appropriate and made my day ever so much better.
[…] Thanks for indulging me with one more post about the gardens and the Chihuly exhibit. If you see a favorite picture in this post let me know which one it is. All comments this month mean a 50 cent donation to our Comments for a Cause – UMCOR Hurricane Florence Recovery. […]