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Top grocery and drug stores are taking big steps towards giving back to the community. Some of them include CVS, Eckerd and Albertsons who have launched projects on their own in their respective neighborhoods in order to give their business that essential ‘local’ touch.

CVS Pharmacy – CVS works closely with Covering Kids, which is a national program carried out by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It is designed to communicate the accessibility to low cost and free healthcare coverage for children who are not insured. Through this program, CVS ensures that necessary the awareness is created, in every state and the District of Columbia via the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and Medicaid.

Eckerd – This drug store is also focused on assisting kids and has a mission to raise more than $140,000 to back the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The Foundation’s aim is to find a cure of diabetes and its other complications by way of supporting research. Wayne Harris, Eckerd chairperson and chief executive officer said, “Eckerd believes strongly in giving back to the communities in which we operate our neighborhood drug stores, and through our sponsorship of JDRF, we will help raise much needed funds for diabetes research that will ultimately help countless children with this disease.”

Albertsons – High on the environmental conservation efforts, Albertsons has upped its efforts in this regard. The chain has taken huge steps to cut down on their energy consumption by as much as 10%. This program also received a special accolade from the Environmental Protection Agency. Glenn Barrett, senior energy manager of Albertsons said, “Energy conservation is good business, and it is also an integral part of our commitment to protect the environment as we make life easier for our customers, our associates and the neighborhoods in which our stores are located.”

Shopping for gifts around the holidays can prove to be a tiresome task and even a frustrating one. If you are one of those who have a long list of people to buy gifts for – the task can be a tedious one, especially when you have to do it every year. In some cases, it is impossible if not mindboggling and stressful to buy gifts for some people on your list.

So instead, why not give gifts that will make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate? Not only does it make the season more meaningful – it is also a great way of showing people how much you care. Exchanging the usual, run-of-the-mill gifts with charitable donations will be much appreciated by friends and family – and might even encourage them to follow your example.

Last year, Mercy Corps, an international humanitarian organization introduced ‘Mercy Kits’. An innovative gift – the kit presents a unique method of gift giving while also providing much-needed assistance to the impoverished. In a sense, the ‘Mercy Kit’ is a gift that gives twice.
Matthew De Galan, Chief Development Officer, Mercy Corps said, “Around the holidays, many people examine their values and look for ways to express those ideals in the gifts they give. Mercy Kits are gifts that truly make a difference in a needy person’s life, and offering them online makes holiday gift giving more convenient for shoppers.”

The idea of a gift that gives twice was quite an attraction to holiday shoppers and is a great way to escape the overly commercialized holidays.

During these holidays, perhaps it is a good idea to start a new family tradition. Heifer International has a program that lets you fund all or part of the cost of assisting a family towards becoming self sustainable through livestock development. This might just be the type of meaningful gifts that your family could give – making the holidays far more meaningful, not just for you, but also for another family.

For over half a century, Heifer International has worked towards providing less fortunate families with resources such as farm animals and sustainable agriculture training – in a bid to help them be self-sustainable.
Your donation will help fund this program. Costs are as follows:

COST ANIMAL
$120 Goat
$150 Llama
$250 Water Buffalo
$500 Heifer
$20 Chicks, ducks, geese
$30 Hive of honeybees

This is how the entire process works:

1. Donate one of the above animals to a needy family. You can do so in honor of any member of your family or friends.

2. The family will then receive a gift card, which describes your contribution towards their welfare.

3. Your donation will have put one more family on the road to self-sustainability. Once they have finished all training modules and have the necessary facilities in place – then, they will receive the animal you donated to them.

4. The food or raw materials provided by the animal will help bring in some money, which the family can utilize towards materials for school, medicine and even their household improvements.

5. Every beneficiary family makes a promise to pass on the gift – which is the gifting of the first female offspring to another needy family. This family then follows the same process and the cycle is repeated. This goes on and entire communities have become self-sustainable from this program. Therefore, your gift sets off an entire cycle of gift giving for many years.

There are so many out there who work tirelessly to ensure you and your loved ones are safe and secure in your environment. They range from the police force to fire fighters and so many others. You might want to show them your gratitude and support – and one way you can do that is by donating towards fund-raisers or any such initiatives organized by them. However, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) insists that the following be taken into serious consideration before making a donation:

-Remember, that the words ‘fire fighter’ or ‘police’ in the name of an organization does not necessarily mean it is part of either. Claims to have ties with or work with the local police force or the like does not mean the money you give them will be used for public safety measures. Do not hesitate to request for written information that you can peruse through to ensure that your donation will support programs that you endorse.

-Organizations like fire fighter service organizations and the police force engage paid professional fund raisers to solicit on their behalf.

-While donations to labor unions, fraternal organizations and trade associations are tax deductible, the police force and fire fighter units are not.

If you are still unsure of where exactly your donations are going to, you could take the following measures to ensure the contribution you make, will actually help others in your community:

-Ask for identification. Fund raisers should be able to identify themselves and name the organization they represent.

-Enquire as to how your donation will be utilized and the percentage of your contribution that will actually be used towards the relevant organization you choose.

-If unsure of the fundraisers legibility, call the organization to verify their claim. If it cannot be verified, then report them to local law enforcement officers.

Every year you probably contribute towards certain chosen charities. Have you ever stopped to think though, that some portion of these contributions does not go towards charitable purposes? It is a possibility that you must consider. Keep in mind that there are over 700,000 federally recognized charities. Therefore, being cautious about where you donate your money is important.

Paid Fund-Raisers
Charities employ professional fundraisers who find them to be a far more efficient tool, as opposed to using their own staff and volunteers. They make money for the charity, while a portion of the money collected goes to them. When putting your money towards a charity, there is no harm in your asking if the collector is a paid fundraiser, and what percentage of your donation he pockets. Consider these factors before you decide where you want to donate your money.

Reducing Telephone and Direct Mail Solicitations
Direct mails requesting for donations can be sometimes overwhelming. Therefore, here are a few things you can do to make these requests more manageable. Firstly, contact the charities you usually donate to and request that they do not share your information with any other organization. Another thing you can do is to ask charities to limit their requests to perhaps once or even twice a year.

Concerning donation requests received over the telephone, you could take a quick look at the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Telemarketing Sales Rule. They not only restrict calling times, but also require quick identification of the charity they represent and other relevant details. People, who do not wish to be on calling list, can opt to move to the ‘do not call’ list – if the fundraiser ignores this request, fines can amount to $11,000. The Federal Government’s National Do Not Call Registry is also worth looking at.