Colorado Giving Day

I know that many, if not most of you do not live in Colorado...but there is something very important going on today called Colorado Giving Day.

For today only, if you donate money to local charities via this site, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar. There are so many different and worthy charities. Some of the ones my friends volunteer at and are asking donations for are:

• Judi's House
• From our friend Sara: 
  As some of you know, I have been volunteering this year with an organization that is very close to my heart: Judi's House. Judi's House is a program that allows children who have lost a loved one, to grieve, share, learn, and grow. Often these children feel very isolated in their grief, as typically no one else they know has had a death loss experience, but at Judi's House they are surrounded by... people just like them. As a volunteer, I get to sit with these kids, listen to their stories and memories and watch as they become stronger from their experiences. The program is free to families and they work with a wide range of children, including those as young as 3 up to young adults as old as 25. They provide families with individual counseling and support group services, as well as create special events and activities to help memorialize their special person. It is really an amazing organization and I feel honored that I get to be a part of it.
  
  Today is "Colorado Gives Day." Judi's House (featured on 9News last night), along with many other wonderful Colorado charities have been selected to participate and any funds you donate today will be matched. I urge you to go to http://www.cogivesday.org/ and find a charity that speaks to you and donate because for today only, your donation will go further.
• Maria Droste Counseling Center
• From our friend Kenji and his father: For Colorado Gives Day, my father is raising money for the Maria Droste Counseling Center. They provide high-quality mental health care to hundreds of Denver area children, regardless of their parents' ability to pay. Today, 1st Bank of Colorado is adding a bonus for ever dollar donated. Thanks!
• Colorado Symphony Orchestra
• Dave and I enjoy going to see the CSO and they have been in dire financial straits for a while. Here is what they posted on FaceBook earlier today: Support the Colorado Symphony on the second annual Colorado Gives Day! Today, Colorado citizens will come together again to raise millions of dollars for nonprofits like the Symphony. A portion of all donations received today via GivingFirst.org will be matched by an incentive fund from FirstBank. Make your contribution at the link below. Thanks for your support!

Here's a description of the program in case you feel like giving:
Today is Colorado Gives Day! Do you have a favorite nonprofit? If you do, today is the day to donate and show your support. Nonprofits pay no credit card fees, the value of your donation will be increased by the FirstBank Incentive Fund and large cash prizes (1k to 5k) will be given out in a variety of categories. Use the link below to search for organizations.

 

Give where you live! :) http://givingfirst.org

 

If you have the time and a few dollars to spare, please feel free to look over the different organizations that are participating in today's Coloardo Gives Day. You can search by specific organizations or just what area of focus are dear to your heart.

Thankfullness all around

To conclude my thankful thoughts series, I just want to say that I am so thankful to have everything I have in life. Sounds corny and cliche, but it is true. I've worked my tail off for what I have and to be where I am. I'm proud of who I am and what sacrafices it has taken to get to where I stand, but through it all, I am thankful that I have remained true to myself. Sure, there have been plenty of bumps along the way...many of you were there with me through my depression and subsequent personal rediscovery...but to be honest, I wouldn't change it for anything. Those experiences have made me the person I am today. Those experiences opened up my heart to things I wasn't even sure existed. So thank YOU for being there with me. For the advice and comments you have given me...and for just letting my fingers do the talking and my mind do the walking. Even if no one reads this, I am thankful that I have an outlet to share my own little corner of the world. And that means a lot...even in this crazy place we call home.

Thankful Thought - November 30

Today I am thankful for the seasons. I have yet to live in a climate where I do not see at least a glimpse of all four, but I have to think that it would be dreadful to live in such a monoseasonaic (just made that word up...you couldn't tell, could you?) place. Sure, Spring and Fall are very short seasons here...and sometimes they recede back into Summer and Winter depending on which way the wind blows, but the seasons...you can smell them...they bring back memories and promise a future filled with more.

Thankful Thought - November 29

Today I am thankful for my sense of adventure. It has not led me astray in the 29 years I have followed my gut and thrown caution to the wind. There have been amazing discoveries, tons of wonderful people, breathtaking views and thrills beyond words...all thanks to my sense of adventure. We only have this one life to live and I intend to make the most out of what I have been given.

Thankful Thought - November 28

My apologies for being a few days behind on my thankful thoughts. Germs and illness prevail in our household at the moment making life rather difficult. So my thankful thought for the 28th was rest. I'm thankful that I am able to get enough rest most of the time and that when my body reacts to the lack of sleep, I am able to get the rest my body so desires. I think about those who are too cold or hungry to sleep. Those that cannot sleep due to illnesses, worries, lack of a home or a bed...and I am thankful that I do not have to worry about those things. Rest. It is an amazing healer and something we forget about during our very busy lives.