Alberta Flood Relief: How Dizolve Is Helping

Thousands of people have been forced from heir homes by flooding in Alberta, Canada. Now, until July 31st, Dizolve is lending a hand by donating $12 from every package to the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Floods Fund.

That's the ENTIRE purchase price, less $3 shipping/handling. Amazing!

Click here to buy a box and help out our friends in Alberta.

Canadian readers can enter our Dizolve giveaway right here. Ends July 2nd. 

Image via Canadian Red Cross. 

Get Karen To Haiti: "When Disasters Strike, Pregnant Women Shouldn't Always Be At The Back Of The Line"

I was recently approached by Birth Swell's Hilary Boucher, who asked me if I'd be interested in promoting a fundraising effort to support Circle of Health International (COHI) in sending a certified nurse midwife (CNM) to volunteer her services in Haiti. As a doula, childbirth educator and a mother, I am thrilled at the chance to share this inspiring campaign with all of you.

Karen Feltham  -- a CNM and nursing instructor at Binghamton University in New York -- traveled to Fond Parisien, Haiti just four weeks after the January 12th, 2010 earthquake devastated the small country, to support pregnant and labouring women at a local birth center. Two years later, Karen is returning to Haiti, where she will spend ten days at the HCM Maternity Clinic, working alongside the two local midwives who currently serve over 2000 women each year.

The wonderful midwives at HCM provide high quality care for the women who come to them, however, outcomes for both mothers and their babies could be improved with additional training and support. During Karen's visit, she will provide peer-to-peer support to the two local midwives, and will work toward three specific goals:

• Review existing protocols for managing emergencies and deciding when to transfer to the local hospital. Provide clinical support and skill-building where it could improve outcomes for Haitian women and their babies.
• Run emergency drills using improved protocol for complications most likely to be seen at the clinic, including shoulder dystocia and postpartum hemorrhage.
• Improve monitoring processes so that the clinic can evaluate their existing protocols and make improvements based on evidence, not just anecdotal understanding.

Circle of Health International is an organization with the mission of working with women and their communities in times of crisis and disaster to ensure access to quality reproductive, maternal and newborn care. COHI has sponsored Karen's second visit to Haiti and is now working to raise the necessary funds to cover her transportation (approx. $800 in airfare and local travel) as well as room and board (approx. $300).

In an online campaign, organized by Birth Swell, bloggers are coming together to share this incredibly worthwhile cause. Here's how you can help:

• Contribute online: Starting with a donation of $10, you can help send Karen to Haiti! Generous items (handmade jewelry, works of art, and more) have also been donated as perks for donors offering $20, $35, $50 and $100 gifts.
• Share the cause through via Facebook and connect with COHI's page.
• Promote the fundraiser via Twitter, using the hashtag #GetKarenThere!

During a recent Q&A, Karen said, "I have great faith in the process of birth, and have been really rewarded by that faith." This is an ideal which speaks to my heart, and I know that her time in Haiti will be of great value to so many women.

Every bit counts, mes amis! Thank you so much for your support.

Community Love: Giving Back With Seventh Generation

Yesterday, thanks to my recent partnership with Seventh Generation and their new Diaper Donation program, I was able to bring four packs of their excellent diapers to a local charity of my choice.

Seventh Generation is aiming to give away up to 240K diapers to 40 shelters in Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. This month, each pack of their diapers purchased in Canada will mean one pack donated to a shelter!

I chose to bring my diaper donation to our local YWCA, in support of Crossroads Shelter, a facility which offers emergency shelter services for women & their children who are leaving abusive situations. This is a charity I've done work for in the past, as far back as doing tag days in high school, and volunteering in their thrift shop. It was a complete pleasure to drop my donation off with the lovely gals who work the front desk at their downtown office. Our YWCA does some really phenomenal work in the community and it was an absolutely pleasure to chat with them.

If you happen to be a Peterborough local and would like to make a similar donation to Crossroads, feel free to check out their Wish List of items needed. You can also visit the YWCA website for more ways to help.

Interested in giving back with Seventh Generation? Click here to learn more about their BOGO campaign. Also, be sure to join the 7th Gen Nation for coupon deals, and to stay in the know about all things Seventh Generation.

How do you talk to your children about lending a hand to local charities? Have you ever talked to them about giving back in your community? How do they respond? I'd love to hear!

Disclosure: I am participating in the Seventh Generation program by Mom Central Canada. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. As always, the opinions on this blog are my own.

Guest Post: A 5 Step Guide To Giving With The Conscious Perspective's Heidi Oran

Today I'm excited to be sharing an important post written by one of my lovely friends & blogging cohorts, Heidi, who has recently started a new blog called The Conscious Perspective. If you've ever felt the urge to reach out to a cause, a charity or organization, but weren't sure how to go about it -- then this is the post for you. Enjoy!

...

The degree of suffering in our world today is apparent in society on a mass scale. Every time we turn on the news, visit a website, or check our Twitter accounts, many of us are reminded that our lives are actually quite charmed.

We recently shared a study stating that many of us today feel that we cannot be truly happy in our own lives when there is such great suffering in the rest of the world. This proves that now more then ever we as a society are compelled to do something; to make a difference.

There are millions of charities and other non-profit organizations currently operating throughout the world. So, how do we begin to find out how we can help to make a difference? What steps should we take? These are questions I have asked myself, and have heard others ponder as well.

With all of the amazing resources available to help us learn more about charities at our fingertips, we can make informed decisions, and feel good about them.

It can be overwhelming when you first begin thinking about giving back, and in order to help you get started we have created a 5-Step-Guide To Giving . We can’t change the world all on our own, but each of us is an integral part of the process.

01. Think about what cause is near and dear to your heart

There are many degrees of giving. Think about where you would most like to see a change. In your local community, your country, or internationally. I know many people who take comfort in knowing that they are making a difference in their local community and can see the results. This may even provide a hands-on volunteering opportunity on a regular basis.

Others may feel a pull towards a certain cause that is international. Your donation could be monetary, you could be a voice for the cause, or you could even visit an area to help out which would no doubt be a life-changing experience. The reality of the situation is that there are no shortage of causes. Give yourself some quiet time to think about what ranks high on your list of importance.

02. Research the cause

Once you have decided on the cause(es) that are most important to you, spend some time researching the subject. Make use of the internet, just be sure that the sites you are using are legitimate. Become informed and learn about where help is needed and change is required the most within the situation. This will allow you to know where to direct your efforts.

03. Visit a charitable organization ranking website

Luckily for us, there are many websites available that rank and/or compare charities. This is a comforting thought, as we often hear of corruption and issues with finances in charities. Websites such as Charity Navigator are there for us to use and learn from. Their site in particular is jam-packed with insightful articles and ratings.

04. Compare your top choices

You may have felt compelled to select more than one cause, and more than one charity. This is great and there is no reason to fret and narrow down your list. Unless you are blessed with a steady flow of extra cash and time however, you may need to compare your causes for now and select which one may be more realistic for you to focus on.

Once you have selected your cause, you may then need to compare charities. It is important that you connect with them – visit their websites, Twitter, Facebook. If what you are seeing/reading feels right to you, then you can take the next step

05. Take action

You have many options for taking action. You can assist financially which is always necessary with any charity. You may plan a trip or look into volunteering opportunities abroad or locally*. Or you can use the power of social media and your voice to spread the word to raise funds and awareness about the cause.

* If you are able to donate your time, but are having trouble coming up with the cash to get to where you need to be, consider holding a fundraiser to help you pay the way. This is another way to get others involved and include your community.

Heidi is a work-at-home mom with two young boys, living on a farm in a small city outside of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Visit her blog & Facebook page. Follow @conscious_blog on Twitter.

A Day Of Silence, For Japan

My heart goes out to all those affected by this tragedy, and to those to suffer daily in our world. With love, dear hearts. Today I will observe a bloggers day of silence, as organized by Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours. Please also consider supporting the Red Cross.

Fawned Friday will resume next week, merci.

The Book Of Secrets

My fabulous friend, Chantilly aka My Girl Thursday, recently put together a really rad ezine which she's now selling in her Etsy shop to support a local charity.

The ezine is just $5 with all proceeds going to purchase Christmas presents for little ones in need! Here's a little blurb about the Book of Secrets:

This 21 page digital zine a collaborative art project created in hopes of raising funds for The Holiday Gift Program at the YWCA Peterborough. All money raised from the sale of this zine will go to buy gifts for children in need this holiday season.

Visit Chantilly's shop today & help her reach her fundraising goal!

Merci!