Alternative Christmas/Holiday Presents

It is that time again and if you haven't already done your holiday shopping or want to give generally here are some options that I have been emailed about in the last two weeks that I thought might be of interest. 

Two non-profits founded by law students at American University stand out as great examples of what committed students are capable of:

• Roots and Wings International.  Founded by AU 3L Erik Swanson, Roots and Wings provides college scholarships to an indigenous community in Guatemala.  The scholarship recipients then become teachers in their own community, creating a virtuous cycle.  Roots and Wings is now working on getting funding for both scholarships ($750 provides a scholarship for an entire year) and constructing a school for the community.  To make a donation, click here.

• Asylum Access.  Amalia Greenberg, an AU 3L, helped launch the work of this non-profit "dedicated to making refugee rights an on-the-ground reality in Africa, Asia and Latin America."  It does this by supporting local legal aid efforts on behalf of refugees and has offices in Tanzania, Ecuador, Thailand.  To make a donation, click here.

A couple of other causes that seem worthy of charitable holiday donations and that I have gotten emails about:

• Heartland Alliance.  I can't quickly summarize all that they do because it spans a whole range of human need.  But they have created a "catalogue" where you can buy things like a "wellness check" for a newborn baby or pay an electric bill for a struggling family.  To make a purchase/donation, click here.

• Your local foodbank.  This or a donation to someone in the armed forces via a USO care package  was suggested in an autogenerated email from Michelle Obama. 

-Note: I am in El Salvador for the break and I may be unable to post other suggestions either related to this post or in general for a while given limits on my internet access.  Cheers, E.R. erosser@wcl.american.edu