I'm going to list different resources here for people who want to know more about how they can make a difference in the world. 

I expect this section to eventually be rather large and continue to be a growing resource for those in this conversation.  If you have any resources for this you'd like to share, please take a moment to let me know and I'll consider it for this section.  I will appreciate any feedback you may have!

and
THANKS
for helping to Make a Difference in this Great World
that we ALL share together!

To access these resources, click on the link below or within the navigation bar on the left.

The Better World Handbook is the definitive guide for the average person wanting to make a positive difference in the world. The book is specifically designed for well-intentioned people who may be too busy to be actively involved in social change organizations. The intention is to reach people who normally would not consider themselves activists, people who care about creating a more just and socially responsible world for everyone but don't know where to begin.

If you care deeply about the world
but don't have the time or energy to devote your life to a good cause, this site and book is for you.

The real strength of The Better World Handbook lies in its simple, concrete actions. Too many books discuss the world's problems without offering actions that the average person can take to make a difference. The book is completely action oriented. We give you all the necessary information, making each action as simple as possible. We also encourage you to interact with the book by writing notes and checking off the actions you complete.

I've been in the habit of visiting the Hunger site daily for many years now.  You can go to their site and for FREE you can donate food to people who need it.

HUNGER: DO YOU KNOW THE FACTS?
It is estimated that one billion people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition. That's roughly 100 times as many as those who actually die from these causes each year.

About 24,000 people die every day from hunger or hunger-related causes. This is down from 35,000 ten years ago, and 41,000 twenty years ago. Three-fourths of the deaths are children under the age of five.

Famine and wars cause about 10% of hunger deaths, although these tend to be the ones you hear about most often. The majority of hunger deaths are caused by chronic malnutrition. Families facing extreme poverty are simply unable to get enough food to eat.

In 1999, a year marked by good economic news, 31 million Americans were food insecure, meaning they were either hungry or unsure of where their next meal would come from. Of these Americans, 12 million were children.

By clicking on the link you will be taken to their site and can donate food everyday just by clicking on their "Donate Food" link.  The food is donated by financial contributions to their site advertisers (sometimes I like to go to their sites and thank them for their support- they REALLY appreciate that feedback too, plus I think it will keep the money flowing).

note: at the top of their page there are tabs for other worthy causes you can make FREE donations to as well- check them out.

I recommend you make the Hunger Site your Home Page!

What is The Rainforest Site?
The Rainforest Site is an online activism site that gives Internet users the daily opportunity to quickly make a difference in the fight to save rainforests around the world. In less than 5 seconds, visitors to The Rainforest Site can click on the "Save Our Rainforests" button and, at no cost to them, save square feet of rainforest land. Rainforest preservation is paid for by The Rainforest Site's sponsors and carried out by our land trust partners: The Nature Conservancy, The World Parks Endowment, The Friends of Calakmul and The Rainforest Conservation Fund. The Rainforest Site was founded on May 1, 2000.

Why are rainforests so important?
We rely on rainforests in ways that we are only just beginning to understand. We do know that rainforests play a significant role in maintaining weather patterns and the Earth's limited supply of fresh water. We also know that natural elements and species from the rainforest are the basis of countless consumer, agricultural, medical, and industrial products. Although rainforests cover less than 2% of the Earth's surface, they are home to more than half of all plant and animal species.

According to The Nature Conservancy, originally, 8 million square miles of tropical rain forest encircled the planet. More than half has been burned, bulldozed and obliterated. Now, only 3.4 million square miles remain. If deforestation continues at current rates, scientists estimate that nearly all tropical rainforest ecosystems will be destroyed by the year 2030.

note: at the top of their page there are tabs for other worthy causes you can make FREE donations to as well- check them out.

About The Child Health Site
Launched in October 2002, The Child Health Site focuses the power of the Internet on a specific need -- saving children's lives and improving the quality of their health. Over 200,000 children die every week from preventable causes, and many millions more suffer from preventable disease, cureable blindness, landmines and other crippling accidents. To learn more about some of the health issues children face today, click here.

In less than five seconds, visitors to The Child Health Site can click on the "Help a Child - Click Here" button and, at no cost to them, save young lives and help children stay healthy. How? Each click - free to the visitor - generates funds paid by site sponsors. The majority of this funding goes to The Child Health Site's charity partners, who use the funds to:

• distribute vitamin A, strengthening young immune systems and improving resistance to disease. Vitamin A supplementation also prevents as many as 400,000 cases of childhood blindness each year,
• administer oral re-hydration formula to children with severe dehydration, a serious killer of children under five worldwide,
• make a prosthesis (usually a foot or a leg) to enable child amputees to walk and lead active lives,
• restore lost eyesight through simple surgeries that reverse blindness caused by cataracts and trachoma,
• test pregnant mothers for HIV as a step toward preventing mother-to-child transmission of the AIDS virus.

Funding from the site helps an average of more than 1,000 children every day. A breakdown of the number of children helped each day is included on the See How You're Helping page.

note: at the top of their page there are tabs for other worthy causes you can make FREE donations to as well- check them out.

About The Animal Rescue Site
Launched in July 2002, The Animal Rescue Site focuses the power of the Internet on a specific need -- providing food for some of the 27 million unwanted animals given to shelters in the US every year. Each click on the "Feed an Animal in Need" button at The Animal Rescue Site provides a bowl of food for an animal at the world's largest pet adoption center, North Shore Animal League America, or at one of the Fund for Animals' world renowned animal sanctuaries, including the Black Beauty Ranch in Texas and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in California.

Individuals from around the world visit the site each day to click the "Feed an Animal in Need" button and help feed rescued animals. Over 10 million animals are put to death every year in the US alone because they are unwanted, abandoned, or abused. A click on the "Feed an Animal in Need" button will provide a bowl of food in a warm, caring environment for one of these animals at no cost to you.

note: at the top of their page there are tabs for other worthy causes you can make FREE donations to as well- check them out.

About The Breast Cancer Site
The Breast Cancer Site is proud to introduce its new owners, Tim Kunin and Greg Hesterberg, co-owners of EcologyFund.com and sons of breast cancer survivors. They bought The Breast Cancer Site in mid-August and with your help, intend to return the site to its previous position as a leader in online activism and in the fight to prevent breast cancer deaths.

The Breast Cancer Site was founded to help offer free mammograms to underprivileged women nationwide -- women for whom early detection would not otherwise be possible. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women ages 40 - 55. Early detection is the key to survival, yet 13 million women in the U.S. over 40 have never had a mammogram.

With a simple, daily "click" at The Breast Cancer Site, you help provide mammograms to those in need. Mammography is the best-known method of early detection. And early detection is the key to a greater chance of survival and more treatment options.

note: at the top of their page there are tabs for other worthy causes you can make FREE donations to as well- check them out.

will this work?