How to adopt an elephant
Many years ago, when I was greedily going through every article on Offbeat Home to absorb all of the awesomeness within, I came across an article about how to adopt an elephant from Sheldrick’s Wildlife Trust. This year, I finally adopted my own orphaned elephant.
Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good
We’ve been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you’re learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out.
Huge list of places to donate to help Texas during Hurricane Harvey
If you’re watching the news and seeing all the flooding, devastation, stranded groups of people, and want to know how to help Texas recover from Hurricane Harvey, you’re not alone. We’ve seen some great compilations of charities and organizations to which you can donate, and have rounded up as many as we could find. Please chime in with your own suggestions in the comments!
Should I volunteer or start a job?
I know that volunteering would be an amazing way to gain the experience that I need, but with graduation quickly coming and all my debt looming in the distance, I worry if I can afford it and if it’s worth the risk. Then again, I have had a few professors tell me that I should get a job instead of volunteering or interning, but I worry that no one will hire me due to lack of experience.
Why fostering animals is worth the emotional pain
Most charities ask that you give up either a little time or a little money to support a worthy cause. But there’s one form of aid you can give that doesn’t really require either of those, at least if you already have a pet. It’s animal fostering, and it is such a roller coaster ride I had to write about our experiences in the hopes of encouraging folks to foster, and to emotionally support those who already do.
Which foods are best to donate to food banks?
The office where I work does a food drive every year for our holiday party. I was wondering if anyone who has experience would have any suggestions on what kinds of foods are good to donate to a food pantry?
Pinkwashing: I’m grossed out by the commercialization of breast cancer, but I want to support my recently-diagnosed mother!
I have always been ethically opposed to the commericialization of breast cancer. But now my mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer and I find more and more well-meaning people asking me about pink ribbon campaigns or breast cancer runs/walks etc, or trying to show their support by buying into these campaigns. How do I acknowledge their support without encouraging these activities to which I feel ethically opposed and without sounding like I’m preaching or am just a sour bitch?
Decorate with animal art and support conservation at the same time
This painting was done by Eli, a male orangutan residing at the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah. We do paintings with all our orangutans, and many other animals at the zoo. Painting with the animals is first and foremost for their own benefit. The added bonus of all this artistic expression is the end product; paintings that can be sold to the public.