We’re not too tied to tradition in this office. We’re actually always pushing ourselves to try new things.
But there’s one annual tradition that I appreciate an awful lot. Every year, around mid-December, we gather the staff to choose a charity for our Holiday Special.
And what always encourages me is the industrious and thorough work that our youngest staff members do to prepare.
These are our student interns – bright kids who do so much at the Institute. And they’re among the most passionate about this particular tradition.
Here’s how it works: each staffer can promote a charity. They do some research, prepare a little presentation
. . . and then we vote.
It’s a totally transparent process, and my vote has the same weight as anyone else’s (in fact, my choice of charity has been outvoted twice, but that’s another story).
They’ve been thinking about their choices for weeks – and with so many worthy causes, there’s a lot to consider.
They uncovered Charity Navigator, a site that ranks charities based on their financial health, transparency, and outreach programs.
And last year, two of our interns stole the show when they showed up at the big decision meeting as a united front.
This year, we saw some compelling presentations, and because we were having such a hard time choosing, we decided to narrow it down to these three:
• buildOn, an organization working to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy worldwide
• International Rescue Committee, a charity that responds to humanitarian crises across the globe
• International Justice Mission, an agency that rescues victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of oppression
Each of us then went off and studied the choices further before coming back to a final decision meeting. Which did we choose?
We’ll reveal that in the next blog post. Plus, you’ll get the details about which program we’ll be offering as our Holiday Special.
I’m grateful to have such diligent interns on our staff. What are you grateful for this holiday season? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
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I choose International Justice Mission because it also addresses the mission of the other two. Freeing from slavery & sexual exploitation is also confronting poverty and oppression. It also means rescuing persons from horrific & traumatic situations. Last but certainly not the least, the work is directed to women who happens to be still the most oppressed/exploited class of people in the world together with children. There several other organizations working on rescue and poverty who appears to do as good a job as they can.
I am grateful for life and all the opportunities it offers us human beings to be an agent of change wherever we are. We are like drops of water creating together the river of life. Life that can be meaningful, intentional, peaceful, flowing like a river that always has a purpose and never loses its identity, in spite of the challenges along the way.
Beautifully written Patricia. The flow of your words is unique. Thank you for writing something I appreciate. Happy new year to you.
Suzy
I am attempting to start a mindfulness program with teens at the Boys and Girls club here with the help of a gangbanger I used to work with (7 years in an alternative school & documentary made at Duke of the kids). I may be asking for advice in the forum. Sue McMurray Durham NC
Thanks for ‘Charity Navigator’ – I’ll put it on my Facebook.