Social Impact Social Media

If you’re a member of a local chapter of the United Nations Association stand up and take a bow. If you even know what the United Nations Association (UNA) IS raise your hand.  The UNA is a nonprofit citizens' organization, separate from the United Nations, dedicated to supporting the mission of the United Nations, and with a key goal of making more citizens like themselves, and government officials, aware of the vital role the United Nations plays in global peace keeping, addressing global environmental challenges,  bringing war criminals to justice,  providing women and families in developing countries with family planning resources,  fighting for gender equality, universal primary education, reducing infant mortality and work to eradicate HIV/AIDS and other deadly diseases. Local UNA chapters reach out to educate politician  and local folks about the missions of the United Nations. Chapter members help assure citizens and politicians are engaged in...

Art Aids Art is an Altadena California and Cape Town South Africa based nonprofit founded in 2003 by educators and human services professionals. The organizations serves two key initiatives; educating American citizenry about South African culture and the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis and serving women and children in the impoverished areas surrounding Cape Town. The organization provides economic opportunities to South African artists collectives through art sales in the U.S.A. Annually the organizations   leads an intergenerational group to Cape Town to provide services in partnership with South African organizations. Art Aids Art also has an ongoing “Babies And Books” program collecting gently used black dolls and multicultural literature for the children of eKhaya eKasi Center in Khayelitsha township. Books are prohibitively expensive in South Africa and still often limited to the Afrikaans and in South African child centers dramatic play areas tend to have only white d...

shineonsierraleone.org Shine On Sierra Leone (SOSL) has made great and impactful strides since I first spotlighted them two years ago.   Everything has been achieved through the sheer determination, positive spirit and a conviction to change things for the better in the 7 th poorest country in the world. Behind it all are founder Tiffany Persons and the organization’s committed and energized team of staff and volunteers. Since I last posted here SOSL’s projects have expanded form education, microcredits ( through a partnership with Salone Microfinance Trust, SMT) and sustainable development—adding the SOSL Maternal and Child Healthcare program and a nationwide Computer and Adult Literacy, partnership with ST Foundations' Digital Unify Program, and Ecotourism. They have also added some impressive and impact-adding partnerships; Operation USA privately funded NGO focused on providing reconstruction and development aid around the world, the Lower Eastsi...

Amigos de los Ríos (AMIGOS) was founded in 2003 with the mission of building parks with a bigger use while fostering environmental sustainability. AMIGOS focuses on developing   and implementing   multi-purpose, state-of-the-art parks in park-deficient neighborhoods. Their projects use green techniques such as on-site water filtration, bioswales, and low-water-use irrigation. In their park projects they also integrate   drought-tolerant and native-plant landscaping to conserve water, protect biodiversity and natural resources. amigosdelosrios.org They are currently working to make their amazing vision of “The Emerald Necklace” -an unbroken network of parks and connecting nature trails and bike paths that stretches from the San Gabriel Mountains to the Sea- a reality. AMIGOS   is committed to engaging the community while reflecting community needs through programs including curriculum creation for K-12,   family-oriented environmental educat...

Melissa Hargett is a successful Alabama business woman. She launched the Shoals Area Families Foundation (SAF) to assist temporarily impoverished families with making ends meet. Families that request assistance also sign up as part of an innovative "give back program," where in exchange for support they agree to volunteer at start-up local thrift shop. Shoals Area Families was formed to assist local temporarily impoverished families with utilities, food and shelter to give them a way to give back and to train them with a new skill that will hopefully break the cycle of impoverishment. The mission is simple -One to take person at a time over the poverty line. SAF is opening a thrift store to help fund the foundation.  They have a 10,000 square foot building where they take donations, process items, and sale the merchandise. The families they work with come to the organization through referrals from public school counselors and through the SAF Facebook page, https...

forbes.com Their statement that “The greatest casualty is to be forgotten” really says a lot in summing up the organization’s mission.   The vision IS achievable - To foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation's history. And their road map to do so is one certainly worthy of support with three simple but impactful steps. ·          To raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members. ·          To help injured service members aid and assist each other. ·          To provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members As of December 2014 the organization had served over 61,000 veterans and nearly 9,000 families. Services and programs include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder coping skills, family support, peer mentoring, ec...

Sierra Leone Rising, formerly The Kposowa Foundation, is a 501c3 non-profit organization that was formed in 2005 by co-founders, Sarah Culberson and John Woehrle to  build and restore much needed educational facilities, provide safe clean drinking water, solar electricity and agricultural development in the village of  Bumpe Sierra Leone. While the nonprofit has plans for a much broader global impact over time Bumpe was selected because Sarah, adopted and raised by a white family in the U.S., traced her natural family and heritage there. Visiting Bumpe to trace her roots Sarah discovered human suffering and need that she could not turn her back on. The Bumpe high school, once a renowned boarding school with an enrollment of over 600 students from as far away as Nigeria, was destroyed by R.U.F. rebels during Sierra Leone's 11-year-long civil was from 1991-2002. The Civil war also caused serious and grotesque human rights violati...