The holiday season inspires a spirit of generosity and giving, and if you still itemize deductions on your taxes, a rush to get some year-end deductions by donating to worthy charities. I read and hear that many people are flabbergasted as to what to give to people who have everything or that you want to do something nice for, but you can’t quite figure out what that should be or what is appropriate. There’s an article going around about experiences as opposed to giving more stuff at Christmas. I really love that idea. I also love the idea of giving gifts that keep on giving by giving to or buying from worthy non-profits and charitable organizations. Most people I know are thrilled to know a gift was given in their honor or that the purchase came from an organization that supports a need. I want to share five of my favorites for 2018. They are in no certain order.
First up is Ruby’s Rainbow – Scholarships for individuals with Down syndrome. When Liz Plachta’s daughter Ruby was born with Down syndrome, she wanted to do something to make a difference for people with Down syndrome and show the world that people with Down syndrome are able, capable, and amazing. Her vision became Ruby’s Rainbow and they provide scholarships for students with Down syndrome to pursue post-secondary (college) experiences. According to ThinkCollege, there are about 275 post-secondary programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities across the country. College is already astronomically expensive. These inclusive college programs for students with intellectual disabilities are usually even more expensive than typical college programs. They may cost an extra $10,000 per year. On top of this, there are few scholarships available for students with Down syndrome. Ruby’s Rainbow is helping make dreams come true by awarding scholarships to students with Down syndrome. Rachel is one of Ruby’s Rockin’ Recipients. You can read more of Ruby’s incredible story and make a gift donation at this link –https://rubysrainbow.org/
Inclusion Connectionsn(IC) is based in our hometown of Olathe, KS. Utilizing a strong peer model, IC provides educational, social, and recreational activities for teens and young adults with disabilities. They also operate an employment program, PawsABILITIES. They make, market, and sell handcrafted pet treats/products, and they use each step of the business to prepare individuals with disabilities with skills for competitive employment. There are also opportunities to develop stronger self-advocacy and leadership skills. Rachel served on the board of IC for the past year. She is proud of this, and we believe that she has strengthened her leadership skills through her participation at IC. IC is a relatively young non-profit and they are doing great things. You can support them with a donation or by purchasing pet products. No worries if you don’t live here, they ship treats and provide an option to have monthly treats delivered to your home or as a gift to a friend. Click here to learn more, donate, or make a purchase – https://ickc.org/
Sweet La La’s Bakery in Memphis bakes some delicious cookies for a purpose. Sweet La La’s and JIFF joined in partnership in 2014 to create a pipeline into employment for JIFF youth. JIFF provides intensive intervention services to at-risk youth ages 10-18 who are referred through Memphis and Shelby County juvenile court. Once a participant graduates from one of the JIFF programs, they become eligible to become a Sweet La La’s employee. Sweet La La’s employees maintain close contact with their Case Mentor and the rest of the JIFF team throughout their employment. This program allows the double-efficacy of JIFF support combined with Sweet La La’s love and training to create a beautiful outcome of success and growth! JIFF”s mission is “To break the destructive cycle of juvenile crime through Christ-centered intervention.” By purchasing cookie gifts from Sweet La La’s year round, you can support their efforts to break the cycle. Several of our friends will be receiving some lovely tins of trees and snowflakes from Sweet La La’s. In addition to a delicious sweet treat, they will know we are supporting an important mission. Click here to see some gift options and order – https://www.sweetlalas.com/ They will work to accommodate your budget!
National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) Policy Center – Advocacy on behalf of individuals with Down syndrome has never been more important. NDSC has the most experienced Down syndrome policy team anywhere. They are leading the efforts to impact policy change on behalf of individuals with Down syndrome. They are widely respected in the disability policy community collaborating with many other national disability policy groups. Advocacy is my great passion and isn’t really at the top of many people’s giving priorities. To assist with equipping advocates and strengthening grassroots efforts, NDSC recently launched the National Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition and hosted their first annual Advocacy Training Day. The second training day will be held the day before the 2019 NDSC Convention kicks off in Pittsburgh. A donation to the policy center would be a great way to support efforts that will be multiplied through grassroots efforts and collaborations. Find out how to be a part of the coalition or donate here – https://www.ndsccenter.org/
Missouri State University Bear POWER – Nineteen years ago, we had no idea that Rachel would be preparing to go off to college in just a few short weeks. As mentioned above, there are about 275 post-secondary program for students with intellectual disabilities across our country. We are so proud that Rachel will part of the first Bear POWER class at Missouri State University. Many of the programs must raise their own funds. The Bear POWER and Missouri State leadership have done a great job of putting together a fabulous program. They have strong community and university support including grants and donations. You can support Bear POWER and Rachel by donating one of the items on their Amazon Succeed List or make a financial gift here MSU Bear POWER Gift
If you need any more motivation to understand the importance of these post-secondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities, check out this video of Rachel opening her acceptance letter:
These are a few of my favorites this year. If you are looking for something, consider one of these. However, you all have many local organizations you want to support, and some of you might even learn that you have a post-secondary program for the Rachel’s in your community. By giving to any of these deserving groups/organizations, your gift has a ripple effect. I can tell you from my fundraising days, no gift is too small. In fact, it is all of those small gifts that add up to make a difference.
Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping!
