I'm Taking Heifer International off my Charity List!

It's funny sometimes how the Lord leads me to information. Last week I was blogging about beekeeping since we were getting our hives ready for the winter. I decided to include information about the patron saints of beekeeping. St. Valentine is one. While I was researching him and several others I came upon an article from Heifer International about St. Valentine. That intrigued me because we've supported the group in the past. Last year we included among our children's Christmas gifts a card for each saying a beehive was purchased and donated in their name for a poor family. Here's Heifer's promo for the honeybee gift:

HONEYBEES SWEETEN A FAMILY'S FINANCIAL FUTURE 

A Heifer honeybee gift donation includes a bee package, hive, box and training in beekeeping techniques. When you buy bees for a family in need, your gift:

A New Year, A New Project

I've never run ads on my site because Google selects ads according to website content. I knew if I ran their ads, I'd likely see my site linked to abortion mills and Planned Parenthood. So, no ads.

But a few weeks ago I ran into a Catholic ad site that only posts Catholic material. I decided to try it to help pay for the Les Femmes website and the print newsletter. Most of those on the mailing list (priests and others in my diocese) receive the newsletter gratis. A handful of generous donors support the free issues, but since I rarely remove anyone from the non-diocesan mailing list (unless someone requests removal or I haven't heard from them in years) many others receive their issues free as well. Every now and then I get a letter from a reader thanking me for keeping them on the list even though they haven't donated before. Since the Blessed Mother provides enough to pay for the printing and mailing costs I continue that practice.

On the Feast of the Sacred Heart Will You Open Your Heart and Your Pocketbook?

Israel with his parents before the asthma attack.

I received the email below from Dr. Paul Byrne today. Won't you please honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus on His feast day by giving a donation for this little boy's treatment. See yesterday's post and then go to Israel's GoFundMe page. Please help! The death peddlers are filled with zeal. Can't those of us who honor life be just as zealous in providing help and protection? Please send links to yesterday's post and this one to all your friends and ask them to pass it on. Let's raise that money for this precious little child! And for Mirranda too!

Charities You Can Trust

I'm starting a new category on my sidebar today - Charities You Can Trust. We all want to know when we give to an organization the money goes where we expect it to go. Obviously there are administrative expenses associated with all charities, but the best charities, in my opinion, are those that minimize those expenses and maximize contributions to the program goal. I won't be listing many charities, just my favorites and the absence of a group on the list doesn't mean it isn't worthy as well. But I invite you to explore the websites of these groups and consider them for your almsgiving.