Westmorland and Furness Council’s Post

At many organizations, including Save A Family Plan, the fiscal new year is April first. This is a great time to check with your employer to see if they offer a donation matching program. If they do, it could mean DOUBLING the impact of your charitable giving! Here is a great video submitted by longtime donors, Brad and Misty, sharing how they did it. If you're willing to share this info with friends and family, please share this post or send them the direct link (https://lnkd.in/dHzqVeQu) Here's a tip: if your company does not currently offer a gift-matching program... maybe they will if you propose one :) #DoubleYourDonation #giftmatchingprogram #peoplehelpingpeople #sustainabledevelopment #saveafamilyplan

My personal philanthropy has a primary focus on the human rights of children and young people. Which is understandable when you hear my own story of childhood abuse and neglect. I strongly believe that every child deserves to be loved, safe and able to thrive, no matter where they were born. I also believe that this is the responsibility of the whole community - not just the biological parents. That is why I chose to apply to be a Trustee for Hope and Homes for Children and it was an absolute honour to be selected for this huge responsibility. As such, I have had the privilege to see the positive results of their incredible work, but there is so much more to be done. Sadly, at least 5.4million children are currently separated from their families, shut away inside orphanages, and staggeringly 80% are not even orphans. Orphanages are not the safe place we have been led to believe by decades of well meaning charity work and philanthropy. It is well researched and demonstrated that orphanages expose children to abuse, trafficking, and physical and psychological trauma that can last a lifetime. 📖🔬here is just one study https://lnkd.in/ejxvhEk7 No child should end up in an orphanage. There is ALWAYS a better solution. Today is the UN #InternationalDayofFamilies and this marks the launch of HHC’s campaign #BacktoFamily. It’s an incredible and well thought out campaign, using #AI to protect the rights of children. What can you do to help get children out of harms way today - i’ve made an easy list below (with a little help from the team at HHC) 🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐 💛 Please share this poignant message from Kristin Scott Thomas 💛 Sign the petition www.backtofamily.org 💛 Donate https://lnkd.in/eJDgcu8R  💛 Attend one of HHC’s fab events https://lnkd.in/eH8BbyPT  💛 Challenge yourself and fundraise as a bonus! https://lnkd.in/eH8BbyPT  💛 Follow HHC and share their posts on social media - this is a social movement to protect the rights of the most vulnerable children 💛 Join their mailing list to stay up to date https://lnkd.in/efzc4dAz At the very least I encourage you to take a look at their website and learn more about the harmful effects of orphanages, what the alternative is and how #philanthropy has a catalytic role to play in this social movement https://lnkd.in/egzS5ua5 ‼️Philanthropy should be about learning, so if you have been funding an orphanage and want to learn what you can do to help those children please get in touch with me today xx ‼️ #BackToFamily #socialmovement #artificialintelligence #AIforgood https://lnkd.in/edyeVuQr

@highlight I believe in people's goodness and that some people want to help in ways that significantly impact the lives of others. That's why I'm asking for your support of our fundraiser, Her Last Bow: https://lnkd.in/dmjUnvVx If you have ever had to bury your mother or mother figure, you know how painstakingly difficult it is to select a final outfit befitting of your loved one's final viewing. If you have not experienced this yet, you are fortunate, and one day, you will. What is more heartbreaking is that one day, someone will make that decision about you. We want to ease the financial burden for women who may not have the resources to bury their mother in the attire they wish to see their mother in one last time. If this pulls at your human heart, allow yourself a moment of compassion to donate to our fundraiser. Donations are tax-deductible. Your help can also consist of sharing this information with others. I want to acknowledge my long-time sister-friend Deborah A. Hoodfor sharing this with her generous friends and followers. Thank you so much, Deb. It made a difference. In closing, if you need additional reasons to donate, here are seven valid reasons why donating matters. Thank you for reading this. Thank you for sharing this. Thank you for donating to our fundraiser. Making a Difference: Donating to charitable causes allows individuals to directly impact the lives of those in need, whether providing grief journals and funds for burial clothing, food, and shelter for people experiencing homelessness, funding medical research, or supporting education initiatives. It's an opportunity to be part of positive change in the world. Creating Meaningful Change: Charitable donations can create meaningful and lasting change in communities worldwide. Whether they fund sustainable development projects, support environmental conservation efforts or aid disaster relief; donations contribute to building a better future for everyone. Setting an Example: By donating to charitable causes, individuals set an example for others. Their actions inspire friends, family, and colleagues to contribute to causes they care about, amplifying the impact of their generosity. Building Stronger Communities: Charitable donations strengthen communities by supporting local organizations and initiatives that address community needs. By investing in their communities, individuals help create a more resilient and supportive environment for everyone. Creating a Legacy of Generosity: Charitable giving allows individuals to leave a lasting legacy of generosity and philanthropy. Whether through monetary donations, volunteering, or fundraising efforts, their contributions make a positive impact beyond their lifetime, leaving a meaningful mark on the world.

🚨 Urgent: Help Us Protect Our Children! 🚨 Please watch this video of Hollie & Archie. (You can also see both of them on Good Morning Britain today at 7:20 am). A group of bereaved parents believes that social media may have played a role in their children losing their lives. However, as parents, they don't have the right to access their children's social media data for possible answers, leaving them in the dark about why their child has died. #JoolsLaw One life lost is one too many. How many more children will die before something changes? Please share. They need your help to raise funds to request that the High Court redoes Jools’ inquest and demands social media companies release data which could give these parents answers. Your support could set a precedent for other parents to access their child's data. If donating can prevent just one more child from dying, it's worth it. As the generation that created social media, we must correct it by giving parents back the power to protect their children. 🙏 One child too many. Let's make a change. 🙏 https://lnkd.in/d4fkR2B7

The Actions of Others is Why We Are All Here! A short story about the interconnectedness of Help, the power of Love, and a Home for the Holidays. #Chooselove #Celebratelife #BeTheChange #TogetherWeCan #EmpowerFamily #TransformLives

Fundraiser to Supporting the Stuttering Community with Transparency 💙 I’m excited to share that we’ve launched a Stutter Chats t-shirt fundraiser to support the National Stuttering Association (NSA), an incredible organization dedicated to empowering people who stutter. This fundraiser runs from now until January 31st, and we want to be fully transparent about how it works. 🔹 Pricing Breakdown: The cost to produce each t-shirt (through Printful) ranges from $15.20 to $23.20, depending on size. We are selling the shirts for $21.99 to $29.99. For each t-shirt sold, $6.79 will be donated directly to the NSA. 💯 All Profits Go to the NSA: We want to be clear that we are not keeping any profits from this fundraiser. Every dollar beyond production costs — specifically $6.79 per shirt — goes directly to the NSA to help raise awareness, provide resources, and support the stuttering community. This cause is deeply personal to me, and I believe transparency is key in building trust and driving meaningful support. 🛒 If you’d like to contribute, grab a t-shirt here: https://lnkd.in/euK4PyJc Thank you for supporting this mission and helping make a difference. Your support means the world to us! 💙 #StutterChats #NationalStutteringAssociation #StutteringAwareness #Fundraiser #Transparency #CommunitySupport #Nonprofit #GivingBack

Ahead of father's day this weekend I wanted to share an interesting video that highlights an important topic. Gift card company Hallmark, partnered with men’s suicide prevention charity ANDY’S MAN CLUB, to launch a study around men’s messages of love, appreciation and understanding. 19% of the 1,000 men questioned revealed that they find it easier to express their emotions in writing than face-to-face. Reasons for this included fear of embarrassment (42%), feeling awkward (39%) and concerns about appearing weak (30%). hat’s nearly 1 in 5 men who are saying they struggle to express their emotions, which is an indicative feature of low emotional efficacy. https://bit.ly/3VGzUVZ Recognising and addressing low emotional efficacy is crucial for individuals seeking to improve their wellbeing and performance. We explore this, and how acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), plus emotion efficacy training (EET) can help, on our latest blog: https://bit.ly/4b0ydXM

In Sorrow and Loving Memory https://wix.to/eWvTXui

Tis the season! People often ask me how they can get involved with our community. They want to give back, however they are not sure how to go about it. There are 6,300 registered charities in Nevada. The first step is to determine what is on your heart. Children? Animals? Education, healthcare, seniors? Next, decide how you would like to contribute. The three most common strategies are financial support (writing checks), sitting on a Board of Directors (donating your talents) or volunteering. If you don’t have the financial resources to be a donor, do not fear! Volunteering is not only fulfilling, but also highly valued by charity organizations. Volunteers are the true heroes. Today we review Olive Crest. Olive Crest - Olive Crest is dedicated to preventing child abuse by strengthening, equipping, and restoring children and families in crisis…one life at a time. This is a faith based organization focused on foster children and their families. Never forget Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given…much is required.” https://lnkd.in/gGNZvGpD

Looking for ways to give this Holiday season? Here’s many options. Consider Fort Smith Boys & Girls Clubs as one of those options.