Giving Tuesday and Writing your Will, Charity Gifts to Honor your Life

Today is giving Tuesday, a global giving day. I give to charities that have special meaning to me. But giving doesn't have to be just a one time deal. Next year I sign up for Medicare! Yikes! Hitting this milestone is hard for me to imagine but along with it are thoughts of getting my affairs in order.

I'm going to digress a little, but do you have a Will? Did you know that in Virginia you do not need a lawyer to draft a Will. State by state online Wills can be downloaded for free and edited (every State has it's own rules). You can even write your Will by hand or later add a handwritten note to your Will if you have details to change or add, but you won't be around to make sure it stays attached, so having a printed complete Will is best. My library provides a free notary by appointment, just bring several witnesses to come along to sign your Will. No longer do banks offer this service and no business provides "staff" to be witnesses like they did in the old days.

I've known of several people that have no family to speak of and could easily divide their estate among non-profits by designation in a Will. Don't let the State government inherit your property because you do not have a Will! Gift it instead to agencies that truly need the money.

A few of my favorite charities are animal focused. My list includes charities that I have followed for years or personally know the individuals that are in charge. Before giving, do your homework or ask friends or family for recommendations. Giving to big national charities generally is a bad idea, keeping your donation locally is a great idea. There are a few charities that I donate to that are not in my area but are very small shoestring operations that greatly need help. Many charities now accept Venmo.

If you take the IRS standard deduction on your taxes, you can not write off charitable donations in 2025, you can only benefit if you itemize. It looks like this changes for 2026 but there are limitations and it is complicated. Regardless of a tax donation, giving should come from the heart and this year has been extra tough for many charities given the rise in inflation and job layoffs.

A few of my recommended hard working charities are as follows:

HOWS, Houses of Wood and Straw is a 501c3 animal rescue charity that has been operating for 17 years and serves several counties in my area. They just found a property where they can permanently reside. This year a donor has stepped up that will match all donations up to $15,000. It's a great time to give! They initially began building sturdy dog houses for chained dogs and have expanded to erecting fencing to unchain dogs. Because of my animal rescue background, I've been a supporter for years. I understand very well the difficulty in Virginia to remove animals from a bad situation. Laws permit people to keep outside dogs and often the situation is dire. HOWS provides EYES into the community and at least makes a bad situation the best it can be, providing medical care, guidance, and property improvements. Sometimes even getting lucky by counseling pet owners to allow them to find a warm and cozy inside home for their pets. 

Sweet Peeps Microsanctuary is a 501c3 chicken rescue in Alabama that houses factory farm chickens, chickens that were slated to be killed in religious ceremonies, and chickens impacted by recent actions of ICE. Operated by the daughter of one of my good friends, I know the funds are used appropriately. Getting to know chickens on a personal level by having several flocks of chickens of my own it has opened my eyes to their varied personalities and antics. Chicken rescues are rare and the need is great.

Local wildlife rescues are often loaded with animals receiving very specialized care. Two of my favorites located in different areas of Virginia are Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary and Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke.

A small group of individuals saw a need in the Harrisonburg area to help those that are in dire situations such as the power is going to be cut off, cars being repossessed, and eviction. Heart breaking stories of being one month away from homelessness. Helping who they can with the funds they cobble together, this is an agency that serves from the heart and needs your help. Mountain Valley Mutual Aid can be followed on Facebook or Instagram.

We've all read about the disastrous impacts of SNAP benefit removals. Seek out your local food pantry and help! Loaves and Fishes has been helping citizens in need in Charlottesville for many years. 27% of Cville families live at or below the poverty level.

As I approach retirement, I see that my mental faculty and funds are realigning. Giving doesn't have to wait until your death, it can be gifted today! Let's all participate in Giving Tuesday.

~Rebecca

Charlottesville Area Holiday Giving Guide, a Time to be Grateful

The biggest time of the year for non-profits to receive donations is during the Holiday Season. As the year nears to an end, its time to get those tax deductible donations to deserving charities.

As your heart strings are pulled with each mailer and online story, its time to reflect and be grateful for what you have. Living in this gloriously beautiful and bountiful county we take many things for granted. 

We often forget that even in our lowest of low moments there is always a worse situation. Try to imagine living in a tent for 20 years evicted from your homeland, persecuted because of your religion or race. 

The last time war was declared on our homeland soil was in 1941 on the attack of Pearl Harbor and I for one have never lived in a war zone. To live day in and day out with bombs raining down on you is unimaginable. 

I often feel the potential for happiness in our country is squandered without thought of a worse scenario. Be grateful for your blessings and be thoughtful of others during this season of giving. There are families that barely find the resources to pay the monthly rent living in fear of eviction and forgotten animals that are chained and allowed to live their entire life alone outside.

I look for charities that work day in and day out in the trenches and use their funds to really help those they service. If you haven't quite found the right charity, here are a few to add to your list for consideration.

My mom. Respect and love of pets starts early. 

I tend to lean toward animal rescue groups as I have a history of helping animals and feel they can't defend for themselves so are most worthy. Giving directly to a local Animal Welfare Agency is the way to go. The larger national groups DO NOT annually trickle funds down to local groups and often your local Humane Society / SPCA receives no government funding. They need your help the most. If you prefer to not give cash, they often take supplies - food, cat litter, etc or operate Thrift Stores. 

My shelter babies. No chain zone at my house!

Two of my favorite Charlottesville, VA Animal Welfare groups merged together under the Voices for Animals umbrella. Houses of Wood and Straw (HOWS) is a tireless volunteer group that helps the most desperate animals that are chained outside 24 X 7. If it were up to them, no animals would be chained but sadly Virginia law finds this perfectly acceptable, even though for years rescue groups have attempted to change this. HOWS does what it can, given the law, to upgrade dog houses, expand fenced areas, and to pay for medical treatment of often the emaciated or the forgotten.

There are is an Animal Rescue for just about any pure breed pet imaginable. One that I volunteer for is Siamese Cat Rescue Center. One would think a Siamese Cat would never enter an Animal Shelter. But they have saved over 10,000 Siamese from death. When I was the Director at the Pulaski County Humane Society (another good charity that tirelessly operates on a shoe string budget) they saved many of our Siamese cats from death. It runs like a well oiled ship and there is a dedicated shelter at the Virginia Chapters home.

Forget the Yard Sale, haul it to the SPCA!

I tend to get motivated at the end of the year to start clearing out. Your local SPCA Thrift Store is a great place to donate your used items. If you prefer to give to a non-animal based charity several of the more well known agencies pay their CEO's huge annual salaries. So give some thought as to who can really benefit from your castaway treasures. 

There has been a lot of talk in the media about refugees and fear of allowing a potential criminal into our country through this program. Since my move to Charlottesville, I've been fortunate to meet refugee families and learn of their plight. One particular family arrived several years ago after living in a tent for 20 years. They didn't even understand the operation of a window, much less a stove! Arriving in December wearing flipflops and summer clothing, and not speaking one word of English. Imagine for one moment if that is all you had. Ok, so do it again, visualize if that was all you had and you were placed down into what appeared to be MARS. If a criminal wanted to enter our country, this program would be the last port of entry as it can take from 3 years to 20 to escape your tent city! To make a cash or item donation to help a part of our population that is truly destitute upon arrival, the local International Rescue Committee is the agency which coordinates the arrival of refugees.

For a host of reasons, sometimes years can pass without employment. This, understandably, can lead to depression or loss of a home. A few years ago we went to a plant sale and discovered Our Community Place in Harrisonburg, VA, a vibrant community center that helps anyone that needs assistance, and several days a week it provides free meals.

To find an international charity, Give Well rates charities.

A little goes a long way and it is absolutely true that if we each gave just a little, it could make a world of difference. Happy Holidays and spread the joy!

-Rebecca

Life Pledge #3

My Gus and Cesar fresh from the Animal Shelter.

Actually, this should have been my Pledge #1 because it has been my commitment for the past 15 years and I feel very strongly about it.

I Pledge to never purchase a pet through a Pet Shop, Breeder, or Online Seller.  I exclusively will adopt from a reputable Animal Shelter, Rescue, or by "discovery".  For the sake of not making this post too long, I am going to talk specifically about dogs but I feel even more strongly about cats. 

Wonderful hound, a typical breed found in local shelters.

Thankfully over the last decade, Animal Welfare groups have taken on the cause of shutting down inhumane Puppy Mills.  The battle is ongoing as is the battle for safe food, fair taxes, and the like.  There always seems to be someone making a buck that is fighting tooth and nail to continue their vice at any cost.  This is the case with Puppy Mill owners.  They will do anything to keep their cruel moneymaker bringing in the cash.

I have seen first hand the misery caused by Puppy Mills.  While the Director of a Humane Society located inside of a county owned kill Animal Shelter, there were many instances of abuse as a direct result of Puppy Mills and irresponsible Breeders.  Personally, until there are no more pets killed in U.S. shelters, I choose to not adopt from responsible Breeders as well.  It's simple economics... Why would I trade the life of a shelter pet for one purchased from a breeder?  I wouldn't. 

A "vicious" shelter Pitbull & PCHS Pres. Rita.

Let's get to the numbers.  You may think only small numbers of pets never make it out alive of Animal Shelter Agencies.  Think again.  In 2011 in the State of Virginia, almost 80,000 dogs and cats never found their new home.  Nationwide in the U.S. up to 4 million are euthanized each year.  The numbers are staggering and to think they have actually improved over the last decade due to the hard work by Humane Societies, SPCA's and dog Rescues Groups.

A growing trend is to hide the cruelity by selling pets on the internet masked by cute or heart wrenching websites.  You may think that "others" are doing their part and picking up the slack for your decision to adopt from an unknown online dealer -- NOT...  According to Wayne Pacelle, CEO and President of the HSUS, only 1 in 5 owned pets are adopted from a Shelter or Rescue.  More people need to face the facts and the numbers that animals are dying directly because of their purchase decisions. 

My sweet doggie Simba, my first shelter pet.

Being part of the humane movement for years gave me that first hand look into what is good and bad.  I can attest that Puppy Mills and breeders, breeding purely out of greed, diverted charity group resources toward animal rescue instead of animal prevention services.  Funds are always limited and can easily dissolve when animals are so mistreated that they require medical care at the charities expense.  Compound this problem with the arrival of 50+ abused and neglected Puppy Mill dogs and you are looking at a huge expense and housing problem.  Many agencies are already maxed out on both fronts.

While I was in the midst of pet madness as Humane Society Director, I often wanted to scream at the top of my lungs (and actually did) for people to take this issue seriously and NOT PURCHASE A PET but ADOPT instead!  Irresponsible breeding takes such a physical and mental toil on the good souls that are trying so desperately to help our little furry babies.  Kindness and love has totally disappeared from the souls of Puppy Mill breeders... it's time they were put to a stop and you can help by making thoughtful and humane purchase decisions. 

-Rebecca