End of year charitable Gift Giving Guide, Helping animal rescues and people

A year end charitable contribution can really make a difference, especially to a small non-profit. Small animal rescue groups have very few resources for "free money" and nearly all funding comes from private donations. Large umbrella groups often pay large administration fees and have seemingly unlimited advertising budgets. They rarely trickle down donations to local organizations and often are not even affiliated.

Look for groups that truly need your help! I've even found a small niche group that is not local to me that I particularly like. Research your non-profit to determine how much money actually goes to the services it provides (vs administration and fundraising). Smaller non-profits might not be registered but an online search of their reviews can be helpful.

It's not too late make a gift in honor or in memory. Holidays are often tough for those that have lost someone during the holiday season. Sadly my Grandmother passed on Christmas Day and it was her favorite holiday. A year end "in memory" donation might be the most thoughtful gift one could make. It never made sense to me to mail a Happy Holidays card to someone that had a recent loss, turn it around and send a "hoping you will find peace in 2022" message.

This year, in lieu of gifts, I requested for donations to be made to one of  my favorite non-profits. Many have social media sites on Facebook that provide frequent updates.

HOWS, Houses of Wood and Straw is an animal rescue charity that serves several counties in my area. They initially began building sturdy dog houses for chained dogs and have expanded to erecting fencing to get dogs off chains. 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 dog(s).

My second favorite animal rescue is a niche organization in Alabama that rescues chickens. Sweet Peeps Microsanctuary rescues factory farm chickens, and even chickens that were slated to be killed in religious ceremonies. Operated by the daughter of one of my good friends, I know the funds are used appropriately. The first time I saw a truck of chickens headed for slaughter in South Carolina, I broke down in tears. It took me many years to wean myself off of chicken and turkey meat but it made such an impression to me that I never forgot this experience. Getting to know chickens on a personal level by having a flock of chickens of my own has opened my eyes to their varied personalities and antics.

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.

If animals are not on the top of your list for donation, Meals on Wheels is one of my favorite assistance programs. Providing a hot meal can often be the difference between living at home or in a facility. Covid has been especially hard on those living in care facilities. Meals on Wheels can sometimes be the first line of assistance for not only serving a meal but for checking in on someone to see if they are OK. Give directly to your local community group not the large umbrella group. 

I can't image being homeless but one would presume this to be the first step of decline of ones inner soul. We are very fortunate to have The Haven in Charlottesville that address this basic need. Highly rated on Charity Navigator (under Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless).

Be wise with your giving and do some research first. IRS tax laws have been improved this year for charitable giving. In general, $300 for single and $600 for married filing. 

~Rebecca

Recycle Reuse, Buy vintage this Christmas and Holiday Gift Giving Season

Renaker vintage collectibles for the Cat Lover, ForsythiaHill

It's that time of year again where we try to find that perfect gift for family and friends. Amazon seems to be the go to place for buying new items and Ebay has long been the place for collectors. The growing trend is vintage gift giving. I've always thought it more personal and definitely more unique to buy a nicely cared for vintage item. Not just another throw away but something they might want to hold onto and treasure because of its uniqueness.

Warm vintage Angora Hat, ForsythiaHill

I've been selling vintage for family and friends for 10 years now and my buyers really are excited about their purchases. Totally unique one of a kind items that they comment about in their online product review after purchase. I love matching old items in new homes to be appreciated and adored.

Art Nouveau early 1900's Gold Jewelry Box, ForsythiaHill

Etsy is a fun place to shop as they have combined a wide range of artisan items with vintage. You can set your search setting to only shop for art or vintage if you like. The stigma that a gift can only be new in order for it to be appreciated is fading, year after year. Shoppers are becoming more conscientious about saving natural resources by gift giving a previously used item. More and more online resale sites are popping up as the ease of selling a used item goes mainstream. I'm seeing newer used items on these sites while authentic vintage items (more than 20 years old) are still being found mainly on Etsy and Ebay, along with a few more less popular sites such as Bonanza and Ruby Lane.

Large fabric printed 1980s Rabbit, ForsythiaHill

It's trendy to gift give vintage but maybe not as cool to give a new used item as these items can still be found new. The key to success is to find a unique item that is difficult to find, one that brings back memories, something that can be physically used or something kitsch. An item that never gets old is vintage Pyrex. Who doesn't love and use Pyrex! One year I gifted an adorable retro cat hand towel to a friend. She loved it! Ornaments are also a fun item to give.

Amazing vintage Poodle Pin, ForsythiaHill

I love selling vintage because of the history each items holds. It's a treasure hunt often for me as a seller just to locate a similar item to date it or determine its authenticity. Over 10 years I've found homes for thousands of items and I've seen the trend expand from just personal buying to shopping for a gift.

Gardening books, these for the Rose Lover, ForsythiaHill

I also like selling vintage because I like being a part of the reuse, recycle movement to help our planet which by all accounts is failing. Not only does no new manufacturing go into the products I sell but I also only pack items using previously used boxes and packing paper. I don't know too many sellers that go to this extreme but it is personally important for me. I've never once had to buy a box or paper! Friends bring me boxes, an optical shop saves boxes for me, and I get bubble wrap and paper from freecycle. The only shipping product I buy is tape. I also am conscious of the delivery method I use and even have my postal carrier's cell phone number. Nearly all my shipping is done at my house, I rarely drive to the post office.

I hope you will consider shopping for vintage this holiday season for a host of good reasons! Right now I'm running a SALE in my vintage shop, ForsythiaHill during the Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday sales. I also sell on ebay, ruralreality. Go check them out, I thank you in advance!

~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

Alternative Gift Giving

Desperate for a gift, maybe this Cow Necklace fits the bill.

There may be someone on your Christmas Giving list that is just plain hard to shop for. Don't despair, there are alternative gift choices for that person that seems to have everything or no longer wants anything!

or how about a nice Wide Tie ?

The other side of the coin is to sit down and think about what you are really trying to convey this holiday season. Gift giving is an expression of love, thoughtfulness, and kindness. I always try to purchase something meaningful, but often, out of despair buy something that I fear has little interest. A Soap on a Rope that will go unused hanging in a shower as a show piece for 25 years, only to acquire a nice coating of dust and dirt, seems a waste of a thoughtful gift moment!

Mom giving me a sack of Corn Meal for Xmas.

Why don't we instead select a local charity and make a gift in honor or in memory. Holidays are often tough for those that have lost someone during the holiday season. Sadly my Grandmother passed on Christmas Day and it was her favorite holiday. An "in memory" donation might be the best gift you could make.

My sweet Daisy Doodle, found at the shelter.

Because of my long involvement in Animal Rescue, I tend to donate to agencies that benefit animals. Think about the person you are giving to and if they or the person you are memorializing liked animals. I can't think of a nicer thing to do than to make a donation in honor of a friend and their beloved pet(s).

Local private animal rescue agencies have to spend countless hours begging (and I mean begging) for funding. It's often thought that local SPCA's receive funding from the national ASPCA, Humane Society of the US, or Federal or State funding. They do not. The only situation where a local SPCA receives county funding is when it operates the state mandated Animal Shelter. This is a rarity in Virginia but is actually the case in Charlottesville but funds only cover the collection and housing of animals, they do not cover spay neuter, vaccines, or other humane outreach. Many local humane societies struggle to keep the doors open and giving to them is a direct benefit to your community.

Saved by Animal Control with HOWS involvement.

I seek out agencies that work "in the trenches" or are located in low income areas as they tend to need extra support. Last year Voices for Animals in Charlottesville merged with Houses of Wood and Straw (HOWS) and both groups do amazing work for our local animals. If you have ever been involved in animal rescue, some of the saddest cases are animals left outside 24 x 7. Both of these groups help animals, that in my opinion, are the most needy in our community.

Now you get it ?

This year I received notice that the Humane Society that I worked for 5 years ago was CLOSING. Donations had trickled to a near stop. The group had worked so hard to help the animals that fundraising took a backseat. County shelter euthanasia rates had dropped to historic lows but so did donations. Fortunately, animal lovers heard the cry and donations flooded in. Grants were also written to help fund spay neuter programs. The Pulaski County Humane Society operates in a part of Virginia that has one of the highest illiteracy rates in the state. The last thing this community needs is to have an "in the trenches" group close.

Many privately run animal groups are teetering between opening and closing. This is not an uncommon case since they are rarely supported by local tax revenue like other charitable agencies. Think of how much work could be directed to helping the animals if a regular check came in the mail to support their programs!

Two more of my babies saved by the Humane Society.

I have talked about a non-profit sector that I personally know well but there are many agencies that do good deeds in your own community that can benefit from your charitable gift this time of the year. A meaningful gift is the best gift!

-Rebecca