(Don't) Keep the Change

I've been thinking a lot about charitable donations lately and how to use good judgment in deciding where to donate my dollar-and-cents. I give 10% of my income to my church, but there are lots of other opportunities in addition to that.

I used to work with a girl, Kirsten, at BYU's Writing Center who recently started a charity to help her nephew come to the U.S. to receive medical treatment unavailable to him in Italy. The family is doing everything they can to help themselves and their son, but the father lost his job because of the poor economy. The son can only receive the treatment he needs by visiting a specialist in the U.S. This single trip and doctor visit will cost $8,000 and the family is unquestionably coming, even if it means they will sink lower in debt. (http://dylanfund.blogspot.com/)

Kirsten is a BYU student who is newly-married. She doesn't have a lot of money to spare. But she set up a fundraiser during finals week and is doing everything she can to help out. I am really moved by Kirsten's efforts to help people that are within her sphere of influence. She isn't looking far outside herself to donate to every charity in the world; she just wants to help her extended family.

I'm a college student with only a part time job. I'm not exactly rolling in it, but I'm doing just fine. And so I donated a bit to Kirsten's need. I wasn't looking for a charity to donate to, but this one came along and I feel the need to support it. It was easy since they have a Paypal set up, and no amount is too small (my donation will probably only pay for meals for one day).

I'm not encouraging everyone to donate to this charity (though I definitely think you should consider it). But I think we each have a few dollars we can shave off our savings to help others directly within our sphere of influence.