This year was hard on everyone, but for the most vulnerable in society, 2020 was exceptionally difficult. Between unemployment, the COVID-19 pandemic and the stresses of dealing with uncertainty, charities need your support now more than ever.
Kick off your holidays by giving back to organizations that lift up those in need. Here are three charities to consider this year.
1. Scars and Stripes Coffee - Scars & Stripes Coffee, founded in Oklahoma City by Chad Watts, is founded on empowering veterans to start their own businesses. The company creates a veterans-only salesforce and only veterans can sell Scars & Stripes Coffee products. Scars and Stripes use a single-level direct marketing sales model combined with a military rank structure to provide employment and income opportunities for veteran team members and empower them by giving them a hand up instead of a handout.
"We want to empower veterans and connect them with communities all across this great country by developing the largest veterans-only salesforce. Now, all veterans across America will have a team to join following their military service. " said Watts. "Since only 1% of Americans are joining the service, it’s no surprise that 44% of post-9/11 veterans say they have difficulty reintegrating into civilian life after leaving active duty. It’s challenging for service members to find a new tribe in the civilian world that understands them."
To support, visit scarsandstripescoffee.com.
2. Water4 - Water4, an Oklahoma City-based international nonprofit founded in 2008 by Oklahomans Dick & Terri Greenly, exists to equip local entrepreneurs in developing countries to provide sustainable safe water access to every person, school and clinic in their communities. Every day, more than 2.1 billion people lack access to safe water and 600 million people have to walk an average of 3.7 miles to fetch water for their families.
“We’re committed to local people solving local problems with local resources. We’re committed to working through the capacity, strength, and greatness of ordinary people to do whatever it takes to see a world where every last person has abundant access to safe water,” said Matt Hangen, president & CEO of Water4.
To date, Water4 has completed more than 6,000 water projects and helped to provide safe water to more than 1.5 million people. To support Water4 or to learn more, visit water4.org or email hello@water4.org.
3. The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma - School closures and unemployment due to COVID across the country left many children without a reliable source of food. Plus, parents who are feeling even more strained during this crisis are facing an extra burden of child care.
Every $1 you give to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma will help provide four meals to Oklahoma families. he majority of people served by the Regional Food Bank are chronically hungry children, seniors living on fixed incomes and hardworking families struggling to make ends meet.
To donate, visit regionalfoodbank.org.
