YWCA

It doesn’t have a fancy 70′s song, but this organization does a ton of good.  The YWCA is the oldest and largest multicultural women’s organization in the world.  Woah.  That’s pretty awesome.  With 25 million members in 106 countries around the world, the YW has a mission of:

eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

A mission that it fulfills through a wide array of programs.  The YW provides job training, child care, breast cancer screenings, and direct legislative advocacy.

Check out the website to get involved, donate, or take advantage of programs in your area.

Center for Investigating Healthy Minds

The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds is a uniquely awesome organization. It’s a scientific research center that studies healthy qualities of mind such as kindness, compassion, forgiveness and mindfulness.

One of their projects is teaching mediation to 5th graders, focusing on charitable thoughts toward loved ones, strangers, even enemies. Their hope is that developing these positive qualities of mind will make it easier for those kids to work through the rough and tumble middle school years when kids encounter bullying and drugs.

The Center is also doing a number of other awesome projects, as well.

Thanks, CIHM, for helping to make this world a better, more compassionate place.

DOC information sign

The DOC, as it’s called, does a bunch of things.  It manages campgrounds, and books treks through the mountains for visitors.  It staffs gift shops and tends to miles and miles of rugged trails.

The DOC has a simple vision:

New Zealand is the greatest living space on Earth.

And the DOC is there to protect it for future generations.  According to its website:

The department’s responsibilities are encapsulated in its Maori name – Te Papa Atawhai. Te papa signifies a box or container (for the taonga or treasures) and atawhai the act of caring, nurturing or preserving.

That’s a pretty tall order.  But, from what I’ve seen, the DOC is doing a pretty great job.

Portland Store Fixtures

There are so many awesome organizations out there. Portland Store Fixtures is one of them.

It’s kind of like a resale shop for store fixtures, but they also carry new items, as well.  Because they recycle so much–not only other stores’ fixtures, but also their own stuff right down to their stationary–and they resale, they’re both economically AND environmentally sustainable.

Plus, they have really cool stuff. I bought a great earring holder there for $5. Bargain.

Check them out, even if you’re not in Portland, Oregon. They ship.

There are a lot of companies that hike the trail.  Pachamama is the company I used for the 4-day trek to Machu Picchu.  To me they are awesome.  Awesome because they kept me safe.  Awesome because of the amazing meals they fed us three times a day.  Awesome because of the feeling of family that I had while on the trail.  The porters who carried our food and tents were beautiful men who shared their heritage and their hearts with us.  They called us “brother” and “sister” because their language has no word for “friend”.  Friend is not enough.

The Pachamama Explorers company was awesome, because it took care of its porters and guides.  Unlike some of the men we saw working the trail, our porters wore the best outdoor clothing.  They were clearly compensated for the backbreaking work that they did for us. 

Our guide was excellent.  His knowledge of the trail was vast, and his willingness to sit with us and play cards led to some of the most memorable time we spent.  For anyone looking to hike the trail, this is the company to use.

Hire Just 1

Philadelphia philanthropist Gene Epstein wanted to help put Americans back to work, so he started an organization called Hire Just One that encourages businesses to hire even just one currently unemployed person with the promise that it will lead to a donation to charity if the company keeps the employee for six months or more.   From their website:

HireJustOne offers an opportunity for the first 250 businesses that sign on, to employ just one additional person from the unemployed ranks for a minimum of six months. In doing so, each will receive a $1,000 donation to one of many important charities. These national charities fund job retraining programs, wounded warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan, homeless shelters, and more. In the end, you win, charities wins, and most of all, the nation wins.

That’s pretty awesome.

On the third Wednesday of each month, a group of Portland food carts donates a portion of proceeds to a local charity. Tasty. And awesome.

Community Warehouse

Sometimes people just need a little help to get them back on their feet.

Community Warehouse is a non-profit that collects donations of gently used furnishings and works with social service agencies to give those household items to people who qualify for their assistance. They have been known to outfit entire apartments for people. On average they serve 200 people a week.

So next time you’re replacing that perfectly good couch because you changed your color scheme or you upgrade your dining table, consider donating your old items to Community Warehouse.  They’re awesome.

Portland Women's Crisis Line

One of the first five sexual violence crisis lines in the country, the Portland Women’s Crisis Line provides 24 hour support survivors of sexual and domestic violence.  The Crisis Line services include support for non-offending family and friends as well, every hour of every day.

In addition, the organization has an innovative outreach program to members of the sex industry, providing education, safety support, and resource referral.

2010 Ig Nobel poster

The Ig Nobel Prize is not quite like the Nobel Prize. It’s awarded from Improbable Research–research that makes people laugh, and then think.  How awesome is that?

The 2010 Igs were given on September 30.

The Medicine Prize went to psychologists who discovered that breathing difficulties brought on by asthma can be alleviated by repeated rollercoaster rides.

The Peace Prize went to a psychologist for confirming that swearing relieves pain.

The Management Prize went to some folks who demonstrated mathematically that companies work more efficiently if staff are promoted at random.

Really.

Check out the rest of this year’s winners here.