Fundraising News: Mark Owen Donates to Micro Charity

In recent Fundraising News, Mark Owen, a member of Take That, has donated ten VIP tickets to the band’s upcoming show at Wembley to benefit Rainbow School, a micro charity that raises funds to help children with autism.  The tickets will be auctioned off with proceeds going to Rainbow School, a charity organization that has been supported and patronized by Owen, who has been an ongoing patron and supporter.

Rainbow School to Benefit

Rainbow School, founded in 2000, is a school located in South West London.  It was established by parents of children that have been diagnosed with autism.  The Rainbow School is only the third school of its kind to operate in the UK.  The facility offers a structured program of intensive intervention using the principles of Verbal Behaviour (VB) and Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA).

Mark Owen talks about his visit to the school last year: “Last summer I was approached by a friend and neighbor who has a son with autism and she introduced me to a friend of hers, whose son goes to Rainbow School.”

Mark was surprised to learn that he was so close to the school and yet had not known about it.  “Rainbow School was, unbeknown to me, literally only yards away from my front door and so after taking a tour of the school, meeting the children and its founder Karen, I decided that I’d really like to help in whatever way possible to support these amazing people.”

Relief Organizations Step Up Ways to Raise Money

The Southern U.S. has had its share of misfortunes and individuals have come up with some pretty innovative ways to raise money and help people in this time of need. One of the most notable disasters in recent years has been Hurricane Katrina, which hit Louisiana with more force than anyone could have ever imagined.  April 2011 also brought about a great number of disasters, so much so that the events have been dubbed “2011 Super Outbreak.”  The tornados that have ripped though the South, Midwest and Northeast have taken over 300 lives and have left thousands more injured and homeless.

Celebs Help Increase Ways to Raise Money

Many celebrities have stepped up to aid relief organizations to .  Some of the people that have offered their help in raising funds for charity organizations include Britney Spears, who hosted an event to support the St. Bernard Project.  Selena Gomez has announced her efforts to raise money for Save the Children’s Southeast drive; Brad Paisley has agreed to donate proceeds of a new song to the Alabama tornado relief fund; Roy Jones, Jr. is asking fans to support various relief organizations and has offered a phone call and autographed photo to everyone that donates $250 or more; and Kenny Chesney has offered to donate the proceeds of an upcoming concert to GiveTuscaloosa.com.

Britney Spears’ event was attended by many A-list friends, including Kim Kardashian, Hilary Duff, Kelly Osbourne and Selena Gomez.  In total the event raised $200,000 for the St Bernard Fund.  Britney said “The St Bernard Project is an incredible organization whose main focus is rebuilding Louisiana [which is] always in my heart.”

Rockers Support Relief Organizations

This year the Celebrity Apprentice had its share of musicians who are actively involved in relief organizations, including iconic 70s rock legend Meat Loaf, Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray, rapper Lil Jon, Motown legend Dionne Warwick and country sensation John Rich.  While the stars were certainly highly competitive in raising money for their various charity organizations, some fared better than others in Donald Trump’s reality TV scenario.

Relief Organizations in the Limelight

The organizations ranged from St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital to The United Methodist Children’s Home.  At the end of the day, the stars were so supportive of each other’s charities that several of the participants decided to get together to record a single to boost awareness and fundraising for their various charity organizations.  The project included recording a single entitled “Stand in the Storm.”  The proceeds will go to support the charities sponsored by the celebs, including Meat Loaf’s charity, The Painted Turtle, an organization founded by actor Paul Newman as one of his “Hole in the Wall Gang” camps for sick children.  John Rich’s charity is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Lil Jon has devoted his time and talent to the United Methodist Children’s Home of North Georgia; and singer Mark McGrath has focused his efforts on raising money for the Save The Music Foundation.

The single, “Stand in the Storm,” was released on May 9^th, 2011 as part of iTunes featured downloads.  Supporters may also donate online to the cause as a whole or to the individual relief organizations.

Celebrities and Soles4Souls Help People in Need

Soles4Souls, a charity organization targeted to help people without shoes, has announced Barefoot Week 2011.  The event will showcase shoe distribution and various media events throughout seven major cities.  The annual event will take place the first week in June.

Soles4Souls is a non-profit organization devoted to collecting donations through shoe drives at churches, community centers and schools.  The charity donates thousands of pairs of shoes each year to those who are unable to afford them.  Soles4Souls asks people to go barefoot for one day during Barefoot Week to raise awareness for those that live in extreme poverty.

“It’s an honor to donate shoes to help Soles4Souls as they do incredible things for the less fortunate people in this world” said singer Jessica Simpson.  “I encourage everyone to lend support.”

“I’ve got sole but I’m not a soldier” says Perez Hilton.  “However, with Soles 4 Souls I am helping to fight the war against poverty in my own small way by giving to those in need.”

Helping People by Donating Shoes

Barefoot Week begins with “National Barefoot Day” on June 1^st.  The first shoe distribution event will take place in Detroit, with other events in LA, Boston, Newark, Atlanta and St. Louis to follow.  In addition to the distribution, Ebay and StubHub are hosting a “Take Off Your Boots” event on June 5^th.  People who bring a new pair of shoes to San Francisco’s Hard Rock Cafe will be given a free pair of U2 tickets.

Soles4Souls also gives supporters the opportunity to help people through an online donation.

Celebs Help People Go Green

While many people have jumped on the bandwagon to help people and to contribute to a more sustainable future, there are some celebrities that have been referred to as trailblazers in the environmental arena.  One of those celebs is Ed Begley, Jr.  To celebrate Begley’s accomplishments, the 15th Annual Millennium Awards, sponsored by Global Green USA, will acknowledge Begley and others for their contributions in recognizing Global Green USA’s vision of “fostering a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure world.”

Global Green USA Chief Executive Matt Petersen will be on hand to honor the Los Angeles Business Council, Ed Begley Jr., Mark Ruffalo and Wendy Schmidt at the event.  Celebrity presenters scheduled to appear include Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Bacon, Christopher Guest and Kyra Sedgwick.

In addition to celebrating the accomplishments of the honorees, the event is also designed to raise funds to help people support Global Green’s efforts to rebuild a greener New Orleans, create green schools and affordable housing in Los Angeles and throughout the country.  The charity organization also lobbies for effective policy changes to focus on climate changes.

Help Global Green Help People

Global Green USA, founded in 1993, is the American counterpart of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Green Cross International.  Its mission is to create and advocate solutions to climate change.  Global Green is based in California, with offices in New Orleans and Washington, D.C, and to date the charity organization has “greened” almost $20 billion in new construction for schools and housing and has authored numerous state and federal laws to help people go green.

Volunteer Opportunities for UNICEF HIV/AIDS Innovation Fund

Sarah Jessica Parker is one of the many celebrities that have embraced volunteer opportunities for the UNICEF HIV/AIDS Innovation Fund.  Parker, an ambassador for UNICEF, will be on hand at the Global Business Coalition’s 10th Anniversary Conference to introduce the UNICEF HIV/AIDS Innovation Fund.  The conference is scheduled to take place on June 2^nd.

Worldwide Opportunities

The Global Business Coalition’s 10th Anniversary Conference is being co-sponsored by UNICEF and the Global Business Coalition.  The fund is designed to raise UNICEF’s presence of mind and to join together a vast network of entities from more than 150 developing countries to gather information and to draw on the assets and experience of industry experts.  The ideas gained through this network will be reviewed and shaped by the GBC with the aim of refining ideas to provide a valuable base of resources for the fund.

The UNICEF HIV/AIDS Innovation Fund is focused on bringing together HIV experts along with a group of diverse business leaders and philanthropists to invest in a variety of high impact, low cost technology and interventions that have a strong potential to alter the face of the AIDS epidemic.

UNICEF, one of the world’s foremost charity organizations plans to allocate $4-5 million annually through the fund to support projects with the highest potential success rate, and starting in 2011, the plan is set on a five year schedule with the hopes of achieving the possibility of an HIV/AIDS free generation by 2015 thanks to a number of volunteer opportunities.

Celebrities Provide Housing Assistance for Japan

Disaster relief organizations such as www.uniteforjapan.org and the American Red Cross are providing housing assistance to the Japanese people, along with funds that will allow them to rebuild their country and their lives after a devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck in March, killing thousands and leaving many more homeless.  Actor Ken Watanabe founded www.uniteforjapan.org, a charity organization designed to pull people together to assist in funding Japan’s relief effort.  In addition, the organization is working with other agencies such as the American Red Cross, Global Giving and Japan Society.

“When I first saw the catastrophic damage, I was in shock and utter disbelief,” said Watanabe.  “In the days following the earthquake, it was devastating for me to watch the homeless taking shelter at evacuation centers.”  Watanabe talks about people not having an adequate supply of clothing and food, a fact that caused him to feel helpless.

Disaster Relief Organizations Create Funding

Unite for Japan gathered together a group of A-list celebrities to help record two Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to raise awareness about the plight of the Japanese in the aftermath of the disaster.  Participating in the PSAs were: Paula Abdul, Jamie Lee Curtis, Matt Damon, Zac Brown, Ellen DeGeneres, Rob Marshall, Ben Affleck, Johnny Depp, Mikael Hafstrom, Katy Perry, Clint Eastwood, Ayako Fujutani, William Shatner, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Muramasa Kudo, Jennifer Morrison, Aisha Tyler, Sharon Lawrence, Cameron Diaz, John Legend, Hideki Matsui, Amaury Nolasco, Robert Patrick, Richard Lewis, Zoe Saldana, Cillian Murphy, Julian McMahon, Cobie Smulders, Apolo Ohno, Steph Song, Maggie Q, Charlize Theron, Jake Shimabukuro, Jonah Hill, Masi Oka, John Travolta, Ben Stiller and Mark Wahlberg.

Those who want to make a donation to charity organizations that help Japan can donate online and provide much needed housing assistance.

Olivia Newton-John Sings for Micro Charity

International pop star and music legend Olivia Newton-John is scheduled to sing at an upcoming AFL football match with the aim of raising money for her micro charity, the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre.  The performance will take place on May 27^th at the match between Melbourne and Carlton.  Melbourne is Newton-John’s hometown.

Olivia’s Charity in the Works

Olivia Newton-John’s online charity was founded in 2003.  Since that time, $15 million has been raised to fund the facility.  Due to open next year, the “O” centre requires another $10 million in donations to make the dream a reality.

“I’m incredibly excited at the opportunity to perform in front of a big crowd in my home town of Melbourne and urge all footy fans to come along and give generously so we can now help complete the O” said Olivia.  ”I also want to acknowledge the Melbourne Football Club and especially president Jim Stynes for all their tremendous support.”

Newton-John goes on to say that Stynes has his own personal battle, one that inspires Olivia to move forward with the project.

In addition to the public donations expected to be received for the charity organization, Olivia has released a new cookbook titled LivWise.  The proceeds from the book will be added to other funding sources for the centre.  The book’s publisher’s stated: “The recipes were created in her own kitchen along with recipes contributed by friends and chefs at her Australian health retreat, Gaia.  In Livwise, Olivia explains her belief in the importance of eating a healthy diet in order to maintain wellness and balance.”

Those wishing to give to her charity organization can make a micro charity donation online.

Micro Loans with Business Opportunities

There are several ways in which one can look at the micro loans process.  It can be viewed as a way to raise money for charity organizations, a type of idea funding or a combination of the two.  In some cases, crowdfunding can be combined with business opportunities such as the ones being offered by some online donation sites.

Opportunities for Entrepreneurs

Giving to charity is always rewarding from a social standpoint, giving one a sense of community or the opportunity to give back.  Some also utilize the tax deductions that come along with donating to non-profit organizations.  Whatever the reason, there are many charities that benefit from the crowdfunding process.

Some organizations give back to their donors in various ways through public acknowledgment, awards and prizes.  Auctioning off special events and experiences such as concert tickets and celebrity-related items is also a popular way to go.  The latest trend in charity donation is to bid for a chance at a business opportunity with a celebrity.  Many celebrity organizations are auctioning off internships at their companies as a way of raising funds for their charities.  This idea provides money for the charity while offering a business opportunity for the donor.

Some current examples include internships with fashion designers Diane Von Furstenburg, Rebecca Taylor and Patricia Fields or an internship at Jay-Z’s ROC National record label.  Other auctions include internships with H&M’s marketing department and an overseas internship in Hong Kong.

Those interested in participating in any opportunities involving micro loans can donate online.

Jason David’s Corner Foundation Continues to Help People

Jason David’s Corner Foundation (JDCF) has announced its 3rd Annual Celebrity Golf Classic to help people, which will be held on June 24 at the Industry Hills Golf Club . On board will be actor James Denton, best known for his role as Mike Delfino in the TV series “Desperate Housewives.” Denton is on a long list of professional athletes and celebrities who have made a commitment to help inform people about the prevention of kidney disease.

Raise Awareness about Kidney Disease

In some ways, Denton has already begun his work as a supporter of charity organizations such as JDCF through his role as Delfino. In the series, Delfino is struggling with the illness of his wife Susan Mayer (Terri Hatcher) who is in dire need of a kidney transplant after her dialysis treatment has failed.

Susan’s story may not be real but it reflects the stories of many Americans. Kidney disease patients may experience kidney failure if it is not properly treated. Without treatment patients can die within a matter of days due to build-up of fluids and toxins and fluid in their blood.

“I am happy to help out in any way I can,” Denton said in a recent interview. He praises the work being carried out by JDCF and notes that kidney disease is “something that touches everyone, I’ve got a friend who just donated a kidney to a guy he works with and I know Jason had a personal encounter with kidney disease.”

Fans may donate online to JDCF to further support the cause and help people affected by kidney disease.

Michael Jordan Supports Micro Loan Charities

Many charity organizations can be considered to be micro loan charities because they rely on a wide range of donations and support rather than a handful of large donations by philanthropic organizations.  One micro charity that has received the attention of sports legend Michael Jordan is the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  Jordan has been working with Make-A-Wish since 2001 and has raised over $5 million.

This year is no different.  The 2011 Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational has once again made a sizable donation to the micro charity with a total of $100,000.  The funds will be used to help people support the wishes of children with terminal or life-threatening diseases

Granting Wishes

The idea is that a wish experience brings happiness to those children who make a wish, making them stronger and more able to fight against life-threatening medical conditions, according to Make-A-Wish Foundation of America’s President and CEO, David Williams.  He also thanked Michael Jordan for his donation saying that the charity was grateful for Jordan’s continuing commitment to empowering children through the foundation’s wish-granting mission.

Jordan is also one of the people that granted a child’s wish.  Marc Garcia, a 16-year-old boy from Kunkeltown, PA met his basketball idol in a private chat.

“It was an honor to grant Marc’s wish and enable everyone associated with the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational to see how their commitment is helping young people like him realize their fondest wish” said Jordan.  “I’ve seen over and over how the Make-A-Wish Foundation brings happiness and positively impacts a child’s life with an unforgettable wish experience.  Through our charitable efforts, more children will see their wishes come true.”

Those who want to donate to a micro loan charity such as this can donate online.

Sheen Supports Micro Lending Via Ticket Sales

Actor Charlie Sheen has been in the news a great deal lately, mostly for all the wrong reasons. In fact, Sheen has created quite a buzz with his spontaneous micro lending to charity.  Since the beginning of Sheen’s Violent Torpedo of Truth Tour, the actor has devoted a portion of ticket sales to helping various charity organizations in need of support.

Lending for Charity Organizations at the Forefront

During the Toronto portion of Sheen’s tour, part of the total ticket sales went to support disaster relief organizations in Japan.  Sheen also asked fans to participate in a two kilometer walk to raise funds for the Organization for Bipolar Affective Disorder.  The actor also announced that he would match the donations dollar for dollar.

Last week, Sheen’s publicist announced the actor’s plans to donate funds from merchandise sales to the Bryan Stow Fund.  Bryan Stow is a baseball fan that was viciously attacked and severely beaten at a San Francisco Giants game.  Currently, Stow’s doctors are attempting to revive Stow from a medically induced coma.  Stow, 42, was attacked in the parking lot of the stadium by two men that have not yet been identified.  There is a $100,000 reward to anyone that can identify Stow’s attackers.

Stow’s co-workers have planned a micro charity fund raiser.  Supporters wishing to make online donations may do so through the family’s Facebook page.  Sheen’s micro lending donation to the Bryan Stow Fund is the first from Sheen’s Korner Foundation.

Celebrities Give to Charity for Children

Celebrities banded together on April 30^th to give to charity and participate in the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital event, “Walk for Kids, Street Party and Turn on the Lights Celebration.”  Among the celebrities that participated in the event were American singer-songwriter Crystal Bowersox, supermodel Heidi Klum, and actresses Jennifer Grey, Jamie Lee Curtis and Melanie Griffith.  Another famous face also participated in the event – six-year-old actor Max Page, who appeared as Darth Vader in this year’s popular Super Bowl commercial.

“I’m so happy to be part of the celebration because Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a very special place,” said Bowersox, a singer-songwriter that gained prominence on American Idol and released her first solo album Farmer’s Daughter late last year.  “I’m glad to bring my music to the Street Party celebration for families to enjoy so we can all have a good time.”

The volunteers walked through the streets of Los Angeles to help support the new children’s hospital.  The walk began in Griffith Park through the neighborhood of Los Feliz to the hospital entrance at 4650 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. The volunteer opportunities continue to abound even though the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital has been built.

Opportunities Abound

The 317 bed facility is scheduled to open its doors to patients on July 10^th but the hospital will continue to take donations from those who give to charity – in person or online donations, to secure its ability to run efficiently and to serve the vast number of children that come through its doors each year.

Disaster Relief Organizations and Ryan Gosling Focus on Congo

Disaster relief organizations have their hands full these days with the numerous natural disasters around the world from the earthquake in New Zealand, to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, to the recent tornados in the southern U.S.

The ENOUGH Project is one of many charity organizations speaking out on behalf of the people of the Congo, a war-torn area of the world that seems to be forever mired in violence.  Activist and actor Ryan Gosling recently took a trip to the eastern Congo with the ENOUGH Project to witness first-hand the issues faced by the country and its people.

Video Supports Relief Organizations

Gosling managed to capture scenes on video for ENOUGH Project’s “Raise Hope for Congo” campaign.  The campaign is designed to create a permanent solution to the war in the Congo.

“We recently traveled together to Congo, where the deadliest war in the world is occurring,” the men wrote.  “It’s a war which most people know nothing about, despite the fact that we’re all directly connected to it.  Armed groups are fighting over the lucrative minerals that power our cell phones and laptops, leaving a trail of human destruction that has no equal globally since World War II.

While in the Congo the men spent most of their time talking with survivors of this silent war.  They were keen to know what people had experienced, and also what messages they might have for the rest of the world’s population who have come to depend on laptops and cell phones that inadvertently connect them to the region.

Disaster relief organizations such as the ENOUGH Project, along with support from celebrities like Ryan Gosling, help to highlight the troubles of this war-torn area to the rest of the world.

Volunteer Opportunities Abound on Easter

There were plenty of volunteer opportunities over the Easter holiday, especially in downtown Los Angeles where The Los Angeles Mission opened its doors for its 75th year of helping the homeless on Skid Row.  The streets were closed down so that the thousands of homeless could be fed and clothed as a part of the Mission’s service program.  In addition to leading civic figures, there were many celebrities on hand to help hand out Easter baskets, serve food and pass out shoes to those in need.  The Los Angeles Mission served over 600,000 people last year by offering meals, clothing, medical care, dental care, housing assistance, job training and placement services and emergency financial assistance.

Stars Embrace Volunteer Opportunities

Among those helping out the Mission on this holiday weekend were Joey King (Ramona and Beezus), Zoe Saldana (Avatar), Melissa Gilbert, Hilary Duff, Haylie Duff, Leeza Gibbons, Gilles Marini (Brothers and Sisters), Stephanie Pratt (the Hills), Aldis Hodge (Leverage), William Mapother (Lost), Angie Everhart, Jayde Nicole (Holly’s World), and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

“Many of the nearly 600,000 meals we served last year were to people who came to us because of the recession’s impact on their lives,” said Los Angeles Mission President Herbert L. Smith.  ”The impact of losing a job and sometimes a home is devastating.  Our guests are seeking more than a free meal or a hand out, they want to restore their lives.  The Mission is working every day to give them the hand up.”

For the most up to date news on volunteer opportunities across the nation, Microgiving.com is the number 1 resource on the Web.

Crowd Funding Efforts and Ricky Gervais Helping to Save Chimpanzees

Microgiving proudly supports Ricky Gervais’ crowd funding efforts.  The world renowned comedian, often poking fun at many things in today’s society including the latest foibles of Charlie Sheen,  isn’t laughing about the plight of 14 chimpanzees recently moved to a Texas laboratory.  The chimps have been slated for use in dangerous and painful medical experiments, a program funded by the U.S. government.

Gervais recently penned a letter to the Director of the National Institutes of Health.  “Scientists around the world are deeply concerned about the ethical and scientific problems associated with using humankind’s closest living genetic relatives in painful and invasive experiments.  Over the past few decades, we’ve learned that chimpanzees are astonishingly smart and deeply sensitive beings.  That is a key reason why the United Kingdom banned licenses for experiments on chimpanzees more than a decade ago.”

Crowd Funding: Efforts to Save Chimpanzees

Charity organizations around the world have been battling to save the chimpanzees for years with varying degrees of success.  New Zealand, Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium have all stopped invasive chimpanzee experiments.

Gervais went on to say in his letter that he knew the US federal government was currently examining the moral and also the scientific problems associated with chimpanzee experiments.  He added that he felt it was not right to keep the 14 chimpanzees at Texas Biomed, where they were still being used in invasive experiments.

It is hoped that the Director of the National Institutes of Health will listen to those involved in crowd funding efforts and cease the operation.

Celebs Crowdfund to Help Fight Cancer in the Kitchen

In mid-April, celebrity guests will gather at the Four Seasons to help people fight cancer in the kitchen.  The walk through is part of The Cancer Research Institute’s micro charity fundraising even titled “Through the Kitchen Dinner.”  Although the famed celebrities will not be cooking food for the event, they will be donning chef’s aprons to take a walk through in the kitchen of New York City’s Iconic Four Seasons restaurant.

Guests scheduled to attend will include Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Barbara Walters, Tony Bennett, Matt Lauer and many more.

Each year even designer DeJuan Stroud works diligently to out do his previous year’s gala.  Last year’s event, titled “Things That Make NYC Great” was a spectacular affair with exquisitely decorated tables complete with a replica Lady Liberty herself floating in the hotel’s central pool.  The event was focused on celebrating sports, fashion, culture, art and society.

Crowdfund Helps Provide Better Patient Care

While the event will certainly be one for the record books, it is clear that the focus remains on the drive to help people get better patient care when undergoing treatment for various cancers.  The event will raise funds for the Irvington Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of the Cancer Research Institute.  The Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is the Institute’s longest running grant program and has been in operation since 1971.  The micro charity program is designed to provide support for immunologists from leading research facilities and universities all over the world.  To date this crowdfund has provided funds for almost 1,000 promising researchers devoted to accelerating the Institute’s mission to cure cancer.

Even Celebrities like Nicholas Cage Need Foreclosure Help

Foreclosure Help: The economy has been hard on homeowners across the country and celebrities are no exception.  A new report from FamilyFinancialHelpUSA.com reports that three major stars have struggled with losing one or more of their homes due to the economic downturn.  In some cases the stars were actually evicted after being unable to come up with the necessary funds to pay mortgages, taxes or both.

One of the celebrities hit the hardest was Academy Award winner Nicholas Cage.  Cage lost two homes in New Orleans.  The homes, foreclosed in November 2009, were worth $6.8 million combined.  Regions Banks purchased the houses for $4.5 million.

Erin Moran, Joanie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days, was forced to leave her Palmdale, California home this past summer because of a $315,930 debt.

Lisa Wu-Hartwell, one of Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta, filed for foreclosure along with her husband, Edgerton Hartwell, a former linebacker for the Oakland Raiders.  The couple purchased their $2.9 million home in 2009.  Bank of America picked it up for $1.9 million at a foreclosure sale.

How to Get Foreclosure Help

In many cases banks will work with the homeowner or offer some sort of housing assistance while financial issues are resolved. Although it is not an ideal solution, homeowners may also find it necessary to file for bankruptcy. If the issues have not been resolved within a specific time frame, the homeowner may have to look into other type of foreclosure help including emergency financial assistance from family and friends.

Humanitarian Relief Organizations Honor Celebs

It seems to be the time of year in which humanitarian relief organizations honor celebrities for their contributions to non-profit charity organizations through time, money and support in alleviating the suffering of those in dire financial need.

One of those organizations is the American Red Cross.  The Red Cross has been in the spotlight a great deal lately due to its efforts to help the victims of the disasters in Japan, Haiti and New Zealand.  On April 9th, the Red Cross will take a moment to honor several people that have made huge contributions to one of the top relief organizations in the country.

Humanitarian Relief Show Appreciation

On April 9th, the Red Cross will hold its Red Tie Affair to honor superstar Betty White, actor Josh Duhamel and the outstanding team of medical specialists and doctors from Saint John’s Health Center.  The event is scheduled to take place at Santa Monica’s Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows.

Legendary comedienne Betty White will receive the 2011 “Crystal Cross Award” for her ongoing contributions to the welfare of animals, an increasingly important part of the Red Cross’ rescue efforts.

Josh Duhamel will also be the recipient of a “Crystal Cross Award” for his humanitarian efforts.  Duhamel organized a Youth Run for Haiti, which raised a significant amount of money to help people affected by the Haitian tragedy.

The extraordinary team of medical experts from Saint John’s Health Center will be presented with The Crocker “Spirit of Volunteerism Award” for giving their time and talents to assisting humanitarian relief organizations on behalf of the victims in Haiti.

Oxfam Relies on Celebrity Charitable Donations

Oxfam has kicked off its annual Oxfam Celebrity Charity Curiosity Shop with a musical performance by Annie Lennox.  The ongoing event has raised more than £208,985 thus far, with the help of generous celebrity charitable donations. The Oxfam event runs through April 10^th at Selfridges in London.

Celebrity Donations on Sale

From April 1-10, The Oxfam Curiosity Shop will be selling off celebrity fashion donations, samples and vintage clothes hand-picked from Oxfam select shops.  The Curiosity Shop will feature items from celebrities such as Kate Moss, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Imbruglia.  Eco-Age Creative Director Livia Firth will also be providing charitable donations.  Livia Firth, wife to actor Colin, will also give to charity several of her show-stopping outfits worn on various red carpets around the world.

The big event takes place in a charity pop-up shop, as Selfridges’ Ultralounge morphs into the biggest charity shop in the UK.  Thousand of celebrity items will fly out the door in return for funds that will support women’s programs supported by the relief organization.  The event will be chaired by Annie Lennox and Jane Shepherdson, Whistles CEO.

Livia Firth is particularly excited about the event and the opportunity to promote eco-fashion. Livia says “I’m lucky to be able to use these opportunities to promote sustainable style and ethical fashion, because these are the things I care about.  Donating the outfits to The Oxfam Curiosity Shop, where they can be used to raise money for women struggling to live in poverty, completes the circle for me.”

These celebrity charitable donations prove yet another way to show how fashion can play a part in raising money for helping women in poverty.