goals, the future, and interaction.org

We have gotten some great responses to
This Post about what everyone would like to see in this community. There were some great ideas, including trying to create kind of a brain center and have local chapters created, trying to get corporate backing, and having actual *gasp* real-life gatherings.

Currently, my biggest goal is to spread the word about us absolutely as much as possible, grass roots style. There are a lot of reasons for this. Obviously, we are always ready to welcome new members to our little charity-crafting family here, but also, if we are to become a source that people can and will turn to when there is a need for items...well, it would help if they knew about us, non? :)

To this end, I'd like any suggestions as to people I should friend over on myspace, the purpose of which would be to be able to ask people who might be more in the know what charities could most use our help. If you are a myspace user, you know that the presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle have little sites up. I have left comments for Mitt Romney, John McCain, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards, asking them if they know of charities they have encountered that could possibly use our help. If you know of any charity groups or other folks who might be able to answer that question, let me know. Or, pimpinate yourself! This could also include any blogs you are aware of, blah blah blah. Right.

Additionally, I had e-mailed Oxfam about whether they could use any in-kind donations. They said no, but directed me to a REALLY interesting site: http://www.interaction.org. This site maintains that the BEST thing you can do for charities is send them money so they can purchase exactly what they need. The WORST thing you can do is send objects to charities when they don't need them, or items they can't use. They also list some really neat charities over there.

I am thinking about this making items to sell thing. When we have a website up and rolling, maybe we could have a store through Cafe Press or something of that sort. It would be based on the honor system at first -- you would make stuff and have people pay and we'd just have to trust, I guess, that your money was being donated to a charity. Maybe we could all donate stuff, one person could post pictures...something like that.

Finally, Blankets for the Gulf got back to me. Currently she does not have any requests for blankets that need to be filled, BUT...they are predicting a really bad hurricane season, unfortunately, and Heather, the founder, suggested that we could make blankets and save them up so that if the bad happens and she does need to send blankets to victims, we'd already have a stash to send down there. This sounds like a pretty cool deal.

Thoughts, comments, questions, reactions are welcome.