#GivingTuesday: BBQ for a Good Cause, & More

Did you know that today is "Giving Tuesday?"

I didn't, either, until I saw some headlines in the news about it.  Giving Tuesday is a grassroots effort to put the spirit of giving back into the holiday season.

After a 3-day weekend devoted to shopping and spending plus Cyber Monday yesterday, the idea of a day devoted to charitable giving sounds like a noble idea to me, and a great opportunity to support a worthy cause.

In the spirit of Giving Tuesday, here are three different nonprofit groups, all of which are 501(c)(3) organizations that are doing many good deeds in our communities and beyond:

1.  Operation North State was founded in 2010 and offers several unique support programs for deployed troops, veterans in need, and other military personnel. Perhaps their best known program is the Christmas Gift Box Project, which has shipped thousands of gift boxes full of NC goodies AND much-needed supplies (e.g., warm socks, magazines, messages of support, etc.) to deployed troops. Other programs include sending birthday gifts to veterans living in nursing homes, and identifying North Carolina's military memorials statewide. Having run a much smaller military gift box program myself and having a family member serving overseas, I can personally attest to how important programs like Operation North State are to our military men and women. To learn more about this organization, name a potential gift box recipient, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit the Operation North State website.

2. Operation BBQ Relief was founded last year by competition BBQ teams from 8 different states who answered the call to help feed needy families and emergency response personnel in the aftermath of of the tornadoes that devastated Joplin, Missouri. Over 120,000 meals were served in less than two weeks in Joplin. Since then, Operation BBQ Relief has mobilized in response to other disasters including Hurricane Sandy in the northeast, providing much-needed nourishment, compassion and friendship to those afflicted and to the first responders and others assisting in relief efforts onsite. To learn more about this organization and/or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit the Operation BBQ Relief website.

3.  Sisterhood Agenda was founded in 1994 and its mission is to uplift and aid in the self-empowerment of women and girls of African descent, through sisterhood, self-knowledge, self-development and self-esteem. Its award-winning "A Journey Toward Womanhood" curriculum has been implemented throughout the United States and in many countries around the world, with countless documented success stories. Serving over 5 million constituents each year and with over 3000 Global Partners, the organization has created an extensive sisterhood network and conducts Global Training Academy programs online. I've had the pleasure of knowing and working with its founder and visionary, Angela Coleman, and her commitment to the cause is truly inspirational. To learn more about this organization and/or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit the Sisterhood Agenda website.

Please consider supporting one or more of these worthy organizations, or perhaps another cause of your choice, on Giving Tuesday (and beyond).

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company, Inc.