This week’s Feel Good Friday features AmazonSmile, Operation Breakthrough, The Trevor Project, and you.
Let’s face it, this week has been packed with stress and unpleasantness, none of which I’m going to rehash in this post. We could all use a break, honestly. Sadly, we aren’t likely to get one given the current news. That said, I propose we make our own. Feel Good Friday is typically about lawyers or law firms doing something good in their communities, beyond representing clients. This week, it’s about you, me, all of us, doing something that makes a difference. I normally don’t advocate retail therapy, mainly because it’s a short-lived fix that often creates as many problems as it temporarily “solves” (think credit card bills). However, this time, you can use it (responsibly, please) and help kids in need at the same time! This week’s Feel Good Friday features AmazonSmile, Operation Breakthrough, The Trevor Project, and you.
For the record, LegalReader does not receive any form of compensation for mentioning AmazonSmile. We are simply passing on information about means of helping others all while you shop.
According to the website, AmazonSmile is “a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization.”
The amount donated is 0.5% of your total purchase (excluding shipping/ handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges). The Smile-eligible products are clearly identified as such on the site. And, you can use your regular Amazon log in, rather than create a new account. NOTE: Though you can use the same log in information, it is necessary to log in at smile.amazon.com and not Amazon.com for your purchases to count toward your donation.
The easiest way to sign up is to visit smile.amazon.com. Once signed into AmazonSmile, you’ll have the opportunity to select your charity. Note: I’ve chosen Operation Breakthrough and The Trevor Project for this post (to quote the song, “Children are our future”) but Amazon says there are nearly one million charities from which to choose if you’d prefer a different one.
From their site: “Operation Breakthrough is a nationally accredited, not-for-profit corporation that began in 1971 by Sister Corita Bussanmas and Sister Berta Sailer as a response to requests from parents in the central city for quality child care for children of the working poor.
The program began with 50 infants, toddlers and preschoolers at 31st and Paseo. In 1976, it expanded to include before- and after-school care. The Center moved to its current location at 31st and Troost [in Kansas City, Missouri] in 1981. Since that time, it has added a broad range of social services to meet the needs of the children and their families. In 2006, Operation Breakthrough completed an expansion and renovation project that doubled the size of the facility and increased its licensed capacity.”
As mentioned earlier, if you’d prefer a different charity, you have plenty of options. Another good one, also a Feel Good Friday subject, is The Trevor Project. From their website, “Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.”
So, if the news has you down and you really need a break, why not treat yourself to your favorite author’s latest work, and help make the world a better place? For that matter, even if you’re just restocking cat litter and sugar-free coffee syrup, 0.5% is 0.5%! And, all of our 0.5% donations add up!
Join the conversation!