Eyes for the Needy

Do you wear glasses? Sure they can be a pain sometimes, but how much worse are things when you can't see? The vision of New Eyes for the Needy is to improve the vision of poor children and adults by purchasing new glasses in the United States and recycling donated glasses to distribute worldwide. New Eyes for the Needy is looking for the following items to be donated: plastic or metal eyeglasses, pairs of prescription lenses, watches, silver and gold jewelry and hearing aids. To save yourself a little money in shipping, team up with a friend or group to ship your used items altogether. Just follow these instructions: http://neweyesfortheneedy.org/impact/recycle.html

Rock Thrift Store

Now that winter is officially over and it's starting to warm up, it's time to go through your closet and donate your old jackets and sweaters that you don't wear anymore! Donating clothing and other used goods doesn't just help the person who can buy them and save money, the money raised helps other organizations. For example, the Rock Thrift Store on Sports Arena Blvd (http://rockthriftstore.com/) uses the money earned on the sale of used goods to fund their annual Toys for Joy event, to help beautify Balboa Park and for other year-round ministries.

4-H Dog County Learning Day

Tomorrow, Sunday February 27th from 9am to 12pm, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department is hosting a free event to teach kids about dogs and careers involving dogs. At Felicita County Park - 742 Clarence Lane in Escondido, your kids will be able to meet K-9s from the search and rescue team and participate in some of the many planned activities for kids.

NAMI

The National Alliance on Mental Illness in San Diego is a non-profit organization that seeks to support people with mental illnesses, educate the public and advocate for research and improved mental health services in the United States. NAMI is currently looking for volunteers. If you or a loved one has been affected by mental illness, or you just have the heart to help out, consider volunteering as a phone counselor or speaking at a local event. NAMI will provide all the training needed.  http://namisandiego.org/current.php

Dress for Success - SOS Week

Dress for Success of San Diego provides business suits for women in the San Diego area who cannot afford business suits and yet need professional attire for job interviews. Beyond that, Dress for Success has free mentoring and career coaching for women. This week is SOS week – Send One Suit week! Dress for Success is asking for women to drop off one business suit that they may not use or fit into anymore to a Dress Barn in San Diego or to the Dress for Success office, at 1122 Broadway, Suite 200, San Diego CA 92101. For more information, please visit http://www.dressforsuccess.org/affiliate.aspx?sisid=62&pageid=1

Rolling Readers USA

According to Rolling Readers, the ratio of books to children is around 1 to 300 in low income neighborhoods. This means children in low income neighborhoods don't have the same opportunities that other children do, due to a lack of reading and language skills. Rolling Readers inspires kids to love reading by hosting weekly read-aloud programs and book giveaways twice every year. If you're interested in helping to distribute books twice a year or helping read to children, follow the link to http://www.rollingreaders.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=17

San Diego Food not Lawns

San Diego Food Not Lawns is an organization committed to educating people about the problems with the current food system in America and coming up with strategies to help. The newest program of San Diego Food Not Lawns connects local fruit tree owners who have extra fruits to local food assistance programs so that families throughout San Diego can eat healthy foods. To find out more about helping San Diego Food Not Lawns, call 619-630-5897 or email harvesting@sdfoodnotlawns.com.

Ronald McDonald House Charities: Dream House Raffle

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego provides a "home away from home" for San Diego families with children in the hospital. This gives the families the comfort of staying near their sick child, while still being able to rest and make meals. It's time again for the Ronald McDonald House Charities' Annual Dream House Raffle. Your donation of $150 gives you a ticket, and the opportunity to win a $1.8 million house, or $1.5 million in cash. Hurry if you're interested, the deadline to enter is February 25th. Go to http://www.sdraffle.com/Overview.aspx to enter.

Nika Water

            Nika is a San Diego-based company started in 2009 by Jeffery Church and Mike Stone. The goal of Nika is to help people around the world have access to clean, safe water. Volunteers with Nika help to build schools and install rain cisterns. The company also sells Nika water and 100% of the profits of this water go towards supporting clean water projects worldwide. To find out where you can buy Nika water or how you can get involved in a project, go to www.Nikawater.org

reMIND.org

ReMIND.org is an educational movement supported by the Bob Woodruff Foundation, in order to educate people about the specific needs of injured veterans, service members and their families. When service members return home, the Bob Woodruff Foundation helps to support. San Diego is home to many service men and women and their families. One way to show your support is to tweet your donation of $10 or more to ReMind. For details, visit http://www.tweettoremind.org/

Spencer Fox Benefit Event

§       On February 1st 2010, at the young age of 13, Spencer Fox became paralyzed from the chest down after a snowboarding accident. After numerous hours of physical therapy, Spencer is able to breathe on his own and push his own wheelchair. The Belly Up Tavern (143 S Cedros Ave Ste T in Solana Beach) is holding a benefit event for Spencer this Sunday, February 20th from 3 to 7pm for $25. There will be live music from Combo Libertad and Los Beautiful Beasts as well as a silent auction, prize drawings and a live auction. Call the Belly Up at (858) 481-9022 for more information.

Sleep Train Kid's Pajama Drive

Sleep Train Mattress Centers is now collecting new children's pajamas to help California's 80,000 foster children feel warm at night. You can drop off new pajamas, socks or undergarments at any Sleep Train location in San Diego. To find the nearest Sleep Train, check out: http://www.sleeptrain.com/local-foster-kids.aspx

CTIS

            CTIS Pregnancy Health Information Line is an organization that provides free information to women who are pregnant, nursing or trying to become pregnant. Their mission involves both educating the public and facilitating for research in order to help lower the incidence of birth defects. Women can call 1-800-532-3749 to get free information about what's safe and what's not safe during pregnancy. Researchers answer questions like "Can I eat fish?" and "Can I take this medication?". One way to help CTIS is by participating in a health study, if you are currently pregnant. Women will NOT be asked to take any medications, but will be questioned about their health practices, in order to help researchers understand what helps keep babies healthy. To find out about the study, follow the link: http://ctispregnancy.org/get-involved/volunteer/

Musicians on Call

If you've ever had to stay in the hospital for more than a day, you know how lonely and depressing it can get. Musicians On Call brings live and recorded music to patients in hospitals, so that the patients will experience some happiness during a tough time. Programs include a bedside performance program and a CD "pharmacy" for hospitals throughout the United States. Musicians on Call hosts concerts as fundraisers and also sells merchandise to support the organization: http://www.musiciansoncall.org/site/PageNavigator/MerchStore/Merch_Store

Family Finess and Fun Day

On Tuesday, February 15th from 8am to 4pm, the American Academy of Orthopeadic Surgeons is hosting a Volunteer Family Fitness and Fun Day and all are welcome! Spring Valley Elementary school (3845 Spring Drive, Spring Valley, CA 91977) will be transformed into a fair where health professionals and San Diego volunteers will come together to provide children and their parents or grandparents the chance to get active, together. There will be exercise stations, a safe playground for children with and without disabilities to play on, and a running and walking track. Check out www.aaos.org/fitnessbuild for all the details.

Informed Prostate Cancer Support Group

The Informed Prostate Cancer Support Group is a non-profit organization, composed of a group of men who currently have or have overcome prostate cancer as well as women and those who support men with the disease. The Informed Prostate Cancer Support Group holds monthly meetings to discuss options for treatments as well as give emotional support. For information on meetings or how to get involved, go to http://ipcsg.org/MeetingsandDirections.html

Pet Adoption Event Today

Have you been thinking about getting a pet? Head on over to the Vista branch library today. That's right, the library! The County of San Diego Department of Animal Services is hosting a pet adoption event today, February 12th from 1 to 3pm, at 700 Eucalyptus Ave. Vista, CA 92084. For directions or more information, call (760) 643-5100.

CASA For Children

CASA for Children stands for Court-Appointed Special Advocates, which is a national network of program offices which trains and supports volunteers to support the best interests of neglected and abused children. Volunteers become experts at understanding what's in a child's best interest and advocating for that child as well as being an important part of the child's life from start to finish during their court case.  To become a CASA for Children volunteer locally, fill out the application here: http://nc.casaforchildren.org/volunteerinquiry/default.asp?id=10053

The Rock Cancer Care - Clean Up and Flash Mob Event

 The Rock Cancer Care is a ministry of the Rock Church, which serves cancer patients and their families with prayer, support groups, transportation, financial assistance and other services. In order allow Cancer Care to support families all year round, they need your help. On February 12 from 1am to 3pm, the Rock Cancer Care will be holding a clean-up event in Balboa Park. Over 2,000 participants are expected to show up, and your registration of only $20 supports Cancer Care. In addition to the clean-up, the Rock Steady ministry will be on hand to show off their dance skills and teach dance choreography, so be prepared to dance after the clean-up!

MS Association

Multiple sclerosis  (MS) is a chronic disease that affects central nervous system including the brain and spinal cord. People with MS typically have trouble controlling their limbs and may even have paralysis or blindness. Though there is currently no cure, researchers are working hard to make a difference in the quality of life of MS patients. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Pacific South Coast Chapter is looking for volunteers who can help out at fundraising events such as run/walks, or those who can help with office duties and projects outside of the office. Contact (760) 448-8400 or email msinfo@mspacific.org to find out more.

Team-Up for Youth

Do you remember a special sports coach from your childhood? Coaches are important in shaping not only the skills but also confidence of children. Team-Up for Youth is looking for adults who are willing to make a difference in a child's life by volunteering as a sports coach for after-school programs. Team-Up will provide all the training necessary and there are open positions all throughout San Diego! An application is available at http://teamupforyouth.org/ourwork/coachingcorps/item.asp?id=15

International Relief Team

The International Relief Team is a San Diego-based organization that provides medical and other forms of assistance to victims of poverty and disaster nationwide. One of their current projects involves providing IVs, antibiotics and other medications to help fight the outbreak of cholera in Haiti. To make a tax-deductible donation or to find out about volunteering, visit http://www.irteams.org/index.htm

Wee Companions

Wee Companions is a non-profit organization based out of Imperial Beach, which helps rescue and care for small animals including hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, rats and chinchillas. The main priority of Wee Companions is to find permanent, loving homes for unwanted small animals, which have been rescued or relinquished by their owners. You can help out as by providing a foster home to a small animal, donating bedding or small pet food or volunteering and earning community service hours. Visit www.weecompanions.com for all the details.

LAFTI

The San Diego-based organization LAFTI (Land for Tillers’ Freedom) is an organization that serves impoverished villages in the southeastern Indian state of Tamilnadu. Their goal is to liberate the “untouchable” women and their families from bondage by creating opportunities for independence. Some of the projects they work on include land cultivation, housing construction and youth education. To support Friends of LAFTI, please visit http://friendsoflafti.org/Donations.php

BLAST Rummage Sale

BLAST http://www.powayusd.com/pusdlpes/programs/BLAST.shtml  after school program, especially for lower income families is holding a rummage sale  in the parking lot of New Hope Church, 10330 Carmel Mountain Rd., SD, 92129,  THIS Saturday, 2/5,  8am-1 pm, to raise funds to continue their program.You can drop off donations for the rummage sale on Friday, 2/4 from 3pm-7pm, at the church or stop by on Saturday to find a one-of-a-kind item!

$25 Jewelry4Change Gift Certificate WINNER!

Congratulations to Beth Elderton, who was chosen using Random.org! Beth wins a $25 gift certificate to Jewelry4Change!

If you entered the contest but didn't win, you can still recieve 15% off your order from Jewelry4Change by entering the keyword AFRICA15 at checkout.

Thanks to all who participated!

Superfest this Saturday!

SuperFest is a FREE event that you won't want to miss out on, coming to San Diego on Saturday February 5th! Pro Athletes Adrian Gonzalez, Heath Bell, Quentin Jammer, Nick Hundley, Jacques Cesaire and Chris Byrd will all be there to share their sports tips and help teach your children how to play sports such as football, basketball, baseball and soccer.  There will also be autographed prizes, a silent auction, a free concert and a message by Pastor Miles McPherson. Superfest will be held at Del Norte High School, 16601 Nighthawk Lane, San Diego, CA 92127. You'll want to make sure to get your free ticket as soon as possible, so that when the doors open at 4pm, you and your family will get in. Tickets are not required but since the event is expected to fill up, getting a ticket online from http://www.superfestsd.com/ will ensure your family's entrance.

Brother Benno's

Brother Benno’s is a non-profit organization which is run entirely by volunteers and services the poor and homeless in the North County, San Diego. In 1983, Brother Benno's  first started as a soup kitchen, but today, they have expanded their services to include hot meals, food packs to low income families, clothing and blankets, laundry services, scholarships, tutoring and rent assistance. This is truly an organization committed to good - even the executive director takes only a salary of $1,000 a year! Call the volunteer office at (760) 439-1244 extension 107 to find out more about donating some of your time or resources. No long time commitment is required; spend a Saturday morning serving with your family!

American Hiking Society

The American Hiking Society is a national organization with local branches, which protects the nation's trails through the encouragement of hiking as well as awareness of policy issues. One of the main initiatives is Families on Foot - providing American families access to safe hiking trails. If you enjoy hiking, check out some of the ways to protect the trails you love, at  http://www.americanhiking.org/Resources/How-Tos/   You can also join the American Hiking Society at Americanhiking.org