Contagious Love Experiment

A list of the organizations I’ll be visiting and why:

Stop 1: New Futures Program (Frederick, MD)
Vengence and hate seek punishment, love sees “criminals” as friends making poor choices and in need of support. This up-and-coming group provides self-esteem counseling and mentoring to inmantes and helps empower them as they transition back into society and then works with local educational and workforce resources to provide “new futures”.

Stop 2: Alex’s Lemonade Stand (Wynnewood, PA)
I don’t know who the kid in this youtube video is, but he gives a good description: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5S-y1i2QGs)
There are so many people who are suffering from some kind of illness or disease. This organization uses a simple but very creative approach to help raise awareness for cancer in a way that it’s easy to get involved. Started it’s self as a lemonade stand by a little girl who was diagnosed with cancer and wanted to help others with the same condition, it encourages folks to create their own, supplying them with literature, connecting people to their local communities, while earning money to give back to the cause.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexs-Lemonade-Stand-Foundation/30769036560
http://www.alexslemonade.org/home

Stop 3: Natural Resource Defense Council  New York, NY
There are so many people to help, but nature needs care also. I’m guilty of being ignorant about my impact on the environment most of my life, but my-all of our-choices have consequences. It’s dangerous to ignore how we are affecting nature. This groups connects grass-roots activism with legal representation and lobbying.
http://nrdc.org/about/

Stop 4: Bikes Not Bombs (Boston, MA)
I’m a huge bike nut-both physically and philosophically. This program uses bikes to build stronger communities by educating local teens, helping them build their own bikes, and also repairing bikes to be sent to poorer countries. It’s run out of Boston, but has potential for growth and really seems like it would benefit other cities who followed this model.
http://vimeo.com/1706577
http://www.bikesnotbombs.org

Stop 5: Oxfam America (Boston, MA)
A comprehensive program dedicated to solving world poverty. They use many different resources and approaches to get to the sources of the problem, focusing on self-empowment and sustainability to overcome bleak situations worldwide. (Also the charity of choice for Chris McCandless (Into The Wild guy)).
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/

Stop 6: Adopt America Network (Toledo, OH)
Pure religion is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27). For all that relgion has become, maybe we’d do better practicing “pure religion”, caring for orphans and others in need instead of sitting back in our comfortable churches and condemning and looking down on others. Rather than a new car or bigger house or exotic vacation, maybe you could adopt someone who really needs a family?
http://www.adoptamericanetwork.org/index.html
A list of resources if you want to consider adoption http://www.adoptamericanetwork.org/2003/links.html

Stop 7: Matthew 25 Ministries (Blue Ash, OH)
“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.” (Matt 25)
Takes items thrown away by corporations, manufacturers, and individuals and uses it provide relief. A great example of being resourceful, using “trash” for many worthy purposes.
http://www.m25m.org/

Stop 8: Central Asia Institute
Powerful example of how war is linked to the actions we make… or don’t make. This organization has built over 75 in Afghanistan and Pakistan, often providing the only educational alternative to extremist schools. Puts faith in working with and serving those of different points of view than killing them, while addressing their roots.
https://www.ikat.org/
http://www.threecupsoftea.com/ Inspiring and provocative biography of the founder, Greg Mortenson
http://www.penniesforpeace.org/home.html Simple program to involve children in our country with children in the Middle East

Stop 9: Nurturing Network (White Salmon, WA)
We spend way too much time criticizing people who don’t agree with us. Instead of splitting ourselves as pro-life vs pro-choice, we should see that either way, abortion isn’t the ideal and do everything we can to elimate the roots the lead people into feeling like they need one. “Each woman served by TNN is empowered to move beyond her economic, emotional and social constraints in order to exercise her choice to have a healthy pregnancy and nurture the life of her child.”
http://nurturingnetwork.org

Stop10: Nonviolent Peace Force (Berkeley, CA)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYaHLtwgak8
An inspiring alternative to war. I’ve often wondered what the world would look like if we could be as dedicated to nonviolence as some are to violence; here is a tangible, exciting example of what that could look like. War is not our only option for dealing with conflict.
http://www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org/

Stop 11:KIVA (San Francisco, CA)
Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world. Combines blessing those who are less fortunate with program that emphasizes self-empowerment and long term change. It’s like the idea of giving someone a lesson in how to fish rather than just one fish.
http://www.kiva.org/

also note:
To register as a general conscientious objector: http://www.centeronconscience.org/register.shtml
For those considerring the military, here are some things to consider/alternatives: http://www.centeronconscience.org/alternatives/index.shtml