Every Christmas, I like to pick a particular charity to feature. Because my career is based on a women-centric community, this year, I want to support Plan Canada’s Because I am a Girl. Girls in third world nations are often at a disadvantage and are denied their rights. Check out this short video…


What I love about Because I am a Girl is that there are many ways that you can help at whatever you can afford. Here are a couple of my favourite highlights as taken from their website:

Buy 3 chicks for $15: This is a tiny, and frankly adorable gift that carries with it larger possibilities. Once they start laying eggs, chickens become an instant source of income, often for women, who sell the eggs, breed the chickens and help provide for their families. They are also an important teaching tool for young girls to learn livestock management skills that they can use to make a living. Help women and girls hatch a new future for themselves today.

Clean Water for a Family for $75: For parents, this gift brings peace of mind. It will quell the fear they feel every time their children lift a cup of water to their lips — fear that the water might make them sick, or worse, kill them. For daughters, it means a day at school instead of an arduous journey to fetch water for their families. For all children, it means quenching their thirst. Many of us spend more than the cost of this gift filling our gas tanks. Why not spend a little less on something that will bring a family so much more?

Literacy Training for 2 Women for $120: What if you couldn’t write or do simple math? What if prescriptions, road signs and your children’s homework looked like nothing more than scribbles? What would your world be like? There are millions of people who live in this world every day. Millions who cannot read to their children, fill out job applications or make change at the market. Help bring the gifts of literacy and numeracy to two women, and their world will make more sense. Help them gain confidence and believe that they can do more, their children can do more, their world can be more, by giving this gift

Girl’s Scholarship for $300: This gift is about more than changing the life of one girl. It’s about changing her destiny — and the destinies of those around her. With the gift of tuition and supplies, you’re helping a young girl reach her potential. You’re helping her see that marriage and early motherhood aren’t her only options. Her future can then open up wide in front of her, and she will be able to help inspire her sisters, her brothers and others in her community. By helping one girl change the direction of her life, you’ll be touching the lives of so many others. It’s a circle of change that you can help create.

Or if you don’t like any of these ideas, you can always sponsor a girl or make any size of donation you wish. It’s great to give back during the holidays, right? We are so lucky where we are and so many of these girls can use our help! Hope you will find it in your hearts to give back…

xoxo,