The word philanthropy comes from the Greek philanthropos which comes from philein for “to love” and anthropos for “human being.” Philanthropy means love of humanity.
Tips for Donating and Volunteering Responsibly
- Cash is the most efficient method of donating – Cash offers voluntary agencies the most flexibility in obtaining the most-needed resources and pumps money into the local economy to help businesses recover. Remember, unsolicited donated goods such as used clothing, miscellaneous household items, and mixed or perishable foodstuffs require helping agencies to redirect valuable resources away from providing services to sort, package, transport, warehouse, and distribute items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors.
- Donate through a trusted organization – At the national level, many voluntary-, faith- and community-based organizations are active in disasters, and are trusted ways to donate to disaster survivors. In addition to the national members, each state has its own list of voluntary organizations active in disasters. If you’d like to donate or volunteer to assist those affected by Sandy, these organizations are the best place to start.
- Affiliate with existing non-profit organizations before coming to the disaster area. Immediately following a disaster, a community can become easily overwhelmed by the amount of generous people who want to help. Contacting and affiliating with an established organization will help to ensure that you are appropriately trained to respond in the most effective way.
- Be safe. Do not self deploy until a need has been identified and the local community impacted has requested support. Wait until it is safe to travel to volunteer sites and opportunities have been identified. Once assigned a position, make sure you have been given an assignment and are wearing proper safety gear for the task.
- Be patient. Recovery lasts a lot longer than the media attention. There will be volunteer needs for many months, often years, after the disaster – especially when the community enters the long-term recovery period.
Here’s the list of Thomas Kramer’s involvments:
ABILITIES INC. OF FLORIDA
AIDS ACTION FOUNDATION
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY INC.
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION INC.
ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE FOUNDATION COMMON FUND INC.
AYUDA INC. (CHILDREN’S SAFETY FAIR)
BAY POINT SCHOOLS INC.
BERTHA ABESS CHILDREN’S CENTER INC.
BEST BUDDIES INTERNATIONAL INC.
CARESOURCE INC.
CHILDREN’S CANCER CARING CENTER INC. AMBULATORY CARE UNIT
CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY OF FLORIDA
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
CHILDREN’S RELIEF FUND INC.
CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH OF LABELLE
CITY OF HOPE
COMMUNITY SUPPORT CENTER ADVOCATES
CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERS
DAILY BREAD FOOD BANK
DOWN SYNDROME FOUNDATION
ECOMB INC.
FLORIDA LAW ENFORCEMENT PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
FRIENDS OF THE BASS MUSEUM INC.
GAY MEN’S HEALTH CRISIS INC.
GRUBSTAKE RESOURCES FOR RECOVERY CORP
HANDS ON MIAMI INC. A FLORIDA NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION
HARCOURT M SYLVESTER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION INC.
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL COMMITTEE INC.
I HAVE A DREAM FOUNDATION OF MIAMI INC.
INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR ALTERNATIVE RESEARCH IN AIDS
JACKSON MEMORIAL FOUNDATION INC.
JOSHUA’S HEART FOUNDATION
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF MIAMI INC.
KRISTI HOUSE INC.
LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY INC.
MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA INC.
MARCH OF DIMES FOUNDATION
MIAMI ART MUSEUM OF DADE COUNTY ASSOCIATION INC.
MIAMI BEACH CHILDREN’S RELIEF
MIAMI BEACH HOLIDAY RELIEF
MIAMI BEACH JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER INC.
MIAMI BEACH POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE INC.
MIAMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ARTS AND HUMANITIES COUNCIL
MIAMI CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC.
MOSAIC INC.
MOUNT SINAI MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION INC.
NEW WORLD SYMPHONY INC.
NORTH MIAMI JAYCEES CHARITIES INC.
PELICAN HARBOR SEABIRD STATION INC.
PET RESCUE INC.
PULMONARY FIBROSIS FOUNDATION
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF SOUTH FLORIDA INC.
SHARE OUR STRENGTH INC.
SOBE SPAY & NEUTER CORPORATION
SOUTH FLORIDA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDATION INC.
SOUTH POINTE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SPECIAL OLYMPICS FLORIDA INC.
TEMPLE EMANU-EL
TEMPLE ISRAEL OF GREATER MIAMI
THE ASSOCIATION FOR RETARDED CITIZENS OF SOUTH FLORIDA INC.
THE CENTER FOR POSITIVE CONNECTIONS INC.
THE WELLNESS COMMUNITY- GREATER MIAMI INC.
UNITED CHARITIES
UNITED WAY OF MIAMI-DADE INC.
YOUNG PATRONESSES OF THE OPERA INC.
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF FLORIDA
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