I am so grateful for the opportunity to exhibit at BlogHer. During the conference, we spoke with hundreds of bloggers about the accomplishments of the five Bloganthropy Awards finalists. We also heard from bloggers about how they are using their influence to support causes and charities they are passionate about through their blogs and Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Hopefully the mainstream coverage of BlogHer 2010 will focus on the best of the blogging community instead of the out-of-character actions of a few misguided individuals (like last year’s coverage of what was termed “SwagHer”). What do I mean by “best of the blogging community?”

For starters, check out Tutus for Tanner.

I had the opportunity to meet  Catherine from HerBadMother.com at BlogHer. Catherine is the woman behind Tutus for Tanner. She’s an amazing writer, but (more importantly!) she’s also an amazing person.  Catherine is raising awareness about Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy as well as funds to fight the disease and to enable Tanner to live at home rather than in the hospital. I saw so many people making and wearing tutus at BlogHer in support of Catherine’s nephew Tanner who has DMD. But the most amazing thing happened on Twitter immediately before the conference. Air Canada damaged Tanner’s electric wheelchair and refused to get him a replacement. Tanner would have been without a wheelchair for several days and would have missed the 5k run in his honor. Clearly this was an unacceptable way to treat a dying boy.  Thousands of bloggers took to Twitter to protest, and Tanner received a replacement wheelchair in time. It was wonderful to see how bloggers united in support of this incredible little boys, and I suspect Air Canada learned an important lesson about how to treat its wheelchair-bound passengers in the future.

A highlight of the conference was meeting the Bloganthropy Award finalists. I am still in awe of their accomplishments, and I thrilled to see this group of women receive some recognition for their accomplishments. (Click here to read more about them.)

Did you know that the team behind Passports with Purpose is going to build a village in Southern India? I’m not kidding here. They built a school last year are actually building an entire village this year! Please check out their site and contribute to their fundraising effort if you can.

Kristine Brite McCormick of Cora’s Story has already saved the lives of several babies by raising awareness of congenital heart defects and educating parents about the importance of pulse oximetry screening. How many of us can actually say that we’ve saved a life? Kristine can, and I think she is truly heroic! As her organization grows, I know many more lives will be saved through her efforts.

Maggie from Violence Unsilenced gives survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault a voice. During the conference, I met several women who told me how Violence Unsilenced helped them heal and thanked us for honoring Maggie for her incredible work building the community and raising awareness about the epidemic of domestic violence and sexual assault in our country.

Megan from Velveteen Mind wrote a post saying she was honored “but distinctly out of place” compared to the other nominees. Her numerous admirers at BlogHer would disagree. Megan has used her blog to bring attention and donations to Hurricane Katrina survivors and the people impacted by the oil spill in the Gulf. She promoted Tide Loads of Hope and worked on a recent campaign to donate nearly 70,000 meals to Feeding America.

Long before Brooke Shields wrote her famous book on her experience with PPD and had her famous battle with Tom Cruise, Katherine Stone of Postpartum Progress was working tirelessly to help women with PPD and other perinatal and antenatal mood disorders. Postpartum depression and perinatal mood disorders affect over 800,000 women annually in the United States alone. Increased awareness of PPD is critical to early diagnosis and treatment. For six years, Katherine Stone solely supported Postpartum Progress, helping countless women through her efforts. She recently incorporated as a non-profit with the goal of expanding the organization’s reach and effectiveness. We hope that recognition as the first annual Bloganthropy Award Winner and the prize money donated by P & G GIVE HEALTH will help Katherine Stone to accomplish this worthy goal.

Katherine Stone of Postpartum Progress won the first annual Bloganthropy Award at the awards dinner sponsored by Child’s Play Communications on August 5th. Stephanie Azzarone of Child’s Play Communications was the “fairy godmother” behind the Bloganthropy Awards dinner. I cannot thank her enough for all of her hard work on the event, contributions, and pro-bono PR support. She has been incredibly supportive of our efforts to build Bloganthropy.

I had a chance to share the stories of all these amazing women with Jennifer Brandt of Momversation, thanks to “performance with a purpose” from PepsiCo. Click here to see Momversation’s excerpts from this interview.

And I was so proud to see the efforts of the ever effervescent Lori Holton Nash, a member of our Bloganthropy Blogger Advisory Board, for Go Red for Women, which “celebrates the energy, passion and power we have as women to band together to wipe out heart disease and stroke”.

BlogHer is truly a community of women, lifting each other up.

You might also be surprised that many bloggers donate the infamous “Swag” to charities or to people in need in their community. For example, I’m donating mine to a local family who just lost their house to a fire. This family had five children and no fire insurance, and they needed help. I actually found out about them from a friend of mine, via her blog.

At the thredUP booth, they took an approach we wholeheartedly appreciate.  A sign on the table said: “Looking for Swag? We’ve got something better… Make a Green School Year Pledge and thredUP will donate $1 to Cradles to Crayons.” Karen told us that bloggers were very supportive of the “no swag”, eco-friendly charity pledge. They are at $840 right now so why not go and add to the donation?

This is what bloggers do best. They use their blogs to reach out and inspire others to make the world a better place.

Katherine Stone, Postpartum Progress, is recognized for drawing focus to postpartum depression

NEW YORK CITY, August 5, 2010 – Katherine Stone, publisher of the popular blog, Postpartum Progress, was named the winner of the first annual Bloganthropy Awards, announced at Dinner’s On Us, a special event exclusively for mom bloggers, held today at the 3 West Club in New York City. The event coincides with BlogHer, the largest annual conference of women in social media.

The Bloganthropy Awards recognize bloggers who have made a difference by using social media effectively to promote a good cause.  Stone became an advocate for women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders after experiencing a severe bout of postpartum depression herself in 2001. Her feelings of fear and isolation inspired her to create Postpartum Progress, now the most widely read blog in the United States on postpartum depression (PPD), postpartum anxiety, postpartum psychosis and other mental illnesses related to pregnancy and childbirth. Stone received an honorary plaque, and a cash prize; a $1,000 monetary donation will be made directly to her cause.

The first annual award event was sponsored by Bloganthropy.org, a non-profit organization aims to empower bloggers to become philanthropic leaders in their communities, and Child’s Play Communications, specialists in connecting companies with moms. Give Health, one of Procter & Gamble’s social sustainability programs, is the inaugural Bloganthropy Awards corporate sponsor.

“We are delighted to honor Katherine Stone and her blog, Postpartum Progress,” says Stephanie Azzarone, president, Child’s Play Communications. “Katherine has shown great dedication to illuminating important postpartum issues over many years and it is our pleasure to recognize and help support those efforts.”

“Postpartum depression and perinatal mood disorders affect over 800,000 women annually in the United States alone. Increased awareness of PPD is critical to early diagnosis and treatment. For six years, Katherine Stone solely supported Postpartum Progress, helping countless women through her efforts. She recently incorporated as a non-profit with the goal of expanding the organization’s reach and effectiveness. We hope that recognition as the first annual Bloganthropy Award Winner and the prize money donated by P & G GIVE HEALTH will help Katherine Stone to accomplish this worthy goal,” says Debbie Bookstaber, co-founder of Bloganthropy.org.

Candace Lindemann, co-founder of Bloganthropy.org, added: “The Bloganthropy Awards enable us to applaud the work of these powerful women and to inspire others to express themselves using social media.”

In addition to Stone, four nominees were acknowledged for their unique contributions in the blogosphere. They are:

Kristine McCormick, Cora’s Story

Kristine touched audiences and developed a strong following by writing about the tragic 2009 death of her six-day-old daughter from an undetected congenital heart defect. This birth defect affects one in 100 newborns and can often be diagnosed in utero or at birth through simple, non-invasive tests.  As a means of coping with her grief and educating parents-to-be, Kristine writes about her process, posts current information about congenital heart defects (CHDs), and advocates for universal screening for CHDs.  (http://www.corasstory.org)

Maggie Ginsberg-Schutz, Violence Unsilenced

While researching and writing an article profiling seven survivors of domestic violence, Maggie, a freelance journalist, created Violence UnSilenced in February 2009, to shed light within the blogging community on domestic violence and sexual abuse/assault by giving survivors a voice. The site is supported by countless bloggers and also has been featured on iVillage, BlogHer, Momocrats, and mentioned in the Huffington Post, raising awareness of this very important issue. Alltop created a new domestic violence channel after learning about Violence UnSilenced.

(http://violenceunsilenced.com)

Debbie Dubrow, Michelle Duffy, Pam Mandel and Beth Whitman, Passports With Purpose

Passports with Purpose unites travel bloggers through an online fundraiser each December. Debbie Dubrow, Pam Mandel, Michelle Duffy and Beth Whitman, the bloggers behind Delicious Baby, Nerd’s Eye View, WanderMom, and Wanderlust and Lipstick, respectively, launched a travel-inspired fundraising initiative in 2008. Participating bloggers procure travel-related items for an online random drawing. Using Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and other social media channels, Passports with Purpose earned $7,500 for Heifer International in its inaugural year and nearly $30,000 in 2009 to build a school in Cambodia. The goal for 2010 is to raise $50,000 to build a village in Southern India. (http://www.passportswithpurpose.com)

Megan Jordan, Velveteen Mind

Megan Jordan, a blogger and Gulf Coast resident, draws upon her personal experience of the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, her lyrical voice, and her highly-engaged audience at Velveteen Mind to help others in her region rebuild.  Forming a partnership with Tide detergent and its “Loads of Hope” disaster relief program, Megan hosted a holiday “blogging carnival” about the meaning of hope. Megan and several other bloggers joined the “Tide Loads of Hope” truck in New Orleans, providing laundry services to residents in need during the holiday season. (http://www.velveteenmind.com/)

About Bloganthropy.org

Bloganthropy.org aims to empower bloggers to become philanthropic leaders in their communities. The annual Bloganthropy Awards recognize those who have made a difference by using social media to effectively promote a cause or charity.

About Child’s Play Communications

Child’s Play Communications specializes exclusively in public relations, social media and word-of-mouth communications for products and services targeted to moms. Based in New York City, the agency has launched an exciting array of proprietary services to engage this influential market through traditional media, online and in-person. Recent company awards have included Social Media Innovator of the Year (2010) and PR Innovation of the Year (2009).  When it comes to marketing to moms, Child’s Play Communications is the agency to call. For more, visit www.childsplaypr.com.

About Give Health

P&G is committed to improving the lives of people around the globe. Through P&G’s GIVE HEALTH program, the Company provides clean water, vaccines and education to children in need. At BlogHer 2010, P&G’s GIVE HEALTH is showcasing the power of female “change agents” to help provide clean drinking water to children in developing countries. Partnering with P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water program, GIVE HEALTH and female bloggers are using the power of online communities to touch lives and give water. To learn more and get involved, visit www.GiveHealthBlogivation.com on July 23.

We want to hear your ideas and to help you promote your philanthropic projects, so be sure to come say “hello”!
As an additional incentive to stop by, Corolle is also offering prizes at our BlogHer Bloganthropy booth–watch @Bloganthropy during the conference for details.

Even if you are unable to visit with us in New York City, we want you to be part of this movement to use our social media influence to build a better world.  Stay in touch by checking out our facebook page, following us on Twitter, subsribing to our RSS feed, and taking the Bloganthropy pledge.

Procter & Gamble’s Give Health is Inaugural Sponsor

NEW YORK CITY, July 21, 2010 – Publishers of five outstanding blogs have won recognition as finalists in the first annual Bloganthropy Awards. Event sponsors — Bloganthropy.org, a non-profit organization that combines the power of social media with the resources of corporate giving, and Child’s Play Communications, specialists in connecting companies with moms – announced these finalists today. Give Health, one of Procter & Gamble’s social sustainability programs, is the inaugural Bloganthropy Awards corporate sponsor.

The Bloganthropy Awards recognize bloggers who have made a difference by using social media effectively to promote a good cause.  “We are thrilled to partner with Bloganthropy to recognize bloggers who have channeled their passion and commitment to worthy causes through social media,” says Stephanie Azzarone, president, Child’s Play Communications. “It is inspirational to see their dedication and influence.” 

“Bloganthropy.org’s goal is to encourage bloggers to use their social media influence to make the world a better place. We seek to amplify their efforts by promoting their projects and connecting them with corporate sponsors,” says Debbie Bookstaber, co-founder of Bloganthropy.org.

Candace Lindemann, co-founder of Bloganthropy.org, added: “The Bloganthropy Awards enable us to recognize these strong voices and to empower others to join and lead this growing movement.”

The winner of the first annual Bloganthropy Awards will be announced at Dinner’s On Us, a special event exclusively for mom bloggers, to be held in New York City on August 5th. The event is scheduled to coincide with BlogHer, the largest annual conference of women in social media, which begins the following day.

2010 Finalists

The five 2010 Bloganthropy Award finalists are:

Kristine McCormick, Cora’s Story
Kristine touched audiences and developed a strong following by writing about the tragic 2009 death of her six-day-old daughter from an undetected congenital heart defect. This birth defect affects one in 100 newborns and can often be diagnosed in utero or at birth through simple, non-invasive tests.  As a means of coping with her grief and educating parents-to-be, Kristine writes about her process, posts current information about congenital heart defects (CHDs), and advocates for universal screening for CHDs.  (http://www.corasstory.org)

Katherine Stone,  Postpartum Progress
After experiencing a severe bout of postpartum depression in 2001, Katherine became an advocate for women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Her own feelings of fear and isolation inspired her to take action to help others. In 2004 she created the blog Postpartum Progress, now the most widely-read blog in the United States on postpartum depression (PPD), postpartum anxiety, postpartum psychosis and other mental illnesses related to pregnancy and childbirth. (http://postpartumprogress.typepad.com)

Maggie Ginsberg-Schutz, Violence Unsilenced
While researching and writing an article profiling seven survivors of domestic violence, Maggie, a freelance journalist, created Violence UnSilenced in February 2009, to shed light within the blogging community on domestic violence and sexual abuse/assault by giving survivors a voice. The site is supported by countless bloggers and also has been featured on iVillage, BlogHer, Momocrats, and mentioned in the Huffington Post, raising awareness of this very important issue. Alltop created a new domestic violence channel after learning about Violence UnSilenced.
 (http://violenceunsilenced.com)

Debbie Dubrow, Michelle Duffy, Pam Mandel and Beth Whitman, Passports With Purpose
Passports with Purpose unites travel bloggers through an online fundraiser each December. Debbie Dubrow, Pam Mandel, Michelle Duffy and Beth Whitman, the bloggers behind Delicious Baby, Nerd’s Eye View, WanderMom, and Wanderlust and Lipstick, respectively, launched a travel-inspired fundraising initiative in 2008. Participating bloggers procure travel-related items for an online random drawing. Using Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and other social media channels, Passports with Purpose earned $7,500 for Heifer International in its inaugural year and nearly $30,000 in 2009 to build a school in Cambodia. The goal for 2010 is to raise $50,000 to build a village in Southern India. (http://www.passportswithpurpose.com)

Megan Jordan, Velveteen Mind
Megan Jordan, a blogger and Gulf Coast resident, draws upon her personal experience of the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, her lyrical voice, and her highly-engaged audience at Velveteen Mind to help others in her region rebuild.  Forming a partnership with Tide detergent and its “Loads of Hope” disaster relief program, Megan hosted a holiday “blogging carnival” about the meaning of hope. Megan and several other bloggers joined the “Tide Loads of Hope” truck in New Orleans, providing laundry services to residents in need during the holiday season. (http://www.velveteenmind.com/) 

About Bloganthropy.org
Bloganthropy.org is dedicated to connecting social media users with corporate giving and PR departments, to encourage and facilitate charitable donations. The organization also empowers bloggers to become philanthropic leaders in their communities.

About Child’s Play Communications
Child’s Play Communications specializes exclusively in public relations, social media and word-of-mouth communications for products and services targeted to moms. Based in New York City, the agency has launched an exciting array of proprietary services to engage this influential market through traditional media, online and in-person. Recent company awards have included Social Media Innovator of the Year (2010) and PR Innovation of the Year (2009).  When it comes to marketing to moms, Child’s Play Communications is the agency to call. For more, visit www.childsplaypr.com.

About Give Health
P&G is committed to improving the lives of people around the globe. Through P&G’s GIVE HEALTH program, the Company provides clean water, vaccines and education to children in need. At BlogHer 2010, P&G’s GIVE HEALTH is showcasing the power of female “change agents” to help provide clean drinking water to children in developing countries. Partnering with P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water program, GIVE HEALTH and female bloggers are using the power of online communities to touch lives and give water. To learn more and get involved, visit www.GiveHealthBlogivation.com on July 23.

1. What gave you the idea for Twitter Charity Hats?

You can read all about that here. I posted this today just for you guys! This will explain the journey…

2. Do you have any input on the charities that receive the donation?

Yes. I won’t take anything political and I prefer that the charity be focused on helping children, single mothers, families, etc. I was a single mother myself, years ago.

That said, I’m happy to promote any charity that is helping the homeless, veterans, families, the military, etc. It doesn’t have to be focused on women (as some have implied that I ought to be doing). I understand that there are people with needs – everywhere – regardless of their gender. There are so many charities now that help women and children. I think that the male charities are actually being over-looked these days (drug rehabs, homeless shelters, abuse counseling, etc) in the same way that female charities used to be over-looked. The pendulum has swung the other way. I’m more than happy to support any charity that someone’s heart feels led to support – men, women, children, special needs or seniors. All humans have needs and need to be supported, as I see it.

3. How much money have you raised to date for charity?

$305 but only a few of the businesses have actually made their donations – the rest are coming.

I have more folks to add to this list soon, also! I’ve got over 20 on the wait list now.

4. Is there an archive of past hats?

Just the collage we made for you. However, there are far more than that. We picked a few of the most popular ones to display. Sadly, I left out “Earth Day” – when I wore a grass patch on my head. That was pretty popular, too.

5. Do you also wear hats for charities to raise awareness?

Not yet but I have been thinking of doing that. At this point, my waiting list for the logo hats is at 6+ months. So perhaps I can modify my plan along the way and fit charity hats into the line-up as time allows.

I’m very dedicated to helping small businesses – especially those run by mothers. So the logo hats + charity combined gives me the chance to help two entities at once: both the mother and the charity they select.

6. What feedback have you received from companies after the experience in regards to both their charitable goals and their marketing strategy?

To be honest, nothing as of yet. The people in my community (Mommy Perks) are typically very giving and generous. No one, so far, has even asked me for click rates, stats or return data. I don’t think they care! I really believe they all jumped on board with this simply because they wanted to help and thought the idea was a fun and unique one. That would appear to be the case, anyway.

7. What feedback have you received from your audience and community?

Lots! They are pretty jazzed about the entire concept and many of them have posted, tweeted, blogged or linked to my press release. Merchant Circle featured the press release today. She Posts put up an article about it. Examiner.com has the press release listed. I have people tweet daily telling me what a great idea this is and asking how they can get involved – or simply help to promote it. The positive energy is a big part of why I’m doing this!

8. You have a wait list–why do you think Twitter Hats have such an appeal?

Well, as I wrote about in the “Trip down memory lane” post, the hats became a hit on twitter a few months back. People wanted to know “What’s next?” It became a game of sorts and friends/clients would DM, asking me about the hats and wanting to know if I would have a hat up for a particular holiday, etc. When I told people about the Twitter Charity Hats they immediately jumped on the idea. No questions asked.

Where else can you globally promote your small business for a $20+ donation to charity?

9. Which is your favorite hat so far and why?

Of all the hats, including the pre-logo ones? The World Turtle Day hat was super creepy but got a LOT of laughs. I also love the Pull-Up hat – that’s probably my favorite one. That hat was the turning point for everything, though, so it holds a special diaper-like place in my heart. LOL.

Of the Charity Hats, I’d say that Ficklets is my favorite so far (it goes up tomorrow). My daughter insisted on making the ASL sign for “I love you” and the story behind this photograph holds great value for me – emotionally and spiritually. That said, I love them all. Each one has special meaning in its’ own way.

10. If you could support one charity, which would it be?

Goodness. Just one? I don’t think I’d make that choice but if I had to I’d most likely choose to support a single mom charity – or a group that helps young mothers (I was a young mother). I also feel very drawn to Foster Care, Adoption Agencies and Homeless Shelters. My father ran a homeless shelter in Oregon during my youth.

My son lost is right eye as a baby and wears a prosthetic eye. So I’d love to donate to an organization that helps to pay for prosthetic eyes (they are very expensive).

11. Any special plans in the works for the future? A calendar of Twitter Hat Photos? Expanding the effort to include other Tweeters?

I’ve considered both options, yes. I don’t take each photo until the hat is ready to launch but I do plan to display them all in a post soon. “A look back” so to say.

Regarding other tweeters – if they wish to join in, they certainly may. At this point I’m pretty busy just keeping track of my own hats/list but at some point, I could invite others to join the mission, sure!

12. What’s your favorite Twitter application?

I don’t use any! I’ve tried several, for fun, but I stick with plain old twitter (as one of my followers calls it). Just plain old twitter works great for me.

I do like www.friendorfollow.com and www.mrtweet.com. I also enjoy using www.tweetgrid.com if I’m hosting a party on twitter.

Carol of NYCity Mama and Corine at Complicated Mama Rocked the NYC Help A Mother Out Cocktail Party/Diaper Drive! and Candace at Mamanista.com helped out mothers on Long Island with the help of her local Moms’ Meet-up.

Diapers are a serious need for families in difficult economic situations–a need not covered by existing social safety nets. Please consider helping a mother out by donating diapers to your local diaper bank, food bank, shelter, or house of worship.

New York, NY (PRWEB) May 10, 2010 — Child’s Play Communications and Bloganthropy.org, a non-profit organization that combines the power of social media with the resources of corporate giving, are proud to announce a call for nominations for the first annual Bloganthropy Award.

The Bloganthropy Award aims to recognize bloggers who have made a difference by using social media to effectively promote a good cause.

Finalists will be featured on Bloganthropy.org. The winner will be announced at the Child’s Play Communications Dinner’s On Us event held on August 5, 2010 in New York City. Bloganthropy founders Debbie Bookstaber and Candace Lindemann, along with Child’s Play Communications president, Stephanie Azzarone, and the company’s Team Mom™ blogger-network Director, Marie Baker, will consider all qualified candidates and select the winner. The deadline for nominations is Monday, June 28, 2010.

Bloganthropy.org is dedicated to connecting social media users with corporate giving and PR departments, to encourage and facilitate charitable donations. The organization also empowers bloggers to become philanthropic leaders in their communities.

NOMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
To nominate yourself or another blogger, please fill out the nomination form located at: http://childsplaypr.com/bloganthropy/.
About Bloganthropy.org
Bloganthropy combines the power of social media with the resources of corporate giving. Bloganthropy is a non-profit organization. (501c3 status pending).

About Child’s Play Communications
Child’s Play Communications specializes exclusively in public relations, social media and word-of-mouth communications for products and services targeted to moms. Based in New York City, the agency has launched an exciting array of proprietary services to engage this influential market through traditional media, online and in-person, including the award-winning Team Mom™, the agency’s own network of mom bloggers. Recent company awards have included Social Media Innovator of the Year (2010) and PR Innovation of the Year (2009). When it comes to marketing to moms, Child’s Play Communications is the agency to call.

Each year, the United States and Canada salute our hospitalized veterans during the week leading up to Valentine’s Day.  We can all help boost the morale of our wounded veterans by making Valentines for Veterans and delivering them to our local VA Hospital.

We asked bloggers to volunteer to make Valentines for Veterans and earn a donation of clothing from Dollar Days for Sew Much Comfort.

I’ve been touring the bloggers who have already posted and am incredibly touched not only by their efforts but also by the comments from their readers–soldiers who are thankful for the support, amputees who recognize the importance of adaptive clothing, people familiar with Sew Much Comfort attesting to this organization’s amazing work, those who never knew about Sew Much Comfort but who want to help, and others who just want to salute our veterans. There’s even a funny discussion about whether or not to “macho” up the valentines for our rough and tumble veterans.

Please show support for the team of bloggers and help each earn an extra $50 for Sew Much Comfort (more will be added as posts come in):

• Fairly Odd Mother
• Life with my Special Ks
• The Ever Changing Life of a Military Wife
• Health, Beauty and Family
• Cora’s Story
• Army Wives Lives
• Mamanista
• Emily @ The Jar Group

You can help our veterans, too!  Here are some ideas of ways to help:

• You can make Valentines for Veterans, too! Locate your nearest VA hospital and call to make sure they can accept your Valentines.  Canada also salutes its vets during this week and has some tips on making Valentines for Vets. Share your project on your blog, facebook, or twitter feed to inspire others to do the same!
• Comment on the posts: Dollar Days will donate $50 retail value in clothing for each post, plus $50 more for each post that receives at least 10 comments.  The total donation will be well over $1000 worth of clothing.  So, please comment!
• Donate to Sew Much Comfort: Sew Much Comfort provides adaptive clothing free of charge to wounded veterans and is able to do so through generous donations and volunteer hours. Financial donations are always helpful and there is also a list of needed clothing and fabric.  Sew Much Comfort specifically would love to receive t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirt or sweat shirts with logos of local sports teams in any area of the United States (size large is most needed). The wounded soldiers love having sport themed clothing but it is hard to get unless you live in that state.
• Volunteer with Sew Much Comfort: Sew Much Comfort relies on its 1600+ volunteer seamstresses to make clothing for wounded soldiers–and they can always use another pair of hands. If you know your way around a sewing machine, find out more about volunteering here.

Photo Credits: US Air Force and Azalea W

Valentines for Veterans is a project to boost the morale of Veterans during National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week (February 7-13).

Sew Much Comfort provides adaptive clothing for wounded veterans, through the volunteer efforts of seamstresses and donations of clothing and fabric.

Dollar Days will sponsor a large clothing donation to Sew Much Comfort in honor of the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week.  Dollar Days will donate $50 retail value in clothing for every post that is officially part of the project, plus, to encourage your community to talk about the cause, $50 more for each post that receives at least 10 comments.

We are looking for bloggers who will:

1. Make and deliver at least 12 Valentines for your local Veterans’ Hospital.  You can do this with friends, as part of a playgroup, with a classroom, with a blogger meet-up or tweet-up–have fun with it!  Canada also salutes its veterans on Valentine’s Day and has some great tips for making Valentines for Veterans.
2. Blog about the project by February 8. You can explain your craft project, share photographs of making the Valentines, focus on the idea of helping hospitalized veterans, or let your readers know more about Sew Much Comfort.  Please remember to thank Dollar Days for their donation and explain the mission of Sew Much Comfort.

During Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week, we will be sharing more about how people can volunteer with and donate to Sew Much Comfort and will link up to all of the wonderful bloggers who post on this project.

Please click here to fill out this form (by February 4) if you are interested in participating.  Feel free to share this information with your friends and community if you know of other bloggers who would like to get involved!

Photo Credit: US Government

We had the opportunity to work with Sesame Street Live “When Elmo Grows Up” to arrange giveaways on three blogs, plus provide 12 tickets to New York City-area children’s charities.

Madison Square Garden is no stranger to giving, either: The Garden of Dreams Foundation “makes dreams come true for kids in crisis”.

As soon as we have the charity choices, we will be sharing more information about these wonderful organizations and how you can help out with your local chapters.

Please head over to support these blogs and, if you are able to attend, enter the contests they are hosting for charity:

• 5 Minutes for Mom
• Real Moms Guide
• Mamanista