If there is one thing that tugs on my heart strings daily, it is children. Beautiful, young lives with open futures and unlimited possibilities. The problem is that situations beyond their control often cause pain, anguish, and suffering to children. This happens everywhere. There is probably a young child in your neighborhood who will go to bed hungry tonight. There are many children in your city who will be abused this week. There are thousands in our nation who will be bullied by their peers this month. And there are so many more in the world who will be hungry, uneducated, un-treated for health conditions, displaced by conflict, and so much more.

I hope to introduce you to many different charities and non-profits who can provide support and aid to children in each of the above mentioned situations. However, first I’m going to start with one of my favorites: UNICEF.

As stated on their website, their goal is to support and aid children around the globe and to help provide them with the safety, health, and opportunities they deserve:

“As world leaders set out a roadmap for human progress over the next 15 years, it is vital that every child is included, and that children everywhere are at the heart of the new global agenda.”

While it seems like such a giant undertaking, they have actually made huge strides in many of their projects. For example, they have supported major campaigns to help immunize 3 million children! They also support and target such things as education, emergency aid, and child development. While many of us prefer to “stay local” don’t forget that even a small donation of $10 or $20 to initiatives like UNICEF can have a huge impact on a child’s life.

One of my favorite ways to keep up with charities is to follow them on twitter. Short and sweet updates about what they are doing and how you can help. They have MANY accounts that are country specific, city specific, even campaign specific! Depending on where your passions are, you can follow and support where you like. Here are a few of my favorites to get you started:

• UNICEF (Global Account)
• UNICEF USA
• UNICEF Supply
• UNICEF Education

While I know there are hundreds of thousands of charities out there, it’s always good to know what is going on and how you can help. We don’t have to give to everything, but there are so many other ways we can support those who need our help. We all share this world together, why not try to make it a better place while we are here?! Cheers!

*Photo ©UNICEF/NYHQ2015-2391/Romenzi (here)