Whether you’re sending flowers and chocolates or rolling your eyes in irritation, Valentine’s Day could be an opportunity to do some good and help out some worthy non-profits that have a connection to the Charlottesville area. Without further ado, here are five fantastic organizations that could use your help.
One Love Foundation. Formed in memory and honor of UVa student Yeardley Love, the foundation seeks to educate young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships in the classroom, the community, and online. They are seeking to make a fundamental reduction in relationship abuse in society.
LGBTQ Center at UVa. It’s become a Valentine’s Day tradition for the LGBTQ Center at UVa to distribute free “Love is Love” t-shirts for people to wear on Valentine’s Day. Although more work needs to be done, activities like these have UVa recognized as the best college in Virginia for LGBT students. Show them some love by donating to the Serpentine Society, an alumni network that supports LGBTQ students at UVa.
The Women’s Initiative. Okay, maybe you know that Galentine’s Day is now celebrated on the 13th of February, and it was created on the TV show Parks & Recreation. But is it any more artificial than V-Day? Celebrate women by learning more about and donating to The Women’s Initiative, an organization working hard to deliver effective counseling, social support and education to women dealing with mental health issues, regardless of their ability to pay.
International Neighbors. Charlottesville is home to around 4,000 refugees from dozens of countries. This local nonprofit received a 2018 Human Services award for their efforts to create a network of support services, people, and opportunities for refugees to become more self-sufficient and productive in the local community. They recently hit a $75K fundraising goal, but you can help them soar even higher.
Heal Charlottesville Fund. What better way to celebrate a day for love? The fund was created in the aftermath of the August 2017 violence in Charlottesville, and it’s given the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation a wonderful opportunity to “add an equity lens” to the foundation’s work as the town seeks to learn and heal from the trauma of that weekend.
Alright, what other worthy causes in our area are out there that I missed? Leave a comment and let me know. And Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!