So I'm Sitting down eating some cereal this morning..

K and I have recently begun sponsoring a 10 year old from Guatemala. I will soon be sending her a letter to try and learn more about her and what kinds of things she likes so we can put together a Christmas package.

Skip? Perhaps buying cleaning supplies, they just so expensive. (just joking) I have never skipped anything. Not sure what I would in order to help someone. However, this might sound harsh, but it's me, I would prefer to help people in my own country, then in foreign lands. I get a little annoyed with the commercials about money needed for this, that and other in some 3rd world country. When our country has the same problems but not as highly broadcast. (This is just me and my way on it.. You don't have to like it.. I am cool with that)

I think I would eat half as much food. At Christmas some years many churches do what is called the Advent Conspiracy. It involves buying each person on your list one less present and pooling that money to do things like dig wells in third world countries or buy personal water filtration for those who suffer for lack of clean water. One year our church sent money for shoes for children to Haiti. We sent the money so it would be invested in shoes made locally, thus boosting the local economy. Children in Haiti cannot go to school if they do not have shoes.

It is an interesting discussion and I wanted to start one of the same kind today. I gave occasionally for victims of natural disasters (tsunami in Indonesia, storm in Haiti...) but I have never considered to skip something to help somebody. I think that we should all accept to skip a little something : do you know that if we had in our western countries a 0.01% Tobin tax on all financial transactions to help third world countries, it would be enough to suppress any difference between countries on this planet ? And what is 0.01% compared to the "normal" VAT in my country : 20%...

Thats a great sponsor. What she did is awesome. I guess I could skip a sweet a day.

I guess the only thing I can think of to skip would be a meal, did they say what this woman skipped?

I used to give tuition to the daughter of our part time maid servant so that she could do well in her studies. It always feel great to help needy persons. I don't mind spending some money on the needy persons who serve us in our daily life e.g. gardener or newspaper guy.

I could certainly eat out less..

That is a great story! Thanks for sharing. I would skip my mid-day snack and that would go toward something much more positive. That's great!

I help the poor in my country all of the time. My particular thing is getting them out to school. I beg books and buy books and swap books - school books. Today I got a donation of school supplies so have had great fun making up little parcels to distribute to children.They are so happy to go to school with a new school bag or lunch kit.

That is wonderful. And pretty amazing. But Africa probably wouldn't be in the shape it's in if it weren't for America. We damaged more countries than we helped. I believe that we should stop corporate america from infiltrating and destroying things. They are poor because of our corporations. But people like this woman are real and care and are honest. Much more so than out own government.

What a great idea indeed! I would give up ice cream in the summer and dessert during winter. I don't have any specific daily eating habits besides coffee that I prepare by myself.

I guess I could skip buying myself my weekly chocolate and use that to help a hurting child. One thing I have done for many years now is fill a shoe box of essentials and toys for poor kids, it is that Operation Christmas Child effort sponsored by Samaritan's Purse run by Franklin Graham.

I also eat cereals in the morning. With my yogurt.

Well I am actually supporting several causes already - I have a membership of SaveTheFrogs USA, a membership with Butterfly Conservation UK. I had previously held a membership with both World Wide Fund for Nature Romania and USA. I have volunteered for World Wide Fund for Nature Romania, Save The Children Romania, Save The Frogs USA, Big Cat Rescue USA, Snow Leopard Trust and Suffolk Wildlife Trust. I am not thinking and wanting to try volunteer in some ways with the RSPCA here in Ipswich where I live. I think donating time might be even more important than money at times as it can bring so much more - I have been a fundraiser for several of the NGO's listed above, and have raised far more funds than I would have been able to do alone.

Very good cause. Unfortunately we that live in 1st world countries take for granted all of the luxuries we have. I am just as guilty.

I'm sure there are plenty of things the more fortunate of us can afford to skip to help the less fortunate, That second breakfast, pre-lunch and dinner 1 and 2 could be skipped to help a starving child, but I'm naturally lazy, so I'll just donate some money and let somebody else get them food.

I would donate all that I can..!!!! Clothes, books, food items and even some money..!!!!

I could probably skip some of the food I eat everyday such as snacks. I could also not smoke for a day.

Certainly could skip a few things like food treats and such. Great idea to spread around.