Give a Laptop, Change the World

It's the day before Thanksgiving, and here I am still in my nightgown at noon - but I have been cleaning and getting ready for the deluge of family due here this afternoon. Tonight, there will be six adults, 2 children and 2 dogs trying to find space to sleep in my little house, and tomorrow we will spring Mom from the rehab center for Thanksgiving dinner.


In preparation for this, I have been doing some serious clearing out. I have accumulated a large pile of stuff to go to a yard sale sometime soon. There is not one new doodad that I need in this house, so I am letting everyone in my family know that if the best gift they can give me this year is making a contribution to some worthy cause - their choice, or I can make recommendations.


I recently blogged about Donors Choose, where contributions can be made to public school teachers for specific needs. I am pleased to report that two of the projects I selected have been fully funded now. I heard from some folks who read my post that they further spread the word about Donors Choose, which I think is great too.

Here's another cause I have have been hearing about for quite a while - some very smart people have developed low cost laptops for kids all over the world. They are sturdy, kid-friendly and have the capability of linking children to all kinds of learning opportunities. They were also smart enough to partner with Amazon (where a substantial chunk of my disposable income lands - I never buy anything until I check to see if Amazon is cheaper, and they often are. I found an all in one wireless printer/scanner/faxer that I had to have Monday night, and Tuesday afternoon it was on my front porch - but I digress . . .)


Anyhow, when you surfing around, check out the One Laptop per Child Foundation.