Better To Give

That's the rumor, but as much as I like giving, I LOVE receiving. I think it has something to do with being a December baby and getting jipped on gifts as a kid. No matter what, I have a running gift total in my head. My sister, a.k.a. my polar opposite in the gift department, puts me to shame. Her Christmas lists are full of charity sites to donate to and usually include requests for buying somebody in Zimbabwe a chicken. By the way, she's born in May. This time she has found an awesome sight that I thought I'd share.
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www.kiva.org -What makes this site so cool, is that you don't just give your money away, you loan it to people in developing countries that have small businesses and then they pay you back. No interest of course, but who cares. You can lend really small amounts too. I just loaned $25 and my sister has done about 10 loans. You read their profiles and pick who you want to lend to. When they pay you back, you can cash out, or loan to someone else. You can also join a team and have your loan count towards the team total. Don't worry, the money still comes back to you.
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I joined Kiva Mormons, because I'm Mormon and also other team members have committed to do three extra loans if they get 350 group members by October 31st. They are really close. I also loaned to a lady in the Philippines, because a group member is matching all loans made to the Philippines. It seemed like a great way to make my cash go further.
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There are tons of groups to choose from, not just religious ones. Or you could start your own group, or you can just be a group of one. Whatever you decide, it is worth checking out. A great way to help and pretty fun too... even for a December Baby!