Keep History Alive

If you’re a history buff, then the Civil War Trust is your charity. The group is dedicated to protecting the battlefields of the Civil War, and it also works to educate visitors about the importance of that moment in U.S. history. Currently, only about 20 percent of the war’s battlefields are preserved, and more than 32,000 acres of that is thanks to the Civil War Trust. The organization has created apps and plain old maps that guide visitors through those historical sites, and it even helps to keep the areas clean so that tourists can have the best experiences possible.

Go Wild

Love trips to the zoo, volunteering at shelters and your own furry housemates? Then you’ve gotta check out the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The organization works to save endangered species and habitats, and it helps communities to work with nature instead of against it. WWF supports all kinds of critters, from African elephants to spectacled bears to marine turtles. It is also dedicated to helping large companies reduce their negative impact on the environment, so that decades from now, there will still be plenty of natural places, like the Congo Basin and the Chihuahuan Desert, for people to enjoy.  

Let’s Play!

Wanna share your love of athletics? Then support Grassroot Soccer, an organization dedicated to stopping the spread of HIV and AIDS in Africa. To do that, the group has come up with an educational program for 12 to 18-year-olds that revolves around soccer, using the skills from the game as rules for living a healthy, goal-oriented life. It even brings pro soccer players to places like Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa to talk to kids about how to stay safe and healthy.

Save Lives

You love taking care of people, and seeing someone hurting is just too much to bear. So help save lives with Direct Relief International, a non-profit that provides medicine and health care to poor people, people affected by natural disasters, and people in war-torn areas. The organization mainly supports programs for mothers and their children, areas suffering from disease, and emergency relief. It doesn’t just help Americans, either – medicine is sent to places all over the world, like Haiti, Japan and Bolivia.

Share Knowledge

In science class, you’re totally fascinated by what your teacher has to say, and the idea of coming up with new technology to help people gets you super psyched. Well, check out the Society for Science & the Public to see how it’s spreading a love for science all over the country. Since the 1920s, the group has reported the latest scientific discoveries in the form of a magazine, which has shown up in schools, libraries and houses across the states. The society also sponsors scholarships and science fair programs for guys and gals like you who are already comin’ up with awesome new ideas before they’re even outta school.

Stars And Stripes Forever

You love showin’ people that this land is your land, and you’re all about the red, white, and blue. So help say thanks to the people that protect the old US of A by supporting Hope For the Warriors, an organization that provides all kinds of programs for post-9/11 servicemen and their families. The non-profit holds counseling retreats, gives out scholarships, organizes athletic events, and provides financial aid for those who have been wounded, mentally or physically, in the line of duty. It also helps active servicemen, veterans, and families of the fallen, so that they know how much we appreciate their contribution to this country.

by Carrie Ruppert | 2/1/2016