Each week on Get Connected, our Sunday morning talk show, I have an amazing opportunity to speak with authors, doctors, artists, activists, and people doing great work in our community.  The following list includes non-profits we featured in 2011.  Click on the links to find out more.  Perhaps one or more can provide assistance to you or someone you know.  All of them are worthy ideas for tax-deductible donations or volunteering.
 
Get Connected airs every Sunday on Lite-FM from 7-7:30 a.m.  If your organization would like to be a guest in 2012, or if you would like to offer a topic suggestion, you're welcome to contact us here.  Thanks for listening!


The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty provides services to over 100,000 New Yorkers in-need annually.  Their programs include job training, low-cost housing, food services and volunteer opportunities.  Visit metcouncil.org

God’s Love We Deliver helps homebound and seriously ill New Yorkers by preparing and delivering high-quality meals to those who are unable to provide for themselves.  Visit glwd.org

Fountain House helps New Yorkers with mental illness learn new skills, find employment and make friends.  Visit fountainhouse.org

Computers For Youth helps improve learning environments at home and school by giving low-income children computer access and technical support.   Visit cfy.org

Helen Keller Services for the Blind, with offices Brooklyn, Nassau and Suffolk counties, helps people of all ages who are blind or visually impaired to develop their independence. Visit helenkeller.org

The Police Athletic League of NYC offers recreational and learning programs for City kids, and assistance for troubled teens to help turn their lives around.  Visit PALNYC.org

The Carter Burden Center For The Aging offers resources for New Yorkers over 60 including their popular Luncheon Club, support groups for the elderly and caregivers, and assistance for seniors in crisis.  Visit carterburdencenter.org

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention can help us recognize when someone is in crisis, and offers assistance for those affected by suicide.  Visit afsp.org

Transportation Alternatives is a non-profit advocate for bicycling, walking and public transit in NYC.  Visit transalt.org

The New York Chapter of the National Autism Association provides information on modern therapies for autism such as dietary intervention, and offers parent mentoring programs.  Visit naanyc.org

By law, if you find an injured bird in New York City, you must find a federally licensed rehabilitator as soon as possible.  The Wild Bird Fund is one of only a handful in NYC.    For information on how to handle an injured bird and the services of The Wild Bird Fund, visit wildbirdfund.com

Junior Achievement of New York helps teens stand out from their peers to find employment earlier and jump-start their future careers.  Visit jany.org

St. John’s Bread & Life serves one of the poorest neighborhoods of the City—the Bedford Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn—helping families with food, health care and social services.  Visit breadandlife.org

The Fresh Air Fund has been making New York City kids' summer dreams come true since 1877.  Currently, they are in need of host families.  Visit freshair.org

OUTREACH, is a noted alcohol and substance abuse treatment center specializing in adolescent care.  For assistance with issues including dating violence among teenage couples, visit OPINY.org

The Literacy Assistance Center guides adults who want to improve their reading and writing skills, and provides education and services for new and experienced literacy instructors.  Visit lacnyc.org

Riverkeeper is a watchdog organization working to protect the drinking water supply of New York City and Hudson Valley residents.  Visit riverkeeper.org
 
Habitat For Humanity in New York is creating 100 homes in Central Brooklyn and is looking for applicant families.  Visit HabitatNYC.org

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater NYC provides resources for those diagnosed with breast cancer, breast cancer survivors and their families.  Visit komennyc.org

New York's Alvin Ailey Dance Company offers electrifying peformances to the public, a wide range of dance classes for real people, and innovative educational programs for young people.  Visit alvinailey.org

Doctors Without Borders provides medical care and humanitarian assistance for innocent people in caught in conflict around the world.  Visit doctorswithoutborders.org

The American Cancer Society helps patients and families in navigating the healthcare system, finding lodging when treatment is far from home, and coping with hair loss.  Visit cancer.org

The Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, NJ responds to strandings of whales, dolphins and sea turtles all along the state’s coastline.  Visit marinemammalstrandingcenter.org

The Teak Fellowship offers talented NYC students facing economic hardship mentoring, leadership training and access to earn admission and financial aid to selective high-schools and colleges.  Visit teakfellowship.org

The American Red Cross in Greater NY responds to, on average, 7 incidents every day in our local area.   Visit nyredcross.org

Greyhound Friends of New Jersey has many affectionate former racing dogs now available for adoption.  To see dogs waiting for their forever home, visit greyhoundfriendsnj.org

The USO of Metropolitan NY serves our military and families with care packages, phone cards, show tickets, entertainment, and much more.  To find out how you can help say thank you to our servicemen and women, visit usonyc.org

Veterinary Oncologist Dr. Joshua Louis Lachowicz has established The Joshua Louis Animal Cancer Foundation to provide financial assistance for families of pets with cancer.  Visit joshualouis.org

The Seamen’s Society for Children and Families provides foster boarding home care for approximately 500 children on Staten Island and Brooklyn.  For details on how to become a foster parent or volunteer, visit roots-wings.org

Finally, I wanted to mention a couple of books we featured related to charity:

MORE THAN GOOD INTENTIONS:  HOW A NEW ECONOMICS IS HELPING TO SOLVE GLOBAL POVERTY.  Researchers and Authors Dean Karlan and Jacob Appel explain  why many charities may not be as beneficial as advertised.  They also offer ideas for charitable solutions that work, and tell us how to make more informed choices when donating our time and money.  For more, visit poverty-action.org

GIVING 2.0:  TRANSFORM YOUR GIVING AND OUR WORLD.  Author and philanthropist Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen has practical ideas on how we can make a more lasting impact on the issues we care about, no matter the size of our giving.  Find more at giving2.com 100% of author royalties will be donated.

It started last year in NY, and now Small Business Saturday is taking over the country.  Today, November 26th, shop small and at the local, family owned businesses that make our city unique.   (It's also a great way to avoid the crush at the box stores!)

Paper magazine has a list of local businesses and restaurants with great deals for the day.  Check out this list, too, at about.com.

It's my husband's birthday, so we'll be going to La Lanterna/The Bar Next Door and Telepan.

Have a great day and happy shopping!

I just came back from my cousin's wedding in Amman, Jordan. 

If you never have the opportuntity to go to an Arab home, here are a few things to know:  Everything is served on a tray!  Even when you bring your dad a coke when he's hanging out watching TV, it comes on a tray.  That's what happening in this photo, execpt my cousin is serving my uncle tea.  He's trying to wean himself off his usual 10 cups of coffee a day.  The man is wired.

Lunch is a big deal.  It's all about lunch, not dinner.  My cousin, the bride, is the lovely one with curly hair.  Her groom is sitting next to her.  For the day after their wedding, my aunt made lamb, chicken, 3 kinds of salad, potatoes in lemon, freekeh (roasted green wheat) and later fruit, dessert, and tea.  By the by, decent meat is about $15 a kilo, or about $32 a pound...so my guess is, that lamb is was over $100. 

Finally, it seems weird to put a photo of myself in here, but it's the only shot I had of the city.  When I was last here 10 years ago, this hill behind my uncle's house was open desert.  Now it's neighborhoods for as far as you can see.  Amman used to close at 8, now it's got Hardee's, Louis Vuitton, Cadillac, Fuddruckers...all the Western amenities you do or don't want. 

Thanks for taking a look!

You may have heard me mention that we have a new kitten at home.  I didn't know we needed a new cat, but my husband got suckered while shopping for pet food.  Go figure.  Anyway, while Cloudy is adorable, he's a space hog.  He lounges on my desktop keyboard, on the kitchen chairs, on pillows in the bedroom.  Poor Bundles, our 6 year old, doesn't quite to know what to make of him taking up the window seat.