Shopping for a cause...

Many of you are familiar with GoodSearch, the search site that donates revenue to your favorite charity. A few years ago they added something new to the mix called GoodShop.

In case you didn't guess from the title, this site allows you to shop online at your favorite sites. Of course, this site follows in the tradition of GoodSearch by providing donations based on your purchases.

Each website is different in how the donation works. Some give based on membership and others on the total purchase. The percentage varies as well - a few offer .05% and others 14%. But remember - pennies make dollars and it's money you would spend anyway, why not help out a good cause while you're at it?

Bookmark GoodShop and check here first when shopping major retailers. As a bonus, you may find great coupon deals on top of the donation. You can't get any better than that!

Searching for a cause...

Several years ago I received an e-mail that tipped me off about a new and interesting concept. I'm sure you've all heard about those "click for money" scams on the internet, so I was initially suspicious of this offer. I was able to verify the validity of this site and later viewed it in several magazines and on a few TV news channels.

GoodSearch is an amazing site that allows you to utilize a top notch search engine, powered by Yahoo. As a bonus, each time you perform a search the non-profit organization you select will received a credit. The credits are accrued and dispersed accordingly.

How to use GoodSearch:

• Bookmark GoodSearch in your favorites, or, even better, make GoodSearch your home page (that way you'll always remember to search there 1st).
• Just under the search bar on the main page, you'll see a second search bar under the title "Who do you GoodSearch for?" Enter the name of your favorite charity and verify their organization as your "selected charity."
• Search until your hearts content, while raising funds for your charity!

Yes, it's that simple! Here are some tips:

• Each time you delete your internet browsing history you will need to update your selected charity. Deleting your history will automatically reset the charity box to "enter your charity here..."
• If you don't initially find your charity continue searching. It may be under an abbreviated name, you might have added an "s" where there isn't one, or you may have punctuation and the listing may not. If you absolutely can't find them, ask the organization. If they're not currently listed encourage them to check into it.
• If your favorite charity isn't available search for something by your city's name. You may find something else that sparks your interest.

Where does the funding come from?

GoodSearch makes money on each website click and from advertisements. They, in turn, roll 50% of that money over to your charity. They get paid, your charity gets paid, you have use of a great search engine and raising money for a great cause to boot! Boy, this is multi-tasking at it's best.

Horse Rescue and Retirement...

My family LOVES animals. Did I say we love animals? I mean we REALLY do. If we could afford to buy a farm , we would. And, we would happily tend to the animals daily - feeding, brushing, loving, nurturing, you name it - that would be fine!

This morning while I was cooking breakfast my husband was watching TV. He found this dog show a few weeks ago that is aimed toward kids. He loves it...watches it every Saturday, now. (Of course, he's a big kid so that works!) Anyway, after the dog show went off, he left and left the TV on - a big no,no in our house as it wastes electricity. But, I'll forgive him this once because a little while later Jack Hanna's Into the Wild show came on.

I don't know about you, but I haven't seen this show in years. I did enjoy it the few times that I saw it back then. That Jack is a funny guy when he's chasing animals. But, today the show was different. Jack wasn't chasing animals, he was helping feed animal on a farm. Not just any old farm, a horse rescue farm.

The farm is called Mill Creek Farm - Retirement Home for Horses, Inc. What a wonderful place! This couple, Mary and Peter Gregory, of retirement age themselves (I think the man was 79 at filming!) purchased hundreds of acres of land outside of Naples, FL. They take in horse that have worked, in some capacity or another, all their lives and allow the horses a nice place to "retire". The farm also provides a separate paddock for blind horses (apparently, Appaloosa's are prone to blindness as they age) and a burial ground called "Field of Dreams" as a final resting place.

The Gregory's provide a home for these animals to prevent them from being destroyed, as most owners would do when the horse is no longer deemed useful. Of the horses Jack showed us, some had been abused by their previous owners by starvation, improper grooming habits (trimming of hooves), or improper care after injuries. Others had been put out to pasture after years of police, forestry, or circus work. The remainder had been participants in riding programs and one had been saved from the "animal dumping grounds", also known as the Everglades.

Can you believe that horse owners in Florida will take their horses out to the Everglades and tie them to trees for alligator feed because they don't want to pay to properly dispose of the animal???? Outrageous!

During the filming of the show, a man showed up with a trunk load of fresh fruits and veggies for the horses. He stated that he had been coming daily for 8 years with the same load - a case of bananas, a case of apples or pears, and a 50 pound bag of carrots. Jack's wife introduced us to a family that has adopted a horse, a miniature pony and a burro. The family travels regularly from Germany to visit and groom their adoptive animals! That's commitment!

Jack Hanna stated that he and his wife had found this jewel of a farm over 12 years ago on a trip to the Naples area. They have been sponsoring horses ever since. Jack said that you can sponsor one horse, which offsets the costs of feeding, grooming and veterinary expenses, for $40 a month. The website states that the average cost for one horse per year is about $2100 (and they had a lot!)

If you are interested in more information on this wonderful organization click on their link above or here for their donation information page:

http://www.millcreekfarm.org/help.htm

(The horses pictured are from the Mill Creek Farm website. The first is Collier, an Arabian, from the Parker Ranger Service. The second is Denim, a Quarterhorse, from the Veterinary Medical Center of the University of Florida - poor swayback fellow...)