Causes That Are Important to Me
There are plenty of causes to be passionate about in the world today. The charities below support causes that I strongly believe in that, in many cases, have personally affected me. I appreciate you taking the time to learn why they are close to my heart, and it would mean a lot to me if you’re able to head over to their official websites to make a donation yourself.
Alzheimer's Association
As someone whose family has been all too affected by this terrible disease, I wholeheartedly support the work of the Alzheimer’s Association. They are the largest non-profit funder of Alzheimer’s research, which will hopefully find new ways to prevent and treat the disease, as well as hopefully finding a cure. For someone that has watched family members become a shell of their former selves solely because of this disease — and someone that has a higher chance than average of developing it herself — this is hugely important.
In addition, the Association provides much-needed support and care for those that are dealing with the disease. Alzheimer’s can be a very isolating disease for the person giving the care, and care requirements only increase with the progression of the disease, and these much-needed services provide help where it wouldn’t otherwise be available.
To learn more about the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association, please visit their website.
MD Anderson
I know it may seem weird to donate money to a hospital in America, where health care is already exorbitantly expensive. However, MD Anderson is more than just a hospital. Located in Houston, TX, this hospital has been one of the top two hospitals for cancer care in the US for more than 25 years, and they are also one of the largest cancer centres in America.
This means that they not only provide top-of-the-line care with some of the most recent technologies available, but they also are at the forefront of cancer research. Their quest for less traumatic treatments has certainly had a positive effect on my family, and I’m happy to say that, despite recurrence, my family member that has been treated here is currently cancer-free.
To learn more about the mission of MD Anderson, please visit their website.
Girls Who Code
While photography is my passion, by degree, I am a software developer. I have spent years in the industry, progressing from being a graduate engineer up to being a senior software engineer. In those years — and especially while I was at university studying computer science — I have seen the great disparity that exists between men and women in the field. Yes, there are a lot of women that are successful developers, but there are a lot more women that are turning away from the field before they’ve given it a chance, resulting in many office environments that have around four men to every one woman.
Girls Who Code is an organisation that runs programs to try to increase women’s interest in the tech sector. They have found that the highest dropoff in interest in tech happens in women between 13-17, so that’s who they reach out to, run summer camps for, run after-school clubs for, and generally try to spur interest in. They are working for the long-term, spurring interest in the younger generation so they can be the tech leaders of tomorrow.
To learn more about the mission of Girls Who Code, please visit their website.
Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary
This one is a more local cause to me, and I’ve included it after visiting the Sanctuary and seeing the fantastic work that they do there. In recent years, wolfdogs — dogs that are part wolf — have become a more popular choice of pet for those in Canada. However, many people adopt these animals without realising how difficult they are to keep in a home — after all, they are partly wild dog — or they don’t realise what local restrictions there are on wolfdogs, and as a result they have to give them up.
This is where Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary stepped in. Founded in 2011, this sanctuary is not about breeding the perfect mix of wolfdog or anything like that. Instead, they take in displaced dogs and give them a home in which they can run and have a happy life, with the option of being adopted out (if they have the right temperament and a family that fits them). They concentrate on education about wolfdogs but are also passionate about the protection of wild wolves.
To learn more about the mission of the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary, please visit their website.
