The What We Covet Holiday Gift Guide 2012, Part 18: A Gift to the World

I very firmly believe in giving back, and I feel it's necessary to put our best foot forward at all times, especially in the cold winter months when life can be especially hard on the needy, and donate whatever we can, be it time or money. With that in mind, I encourage you to find a local or national charity whose mission you can support. 

This year, my charity of note is the National Trust for Historic Preservation. They are dedicated to preserving and saving buildings and sites around the country that tell the story of who we are as a country. Some of their recent projects include advocating against the demolition of Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago, fighting to get Chimney Rock in Colorado designated as a national monument, and working to revitalize a significant African-American business district in Atlanta.

If you have any interest in supporting the National Trust, you can make a monetary donation or become a member of their organization. Their mission benefits everyone in America by bringing our past into the present and saving landmarks we can all enjoy.

I hope that you'll consider sending at least a little bit of money somewhere--if not to the National Trust, then to your own favorite cause, be it a soup kitchen, your local fire department, an aid group such as the Salvation Army, or someplace else entirely. (If you're looking for more ideas, consider taking a look at the White Envelope Project, a non-profit that can help you connect with a charity that suits you.)

Visit the National Trust at preservationnation.com!

-Cate-