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Charity Begins at Home: Starting Tomorrow

Mr. G and I give generously to charity. Other people give more, obviously other people will always give more, we’re not Broads but we give what we can and sometimes a little more that what’s comfortable not because it makes us feel good but because it’s the right thing to do. We like doing the right thing.

Since I have the incredible privilege of you I’m carefully evaluating how I will give over the course of the next few months, perhaps year. After mulling it through I’ve decided that charity will begin at home. In my personal life I’ll be giving to nonprofits in and around Los Angeles and professionally I’ll be partnering with nonprofits close to home. It’s not a xenophobic move. I’ve loved the work that Epic Change does and in addition to personally supporting them my daughter has brought her entire school on board donating larger amounts from an entire school’s population. I know that my friends travel and some of the needs overseas speak to their hearts, charities form and blossom.

At this moment in time there are 84,000 homeless people in Los Angeles. For many of you there aren’t 84,000 people in your town.

Today a refugee family arrived in Los Angeles. They fled a country they once loved and came to America not knowing the customs, the language or how to get a job.

Dogs and cats are dying right now because our shelters are past capacity.

I can’t bring myself to talk about the dismal state of affairs in Los Angeles’ schools.

So after having resolved to give locally I hopped on the phone with my friend Surfer Luke. I’m looking to buy a stand up paddle board and I thought I’d ask him to help me pick through some of what I see on craigslist. Luke directed me to his sister’s paddleboard that she just had custom made and told me the price tag (not outrageous) and then as we talked he told me a bit about the 65k paddle she’s about to do across Lake Ontario to raise money for the MS foundation in Canada in memory of her cousin Sam.

Since Luke had told me before about their cousin Sam I knew that the loss was both tragic and fresh.

So starting next week charity begins at home, because I couldn’t look at this particular board and not give.

What’s your favorite local charity? How do they touch your heart and your hometown?