As anyone in Cleveland can tell you, the nation’s troubled economy has hit our region especially hard. Our unemployment rate is among the highest in the country. Many large corporations have exited the northeast Ohio area over the last several years, taking with them precious job opportunities for Clevelanders. More people are in need today than ever before. Thankfully there is no shortage of charitable organizations out there willing to help. So it can sometimes be difficult to know where your donation can do the most good.

That’s why I decided to support United Way of Greater Cleveland this year. They work with hundreds of agencies to make sure funds are distributed according to where the need is the greatest. They take the guesswork out of it. And they know that our contributions are made stronger when we band together and combine our resources.

United Way’s job isn’t easy. Now more than ever people are turning to them for help. From 2008 to 2009, they saw 15,000 more calls come in from people needing essential resources to live such as food, shelter and clothing. They depend on the generosity of the community to answer the call and meet these basic needs.

If there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that Clevelanders don’t quit. Whether it’s the economy or a string of losses from our sports teams, we always find a way to pick up the pieces, help each other out, and look forward to a brighter tomorrow. Now that brings new meaning to the term Greater Clevelander. By supporting United Way, I’m helping make Greater Cleveland greater.

Please support United Way of Greater Cleveland, or your local United Way chapter. Visit www.unitedwaycleveland.org for more information.

This is a holiday story about an eight-year-old Twinsburg boy with cancer named Keyshaun Knox. And about his 25-year-old mother raising that boy the best she could. This is a holiday story about the night two men held that mother’s boyfriend at gunpoint and forced their way into the mother’s house. The men then stole over $3,000 of money raised to help Keyshaun battle his cancer. This is the story that I heard on my way to work, a week before Christmas. During the time that most of us are reflecting on what we are thankful for and the selfless act of giving, an 8-year-old cancer patient was being robbed of his future.

I was planning on donating to one.org for this year’s Change for $20 until I heard this story. So, I started my research. Keyshaun is living with a tumor by his skull, which is the product of his cancer. He has completed five weeks of radiation and ten weeks of chemotherapy. He still has 44 weeks of chemotherapy remaining. These procedures are not cheap.

I was pleased to see that a Brownies troop from Keyshaun’s elementary school had arranged to bring early Christmas presents to the family. I also read many news stories covering what had happened, though none of the articles mentioned how the public could contribute until I came across this article.

I hope that my donation will help enable Keyshaun to finish his treatments and continue growing as a healthy boy. I also hope this article causes one or more donations, or just encourages somebody to pay it forward in a different way. I know that I will be tracking Keyshaun’s progress and one day get to see him become a strong young man. A strong young man who may never know me… but I was able to help out.

Anyone who may have information on the robbery is asked to call investigators at 330-643-2131 or Crime Stoppers at 330-434-COPS (2677).

If you would like to donate to this family in need please contact BSG Credit Union, account number 168117.

As any Clevelander knows, Public Square has long been an area where homeless individuals gather. And with an economy that’s still in recovery, the homeless are more and more prevalent. This disturbing sight is what led Mark and I to pool our money together to provide some less-fortunate people a free lunch on us. With $40, we were able to purchase (10) 6-inch subs from the local Subway in the food court at Tower City.

As the Subway workers were preparing our unusual order, we explained what we were doing to Dehlia who was behind the counter. When she heard that we planned to give them away to the homeless, Dehlia was nice enough to throw in an extra sub.

With 11 subs in tow, Mark and I hit the streets in and around Public Square. As you can imagine, it wasn’t difficult to find hungry people in need of a little holiday kindness. Within 10 minutes, we were able to provide 11 people with lunch. While some seemed a little skeptical, the majority were unbelievably grateful to have something to eat.

A sandwich didn’t change their lives. But I hope it did provide a little more comfort on that cold afternoon. Visit http://www.thecitymission.org/ to learn how you can help the homeless in Cleveland.

There are approximately 6 million pregnancies each year in the U.S. Many expectant mothers are on their own, have pregnancy questions, need medical attention and have nowhere to turn. This could be due to lack of insurance, family support, or limited financial wherewithal. With 14% of the overall population and about 20% of children living in poverty, organizations such as Womankind are there to support the hundreds of thousands of pregnant women in need of assistance due to the economy or many other reasons. They offer assistance through a variety of services including pregnancy tests, prenatal care in their clinic, counseling, and goods such as maternity clothes along with referrals for legal assistance and adoption.

This year, I chose to make a donation to Womankind to support the expectant moms that rely on their services. My $20 bought 100 diapers, a pack of baby wipes, and five onesies. Because of my donation, I know there will be a baby with a dry, clean butt.

My choice to donate to Womankind was in honor of the women that make the difficult decision to carry out their pregnancies when they know it is not going to be an easy road. They may not have the resources to see a doctor. They don’t know how they’ll afford diapers or formula for their unborn child. They may even be contemplating giving up their child for adoption and need someplace to turn for help. I am thankful to the women that choose the gift of life and organizations such as Womankind for supporting and taking care of moms-to-be and the babies they will bring into the world.

I am able to tell you about Womankind today because of a brave woman that made the choice to give life and went down a difficult road including giving up her son for adoption. While it was not Womankind that she relied on, there was another, similar organization that helped her through this chapter in her life.

Thank you Chris. Thank you Womankind. And thank you to the many other similar organizations and expectant moms you support.

A smile is a powerful thing. As a parent, one of the best moments in life is when your baby smiles at you. It can make even the worst of days melt away. So when I came across Operation Smile, my $20 found its cause.

More than 200,000 children are born with a severe cleft condition each year. In many parts of the world, these children are hidden away, too embarrassed to attend school and face uncertain futures because their parents can’t afford to provide the surgery they need. Operation Smile provides free surgeries to help heal children’s smiles and bring hope for a better future.

Please watch the video* and then go to www.operationsmile.org to learn more about this amazing organization.

*My 10 yr old son was so moved by the video, he gave me $20 of his birthday money to add to the donation.

Being able to be protected from the winter elements is something I know I take for granted.  So many of us are blessed with a roof over our head, a coat, and blankets to keep us warm at night.  There are so many in our area that don’t have those basic luxuries.  My Changefor20 was buying 5 sets of fleece gloves and scarves for Project Hope, a homeless shelter in Lake County.  The shelter provides support, warm meals and a place to sleep for 35 individuals each night. I pray that all homeless individuals find a home, but for those who can’t, I hope that a few will be a little warmer and feel loved this holiday season.  You can learn more about Project Hope and how you can help by visiting projecthopeonline.org.

“Helping a child to become a reader is one of the greatest gifts that an adult can give, a gift that continues to pay dividends throughout the child’s life.” This was a quote from blog.firstbook.org. Statistics have proven that children who read or are read to have a higher probability of success later in life. This year I decided to use my $20 to donate books to a local Headstart Preschool program. The Headstart program is a comprehensive developmental program for income eligible children from 3-5 years of age.

Looks delicious, right?

That’s exactly what my taste buds and I thought as we were standing in line at the Starbucks on East 9th in downtown Cleveland. I was downtown because I had crafted my Change for $20 experience to be something like Operation Meter Fairy, where anyone with an expired or near-expired meter would be rescued from that dreaded fine. But for the sake of lawfulness, I decided against it, and bought one or two of everything in that bakery window.

And then I handed the treats out to anyone that looked like they might want one. A homeless man huddled in the corner of a building, a young woman with two little babies, an elderly person who seemed to be just wandering along the street, a man going through a garbage.

The reactions I received from each of them were oddly similar: sincerely thankful, delightfully surprised. No one hesitated or declined to take what I offered, and no one appeared to think I was distributing something poisonous or suspicious. Each encounter left me thinking that this should be something I do regularly– not necessarily giving a stranger a piece of blueberry crumb cake, but touching someone’s life in even the smallest way when they don’t expect it.

While my $20 did not go towards a universal cause like life-threatening illnesses or illiteracy, I know it made nine people smile.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have participated in Changefor20.com since it’s inception a couple holiday seasons ago. At that time, I had a friend whose nephew had recently lost his battle with cancer, and to say it had an effect on my life would be an understatement. My first and second donations were in Tyler’s honor to Prayers From Maria, a foundation that funds research in childhood brain cancer.

This year, I was planning on doing the same, until I saw this story (and ignore the ad, it’s only 15 or so seconds, and the story is totally worth it).

Aidan reminded me of Tyler in many ways; their types of cancers may have been different, but their spirits were the same. Ty was able to look past the cancer, just like Aidan is doing. Ty faced his cancer with such courage, and from what I can see, Aidan is facing his with the same amount of courage. And let’s be honest, any story that involves a child with cancer is an unbelievable tragedy. It’s one of those things that makes you question fate, and how it could be so cruel.

I knew that Ty’s family would understand if instead of donating my entire $20 to PFM, I purchased one of Aidan’s monsters, to help his family fight their monster. I chose Frankenstein, because he was able to overcome the monster within himself, just like Aidan is going to do.

Of course I still donated to PFM, it’s something that I know I will do every year, in honor of one little boy who amazed and impressed me in so many ways; the angel who will forever be 7-years old.

Ty Guy

The cold and drear of December is upon us, and another year has quickly passed before our eyes.

As we tire of reading year-end lists, traversing mall parking lots and shooting our eyes out, it’s also a good time to reflect on the year that has passed. And for all intents and purposes, 2010 was firmly in the good column.

I ate. I drank. I was merry. And for that, I am grateful. But I realize that for many young Clevelanders, they couldn’t say the same thing.

While there are many things to be hopeful about in Cleveland, the inner city is still poor and the food and educational offerings could be better. Thankfully, one organization is trying to combat that.

Take the plight of Veggie U, a non-profit based in Milan, Ohio, and the recipient of Bill No. IA77130475B:

Veggie U, the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization at the Culinary Vegetable Institute is committed to fostering a synergy between educational, nutritional, and agricultural goals to combat the rising epidemic of childhood obesity. Veggie U joined forces with top chefs, some of the area’s finest educators, a nutritionist and a local physician to see how we could impact this challenge.

The mission of Veggie U is to promote the well-being of children through a healthy lifestyle.  Veggie U is dedicated to the creation and distribution of curricula nationally, with a focus on making wise food choices, combating adolescent and juvenile disease, and attaining an understanding of sustainable agriculture.

In short, Veggie U is currently helping young Clevelanders learn about eating healthy, sustainable agriculture and combating preventable adolescent diseases. If successful, the program hopes to become national in scope.

I learned about Veggie U through my wonderful, generous parents, as well as the fine writing of Michelle Venorsky over at the Cleveland Foodie blog.

If you are interested in donating to Veggie U, follow the instructions on Michelle’s latest blog post on Veggie U. If you do so before Dec. 23, you can score some amazing gifts from the finest chefs and restaurants in Cleveland.

Flickr photo courtesy of oceandesetoiles