Dwell with Dignity is a nonprofit devoted to assisting families struggling with poverty and homelessness by improving the conditions of their living situations. Made up of interior designers and volunteers, they believe people are affected by their surroundings and that living in a nurturing environment supported by good art and design makes a positive impact carried down to future generations. They create soothing, inspiring homes with quality furnishings, art, bedding, and kitchen supplies, and fill their pantries with food.

With the generosity of donors and help from dedicated volunteers, they are able to bring good design to those in need, and teach others creative and affordable ways to bring good design into their homes.

www.dwellwithdignity.org

Fragile X Syndrome is a serious mental impairment, causing severe cognitive or intellectual disabilities resulting from a single gene mutation. It is the most commonly inherited form of mental impairment, affecting one in every 4,000 men and one in every 6,000 women. Currently, there is no cure.

The goals of Families for Fragile X are to promote public awareness, provide family support for those afflicted by Fragile X, and to help fund scientific research leading to better treatments and finding a cure for Fragile X Syndrome. A portion of the proceeds goes to the University of California/Davis MIND Institute, one of the leading Fragile X clinical and research facilities, and the South Florida Fragile X Clinic, aimed at assisting those affected by this disease.

Camp Mati, with the help of Young Life, aims to bring children afflicted with cancer and their families together to provide a meaningful, fun family experience at Young Life’s Trail West. Located in the mountains of Buena Vista, Colorado, the camp offers amazing activities with the help of student volunteers from high school and college. This year, they hope to raise enough money to sponsor 32 families.

Young Life is a Christian Organization helping adolescents from all economic and cultural communities change their lives for a better future. Send donations to Young Life, Attention: Becky Cullum, 11300 N. Central Expressway, Ste. 600, Dallas, TX 75243. Please make checks payable to “Young Life” and note “Camp Mati” in the memo.

Joanne’s Raggedy Ann Club (JRAC), formerly the Raggedy Ann Club, is a non-profit organization co-founded by the late ­Joanne O. Murphy and Patricia J. Murphy to bring comfort to children in need around the world. Since 1997, JRAC has made and donated over 1,100 dolls to children at the National Institutes of Health’s Children’s Inn, the Chicago Police Department’s Operation Shining Star and Operation Santa for children of fallen police officers, the Greenhouse Shelter for victims of domestic violence, the Department of Women’s Justice Services for children whose mothers are incarcerated, the Tibetan Home of Hope for children who would otherwise be abandoned, and anywhere JRAC hears of children in need. Each doll reflects the diversity of each child who receives it and comes with prayers of hope and healing. For more information about JRAC, to join, make donations, or to start your own JRAC, visit Joanne’s Raggedy Ann Club

Chad and Jane Stephens met their two youngest children, Julie Wambui Stephens and Joseph Amani Stephens, in Kenya when they were babies. The Stephens family spent six months volunteering in to Kenya, where they met Julie and Joe. After a host of miracles and piles of forms, they were able to return to the US with Joe and Julie as fully adopted members of their family. Chad and Jane began Amani Children’s Foundation in 2004 to support children like Joe and Julie as they wait for their own families.

The Amani Children’s Foundation is committed to building dynamic partnerships as they raise awareness of the growing number of orphaned children in Sub-Saharan Africa. They are currently focusing on supporting the work of New Life Home Trust of Kenya. As Kenyan volunteers gather daily to care for these babies in Kenya, Amani volunteers gather in cities across America to support them from afar, making and selling jewelry from brightly colored ceramic and glass beads brought back from Kenya. Many families give “in honor of” ornaments at Christmastime to support a baby for the coming year.

Since 1993, New Life Homes has rescued over 1200 infants. Kenyan families have adopted nearly all the infants by their 2nd birthday. On a continent where adoption has been taboo, baby selling has been the norm, and child trafficking is ongoing, Kenyan families seeking legal adoption for an abandoned child is not only the miracle of a lifetime for their child; it has been a game-changer for children’s rights across the continent of Africa.

Because Amani is a volunteer-run organization, the overhead is very low. Donations go directly to Kenya, as do the proceeds of all purchases. Please learn more about them at www.amanichildren.org.