I tried to think of a catchy one-liner for the header of this post and couldn’t come up with anything worthy. A child’s education, especially in the earliest years, is of the utmost importance. So when an organization can create a program that not only provides early education but also low-cost childcare and nutritional services to the children of low-income working families - I stand up and take note and somehow it just takes the sass right out of me.

It’s a great program - the children who attend Christina Kent Day Nursery know that they will not only be in a safe and nurturing environment, but also that they will be given healthy meals during their day to ensure that they can be at their best.

I have toured the facility and the staff takes great care in creating age-appropriate environments for the children. The two hot meals that the kids are served are not only nutritionally sound but they also try to introduce the children to fruits and vegetables that they might not otherwise get to taste due to the financial hardships that their families face.

It’s hard enough to find a good babysitter for that occasional outing, so finding a daycare facility that provides this level of service at a rate that low-income families can afford brings peace of mind to hard-working parents.

Please support them if you can.

We all know about Spring cleaning, but why not also do some cleaning as we move into Winter? You don’t even have to step into you closet for this one and can stay put in the kitchen chatting with friends.

Food banks in the Bay Area and across the nation are in dire need of donations and a quick cupboard cleaning could be the difference in one more family getting food for the holidays. Donate some of those unused canned goods by simply setting them in a barrel at your local grocery or dropping them off at your local food bank.

If you need help finding a local food bank, Feeding America will not only help you find one, but will also provide some additional information about this important topic.

If you want to give to some truly worthwhile charities without writing or check or even stepping outside the house then make Simple Giving your home page and you’ll be making a donation with each search you perform.

100% of the proceeds goes to worthy charities such as Nature Conservancy, Humane Society, UNICEF, American Cancer Society, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, United Way, and Amnesty International.

It’s a Google search that gives back thanks to the great team over at Simple Giving. So please spread the word and let people know how to change the world one search at a time!

Thanksgiving and turkey is just around the corner which means that December holidays are not too far behind. To start this holiday season out right, I am going use my daily posts for the next week to focus on some great non-for-profits that benefit children and families. This is not to say that I won’t continue to post about this topic after this week, but I wanted to get a bunch in while there is still ample time for one of them to become a favorite of yours as well. If any of these peak your interest, please take a closer look and see if they too can’t receive something from you as a gift this year.

If there is something that is close to your heart that I have missed, please leave a comment so that I can add it to my posts and get the word out!

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season.

If you’re looking for a fun program that promotes dual language (English and Spanish) then take a look at Boca Beth’s CDs and DVDs. The program will engage your children and expand their vocabulary in both languages.

Having a hard time deciding where to start? The beginner set has everything you’ll need to build a great foundation.

If you’d like to know more about Beth and her business, you can learn more about her by reading her blog.