Time to Give Back: The Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC)

Last month, I talked about my desire to start a new series on the blog where a new charity or organisation would be featured in the hope of raising awareness to certain causes. For now I am calling it Time to Give Back as I am struggling to find a catchier name that really expresses the goal of my project. Now for July, I struggled to choose one organisation because there are so many worthy ones, but I ended up choosing the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC).

The main reason behind my decision is that I was very inspired after watching a documentary on Netflix called Blackfish. I will not go in too many details about the film (I might do a review later), but it talks about killers whales being held in captivity and the deep impact captivity has on these beautiful animals. I know there are other charities that solely focus on orcas but other mammals like dolphins are also held in captivity and the current state of our oceans also deserve to be mentioned.

This is why I chose WDC, an international organization that fights for the protection of whales, dolphins and their environment. Over the years, the WDC has help bring their vision to life by advising on policies, campaigning, rescuing and creating conservation project all to protect these beautiful animals. You can read more about what the organisation stands for and their achievements here. 

I believe that protecting whales and dolphins is incredibly important, not only are they extremely intelligent, protecting them and their environment also means we are protecting our oceans. Letting nature be is primordial and when environments are protected, then fish and sea mammals can live freely and underwater ecosystems can start to thrive again.

You can make a donation to the WDC on their website and you can also support the organisation by adopting a whale. I highly suggest you have a look at their website to learn more about the issues at stake here. Also, every donation counts, even small contributions can make a different when you put them all together. This article merely suggests a cause I am passionate about, but finding ways to help the world is always a very gratifying thing to do. 

Picture credits: WDC website

Time to Give Back: The Red Cross and the Nepal Earthquake

I have been thinking for quite some time now to start a new series on the blog. I wanted to create something meaningful to inspire everyone to show gratitude for all the good things in their lives, but also to inspire people to give back to those less fortunate. So every month I plan on introducing a new charity to the blog, share their work and shed light on issues and people that could use our help. I don’t have a name for it the series yet so feel free to live your suggestions and favorite charities in the comment section below. 

Giving money to charity is something I believe most of us think about, but we discourage ourselves from doing it by thinking along the lines of: “how are a few dollars going to make a difference?” However if a thousand people each give five dollars, the results will be a tangible five thousand dollars that can have a huge impact on different issues and disaster stricken communities and countries. I know this is something we hear all the time, but I feel like we are not fully conscious of it, which is why I want to raise awareness.

I know my blog does not have a huge following, but if only a few of you are touched and decide to take action, I will have achieved my goal. You can also share these posts so the message spreads and hopefully we can make a difference in the world together.

For June I have decided to donate money to the Red Cross to help with the earthquake in Nepal. I already donated in May, but the damages were so great and the need ever so present that I believe it is important to continue to think of the Nepalese. It is always great to see people coming together as soon as a natural disaster occur, however countries still need funds not only to help with immediate relief, but also to help in the long term as they work to rebuild the cities. People need access to water, medical care and shelter and without the monsoon season approaching all the help they can get will be useful.

I chose the Red Cross because they are a reliable organisation that is not only one of the first to arrive on site, but their efforts continue long after the journalists and news agencies have moved on to other things. After donating you can sign up to receive updates on the situation in Nepal and learn how your donation has helped people.

It is also worthy to note that some countries decide to match donations made to the Red Cross (for a certain period of time), essentially doubling the original amount you gave. This means that your generosity is valued and that small amount is allowed to turn into something bigger without having to make any efforts. Lastly, don’t forget to print the tax receipt that will be emailed to you, it will be of some help to you when you need to fill out your income taxes.

So this month, instead of buying a coffee or a cupcake I encourage you to donate whatever you can to the Red Cross to help with the Nepal earthquake relief, I promise it’ll bring you a lot more joy. Obviously the more the better, but every small donation will amount to something great that will make a dramatic difference in the lives of people suffering from this current tragedy. 

The Red Cross has many international website so you can easily find the one for your country. You can find the Canadian website here and the American one here. You can also read more about the Canadian Red Cross efforts in Nepal here.

Picture Credits: Canadian Red Cross Website