Idea

Our family has been trying to think of ways to save money to help those who are less fortunate than us -here are some facts to wrap your brain around. Just in case you were having a day when you thought maybe you weren't so fortunate. 

*Of the six billion people on planet Earth, about 1.2 billion live on 23 cents a day. 

* Half the world lives on less than $2 a day. 

*  The wealthiest one billion people average $70 a day. (This places you and me in the upper, upper, upper percentages of the global population.) 

•  If you make $35,000 annually, you are in the top four percent. 

• If you make $50,000 annually, top one percent. 

* Someone dies of hunger every 16 seconds. 

*  Twenty-two million people died of preventable diseases last year; 10 million were children.

*  Twenty-seven million children and adults are trapped in slavery because of economic crisis (sex slaves, labor slaves, child soldiers, and child slaves). More slaves exist today than ever before in human history.

*  More than 143 million children in the world have been orphaned or abandoned (equivalent to more than half the population of the U.S.). 

In the last hour: 

•  More than 1,600 children were forced to the streets by the death or abuse of an adult. 

• At least 115 children became prostitutes. 

•  More than 66 children younger than 15 years of age were infected with HIV.7 

*  Roughly one billion people in the world do not have suitable housing, and 100 million are entirely homeless. 

So, just a start for our family. We are on a cash system here and we pay cash for most of all our daily expenses. I have begun to keep our change every time I pay cash for something and I don't use that change for anything else. (Unless, of course, I am in desperate need of a diet dr. pepper and I have to use it for a vending machine) I come home and put it in a can and save it. We also put any change we find around the house, in pockets, in drawers and add it to the can. Basically, if I find anything laying around - it goes in the can. 

It is almost full and we just started. I will let you know how much we "saved" and now we are praying about who we will give it too. Also, find a bank that will sort your change - that Coinstar thing takes too much of your money for itself to count your change. Or, better yet, teach your kids how to count and roll the change. ( I haven't done that in forever, I used to love to do that when I was younger.)

Any ideas y'all have out there??