With the time here once again for the Give!Local program, which runs Nov. 1-Dec. 31, I would like to call out to everyone how important this program is for the western mountain area.
I have always donated to charities that were close to my heart, and they were all national programs. Then I started to research where all the funding went, and I was shocked to see that a lot of big, national programs had a lot of money going to advertising and bureaucracy, an extraordinary amount going to pay the president’s or chairman’s salaries! Four hundred thousand dollars to a certain one that I was giving to and many others well over $100,000.
Then after moving to AVL several years ago, I decided to look into the local charities and found that all of the monies raised go to actually helping the subject of the charity. So I ask you all now to give generously to whatever local charity that piques your interests, be it wild animals, humanitarian reform, the environment or our beloved pets.
I myself am also a volunteer with the Wild for Life Raptor Rehabilitation Center, which deals with rehabbing injured or orphaned hawks, owls, vultures and even some songbirds. These organizations also need, besides monetary help, volunteering help. Check out wildforlife.org for more information. And let’s donate to Give!Local and keep our funds in our region.
— Bern Sroka
Asheville
