Okay, team, it’s time to get serious.  By now, many of you know the drill:  I’m giving 50 cents per comment to a different charity every day this week.  Then, tomorrow, I’m going to choose five finalists from the charities that you all nominate in the comments, and will set up a poll to see what organization should get a final $50 donation.  Full explanation is here.

The Internet has been really quiet this week, and I am NOT EVEN CLOSE to the absolute maximum donation I’d established in my head.  So I’m still accepting comments on Monday’s and Tuesday’s posts.  That means, if you are just joining us, that you can donate $1.50 to charity, for free, just by commenting on all three posts.  (Monday here, Tuesday here.)  Please forward widely, link to this if you’re so inclined, twitter it, etc.  I really like the idea of a huge number of people learning something about these organizations, and the organizations getting some small-but-significant donations in return.

Today’s featured organization is The Night Ministry, which I also featured last year.

night ministry

The Night Ministry is a non-denominational organization providing a variety of services to people living in poverty, particularly homeless youth and adults. They have, among other things, a traveling health bus that gives free medical care on a regular schedule to homeless folks in several Chicago neighborhoods. They provide meals and counseling and a consistent, friendly face for youth living on the streets, and help them get off the streets.

In their words:

The Night Ministry serves a wide range of individuals who share circumstances of poverty and the inability to afford and access essential services. No matter their age, mainstream society often ignores or casts aside those we serve. The more isolated a person is, the less likely they are to access services.

Among those we serve are:
- homeless and runaway youth
- homeless adults
- working poor adults
- uninsured and underinsured individuals seeking medical assistance
- individuals who lack access to or distrust of traditional systems of healthcare
- children living in public housing who need a place to gather in safety
- individuals struggling with substance abuse and mental illness
- the chronically lonely
- others who have “fallen through the cracks” of our social service system.

So, help ‘em out! Start commenting! Share widely! Nominate your own favorite charitable organiations!

And, as always, thanks.