Santa's Slave Shops - Another great reason to shop at Amazon for Christmas

When You Buy Christmas Gifts, Do You Ever Give Thought to Where They Came From?

Tis the season for giving, but not everyone receives...

If you live in the U.S., you're aware of programs that help needy families around the Christmas season. Not only are there programs to help around the Holidays, but there are programs to help families year round.

I'm extremely grateful that such programs are available, but others aren't so lucky. Have a look at the working conditions that people in poverty deal with in China.... Thought slavery was over with? Not really.. It's supposedly over in the U.S., but that's also up for debate.

Now I know we like our bells and whistles, and millions of people choose to turn a blind eye to this issue, but there are people out there who are just like you or I, who live this utterly horrific and dismal reality.

While we're busy enjoying time around our carefully decorated Christmas tree, giving and receiving gifts with that great holiday feeling, others are are suffering from long hours of working, malnourishment, and lack of medical aid.

Some may say it's their fault they're in this situation. - I beg to differ. If they new better, they would do better.

The reason I'm bringing this topic up is because we can all help by doing what we do best at Christmas time... and that is (drum roll please) - Shop. Shop at Amazon Smile to be exact. Amazon Smile is exactly the same as Amazon. The only difference is that they donate 0.5% of the purchase price to your choice of a charitable organization, like Big Tree International (an organization that helps families in poverty). The other awesome thing about it is that it doesn't cost you anything for the contribution. Just simply shop at smile.amazon.com and a percentage of your purchase will go to a charitable organization of your choice.

I feel that not only should giving be for friends, and family, but giving can also be for people who so desperately need it, like the people in this video.

I'm not one for just giving handouts. I don't like to see the seeds I've planted not be watered. I want to help people, not just give them something. They have to learn how to get things they need on their own. This is why I advocate for programs like Big Tree International. They not only provide aid, but they work on helping families become more self-sufficient.

I'm sure there are some other awesome organizations you can contribute to. This is just on in particular that I feel passionate about.

We can't save the world, but a small change can make a big difference one dollar at a time.