Support a Charity, Change the World

By Mike Macauley July 11, 2010 Shur'tugal 31 Comments

This post was originally a call to action to support the Harry Potter Alliance, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to healing the world by preventing genocide, illiteracy, and violations of civil rights. Thanks to the tens of thousands of fans around the world who rallied to the HP Alliance’s support, they are now the winners of $250,000 to help further their efforts.

However, the HP Alliance wasn’t the only brilliant organization or charity competing for the grand prize. Dozens of groups from around the world competed to place in the top five; most notable was the Kristin Brooks Hope Center, an organization which operates the Hopeline, a national free, confidential, and twenty-four-hour hotline for suicide prevention. Please continue reading this news post to learn more about these amazing organizations and what you can do to support them.The Harry Potter Alliance

The HPA uses themes from the Harry Potter novels to get people of all ages interested in world issues–a “Dumbledore’s Army for the real world,” if you will. Some of our campaigns include Accio Books, our annual book drive, which has collected more than 50,000 books in the last two years benefiting community centers in the Mississippi Delta region and a youth village in Rwanda; and Helping Haiti Heal, a huge multi-fandom effort bringing together HP fans, YouTubers, and many other fandoms and raising $123,000 for disaster relief in Haiti. Many of us are MASSIVE fans of Eragon.

The Harry Potter Alliance is responsible for:

  • Work with partner NGOs in alerting the world to the dangers of global warming, poverty, and genocide.
  • Work with our partners for equal rights regardless of race, gender, and sexuality.
  • Encourage our members to hone the magic of their creativity in endeavoring to make the world a better place.

The Harry Potter Alliance has also won direct praise and respect from JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, who has said: “I am honoured and humbled that Harry’s name has been given to such an extraordinary campaign, which really does exemplify the values for which Dumbledore’s Army fought in the books.”

You can learn more about the Harry Potter Alliance, including ways to support the organization by pledging time, resources, or purchasing one of their awesome pieces of merchandise, at www.thehpalliance.org.

The Kristin Brooks Hope Center

Since the suicide of his wife Kristin in April 1998, KBHC Founder Reese Butler has been on a personal crusade. His mission the past 11 years has been to offer HOPE and the option to LIVE to those in the deepest emotional pain.

While the idea of a suicide hotline is not a new one, the challenge of creating a national network and connecting our country’s crisis centers under a single, easy-to-remember, toll-free telephone was a daunting task. Heretofore, neither government agencies nor non-profit organizations had ever attempted such a project.

People in crisis generally don’t have the energy or ability to take on a long search for help. When those looking for support dial 1.800.SUICIDE they are seamlessly connected to an available certified crisis center nearest to their calling location. While it’s seemingly a simple concept, the Network is elegant and effective when put into action. Behind the scenes there are significant computer and telephony infrastructures working in concert to provide help within 20 to 30 seconds of a call being placed.

Support from across the country helps KBHC achieve its mission to prevent suicide and educate people about depressive disorders. Support efforts.

You can learn more about the Kristin Brooks Hope Center and the Hopeline by visiting their website: www.hopeline.com. Additionally, we hope that you may consider making a donation of any amount to their amazing organization. And remember, if you ever need help, the team behind Hopeline is there for you.