After spending all last week proofing and fact checking like a whirling word dervish, I ran across a ton of worthy causes that wanted my money. And so I found myself giving $5 here and $10 there, then this Sisters of the Road email dropped in my inbox and there went $50. The reason I bring this up is because it's a VERY effective email (take note, writers of money-wanting emails) and a terrific cause:

Dear Friend,
Have you been down to Sisters’ Cafe yet this winter? Inside, you'll find a sweet cure on a cold, stormy day. In here, families can sit down together and kids can play safely in an area made especially for them. Warm plates of delicious, nutritious food complement the friendly smiles and open-hearted conversations that happen at any given moment. People connect with each other in genuine relationships, so rare in our lives today. For 33 years, families that experience isolation, hunger and painful poverty have been able to find relief for a little while, sharing feelings of love and contentment in a place that embraces them – Sisters of the Road. Your donation during our Together at the Table challenge match helps ensure we can continue to warm the hearts and nourish the bodies of our hungry community members.

You might think “what can my donation do to help solve such large problems?” The answer is: a lot, especially during Together at the Table! Your gift can support:
$20 – one month’s worth of cornmeal for our daily fresh-baked cornbread
$50 – a week’s worth of milk
$100 – one month’s worth of chicken
Until midnight on December 31, donations from returning donors are matched 50 cents on the dollar, while new donors are matched $1.50 for each dollar. A new donor’s gift of $50 becomes $125!

Your donation will go far to feed hungry children and families in Sisters' Cafe. A well-fed child can sleep better, perform better in school, and cope better with life’s circumstances. You can make change happen. Thank you,
From all of us at Sisters of the Road

Cash poor? Blanket rich? From now until January 13 Buffalo Exchange is accepting coat and blanket donations at both of their locations (1420 SE 37th, 1036 W Burnside) for the Portland Rescue Mission. I can think of three blankets sitting, unloved and full of ennui, in my closet at home.

And let's not forget your yearly reminder to use the political tax credit of $50—which allows people who donate up to $50 to a political action committee (PAC) to knock that amount, dollar for dollar, off their taxes. I like to switch it up but the Bus Project counts, as does Basic Rights Oregon. There's so many more too. But you only have until December 31 to donate.