Feature photo/Photo above: lululemon athletica

Whether you’re a hardcore biker or curious about walking a 5k, here are 50 charity events around the globe that’ll up your mojo and tone your quads.

WALK

Alzheimers

1. Alzheimer Association’s Memory Walk (US)

Memory Walk is the US’s largest nationwide walk to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimers.

Arthritis

2. Arthritis Foundation Walk (US)

Funds raised help find a cure for the most common source of disability in America. Volunteer or start a team.

Autism

3. Autism Research Walk Now for Autism Speaks (US + Canada)

Large grassroots autism fundraiser raising millions of dollars per year. Walks take place in the US and Canada.

Breast Cancer

4. Avon 2 Day Walk (US)

Walk 39 miles in two days to raise money for breast cancer screening, support and treatment. Nine cities around the US are holding the event.

Photo by: {just jennifer}

5. Susan Komen 3 Day Walk (US)

Kick the walk intensity up with the Susan Komen foundation’s 3 day, 60 mile walk. Join a local group or organize your own chapter and rally around breast cancer survivors and families.

6. Walk to Empower: Breast Cancer Support Today (US)

Walk to Empower commemorates and remembers breast cancer survivors and loved ones on Mother’s Day. The walk takes place in 16 cities around the US but also features a virtual walk for people in other areas.

Cancer

7. America Cancer Society Relay for Life (US)

Relay for Life raises money for cancer research, celebrates survivors, and remembers family and friends lost to cancer.

Cystic Fibrosis

8. Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides Walk (US)

The Great Strides Walk is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s largest event of the year. 2009’s nationwide walk raised $35 million dollars to support CF programs.

Diabetes

9. America’s Walk for Diabetes (US)

Events around the country build community and fight the disease that affects 1 out of every 16 Americans.

Disabilities

10. Easter Seals’ Walk with Me (US)

The Easter Seals partner walkers with an Easter Seals Ambassador, an adult or child with disabilities. Walkers meet their ambassador before the event and exchange photos and stories leading up to the event.

Down’s Syndrome

11. Buddy Walk (US)

Buddy Walk celebrates Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October. The walk promotes the acceptance and inclusion of people with Down’s Syndrome.

Drunk Driving

12. Walk like MADD (US)

Walks around the US benefit the cause of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Heart Disease

13. American Heart Walk (US)

This is the American Heart Association’s signature event. Join teams across the nation to raise awareness and funds for heart disease.

HIV/AIDS

14. Aids Walk (US)

The Aids Walk of Orange County project, the National Aids Walk Directory, lists over 70 Aids walks throughout the US.

Infant Health

15. Walk America (US)

Walk America, the March of Dimes fundraiser, raises money for research and community programs designed to prevent birth defects, low birth weight and infant death.

Cheering on. Photo by- FaceMePLS

Juvenile Diabetes

16. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk to Cure (US)

Walk in over 200 locations to raise funds for juvenile diabetes research. Last year the foundation raised more than 80 million dollars for diabetes research.

Kidney Disease

17. National Kidney Foundation Walk (US)

The NKF walk’s primary purpose is to encourage people to understand the importance of early detection in kidney disease. The walk also raises funds for research and aid for kidney disease sufferers.

Liver Disease

18. Liver Life Walk (US)

Tens of thousands of people participate every year in Liver Life Walk, the largest fundraising event for liver disease.

Lung Cancer

19. American Lung Association Lung Walk (US)

Join a Lung Walk in one of the eleven cities or start your own and raise funds for the American Lung Association.

Lupus

20. Walk with Us to Cure Lupus (US)

Walk with US to Cure Lupus coordinates dozens of walks around the US. 100% of raised funds go to medical research.

Multiple Sclerosis

21. Walk MS (US)

Join over 600 walks and hundreds of thousands of people across the US to raise funds for multiple sclerosis research.

22. MS Challenge (US)

MS Challenge is a walk-a-thon over two to three days and thirty to 50 miles. Walkers are provided with training assistance and fundraising advice. If you don’t feel like walking, MS Challenge also welcomes support volunteers.

Suicide Prevention

23. Out of the Darkness Community Walks (US)

Join thousands of people across the US to raise money to fund suicide prevention programs, support families and friends affected by suicide loss, and increase national awareness about depression and suicide.

BIKE

Affordable Housing

24. Bike and Build (US)

Bike and Build organizes several cross-country events to raise money to benefit affordable housing organizations planned and executed by young adults..

Arthritis

25. California Coast Classic (US)

525 mile, 8 day tour from San Francisco to Los Angeles in September benefitting the Arthritis Foundation

Ataxia

26. Ride Ataxia (US)

Ride Ataxia benefits the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance, an organization researching a cure for the debilitating neuro-muscular disorder.

Breast Cancer

Photo by- tibchris

27. Bike 4 Breast Cancer (US)

Bike 4 Breast Cancer coordinates local and cross-country events to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research.

Cancer

28. Lance Armstrong Foundation Livestrong Challenge (US)

The Livestrong challenge hosts walking, running, and biking challenges. The challenge cities in 2010 will be Seattle, San Jose, Philadelphia, and Austin.

Children’s Camps

29. Team Hole in the Wall (US)

Team Hole in the Wall is a grassroots organization that raises funds for Hole the Wall camps, the world’s largest family of camps for children with life-threatening illnesses.

Climate Change

30. Ride for Change (Australia)

This is Perth, Australia’s largest mass, free bike ride to raise awareness for climate change.

Diabetes

31. Tour de Cure (US)

Tour de Cure is a series of cycling events across 43 US states. Over 40,000 cyclists in 2009 raised $17 million for the American Diabetes Association.

HIV/AIDS

32. Aids/Life Cycle: Ride to End Aids (US)

Seven day bike ride in June through sweet California coast scenery, from San Francisco to LA. Aids/Life cycle is co-supported by the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS foundation

Juvenile Diabetes

33. Ride to Cure Juvenile Diabetes (US)

Ride to Cure benefits the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The program trains bikers for events across the US and supports their fundraising efforts.

Lung Disease

34. Big Ride Across America (US)

7 weeks cycle bike ride from Seattle to Washington, D.C. to benefit American Lung Association research and advocacy.

Multiple Sclerosis

Photo by: Finding Josephine

35. Bike the US for MS (US)

Check out Matador’s own Bike the US for MS photo essay for a pictorial explanation of the team’s ride across the US to raise funds for MS research.

36. Bike MS (US)

Visit the Bike MS: National MS Society site for more than 100 easy to challenging ride around the US.

37. Rona MS Bike Tour (Canada)

Over 10,000 Canucks participate in one and two day events from June through September across Canada to raise money for MS.

Parkinsons Disease

38. David Phinney Foundation events (US)

The David Phinney Foundation keeps a calendar on their website of bike/walk/run events across the US that beneft Parkinson’s Disease.

RUN

Arthritis

39. Joints in Motion (US)

Similar to Team to End Stroke, Joints in Motion is offers a virtual training program for beginning and experienced walkers and runners. Again, if you meet their fundraising minimum, your trip is on them.

Breast Cancer

40. Race for the Cure (US)

The Susan Komen foundation’s Race for the Cure coordinates 5ks around the US to benefit breast cancer research and awareness.

Cancer

41. Terry Fox Run (Canada + World)

In 1980, Terry Fox set out to run across Canada for cancer awareness. In 1977 he had been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, leading to the amputation of his right leg. Beginning in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Terry Fox ran, with an artificial right leg, the equivalent of a marathon everyday for 143 days. Along the way, he became more and more celebrated and used his public platform to raise awareness for cancer.  He died nine months later from the disease.

Now, Canada and other organizers around the world host an annual Terry Fox Run. For more information on the annual September Canadian run, visit the Terry Fox website.

42. Team ACS (US)

The American Cancer Society website lists a slew of runs benefitting the ACS. Check out their page to find an event in your area.

Dan you rock. Photo by- thelastminute

Deaf Children

43. NDCS events (UK and World)

NDCS offers a collection of UK running events on their website. They also organize global treks and bike rides for the cause.

Diabetes

44. Canadian Diabetes Association Team Diabetes (Canada + World)

Team Diabetes trains walkers and runners for everything from marathons to short distances. In addition to events in Canada, there are international destinations such as Athens, Reykjavik, and Honolulu with additional hiking events in places like the Grand Canyon.

Hospice

45. National Hospice Foundation Run to Remember (US)

Run to Remember is a national training program that will help volunteers pick a race, decide on a pace, and train to support hospice care.

Leukemia and Lymphoma

46. Team in Training

The Team in Training program is a huge charity sports training program benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Our own Abbie Mood has run two marathons with Team in Training.

47. Walt Disney World Marathon (US)

One of the biggest marathons in conjunction with the Team in Training program is the Walt Disney World Marathon. Yes, it’s corporate, but each year the marathon raises more than 7 million dollars for the foundation. Plus, you get to run your 26.2 miles through all four theme parks.

75 year old marathoner. Photo by- SpecialKRB

Liver Disease

48. Liver Life Challenge (US)

Liver Life Challenge is another training program. LLC coordinates with the American Liver Foundation to provide training and support for half-marathon and marathon runners. Race entry is guaranteed!

Stroke

49. Team to End Stroke (US)

The American Heart Association’s Team to End Stroke is a five month training program for marathon and half-marathon walkers and runners. They offer nutrition and training guidance, even paying for your trip to your chosen event if you meet the fundraising minimum.

Water

50. Run for Water (World)

Run for Water is a series of 6K runs and walks happening in 192 countries within a 24 hour period. (Date for 2010 is April 18.) The event, which includes concerts and other activities, hopes to raise awareness for the water crisis. For more information on the water crisis, visit Matt Scott’s piece detailing 40 Shocking Facts about Water. For a little perspective, read Julie Schwietert’s article on the Kilimanjaro cake walk for clean water.

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More marathons…

Looking for more marathons? Check out marathonrookie.com’s extensive list, organized by month.

Community Connection

For cycling tips and articles visit Matador’s Cycling Focus Page. Into more unusual rides? Check out this list of quirky bike rides across the US.

Know of/participated in other walk/bike/run events? Share the link and any info below. Any advice for future walkers/bikers/runners?

Photo by The Sapling Project/Feature Photo by danchitnis

Mumbai is home to millions of people, and just as many causes.

Voice

Voice works with street children who work menial jobs around the city and are forced out of school at an early age. Voice gives them the opportunity to continue learning through various formal and informal educational programs.

Classes are conducted at railway stations (where most street kids congregate, either to beg or work) and at four in-house centers. There, children are taught the 3 Rs – reading, writing, and arithmetic – as well as basic life skills and vocational training. Since most of the kids work, they are also taught basic banking.

Volunteers are needed for teaching, conducting workshops, and leading field trips. The foundation also welcomes donations and student sponsorship. For more information on how you can help, log on to the Voice website.

Reality Cares

Reality Cares works towards providing quality education and vocational training to disadvantaged children and young adults living in Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum.

The foundation works with a partner, Reality Tours & Travel, an ethical travel company, which conducts Dharavi tours, and currently runs a kindergarten for young kids and workshops for young adults at the local community center. Programs include life skills and vocational training, plus English lessons and basic computer skills.

Reality Cares asks for a minimum three month commitment from volunteers. Volunteers are needed for teaching assignments, creating curricula for various classes, designing and implementing computer modules, and marketing activities.

Photo by Raveesh Vyas

Knowledge of Hindi is advantageous, but not necessary. For more information on volunteer opportunities with Reality Cares, head here, and to make donations, here.

In Defense of Animals (IDA)

In Defense of Animals was founded in October 1996 to protect distressed animals in the city. The foundation takes in abandoned, injured, and abused animals and provides them with shelter, regular medical attention, and care.

IDA is also actively involved in promoting animal rights (through various school and college programs), as well as lobbying for improvement in India’s animal protection laws.

If you’re interested in helping, you can sign up for animal care duties at the center or administrative and marketing activities (this includes awareness drives, handling adoption procedures, and conducting post-adoption follow-ups).

You can also sponsor an animal currently living in the shelter; make a donation to IDA; or adopt an animal. In case of international adoptions, IDA helps with necessary paperwork and the required 3 month quarantine period.

The Sapling Project

The Sapling Project is the brain child of two Mumbai natives who wanted to address the city’s dwindling green cover. While most green drives in the city focus on parks and forested areas, this duo decided to take greenery to apartment blocks and office complexes.

The idea was to provide citizens with free saplings they could plant, monitor, and maintain around their localities. What began as a small initiative transformed into a local movement after some social media exposure; it mobilized citizens to address a critical local issue.

Today, the Project is active in various Indian metros. You can participate in planting projects or sponsor saplings to a project. Sign up on the project website for participation details and updates. Donations are also accepted.

Rang De

Rang De is a platform that helps small scale entrepreneurs achieve financial independence through microcredit facilities across the country. They hope to make a big impact with small loans.

Rang De’s Mumbai chapter supports micro-enterprises across Maharashtra, with typical businesses being tailoring, weaving, and embroidery units, manufacturing household products (including food), eateries, and animal husbandry.

Rang De social investors are provided with online accounts on the Rang De website through which they can track their investments, repayments, and growth of the supported enterprise. Investors also receive regular email notification regarding account activity. Rang De also organizes field trips every quarter for interested investors, allowing them to see micro-credit at work.

In addition to investors, Rang De also welcomes volunteers with backgrounds in film making, content editing and developing applications for various Rang De projects. Sign up here to invest in a micro-enterprise; for other information, contact Rang De at info@rangde.org.

Community Connection

If you are interested in volunteering opportunities around the world, visit Matador’s Volunteering Abroad Focus Page.

The largest JW Marriott resort in the world / All photos by author

Last month, my wife and I spent two nights at the recently opened (as of late January this year) JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. Our lodging and meal costs were comped.

This place is massive. There are 1,002 rooms, 85 of which are suites.

Big, empty event room

The “executive suite” we stayed in had as much square footage as our house, I’m pretty sure, and featured a giant dead space in the sitting room that could’ve served as a mini square dance area.

Add to that a couple 40,000sqft “ballrooms,” some 20 smaller (but still enormous) meeting/conference rooms, three wedding/event venues, a 26,000sqft spa, a waterpark, half a dozen restaurants, hallways of shops and cafes, and two 18-hole golf courses.

It is the largest JW Marriott resort in the world.

So when I saw them also proudly pushing their “Greenitiatives” (an unfortunate neologism I hope doesn’t catch on elsewhere) on their website, I knew what my junket would focus on. I mean, all else aside, the idea that a golf course of any size, one hole or 36, could be “green” is bullshit.

What I found during my stay, however, was that not all of these — okay, fine — “Greenitiatives” were totally contrived. And, given the land development alternatives in the region, signing off on the resort might have been the city council’s way of making the best out of an inevitably bad situation.

The centerpiece “Greenitiative”

Golf is what it’s about. The resort’s two 18-hole courses make up the private TPC San Antonio club and will host PGA Tour tournaments. I don’t know what that means.

But I do know golf greens are on par with Superfund sites in terms of toxicity, a result of all the chemicals used to keep the grass nice and pretty and green.

And these courses I’m sure are no exception. In fact, we saw signs along the greens warning of pesticide contamination.

But TPC San Antonio’s 36-hole complex does differ from the standard golf course in other ways. It’s built over a shield of 75,000 cubic yards of impervious clay that largely keeps the contaminated water from seeping into the earth below.

It features a closed-loop irrigation system that captures irrigation and rainwater runoff, preventing it from leaving the course and recycling it for future irrigation use.

And there are monitoring stations at the entrance and exit of the local watershed to measure how much contamination is escaping the system via water that manages to pass through.

All this kinda puts TPC San Antonio out in front of golf “greenery,” if there is such a movement:

Scott Halty, director of resource protection for the San Antonio Water System, said he’s been unable to find another system like it anywhere in the country. Vernon Kelly, president of PGA Tour Golf Course Properties, said the system…goes far beyond anything the tour has installed at its 26 other Tournament Players Clubs.
Source: San Antonio Express News

Great. They’re trying. Why?

Author enjoying one of the heated pools

Green by necessity

San Antonio tap water is delicious. The bulk of it is pumped from the Edwards Aquifer, a subterranean network of porous limestone that traps and stores enough water to supply two million people.

The recharge zone for this aquifer — the area where water from precipitation and creek systems enters the ground — is spread over 1,500 square miles of the Texas Hill Country. And the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa, golf courses and all, sits on top of a sliver of that recharge zone.

The aquifer is an abundant but fragile artesian water source:

In most places, rain passes through layers of sand or gravel that act as natural filters before it enters the underground water supply. But over San Antonio’s recharge zone, a thin layer of grass and dirt has less ability to filter impurities.
Source: San Antonio Express News

This is why previous development proposals brought by the land’s owners, the Austin-based Lumbermen’s Investment Corp., were rejected by the city. They failed to provide adequate protection for one of San Antonio’s most essential natural resources.

The investment in the clay shield, closed-loop irrigation, and monitoring system, then, can be seen as a concession, the absence of which would have scuttled the entire project. You could call it an “Involuntary-Greenitiative” (amalgamate that!).

Another fundamental of Lumbermen’s proposal was that the entire 2,847-acre Cibolo Canyons Development (which includes the resort and golf courses as well as residential properties) cannot exceed 15% impervious cover.

This figure comes from studies showing that “the recharge zone’s natural ability to filter pollutants is compromised when the area covered by streets and houses exceeds 15 percent of the land’s surface.”

Additionally, 758 acres adjoining the golf course are to remain untouched, within which is a 100-acre bird sanctuary. It has walking trails, but they’re closed March–October to protect the endangered golden-cheeked warbler.

(Also included in the deal was a living wage commitment to resort and golf-course workers, something on which Marriott generally has a good track record.)

The argument made to me by Mike Kass, the resort’s Director of Sales and Marketing, was that all of this is “better than the alternative”: an extension of the tract housing that uglies up the rest of north San Antonio. Streets and roofs and driveways that collect and channel motor oil, paint, and other everyday toxins into the recharge zone. Totally unmonitored.

It’s the same argument Jim Mayor, chairman of the board for the San Antonio Water System, made back in late 2007:

I truly believe that this is the best environmental plan that any organization could put together with a private property owner over a most-sensitive part of our aquifer… It’s the maximum that could be achieved short of taking somebody’s property.
Source: San Antonio Express News

Voluntary or not, these “Greenitiatives” seem to be better than nothing.

Lunch plate at 18 Oaks

Green by choice

Of course, the JW Marriott, like most other mainstream hotel/resort chains these days, knows consumers like “green.” And they’ve adopted some policies I’m assuming weren’t arm-twisted out of them.

The most impressive is their participation in the Windtricity program, a service offered by South Texas’s CPS Energy. Residences and businesses pay a premium to help fund the capture and transmission of energy from wind farms in west and northwest Texas to the state’s electric grid.

Marriott isn’t feeding off renewable energy directly (such as they would if they had turbines on their property, for example), but their annual premium supposedly pays for 70% of their power. So, in the abstract, the resort gets 70% of its electricity from a renewable source. It’s the largest single user in the Windtricity program.

The list of smaller green initiatives is long and includes a few from Julie Schwietert’s 10 Steps Hotels Can Take to Go Greener. Here’s a sampling:

• Recycled steel studs and low-VOC (volatile organic compound) glues and paints were used in the resort’s construction.
• Rooms feature “smart” heating and cooling systems that shut off when exterior doors are opened.
• Plumbing in guest bathrooms is supposedly low-flow. Our “executive suite” shower definitely wasn’t, though.
• Guest literature advertises the standard “linen reuse” program. However, there were no instructions in our room on how to participate.
• The clubhouse restaurant, 18 Oaks, features menu ingredients sourced from within a radius of 150 miles.
• A planned on-site greenhouse will provide fresh produce for the restaurants.

I was even given a “green” press kit — a little cartridge with a USB interface. Sweet. For some reason, though, it was accompanied by an attractive but ultimately wasteful cardboard-bound photo brochure.

Executive suite bedroom

My case study conclusion

Is the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa “green”? No.

It is a behemoth, it is sprawl, it devours energy and natural resources. Plus, there’s no guarantee all the fancy clay cover, closed-loop business on the golf course is going to work.

In the words of Graciela Sanchez, director of San Antonio’s Esperanza Peace and Justice Center:

“What they presented us was the best that they thought they can do, but they have no history with this. We don’t know for a fact that it is not going to leak. It’s just going to be, ‘Try it and see how it goes.’”
Source: San Antonio Express News

I can think of dozens of “greener” uses to which this land could have been put. But the truth is that no one was going to make a park, or a 2,800-acre bird sanctuary, or a giant disc golf course (still golf, but none of the chemicals!) on this prime piece of real estate.

If it hadn’t been the resort, it almost certainly would’ve been something worse. Something much less controversial and thus much less scrutinized and monitored.

It’s a “lesser of two evils,” “opportunity cost” scenario. But maybe this is how we baby step towards true sustainability in the hotel industry.

What do you think? Would you ever consider a resort like this one to be “green”? Been to a resort that does it better? Speak up in the comments.

Community Connection

Over at BNT, Jennifer Bernstein looks at The Inconvenient Truth About Green Travel. And Nights has profiled The 9 Best-Designed Hotels Worldwide.

Photo: Alaskan Dude

TV and digital media reporter Brian Stelter writes in today’s New York Times that the former Alaska governor has entered into an agreement with the cable channel TLC to film an eight-part documentary about Alaska.

Discovery’s Chief Operating Officer, Peter Liguori had the following to say in the company’s press release:

“Discovery Communications is so excited to help Sarah Palin tell the story of Alaska, and to have a great documentary filmmaker in Mark Burnett helping to reveal Alaska’s powerful beauty as it has never been filmed, and as told by one of the state’s proudest daughters,” said Peter Liguori, Chief Operating Officer, Discovery Communications.

Screenshot from TLC.

Note that just under the press release is a video clip of Palin sitting on a couch that appears to be topped by a bear rug– complete with bear head.

According to Stelter, Palin had been shopping her TV show pitch around Hollywood this month, with little initial success; all the broadcast networks turned down her proposal, presumably due to its nature-oriented theme. But TLC, under its parent company, Discovery, bought global rights to the show and is reportedly prepared to pay Palin more than $1 million per episode for her hosting skills.

There are at least a dozen jabs I could make about all this, but the real point I want to make is this: Is Sarah Palin really the best ambassador for wild Alaska?

This is the woman who has argued that climate change is not a real phenomenon, but a conspiracy theory promulgated by “so-called…experts” using “fraudulent scientific practices.” “[W]e can’t say with assurance that man’s activities cause weather changes,” Palin asserted in an op-ed piece in The Juneau Empire and The Washington Post.

She’s also the woman who has been repeatedly cited by environmental advocacy groups as having an “abysmal” record when it comes to conservation and environmental protection policies and practices. Among the evidence they draw upon:

-As governor, Palin disputed the conclusions of research conducted by the federal National Marine Fisheries Service regarding the beluga whale population. The NMFS stated that the belugas are in critical danger; Palin argued that the population was actually rebounding.

-Palin resisted efforts of state legislators to protect streams where salmon spawn from mining effluence.

-Palin supported an initiative to shoot wolves from helicopters, as well as a policy of paying a $150 bounty–from state funds– to hunters who turned in “freshly killed” wolves.

-Palin supported drilling for oil in Alaska.

-She sued the Interior Department to contest its decision to list the polar bear as an endangered species.

As she stepped onto the national stage, Palin often portrayed herself as a lifelong nature lover. Photos of Palin fishing, hunting, and riding an ATV were commonplace, and there’s nothing wrong with any of that (well, except maybe the ATV-riding).

But being a fisher and hunter does not an environmentalist make, and Palin’s hardly a champion of the natural world.

So why has TLC gone where the broadcast networks didn’t even want to tread? Is Sarah Palin really the best ambassador to show off Alaska’s wilderness?

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Community Connection:

Matador’s CEO, Ross Borden, recently returned from a heli-skiing trip in Alaska. Check out “The Ruby Mountain Heli Experience” on MatadorTV.

Photo: Francisco Collazo

Global Fund For Women (GFW) is a non-profit grant making foundation that supports women’s groups around the globe. GFW believes the world will be a more just, peaceful, and sustainable place when women are given the opportunity to claim their rights as equal participants in the private as well as the public sphere.

GFW works towards providing economic security, ending violence against women, encouraging education, safeguarding health, and fostering leadership.

Founded in 1987 by Anne Firth Murray, Frances Kissling, and Laura Lederer, GFW started as an initiative which recognized the lack of resources for women – something that would be instrumental in empowering women the world over.

23 years later, Kavita N. Ramdas, President and CEO of the Global Fund For Women, and her team continue to support organizations in 170 countries, including China, Serbia, South Africa, India, Fiji, and Nigaragua.

The organization has an active Twitter account, posting updates about their outreach programs and grantee foundations. GFW encourages volunteers to raise funds in a variety of ways. For instance, you could host a party and talk about GFW’s work and how they help bring about positive social change.

Global Fund for Women offers grants to organizations based outside the U.S. It does not grant money to individuals or to organizations which do not have any women at or near the helm. Organizations approaching GFW need to be managed by women and for women. GFW is not supported by any national or international governments, but by individual donors.

Visit their donor page for more information.

You can also watch a PBS video of Kavita Ramdas talking about Global Fund For Women.

Community Connection:

Looking for other ways to fund your NGO or non-profit? Read How to Fund Your Start-up Org for more ideas!

Photo: Sam Ruaat

In exchange for a few hours of unpaid help per day, WWOOFers are offered free accommodation and meals at organic projects around the world. It’s no lazy holiday however, and WWOOF volunteers can be found doing any number of chores from harvesting rice, to building mud brick ovens, to tromping through duck ponds.

“It’s an opportunity to exchange knowledge and learn from others,” says Lesley from Baan Wasunthara Organic Farm in Chiang Mai. “We enjoy getting to know the travelers who stay with us and the extra help on the farm is a great benefit for us too!”

Photo: Lachlan Hardy

Many hosts live a sustainable lifestyle that is a source of inspiration for travelers who learn first hand the art of crafts, food production, and farm maintenance.

Currently, there are 15 WWOOF opportunities in Thailand, ranging from small, family run gardens to full-fledged organic farming operations that ship their produce throughout Asia. Because the country does not have its own WWOOF organization, all volunteers are required to sign up with WWOOF Independents.

A one-year membership costs about $30 USD, and you’ll have access to a list of WWOOFing opportunities in over 20 countries. This list is updated regularly, but because many of the farms have been participating in the WWOOF program for a couple of years it doesn’t change frequently. 

Once you join WWOOF, you’ll have access to the contact information for each of the farms and their specific requirements. And yes, there are lots of WWOOF lists being circulated on the web, but there is a formal process for applying to a farm that requires membership, so buck up and pay the fee, and help to keep this great organization going.

Destinations

Community Connection to Thailand

The majority of WWOOF hosts are located in northern Thailand and offer stunning scenery, lots of opportunities for trekking and exploring, and colorful local culture. When choosing a farm, make sure to do some research, ask lots of questions so you know exactly what you’re getting into, and try to build a bit of a relationship with your host before your arrival.

Here’s a sampling of a few of the great farms that Thailand has to offer.

Big House Organic Farm

Big House Organic Farm offers travelers a quiet setting in rural north eastern Thailand where the focus is on sustainable living, meditation, and yoga. There is no electricity, TV, fridge, or radio, so if it’s chilled-out, back-to-the basics you’re looking for, Big House is just the place.

Work projects include mud brick building, rice planting and harvesting, building a bicycle grain grinder, and solar cooking and baking. The owners have extensive knowledge about sustainable living and anyone looking to incorporate eco-friendly practices into their lifestyle could stand to learn a few things from them. 

Lungkahms Jungle Homestay and Farm

A small organic farm located just outside of Chiang Mai, they also run Siam River Tours from the property. This place has a young, backpacker vibe and the restrictions on smoking and alcohol are fairly lax here, but they do still expect a hard day’s work in exchange for room and board.

The location is one of the highlights of this farm since it’s smack dab in the center of national parks, vibrant hill tribe cultures, and tons of outdoor adventure sports. Rafting, kayaking, and jungle canopy tours are offered daily and are something to look forward to during down time. The hosts do request three weeks’ notice, so plan ahead. 

Santipap Gardens

Santipap Gardens is a family-run organic farm and learning center located in northeastern Thailand on the shores of Ubanratan Dam Lake.

Aside from the standard vegetable garden and tropical fruit trees, hosts Richard and Pongpen have developed an impressive number of courses for interested guests. Shampoo and dish soap making, Thai cooking lessons, earthen house building, and Thai massage are just a few skills travelers can learn during their stay.

Accommodations are basic and the hosts expect hard work, but if you’re looking for an experience in a rural Thai village, this is a good one to consider. They also allow children and being located in a traditional Thai village makes this farm a family-friendly option. 

The Panya Project

Photo: travlinman43

The Panya Project is an hour north of Chiang Mai, lost in a complex network of dirt roads, paddy fields, and canals. This 10 acre site is home to one of southeast Asia’s most comprehensive sustainable living communities.

With the help of grant money, the people behind Panya Project have worked since 2006 to turn a mango plantation into a self-sufficient permaculture center, complete with composting toilet systems, water harvesting, seed saving, and an education center.

During the dry months (November-May), work focuses on building earthen structures, teaching courses at the education center, and harvesting from the vegetable garden. June-October bring lots of rain, which is ideal for planting and mulching. Visitors are asked to stay a minimum of two weeks. 

Phrao Organic Farm

Located in the village of Ampur Phrao about 100 kilometers north of Chiang Mai, this small, certified organic orchard sells its high-quality fruit throughout Thailand. The farm is surrounded by mountains and is only three kilometers from town.

The owners are enthusiastic about ecotourism and are involved with social improvement projects with local local hill tribes and conservation at Chiang Dao National Park, so there is ample opportunity for cultural exchange, trekking, and exploring.

With more than 1,000 fruit trees, workers can expect to do quite a bit of harvesting, but with endless supply of guava, jack fruit, papaya, dragon fruit, and bananas to munch on throughout the day, a little hard work is a small price to pay. The only restriction is no alcohol or smoking.

Community Connection:

Learn more about Thailand by visiting Matador’s Travel Southeast Asia Focus Page.

Photo: J.C. Rojas

This week is World Water Week, a time when environmentalists encourage us to become more conscious of and conscientious about our water usage.

For those of us living in the “developed” world, water is seemingly so abundant and accessible that we’re inclined not to worry about this particular natural resource.

But as Annie Leonard explains in her new video, “The Story of Bottled Water,” our water usage–and, in particular, our use of bottled water–affects people all over the world:

Community Connection:

Want to learn more about your own water usage and how you can use water more conscientiously? UNICEF has some useful resources on its TAP Project website, and here on Matador we have lots of ways you can learn more about water usage:

The Facts About Water

What’s Your Water Footprint?

40 Shocking Facts About Water

Photo courtesy of trail2010.org

Felipe Matos, 23, born in a slum in Brazil, is one of the top 20 community college students in the United States and has just been accepted into Duke University.

Gaby Pacheco, 25, whose parents brought her from Ecuador at 7 years old has three education degrees and dreams of teaching music therapy to autistic children.

Carlos Roa, 22, has been here since he was 2, served in the military, and wants to become an architect.

All three have their dreams on hold.

They are part of the 65,000 high school graduates each year who face uncertain futures because of their undocumented status. For most of them, the United States is the only country they know, since they emigrated at a very young age. But no matter how much they excel in school or sacrifice their lives in the military, they won’t have the ability to apply for student loans or become professionals.

Felipe, Gaby, and Carlos are joining the ranks of undocumented students coming out of the shadows and risking deportation in order to share their struggles and ask for the right to contribute and participate in society. They are joined by Juan Rodriguez, 20, whose parents fled Colombia due to threats to their safety when he was 6, and who after getting US residency with the help of his stepmother a year ago, will finally be able to pursue a degree at the University of Chicago.

The four of them decided to embark on a “Trail of Dreams,” walking the long journey from their home in Miami to Washington, D.C. in order to share their experiences and advocate for the DREAM Act. Reintroduced in 2009, the act would provide conditional legal status for undocumented students who arrived as children and meet certain criteria like attending college or serving in the military.

They have been walking since January 1, 2010, accompanied by marchers in support of the cause. They are currently headed into North Carolina. The group has faced hatred and racist banter from KKK protesters, and marched onto the steps of the office of one of the most notoriously anti-immigrant sheriffs in Georgia. They have brought school children to tears, and inspired mothers to fast in solidarity. People all over the country have been moved to participate in their cities and towns, or virtually on Twitter, and through petitions.

Juan Rodriguez writes on the Trail of Dreams blog:

We must never forget our story that has brought us thus far, nor the stories of those that we carry with us from our lifelong interactions. We must not forget the people of Haiti, who need our support and compassion in this time of plight. We must not forget the fasters in Homestead who are risking EVERYTHING so that we may find peace and security amongst the love and warmth of family. I will walk on… “and as we walk, we shall make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.” -Rev. M. L. King, Jr.

You can follow the walkers on Twitter @trail2010, add your name to the campaign, and follow the journey on their blog.

Community Connection:

Read more about Gabriela Garcia, the author of this article, in Matador Member to Watch: Gabriela Garcia.

Photo: Public Relations

In our series about urban volunteering opportunities, our writers highlight organizations in big cities that need your help.

Rosie’s Place

Rosie’s Place is a resource center and shelter for impoverished and homeless women. A dining room, pantry, computer room, craft co-op, legal help, ESOL education, clothing and showers are among the resources they have and services they offer. Rosie’s Place is in the South End and accessible by the Silver Line and the Green Line (E, Symphony).

Volunteers need to submit an individual interest form, provided at their website. A member of the volunteer services staff will contact you. Group volunteers should contact Volunteer Services at 617-442-9322. The minimum time commitment is two times a month on the same shift for three months.

Both females and males are encouraged to volunteer. The minimum age is 12 in the dining room and 18 for all other programs. Volunteers between the ages 12 and 15 need to be accompanied by an adult. For more information, please visit Rosie’s website.

Asian Community Development Corporation

Photo: Pho-Toe

The Asian Community Development Corporation is dedicated to improving all aspects of the Asian community’s life in the Greater Boston area, concentrating primarily on the revitalization of Chinatown.


The headquarters, located on Oak Street in Chinatown, is accessible on the T’s Orange Line (Chinatown) or Green Line (Boylston). ACDC is involved in many projects- from real estate acquisition to the A-VOYCE youth development program.


For more information on the volunteer opportunities or for each program’s specific details, visit ACDC’s website.

MAB Community Services

MAB Community Services is dedicated to helping people with disabilities lead dignified lives. Their Volunteers for Vision program matches volunteers with blind adults to help with errands, paying bills, and reading printed material.

The minimum age to volunteer is 18 and the organization requires a six-month commitment. MAB offices are located in Watertown and Worcester, but a volunteer’s placement depends on where the blind individual lives. MAB tries to match you with someone close to where you live.

Interested individuals should visit MAB Community Services’ volunteer website for more information and to apply.

Spare Change News

Spare Change News is part of the Homeless Empowerment Project that produces street papers the homeless can buy and then re-sell for a profit. Main volunteer jobs at Spare Change are writing related— like on-call reporters and editorial assistants. Volunteer on-call reporters need some kind of writing background. Editorial assistants work in the office and need editorial experience.

Spare Change offices are in Harvard Square, located on the T’s Red Line (Harvard Square), which is not in Boston, but the on-call reporters work throughout Boston, covering subjects they feel need to be reported on. Most of the articles address social activism and advocacy.

For more information visit Spare Change News’ website.

New England Aquarium

The New England Aquarium educates the general public and encourages people to take action with them on a number of issues important to marine life and the ocean through entertainment like IMAX and interactive exhibits. The aquarium is located on the waterfront within walking distance of the North End and is on the T’s Blue Line (Aquarium stop).


Photo: julz91

Volunteer openings include animal husbandry, helping with administration, assisting on conservation research projects and conducting marine wildlife rescue. The minimum age is 16 to work with education department and 18 to work with animals; most jobs require one full day (8 AM to 6 PM) of service for a duration for six months.

Other opportunities are also available; interested individuals should email vols@neaq.org to be added to a volunteer project mailing list. For more information or to apply, visit New England Aquarium’s Volunteer page.

826 Boston



826 Boston is a place where youth ages six through 18 are tutored and can learn to express themselves creatively through writing. 826 Boston is the seventh chapter spawned from Dave Eggers’ non-profit writing and tutoring center 826 Valencia in San Francisco, and opened its doors in 2007.

Besides offering tutoring opportunities, 826 Boston also has opportunities to lead writing workshops. 
There is no minimum time commitment but minimum age to volunteer is 18. 826 Boston is located in Roxbury off the T’s Orange Line (Stony Brook and Jackson Square).

All volunteers must attend a mandatory orientation meeting and those wanting to tutor students need to stay for a training that follows the orientation. To apply visit 826 Boston’s website for information on the next orientation and to download the application.

Community Connection:

If you’re interested in being the change you wish to see in the world but can’t currently travel the world to do it, be sure to check out How to Dress Green, Why We Should Bring The Teach English Phenomenon Home.

Feature Photo: mckaysavage / Photo above: etrenardf

Fourteen years later, the Rajya Sabha has finally relented and the bill has been passed by what The Times of India has aptly termed “the first legislative hurdle”.

The Women’s Reservation Bill was drawn up in order to include more female legislators in a domain which has historically been a male bastion. Politicians supporting the bill believe that women have been inadequately represented thus far, and link this inadequacy to the perpetuation of women’s problems.  Others think of it as an “undemocratic” move.

Brinda Karat, a leading politician from The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has claimed that more women participating in the affairs of Parliament will lead to a more sensitive politics and perhaps to sensitive legislation. She also claims that women are caught in a culture trap and this piece of legislation might prove to be emancipatory.

After the constitution amendment bill had been put to vote by Chairman Hamid Ansari, Karat stated,

“the bill will change (the country’s political) culture because women today are still caught in a culture prison. In the name of tradition, stereotypes are imposed and we have to fight them every day. These stereotypes will also be broken (by the bill).” Source for Quote: IANS via Deccan Herald

While I do subscribe to Karat’s view on the matter of a more “sensitive politics”, the root cause of the insensitivity will not, in my opinion, be solved by this legislation. It will grant adequate representation at the highest level, but the bill will also allow for political parties to field undeserving candidates.

Many politically unfit leaders seep in to the system thanks to reservations. In light of the previous statement, do we really need another reservation? I would say that in the present situation, we do.

Reservation policies in India are often used in politics, such as when members of Parliament use reservation policies in order to leverage their popularity and gain votes. Given that unethical practices like corruption and bribery are rampant in India during election campaigns, will the reservation of seats for women change these pre-existing practices?

I don’t think so.

Since the problem of gender disparity appears to be at the root of this bill, the education provided at the grassroots level needs to lay special emphasis on gender discrimination.

These gender issues pose an important question that may only be answered over time – will the bill serve the purposes of the politicians or will it stand to benefit the women in India who are still subjugated and unable to express a voice that is truly their own?

Community Connection:

Gender roles are definitely changing. Check out JoAnna Haugen’s article about Marjan Kahlor, the first woman from Iran to compete in the Olympics this past winter in Vancouver. Or Julie Schwietert-Collazo’s article about how women are redefining politics in the Middle East.