LiNK

In the mid-90s, over a million people died in North Korea, mostly from starvation. Hundreds of thousands were put in concentration camps. Very little has changed since then. People living in North Korea have no freedom of speech, religion, assembly and more. Every year, tens of thousands of refugees fled the country seeking food, protection and money. 

From this refugees, news about the humanitarian crises in North Korea has spread. 

LiNK stands for Liberation in North Korea, and works to continue spreading the awareness to college students. To do this, they send groups of LiNK members around the country, showing documentaries on North Korea and telling others how they can help. They act as advocates for the North Korean people who can't speak for themselves and meet with governments, non-government organizations and other institutions. They also work directly with refugees through shelters in China and Southeast Asia.

In addition to accepting volunteers and donations, LiNK also has a store where you can support their cause by buying t shirts, DVDs, accessories and more. Every item is designed to give you the opportunity to spread awareness of the crisis in North Korea.

Click here to shop the LiNK store, or learn more about the organization.

Feeding America

Usually, this blog focuses on buying products for yourself while supporting global charities. But with Christmas just around the corner, it's a good time to think about giving someone else a gift.

Feeding America is the country's largest, domestic hunger-relief charity that works to eradicate hunger in our own country. They aim to eradicate hunger in America through a network of food banks. Their program provides food to over 37 million Americans a year. Their 202 local member food banks around the country that are able to build relationships in their communities.

Besides from donating to Feeding America's food banks, you can also go online and give money to feed a family for a month, or give holiday dinners. You can also donate in honor of someone else. For a $90 donation, you could feed a family dinner for 9 months. Every dollar becomes 8 meals, turning this one-time gift into 720 meals.

Think about doing something different this holiday season. To browse the Feeding America gift catalogue, click here.

(RED)

Today is World AIDS Day, a time to be reminded of the worldwide devastation caused by HIV/AIDS. One way to combat the disease is through (RED), an organization that aims to eliminate AIDS. Hugh Jackman, Jane Lynch, Josh Groban and the guys from Coldplay are just a few of the celebrities who endorse and promote this organization.

 (RED) partners with some of the world’s most popular brands such as GAP, Apple, Nike, Starbucks and many more. These stores sell specific (RED) products, whether they’re shirts, iPods or coffee beans. Fifty percent of the profits from these products go to The Global Fund, which uses the money to finance HIV health programs in Africa. By buying a t shirt, the consumer is giving people in Ghana, Lesotho and other countries medicine to fight these voracious diseases.

The goal of (RED) is to foster an AIDS free generation by 2015.  Look for their products in stores near you, or click here to learn more.