Flaurel Laurel thinks charitable thoughts
December 29, 2011
This time of year we’re all beseiged with donation requests from worthy organizations. We all have our favorites, and mine happen to focus on the arts and on developing and empowering young women.
My top 3 choices for giving this year are as follows (drum-roll please!!!!):
This organization got its start by filling an old school bus with art supplies and teachers and driving around to schools that had lost their funding for art programs. Building from there, it’s now grown to serve over 2,000 children and youth in San Francisco and Sonoma Counties at 11 community sites, public schools and juvenile halls. The Imagine Bus Project invites us all to continue to invest in the lives of underserved Bay Area children and youth, and make certain that they have the opportunity to access the joy and pride of creative experiences.
The Princess Project is a 100% volunteer-run effort that provides free prom dresses and accessories to San Francisco Bay Area & San Diego high school girls who could not otherwise afford them. The Princess Project collects new and nearly new formal dresses and accessories from women, girls and companies, and distributes them free of charge to the girls at fun-filled spring events in San Francisco, Silicon Valley and San Diego. The Princess Project began in 2002 and since then has served over 15,000 girls, and this year hopes to serve roughly 2,500 in San Francisco alone.
Oasis For Girls is a safe space where girls and young women are inspired and empowered to become strong and creative leaders in their communities. It provides culturally relevant and gender specific Arts and Arts Education, Leadership Development, and Life Skills Education programs that support the growth of low-income and immigrant girls and young women of color in urban communities. Through these programs, girls and young women have access to a community of adults who support them in creating change and integrating their skills to address issues they face in their lives and in their communities.
Flaurel Laurel 