Feel Good Friday - Save the Children

If you've been watching the news, you know that Puerto Rico has been devastated by Hurricane Maria and the people living on the island need our help. Natural disasters aren't a reason for a Feel Good Friday but the people and organizations that turn out to help are.

You can check this PBS blog for a list of organizations that are bringing assistance to the area. Today, I'm focusing on one - Save the Children.

First off, Save the Children has people on the ground in Puerto Rico and has set up a Hurricane Maria Children's Relief Fund. You can make a donation here. Now for some background.

Save the Children began in 1932 with programs that provided "clothing, school supplies and hot lunches to school children in Harlan County, Kentucky." The organization now has programs in 120 countries and reaches 157 million children around the world.

This 3:25 minute video gives an overview of the work they're doing to provide children with a brighter future. It can also be summed up with this statement from their website: "Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the U.S. and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children - every day and in times of crisis - transforming their lives and the future we share."

Programs focus, not only on emergency response in natural disasters, but also on disaster preparedness, literacy and early education, global health and nutrition, child protection and child sponsorship. You can read about the programs in more detail here or watch videos on their YouTube channel.

With 86.5% of funds received going directly to the programs that affect children, Save the Children is a great place for you to donate your money or shop for farm animals and refugee basics bags to support people in need. As always, stay connected by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @SavetheChildren.