giving thanks

A few days after Thanksgiving, but still in the spirit of that holiday (and also of Veterans' Day, just a few weeks past).

Go here first, for a fitting tribute: Until Then. (Via American Digest)

The Defense Department has a webpage with links to a multitude of independent service organizations which provide aid and comfort to military men, women, and their families. Last week one of Glenn Reynolds' readers e-mailed him a similar list, with brief descriptions.

Winds of Change has updated their post from last spring, notable for its description of ways to support not only US troops, but those from allied nations: Britain, Australia, Canada, Poland, Denmark, and Israel.

Spirit of America—which I've adopted as one of this blog's “official” charities, for whatever that's worth—is currently running the Friends of Iraq Blogger Challenge.

Leading bloggers are competing to raise funds to benefit the people of Iraq. 100% of all donations go to needs selected by these bloggers. Many of our projects support requests made by Americans serving in Iraq (Marines, Army, SeaBees) for goods that help the Iraqi people. Other projects directly support Iraqis who are on the front lines of building a better future for Iraq.

I've not signed this site up for fundraising, as I'm hardly a “leading blogger”. Nonetheless, I heartily encourage you to check out the list of participating blogs and groups, and contribute in the name of one of them.

It isn't considered polite to mention this in these multiculti times, but Advent is, above all, a Christian holiday. The other “official” charity of this blog is Samaritan's Purse, the international relief organization founded in 1970 and headed since 1978 by Franklin Graham (son of evangelist Billy).

Samaritan's Purse isn't just some red-state NGO. Take a look through their website. Then give.

UPDATE. Strengthen the Good has posted their November micro-charity: the C.S. Lewis Bilingual Gymnaziumin in Bratislava, Slovakia. Read more here. Then help build a library in memory of Jack.