Do you feel like there's something you can do?

With all these natural disaster and catastrophe going on more and more frequently, doesn't it feel like 2012 is really going to happen? As more and more of this happens, there are so many different nonprofits and associations that we donate money or items to that are out there to help. But how do we know for sure? How do I know that the money that I donated is really going towards helping those in need? Before I used to think that it really doesn't matter, that as long as I think that its going towards the good cause then its all worthwhile. Now I'm not so sure...

I feel like there are increasingly more nonprofits popping up that are out there scamming people. So recently I have been thinking I want to actually be the person doing the helping so I would know that the money is actually going towards the right people. I have such great benefits at my job in that I fly mostly for free or at a discounted rate...I constantly think that I should be doing something with it.

Last week just when I can't get these thoughts out of my head, I ran across some blogs of these lovely people who take their time out and have been going to other countries themselves. They blog about their journeys and the orphans they helped, the villages that they bring water to, or the schools that they helped build. I couldn't believe my timing, it was like it was meant to be. Even though a lot of these organizations have some sort of religious affiliations, (I'm not a religious person) I wanted to find out how I can do the same thing these people are doing.

So I have decided...this is something that I definitely want to do. I will start doing research of how I can do something like that...maybe take a trip with one of those organizations so I can see first hand how it really goes. I don't know if I will be able to handle the way things are in other countries as I am somewhat fond of the cleaner and nicer things, but I would like to at least try.

I want to start something locally that doesn't have any religious affiliations with it. I know that it will be hard, and it will be a looooong process. I don't even know where to start actually! But I know somehow, someway, it can be done.