"Strengthening the Good"

"Strengthen the Good" is, in their own words,

the nexus of a network of bloggers committed to raising awareness for small charities around the world. Every three weeks this space highlights a new “micro-charity”—a small, inspiring charity, one with a real face and where $1 makes a difference—and the bloggers in the network link to that post, sending traffic, and awareness, the charity’s way.

As the byline at the website says, "Using the power of weblogs for open-source charity. Don't just fight evil: strengthen the good." I have taken the liberty of adding this blog to the STG network, and will be posting links to the featured charities -- reserving the right to take a "pass" in the event that the featured charity is active in a cause that might not be consistent with the faith and teachings and practices of the Orthodox Church.

The featured charity at present is "The Garden Of Angels." The Garden of Angels website has a great deal of information about their interests and activities, which focus on caring for abandoned and neglected newborns, including naming and burying the "dumpster babies" that all too often have been left to die. Right away, on one level, we might be "pushing the envelope" with regard to part of what the Garden of Angels does from an Orthodox perspective; but, in my not-very-well-informed opinion, I think God approves...

The Garden of Angels was instrumental in the passage of legislation in California that allows the parent of a newborn infant - within 3 days of the child's birth - to legally surrender the baby, anonymously and without fear of prosecution, to any employee at any hospital emergency room or other designated "safe haven" (such as a fire house) in California. I'm glad to say that Arizona has a similar law; and that churches are among the "safe havens" available. You can bet that I'm going to ask the Parish Council to make our church available as a "safe haven"...

My thanks to Michele at "A Small Victory" for the link to the Garden of Angels.