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Gift Guide: 10 Charitable Gifts For Architecture, Design, and Home Enthusiasts

Elka Karl — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:00:08 PST

If you're still searching for a passable gift for a friend or family member who seems to have everything she needs, put down that credit card for a moment and consider giving a charitable gift instead. There are amazing charities and non-profit organizations out there doing great work, which could definitely use your charitable gift this year.
For friends and family members who appreciate charitable gifts and have a deep love for causes related to design, architecture, and home, here are 10 gifts they'll be sure to cherish. (These gifts are tax-deductible, too, so you can feel good about your holiday giving and feel good about your taxes.) Of course, this is only a tiny fraction of the charities that need your support. If none of these seem to fit your gifting agenda, make sure to check out charities in your area, too!

Located in Boston, The Food Project turns abandoned urban lots into productive farms that make nutritious fresh produce available in former food deserts. Around 40 percent of the food grown is donated to hunger relief organizations and homeless shelters, or sold at below-market rates at farmers' markets.
The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum is the United States' only museum completely dedicated to historic and contemporary design. With over 250,000 objects, the Museum holds the largest design collection in the country. Contribute with a gift amount or a membership.
Berkeley's Ecology Center is a public resource for reliable information, tools, hands-on training, referrals, strategies, infrastructure, and models for sustainable living.
Architecture For Humanity strives to create a more sustainable future through its network of more than 50,000 professionals who lend their time and expertise to help bring design, construction, and development services where they are most critically needed across the world.
The National Coalition For Homeless Veterans provides advice and assistance to policymakers, Congress and the federal agencies involved with homeless veteran issues and service providers with the goal of ending homelessness among veterans.
The National Housing Law Project is a law and advocacy center dedicated to housing justice for the poor. For over 40 years, NHLP has used the law to increase and preserve the supply of decent affordable housing, to improve existing housing conditions, including physical conditions and management practices, to expand and enforce low-income tenants' and homeowners' rights, and to increase opportunities for racial and ethnic minorities.
Habitat For Humanity helps to provide home ownership opportunities through the building of safe, energy efficient, and stable homes, in partnership with the potential home owners through its "sweat equity" program. Habitat For Humanity seeks to "eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action."
The American Folk Art Museum is devoted to the preservation, conservation, and interpretation of traditional folk art and creative expressions of contemporary self-taught artists from the United States and abroad.
West Oakland's City Slicker Farms has been working to create food justice and improve the environment in West Oakland since 2001 through a series of gardens, workshops, and related projects for the community.
The Good Shepherd Center in Los Angeles helps homeless women rebuild their lives so they and their children will experience a brighter future. Through housing, employment and other supportive services, we offer women hope and the opportunity to achieve independence.

Do you have a favorite cause or charity that you give to each year? Leave the name and link in the comments below.

Why Footloose Is So Bad It's Good

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:30:00 PDT

It probably won't shock you to hear that Footloose is not a cinematic masterpiece, but you might be pleasantly surprised to hear that it's pretty enjoyable. The movie, a remake of the 1984 film starring Kevin Bacon, tells the story of high schooler Ren (Kenny Wormald), who moves from Boston to the sleepy country town of Bomont, Georgia. Even though he finds that the town has outlawed dancing, Ren can't keep his feet from busting a move - or his eyes off the reverend's daughter, Ariel (Julianne Hough).

Footloose is basically the definition of guilty pleasure, which means it's as enticing to some as it is repellent to others. I had plenty of problems with the movie, but for each criticism, I managed to find a justification - and ultimately, I had a great time. Check out my reasons for why Footloose is so bad it's actually good.

The concept of banning dancing is completely outdated. There's a curfew and what seems like a general kibosh on having fun because of an incident that happened several years before, in which a car accident claimed the lives of a few of Bomont's teens. Since dancing was involved, the Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) puts forward a motion to ban any kind of dancing in public, which is obviously a super big buzzkill to the town's dance-happy kids. It somehow seems reasonable in 1984, but in 2011? Say it with me: "Really?!"
But . . . The remake is loyal to the original movie, using the same storyline, character names, even some exact scenes. Its devotion to the '80s flick and refusal to modernize it too much makes me appreciate it a bit more, because even though it's a remake, it still knows better than to mess too much with a classic.

See why else Footloose earned its way into my heart despite its problems, just keep reading

Matt Damon and His Bald Head March to Save Our Schools

Allie Merriam — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 06:23:11 PDT

Matt Damon headed to Washington DC Saturday to join the Save Our Schools March, a rally against education policies centered on standardized tests. The actor even addressed the crowd and made a speech. Matt Damon said of his experience with public schools, "I was raised by a teacher. My mother is a professor of early childhood education. And from the time I went to kindergarten through my senior year in high school, I went to public schools. I wouldn’t trade that education and experience for anything." He was still sporting the bald head he shaved for his role in Elysium, which has been in production up in Canada. Matt Damon's daughters accompanied him to Vancouver, along with his wife Luciana, and they've been seen out enjoying family bike rides. Matt wrapped up his politicking by yesterday afternoon, when he was seen at the airport heading back to Canada. Despite the far-flung travels, Matt still showed love for his Boston hometown with his sweatshirt and stopped to sign autographs for fans before boarding.