The past few years I've battled birthday blues. Now before you laugh or give me a hard time because you think I'm too young to experience birthday blues, let me just say that the twenties can be tough! And nobody really warns you adequately. Recent birthdays have been stressful because they've served as a reminder of how I'm not quite yet whom or what or where I thought I'd be by a certain age.

This time around though, I'm actually excited about the formerly dreaded day! I am dedicating this birthday to a special collection of GlobalGiving partner organizations that I had the opportunity to visit and get to know this year. I'm thankful to have crossed paths with incredibly kind, passionate, inspiring individuals working to solve problems in their local communities.

From empowering vulnerable youth to become organic farmers, to transforming trash to practical, eco-friendly products, to saving orangutans through reforestation efforts, to cultivating a college-going culture in schools in which it's not the norm, there are good people out there who are making this world a little bit better and a little bit more beautiful every day. Perspective and gratitude are what they've instilled in me, and as I carry their stories with me in my everyday back home, my hope is to help build awareness of and garner support for their relentless pursuits.

As a token of appreciation, anybody who gives to this birthday blues begone fundraiser will receive a thank you postcard that is a print of a photograph I took while visiting nonprofits in Indonesia.

Will you consider giving here?

Many many thanks!