Here are some of TravelingBoy's favorite charities:

Freedom Service Dogs. When a solder returns home with significant life-altering wounds, it is the duty of all concerned Americans to help them rejoin the lives they left. Freedom Service Dogs acquires and trains dogs to assist people with disabilities, increasing their independence and peace of mind. The group focuses on donating these animals to disabled military veterans to help restore some normalcy to their difficult lives.Virtually all Freedom Service Dogs are rescued themselves from shelters. Those that do not fulfill all the comprehensive training requirements are found adoptive homes.

The Convalescent Aid Society. An 85-year-old non-profit organization in continuous operation since 1923, the Convalescent Aid Society is dedicated to improving the quality of life through the free loan of medical equipment for in-home use.

The VSA Arts. An affiliate of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the VSA arts is a society where people with disabilities can learn through, participating, and enjoying the arts.

Homes for Our Troops is committed to helping those who have selflessly given to our country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries since September 11, 2001. Homes for Our Troops assist severely injured Servicemen and Servicewomen and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and to coordinate the process of building a home that provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently.

Casa de los Angeles is a community of caring people who gather to nurture children, serving the needs of the less fortunate, treating each person with dignity and respect as they work to make a better life for themselves and the community as a whole.

Hillsides Foster Care children have a difficult time during the New Year. They become depressed and anxious, realizing that they will not be celebrating the New Year in the comfort of their family home. For many of these children, they have never experienced a tranquil and comforting home Their childhood has been marred by sexual, physical and emotional abuse until it ceases once they arrive at Hillsides, a foster care children's charity located in Pasadena. Brighten a foster care child's holiday this season by making their wish come true.

The Ojai Raptor Center is dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of orphaned and injured birds of prey and to providing education programs to teach about raptors and our shared environment, reduce common hazards to wildlife and decrease the number of raptors that require assistance.

Love INC of Treasure Valley. A National organization, Love INC of Treasure Valley has designed a strategy to help church people help their neighbors in need. A network of church volunteers links them to needy people. This cooperative effort between churches and service agencies provides effective help for the disadvantaged.

Heifer International needs your commitment to help build a bountiful, just and sustainable world. The 9.2 million families around the globe whom Heifer has empowered through gifts of livestock and agricultural training are evidence that a concentrated effort can make a difference. Ask about out set of global initiatives – areas of emphasis that must be addressed if we’re to meet our mission of ending world hunger and poverty and caring for the earth.

Dusty's Riders was designed to help at-risk kids in the Los Angeles area to look beyond their current surroundings and open their minds to dream for a better future. Run solely by volunteers, we bringing together deserving kids and lovable horses.

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation provides full scholarship grants and educational and family counseling to the surviving children of special operations personnel who die in operational or training missions and immediate financial assistance to severely wounded special operations personnel and their families.

Family Service of Santa Monica/ Vista Del Mar. Beginning in 1925, a group of women saw a need for services for families in Santa Monica. This led to creating a non-profit organization with counseling, therapy, family service social workers, parenting groups, and employee assistance programs for children and adults.

Cars 4 Causes® is the #1 choice for donating your car. Donate car, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, running or non-running, to the charity of your choice.

The Pasadena Humane Society relies on donations to provide food, shelter, medical care, adoption services and more to the animals in our care.

Coalition for the Homeless is the nation's oldest advocacy and direct service organization helping homeless men, women, and children. We are dedicated to the principle that decent shelter, sufficient food, affordable housing, and the chance to work for a living wage are fundamental rights in a civilized society.

Union Gospel Mission. Whether you are one person, a business, foundation, school or church, there are many ways you can offer hope through Seattle's Union Gospel Mission: Volunteering, Financial Gifts and Gifts in Kind.

Boise Rescue Mission Ministries reaches out to the community by teaching the word of God and providing food, shelter, clothing, counseling and education for those in need.

Christian Relief Services' mission to work through partnerships and in collaboration with grassroots charitable organizations to connect the vast resources of America to help those in need in their own communities and to enable people to help themselves.

The American Cancer Society Los Angeles Discovery Shop. For almost 40 years, the American Cancer Society has owned and operated a chain of specialty resale stores created to help support the fight against cancer. The American Cancer Society Discovery Shops accomplish this through the sale of gently used and new donated merchandise. Proceeds from the sale of this merchandise are used to fund cancer research, education, advocacy and services to cancer patients and their families.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica enables all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

Magnolia Presbyterian Church is a local ministry in Seattle, dedicated to service and compassion.

The Pasadena Senior Center serves the needs of Pasadena's seniors. It was the first private, non-profit senior center in Southern California. Today, we continue our high standards as our seniors choose from a wide variety of experiences designated just for them: educational classes, senior forum, exercise, dance and the Encore Café, a monthly television show written, designed and produced for and by seniors.

The Monrovia Providers Group consists of community agencies working as a team to deal with senior citizen issues within the city of Monrovia, California.

Village Handcrafters is non-profit Christian corporation with a mission to support sustainable economic development programs for impoverished people.

Community Productions, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation that produces events and activities on behalf of local charities that provide urgent services to individuals and families in immediate distress.

Stanton Healthcare. As a life-affirming medical clinic in Idaho specializing in unexpected pregnancy care, we treat our clients with respect, dignity, and compassion in a confidential setting.