Become a fan of CAbi on Facebook and for each new fan we will donate one garment to a woman in need! Click “like” to donate: www.facebook.com/CAbiClothing

Maybe you don’t have that new pair of shoes you’ve been eyeing, or you have moments of looking in your closet and thinking, “I have nothing to wear!” Maybe you see your neighbor’s home and wish you could have her interior designer instead of decorating yourself. But this time of year reminds us all to be grateful for all that we DO have. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the wealthiest 8% of the world. If you are reading this week’s CAbi Canary on your own computer, you are part of the 1% of the world that has that opportunity. So this Thanksgiving season, remember to really give thanks for the many blessings in your life, and look for ways that you can give back to those who are less fortunate than you.

Thanksgiving is also the perfect time to show appreciation to the heroes that dedicate their lives to helping others, whether that’s your child’s teacher, firefighters, police officers, doctors, or someone else that has just had a special impact on your life. Handwritten notes are becoming a lost art, so take a moment to sit down, grab your favorite stationery and a pen, and remind that special person how wonderful they are. It will be so fun to receive an unexpected note in the mail! How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! ~Maya Angelou

At CAbi, we are committed to helping others! In 2005, the Heart of CAbi Foundation was established to fulfill the mission of providing the poor and disenfranchised women of the world a greater opportunity and realization of empowerment through the gifts of our clothing, our financial support, and our volunteer efforts, all given in the spirit of God’s love. It’s been awesome to see our staff, CAbi Consultants, and CAbi customers come together in support of women around the world! Check out some of the things we’ve done together this year …

Haiti Earthquake (January 2010)
CAbi Corporate, Consultants and customers donated over $124,000 to organizations such as Compassion International, Child Hope International, Red Cross, and World Vision.
www.compassion.com
childhope.org
www.worldvision.org

Los Angeles Union Rescue Mission & Hope Garden’s Mother’s Day Events (April 2010)
CAbi Consultants pampered and outfitted women living at the Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens with new CAbi clothes provided by the Heart of CAbi Foundation. The women were then honored at a Mother’s Day luncheon hosted by the Mission, where they were able to wear one of their new CAbi outfits. urm.org

World Impact Mother’s Day Pampering Event (May 2010)
CAbi Consultants spent time with women living in the inner city of LA and helped them choose new CAbi items provided by the Heart of CAbi Foundation. www.worldimpact.org

Tennessee Flood Relief Event (June 2010)
Victims of the Tennessee flooding were treated to a special CAbi Experience where they were invited to “shop” for free CAbi items provided by the Heart of CAbi Foundation. Over thirty CAbi Consultants contributed their time and energy to make this event possible.

What an awesome experience I had today! As a flood victim who lost my home to 6 feet of water, I am so grateful and appreciative to the Heart of CAbi Foundation and to all the volunteers who helped with today’s event! From the moment I walked into the building, I knew it would be an incredible experience! All the Consultants and volunteers I encountered were so friendly, helpful and willing to serve! Also, I appreciate the quality of the products that were given. I was not familiar with CAbi clothing before today, but I can tell you that I have already shared my experience with friends via Facebook and word of mouth. I will definitely be singing your praises! Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything you have done for us! It is so appreciated! God Bless You!
Teri Ann Hooper
(Flood Victim)

Tears of joy were in everyone’s eyes yesterday, including mine. I am so lucky to be a part of CAbi – where women do anything for anybody! When I heard the women say they were treated like princesses, it warmed my heart that I could help these ladies feel so good. It was so much fun to see them walk away with smiles and tears of joy! The day was truly amazing!
Dottie Persinger
(Consultant Volunteer)

My daughter’s dance teacher was also my dance teacher when I was a teen. Marci is a beautiful and generous person both inside and out, and has always lived very modestly on a dancer’s salary. She had a home in Kingston Springs, just west of Nashville. Marci left her home early on Saturday of the flood to teach dance classes, and she was not able to return home that evening because the roads and bridges were washed out. Her cat was home alone. Marci returned by boat several days later to find her beloved cat had perished and her home was completely lost. Marci attended the Heart of CAbi event yesterday and was blessed to have Linda Bolt help her find wonderful new clothes. She has always shopped at thrift store,s so our beautiful clothes were a wonderful, spirit-lifting gift! Thank you so much to everyone at CAbi!
Lisa Robertson
(Consultant Volunteer)

Upcoming Events
We’re excited about the annual Christmas events that we will be doing in the Los Angeles area with our Heart of CAbi Foundation partners World Impact and Union Rescue Mission. We are also partnering with an organization in the Dallas area to distribute clothes for the widows of women who have lost their husband while on active military duty.

Make a Change Program
So far in 2010, CAbi customers have donated over $30,000 to the Make A Change Program, which helps fund female entrepreneurs through Opportunity International. Talk to your CAbi Consultant to find out more about the Make A Change program. www.optinnow.org/cabi

Sure, we all want to do our part to help, but who knows where to start? Well, do you buy salad dressing? Makeup? Drink Starbucks or wear shoes? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you could have already taken the first step! Check out the resources below to see what we mean …

Brands
Now giving back is as easy as shopping!

• Newman’s Own Products: Newman’s Own Foundation continues Paul Newman’s commitment to donate all profits to charity. www.newmansown.com
• TOMS Shoes: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. www.toms.com
• Dreamer Shopping: Shopping with Dreamer is a way you can donate to charity at no cost to yourself. Just shop online like you normally do, and Dreamer will donate 100% of their portion of the profits from your purchase (up to 10% of the purchase price) to one of many charities. shop.dreamer.me

Products

• Buy Local: Shopping at farmers markets supports local farmers and businesses.
• Starbucks RED: Every time you buy a Starbucks RED product or pay with a Starbucks RED card, a contribution is made to the Global Fund to help people living with HIV in Africa. www.starbucks.com
• Bobbi Brown Makeup: Bobbi is raising awareness through the distribution of pink ribbons and counter materials and is contributing $35,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Fund. www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com

Time
If you’re looking to volunteer, check out these websites that can connect you to nonprofits and volunteer opportunities in your area.

• www.volunteermatch.org
• www.idealist.org

• Target: When you pledge to regularly read a book to a child, Target will donate a new book to a child in need. reading.target.com

Donations

• Patagonia Common Threads Recycling Program: Donate your old Patagonia products and they will transform your unusable clothing into brand new products. www.patagonia.com
• The Bra Recyclers: This textile recycling company specializes in recycling used and unused bras. Collected bras that are of good quality are donated to deserving women in communities around the world. This also impacts the environment by delaying the amount of unused bras/textiles that go to our landfills, thus reducing the pressure on virgin resources. brarecycling.com
• Goodwill: Some Goodwill locations will actually pick up your donations from you, making it easier than ever to donate gently used clothing and furniture! Click here to find a Goodwill near you, locator.goodwill.org

Going Green

• Christmas Tree Rental: Instead of buying a tree that’s been cut down, rent a potted tree that can be returned and planted after the season.
• Save energy by keeping your refrigerator full and unplugging appliances when they are not being used.
• Employ reusable bags and water bottles rather than filling the trash with plastic bags and bottles.