This is a collection of some of my favorite organizations to support -- here in Atlanta, across the U.S., and around the world -- because they provide not just material support, but tools to thrive. If you're here because you listen to BrainStuff, you've heard me talk about labor issues, how foods work, mental and physical health, and the wonders of the weird world around us. These places help improve and preserve all that, so chip in if you can <333

Giving Kitchen supports food service workers experiencing crisis, be it financial, mental, or physical. My father was a professional cook, so I know firsthand how little safety net our service industry has -- even while they work long, hard shifts to provide comfort to us. Giving Kitchen has provided nearly 8,000 months of rent to food service workers in the past 12 years, and received a James Beard award for their humanitarian efforts.

Furkids runs Georgia's largest no-kill animal shelter and rescue organization. Beyond adoptions, they support local pets (and their people) by providing low-cost clinics, community cat services, and care for high-risk animals. Both of my cats are rescues, and my life is so much better (and louder, and sillier) for them.

AWARE, the Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort, rescues and rehabilitates local wildlife with the goal of release back into native habitats. If you ever find an injured wild animal in Georgia, contact them for help 10am-7pm, 365 days a year! They also educate local humans about coexisting with wildlife through their excellent, adorable, opinionated ambassador animals. Look 'em up on FB!

The Georgia Harm Reduction Coalition is a veritable cephalopod of care, with arms of service in substance misuse and disease preventions, mental and physical health treatments, and provisions of other resources from housing to food to education to legal aid. They use science- and evidence-based interventions to help our communities get healthier and stay healthier.

RAICES, the Refugee & Immigrant Center for Education & Legal Services, supports the immigrants who make America a vibrant place to live. RAICES’ legal and social services connect families to resources that help them stay together, free, and safe, so that they can build lives here. Between 2018 and 2023, RAICES paid $20 million in bonds to keep families together, and their work is even more important today.

World Central Kitchen believes that it’s possible to nourish the world, even in the most difficult situations. They’ve provided over 500 million fresh meals to communities impacted by natural disasters and humanitarian crises since 2010. They look to supply immediate support, and also to work with local food producers to help (re)build supply chains and economies for long-lasting food resilience. Their work continues today in Gaza, Ukraine, and communities from Northwestern Spain to Central Texas hit by climate disasters like fires and flooding.