Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 11 (May 2010). Special Olympics By Katrina Many of us see Special Olympics related programs at our schools or places of employment. In theory, it's great, but in practice, it's far more inspiring than even describable! Think about it, the Special Olympics is giving athletic opportunities to individuals who would not have the same opportunities with any other organization. What's more important than the athletic opportunities given to these...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 10 (April 2010). 10 Points of Light By Katrina You may remember Take Back the Night's Avatar debut when it was featured as Cause of the Month in the November 2009 edition. In conjunction with Take Back the Night's first ever nationwide event, 10 Points of Light, we wanted to remind our Cause of the Month readers of the great work this foundation is doing each and every day, and to encourage participation in this event! On April 29, 2010,...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 6 (December 2009). Angel Tree by Katrina Twenty-seven years ago, Mary Kay Beard, who was on America's Most Wanted at the time and serving a 180-year sentence at the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Alabama had a change of heart near Christmas time as she served her sentence. Outsiders would bring the inmates small soaps and toiletries, and rather than keeping these for personal use, many of the inmates wrapped them up as gifts for their...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 5 (November 2009). Take Back the Night by Katrina November's Cause of the Month, Take Back the Night, got it's start in the late '70s as victims, but more importantly, survivors, of sexual abuse got together with their friends and family to raise awareness about the pressing issue. Earlier on (or 'In the beginning' or 'At its start'), the events focused mainly on different local unsafe areas and how to make them safer. Throughout the 70s,...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 4 (October 2009). To Write Love on Her Arms by Katrina October's Cause of the Month is To Write Love on Her Arms, another cause close to the hearts of the large majority of TeenHelp users. As a group of young people, many of whom have struggled with self harm and addiction ourselves, we are truly able to connect with such a modern, accepting movement of love: "You were created to love and be loved. You were meant to live life in...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 3 (September 2009). Operation Beautiful by Katrina This cause of the month, Operation Beautiful, has become close to the hearts of many TeenHelpers since it became popular around the forums over the past few weeks. Operation Beautiful began when a twenty-five year old blogger, Caitlin, became fed up with what is referred to as "Fat Talk." Fat Talk is basically when women say or think negative things about their bodies. Fat Talk, and the...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 2 (August 2009). Veterans Airlift Command by Katrina With many injured war veterans coming home each and every day, this month TeenHelp's Cause of the Month is a phenomenal organization called Veterans Airlift Command. Unfortunately, there are many current and former soldiers who need medical assistance but do not have a means of transportation from state to state, or country to country. Furthermore, there are also many families of...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 1 (July 2009). She Dances by Katrina With the release of volume three, Avatar will now contain a monthly, noteworthy cause that the editors feel is sometimes unrecognized, unknown, but utterly unique. We hope "Cause of the Month" will raise awareness for these great causes, the purpose of these movements, and the visions that started them all. "Every girl deserves to dream. Every girl deserves hope. Every girl deserves to love and to be...