Kiva "Loans that Change Lives"

You may have noticed the little banner/icon on the bottom right after my blogroll, pictures, etc. titled "Kiva." My brother and sister-in-law first introduced Kiva to us a couple of years ago when they were purchasing a "gift certificate" for my grandparents for Christmas. Kiva is a really cool organization that gives loans to individual entrepreneurs and small businesses around the world...people just needing a little help to live a dream and support their families. It is quite simple- you can browse the website and choose specifically who you would like to lend money to- for example, Oksana in the Ukraine hoping to further develop her grocery store, or Edilberto in Honduras who wants to use a loan to buy merchandise for a small retail store in his home. The money from several lenders goes to a field partner that handles the interaction. The cool thing is, once they repay the loan, you can either re-lend it to another business, withdrawal the money, or donate to Kiva (for operational expenses.) Loans that keep on giving....So far we have been able to help 3 various entrepreneurs all with just a starting $25. Pretty cool huh? Such a simple and easy way to give back after all that God has blessed us with.