Join Tomgirl in supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters this season

The third of our four partner charitable organizations in Tomgirl Tours’ holiday gift certificate program is the amazing Big Brothers Big Sisters. I’ve long been an advocate of mentoring young girls to help them grow into strong, confident women (Tomgirls, you might say!) And, as the country’s oldest and largest youth mentoring program, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes such a vast impact on our greatest resource: children.

Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors children, ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country. Their mission is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that help create brighter futures, better schools, and stronger communities for all.

National research has shown that positive relationships between youth and their Big Brothers and Big Sisters mentors have a direct and measurable impact on children's lives. By participating in our youth mentoring programs, Little Brothers and Sisters are:

• More confident in their schoolwork performance
• Able to get along better with their families
• 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs
• 27% less likely to begin using alcohol
• 52% less likely to skip school.

We are proud to support this organization, and saw this commercial on a local network this week showing Laura Bush doing the same!

Purchase a Tomgirl Tours gift certificate this season, select Big Brothers Big Sisters as your charity of choice, and we will make a contribution on your behalf. Your gift will both give a special woman an amazing Tomgirl tour while, helping special children receive the support and mentoring they need.

For more on our gift certificates, see here.

This Holiday Give the Gift of Adventure as You Help Those in Need

Tomgirl Tours has officially inked the details for our holiday gift certificate program--one that allows purchasers to not only give the gift of upscale adventure tours to the women who receive them, but also to provide support to four charitable organizations that are near and dear to us at Tomgirl Tours.

As I outlined in my last post, this year has been an incredibly difficult one for many non-profit organizations, as people pulled back spending on all levels, especially their charitable donations. So, as I developed the idea of a gift certificate option for this holiday, I thought what better way--or time--for Tomgirl Tours to "give back", and allow purchasers to know that their holiday spending is also helping these organizations that do so much good.

In keeping with Tomgirl's dedication to women (and girls), health, and the Great Outdoors, we've selected four foundations as our partners. For each gift certificate sold, Tomgirl will make a donation to whichever cause the purchaser selects. We will donate $125 for each certificate for a week-long tour, and $75 for each certificate purchased for a weekend tour.

The organizations from which you can choose:

1. A Wish Come True, which grants wishes to children ages 3 through 18 who have life-threatening illnesses and live in Rhode Island & areas of southeastern Massachusetts. As of June 2009, a Wish Come True had completed more than 1200 wishes, at an average cost of $5,000 each.
2. The National Breast Cancer Foundation, which strives to save lives by increasing awareness of breast cancer through education and by providing mammograms for those in need.
3. Big Brothers Big Sisters, the oldest, largest, and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States. Mentoring children, ages 6 through 18, Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that have a measurable impact on youth.
4. The National Forest Foundation, which engages Americans in community-based and national programs that promote the health and public enjoyment of the 193-million-acre National Forest System, and administers private gifts of funds and land for the benefit of the National Forests.

To decide which tour to put on your holiday wish list (so you can start dropping hints, of course!), click here. For information on how to purchase a Tomgirl Gift Certificate, contact me at (866) 922-4990 or email info@tomgirltours.com.