Who doesn't love receiving money? It can come into your possession different ways. But it's especially nice when it's given to you freely to do whatever you wish with it.

Even better, what if you were given a specific sum of money in the amount of $100 immediately and asked what would be the first thing you would do with that amount?

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

On a more personal level, what would @justclickindiva do? The answer to that is a no brainer for anyone who knows me well.

No matter what happens in my life, I'm a planner. A divide and conquer mentality is always at work in my sphere. How can I stretch this or that as far as I can to accomplish a task where everyone I know who is in need benefits.

^{Image created by me utilizing Microsoft Excel}

Simple enough. Four important areas in this equation are:

• children;
• family and friends;
• homeless;
• empowering women through microfinance; and
• savings for emergencies.

In each of these areas, I have already been assisting others through personal contact or solicitation of funds from organizations.

30% [Children]

Through the following organizations, I have always tried to help as many children as possible.

Compassion International
About 30 years ago, I learned about this organization and began sponsoring children for several years. This organization is a child sponsorship and Christian humanitarian aid organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the U.S. It's primary purpose is to hopefully effect the development of children living in poverty globally.

My understanding is that, as of 2019, the organization coordinated donations from at least ten participating countries. Compassion International reports that the donations assisted their goal of operating childhood programs in 25 impoverished countries (including Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, Kenya, and Haiti).¹ This fact is awesome in that they were able to enroll more than two million participants, from infants through young adults, in its programs.¹ I'm happy to know that I had a small part in several children being able to be placed in one of their programs.

Feed The Children
Feed The Children is an organization established in 1979 and has its headquarters in the state of Oklahoma, in the U.S. It's a non-profit organization that focuses on extinguishing childhood hunger.² Their stated mission is to provide hope and resources for those without life's essentials.

Feed The Children provides food, essentials, education supplies and disaster relief to those families in need with children across the United States and in 10 countries around the world. In the U.S., it operates five distribution centers.² I have been a member of this group for 15 years helping to provide support to children.

St. Jude's Children Research Center
This organization enjoyed world-wide fame as assisting families of children stricken with cancer. No family has to worry about their ability to pay because they never incur any expenses. This was the promise of the late Actor Danny Thomas. His daughter, Marlo Thomas, today continues his legacy.

25% [Family and Friends]

Twenty-five percent of my $100 total would be placed in my savings account so that when family and friends request assistance, I can just forward it to them. I receive requests regularly. Having additional resources on hand is a necessity.

20% [The Homeless]

According to Webster's Dictionary, homelessness is defined as:

the state or condition of having no home and includes individuals who sleep in a public or private place not designed for use as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.³

In the U.S. there are currently over 567,000 homeless individuals.³. I've personally seen the effects of homelessness on families. Were it not for shelters, many homeless individuals and families would have to live out of their cars, may sleep in rest areas, utilize tents, or just camp under freeways or in other public places.

Many states in the U.S. have enacted state and local laws to deal with the homeless population. Who is the blame for homelessness? Many social and economical problems have a hand in this critical issue. And, it's not one agency's problem to deal with it. The issues surrounding homelessness has to be dealt with first in addressing the question of why is there homeless people to begin with. Some blame personal responsibility; others, mental illness; still others, societal structures surrounding economic equality. No matter who's to blame, the issue seems to be unsolvable.

Each state has different laws, social services, medical policies, and other conditions which influence the number of homeless persons and what services are available to the in each state.

Half of the homeless population of the U.S. reside in one of five states (in 2020), with Texas having the fourth largest population at 25,000.³ I've seen many homeless individuals and families in the Texas area where I live to know this is a sad situation for our country as a whole.

15% [Microfinance Organizations (Loans to Women)]

Kiva

Of all the organizations that provide micro loans to individuals in developing and impoverished countries, I have found Kiva fits my criteria of advancing the goals and desires of women. I joined Kiva two years ago. My team name is: Texas Cares, lead by @mamasez. As a member of our team, we loan to deserving women attempting to obtain loans for food, farming, and small business.

The reason I like Kiva is that the minimum amount you can loan is $25. This is reasonable and not a burden for me. Sometimes our group agrees on the person or persons to commit to loans to. Other times, I may find ladies whose stories and aspirations really touch me. I'm able to reach numerous ladies in different countries, regions, and locals.

To date, I'm happy to report that I have received 3 repayments in full. That's an amazing feats for these women as they struggle to make ends meet for their families. To know they are able to repay their debts I know is a proud feeling of accomplishment.

10% [Savings]

This is always a safety net in case someone unexpected requests funds from me that I feel will assist them in their immediate needs. If I know of hear of them being wasteful, then turning to me as a reliable "go to" just because, a surprise is in store. Life has taught me many lessons in which I do "eventually learn."