SMILE AND THE FOUNDATION WILL SMILE WITH YOU!

Let me start by saying I do not own stock in Amazon.com, nor do I know anyone in the upper echelon of Amazon.  I don’t really know how they fare politically or environmentally, I just know that I love them. Or, rather, I love using the site.  In my house, Amazon is a verb, as in, just Amazon that stuff (G-rated version)!

Some may say the ease of the site makes shopping dangerous. Oh, I MUST have that silicone Mana-Tea manatee tea diffuser! How could I live without it? But I maintain, living in rural Vermont, that it can be safer, more convenient and often, dare I say, faster to order that _____ (fill in the blank: pen, frame, fabric glue, gift) not available at the local store by Amazoning it.  Also, you avoid the risk of filling your physical cart with 20 other unwanted items you see at the store by just ordering that one thing on Amazon prime with no shipping costs. And no travel time or gas! Now, I still endeavor to shop locally where possible, but sometimes Amazon is the way to go and the below tip may lessen any guilt you may feel when using the site.

What does this have to do with the VBA blawg? Well, with the not-so-grueling effort of typing in just SIX extra characters, you can make a difference! Before ordering your gifts, household items, etc. this holiday season, just type in those 6 characters: “S, M, I, L, E, .” before Amazon and you will automatically be making a donation to the Vermont Bar Foundation with your purchase at no extra cost to you! By using www.smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate a small percentage of each purchase to the Vermont Bar Foundation.  All you have to do is choose the VBF as your charity, as a one-time effort, and the VBF will always be your recipient. Also, next time you use Amazon, you should automatically be signed in, especially if you use smile.amazon as your bookmark.   

For more smiles, check out the newly redesigned VBF website at https://vtbarfoundation.org.  The website shares some of the amazing stories about how the VBF grants make a difference in the lives of Vermonters.  It also encourages you to donate what you can to support their important work.  Reading the touching stories will certainly put a smile on your face, and donating will spread that smile across Vermont. Donating at no extra cost to you is a smile-smile, win-win for everyone!