May 20 (Day 81) Love in simple ways...

Today's post highlights a group of people who saw a need in their community and decided to do something

to meet that need. That is what this blog is all about; Find a need... then fill that need!  It inspires me to see that there are people out there who are making a difference in so many ways.  They are meeting simple needs and having a huge impact in their community.... How about you, what can you do to impact your community?     “We can do no great things, only small things with great love” Mother Theresa

Project 680 is a grassroots team effort led by local residents to do something about the problem of student homelessness. This all started with a sock drive in December 2008. After learning of the “680″ (680 documented cases of “homeless” students in 2008) from the District Liaison for Homeless Services, and that having new socks were a felt need among these students, it became our goal to collect 680 pairs of socks. Well, we were overwhelmed with generosity from the community and we saw 3,144 pairs of socks come in (on a similar note, a future underwear drive then saw 3,198 pairs of underwear). Local residents, neighborhoods, organizations, churches, and businesses all teamed up to make this happen.

WHAT IS A HOMELESS STUDENT? “Homeless” is defined as “an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate residence.” The students that the school district serves in Folsom and Rancho Cordova are living in unstable places like motels, in homes without a parent or legal guardian, in homes without power or water, in RVs in parking lots, in cars, in tents, on the streets, and more. Being a kid or teenager these days is difficult enough without adding the struggle of instability in living arrangements.

Advocating for local homeless students does not require a degree in rocket science, but only a willing heart to love in simple ways.

Ways you can get involved:

• 
  
  If you live in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District area you can get involved in one of their projects.
• 
  
  If you live outside the area, you can participate in the "One Cap-One Shoe" campaign and help supply homeless students with shoes. 
• 
  
  Take a few minutes and really think about this cause and how they are making a difference and be inspired to make a difference in your community. 

Check out the Project 680 Facebook page.

Source:  Project 680

May 19 (Day 80) May is For Miracles

Children's Miracle Network saves the lives of children by raising funds and awareness for children's hospitals and foundations throughout the world.

Children’s Miracle Network is a non-profit organization that raises funds for more than 170 children’s hospitals. Countless individuals, organizations and media partners unite with Children’s Miracle Network hospitals to help sick and injured kids in local communities. Donations to Children’s Miracle Network create miracles by funding medical care, research and education that saves and improves the lives of 17 million children each year.

Every child deserves the hope and healing of children’s hospitals. With the help of a Children’s Miracle Network hospital in their community, children of all ages and backgrounds can receive treatment for every imaginable disease and injury—from asthma and broken bones to cancer and heart defects. Children’s hospitals are also on the front lines of research, education and outreach programs that keep millions of kids out of the hospital each year.
This year alone, Children’s Miracle Network hospitals will provide charity care worth billions, yet these children’s hospitals depend on community support to help fund their vital services.

To ensure children’s hospitals have the resources they need, Children’s Miracle Network’s partners conduct thousands of special events and grassroots fundraisers year-round. Corporate partners sell Miracle Balloons, radio and television stations broadcast stories of medical miracles, and college students hold Dance Marathons—just a few of the programs generating millions of dollars each year to provide the life-saving care and crucial services kids need.

Through its continuous efforts to help kids, Children’s Miracle Network has raised more than $3.4 billion to date, most of which is donated a dollar or two at a time by caring individuals. Children’s Miracle Network has grown dramatically since its founding in 1983, from a televised fundraiser in a small studio to one of the world’s leading children’s charities helping million of kids each year.


How Can I Help?

Donate to Children's Miracle Network.
Get Involved.
Volunteer at your local CMN Hospital.
Click here to see real Miracle Stories.


Source:  Children's Miracle Network

May 18 (Day 79) Summer Camp Impacting Lives

For more than 20 years, Hole in the Wall Camps and programs have empowered children to reach beyond the limits of their medical conditions to create lasting and positive impacts in their lives. The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps unites the world’s largest family of camps that are joined by their commitment to improve the quality of life for children coping with serious illnesses. Today, with 10 medical specialty camps in the United States and Europe, and one soon to be opened in the Middle East, the need for dedicated and passionate volunteers is continually growing. 

Trained volunteers, who range in age from 19 years old to senior citizens, make up more than 50% of the staff necessary to run each of the camp programs. Activities are intended to inspire children to realize their full potential, encourage team work and social connection, and boost self-esteem and confidence. Volunteers help facilitate these activities and create friendly, supportive and barrier-free environments, where children can speak openly about their hopes, dreams and fears with others facing similar situations. Hole in the Wall Camps and programs serve children affected by nearly 150 specific medical conditions through on and offsite programs.

Ways to Volunteer:

Volunteers are needed year-round to support our camp programs. There are opportunities to join a camp for weeklong summer session or for a weekend program in the fall, winter or spring. A volunteer can also help with off-campus fundraisers or programs. We need male and female volunteers year round.

The summer camp season is quickly approaching at Hole in the Wall Camps around the world and we are in need of a few good men. Are you energetic, creative and compassionate? Are you looking for a way to spend some time this summer that is meaningful and valuable? Are you interested in sharing your talents or picking up a new skill? Do you know someone who is?

Yes? Then we have an opportunity for you! Each year our family of camps relies on more than 12,000 volunteers to work alongside summer staff to ensure that children with serious medical conditions are able to ‘kick back, relax, and just be kids’ while they are at camp. Several of our camps still have male volunteer spots available for this summer and would love to hear from you.  Click here for more information. 

2009 Statistics:

• 31,500 children attended a Hole in the Wall Camp or program
• 20,110 children benefited from Hospital Outreach Programs
• 11,724 people dedicated their time to volunteer
• 42,060 children, caregivers and siblings served through on and off campus programs 

Since 1988:

• Nearly 200,000 children attended a Hole in the Wall Camp or program
• More than 150 medical conditions served at our camps
• Children from 45 countries and all 50 United States benefited from camp

Click here to donate.
Read inspirational Stories from Camp.


Source:  Hole in the Wall Camps

May 17 (Day 78) There's No Place Like Home

  

The Foreclosure Angel Foundation was born when Marilyn Mock saw a need in November of 2008 to help her neighbor who was about to lose her home. With no where else to turn but the streets, their home went up on the auction block. Marilyn bought the home at the auction price and sold it right back to the owners at the now lower cost. Marilyn had a keen sense that “It could be me in that situation.” One major life change could rip her family from their home too.

Ever the optimist, Marilyn thought that others in her community who saw this need would surely step up and help. She took desperate letters from families losing their homes to a function where her friends and acquaintances had expendable income. Marilyn was shocked when they didn’t even want to see the letter, much less offer any help. At that point, Marilyn once again had another layer of her rose colored glasses ripped away, but this time she became determined. She believed that the American spirit of neighbors helping neighbors would win out. She knew that her new life mission would be to help her fellow Americans keep their homes when they had no other place to go.

Each and every donation made to the Foreclosure Angel Foundation helps to meet the needs of families in your community that are struggling to keep their homes. When these families lose their homes, their only alternative may be living on the street or in their car. This often leaves children without a place to sleep and a way to get to school. Each applicant is treated as an individual, and thus there are many different ways which Foreclosure Angel Foundation can help.

Foreclosure Angel Foundation may: 

• Pay the applicant’s property taxes to help them remain in the home.
• Provide a deposit on an apartment for an applicant who has been through foreclosure and no longer qualifies for credit.
• Help a family catch up on mortgage payments after or through a period of unemployment.
• Be the mortgage company for applicants who have small mortgage amounts that do not qualify for a bank mortgage.
• Provide temporary assistance to make partial mortgage payments when an unexpected death or illness prevents creates a monetary deficit. 

The economic condition of our country, state, and city begins with each individual. We should look into our own community first and help those who are suffering. As we unite to help our neighbors, we become the stimulus to end the disease of greed which is tearing families apart. The influx of information through television and the internet has desensitized us to the suffering in our own community. We can no longer rely on “someone else” to help the needy in our community. Your donation to the Foreclosure Angel Foundation will save the hopes, dreams, marriages, and even lives of countless families right next door.


Donate to Foreclosure Angel Foundation




Source:  Forclosure Angel Foundation

May 16 (Day 77) Become A Blanketeer !

Are you a "crafty" person?  Do you enjoy making things with your hands?  If so, here is a great opportunity for all of you "crafty" people to make a difference.

On Christmas Eve, 1995, an article titled “Joy to the World” appeared in Parade Magazine. It was written by Pulitzer Prize winning photo-journalist, Eddie Adams. Part of the article featured a petite, downy haired child. She had been going through intensive chemotherapy and stated that her security blanket helped her get through the treatments. After reading the article, Karen Loucks decided to provide homemade security blankets to Denver’s Rocky Mountain Children’s Cancer Center, and Project Linus was born.

Project Linus is a non-profit organization with a two-fold mission.

• First, it is our mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.”
• Second, it is our mission to provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children.

Donate to Project Linus.

Become a Blanketeer or find out other ways you can help.

Find a Project Linus Chapter in your area.

Wow!  Over  3.2 Million blankets handcrafted and delivered!  That is awesome!  I'll bet there are some sore fingers out there... but also some happy hearts! 

Project Linus on Facebook.

Source:  Project Linus

May 15 (Day 76) Cancer Sucks!

 Cancer Sucks!

Today is a busy day for me and today's post will be short & simple. Today I will be participating in the American Cancer Society -Relay for Life.  I will be walking for 24 hours; well okay, I will be taking turns walking with my team for 24 hours.  Our family is walking because we have lost too many family members to Cancer... not to mention the many family members who are survivors of Cancer. We are walking to honor those we love and the many others who have faced this awful disease! 

Today, would you consider making a $5. donation to the American Cancer Society . . .  it's so easy!  You can use your mobile phone to send a text message and make a $5 donation to support the American Cancer Society’s fight to save lives from cancer. Your commitment and generosity will help create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.  Text FIGHT to 20222.

All texted donations support the American Cancer Society's work to save lives by helping people stay well, helping people get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back.

If you would prefer to make your mobile donation on behalf of an American Cancer Society special event, please choose from the following:

Relay For Life - Text RELAY to 20222
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer - Text HOPE to 20222
Coaches vs. Cancer - Text COACH to 20222


Click here for more information and instructions on mobile giving.
Consider walking in a Relay for Life event in your area.


Resource:  American Cancer Society

May 14 (Day 75) STOP Stroke / Spread HOPE

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and a leading cause of adult disability.

Up to 80% of strokes are preventable; you can prevent a stroke!

May is National Stroke Awareness Month — are you ready to start spreading awareness?  

 

 

The National Stroke Association strives to provide everyone with the tools and inspiration to raise public awareness about stroke by hosting awareness events and activities. It doesn't matter if you are an individual or a large corporation, because the more people we reach, the better.

 

We urge you to tell others about how to:

• STOP stroke through risk factor management.
• Act F.A.S.T. to increase recognition of and response to stroke symptoms.
• Spread HOPE about recovery from stroke.

Every day the National Stroke Association makes a difference in the lives of people touched by stroke by offering programs in local communities. And your gift goes a long way in helping National Stroke Association achieve its mission to reduce the incidence and impact of stroke both locally and nationally. By making a donation today, you could be helping a family member or friend tomorrow.


  National Stroke Association’s Personal Fundraising enables our supporters and friends to quickly and easily raise awareness and funds; set up a personalized webpage and tell your personal story about why you are raising funds and spreading awareness about stroke. 
 
 
 
Source: National Stroke Association
 

May 13 (Day 74) Read & Release

Today's post highlights an awesome, fun idea... An eco-friendly way to promote a love of reading and sharing and good will.  Check it out and get involved! 

BookCrossing is earth-friendly, and gives you a way to share your books, clear your shelves, and conserve precious resources at the same time. Through our own unique method of recycling reads, BookCrossers give life to books. A book registered on BookCrossing is ready for adventure.

Leave it on a park bench, a coffee shop, at a hotel on vacation. Share it with a friend or tuck it onto a bookshelf at the gym -- anywhere it might find a new reader! What happens next is up to fate, and we never know where our books might travel. Track the book's journey around the world as it is passed on from person to person.


Join hundreds of thousands of active BookCrossers daily in our many forums to discuss your favorite authors, characters and books in every genre throughout history right up through current releases.

Join BookCrossing. Help make the whole world a library and share the joy of literacy. Reading becomes an adventure when you BookCross! Register and release your favorite (or even your not-so-favorites which you are ready to pass along) books to travel the world and find new readers! Join 859,310 people in over 130 countries and become a BookCrossing member for FREE. Sign up -- it takes less than a minute.





Source: www.bookcrossing.com

May 12 (Day 73) Home For Life

Home For Life® is an expression of a new kind of animal shelter—the long-term animal sanctuary. We provide animals with loving care, a nurturing environment that is safe and stable, a place to belong… a home for life. We provide lifetime care for cats and dogs with special needs who cannot find a home, but who can still lead a quality life.

Most shelters offer two options for animals: adoption or euthanasia. A typical family home is not appropriate for every animal. Those who are old, or who have disabilities, health or temperament problems may do better in another setting. Home For Life® believes that these special animals deserve an alternative that will meet their needs. Hence, we created a "Third Door." The Home for Life® animals enjoy a quality life, where they can be themselves, run and play, and be loved and cherished for as long as they live.

At Home for Life®, our animals are not offered for adoption. Once an animal comes to us, it truly has a home for life. Through our example, we hope to discourage an acceptance of euthanasia for animals who can still live a quality life. Just as apathy can become a way of life, so can empathy.

The example of empathy is furthered by our community outreach programs, such as Pet Peace Corps. Sanctuary residents that have been rehabilitated after past rejection and neglect are then able to give back. Through Pet Peace Corps, these animals work with volunteers and staff to help people who themselves may have been overlooked: children affected by domestic violence, at-risk teens, and the elderly.

These community outreach programs complete a circle of empathy for our animals—they become willing ambassadors of compassion, taking the empathy shown to them and passing it to other vulnerable members of society.

Donate to Home for Life®
Home For Life® welcomes your support! 100% of your contribution goes directly to the care and feeding of sanctuary residents. Our administrative staff is composed entirely of volunteers. The cost for designing, printing, and mailing our newsletter is underwritten by a single generous donor.

Donate items from our Wish List.

Sponsor an animal. 


Source:  www.homeforlife.org

May 11 (Day 72) Bringing the FUN to Fundraising !

Do you play online games? How would you like to be able to help raise money for worthwhile causes while playing games.... Sounds great, doesn't it!   Well, you can do just that... Check out this site. 

GamesThatGive is a small team of like minded individuals who have banded together to bring fun to fundraising! The GamesThatGive team believes that each and every person wants to help others, to volunteer, to make a difference. But in today’s busy 24-hour connected world it is more difficult than ever to find the time, or money, to contribute and give back in a meaningful way.

The good news, however, is that current advances in technology and changes in our lifestyle, while part of the problem, also hold the solution.

We believe that there is a new kind of fundraising on the horizon. One that utilizes existing behavior because people are busy, and social networks, and mobile devices because people want to keep in touch, but are constantly on the go, and cause marketing because people have made it clear to corporations that that want to know how corporations are helping their communities.

GamesThatGive is commited to creating a new way to contribute to the causes that mean the most to you, and to make it fun and easy, so that it just feels good! GamesThatGive is a for-profit corporation that donates 70% of its ad revenue, not our ad profits, but our ad revenue, to the charity that you select.

There are several different charities to choose to support - Ronald McDonald House, American Heart Association, Feeding America and several others.  You can create an account and choose your charity or you can play as a guest.  You can also choose to support a different charity every time you log in.  There is an ever changing total on the screen, so you see how you are making a difference!  Understand that you are not raising tons of money, but again... it comes back to the small efforts of many pooling together to make a HUGE difference!  Whenever you have a little free time and want to make a difference, check it out!! 


Resource:  Games that Give

May 10 (Day 71) Make a Difference for 25 Cents!

President Howard Schiffer founded Vitamin Angels in response to the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Since then, the organization has expanded distributions to children in developing countries in recognition that essential nutrients can save lives. With the support of manufacturers, retailers, corporations, and individuals, Vitamin Angels continues to reach children and mothers in need of vital nutrients domestically and around the world.

Vitamin Angels reduces child mortality by connecting infants and children under five with essential nutrients. We help children attain good health and the opportunity to lead meaningful and productive lives. Essential nutrients address chronic malnutrition and the resulting morbidity and mortality caused by vitamin deficiencies. By mobilizing public sector organizations, private sector resources and motivated individuals in partnership with Vitamin Angels, we strive to reach underserved children and mothers domestically and internationally.

In 2008 we reached 7 million children in 42 countries while maintaining ongoing programs in 20 countries. In 2009, we are expanding Operation 20/20 to reach 10 million children with vitamin A and antiparasitics, the next benchmark to reaching our goal of eliminating vitamin A deficiency by the year 2020. Through our Thrive to Five program we will distribute 100 million doses of multivitamins to children and mothers in need around the world.

The figure of $.25 refers to the cost of reaching one child with two doses of both vitamin A and antiparasitics through Operation 20/20. This is the amount needed to alleviate vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in children under five for one year, a solution proven to reduce overall child mortality by 23%. In other words, vitamin A supplementation alone can save one in four children who will die this year. $.25 reflects the approximate cost for the purchase (as necessary) of the vitamins and antiparasitics, logistics, transportation, and staff costs. Costs absorbed by our field partners are not included. The cost to reach children and mothers with a year’s supply of daily multivitamins through our Thrive to Five program is even lower. Every year, around 54 million new children are affected by malnutrition or undernutrition. Thrive to Five gives children under five the vital first step to excel physically and cognitively, rather than simply survive their key developmental years  Ultimately, no matter what the financial investment, as little at $.25 can make a huge difference.

Click here to donate.

Want to get involved? 
Click here to find out the many ways you can help.




Source: Vitamin Angels

May 9 (Day 70) A Grandmother's Love inspires a Granddaughter

Today's Post is written by Jennifer Sommerio-Bodoh. Jen blogs about her life experiences in a witty, irreverant manner. Jen's blog is not for the faint of heart, as Jen has been known to turn a 'salty' phrase or two. Jen is a creative and giving person... I love that she has a swear jar (every time she swears, she has to put money in the jar) and all money is being donated to the Ronald McDonald House. Jen has another special cause that is near and dear to her heart and she agreed to guest blog today to highlight her cause. Thanks Jen! Happy Mother's Day to Grandma Bonnie and Jen!  And to mothers and grandmothers everywhere! 

Alzheimer’s Disease – Memory Loss is Not a Normal Part of Aging

Isn’t Alzheimer’s just a disease of forgetful old people? Many people think as you get older it’s normal to become increasingly forgetful. And you do – some forgetfulness is normal and expected. But, when is forgetfulness normal and memory loss excessive? What happens when your loved one starts to forget important information – like their birthday? Their address? Their spouse?

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a brain disorder named for German physician Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906. Today we know that Alzheimer’s:

• Is a progressive and fatal brain disease. As many as 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing memory loss and problems with thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is fatal. Today it is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. Learn more: Warning Signs and Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.

• Is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia, mixed dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia.

• Has no current cure. But treatments for symptoms, combined with the right services and support, can make life better for the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s. There is an accelerating worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, or prevent it from developing. Learn more about recent progress in Alzheimer research funded by the Alzheimer’s Association in the Research section.

How Can You Help?  (click on the links to find out how)

Donate to Alzheimer's Association.

Raising Awareness / Money

Give to the Alzheimer's Association May 14 & 15 Weekend.   Look for volunteers sprouting up on your local street corners. They're collecting donations to help fight Alzheimer's disease during Bankers Life and Casualty Company's Forget Me Not Days®. And as thanks for your donation, you'll receive Forget-Me-Not flower seeds to plant in honor of the estimated 5.3 million Americans living with Alzheimer's.

Action

Shop for the Cause:

Buy "Coach Broyles' Playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers"

Alzheimer’s disease is NOT just a disease for old people! Alzheimer's can strike people in their 30s, 40s and even 50s. This is called younger-onset Alzheimer's. It is estimated that there are as many as 5.3 million people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. This includes 5.1 million people age 65 and over and 200,000 people under age 65 with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

I didn’t know anything about Alzheimer’s Disease until my Grandma, Bonnie, was diagnosed in April 2009 at 68-years-old. She is currently in Stage 4 – Moderate Cognitive Decline (mild or early stage AD). She is being cared for by her husband, my Papa. Our family has come together in many different ways to help my Papa and to raise awareness of AD.

I am 30-years-old and my grandparents’ oldest granddaughter. Last September my family and I participated in the 2009 Memory Walk as Team Bonnie’s Braves. I am proud to announce that our team raised over $4,000.00 for Alzheimer’s Research!

I am incredibly honored to have been asked to be a guest blogger for 1 Way Every Day. Thank you for reading about a cause near and dear to my heart. And thank you to Don for starting this inspirational website.

Jennifer Sommerio-Bodoh

Source: http://www.alz.org

May 8 (Day 69) Dress For Success

The mission of Dress for Success is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.  Founded in New York City in 1997, Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization offering services designed to help our clients find jobs and remain employed. Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has a job interview and can return for a second suit or separates when she finds work.

Since 1997, Dress for Success has served more than 500,000 women around the world. Each year we reach more than 50,000 women in the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Mexico, Poland and the West Indies. Dress for Success serves clients by referral only, and women must have an interview scheduled before receiving clothing. Our clients come to us from a continually expanding and diverse group of non-profit and government agencies including homeless shelters, immigration services, job training programs, educational institutions and domestic violence shelters, among many other organizations. More than 3,000 organizations throughout the world send women to Dress for Success for professional apparel and career development services.

On her initial visit a woman receives a suit appropriate for the industry in which she is interviewing and, if available, accessories. After a woman finds a job she returns to Dress for Success for additional clothing that can be mixed and matched to make several outfits, providing her with the foundation for a professional wardrobe.

While we may be best known for providing suits to women, it is our employment retention programs that are the cornerstone of the organization. Soon after Dress for Success was founded we came to recognize that finding work is only one step in a woman's journey towards economic independence; remaining employed and building a rewarding career are essential if a woman is to become self-sufficient.

To meet the need for services that would help women both find and keep jobs, we established the Professional Women's Group (PWG) program, which offers women ongoing support as they successfully transition into the workforce, build thriving careers and prosper in the mainstream workplace. Dress for Success also has developed Career Center, an initiative that promotes confidence and professionalism by providing women career guidance, the chance to acquire technology skills and assistance in their job searches.

Dress for Success relies on the financial contributions, in-kind donations and volunteer efforts of individuals and companies around the world who are committed to helping women take charge of their lives. There are many ways you can help;  Host a suit drive, donate your professional clothes or volunteer at a chapter near you. Visit our Support Dress for Success page to learn how you can get involved with Dress for Success.

Click here to find a Dress for Success chapter near you.
Find Dress for Success on Facebook.


Source:  Dress For Success

May 7 (Day 68) - Stamp Out Hunger

Oh, this one is so easy.... Run up to the grocery store and pick up a few extra cans of food to donate to a very worthy cause!  Then tomorrow (Saturday, May 8th) leave the cans at your mailbox and your work is done!  You can spend the rest of the day feeling good, knowing you have helped someone in need! 

This year Stamp Out Hunger, the nation’s largest single-day food drive, will look to surpass one billion pounds of food collected since its inception in 1993. Last year, letter carriers across the country collected a record total of more than 73.4 million pounds of food. But with hunger impacting 49.1 million Americans, including 16.7 million children, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual study measuring food security in the United States; help is needed now more than ever before.

"In these trying times it’s important for Americans to rally behind causes like the Letter Carriers Food Drive to help their neighbors struggling with hunger," said Fredric V. Rolando, NALC president. "While we’re very proud of our success over the years in the battle against hunger, the fact remains that more Americans than ever are in need, which is why we remain committed to this drive."

The Face of Hunger…

Despite the generosity of millions of Americans who have supported efforts like the Stamp Out Hunger food drive; the need for food assistance has never been greater. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual study measuring food security in the United States, Household Food Security in the United States, 2008, the number of Americans living in food insecure homes increased from 36.2 million in 2007 to 49.1 million in 2008, with approximately one in every three food insecure Americans being a child (16.7 million). 

A recent survey conducted by Feeding America of its 205 food bank members reported universal increases in demand for emergency food assistance, ranging from five percent to 150 percent, as well as a growing inability to meet the surging needs of their clients.

• More than 90 percent of the food banks reported surges in demand being driven by more first-time users of the food assistance system and more newly unemployed.

• 72 percent reported existing clients needing assistance more frequently now than in the past.

• 56 percent reported seeing more children as clients.

• 55 percent reported that they or the agencies that help distribute the food they provide have had to turn people away in the last year.

• Nearly 80 percent reported that they or their partner agencies have had to reduce the amount of food provided or the frequency of food distributions in their area.

You Can Help...

Helping Stamp Out Hunger is as easy as checking your mailbox.  Just leave a bag of non-perishable food where your letter carrier normally delivers your mail on Saturday, May 8.  Your letter carrier will then pick up and deliver the food to a local food bank.  Examples of non-perishable items include: 

• 
  
  Canned soup
• 
  
  Canned meats and fish
• 
  
  Canned vegetables, fruits and juices
• 
  
  Boxed goods (such as cereal)
• 
  
  Pasta and rice

For more information about the annual Stamp Out Hunger effort in your community, ask your letter carrier or visit www.helpstampouthunger.com, or follow the drive at www.twitter.com/StampOutHunger.

 "The commitment and dedication of thousands of letter carriers, rural letter carriers, and postal and community volunteers, plus the involvement of corporate partners will make a difference in helping to feed America's hungry as we seek to surpass the record of 73.4 million pounds of food collected," added Postmaster General John Potter. "The generosity of our customers and the determination of our employees have never been stronger."

In a recent survey conducted by Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic-hunger-relief organization, its 203 food bank members consistently reported increased demand for emergency food assistance, ranging from five to 150 percent. Food banks are also notoriously empty during summer months, having exhausted the supply of donations received from food drives conducted during the holidays that are then distributed during spring.  Summer donations are even more critical since many children in need no longer have the benefit of their school lunch program.

A HELPING HAND...

As part of its support for the drive, Campbell will donate one can of soup to Feeding America (up to one million cans) for each Facebook fan that joins the fight against hunger at www.facebook.com/StampOutHunger. The company also sponsors, along with the U.S. Postal Service, a reminder postcard being mailed to more than 120 million homes the week of the drive.

 Source:  Stamp Out Hunger 2010

May 6 (Day 67) Moving is the Best Medicine

May is Arthritis Awareness Month! 

 

The Arthritis Foundation is the only national not-for-profit organization that supports the more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions. Founded in 1948, with headquarters in Atlanta, the Arthritis Foundation has multiple service points located throughout the country. The Arthritis Foundation is the largest private, not-for-profit contributor to arthritis research in the world, funding more than $380 million in research grants since 1948. The foundation helps people take control of arthritis by providing public health education; pursuing public policy and legislation; and conducting evidence-based programs to improve the quality of life for those living with arthritis.

 

The Arthritis Foundation offers information and tools to help people live a better life with arthritis. Whether it’s advice from medical experts to specialized arthritis self-management or exercise classes, the Arthritis Foundation has your solution.

 

There are a number of ways to become involved with the Arthritis Foundation. Whether you become a member, make a donation or remember us in your will, your contribution goes to support cutting-edge research and scientifically proven programs designed to help people with arthritis. For every dollar donated to the Arthritis Foundation, more than 76 cents goes directly to fund research and activities for people with arthritis.

You can help by serving or leading an Arthritis Foundation committee, lending a hand at an event or sharing your professional skills as a volunteer.

However, getting involved doesn’t require a major donation or major time commitment. Attending a fundraising event – be it a fun run, breakfast or gala, or the Arthritis Walk, our signature event – is another way to help.

 

 

 

 

Arthritis Walks are taking place across the country this month. A great way to get moving for a great cause.

 

• Learn more about Arthritis Walk.
• Form a team today
• Learn ways to Get Moving to fight arthritis pain.

Source:  Arthritis Foundation

 

 

May 5 (Day 66) Helping the Gulf Shore

We have all read or heard news stories about the Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill... The effects of this disaster will be HUGE, but there are ways we can be involved in making a difference. Today's post is about highlighting ways we can all get involved in the clean up effort....





What an Awesome Idea!   Get Your Local Salons Involved...

Matter of Trust, a non-profit organization that invites salons, pet groomers and the folically blessed to send discarded hair trimmings to be used in highly absorbent hair mats and booms. According to their website, "Hair is very efficient at collecting oil out of the air, off surfaces like your skin and out of the water, even petroleum oil."   Hair is adsorbant (as in "clings to" unlike absorbant which is to "soak up.") There are over 370,000 hair salons in the US and each collects about 1 pound of hair a day. Right now, most of that goes into the waste stream, but it should all be made into hairmats." - Phil McCrory, inventor and stylist

Stylists and barbers are generously mailing in hair clippings to us and excited about this program and cleanup of oil spills. For more information and Salon sign up, please click here. Salons are sweeping up their hair clippings into plastic garbage bags, reusing the large boxes they get from shampoo deliveries and mailing us the hair. As well as for emergency oil spills, the mats are extremely efficient for drip pans during oil changes or under leaky cars, machinery, pipelines, even as booms for storm drains. Hair can also be stuffed into tubes (booms) made from recycled nylons, tied together to surround and contain a spill.

There is currently a great need for nylons... Click here for instructions on how to sign up to donate hair, fur or nylons.


Here are other ways to get involved:

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is looking for volunteers to “fill a variety of needs.” Pre-veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and anyone with HAZWOPER training (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard) are “strongly encouraged” to register.

The National Audubon Society is recruiting volunteers in the fight to save “ecologically sensitive areas.” Visit their website to fill out a volunteer registration form.


These are great opportunities to help... Please consider what you can do to make a difference!

Sources:  Matter Of Trust
               MSNBC

May 4 (Day 65) Every Baby Deserves a First Birthday!

First Candle is a national health organization uniting parents, caregivers and researchers nationwide with government, business and community service groups to advance infant health and survival. Together with our national network of members and partners, we are working to ensure that every baby is given the best possible chance to reach not only his or her first birthday, but many happy birthdays beyond.

Our mission is to promote safe pregnancies and the survival of babies through the first years of life. With programs of research, education and advocacy, our goal is to continue to have a significant impact on our nation’s high stillbirth and infant mortality rates. Working toward this mission, we remain committed to providing compassionate grief support to all those affected by the death of a baby.

Started in the early 1960s as the National SIDS Foundation, the organization’s primary focus was to support families who had experienced the death of a baby from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Through the foundation, grassroots advocacy efforts were successful at securing the first national funding available specifically for SIDS research. Resources for grieving families available here.

In 1987, forged through the merger of several national and regional SIDS groups from across the country, the SIDS Alliance was created as an umbrella organization to provide a single, focused entity dedicated to the elimination of SIDS. As a key partner in the national Back to Sleep campaign, the organization has been credited with helping to save more than 25,000 babies’ lives during the past decade alone, amounting to a drop of nearly 60 percent in the U.S. SIDS rate.

In 2002, the SIDS Alliance Board of Directors voted to expand the organization’s mission to include stillbirth and other sudden, unexpected infant deaths (SUID). The organization has committed its resources – both human and financial – in hopes of having a similar impact on stillbirth as it has had on SIDS, in the belief that every baby should live. Fittingly, the organization also voted to change its name to First Candle, Helping Babies Survive & Thrive, to reflect its broader mission and hope for the future.

Because every baby deserves a safe place to sleep

Every year more than 4,500 otherwise healthy American babies die suddenly and unexpectedly. Of these, statistics show that as many as 80 to 90 percent happen when a baby is sleeping with a parent or other adult. It is critical, if we are to save as many infant lives as possible, that every parent is aware of and prepared to adopt lifesaving safe sleep practices and that every baby has a safe place to sleep, especially if the family cannot afford one.

With your donation to the Bedtime Basics for Babies campaign, First Candle will provide a crib, wearable blanket and pacifier to babies in need all across our country. Your support will also help our efforts to educate new and expectant parents on First Candle’s lifesaving Safe Sleep Tips – working to ensure that parents across our great nation all understand how they can help their babies sleep more safely.

Help us reach our $10,000 goal by donating now.


Ways to Get Involved:
 
Whether a donation of time, money or expertise, we hope you will consider supporting our efforts, in the belief that every baby should live.

     Donate
     Volunteer   - blog, twitter, online fundraising or online support group moderator.
     Facebook Page


Source:  First Candle

May 3 (Day 64) Join My Village

Join My Village channels the power of online communities to help real communities in Malawi ignite hope, inspire action, and create lasting change. General Mills is ready to donate up to $500,000 to empower women and girls through CARE’s work – and your actions and donations will make it happen. $300,000 is already working hard in approximately 75 villages in the Kasungu region of Malawi. The remaining $200,000 is waiting to be unlocked by you!

By taking part in a variety of simple online activities, you can help ensure that the full investment is made. Joining a village team, answering a quiz question, and inviting friends to be part of Join My Village are all ways that you can unlock General Mills donation dollars, up to a total of $250,000 across all ten village teams. You can also make a direct donation and double your impact because General Mills will match personal donations, dollar-for-dollar, up to another $50,000 in total.

All funds raised go straight to Malawi to support CARE’s proven approaches to fighting poverty, including the establishment of village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) and increasing access to education for girls.

Join My Village features 10 different Malawi villages on its web site. Basic facts, from population to key challenges and goals, are displayed to provide a snapshot of what life is like in each village. You have the opportunity to align with one of the featured Malawi villages and track its progress by joining a village team.

Each village team has a Contribution Goal of $30,000. General Mills donation dollars may be “unlocked” by engaging in simple online activities, such as:

• Answering a quiz question $1
• Joining a village team $1
• Inviting friends to join $1

Up to $5 per person, per day can be unlocked, and you can return each day to unlock more dollars until your village team’s Contribution Goal is reached. You can double your impact - until May 15, each activity is worth $2. for your chosen village! 

Take a few minutes to watch the video and visit the website.  This is a fun and easy way to be part of the ripple effect of change.  You help someone and then they help someone and so on and so on! 

Source: Join My Village

May 2 (Day 63) ALS - "Lou Gehrig's Disease"

The ALS Association is the only national not-for-profit health organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS. As the preeminent ALS organization, The Association leads the way in research, patient and community services, public education, and advocacy — giving help and hope to those facing the disease. The Association’s nationwide network of chapters provides comprehensive patient services and support to the ALS community. The mission of The ALS Association is to lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global cutting-edge research, and to empower people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.

Quick Facts about ALS:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord. When these cells die, voluntary muscle control and movement dies with them. Patients in the later stages of the disease are totally paralyzed, yet in most cases, their minds remain sharp and alert.

Every day, an average of 15 people are newly diagnosed with ALS — more than 5,600 people per year. As many as 30,000 Americans may currently be affected by ALS. Annually, ALS is responsible for two deaths per 100,000 people.

The average life expectancy of a person with ALS is two to five years from time of diagnosis. With recent advances in research and improved medical care, many patients are living longer, more productive lives. Half of all those affected live at least three years or more after diagnosis. About 20 percent live five years or more, and up to ten percent will survive more than ten years.

ALS occurs throughout the world with no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries. ALS can strike anyone. Every single American is threatened by this disease.

Click here to donate to the ALS Association.
Click here to find an ALS walk in your area.
Click here to find volunteer opportunities in your area.


Source:  www.alsa.org

May 1 (Day 62) Change A Lifetime!

May is National Foster Care Month...You Can Change a Lifetime!

All children — including the 463,000 American children and youth in foster care — deserve a safe, happy life. Young people in foster care especially need nurturing adults on their side because their own families are in crisis and unable to care for them.

Each May, we salute the compassionate people who make a difference by serving as foster parents, relative caregivers, mentors, advocates, social workers, and volunteers. Thanks to these unsung heroes, many formerly abused or neglected children and teens will safely reunite with their parents, be cared for by relatives, or be adopted by loving families.

But some children in foster care are less fortunate. Most communities across the country are urgently seeking more everyday people to help these youth overcome their troubled childhoods and realize their full potential. Take a look at a recent article from The Detroit Free Press, highlighting the need for more foster families. No matter what their age, every young person in foster care benefits from a meaningful connection to a caring adult who becomes a supportive and lasting presence in his or her life.

THE MAGNITUDE: Currently, 463,000 children in the United States are in foster care because their own families are in crisis and unable to provide for their essential well-being. Many children in care are unable to return home safely because their parents lack access to services that could help strengthen families. In addition, there are an estimated 12 million alumni of foster care in the U.S. representing all walks of life.
THE NEED: No matter their age, all youth in foster care need a meaningful connection to at least one caring adult who becomes a supportive and lasting presence in their lives. Without families or stable relationships, too many of these formerly neglected and/or abused children and teens will end up facing life’s challenges all alone.

THE FACES OF FOSTER CARE: Child welfare issues arise in families of every race, ethnicity, culture, and age group. A disproportionate percentage of youth in foster care are children of color, particularly American Indian and African American children. In addition, children of color in the child welfare system experience poorer outcomes.

THE CONSEQUENCES: Research shows that young people who age out of foster care are far more likely than their peers in the general population to endure homelessness, poverty, compromised health, insufficient education, unemployment, incarceration, early pregnancy and parenthood.
THE PRIORITY: Older youth are in most urgent need of attention. Nearly half of the young people in foster care are over the age of 10. During the last several years, the numbers of young people aging out of foster care have increased to nearly 30,000. These youths exit foster care without the appropriate family connections, resources, skills or options they need to live independently.

THE SOLUTION: Children and youth in foster care are capable of overcoming the repercussions of previous neglect and/or abuse. Across the country, people just like you are raising their voices and engaging in efforts to educate federal and state public policy leaders on the issues facing children and families. They are serving as their foster parents, relative caregivers, mentors, advocates, social workers and volunteers. Thanks to these unsung heroes, many formerly abused or neglected children and teens will either reunite safely with their parents, be cared for by relatives, or be adopted by loving families. Even better, many will not have to enter foster care if more states provide support and services to help families cope with crises early on.

THE CALL TO ACTION: Most communities are urgently seeking many more everyday people to come forward to help these young people realize their full potential. No matter how much time you have to give, you have the power to do something positive that will CHANGE A LIFETIME for a young person in foster care. Check it out and see what you can do, the projects are broken down amounts of time; a few minutes, a few hours, etc.

May is National Foster Care Month. Every state in our country has children in foster care. They belong to all of us. Now is the time to show we care. Visit www.fostercaremonth.org to find out more about the many ways you can get involved and make a lasting difference for America’s children.


Source: fostercaremonth.org