August 13 (Day 166) Girls on the Run

A Lot More Than A Running Program-

Educating and preparing girls for a life time of self-respect and healthy living. 

I was introduced to today's cause by a t-shirt!  I was out and about and happened upon a young woman who was wearing a "Girls on the Run" T-shirt.  I asked her about the program and she was genuinely excited to share it with me.  Her excitement was contagious - I could tell this was an awesome program!  Before leaving, I told her I would research her cause and post about it on my blog.  She thanked me and I left that day uplifted by a wonderful volunteer who was doing what she could to make a difference in the lives of young girls. 

Girls on the Run® is a life-changing, experiential learning programs for girls age eight to thirteen years old. The programs combine training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the programs are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development.

The objective of Girls on the Run is to educate and empower girls at an early age in order to prevent the display of at-risk activities in the future. At risk activities include substance/alcohol use, eating disorders, early onset of sexual activity, sedentary lifestyle, depression, suicide attempts and confrontations with the juvenile justice system.

Girls on the Run® is a 501(c)3 positive youth development program which combines an interactive curriculum and running to inspire self-respect and healthy lifestyles in pre-teen girls. Our core curriculum addresses many aspects of girls’ development - their physical, emotional, mental and social well-being. Lessons provide girls with the tools to make positive decisions and to avoid risky adolescent behaviors

Girls on the Run honors its core values:  

• We live our lives with gratitude
• We are honest
• We maintain balance in our lives
• We are tobacco and drug-free
• We seek the positive in life’s challenges
• We live outside the “Girl Box”
• We are open-minded
• We positively assert ourselves
• We make our best effort always
• We live with intention in the present
• We strive to improve our self-awareness

Girls on the Run has two programs:  

• Girls on the Run -- for 3rd-5th graders
• Girls on Track -- for 6th-8th graders 

The psychological research and principal philosophy behind both programs is the same, yet the depth of processing varies in order to be age appropriate. The Girls on Track middle school curriculum allows for more mature processing around certain topics including eating disorders, internet safety, cyber bullying and tobacco and alcohol use.
 

Some Sad Facts For Today's Girls:

• Three million young Americans seriously considered suicide in 2000 and of those, over 1 million actually tried to kill themselves.
• Girls were twice as likely as boys to report contemplating suicide.
• Body dissatisfaction and dietary restraint are predictors of depression in girls.
• Almost two-thirds of girls in 5th-12th grades are dissatisfied with their body shape and want to lose weight.
• Girls as young as five form negative self-images based on their weight.
• Among girls, an emphasis on popularity and slimness along with increased television viewing are linked to low self-esteem.

If You Want To Help Change That, Here Is Some Good News:

• Girls who participate in physical activities are 40% less likely to smoke, have higher levels of self-esteem, better body images, and lower levels of depression.  
• Girls who have experienced emotional trauma respond positively to physical fitness programs.  
• Girls who participate in physical activities are less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior during adolescence.  
• Girls who participate in physical exercise have better relationships with parents, get better grades, are less likely to use drugs and are less depressed than girls who don't.

As the father of a daughter who runs cross country and plays soccer in college... let me say "Thank you -Girls on the Run!"



Get Involved:

Donate to Girls on the Run.

Locate a GOTR council near you. (You can volunteer, sign up a girl or make a local donation.)

SHOP!  Help the cause by purchasing some awesome GOTR swag!



Source:  Girls on the Run

August 12 (Day 165) Birthdays In A Box !

I LOVE THIS IDEA ! !

If you have young children, this is an awesome way to teach them the joy of giving to others!  Family-to-Family introduces families with more to families with less. The box packed by Mom, Dad and kids in Suburbia, U.S.A. is opened by a specific needy family living in America's poor underbelly.  Family-to-Family administers many awesome programs. Today's post highlights just one of the programs, but it is such a wonderful idea- have I told you that I LOVE THIS IDEA!?!  

BIRTHDAYS IN A BOX

How Your Kids – or You! – Can Help Kids with Less — Birthday Surprises in a Shoebox

A Concrete Hands-On Way to Give . . .

It’s hard for many of us – whether we’re adults or children – to imagine celebrating a child’s birthday without a party or presents. But for many of the families we serve, finding the extra money to afford a child’s birthday celebration is a struggle at best, and frequently impossible.

F-to-F’s Birthdays in a Box program is designed to help these families by providing a small “party in a box” for a child in need… and at the same time gives children with “more” the opportunity to learn empathy in a concrete way by helping another child.

Birthdays in a Box are shoeboxes filled with everything needed for a small birthday party. Each box goes to a different child. You or your child can send one Birthday Box to one child or you can send a lot of Birthday Boxes for a group of children.

To start, decide where you want to send your box (to kids living in one of the communities where Family-to-Family sends food, or to kids in a homeless shelter or battered women’s shelter), and contact us at Famtofamily@aol.com. We’ll put you in touch with a shelter or F-to-F community and give you the name and address of the person who will hand out the boxes you send.

Pick an age, and choose either boy or girl to send your box to. (For example, you might choose a 9-year-old girl, or a 4-year-old boy.)

Find a large sneaker-sized shoe box in your house, and buy the things needed for a party. Include:

• a box of cake mix
• a can of frosting
• birthday candles
• a wall decoration (like streamers, or a happy birthday banner)
• a gently used book from your house that the child you are sending to would probably like
• a small $5-$10 dollar gift for that child.
• If you like, you can also include a goody bag filled with small surprises.  

(If your child is making the box, he or she can raise the money to buy the birthday items at a bake sale, or yard sale, or by doing extra chores around the house.) Then:

Wrap the book and the small gift in birthday paper.

Wrap the top and bottom of the shoe box separately (so that even wrapped, the box can be opened), and fill the wrapped box with the things you have gathered.

If you would like to give the child you’re giving your box to a chance to write back to you, include a postcard with a stamp on it, addressed to you, c/o Family to Family, PO Box 255, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, 10706. Then email us at famtofamily@aol.com and tell us your name and address, so we can forward the postcard to you if we get it.

You can also make a birthday card and put that inside the box as well. Then tie the box closed with ribbon, and label it with the age and “boy” or “girl”. (For example, you might write “6 year old boy” or “10 year old girl”.)

Then pack the box or boxes in a mailing carton and ship them to the address we have sent you.



What an awesome way to make a difference in the life of a child and what a simple way to teach our children about caring for others!   Come on.... let's make a difference! 



Other ways to help:
Donate to Family-to-Family.

Cyber-Sponsor a family.


Source:  www.family-to-family.org

August 11 (Day 164) Donate Your Frequent Flyer Miles

The biggest complaint surrounding Frequent Flyer miles is how hard it is to use them.  The dates you need are blacked out or there is some other conflict preventing you from using your miles. Well... Did you know that you can help a charity by donating your frequent flyer miles?  There are options to use your frequent flyer miles that don't involve flying.


In fact, you can donate your air miles to several different charities and make your miles go really far without any air travel at all. Many airlines also offer numerous options for frequent flyers who want to donate their miles to a good cause.
Each reward system and the corresponding donation program differs from airline to airline. Each airline sets their own rules as to how many miles can be donated, how to convert the miles for the charities' use and which charities can be eligible to receive the miles.



•Delta Airlines - Skywish Miles  donates miles to several charities including - The Make-A-Wish Foundation, the American Red Cross, Breast Cancer Research Foundation and a dozen additional charities.

•American Airlines - Using your AAdvantage Miles - includes AA miles for kids in need.

•United Airlines - Charity Miles program allows you to donate your Mileage Plus miles to any of over 2 dozen charities including Feeding America,  the Salvation Army and Special Olympics.

•Continental Airlines - OnePass members can choose to donate their miles to charities such as the March of Dimes, AmeriCares, The Fisher House and several other organizations.

•US Airways - You can make a difference in someone’s life. Through Miles of Hope, you can donate your Dividend Miles to four national nonprofit organizations: the American Red Cross, Mercy Medical Airlift, Fisher House Foundation and Make-A-Wish Foundation®. The miles you donate will help fulfill each organization’s mission and brighten people’s future.

•Alaska Airlines / Horizon Air - The Charity Miles Program includes charities such as the Dream Foundation, Hero Miles and Angel Flight.

•Air Canada - Aeroplan Beyond miles can be donated to charities such as War Child Canada and Schools without Borders.

•Lufthansa - Miles and More members can donate to charities like SOS Children's villages for something other than simply flights. An example from the site notes "Give a young person a chance. 20,000 miles will enable one young African to attend secondary school or a vocational training centre for a period of two months."



Get Involved:

Donate your frequent flyer miles and make a difference!  Pass this information along to anyone else who may have frequent flyer miles that they would like to donate.

August 10 (Day 163) Change a life... you might just change your own!

Change a Life.

You might just change your own.

 

 

 
On any given day in North America, nearly 550,000 children are in the foster care system, and more than 150,000 of them are available for adoption, just waiting for the right family to find them.  They have been removed from their homes as victims of child abuse, neglect or abandonment and left without a family.
 
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption works on behalf of these children, because we believe every child deserves a permanent home and loving family.
 
 

Foster Care Adoption Facts

•There are 463,000 children in the U.S. foster care system; 123,000 of these children are available for adoption. Their birth parent's legal rights have been permanently terminated and children are left without a family.

•More children become available for adoption each year than are adopted. In 2008, 75,000 children had parental rights terminated by the courts, yet only 55,000 were adopted.

•Children often wait five years or more to be adopted., move three or more times in foster care and often are separated from siblings. The average age of waiting children is eight years old.

•Each year, one in five children (29,516 in 2008) who are available for adoption turn 18 and leave the foster care system without a family.

•Adopting from foster care is affordable. Most child welfare agencies cover the costs of home studies and court fees, and provide post-adoption subsidies. Thousands of employers offer financial reimbursement and paid leave for employees who adopt and Federal and/or state adoption tax credits are available to most families.

•Every child is adoptable. Many children in foster care have special needs. All of them deserve the chance to grow up in a safe, loving, permanent home. Support and other post-adoption resources are available.

•Adopting from foster care is permanent. Once a child is adopted out of foster care, the birth parents cannot attempt to claim them or fight in court for their return. A family formed through foster care adoption is forever.

•According to a National Adoption Attitudes Survey commissioned by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, 63 percent of Americans hold a favorable view of adoption and 78 percent think more should be done to encourage adoption.

•Nearly 40 percent of American adults, or 81.5 million people, have considered adopting a child, according to the National Adoption Attitudes Survey. If just one in 500 of these adults adopted, every waiting child in foster care would have a permanent family.


NOTE: Statistical source is Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System; Department of Health & Human Services (October 2009), unless otherwise stipulated.



 
 
Get Involved:
 
Donate to Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
 
Considering Adoption?  Order Free Adoption Resources.
A Child is Waiting: A Step-By-Step Guide to Adoption.  Are you thinking about foster care adoption? A Child is Waiting: A Step-By-Step Guide to Adoption answers general questions about adoption and the foster care adoption process. The Guide explains how to begin the adoption process and walks you through the steps. You will discover a variety of additional resources, a glossary of adoption terms, adoption agency referrals and stories of adoptive parents and children. The Step-By-Step Guide to Post-Adoption is automatically included when ordering one to five copies.

 
Is this something you can do... can you help make a difference in the life of a child? 
 
 
 
Source:  Dave Thomas Foundation

August 9 (Day 162) - Buddy Walk

GET INVOLVED... BE INSPIRED.

The National Down Syndrome Society envisions a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity to enhance their quality of life, realize their life aspirations, and become valued members of welcoming communities.Mission:The mission of the National Down Syndrome Society is to be the national advocate for the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome.

The Buddy Walk® was established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. Most Buddy Walk® events take place from September through November to recognize Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October. Today, the Buddy Walk® program is supported nationally by NDSS and organized at the local level by parent support groups, schools and other organizations and individuals.

Over the past fifteen years, the Buddy Walk® program has grown from 17 walks to more than 300 expected in 2010 across the country and around the world. Last year alone, 250,000 people participated in a Buddy Walk®! They raised more than $9.5 million to benefit local programs and services as well as the national advocacy initiatives that benefit all individuals with Down syndrome.


The Buddy Walk® is a one-mile walk in which anyone can participate without special training. It is a wonderful, heart-warming event that celebrates the many abilities and accomplishments of people with Down syndrome. Whether you have Down Syndrome, know someone who does, or just want to show your support, come and join a Buddy Walk® in your local community!


So Get Up.... Get A Buddy....  and Get Walking!!




Get Involved:

Donate to NDSS.

Find a walk near you.  Walk season is gearing up for Sept. and Oct. so now is the perfect time to get a team together.

Volunteer at a Buddy Walk® in your area.



Source:   www.buddywalk.org

August 8 (Day 161) Newborns In Need

Newborns in Need provides care necessities to premature, ill or impoverished newborns to give them a safe, healthy start in life. Volunteers work tirelessly in their own communities all across the United States. Founded on Christian principles, we provide help to all babies who need our assistance. In 2009, we donated out 493,207 items!


Can you imagine what it would be like to have a new baby and nowhere to turn? Other than the clothes and blankets the hospital provides, there is no decorated room, no dresser of clothes, no crib or bassinet waiting. Can you imagine holding a 3 pound baby in your arms and wondering where to get clothing when she goes home? Will there be something to fit someone so small? Diapers or heat, electricity or food, hard decisions are being made and this can result in unintended harm to the newborn. Poverty or illness touches the tiniest babies and families become overwhelmed. Imagine that in the midst of the fear, the sadness and a sense of “what do I do”, a nurse, a doctor, a social worker, or a friend touches your shoulder and hands you a basket full of blankets, diapers, and baby clothes.

We pray that no mother has to hold a dying or stillborn baby in her arms, but it happens in hospitals across our country. Families struggle as they want to memorialize their child but are not prepared for the moment they never planned for. A baby loses it’s fight for life and, as you are handed the child you so desperately wished for, you never expected to see your child dressed and wrapped in a beautiful blanket and that child’s life is validated and acknowledged by a group of strangers whom you have never met but who provided for you and the baby in your arms.

The United States has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and births in the western industrialized world. Thirty-four percent of young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20 -- about 820,000 a year. Eight in ten of these teen pregnancies are unintended and Newborns in Need has distributed millions of dollars worth of donated and purchased baby items through dozens of local community-based agencies and organizations.

Newborns in Need, made up of volunteers across the United States, is dedicated to making sure that the teen mom, the stressed family, the mother overwhelmed in sadness is supported in the first moments of the child’s life. The “911” for babies, Newborns In Need is the organization mobilized across the United States to offer baby items to those families who need help. Raising awareness, opening new chapters, Newborns In Need believes that communities can and will help each other if given the vehicle to do so. Whether crafted with love by the hands of a volunteer or donated by others who understand we need to take care of each other, Newborns In Need has positioned itself as the first response for the baby in crisis.



Get Involved:

Donate to Newborns In Need.

Find a chapter near you.

Other ways you can help Newborns In Need.




Source:  Newborns In Need

August 7 (Day 160) Operation Backpack

Every child wants to fit in at school, but showing up the first day without the basic supplies required for their grade makes that struggle even more difficult. Volunteers of America's Operation Backpack provides school supplies and backpacks to thousands of homeless children in need across the country. Make a donation today that can fill a backpack for a needy child in your community.


Your gift will not only fill the backpack with such necessities as a notebook and pencils, but it will provide hope and inspiration for those boys and girls who find everything about school a struggle. It’s estimated to cost $24.98 to fill one backpack for a 4th grader with the basic supplies needed this school year, a cost many struggling families simply can’t afford.

Volunteers of America provides these children a chance to succeed in life. Many of them are homeless, living in foster care, or come from families that are barely managing to keep body and soul together in these difficult times.


When you provide a deserving child with school supplies and help fund a Volunteers of America-sponsored after school and mentoring program, you give them a chance to go back to school like every other kid and a chance to succeed in life.



Please consider helping to make a difference in the lives of kids who need a little help! 





Get Involved:

Donate to Operation Backpack campaign.



Source:  VOA - Operation Backpack campaign.

August 6 (Day 159) Hour Children

The name of the organization was chosen  because the children's lives are dictated by the "hour" of the mother's arrest, the "hour" of the visit and the "hour" of her return.   There are more than 11,000 children in New York State whose mothers are imprisoned.

Located in Long Island City, New York, Hour Children is a multi-faceted family service organization that provides housing, permanent and transitional, and a wide array of supportive services that transform the lives of women and their families involved in the criminal justice system.

Hour Children is Unique:
The delivery of services we provide to women on both sides of the “wall” is unmatched. When women leave prison, ex-offenders face a mountain of challenges beyond their prison record and the associated social stigma. They generally have few job skills, little education and few, if any, financial resources. In addition, many of these women are still recovering from childhood physical and sexual abuse. So we start from square one, providing housing and childcare. During their time with us, women complete their education, obtain marketable job skills, and learn home and financial management skills to do the most with the resources they have. Hour Children also maintains relationships with community organizations that can facilitate job placement. When they are ready, we help our clients secure affordable housing.

The Women:
More than 70% of the women are from the NYC metropolitan area. Fifty-one percent are first-time offenders; 75% are incarcerated for non-violent, drug-related offenses. Their economic status, prior to incarceration, was almost always low-income, often below the federal poverty threshold. An estimated 50% have been victims of domestic violence.

The Children:
There are more than 11,000 children in New York State whose mothers are imprisoned. Many are sent to live with relatives or foster families, and are shunted from household to household and school to school often living, in at least, two residences. The children’s insecurities are worsened by the fact that their mothers have little or no access to phones. The absence of their mother leaves them vulnerable, particularly the older children, who face increased risk of involvement with crime, substance abuse, truancy, and other anti-social behaviors. Without proper care and attention, they become victims of the prison system. The core of Hour Children's work is to reverse this outcome.

Our goals are to ensure that the children in our care are healthy, socially well-adjusted and achieving academically, and that their mothers make a successful transition to independent living. We work closely with each mother, tracking her progress and addressing problems with obtaining a job, managing a household, and caring for her children. On a long-range basis, we keep track of program participants to ensure that they are still employed and housed, and have not returned to prison. The success of our programs is demonstrated by our 4% rate of recidivism which is far lower than the 30% rate statewide, as reported by NY State Department of Corrections.



Get Involved:

Donate to Hour Children.

Volunteer opportunities with Hour Children.




Source:  Hour Children

August 5 (Day 158) Project Healing Waters

“Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing helped in getting my head together during my recovery at Walter Reed. It was the perfect outlet for me while I was trying to adjust to my injuries and was a great help in broadening my horizons, giving me the hope and confidence that, no matter what my disabilities, I could still achieve and enjoy the activities of the outdoors and accomplish what I wanted to.“     - [SGT, USA, Walter Reed PHWFF wounded warrior]

“It really raised my self esteem, and it felt like I could do something, because lots of time we’re told we can’t do anything because we’ve got a mental illness.”  -[A California Veteran] 

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing  is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings.


Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) was founded in 2005 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), with the help of local Trout Unlimited (TU) and Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) volunteers.  PHWFF provides basic fly fishing, fly casting, and fly tying instruction for wounded personnel, ranging from beginners to those with prior fly fishing experience, who are adapting their skills to their new abilities. While initially focused on military personnel in the Washington, DC area, PHWFF has expanded and is offering its services to active military personnel and veterans in military and Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals across the nation. Currently, over 70 such programs have been established in the U.S. and Canada.


Since its inception, PHWFF has been helping disabled active duty personnel and veterans to overcome the obstacles associated with their military service-related disabilities. The relearning of the fine motor skills required in fly fishing and fly tying has proven to be particularly effective in the overall rehabilitation of the disabled. While PHWFF emphasizes the skills of fly fishing and fly tying to help the patients regain the use of their damaged bodies, perhaps the greatest benefit is in their realization that a more normal life is possible. Fly fishing can be a lifelong re-creation, both physically and emotionally.


PHWFF partners directly with fly fishing oriented organizations such as the FFF and TU. Within local clubs and chapters, volunteers, working with hospital staff, donate their time to teach the various skills involved in the sport of fly fishing to Project participants. PHWFF, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity incorporated in the State of Maryland, is dependent on tax-deductible financial donations and the help of numerous volunteers to meet the educational, training, equipment, transportation, and related outing needs of the participants. PHWFF strives to effectively serve its deserving participants, who have made great sacrifices in the service of our Nation.


Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. strives to effectively serve the deserving past and present members of our armed forces who have made great sacrifices in the service of our Nation.



Get Involved:

Donate to Project Healing Waters.

Find a PHWFF program in your area.

Other ways to help Project Healing Waters.




Source:  Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing

August 4 (Day 157) Mocha Club

Mocha Club is about connecting your community with our community in Africa. You start by giving up $7 a month, the cost of 2 mochas. And you get to pick where that money is going. Mocha Club sponsors many different ongoing projects around Africa - pick the one that YOU love. Then start your team so you can invite others to join you in making a difference!

Mocha Club is an online community of people giving up the cost of 2 mochas a month – or $7 – to fund relief and development projects in Africa. We work in five main project areas: Clean Water, Education, Child Mothers + Women At Risk, Orphan Care + Vulnerable Children, and HIV/AIDS + Healthcare.

What are you passionate about? Choose one of our five project areas that resonates with you and start your "team". Then, you'll learn how to invite friends to your team, and they can join you at $7/month. Watch your efforts and your impact multiply as your team grows.


All of our work is through trained indigenous leaders: Africans developing Africa. Every month we'll update you on exactly where your money is going, including video and blogs directly from the field.
The vision is to provide a way for people who don’t have hundreds or thousands of dollars to make a difference in Africa. Our community-based website allows members to start a team and invite friends to join them in giving up the cost of 2 mochas a month to support their chosen project. We know that today’s tech-savvy generation can have a huge impact by using the viral nature of the web. So we decided to equip Mocha Club members themselves to grow awareness and support for Africa by inviting friends.


We’re aware of people’s general lack of trust that their money is being effective, and we address that by providing regular updates. Each month, we update our Mocha Club members on how their $7 is helping the people of Africa through videos and blogs of the specific projects they are supporting.




Mocha Club Director, Barrett Ward, was leading a trip of college students to Africa in 2004, and through talking with them, he realized the frustration among many young people today who feel marginalized by their perceived inability to make an impact in Africa. With only a few dollars – rather than thousands – to spare, many people feel like their efforts to give are like dropping a pebble into the Grand Canyon. This compelled Barrett to create a new model of giving, and Mocha Club was born. Our official launch was at a Matt Wertz Rep Concert in Nashville in July 2005, and the success of Mocha Club has grown to have a massive impact both in Africa, and in the countries where our members live.



I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me.

 When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. "I am needed here," I think. "They have so little, and I have so much." It's true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in those same people. It's a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day.


The images spilling out of my television showed circumstances that could seemingly only equal misery, and I was fooled. I bought into the lie that circumstance defines happiness. The truth is, in Africa I find hearts full of victory, indomitable spirits. In places where despair should thrive, instead I find adults dancing and singing, and children playing soccer with a ball crafted of tied up trash. Instead of payback, I find grace. Here, weekend getaways are not options to provide relief from the pains of daily life. Relationships and faith provide joy. Love is sovereign.

My new reality… I know now that my joy should have no regard for my circumstances. I'm ashamed by my lack of faith, but at the very same moment I am excited by my new pursuit. I'm forced to redefine the meaning of having much or having little. I'm uneasy with the prospect of change and of letting go, but just the thought of freedom is liberating. I want what I have learned to trickle down from my head into my heart - I no longer want to need the "next thing" to have joy.

 I'm not saying that Africa does not need our efforts. It absolutely does need our partnership. But for me, I've come to understand that I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME. Why? Because it is Africa that has taught me that possessions in my hands will never be as valuable as peace in my heart. I've learned that I don't need what I have and that I have what I need. These are just a few of this continent's many lessons. I came here to serve and yet I've found that I have so much to learn, and Africa, with all its need, has much to teach me.



Get Involved:

Join Mocha Club.

Ways to give to Mocha Club.

Other ways to get involved with Mocha Club.



Source: Mocha Club

August 3 (Day 156) Adopt-a-Pet.com

Adopt-a-Pet.com is a non-profit pet adoption charity that helps shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies advertise their homeless pets to adopters for free. We are like an ad agency for shelters and shelter pets. We're all about getting homeless pets into homes. We use the power of TV, the Internet and a toll-free phone number to connect adopters with shelter pets and help pets go from alone to adopted.


Sadly there are 4 million healthy adoptable companion animals killed in shelters each year due to overcrowding. Killed for no reason other than there is no room!  We do our best to relieve that problem and put pets from shelters in the homes of pet seekers all over the country. It's a big job, and we're just a small group of pet lovers who believe every pet has a right to live a full life in a loving home.


 

Our website makes it easy for anyone with an internet connection to find descriptions and pictures of adoptable animals by location, breed, gender, age, size, and color. Over 9,000 shelters posts pets on our website displaying over 130,000 pets available for adoption at any given time. We also help volunteers connect with shelters, and currently host over 14,000 people listed in our volunteer database for shelters. Pet Adoption is the loving option!


So, you want to adopt a pet, huh? Great idea!
Here are a few reasons why pet adoption is the loving option:

Whether you adopt a pet from a local animal shelter or a rescue organization, humane society or SPCA, you're saving lives. That's right: lives, as in more than one. I know, I know…you only want to adopt one dog or cat, right? Adoption saves more than just the life of the pet you adopt. If you adopt from an animal shelter, you're making room for another dog or cat, or you're allowing other dogs or cats at the shelter to be kept for a longer period of time, giving them a better shot at being adopted. If you adopt from a humane society, an SPCA or a rescue organization, you're allowing that organization to rescue another dog or cat for adoption at a public shelter, which, of course, saves the life of that little guy plus the lives of others at that shelter by creating space so new pets can be kept longer. As you can see, adoption is truly a continuous cycle of saving lives and it's the right thing to do!
Although there are millions of pets in shelters needing homes each year, many pet-owners-to-be don’t think about pet adoption when they’re looking for their new four-legged friend. Possibly because many people who want to get a pet just are not aware of how many great pets are available at shelters. They might also have the misconception that pets in shelters might be there because there was a problem with the animal. In fact, most pets end up in shelters not because of any problem with pet behavior, but because an owner died, moved, or simply didn't have the time or money to care for the animal. In some cases animals are lost and never found by their owners. These animals are healthy and very eager to please. Rescued pets are wonderful- just ask anyone who has one.

Through Adopt-a-Pet.com and without even leaving their home, people can search all their local shelters and see pictures and descriptions of the pets available for adoption. This way, they can find the exact pet they want, call the animal shelter or rescue group, and get information on how to adopt that specific animal.



Get Involved:

Spread the Word! Do Social PETworking and Twitter Critter! You can run a search on Adopt-a-Pet.com, find a pet you want to help get exposure for, and use the share tools on our site to post the pet link on their Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or other social network page. Or, you can email the link of a pet in need from our site to your friends.

Place a link/graphic or even a search widget for Adopt-a-Pet.com on your personal website to encourage  readers to see pets in need at local shelters.
Add their info to our volunteer database so shelters who need volunteers can find you.

Search Adopt-a-Pet.com to find a local shelter, and make a cash donation to that shelter to help them with the costs of housing, feeding and medical care of shelter animals.

Encourage other pet owners to spay or neuter their pet to help prevent unwanted births.

Donate to Adopt-a-Pet to help animals find their forever home.



Source:  www.adoptapet.com

August 2 (Day 155) e-Buddies

e-Buddies is one of the six programs offered by Best Buddies International. e-Buddies is an e-mail pen pal program that provides opportunities for e-mail friendships between persons with a developmental disability and their peers who do not have a developmental disability.

e-Buddies is a fun and safe way to make a new friend. Each participant is matched in a one-to-one e-mail friendship, and matched pairs are asked to exchange e-mails once a week for at least one year. Matches are made based on similar age, gender, geography (i.e. participants will NOT be matched with someone from the same state), and shared interests.


We fully appreciate the risks involved with online communication. For that reason, we employ a multi-layered approach to minimize risk and ensure the safety of our participants.

e-Buddies is open to anyone with an e-mail address who is 10 years old and up. All participants join via the online application. Participants with a developmental disability can sign up individually, or in groups through a special education class or a support service agency. e-Buddies is ALWAYS free of charge for participants with a developmental disability. Because we are a nonprofit organization, we do charge volunteers ages 18 and over a one-time $50 fee. This fee helps cover the costs of checking references and processing applications. This fee is charged immediately upon completing the application process.

e-Buddies provides individuals with developmental disabilities an opportunity to develop new friendships while acquiring much needed computer skills. For volunteers, e-Buddies is a unique opportunity to change a life and make a friend. The benefits of that are immeasurable.



Get Involved:

Donate to e-Buddies.

Volunteer to be an e-Buddy.

Sign up an applicant with an intellectual or developmental disability.

Aug 1 (Day 154) Making a Difference Tastes Good!

Today's way to make a difference is EASY, LOW COST and it tastes GREAT! 

Hunger in America is a real problem!  1 in 6 Americans deal struggle with food insecurity. SNICKERS® is continuing their efforts with Feeding America to ‘Bar Hunger.’ The brand hopes to donate as many as three and a half million meals to Feeding America in 2010 through the Bar Hunger campaign.



SNICKERS will provide a financial donation equivalent to 2.5 million meals to Feeding America. In addition, SNICKERS will be encouraging consumers to help trigger meal donations up to an additional 1 million meals. This is where we come in.. we can help make a difference!

From July through September 2010 a special code will be printed under every SNICKERS Bar wrapper.
Americans can help SNICKERS® ‘Bar Hunger’ by entering the code from specially-marked SNICKERS wrappers at SNICKERS.com or by texting the code to 45495.

SNICKERS® will donate an additional meal to Feeding America for every wrapper code that is collected – up to one million meals.

How Can I Help?

Easy!  Get out to the store and buy some SNICKERS bars.  Share some with family and friends and make sure you enter your wrapper codes at SNICKERS.com

Spread the word - Tell others about this delicious way to make a difference! 


DID YOU KNOW?
The Snickers bar has been around since 1930, when the Mars family named the chocolate-covered caramel-peanut-nougat bar after their favorite horse.






Source:  Snickers.com

July 31 (Day 153) Soccer For Social Change

I was reading an article today highlighting the Ann Arbor Street Soccer PORT program.  This weekend is the 2010 Street Soccer USA Cup.  Ann Arbor Street Soccer PORT will be participating in Washington D.C. along with  team.  Street Soccer PORT (SSPORT) has a mission to use soccer as a way to engage and empower the homeless in the community. SSPORT's vision is to use soccer as a tool to provide a healthy social activity forpeople in the homeless community, with the goal of providing a positive and empowering experience.

The team also hosts an annual fundraiser challenge match against the local sheriff's office to promote fairplay, comraderie, and cooperation between the city's homeless population and the police force.   I was really curious to learn more about this program.  I have to tell you, at my house, we love soccer!  I was intrigued to learn that soccer is being used as a vehicle in the fight against homelessness. 

Two worlds – one passion.

This summer 32 national soccer teams competed in South Africa for the FIFA World Cup Trophy. Hundreds of thousands of fans in stadiums and billions of supporters in front of their TVs followed 64 hard-fought games. For one month 736 players were in global center of attention.

Among these players were true soccer icons like Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo or Wayne Rooney. These young men are adored by millions of fans around the globe, they have million dollar contracts and the media are crazy about them – in short they live glamorous lives in the public eye.

At the end of July there will be another important soccer tournament – with a somewhat different background: From July 30 till August 1 two hundred homeless males and females from 20 cities across the US will compete for the Street Soccer USA CUP at Kastles Stadium in Washington DC.

These soccer players live in poverty: They are homeless and almost none come to the program with a regular job. They are playing for different goals: employment, substance abuse recovery, family reunification, a second chance. But these unknown stars have at least one thing in common with the glorified stars of the FIFA World CUP:

An overwhelming passion for soccer!


Street Soccer USA (SSUSA) uses team sports to help adults and youths (ages 15+) overcome homelessness. SSUSA continues to innovate and lead in the development of new solutions to poverty and homelessness through sports.

SSUSA is a national league of sport for social change programs in 20 cities across the country. Teams train and compete in local leagues. Players commit to change their lives by setting three, six, and 12 month personal goals. With the assistance of coaches and volunteers, each player is held accountable to meet – and even exceed – their vision for a better self.

By creating a team structure that is fun, positive, and universal, it provides participants with a family-like support group that helps build relationships of trust and stability. Each player is fundamentally challenged both by team and personal demands, expectations and accountability, helping to build character, confidence, and hope.

Research shows that SSUSA reaches more than 20% of the chronically homeless in a given service area, and realizes a 75% success rate in effecting a positive life change such as addressing a substance abuse problem or mental health issue, securing full-time employment or moving off the street. Our goal is to reach 100%.

The sense of belonging, mentorship, and structure that SSUSA programs provide can be the difference between people languishing on the street and successfully re-integrating into society. Since 2006, SSUSA annually hosts the Street Soccer USA Cup, a major sports for social change event.

People who are homeless of all ages are marginalized and socially excluded. They lack stability in any sense. The system for supporting them is a case management model, but across the country case managers are overloaded. The SSUSA model brings in sports-based mentors that help increase the capacity of case managers by building relationships of trust through the constant supportive community of the team. Our programs, tailored to homeless population, have proven effective at connecting high percentages of participants to jobs, housing, and education. We start, however, by building personal relationships. We train together, strive together, and above all else, we listen to each other. Powerful things happen when human beings put their differences aside and really communicate. This type of communication that sport can foster is a true foundation for social change.

We may not eradicate homelessness overnight through sports alone, but SSUSA will change lives, teach important lessons and build self esteem. 75% of players will move off the street within a year of joining the program. Our goal is to reach 100%.
 
 
 
Get Involved:
 
Donate to Street Soccer USA.
 
Get information on Volunteer opportunities.
 
Find a SSUSA Team in your area.
 
 
 
Source:  Street Soccer USA.

July 30 (Day 152) Helping the Needy Get Nerdy!

I love today's cause...  I love their mission, I love their programs and I especially love their slogan....
Helping the needy get nerdy since the beginning of the third millennium.

Ever thought of yourself as a philanthropist? You can help support recycling, computer education, getting computers into the hands of the needy, Free Software, reuse, and fun by supporting Free Geek. Plus, since Free Geek is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit, your donation is tax deductible

Computers help us in many ways, but two problems remain: obsolete computers create thousands of tons of waste each year, and yet many, many people still lack the resources to own a computer so they may take advantage of all this new technology has to offer.

Free Geek points these two problems at each other to solve them both. We accept unwanted technology, test and rebuild it, and give it to those in need in exchange for some of their time and energy. This way, a volunteer who works 24 hours to earn a computer from us is also helping to solve the global problem of e-waste overflow.

Our volunteers do much more than work 24 hours to earn a free computer. They form the backbone of our organization. They build the computers, tear down the parts to be recycled, teach others, and participate in upper-level decision-making. They make it so we can cheaply and efficiently work to solve the problem of e-waste and the digital divide while creating a welcoming, fun community.

FREE GEEK is a 501(c)(3) not for profit community organization that recycles used technology to provide computers, education, internet access and job skills training to those in need in exchange for community service.

Free Geek has 2 main volunteer programs.

In the Adoption Program, volunteers work 24 hours at our facility. In exchange for their work, Free Geek gives them a rebuilt computer, a class on how to use it, and a year of free tech support.

In the Build Program, volunteers learn about computer hardware and Linux software. If these volunteers build 5 computers for Free Geek, they may take the 6th home with them. Builders produce the computers which are earned by those in the Adoption Program.
 

While volunteers help make it work, many individuals and organizations benefit. Since Free Geek currently puts about 2,500 computers back into reuse every year through our Adoption Program, Hardware Grants Program, and our Thrift Store.



How You Can Get Involved:



See if there is a FREE GEEK affiliated organization in your area.

Donate to Free Geek.



Source:  Free Geek.

July 29 (Day 151) Skip 1

When Shelene Bryan realized that skipping one small luxury every month could save a child’s life, she gave her own life an overhaul....

Shelene Bryan was a successful talent agent turned Hollywood executive but she freely admits, "My lens back then was severely limited." Like many good Americans, she and her husband, Brice, signed up to support two children in Africa for $50 a month. As far as Shelene Bryan knew, they were supporting child # GBB 8348 and child # GBA 8453.

But curiosity got the better of her. Shelene had this burning need to find out if GBB 8348 and GBA 8453 really existed, and if their money was really getting to these two children. So Shelene hopped on a plane and flew to Uganda - unannounced. She found her way to a village named Gaba, near Lake Victoria, and said, "Hi, I'm from America and I'm looking for these two children." She showed the local lady the pictures and the numbers. As the woman stared at the pictures, Shelene started to wonder what on earth she was doing in the middle of Africa alone. But then the gracious woman said, "Sure. Follow me."

Two miles deeper into the jungle, Shelene Bryan arrived at the door of a tiny hut no bigger than the size of her walk-in closet at home. When Shelene pulled back the tattered bed sheet covering the door, a child darted at her with her arms wide open, saying "mzungu" (white person in the local dialect). She knew exactly who Shelene was. Shelene didn't recognize Omega at first because she had grown since her photo was taken. She said simply, 'I'm Shelene' and Omega replied, 'I know'. She hugged her in amazement, realizing this little girl was real and her $25 a month was keeping this beautiful little girl fed, clothed and in school. Shelene Bryan went on to tell Omega that she would get her anything she wanted, and Omega replied with a huge smile, "a bed!"

The next day Shelene took Omega into the city, where she had never been before, and with just $20 bought her a bed, a sheet, a mosquito net, a blanket and new shoes. She says she felt like Oprah. That's the power of American currency in poverty-stricken third world countries.

Shelene Bryan also found child # GBA 8453, Alonis, a beautiful young boy alive and well, and very aware of who she was and the difference her $25 a month was making. "It was like finding my own son", she says.

Shelene Bryan's life was forever changed that day. She describes her transformation like this: "I was reduced to my knees, taken out of my comfort zone - and brought face to face with compassion. I made a promise to Omega and Alonis that I would never forget them or their friends. I would go back to my home in America and advocate for these children."

So Shelene Bryan gave up her Hollywood career and started Skip1.org. The concept is simple. Skip just one manicure, car wash, latte, movie, pack of gum, etc. Something small that you don't really need or wouldn't really miss. Then donate the money. Shelene believes Skip1 is not about one person making a big donation. It's about lots of people making small ones, something they can easily skip, and help change the world instead.

Since 2003, Shelene Bryan has traveled back to Uganda three times. Omega and Alonis' village now has a thriving farm, a health center and a number of bicycles used for transportation in and out of the remote area. Next on the list is a clean-water drinking well, which Shelene hopes to have completed by Summer 2011.

Today Skip1 supports children in need in Peru, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. And that's only the beginning. Shelene Bryan plans for Skip1 to support efforts for food, water and sustainability to children in need throughout the world. She says there are no borders when it comes to loving a child, and there is no work more important, or gratifying, than caring for them.

Skipping it is easy. The truth is, we'll be ok if we skip one or two or 500 things this year. We have so much! Just think about how much money we spend on THINGS. On stuff we'll never use, or use once and give away, or never use again. This isn't an attempt to make you feel guilty, it's to get you to think about one or two things in your life that you could skip, give instead to Skip1.org and help someone in need. You'll never miss it. But a child could live because of it. Just skip it and help provide food & water to children in need.



Here's just a few things that you can skip:

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Dessert
• Snack
• Car wash
• Bottled water
• Pack of gum
• A magazine
• A new shirt
• Pair of shoes
• Golf game
• Massage
• Video game
• A movie
• A latte
• A donut
• Haircut
• Manicure
• Pedicure
• Birthday party

Why Do We Skip?
We skip because we can.
We skip because 1/6th of the Earth's population is undernourished - more than ever before!
We skip because 25,000 people die every day from hunger and related causes.
We skip because every 6 seconds a child dies of hunger and related causes.
We skip something because the world needs our help.


Skip1.org taps into the world's wealth to bring food and water to children and families in need around the world. Public donations go to the acquisition and distribution of food and water projects worldwide.


Donate to Skip1.org. Skip something. Feed a child.





Source: Skip1.org

July 28 (Day 150) Locks of Love

Locks of Love is a not-for-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children 21 and younger with medical hair loss. These custom-fitted hair prosthetics are provided free of charge or on a sliding scale to children whose families meet the Locks of Love Board of Directors guidelines.

The organization, which began operation in 1998, strives to help all financially disadvantaged children who are living with the daily trials of medical hair loss. Thousands of bundles of donated hair arrive as a result of the internet and word of mouth as well as publicity Locks of Love receives in newspapers, magazines and on television programs.

Donors provide the hair, volunteers open and sort the donations, and the manufacturer hand-assembles each piece, which requires approximately four to six months. Children comprise over 80 percent of the donors, making this a charity where children have the opportunity to help other children.

Locks of Love provides its recipients with a custom, vacuum-fitted hairpiece made entirely from donated human hair. The vacuum fit is designed for children who have experienced a total loss of scalp hair and does not require the use of tape or glue. Most of the applicants suffer from an auto-immune condition called alopecia areata, for which there is no known cause or cure. Others have suffered severe burns, or endured radiation treatment to the brain stem, in addition to many other dermatological conditions that result in permanent hair loss.



Get Involved: 


Donate Hair  -  Donated hair is evaluated for its usefulness according to the following guidelines:

The donated hair must be at least 10 inches (preferably 12") in length
It must be bundled in a pony tail or braid
Hair must be free of bleach. Colored hair and permed is acceptable.
The hair must be clean and dry, placed in a plastic bag, and mailed in a padded envelope to:

Locks of Love
234 Southern Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33405

Make a financial contribution to Locks of Love. 

Ways to Volunteer.


Source:  Locks of  Love

July 27 (Day 149) Love 146

Today's post is another one of those posts that are hard to wrap your head around.  I literally wanted to break down and sob after reading the stories.  I hope you will take a few minutes and read the post and watch the video.  Please spend some time on the website learning more about this organization.  The work they are doing is so important! Below is the description of how this cause was started and why it continues.  This was taken directly from their website because their words are so powerful... you will want to make a difference after reading their story. Our hope is that someday charities like this will no longer be needed, but as long as they are... we need to support them.   THANK YOU LOVE 146 !

OUR NAME IS HER STORY:

"The number pinned to her dress was 146..."


In 2002, the co-founders of Love 146 travelled to South East Asia on an exploratory trip to determine how they could serve in the fight against child sex trafficking. In one experience, a couple of our co-founders were taken undercover with investigators to a brothel, where they witnessed children being sold for sex. This was their experience:

This is the story that changed our lives.

"We found ourselves standing shoulder to shoulder with predators in a small room, looking at little girls through a pane of glass. All of the girls wore red dresses with a number pinned to their dress for identification. They sat, blankly watching cartoons on TV. They were vacant, shells of what a child should be. There was no light in their eyes, no life left. Their light had been taken from them. These children...raped each night... seven, ten, fifteen times every night. They were so young. Thirteen, eleven… it was hard to tell. Sorrow covered their faces with nothingness. Except one girl. One girl who wouldn’t watch the cartoons. Her number was 146. She was looking beyond the glass. She was staring out at us, with a piercing gaze. There was still fight left in her eyes. There was still life left in this girl..."
"...All of these emotions begin to wreck you. Break you. It is agony. It is aching. It is grief. It is sorrow. The reaction is intuitive, instinctive. It is visceral. It releases a wailing cry inside of you. It elicits gut-level indignation. It is unbearable. I remember wanting to break through the glass. To take her away from that place. To scoop up as many of them as I could into my arms. To take all of them away. I wanted to break through the glass to tell her to keep fighting. To not give up. To tell her that we were coming for her…"



“Because we went in as part of an ongoing, undercover investigation on this particular brothel, we were unable to immediately respond. Evidence had to be collected in order to bring about a raid, and eventually justice on those running the brothel. It is an immensely difficult problem when an immediate response cannot address an emergency. Some time later, there was a raid on this brothel and children were rescued. But the girl who wore #146 was no longer there. We do not know what happened to her, but we will never forget her. She changed the course of all of our lives."  -Rob Morris, President and Co-founder


We have taken her number so that we remember why this all started. So that we must tell her story. It is a number that was pinned to one girl, but that represents the millions enslaved. We wear her number with honor, with sorrow, and with a growing hope. Her story can be a different one for so many more.
Love is in our name, because it is our motivating drive to end child sex slavery and exploitation. We believe love to be the foundation of real, sustainable change. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love." We hold that to be true. Love Protects. Love Defends. Love Restores. Love Empowers.

We are Love146.


Love146 Overview from LOVE146 on Vimeo.



Get Involved: 

Donate to LOVE 146.

Other ways to get involved with LOVE 146.





Source:  love146.org

July 26 (Day 148) From Basketball Shoe to Basketball Court

Established in the early 1990s, Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program collects old, worn-out athletic shoes for recycling, transforming them into Nike Grind, a material used in creating athletic and playground surfaces as well as select Nike products.

More than 1.5 million pairs of post-consumer shoes are collected for recycling each year. This is in addition to thousands of tons of manufacturing scrap material that is recycled. Since the program began, we've collected more than 24 million pairs of used athletic shoes. You can also recycle LIVESTRONG wristbands from the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Wonder how many worn-out shoes – or the amount of Nike manufacturing scrap – it takes to make a sports surface?  Check out this list for the part of the shoe that's used, and approximately how many pairs of shoes (or the manufacturing scrap equivalent), generally go into each type of surface containing Nike Grind:

• Outdoor basketball court (midsole foam): 2,500 pairs
• Outdoor tennis court (midsole foam): 2,500 pairs
• Full field or soccer pitch (outsole rubber): 50,000-75,000 pairs
• Mini soccer field (outsole rubber): 10,000-20,000 pairs
• Running track (outsole rubber): 75,000 pairs
• Playground (outsole rubber): 2,500 pairs
• Indoor wood basketball court (upper fabric): 2,500 pairs
• Indoor synthetic basketball court (midsole foam): 2,500 pairs

How You Can Help: 

Get in the Game. Drop Off Your Kicks. Clean out your closet, take a peek under the bed and ask your friends and family – chances are, you'll find a few pairs of kicks lying around that have seen better days. When it's time to say goodbye, bring your athletic shoes to any Nike Reuse-A-Shoe drop-off location – there are more than 200 locations in eight countries around the world, including all U.S. Nike stores.

Not Near a Drop-Off Location?
You can also mail your worn-out sneakers directly to our recycling facility. Please note that Nike cannot pay for individuals' shipping costs. Mail them to:

Nike Grind Processing
3552 Avenue of Commerce
Memphis, TN 38125

Please limit in-store drop-offs to 10 pairs of shoes at a time to prevent overwhelming our collection bins.

If you can, bring your shoes to a drop-off location rather than mailing them. This helps consolidate shipments to our facility, which results in a smaller carbon footprint for the program.

We can only accept shipments at our recycling facility. Please do not mail shoes to retail stores.

Remember, athletic shoes and LIVESTRONG wristbands only. We can’t recycle shoes with metal parts, mud or water, cleats, dress shoes, sandals or flip-flops, or wristbands from other brands.

Want to do more? If you live near a Nike store, you may also be able to host a Reuse-A-Shoe drive with your group or school. Learn more about hosting a drive.

Source: www.nikereuseashoe.com