So what can I do readers are all about making a difference, so October 22 is the day for us! This Saturday is Make a Difference Day. Here are some ways you can get involved in this "national day of doing good":
* Find a project in your area. Volunteers are needed all over the country to all kinds of work. You're sure to find something you'll enjoy.
* Organize a project to make a difference in your community. You can find numerous ways to contribute as an individual organizer or as part of a non-profit.
* Learn more at www.usaweekend.com/diffday, or contact the organizers at 1-800-416-3824 or diffday@usaweekend.com.
But don't let your good works end on October 22. Check out the archives of So what can I do, to find ways to incorporate service into your life every day. You can make a difference today!
"You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth." -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956)
Monday, October 17, 2005
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Choose your methods.
Although you wouldn't know it by your TV news, the genocide in Sudan is still going on. After all this time, people are still being killed. (Five hundred people yesterday. Five hundred people today. Unfortunately, five hundred more people will die tomorrow.) People are still being raped. (Women and girls are very vulnerable.) People are still hungry and displaced. (Over 2.5 million people, so far.) Although the problem is large and severe, we are not helpless. Thankfully, there is hope. Here are just a few of the ways you can help.
Choose your methods:
* Learn more about what's happening in Sudan. Consider the Genocide Intervention Fund and SaveDarfur.org. Let others know what you've learned and encourage them to act.
* Divest from the Khartoum government. Do you want your money to support an unjust and murderous regime?
* Support relief organizations that are working to ease the suffering. Many of these organizations work in Sudan with internally displaced people, and also with refugees in Chad and elsewhere. Consider CARE, Mercy Corps and Doctors Without Borders.
* Assist Sudanese refugees in the US. These folks know a lot about the situation in their home country and may be well-positioned to help friends and relatives there.
* Write a letter of concern to your elected officials. Let them know that the crisis in Sudan matters to you and matters to all of us. Encourage your President, senators and representatives to allocate money and other resources to ending the genocide and brutality in Sudan.
* Send a letter to the television networks asking them to improve their coverage of Sudan. The more people know about what's going on in Sudan, the more likely they are to act to end it.
Years from now, when someone asks where you were during the Darfur genocide, what you did to end it, how you helped your brothers and sisters who were in danger, what will you say? Act now. End genocide, forever.
"To think is easy. To act is hard. But the hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with your thinking." - Goethe
Choose your methods:
* Learn more about what's happening in Sudan. Consider the Genocide Intervention Fund and SaveDarfur.org. Let others know what you've learned and encourage them to act.
* Divest from the Khartoum government. Do you want your money to support an unjust and murderous regime?
* Support relief organizations that are working to ease the suffering. Many of these organizations work in Sudan with internally displaced people, and also with refugees in Chad and elsewhere. Consider CARE, Mercy Corps and Doctors Without Borders.
* Assist Sudanese refugees in the US. These folks know a lot about the situation in their home country and may be well-positioned to help friends and relatives there.
* Write a letter of concern to your elected officials. Let them know that the crisis in Sudan matters to you and matters to all of us. Encourage your President, senators and representatives to allocate money and other resources to ending the genocide and brutality in Sudan.
* Send a letter to the television networks asking them to improve their coverage of Sudan. The more people know about what's going on in Sudan, the more likely they are to act to end it.
Years from now, when someone asks where you were during the Darfur genocide, what you did to end it, how you helped your brothers and sisters who were in danger, what will you say? Act now. End genocide, forever.
"To think is easy. To act is hard. But the hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with your thinking." - Goethe
Friday, October 14, 2005
Swim against malaria.
Three thousand children die each day from malaria. But with the help of a $5 long-lasting treated mosquito net, malaria can be prevented. World Swim for Malaria is organizing to make sure families get those nets.
On Saturday, December 3, 2005, they hope to have 1,000,000 people swimming to raise money for the nets."100% of the money raised buys mosquito nets. Millions of them. And every net matters." Here's how you can contribute:
* Get a group of friends together, start raising money, and get ready to swim. 225,005 people have already signed up. You don't have to swim on the third, and the distance and number in your group don't matter. Just register your swim, and do what you can to make a difference in a child's life.
* Sponsor a swimmer in your area or across the world.
* Learn more about malaria and the other ways you can support research, prevention, and treatment.
If you could prevent even one child from dying would you do so? Now you can swim not only for your health, but for someone else's as well. So get out your swimsuit/trunks, or get out your checkbook, and make a difference!
Information on the World Swim is available in English, 日本語, Dutch, Français, Español, Português, Deutsch , Ελληνικά , 中文 (简体字), and Italiano.
"For anyone addicted to reading commonplace books ... finding a good new one is much like enduring a familiar recurrence of malaria, with fever, fits of shaking, strange dreams. Unlike a truly paludismic ordeal, however, the symptoms felt while savoring a collection of one man’s pet quotations are voluptuously enjoyable." - M.F.K. Fisher (1908–1992), U.S. culinary writer and autobiographer.
On Saturday, December 3, 2005, they hope to have 1,000,000 people swimming to raise money for the nets."100% of the money raised buys mosquito nets. Millions of them. And every net matters." Here's how you can contribute:
* Get a group of friends together, start raising money, and get ready to swim. 225,005 people have already signed up. You don't have to swim on the third, and the distance and number in your group don't matter. Just register your swim, and do what you can to make a difference in a child's life.
* Sponsor a swimmer in your area or across the world.
* Learn more about malaria and the other ways you can support research, prevention, and treatment.
If you could prevent even one child from dying would you do so? Now you can swim not only for your health, but for someone else's as well. So get out your swimsuit/trunks, or get out your checkbook, and make a difference!
Information on the World Swim is available in English, 日本語, Dutch, Français, Español, Português, Deutsch , Ελληνικά , 中文 (简体字), and Italiano.
"For anyone addicted to reading commonplace books ... finding a good new one is much like enduring a familiar recurrence of malaria, with fever, fits of shaking, strange dreams. Unlike a truly paludismic ordeal, however, the symptoms felt while savoring a collection of one man’s pet quotations are voluptuously enjoyable." - M.F.K. Fisher (1908–1992), U.S. culinary writer and autobiographer.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Fight fires.
Candle fires. Chimney fires. Heating fires. Arson. Wildfires. All of these can cause damage to life, health and property. Fire kills more Americans than all natural disasters combined. 83% of civilian fire-related deaths occurred in the home. And civilians aren't the only ones who bear the burden. In 2004, 117 firefighters were killed while on duty.
October 9-15 is National Fire Prevention Week. You already know many of the things you can do to practice fire safety. Here are a few:
* Make sure smoke detectors are properly installed and maintained. (Check the batteries when we fall back, October 30th.)
* Develop and practice a home fire escape plan.
* Use candles safely. (That's this year's theme.)
* Practice safe smoking (DON'T SMOKE!), safe cooking, and safe heating.
That will help you. But what about everyone else? Consider becoming a volunteer firefighter. Swarthmore, PA has a volunteer fire department and several of my collegemates were firefighters. Whether it was day or night, whether they were in class, at a party, or asleep in their dorm rooms, when the siren sounded, these dedicated and brave students (male and female, large and petite, of all ethnicities) would rush down the hill to the headquarters to risk their lives while serving their community, all without pay. I have the utmost respect for them.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter, consider these resources:
--> The National Volunteer Fire Council is "a non-profit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the information source regarding legislation, standards and regulatory issues." They operate a national recruitment campaign. Call 1-800-FIRE-LINE to learn more.
--> The US Fire Administration provides "training and educational opportunities for the Fire Service and allied organizations . Also available are fire statistics, public fire education campaign materials, and information on funding opportunities." They also offer a Volunteer Incentive Program, maintain a list of fire-safe hotels and provide information on home fire safety.
--> VolunteerFD.org provides "a place for volunteer firefighters to come and share information with their fellow 'unpaid professionals'. VolunteerFD.org is strictly for volunteer and combination departments and is built to address the unique issues that all volunteer departments share."
Thank you to all the firefighters and other emergency personnel that help keep us safe, paid and volunteer. Be careful.
"People are tested by wealth, just as gold is tested by fire." - Chinese proverb
October 9-15 is National Fire Prevention Week. You already know many of the things you can do to practice fire safety. Here are a few:
* Make sure smoke detectors are properly installed and maintained. (Check the batteries when we fall back, October 30th.)
* Develop and practice a home fire escape plan.
* Use candles safely. (That's this year's theme.)
* Practice safe smoking (DON'T SMOKE!), safe cooking, and safe heating.
That will help you. But what about everyone else? Consider becoming a volunteer firefighter. Swarthmore, PA has a volunteer fire department and several of my collegemates were firefighters. Whether it was day or night, whether they were in class, at a party, or asleep in their dorm rooms, when the siren sounded, these dedicated and brave students (male and female, large and petite, of all ethnicities) would rush down the hill to the headquarters to risk their lives while serving their community, all without pay. I have the utmost respect for them.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter, consider these resources:
--> The National Volunteer Fire Council is "a non-profit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the information source regarding legislation, standards and regulatory issues." They operate a national recruitment campaign. Call 1-800-FIRE-LINE to learn more.
--> The US Fire Administration provides "training and educational opportunities for the Fire Service and allied organizations . Also available are fire statistics, public fire education campaign materials, and information on funding opportunities." They also offer a Volunteer Incentive Program, maintain a list of fire-safe hotels and provide information on home fire safety.
--> VolunteerFD.org provides "a place for volunteer firefighters to come and share information with their fellow 'unpaid professionals'. VolunteerFD.org is strictly for volunteer and combination departments and is built to address the unique issues that all volunteer departments share."
Thank you to all the firefighters and other emergency personnel that help keep us safe, paid and volunteer. Be careful.
"People are tested by wealth, just as gold is tested by fire." - Chinese proverb
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Be a good corporate citizen.
Some folks think that running a profitable business is incompatible with running a socially-responsible business. NoSweat, Starbucks, Ben and Jerry's, and many more corporations prove that that is not true.
Nowadays there are numerous resources available to those who want to run a socially-responsible and profitable business. Here are just a few:
* Net Impact "is a network of more than 12,000 new-generation leaders committed to using the power of business to improve the world." They're hosting a conference for business students and others in November.
* Worthwhile Magazine promotes "Work with purpose, passion and profit." Their editorial mission is "to put purpose and passion on the same plane as profit. WORTHWHILE offers a roadmap for business success that is more personally fulfilling and socially responsible."
* Business for Social Responsibility is a nonprofit "global organization that helps member companies achieve success in ways that respect ethical values, people, communities and the environment. BSR provides information, tools, training and advisory services to make corporate social responsibility an integral part of business operations and strategies".
* Business Ethics is "the magazine for corporate responsibility." Their website has a wonderful list of resources for those interested in "progressive business and investing."
* And if you don't have your own business (or even if you do), consider investing in socially responsible businesses so that you can support their good work, while you make money for yourself.
How do you treat your employees? How much does your enterprise pollute the environment? Are your business practices economically just? Consider all the ways you can make your organization more socially responsible. It's just good business.
"No smoke, no mirrors, no tricks: just right down the middle of the field. That’s John Deere." - Robert W. Lane, chairman and CEO of Deere & Company, makers of farm equipment.
Nowadays there are numerous resources available to those who want to run a socially-responsible and profitable business. Here are just a few:
* Net Impact "is a network of more than 12,000 new-generation leaders committed to using the power of business to improve the world." They're hosting a conference for business students and others in November.
* Worthwhile Magazine promotes "Work with purpose, passion and profit." Their editorial mission is "to put purpose and passion on the same plane as profit. WORTHWHILE offers a roadmap for business success that is more personally fulfilling and socially responsible."
* Business for Social Responsibility is a nonprofit "global organization that helps member companies achieve success in ways that respect ethical values, people, communities and the environment. BSR provides information, tools, training and advisory services to make corporate social responsibility an integral part of business operations and strategies".
* Business Ethics is "the magazine for corporate responsibility." Their website has a wonderful list of resources for those interested in "progressive business and investing."
* And if you don't have your own business (or even if you do), consider investing in socially responsible businesses so that you can support their good work, while you make money for yourself.
How do you treat your employees? How much does your enterprise pollute the environment? Are your business practices economically just? Consider all the ways you can make your organization more socially responsible. It's just good business.
"No smoke, no mirrors, no tricks: just right down the middle of the field. That’s John Deere." - Robert W. Lane, chairman and CEO of Deere & Company, makers of farm equipment.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Join the anniversary commentathon!
So what can I do is a year old today! We're having a party and you're invited. All you have to do is leave a comment.
For the first 236 comments on this post received between October 6 and October 12, I'll make a charitable donation of 50 cents per comment. Your comment will make a difference in someone's life. Why those numbers? This is the 236th post. The first post was on October 6, 2004 and the blog was officially launched on October 12, 2004.
So click the comment link and give a shout out to your friends. Challenge them to leave a comment too. Found a fun way to serve? Let us know about it. Tell us about your experience using one of the ideas. Wish us a happy birthday. Write a socially-conscious haiku. Anything will do, just leave a comment.
The donation will be split between the following three nonprofits:
* Nyaka AIDS Orphans School in Uganda "provides quality, free education and extracurricular activities, both formal and informal, to children who have been orphaned due to HIV/AIDS as a means to counteract pervasive hunger, poverty, and systemic deprivation."
* Potluck Food Rescue for Arkansas has a mission "to alleviate hunger by bridging the gap between excess food and the hungry." They do so by "rescuing hundreds of tons of nutritious and appealing, excess, un-served food — which otherwise would be discarded — but is used instead to provide hundreds of thousands of meals for hungry men, women and children."
* MedShare International is a Georgia-based nonprofit "dedicated to recycling surplus medical supplied and equipment for use by healthcare institutions in developing countries." Their work not only improves health care across the world, but also reduces the environmental impact of medical waste in the US.
It's been such a joy to write So what can I do. The wonderful work I read and write about inspires me, and keeps me upbeat, positive and hopeful. It's hard to complain when I know there are over 236 ways I could better use my energy. Instead of yelling at the politicians on TV, I write them a letter. Instead of wondering about when there'll be a cure for leukemia, I signed up to be a marrow donor. Instead of complaining about environmental racism, I recylce and spend an occasional Saturday at MedShare.
So what can I do has truly blessed my life, as I hope it has yours. I can't wait for year two! Thanks for reading and spreading the word, and thanks for your comments!
"Be the change you want to see in the world" - Mohandas Ghandi
For the first 236 comments on this post received between October 6 and October 12, I'll make a charitable donation of 50 cents per comment. Your comment will make a difference in someone's life. Why those numbers? This is the 236th post. The first post was on October 6, 2004 and the blog was officially launched on October 12, 2004.
So click the comment link and give a shout out to your friends. Challenge them to leave a comment too. Found a fun way to serve? Let us know about it. Tell us about your experience using one of the ideas. Wish us a happy birthday. Write a socially-conscious haiku. Anything will do, just leave a comment.
The donation will be split between the following three nonprofits:
* Nyaka AIDS Orphans School in Uganda "provides quality, free education and extracurricular activities, both formal and informal, to children who have been orphaned due to HIV/AIDS as a means to counteract pervasive hunger, poverty, and systemic deprivation."
* Potluck Food Rescue for Arkansas has a mission "to alleviate hunger by bridging the gap between excess food and the hungry." They do so by "rescuing hundreds of tons of nutritious and appealing, excess, un-served food — which otherwise would be discarded — but is used instead to provide hundreds of thousands of meals for hungry men, women and children."
* MedShare International is a Georgia-based nonprofit "dedicated to recycling surplus medical supplied and equipment for use by healthcare institutions in developing countries." Their work not only improves health care across the world, but also reduces the environmental impact of medical waste in the US.
It's been such a joy to write So what can I do. The wonderful work I read and write about inspires me, and keeps me upbeat, positive and hopeful. It's hard to complain when I know there are over 236 ways I could better use my energy. Instead of yelling at the politicians on TV, I write them a letter. Instead of wondering about when there'll be a cure for leukemia, I signed up to be a marrow donor. Instead of complaining about environmental racism, I recylce and spend an occasional Saturday at MedShare.
So what can I do has truly blessed my life, as I hope it has yours. I can't wait for year two! Thanks for reading and spreading the word, and thanks for your comments!
"Be the change you want to see in the world" - Mohandas Ghandi
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Take back the night.
In the US, a woman is beaten every 15 seconds by her husband or parter. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States; more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men in the United States has experienced an attempted or completed rape at some time in their lives. That means you or someone you know.
Even before the first Take Back the Night gatherings, women and men have marched, rallied, and protested to increase women's safety in and out their homes, during the day and at night. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a perfect time take back the night.
Here's how you can help make the world safer for your mothers, daughters, sisters, cousins, aunts, friends, neighbors and fellow human beings:
--> If you are a survivor of sexual assault and need help, call the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) at 1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-4673). You can call from anywhere in the US, and free and confidential counseling is available 24 hours a day.
--> If something about your relationship with your partner scares you and you need to talk, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). Fax: 512-453-8541 Address: PO Box 161810, Austin, Texas 78716.
* Do the personal work of examining your own belief systems and behavior to learn how you may contribute to social and institutional practices that condone sexual violence. Consider the words you use, the music you listen to, the 'jokes' you laugh at. If you are uncomfortable with the the answers you find, GET HELP.
* Donate financially to your local women's safehouse (shelter) or men's support group. The National Domestic Violence Hotline website lists domestic violence agencies in each state, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
* Volunteer your time to an organization that seeks to end domestic violence. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 512/453-8117 or ndvh@ndvh.org to find a volunteer opportunity in your area.
* Donate supplies to your local safehouse. These homes away from home are always in need of things like towels, toiletries, sheets, kitchen supplies and the like. Children's necessities for home and school are also needed.
* Donate a phone. "Through the collection of deactivated cell and wireless phones, an important tool has been provided for victims of domestic violence who may encounter emergency situations. The lifeline provided by donated phones has literally saved lives." Donations are tax deductible. Send your phone, charger and battery to
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
P.O. Box 18749
Denver, CO 80218
303-839-1852, x105
For more ideas, check out NCADV. You CAN make a difference. Please, act now.
"The voice of conscience is so delicate that it is easy to stifle it; but it is also so clear that it is impossible to mistake it." -Madame De Stael, writer (1766-1817)
Even before the first Take Back the Night gatherings, women and men have marched, rallied, and protested to increase women's safety in and out their homes, during the day and at night. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a perfect time take back the night.
Here's how you can help make the world safer for your mothers, daughters, sisters, cousins, aunts, friends, neighbors and fellow human beings:
--> If you are a survivor of sexual assault and need help, call the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) at 1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-4673). You can call from anywhere in the US, and free and confidential counseling is available 24 hours a day.
--> If something about your relationship with your partner scares you and you need to talk, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). Fax: 512-453-8541 Address: PO Box 161810, Austin, Texas 78716.
* Do the personal work of examining your own belief systems and behavior to learn how you may contribute to social and institutional practices that condone sexual violence. Consider the words you use, the music you listen to, the 'jokes' you laugh at. If you are uncomfortable with the the answers you find, GET HELP.
* Donate financially to your local women's safehouse (shelter) or men's support group. The National Domestic Violence Hotline website lists domestic violence agencies in each state, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
* Volunteer your time to an organization that seeks to end domestic violence. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 512/453-8117 or ndvh@ndvh.org to find a volunteer opportunity in your area.
* Donate supplies to your local safehouse. These homes away from home are always in need of things like towels, toiletries, sheets, kitchen supplies and the like. Children's necessities for home and school are also needed.
* Donate a phone. "Through the collection of deactivated cell and wireless phones, an important tool has been provided for victims of domestic violence who may encounter emergency situations. The lifeline provided by donated phones has literally saved lives." Donations are tax deductible. Send your phone, charger and battery to
P.O. Box 18749
Denver, CO 80218
303-839-1852, x105
For more ideas, check out NCADV. You CAN make a difference. Please, act now.
"The voice of conscience is so delicate that it is easy to stifle it; but it is also so clear that it is impossible to mistake it." -Madame De Stael, writer (1766-1817)
Monday, October 03, 2005
Stop breast cancer.
Every 13 minutes someone dies from breast cancer. But when it's detected early, it can often be cured before it kills. October, Breast Cancer Awareness month, is a great time to spread the word about preventing, detecting, and treating breast cancer. Here's how you can help yourself and others:
--> Start testing.. Women should do a breast self-exam each month, about a week after their period ends. If you don't have a period, the just do it once a month. Early detection saves lives.
--> Start scanning. Women over age 40 should get a mammogram every 1-2 years. Schedule one with your physician today. Early detection saves lives.
--> Start clicking. Each time you click the big pink button at thebreastcancersite.com, you will help low-income women get free mammogram. Click now. Click daily.
--> Start moving. The Susan G. Komen Foundation sponsors over 100 walks, runs and races to raise money for breast cancer research. Get some exercise and do some good while you participate in the Breast Cancer 3-Day and the Race for the Cure.
Do what you can to fight breast cancer, not only in October, but every day.
"Truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." -Flannery O'Connor, writer (1925-1964)
--> Start testing.. Women should do a breast self-exam each month, about a week after their period ends. If you don't have a period, the just do it once a month. Early detection saves lives.
--> Start scanning. Women over age 40 should get a mammogram every 1-2 years. Schedule one with your physician today. Early detection saves lives.
--> Start clicking. Each time you click the big pink button at thebreastcancersite.com, you will help low-income women get free mammogram. Click now. Click daily.
--> Start moving. The Susan G. Komen Foundation sponsors over 100 walks, runs and races to raise money for breast cancer research. Get some exercise and do some good while you participate in the Breast Cancer 3-Day and the Race for the Cure.
Do what you can to fight breast cancer, not only in October, but every day.
"Truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." -Flannery O'Connor, writer (1925-1964)
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Trick-or-treat.
I can hardly believe it's fall, and yet, October is already here. Time flies . . . Anyway, Halloween is just a few weeks away, so I thought I post on two great ways to trick-or-treat. You'll have fun, get some treats and do a lot of good for a lot of people. Here's how:
* Trick-or-treat for Sight Night and collect used glasses that will be recycled "for our international missions to developing countries" The Lions Club and Luxottica Retail, which sponsor the event, "will travel on 12 international missions, where they will work with Lions clubs to hand-deliver free eye exams and used glasses to more than 200,000 people in developing countries."
--> Call SightNight toll-free at 1-877-605-4242 for more information or to order your free collection kit.
--> Download collection materials here
--> Order your free collection kit here.
* Trick-or-treat for UNICEF and be a part of a 55-year tradition of helping children worldwide. Collect monetary donations that will save and improve lives. For example, "30¢ provides lifesaving antibiotics for a child suffering from pneumonia. $1 immunizes a child against the deadly disease measles. $10 provides enough high-protein biscuits to feed three hungry children for one month."
--> Call UNICEF toll-free at 1.800.4UNICEF for more information or to order your free collection kit.
--> Download collection materials here
--> Order your free collection kit here.
--> Send a free Halloween ecard to spread the word about about the good work UNICEF is doing.
Order your kits now so that you'll be ready for Halloween. Have fun!!
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who matter don't mind, and those that mind don't matter!" - Dr. Seuss (Theodore Giesel)
* Trick-or-treat for Sight Night and collect used glasses that will be recycled "for our international missions to developing countries" The Lions Club and Luxottica Retail, which sponsor the event, "will travel on 12 international missions, where they will work with Lions clubs to hand-deliver free eye exams and used glasses to more than 200,000 people in developing countries."
--> Call SightNight toll-free at 1-877-605-4242 for more information or to order your free collection kit.
--> Download collection materials here
--> Order your free collection kit here.
* Trick-or-treat for UNICEF and be a part of a 55-year tradition of helping children worldwide. Collect monetary donations that will save and improve lives. For example, "30¢ provides lifesaving antibiotics for a child suffering from pneumonia. $1 immunizes a child against the deadly disease measles. $10 provides enough high-protein biscuits to feed three hungry children for one month."
--> Call UNICEF toll-free at 1.800.4UNICEF for more information or to order your free collection kit.
--> Download collection materials here
--> Order your free collection kit here.
--> Send a free Halloween ecard to spread the word about about the good work UNICEF is doing.
Order your kits now so that you'll be ready for Halloween. Have fun!!
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who matter don't mind, and those that mind don't matter!" - Dr. Seuss (Theodore Giesel)
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Stay the course.
As you may know, I was out of town and away from my blog during the first stages of the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Since I wasn't able to offer suggestions immediately, here are a few of my thoughts now. Unfortunately, natural and human-made disasters happen all the time. To give our best response we need to prepare now and keep a high level of preparation all the time. Here's how:
* Fight hunger regularly so that food banks are well stocked before and emergency and fewer are hungry to begin with.
* Practice tolerance regularly so that when a crisis occurs, you'll know how to treat people with justice, equality and fairness, regardless of their class, age, or ethnicity.
* Conserve fuel regularly. That way you'll be better prepared when (not if) there is a shortage or the cost becomes prohibitive.
* Give blood regularly. You can do it every 56 days. 60% of Americans can give but only 5% do. Guess what that means in an emergency.
* Demand accountability regularly. If there is fraud in your organization, consider reporting it. You may not think it matters much now (even though it does), but in a time of crisis fraudulent activity can cause suffering and death.
* Be prepared regularly. Take Red Cross health and safety courses. Learn first aid, CPR, emergency response, and more so that you can be helpful in a time of crisis.
* Do the right thing regularly. Your contribution will help us all be better prepared for the next disaster.
Good works are not just for emergencies; they are needed all the time. Get prepared, stay prepared, then stay the course.
"This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." - William Shakespeare
* Fight hunger regularly so that food banks are well stocked before and emergency and fewer are hungry to begin with.
* Practice tolerance regularly so that when a crisis occurs, you'll know how to treat people with justice, equality and fairness, regardless of their class, age, or ethnicity.
* Conserve fuel regularly. That way you'll be better prepared when (not if) there is a shortage or the cost becomes prohibitive.
* Give blood regularly. You can do it every 56 days. 60% of Americans can give but only 5% do. Guess what that means in an emergency.
* Demand accountability regularly. If there is fraud in your organization, consider reporting it. You may not think it matters much now (even though it does), but in a time of crisis fraudulent activity can cause suffering and death.
* Be prepared regularly. Take Red Cross health and safety courses. Learn first aid, CPR, emergency response, and more so that you can be helpful in a time of crisis.
* Do the right thing regularly. Your contribution will help us all be better prepared for the next disaster.
Good works are not just for emergencies; they are needed all the time. Get prepared, stay prepared, then stay the course.
"This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." - William Shakespeare
Monday, September 26, 2005
Be a witness.
It is sad, but, perhaps no surprise that NBC, CBS and ABC are refusing to air the Be A Witness television ad that "challenges the networks to do a better job of covering the Darfur genocide." Be A Witness is an organization and alliance of individuals dedicated to changing that. Perhaps if the genocide in Sudan were better covered, folks here and abroad would be more motivated to end it, and save the lives of thousands of people.
You can help: send a letter to the television networks asking them to improve their coverage of Sudan. Be A Witness provides a sample text. Just edit it to your liking and with one click it will be sent to ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and FOX. Genocide IS news.
Here are some other ways you can get involved:
* Learn more about what's happening in Sudan.
* Divest from the Khartoum government.
* Support relief organizations that are working to ease the suffering in Sudan.
* Assist Sudanese refugees in the US.
* Write a letter of concern to your elected officials. Tell them the things that matter to you.
* Review the Tyndall Report which monitors the weekday nightly newscasts of the US television networks. Each week, the statistics quoted in Tyndall Weekly measure the time devoted to each story in minutes on all three networks (ABC, CBS and NBC combined).
* Write your local and national air and press media and let them know how you feel about the job they are doing. Hold them accountable.
Whether we like it our not, television has a lot of power. Let's make sure it is used for good.
"The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems." - Mohandas Ghandi
You can help: send a letter to the television networks asking them to improve their coverage of Sudan. Be A Witness provides a sample text. Just edit it to your liking and with one click it will be sent to ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and FOX. Genocide IS news.
Here are some other ways you can get involved:
* Learn more about what's happening in Sudan.
* Divest from the Khartoum government.
* Support relief organizations that are working to ease the suffering in Sudan.
* Assist Sudanese refugees in the US.
* Write a letter of concern to your elected officials. Tell them the things that matter to you.
* Review the Tyndall Report which monitors the weekday nightly newscasts of the US television networks. Each week, the statistics quoted in Tyndall Weekly measure the time devoted to each story in minutes on all three networks (ABC, CBS and NBC combined).
* Write your local and national air and press media and let them know how you feel about the job they are doing. Hold them accountable.
Whether we like it our not, television has a lot of power. Let's make sure it is used for good.
"The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems." - Mohandas Ghandi
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Go, go, go with WVO.
"Huh? What's WVO?"
WVO stands for Waste Vegetable Oil, which is a energy efficient, sustainable, cheaper alternative to diesel fuel. It's sometimes called straight vegetable oil (SVO). I've written about biodiesel before, but WVO/SVO isn't quite the same, since, compared to biodiesel,WVO requires less processing and only minimal filtering (a blue jeans pant leg will work just fine) before use in your engine. On the other hand, biodiesel requires no engine conversion.
Many of the reasons for using WVO are the same as for using biodiesel:
* It supports the national economy.
* It improves national security.
* It improves engine life.
* It is sustainable and non-toxic.
* It produces fewer emissions.
* It's cheaper than diesel.
With a simple conversion, any diesel engine can run on WVO (or on biodiesel, with no conversion). Think of your truck, your tractor, your car. With so many restaurants willing to literally give away WVO, how can you go wrong? Here's how you can get started:
--> Learn more about WVO at journeytoforever.org and in this AJC article. (WVO/SVO versión en español aqui.)
--> Plan your engine conversion with information from nativerenewables.com, journeytoforever.org, greasecar.com and greasel.com.
Now load up on fuel and you'll be ready to drive vegetarian. Enjoy!
"The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today. But such oils may become in the course of time as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time." - Rudolf Diesel (1911)
WVO stands for Waste Vegetable Oil, which is a energy efficient, sustainable, cheaper alternative to diesel fuel. It's sometimes called straight vegetable oil (SVO). I've written about biodiesel before, but WVO/SVO isn't quite the same, since, compared to biodiesel,WVO requires less processing and only minimal filtering (a blue jeans pant leg will work just fine) before use in your engine. On the other hand, biodiesel requires no engine conversion.
Many of the reasons for using WVO are the same as for using biodiesel:
* It supports the national economy.
* It improves national security.
* It improves engine life.
* It is sustainable and non-toxic.
* It produces fewer emissions.
* It's cheaper than diesel.
With a simple conversion, any diesel engine can run on WVO (or on biodiesel, with no conversion). Think of your truck, your tractor, your car. With so many restaurants willing to literally give away WVO, how can you go wrong? Here's how you can get started:
--> Learn more about WVO at journeytoforever.org and in this AJC article. (WVO/SVO versión en español aqui.)
--> Plan your engine conversion with information from nativerenewables.com, journeytoforever.org, greasecar.com and greasel.com.
Now load up on fuel and you'll be ready to drive vegetarian. Enjoy!
"The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today. But such oils may become in the course of time as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time." - Rudolf Diesel (1911)
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Give 1% for the planet.
Some smart and savvy folks started a drive called 1% For The Planet. 1%FTP has identified hundreds of worthy non-profit organizations that focus on the environment in numerous ways: sustainable development, environmental justice, education, conservation, and more.
Members of the 1% Alliance donate a portion of their profits to organizations to work to "create a healthier planet. Members recognize their responsibility to and dependence on a healthy environment and donate at least 1% of their annual net revenues to environmental organizations worldwide."
Here's how you can get involved:
* If you are a business owner, sign up to be a member of the 1% alliance. It's good business, responsible behavior, and the right thing to do. Plus, it builds trust, respect and loyalty with your customers.
* Shop with members of 1% Alliance. That way, you'll get the goods and services you need, and know that 1% of the profits generated from your purchase will go to a good cause.
* Write the businesses you patronize and ask them to join the 1% Alliance. They may even let you help choose the organizations they support. For example, GreenKarat asked and I answered. In this way you can help ensure that your priorities are recognized by the companies you do business with.
* Donate 1% or more of your time, money, or other resources to an environmental organization whose work you respect. Encourage others to do the same. I especially like MedShare International.
This is a great way to make sure your money supports the causes your believe in. Imagine that changes that would result if everyone gave 1%!
"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children." - Native American proverb
Members of the 1% Alliance donate a portion of their profits to organizations to work to "create a healthier planet. Members recognize their responsibility to and dependence on a healthy environment and donate at least 1% of their annual net revenues to environmental organizations worldwide."
Here's how you can get involved:
* If you are a business owner, sign up to be a member of the 1% alliance. It's good business, responsible behavior, and the right thing to do. Plus, it builds trust, respect and loyalty with your customers.
* Shop with members of 1% Alliance. That way, you'll get the goods and services you need, and know that 1% of the profits generated from your purchase will go to a good cause.
* Write the businesses you patronize and ask them to join the 1% Alliance. They may even let you help choose the organizations they support. For example, GreenKarat asked and I answered. In this way you can help ensure that your priorities are recognized by the companies you do business with.
* Donate 1% or more of your time, money, or other resources to an environmental organization whose work you respect. Encourage others to do the same. I especially like MedShare International.
This is a great way to make sure your money supports the causes your believe in. Imagine that changes that would result if everyone gave 1%!
"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children." - Native American proverb
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
End redlining.
Redlining is "practice of denying or increasing the cost of services [or goods] to residents of certain areas. The term "redlining" comes from the practice of marking red lines on a map, which banks would do in order to delineate areas they did not want to lend to." You've probably noticed redlining if your driven or walked through neighborhoods different from your own. How do the gas prices compare to those you pay? What about food prices? There are lots of different types of redlining:
* Food redlining happens when "large-scale supermarkets abandon lower-income communities for their more affluent counterparts, leaving entire communities little or no access to affordable, quality food." This contributes to health problems as well: correlations have been found between access to supermarkets and diet-related illnesses (e.g. diabetes).
* Financial redlining restricts access to mortgages, loans, insurance and other financial services. This contributes to housing segregation and discrimination. Predatory lending is also part of this problem.
* Advertising redlining happens when certain products are primarily advertised in certain neighborhoods, regardless of the neighborhood's relative use of the products. Ever notice where tobacco and liquor billboards are located? (Seems the tobacco companies are trying to get black folks to start smoking more, even though white folks are better customers.)
* Housing redlining. In this illegal practice, real estate agents often steer "white homebuyers away from {racially] diverse neighborhoods and lead black and Hispanic homebuyers to lower-income areas." Why do we so often assume that folks of difference class, race, or ethnicity cannot live together?
"So what can I do?"
--> Request full disclosure. If financial and other institutions are forced to disclose discriminatory practices, public or legal pressure may force them to change.
--> Demand just treatment. If you or someone you know is being treated unfairly, demand a change. I learned this early. When I was young, my mother was often dissatisfied at the quality and freshness of the produce in our neighborhood. Instead of driving to another (wealthier, white) community to shop (an option many of our neighbors did not have), she repeatedly talked to managers and supervisors to demand better quality food. If we don't ask for changes, how can we expect them?
--> Press for legislative changes that outlaw redlining. Click here for information on how to communicate with your elected officials, media and community leaders.
--> Boycott business that continue unjust, unfair or unethical practices.
--> Be inspired to action by the successes of folks who've fought: food, financial and other forms of redlining. You can make a difference for yourself, your family, and your community!
"Not being able to do everything is no excuse for not doing everything you can." - Ashleigh Brilliant
* Food redlining happens when "large-scale supermarkets abandon lower-income communities for their more affluent counterparts, leaving entire communities little or no access to affordable, quality food." This contributes to health problems as well: correlations have been found between access to supermarkets and diet-related illnesses (e.g. diabetes).
* Financial redlining restricts access to mortgages, loans, insurance and other financial services. This contributes to housing segregation and discrimination. Predatory lending is also part of this problem.
* Advertising redlining happens when certain products are primarily advertised in certain neighborhoods, regardless of the neighborhood's relative use of the products. Ever notice where tobacco and liquor billboards are located? (Seems the tobacco companies are trying to get black folks to start smoking more, even though white folks are better customers.)
* Housing redlining. In this illegal practice, real estate agents often steer "white homebuyers away from {racially] diverse neighborhoods and lead black and Hispanic homebuyers to lower-income areas." Why do we so often assume that folks of difference class, race, or ethnicity cannot live together?
"So what can I do?"
--> Request full disclosure. If financial and other institutions are forced to disclose discriminatory practices, public or legal pressure may force them to change.
--> Demand just treatment. If you or someone you know is being treated unfairly, demand a change. I learned this early. When I was young, my mother was often dissatisfied at the quality and freshness of the produce in our neighborhood. Instead of driving to another (wealthier, white) community to shop (an option many of our neighbors did not have), she repeatedly talked to managers and supervisors to demand better quality food. If we don't ask for changes, how can we expect them?
--> Press for legislative changes that outlaw redlining. Click here for information on how to communicate with your elected officials, media and community leaders.
--> Boycott business that continue unjust, unfair or unethical practices.
--> Be inspired to action by the successes of folks who've fought: food, financial and other forms of redlining. You can make a difference for yourself, your family, and your community!
"Not being able to do everything is no excuse for not doing everything you can." - Ashleigh Brilliant
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Keep the promise.
In September 2000, all 191 United Nations Member states pledge to achieve eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Once met, the lives of billions of people will be saved and/or improved. Five years later, progress has been made, but we still have a long way to go to meet the Millennium Development Goals. Here are the goals and here's how you can help"
Millennium Development Goals:
* "Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger: Halve the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day and who suffer from hunger." End poverty.
* "Achieve universal primary education: Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling." Each one, teach one.
* "Promote gender equality and empower women: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015." Cherish women.
* "Reduce child mortality: Reduced by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five. Cherish youth.
* "Improve maternal health: Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio." Improve health care.
* "Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases: Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and the incidence of malaria and other major diseases." Close the 10/90 gap.
* "Ensure environmental sustainability: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources. Halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and significantly improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020." Insist on environmental justice.
* "Develop a global partnership for development: Implement an open, rule-based trading and financial system, more generous aid to countries committed to poverty reduction, and relief for the debt problems of developing countries." Insist on economic justice.
Do a search for "Millennium Development Goals" for more information, and help make our world a better place. Keep the promise.
Just a note, I won't be blogging for the next few weeks. So please peruse the archives in my absence. There's plenty you can do to keep busy while I'm away.
"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others, at whatever cost." - Arthur Ashe
Millennium Development Goals:
* "Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger: Halve the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day and who suffer from hunger." End poverty.
* "Achieve universal primary education: Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling." Each one, teach one.
* "Promote gender equality and empower women: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015." Cherish women.
* "Reduce child mortality: Reduced by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five. Cherish youth.
* "Improve maternal health: Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio." Improve health care.
* "Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases: Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and the incidence of malaria and other major diseases." Close the 10/90 gap.
* "Ensure environmental sustainability: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources. Halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and significantly improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020." Insist on environmental justice.
* "Develop a global partnership for development: Implement an open, rule-based trading and financial system, more generous aid to countries committed to poverty reduction, and relief for the debt problems of developing countries." Insist on economic justice.
Do a search for "Millennium Development Goals" for more information, and help make our world a better place. Keep the promise.
Just a note, I won't be blogging for the next few weeks. So please peruse the archives in my absence. There's plenty you can do to keep busy while I'm away.
"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others, at whatever cost." - Arthur Ashe
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