Got a note about a new site that has been launched with a great concept. You can donate money in very specific ways or you can create a profile and wishlist and share it with friends and family.
ChangingThePresent.org lets you change the world, in exactly the way you want. For just a few dollars, you can provide a child with her first book; fund an hour of cancer research; protect an acre of the rainforest; or restore a blind person’s sight with cataract surgery. It offers thousands of inspiring donation opportunities from hundreds of leading nonprofits, so you’re sure to find something that moves you, no matter what cause you most care about.
So…I created a wish list of things that includes the items that mean the most to me personally. So, anyone want to buy me a birthday gift? Go to the wish list for items ranging in price from $5 (help me off set all those plane trips) to $250 (water pump). It’ll make both of us feel good and most certainly whoever else is receiving the gift.
What can you do?
- Create your own list and share with your friends and family.
- Make a donation to a cause near and dear to you.
- Work for a not-for-profit? Be sure to add your organization to the options.
Categories: volunteers for change
Just reading an article that made reference to “give up your seat to someone who needs it”. It’s not funny to see people hurt themselves.
So, what makes people give up their seat? Why do some people seem to notice and others just try to hide their faces/eyes to not notice? Almost a year ago in the city I live, a group of people randomly attacked and beat a man to death on a bus. It was unprovoked and others on the bus were present. No one did anything as the group of 4 teenagers beat a man to death. The kids ran out of the bus, but later voluntarily surrendered to police. So, it goes without saying that the teenagers should be charged, but what is the responsibility of everyone else on the bus?
At what point do we no longer tolerate such abusive, offensive behaviour in our society? When do we stand up and say no more! Don’t you think that when we do that, as a society, that the world will become a different place.
You can’t continue to ignore the world around you. So, take notice and get up and give your seat to someone. It’s a gesture of goodwill and kindness. It will change the way others around you view the situation, and how they in turn will act.
Categories: volunteers for change
It takes half as many muscles to smile as it does to frown.
And it makes you and others feel twice as good!
Categories: volunteers for change
Read a story,
Dance,
Sing,
Play with blocks,
Draw a picture,
Finger paint,
Jump through a sprinkler,
Do a puzzle,
Play a board game,
Act out a play,
Write a story,
Play hide and seek,
or
Just play…
You will both feel richer for the experience when you take time to play with children. It just makes you feel good, reduces stress, brings you joy. Try it.
Categories: volunteers for change
Reading a comment recently about how we should spend more time listening to one another. We may solve more issues, problems and support each other if only we just listened.
I will admit that I get passionate about topics that I believe in and love to talk, debate, argue, etc. I listen and change my mind, I think I am fair, but I like most could spend more time listening.
I wonder if we listened if we could hear someone come up with the solution to the world’s problems? Who has the best solution to feeding the world and ending global hunger? Who has the solution to climate change? Who has found the cure to cancer?
Imagine the world if we just listened a little more to each other….
Categories: volunteers for change
There is never enough hours in the day to accomplish everything that I want (or need) to do. There is an endless amount of work that can be done, sites to research, writing, researching, calls, emails, etc. And of course one needs to take care of oneself – eating, exercising, laughing, socializing, resting, etc.
I am contemplating right now the priorities within my own life and how I would like to focus my time and energy. I was speaking at work recently and made a statement “I would rather we did one thing kick-ass than 10 things alright”. I sometimes feel in the rush of day to day life that is how we manage our lives personally and professionally. We settle for less than what we started out believing we deserved. Perhaps it is time to step back and focus on those few things and do an awesome job at them.
A long time ago someone told me as a manager to learn about what people do in their spare time, where they volunteer their time, passions and hobbies. You will learn about the untapped market that you have in your own organization based on this information. Just because someone has one role doesn’t mean that is all they have to offer. Think about your own life and those hobbies and passions you have outside of work, how can they contribute to making your work life better?
Personally it has become apparent to me over the past year that one needs to focus on those things most important to them in order to really make an impact in the world. What is most important in your life? How can you focus and converge your personal and professional lives to make the most impact?
Categories: volunteers for change
Just picked up this book called “Change the World for Ten Bucks”. When I opened it, randomly, this is what I read (and a great idea it is).
Action 17: Watch Less TV!
Rearrange your pictures
Make a cocktail
File
Write a song
Make faces in the mirror
Jump in a lake
Wear gold
Revert to childhood
Stay up all night
Dance
Turn left instead of right
Streak
Massage someone
Dust
Shave something off.
All great ideas except maybe the dusting. Here’s a few more that I made up:
Laugh out loud
Take a walk – walk a dog
Sit under a tree
Have a coffee with a friend
Go for a bike ride
Cook a great meal
Take a cooking class
Read a book
Read a book to someone
So, I pledge to not watch TV for a week (at least). I won’t pledge to do all of the above, but most/some.
Categories: volunteers for change
Did you know that when you sit down to a traditional Canadian dinner that most of the food has traveled over 1500 miles to get there by planes, trains and automobiles? Eating locally can have a global impact!
Top Ten Tips: Here are 10 highly effective ways to go greener.
- Eat Organic
- Buy fair trade certified food
- Buy seasonal, local food
- Don’t follow the pack – reduce the amount of extensive packaging
- Compost the leftovers – you can compost even if you live in an apartment
- Grow your own – In the garden, in the greenhouse, in the window box…
- To and from – buy from local sellers
- Just enough – cook what you need
- Raw – less energy, tastes great
- Ease up on the meat it is the most resource-intensive food on the table and eating less of it can be the single most green move a person makes.
Did you know… that buying locally can offset greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants associated with transportation of food.
Did you know… that going meat-less one day per week and thus eating more fruits and vegetables can reduce your risk of cancer by more than 20%.
Take the Nature Challenge and learn more at www.davidsuzuki.com
Categories: volunteers for change
It takes half as many muscles to smile as it does to frown.
