Day 36- Gooey Goodness

I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.
Michelangelo

I saw the potential in the dough, and molded it until it was a tasty masterpiece!  And then proceeded to share it with our favorite neighbor and a new friend.

It feels good to share :) 

Day 35- Everyday is Earthday!

Experts estimate that only 1 in 1,000 Outerbank sea turtle hatchlings will survive to maturity. Partner with Sun Realty to help preserve and protect Outer Banks sea turtles.

Please visit Sun Realty and take advantage of an easy way to donate a dollar and possibly find your next vacation spot!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/OBXvacation

Day 34- Slowing down

While at our local library, Isaac and I noticed two very elderly people checking out books, and honestly, didn't look like they were making it very well.  We hung out for a minute, and held open both of the double doors leading outside.  I saw a little glimmer in their eyes, and even though they didn't say much as they hobbled out, I know they were surprised and appreciated it :)

Day 33- The Golden Crust

Sometimes you just need a crust :)

Today I took my friend out for lunch at The Golden Crust- super tasty.  It seems to be a food week, doesn't it?

I wanted to be sweet and buy her lunch, especially since she does so many nice things for everyone else.  So, a little kindness her way. 

Afterwards we went to the Jamaican store next door, and found some really interesting blue laundry soap for hand washing whites- supposedly getting your whites super white.  Well, sadly enough, I did not have the meager .50 to buy it (I'm a plastic only type person...) and the girl behind the counter spotted me the remaining .15!  LOL.  Kindnesses are being returned at a surprisingly high rate friends.  I did not anticipate so much love and appreciation shown in return for my meager blog, but I'll take it.  I'll take it all and keep sending it right back out :)  And the best part- Isaac will never have dingy socks again! ;)

www.goldenkrustbakery.com

Day 32- Yogo Ono!

My kindness today was very, very hard to do.  After all, being coerced by my son to eat fabulous frozen yogurt almost sent me over the edge!  LOL.  Alright, so not all kindnesses are hard to do, like some people assume.  Lots of them are easy and taste great too!

Yogo Ono held a benefit night for Kennesaw Charter Science & Math Academy (kennesawcharter.com) and based on how packed the place was, I'd say it was a success!  It was really fun to get out and see the kids and meet some new parents as well :)

Isaac's coach even got in on the fun!

Thanks so much Yogo Ono for a great night!

Day 31- Tacos for Teens

I love Taco Bell. For one thing, they are tasty. And secondly, they can make anything you want vegetarian, and I appreciate that ;)  But more than that, Taco Bell also gives back to the community in a variety of ways, including their campaign- Help a Teen Graduate.

By dropping your spare change into canisters at Taco Bell® restaurants, you can help invest in a teen’s future. Canister collections help us provide support to teen programs at Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide Canister proceeds are used to benefit your local community.

http://www.tacobell.com/company/givingback


Easy & fun!  Isaac has won a few times, Chris a lot, and me.... not so much ;)  But really, everyone wins when it's for such a good cause :)

Day 30- Free Rice!

Early this morning I sharpened my vocabulary and donated over 400 grains of rice!

About FreeRice

FreeRice is a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Programme.

FreeRice has two goals:

• Provide education to everyone for free.
• Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

This is made possible by the generosity of the sponsors who advertise on this site.

Whether you are CEO of a large corporation or a street child in a poor country, improving your education can improve your life. It is a great investment in yourself.

Perhaps even greater is the investment your donated rice makes in hungry human beings, enabling them to function and be productive. Somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that you helped provide (www.freerice.com).

Day 29- Missions for Youth

It's festival season in the South!  While attending The Big Shanty Festival in beautiful Kennesaw, GA (can you tell I heart Kennesaw??!) we were able to donate to a good cause for a very good parking spot- front row!  Kennesaw First Baptist Church opens up their parking lot in exchange for any amount of donation that funds various missions their youth group takes part in.  One of my greatest pet peeves in life is having to pay to park... lol.  But, i'm always happy to donate to a good cause, and was glad to do it!

By the way, the parade was awesome :)

Day 28- The Gift of Supplements

After changing some of the supplements i've been taking, I decided to list the  iron supplements I no longer needed on craigslist to see if i'd get any takers.  I always try to use craigslist before I throw otherwise un-donatable items away.  And as always, with in 5 min I got a response from a local mom who was in need!

Day 27- Goodwill

After a little spring cleaning, my minimalistic tendencies have manifested themselves through several bags of usable household goods!  If you have been reading my blog for a while, you may be wondering how is it possible this small family of three has so much stuff to donate?!  All three of us are not big shoppers, and we usually only buy what we need.  But, we have lots of friends and family who supply us with lots of things they want us to have, or think we need ;)  Hence all the donations! 

We loaded up our bags and swung by our local Goodwill on the way home.  Dropping off at Goodwill is always super easy and convenient.  Someone is always there waiting to take items out of your car and lend a hand.  There are several reasons why I like Goodwill, most of them being that they provide solutions for many people.  Check out some info on GoodWill:

Our Mission

Goodwill Industries International enhances the dignity and quality of life of individuals, families and communities by eliminating barriers to opportunity and helping people in need reach their fullest potential through the power of work.

Our Vision

Every person has the opportunity to achieve his/her fullest potential and participate in and contribute to all aspects of life.

Our Results for 2010

• People served through employment and training programs: Nearly 2.4 million
• Workforce development services provided: 20.1 million
• People who earned a job with Goodwill’s help : Over 170,000
• Estimated total earnings of people who earned a job with Goodwill’s help: Over $2.7 billion
• Personal and family support services provided: 7.5 million
• Total revenue generated by Goodwill organizations: $4 billion
• Total revenue spent directly on programs: 84 percent
• Total number of donors (includes repeat donations): 74 million
• Total number of retail stores: Over 2,500 and an online auction site, www.shopgoodwill.com

Day 26- Knowledge is Power

Knowledge is power, compassion is giving. 

I was searching on the Internet for ways to donate or re-use some of my older college textbooks.  Most of them I've sold if possible, but lots of others lingered.  Amazingly, there is a fantastic organization close by in Smyrna...  Books for Africa!

About Books For Africa

The mission of Books For Africa is to end the book famine in Africa. With your help, we will help create a culture of literacy and provide the tools of empowerment to the next generation of parents, teachers, and leaders in Africa.

Books donated by publishers, schools, libraries, individuals, and organizations are sorted and packed by volunteers who carefully choose books that are age and subject appropriate. We send good books, enough books for a whole class to use.

They are shipped in sea containers paid for by contributions from people like you. It costs about 50 cents to send a book from the United States to Africa. Since 1988, Books For Africa has shipped more than 24 million books to 45 African countries. They are on once-empty library shelves, in classrooms in rural schools, and in the hands of children who have never before held a book. Each book will be read over and over again. When the books arrive, they go to those who need them most: children who are hungry to read, hungry to learn, hungry to explore the world in ways that only books make possible. 



When we arrived at the warehouse, we found one person working and one person loading all the books.  This warehouse is massive!  They were very excited to get all my college texts, because those are the ones that can be used to educate future teachers, and social study majors.  I was so happy to donate these, and hope that if you have textbooks, or any other books for that matter, that you will take them to Books for Africa.  They can also be mailed, as well as dropped off at a few other locations.

For more info, please visit, www.booksforafrica.org

:)

Day 25- The Waiting is the Hardest Part....

Today I accompanied a friend to the dr's office.  After all, the waiting is the hardest part, and it's nice to have a friend to laugh with at the hideous decor instead of anxieties that can pop up ;)

I should mention that she was very kind to me in return, and bought me some much appreciated groceries from Trader Joes!

Thank you my anonymous friend ;)

Day 24- Books for Foster Children

Today we had a really special opportunity to donate books to foster children who have court appointments to check up on their progress.  A court appointment can be a very long and stressful day.  By being able to give the kids a book to read while they wait makes their day just a little easier and provides a small distraction from the time.

Isaac chose to donate a book on the Amazon that has lots of great pictures and facts. 

Chris & I donated a book by Touchpoint which has scriptural answer to common worries and problems.

Day 23- Pasta

Today we donated several boxes of Ronzoni Pasta to our local MUST Ministries drop box.

MUST is one of my favorite charities in the area, because they not only meet the immediate needs of families, but they also give them the tools they need to get back on the right track and live a successful life.

Feel free to visit their website for additional needs and volunteer opportunities!

www.mustministries.org

Day 22- Whole Planet

My all time favorite way to make a difference in the world, is by helping others help themselves.  It allows for long lasting change & prosperity.  When checking out at Whole Foods, the cashier can scan however much a person wants to donate, and it simply adds it to the bill.  Very easy.

And yes, this means you caught me shopping at yet another grocery store!  But what can I say?  I like to shop around and get the best deals?? ;)

Day 21- You want fries with that?

While visiting our newly remodeled McDonalds, we decided to donate our change to the Ronald McDonald House.  You've probably seen the donation boxes, they are convienently located by the registers!  Makes for easy donations :)  For those of you who are unfamiliar with Ronald McDonald House Charities, it's worth a read: http://rmhc.org/who-we-are/

For more than 36 years, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC, Inc.) has been working to improve the health and well being of children – touching nearly 4.5 million children worldwide every year.

We strive to be part of the solution to issues challenging families today. Families are challenged with how to stay near and support a hospitalized child, how to afford staying together in another city while a child is undergoing treatment, or even getting basic medical and dental care in underserved communities. We use our resources to help families gain access to health care services during critical points in their children’s lives

With a network of Ronald McDonald House Charities Chapters in 52 countries and regions around the world, we help children and their families through more than:
• 302 Ronald McDonald Houses
• 157 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms
• 43 Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles
• Grants and other programs and services

If you have ever had a sick child, you know just how hard it is to shuffle back and forth to the hospital, as well as afford all the expenses.  I'm glad that places like The Ronald McDonald House are there for families in tough times.

Day 20- Handwritten

Today we received a handwritten letter all the way from the Philippines. 

The letter was from the mother of Julius, a child we sponser through Plan. (Visit Day 5: http://onewomanblessings.blogspot.com/2011/03/day-5-plan-usa.html )

Julius' mom told us all about their life and how they live on a day-to-day basis.  We think about Julius often as we have the priviledge to drive back and forth to the school of our choice.  Isaac decided to color a picture of what it looks like in Georgia, and then dictate a cute letter to me on that we printed on the back.  Donating a small amount of money each month to provide so many things we all have available here in the States is one way we say can appreciate all the wonderful opportunities that we have available to us.

Day 19- Cell phones and Undies

Much like our clothes (visit Day 17) we also wear our cell phones into the ground. We recently switched cell companies and upgraded our plans. Our old phones were very old, and were on their last call, if not already broken. Our local Target has a recycling station with an area for cell phones. Off they went to be repurposed!

So quit hoarding your old phones and recycle them!  If they are in good shape, a lot of places will take them as donations and if they are worn out like mine, just drop them off.  For more info on the Environmental Protection Agency's E-Cycle program, visit their website: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/partnerships/plugin/cellphone/index.htm

Happy calling!

Day 18- Firefighter down- remembering one of our own...

It's always a sad day when news comes of a firefighter passing away.  Hank Hopkins served in the same fire department my husband does, and the whole department felt the loss. 

Hank Hopkins was 53 when he passed away unexpectedly April 1, 2011. He was born September 28, 1957 at Georgia Baptist hospital in Atlanta GA. Hank was employed by the Cobb County Fire Department for 20 years. He enjoyed working in the fire department and loved helping others. He was awarded the Life Saving award by the Cobb County Police Department in November 1997.

(Please feel free to read more at:  www.jcollinsfuneralhome.com)




In order to assist the family, we donated money to help with funeral costs and provide short-term for his family. 

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.  Cynthia Ozick

Thanks to all our firefighters worldwide.  Be safe.

Day 17- USAgain

There comes a time in everyone's life when you must face the closet- the closet where you've shoved worn out shirts to the back, hoarded way too many t-shirts and worn out jeans.  Most people find a way to donate these clothes or give to friends.... but what happens when you are like my family and literally wear things into the ground?!  LOL.  Seriously though, by the time we are done with clothes, it is usually because there are one too many holes in them!  Since no one else is able to wear them, now what?  We are all stocked up on 'shop rags' and so are the neighbors! 


Time to drop off at USAgain! 


USAgain (use-again) was founded in 1999, and now operates over 9,000 collection bins in 15 states. Our mission at USAgain is simple: to provide consumers with a convenient and eco-friendly option to rid themselves of excess clothing, which we divert from wasting in landfills for resale here in the US and abroad. In 2010 alone, the company collected 56 million pounds of discarded clothing. A profitable venture headquartered in Chicago, USAgain has 170 employees. For more information, visit www.usagain.com.

While some people have a hard time understanding why they are a 'for-profit' company, I look at it this way- they provide me with a free way of recycling that is beneficial for me, and they provide paid employment for someone else. It's a Win/Win. Plus, they are one of the few companies that will recycle too-worn clothes.


My closet is looking much more manageable, and I guess I will finally have to break down and buy some new undies ;)

How does your closet look?? ;)

Day 16- Fast Food, Fast Help

Change a life.

You might just change your own.

115,000 U.S. children are in foster care, waiting to be adopted. They have been removed from their homes as victims of child abuse, neglect or abandonment and are 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.

Today it was just too easy to donate while indulging in a little Wendy's :) Like my change even had a chance- Isaac had snatched it up, and with a big smile on his face dangled it over the collection box, saying, 'Mommy, can I?' Who could say no to that? Foster and Adoption are a very important humanitarian effort in our household. I admire all those people who have adopted, or foster. Until the right time for us, we gladly support worthwhile organizations, such as the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. I am so glad there are charities out there that make donating as easy as dropping in some loose change :)