Good Deed Week #5

Good Deed #29.  Dad, this one was for you!  I know it wasn't easy for you to be away from us for all those months and years, but we were always so proud to call you dad.  Everyday I would look at the cross stitch mom made that said "Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Daddy" and would thank God that I was YOUR sweet pea.  I made this video for you, the men you served with, the men who are serving now, and for all the children left behind.  Friends and family please watch this video till the very end so Five for Fighting can donate $1/view to the Fisher House.   

Good Deeds Week #4

Updates on a Few Good Deeds

1.  Kiva.org (Good Deed #12):  All the funds were raised for Aminjon Azimov and the funds have been disbursed to him in Tajikistan.  Over the next 12 months, the organization will collect repayments and will continue to post updates.

2.  Book Care Packages to AnySoldier.com Members (Good Deed #13).  I have heard back from one of the men that I sent books, coffee, creamer, fruit snacks, and cookies to.  He is a wonderfully sweet guy who I am sure will receive more goodies in the mail (as a friend not as a good deed).  

3.  Operation Dreamseed Donations (Good Deed #21).  I have received cash donations from Erin "Bestest" Walker and Chris Bruno (from Lloyd Dobler Effect) who literally sold his blood for the cause.  Yes, that's right, he donated his blood for research purposes, got some cash for it, and sent it to me - tell me that isn't freaking awesome!  If you have sent me stuff and I didn't mention your name - then check with me so I can keep an eye out for the package.  If you would still like to send money or supplies, you have plenty of time.  I am planning on sending the packages after the Valentines mailing rush (yes Valentines has a mailing rush).   

Good Deeds Week #4

Good Deed #22.  In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I took a 40 day pledge of nonviolence.  You would think I would be able to do this pledge easily considering I am a nice person, but unfortuantly I was with Allan all week and he caused me to hit him on several occasions.  I mean, honestly, they were all provoked by him.  But, since Saturday I have been violence free.  The pledge states the following:

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and work, I do pledge to do everything that I can to make America and the world a place where equality and justice, freedom, and peace will grow and flourish.

  

I pledge to make nonviolence a way of life in my dealings with all people (including Allan).

I will reject all forms of hatred, bigotry and prejudice, and I will embrace the values of unconditional, universal love, truthfulness, courage, compassion, and dedication that empowered Dr. King.

I will dedicate my life to creating the beloved community of Dr. King's dream, where people can live together as sisters and brothers.

Good Deed #23.  I have offset 5 pounds of carbon emissions which is roughly equivalent to 3 days of computer usage and one long shower.  In addition, I have saved 14.8 sq. ft. of marine wetlands and 7.5 sq. ft. of american prairies.  With a simple click of a mouse, you too can save marine wetlands, american prairies and help offset carbon emissions.

Good Deed #24 + 25.  I prepared a care package for my first adopted soldier and wrote my second adopted soldier his first letter.  The care package was filled with Valentines candy, the Anchorman DVD, a handmade card, some coffee, creamer, fruit snacks, and cookies. 

Good Deed #26.  I was the 19,550th person to sign the "Stop the Attack on Utah's Wild Lands" petition.  In short, the current administration is planning to sharply increase oil and gas development and off-road vehicle use for 11 million incredible acres in Utah.  This will permanently alter the canyons and wildlife that I have been enjoying over the past year.  The goal is to have 25,000 signatures on the petition before it goes to the Bureau of Land Management Director.  If you could please sign the petition, it would be greatly appreciated.

Good Deed #27.  Brian told me about the site WhatKindofWorldDoYouWant.com that was set up by the band Five for Fighting.  It is the first video community that gives back.  All you have to do is tell the world what kind of world you want and raise money for a charity by making and uploading a video yourself, your friends or your family answering the question "What Kind of World Do You Want?"  OR, you can raise money for charities that John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting has personally selected.  All you have to do is watch any clip on the site and money will go to the charity listed with that video.  So I watched 10 or so videos - meaning I donated $10 to the chosen charities.  I highly recommend you spending some time by watching the videos and raising money.

Good Deed #28.   I signed the ONE campaign declaration.  ONE is Americans of all beliefs and every walk of life - united as ONE - to help make poverty history.  The ONE campaign has over 2.4 million people and growing from all 50 states and over 100 of America's most well-known and respected non-profit, advocacy, and humanitarian organizations.  As ONE, we are raising public awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, disease and efforts to fight such problems in the worlds poorest countries.  To support this great organization, I signed the ONE campaign declaration and bought a ONE campaign Nalgene bottle.  The declaration that I signed stated:

We believe that in the best American tradition of helping others help themselves, now is the time to join with other countries in a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty.

       We recognize that a pact including such measures as fair trade, debt relief, fighting corruption and directing additional resources for basic needs - education, health, clean water, food, and care for orphans - would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the poorest countries, at a cost equal to just one percent more of the US budget.

We commit ourselves one person, one voice, one vote at a time - to make a better, safer world for all. 

    

Good Deeds Week #3

Good Deed #15.  On Monday, January 14th I went to my first Boise Habitat for Humanity public relations committee.  This small group is in the process of developing a new media kit, website, and advertising campaign.  I'm excited to be a new member and look forward to contributing on their great projects.

Good Deed #16.  My next good deed was donating to Heifer International.  Specifically, I donated to the Ukraine - Carpathian Project.  Through this project, Heifer International will help 110 families in the the villages of Borynia and Komarnyky improve their knowledge of agricultural production and processing, and green tourism.  The project also envisages establishment of an education and production center to provide training on small scale milk and meat processing for participants and the larger community.  A total of 55  rural families will receive 25 simmental breed heifers, 50 bee packages, 10 gilts, 1 boar, and ornamental plant saplings.  An additional 55 families will benefit from "passing on the gift."  Heifer will also provide project participants mixed fodder for their animals, veterinary medicines, equipment for artificial insemination, and agricultural inputs.

Good Deed #17.  I wrote my third handwritten letter to my adopted soldier.  I haven't learned much more about him, but I am preparing his first care package.  I hope to send him a Valentines package this coming week so he will feel some love on the special hallmark day.

Good Deed #18.  Plastic bottles, bags, containers, toys, and wrapping are everywhere because they make our lives convenient and easy, but they are creating all sorts of problems for our environment.  Plastic items are used for a short term before they are discarded and become a significant and costly form of litter, pollution and waste.  To make a difference, I signed a pledge on Leonardo diCaprio's website and committed to one day of NO PLASTICS.  That meant no plastic bags, no beverages in plastic containers, and no products packaged in plastics. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but even I was surprised how many things in our lives are made out of plastic.  My razor, shampoo bottles, contact solution bottles, milk bottles, and the list just goes on and on.  I recommend you signing the pledge and trying it for a day!

Good Deed #19.  My next good deed was an idea given to me by my old coworker Michael Goldfarb.  He told me about the site donorschoose.org where teachers post projects that they need funded and donors register and give donations (no matter the size).  Once the project is fully funded the students give each donor a report on how the money was used and how they were impacted by the generosity.  To help out, I found a teacher with a project called "Handwriting Without Tears."  This teacher needs help buying materials to teach writing skills to her special education students.  The materials she is requesting are part of a multi-sensory handwriting program developed by an occupational therapist.  The program teaches students not only good writing skills, but other important social, motor, and academic skills.  The younger students learn position words, manners, shapes, and letters.  The older students learn phonics and grammar.

Good Deed #20.  I received an email from the Soldiers Angels organization requesting that angels (if possible) adopt another soldier because they have an abundance of soldiers and limited angels.  To do my part, I adopted a second soldier.  My new soldier was posted on the site by his wife and he needs simple hygiene products like shaving cream, shampoo, etc.  All I know about him is he is in the Army.  I don't know where he is located, what he does in the Army, or what he is interested in, but I will keep you posted as I learn more.

Good Deed #21.  My final good deed of the week was one that I am very excited about!  Operation Dreamseed is an organization dedicated to providing school children in Afghanistan with school supplies.  Stationed at Kandahar Air Base soldiers spend much of their time in direct interaction with the Afghani people in nearby villages.  They noticed that the children all love receiving small gifts from the soldiers, but their favorite giveaways aren't candy or toys.  Their faces really light up when they are given items for school.  These kids, many of who are girls attending school for the very first time, cherish pencils, notebooks and craft supplies.  To help this great cause, I started asking several friends and family members to help me create packages for the children.  If you are interested in helping me send school packages to Operation Dreamseed contacts, please feel free to buy items off this list or mail a check to me and I will purchase the items for you.  When I mail the packages, I will be sure to include your name on the cards and I will give you a shout out on my blog entry.

                             

Good Deeds Week #2

It is day 13 and I have completed 14 good deeds in 2008.  Unfortunately, due to delays in plumbing installation construction was cancelled for my Habitat for Humanity Women's Build project.  Here is what I have been up to instead of building houses:

Good Deed #6.  Last Saturday I picked up an application packet from my local coffee shop and signed up to volunteer for the Special Olympic Games being held in Boise.  Not sure what I will be doing, but I signed up for venue logistics, warehouse logistics, and public relations.  If needed, I am scheduled to volunteer on Feb. 23rd, 24th, and 29th.

Good Deed #7. Chances are high that cancer will affect you or someone you know (if it hasn't already).  Whether it's a family member, friend or colleague, this disease touches us all.  As a result, I volunteered to assist with the Climb to Conquer Cancer event sponsored by the American Cancer Society.  Again, not sure what I will be doing, but it will take place on August 9th.  It is a non-competitive event to fight cancer.  Walker, hikers, runners, wheelchairs, and strollers make their way up to the top of Table Rock and wind their way back down to complete the event.  Every dollar raised helps bring us one step closer to more effective prevention, detection, and treatment of the disease.    

Good Deed #8.  Most of us starved our way through college and even the first several years after college--some of us may still be starving--but I have complete respect for those that are choosing to starve as they chase their dreams.  In honor of my friends chasing dreams (Andy - your gift is coming soon so I don't want any nasty comments on my blog) I decided to send a Sheetz gift card to my favorite band - Lloyd Dobler Effect.  These guys are always on the road, playing songs across the country in random bars and I figured they could use a free meal or some free gas.  It's a small token of my appreciation for them and its the least I could do considering their music gets me through some ridiculous days.

Good Deed #9.  My next good deed was a simple one that we can all do at home or work.  I followed Tamara's idea and I am now changing the margins on the documents I print.  It's simple, but if we all do it we could do a small part in saving our environment (and our bank accounts).  For more information visit http://changethemargins.com.   

Good Deed #10.  I bought special, fancy-dancy stationary and wrote my second letter to my new Air Force Penpal!  As part of the Soldier's Angels Network, I am committed to writing my buddy once a week and sending care packages once a month.  I was stoked on Friday when I got my first response back from him!  Luckily, it seems like we have several things in common (including home states!) so I should have something to write about next week.  As I mentioned before, because this is a public forum, I can't share much information about him--but if you are interested hit me up and I can tell you all about him.  

Good Deed #11.  Each year, between 140 and 160 police officers are killed in the line of duty and their families, friends and coworkers are left to cope with the tragic loss and monumental expenses.  C.O.P.S was created to provide resources to those left behind and help them rebuild their shattered lives.  To help this amazing organization, I bought a candle from Castine Candles and 100% of the proceeds will go to C.O.P.S.  

Good Deed #12.  A few months ago (actually many months ago) I was watching Oprah (shocker!) and she had guests on that had small ideas with big impacts.  One of the organizations that caught my eye was Kiva.org.  This organization links individuals like you and me to entrepreneurs in small, rural cities who need loans to start or build their business.  By supplying these individuals with small loans they are able to make a huge impact in their towns.  After 13 days of trying to loan money to an entrepreneur, I was finally able to snag one up (it is a popular site so you have to check it constantly to find an individual that needs a loan).  

I provided a small loan to Aminjon Azimov, who is 31 years old, has a high school education, and is married with 4 children.  He sells children toys, hair accessories, mirrors, and food products out of store he built inside of his house.  Using funds from the loan, he plans to increase the assortment of his inventory.  His main customers are children and their parents from his village and surrounding areas.  He hopes this loan will help local residents to purchase toys, hair clips, and mirrors for girls along with other goods necessary for their homes.  At the same time, they will not need to commute to the center of the region.

Good Deed #13.  I went through all my books, selected the ones I knew I would never read again, and took them to a used book store.  I traded my books for books I thought our men and women serving in Iraq would like to read (I have a hunch they wouldn't want to read Nicholas Sparks).  Once I had 10+ books together, I went to Costco and picked up a few food items I figured they would like to have along with the books (coffee, creamer, fruit snacks, and cookies).  Then, I made a few handmade Valentine's cards to complete the care packages.  Below are pictures of the three packages I am sending to three different units serving in Iraq.  Each of the units were picked from the anysoldier.com site that I used last year.

     

  

Good Deed #14.  My final good deed of the week was for another great organization out of Hawaii.  Keiki Cards sends handmade greeting cards to children who have life threatening illnesses.  The goal is to give children support through the mail and to let each child know that someone is thinking of them.  The children range from infant to eighteen.  Keiki Cards sends cards out every week to approximately 400 children in the United States and Canada.  To support this great cause, I made 10 valentine's cards (shown below) and will send them out first thing Monday morning.  

      

Good Deeds Week #1

Four days have gone by in 2008 and I have done four good deeds. I'm on a roll. Here's what I have been up to:

Good Deed #2. On January 1st, Brian and I donated six, filled-to-capacity, extra large trash bags of clothes, pillows, and stuffed animals to our local Goodwill. It was pretty easy, we just looked in our closets selected the clothes we regretted buying or haven't worn in years, tossed them into a bag, and dropped them off at a donation center less than 3 miles from our house.

Good Deed #3. This is one of the good deeds I was looking forward to the most. I adopted a soldier on the Soldiers' Angels Network. Due to safety and restrictions, I can't say much about my soldier, but he is in the Air Force and he is serving in Iraq. What does it mean to adopt a soldier? That means I am committed to sending one letter a week and one care package a month. They even give you a Soldier Angel Mentor to help you with the process. On Tuesday, January 2nd, I wrote my first letter to my soldier - which was basically a page of me blabbing about anything and nothing. I will keep you posted with my little buddy and I will let you know what it's like being a penpal with one of our courageous servicemen. If you are interested in learning more about Soldiers' Angels feel free to visit their website.

Good Deed #4. My fourth good deed was signing up for the Boise Habitat for Humanity's Women's Build project. The project is being sponsored by Lowes and its giving women the chance to build the house from scratch. (We don't need no stinking men. ) As of right now, I am scheduled to help build on January 12th. If you are interested in helping your local Habitat for Humanity or if you want to build pretty much anywhere please visit http://www.habitat.org.

Good Deed #5. I'll be honest, my fifth good deed was kinda selfish. I'm pretty tired of the writer's strike, but I agree 100% with the writers. So I went on the Writer's Guild of America website to see what I could do to help. It turns out they have a list of all the Hollywood Executives along with their addresses and they need people to write letters in support of the strike. So that is what I did. If you are tired of the re-runs and want to see your favorite shows back on TV or if you just simply agree with strike and want to do something about it here is the list of names and addresses where you can send a letter.