Good Deeds Week #7

Update on a few good deeds

1.  Special Olympics.  I am very sad to report that I received an email the other day stating the Special Olympics had too many volunteers so my services were not needed at this time.  Although this was a huge disappointment, I am hoping to get out to the Games as a fan instead of a volunteer.   

2.  Donors Choose.  Alright, so the teacher / project I initially picked fell through, so I selected a second project.  I chose a science teacher who needed a way to make sure his students have actually learned something and will be able to apply what they have learned.  To do this, he requested funds for a class set of white boards that he could pass out to each student and have them interactively share their answers to questions.  Several of my teachers did this in High School and I vaguely remember liking it - so I figured it was worth a try.  

I am happy to report that the project was fully funded and the teacher wrote the following note to me:

Dear Becky,

Thank you so much for helping fund this project.  Having the ability to easily check students' understanding is an important component of ensuring that learning is taking place...not just teaching.  My students are going to benefit greatly from your gift.  It warms my heart and theirs to know that there are people who are personally invested in the success of every child in America.  

Most sincerely,

Adam Geller    

   

3.  What Kind of World Do You Want.  As of this afternoon, the video has received 4,631 views and 49 comments.  I am still on the Five For Fighting MySpace page as the video pick of the week.  Woohoo!  

Good Deeds Week #7

Good Deed #43.  I sent a care package to my second adopted soldier.  His wife said he needed mostly hygiene products so I sent him shampoo, body wash, shaving cream, a loofa, coffee, creamer, chocolate, and a few energy snacks.  I did hear from him for the first time today (exciting!) he sent pictures of him, his wife, and two kids. 

 

Good Deed #44.  If you know me, you know I LOVE Steve Irwin.  I fell in love with his enthusiasm and passion the first time I watched his show.  I always envied the love he had for what he did for a living and for life in general.  Not to mention, Terry and him were a match made in heaven.  So, for Christmas my big brother Andy got me the book Terry wrote in memory of Steve called Steve and Me.  It was a very moving tribute and it sparked me to dedicate good deed #44 to Steve.  In honor of Steve's work, I became a Wildlife Warrior.   As a warrior I am part of a global wildlife force that is working hard to preserve our natural environment. 

   

Good Deed #45.  I thought I had adopted all the soldiers I wanted at this time.  However, I was browsing anysoldier.com and came across an incredibly enthusiastic guy that looked like he was really excited to be heading to Iraq.  If I didn't know better, I would have thought this guy was going to a party - not to war.  And, as you know from the previous good deed, I am a sucker for people with enthusiasm for what they do for a living.  I just couldn't resist him.  I had to send him a package complete with sunflower seeds, coffee, creamer, energy bars, gummi bears, hot chocolate, oatmeal, and beef jerky.     

  

Good Deed #46.  How many times do you get the mail and take a stack full of paper and toss it right into the trash?  We all do it, every day.  In partnership with CatalogCutDown.org, I sent an email to the CEO of Sears asking him to stop printing the 425 million catalogs a year.  I am pretty realistic and doubt MY email will make a difference, but you never know - the writers aren't on strike any more and I did send quite a few letters out :-)

Good Deed #47.  With President Bush touring Africa, The One Campaign asked its members to sign a petition asking the next President to visit Africa during their first term.  It is a small step and sacrifice, but one that we believe is important.  The campaign wanted to reach 50,000 member signatures and I was number 49,829.  I know they did reach their goal and are now striving to reach 80,000 signatures by tomorrow.  

Good Deed #48.  I was watching Seven Years in Tibet the other night with 

Brian and was moved to help the Tibetans that have been persecuted so intensely for too many years.  Many of them are just trying to make a simple living and take care of their families. After doing some research, I found The Tibet Fund and an urgent need to help 42 Tibetan Sweater Sellers that lost their shops in a massive fire this past November.  I donated to these individuals and pray that they are able to recover from this disaster.

Good Deed #49.  On a much lighter note, my next good deed was a simple one.  Not even sure if I should be counting it as a good deed, but I belayed for two strangers at the rock climbing gym.  For the non-climbers out there, when you are climbing you need someone (a belayer) holding the ropes and keeping you from smacking into the ground.  It was a simple gesture, but without me they wouldn't have been able to climb the routes they did that night.                

Good Deed Week #6

Good Deed #36.  I wrote two letters to both of my adopted soldiers from the Soldier's Angel Network.  I have only heard back from one of the soldiers, so hopefully all is still well with them.  I bought goodies for my first care package to my second adopted soldier, but I am waiting to hear from him before I send it.

Good Deed #37.  I was watching Ellen the other day and saw she is raising money for the Brad Pitt Foundation - Make it Right (MIR).  We all saw the tragedy in New Orleans and we all know they need our helping hand to make things right again.  I have an event in the works to help out down there this year, but in the meantime, I did what I could - I bought a t-shirt.  It's a small gesture, but that is $20 that they didn't have yesterday.  Building on Pitt's desire to have environmentally friendly products, the t-shirt is made from 100% certified organic cotton and each shirt is dyed using low impact dyes and dyeing methods.  And, the graphics are produced with eco-friendly printing methods by using water based, PVC free inks.  I bought the brown shirt, but their are multiple colors to choose from.

Good Deed #38 + #39.  I went to my second Habitat for Humanity's Public Relations Committee meeting.  It was another great opportunity to learn the inner workings of the nonprofit and to find a role that I would be valuable serving in.  I volunteered for a subcommittee whose task is to raise awareness in the community that we are preparing for our family selection application period.  Every family that wants to build a house in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, needs to go through the application process which only happens twice a year.  As the second phase of the good deed, I worked with the subcommittee to build a list of places for the outreach campaign.  I will keep you posted on our status / success.

Good Deed #40.  Alright, so last week I mentioned I had another upcoming meeting for my Special Olympic Games volunteering.  Well, I went and I learned what exactly logistics mean.  For two 6 hour shifts I will be the Venue Logistics Manager.  I will have a team of 20 Department of Defense guys and whatever isn't breathing in the venue is my responsibility.  And, if we need more non-breathing things in the venue, I am responsible for getting it.  And, I thought I would just move things around at the direction of someone else!  Ha!  I'm the one giving the directions!  Ha!  It will be a learning experience for sure.

Good Deed #41.  Using the donations I received from Erin Walker and Chris Bruno and some of my own funds, I bought enough school supplies and book bags for 4 kids in Afghanistan.  And, I got a completed kit from Mahan!!!!!!!!  Making it a total of 5 school kits for Operation Dreamseed.  Since the package I am mailing will be rather large, I am going to wait until the USPS to release the bigger / discounted box for APO / FPO mailing addresses which is set for March 3rd.  If you are still interested, please either send me school supplies or a check.  I was able to buy all the school supplies (book bags, notebooks, pens, paper, pencils, math compass, rulers, protractor, math triangles, pencil sharpeners, colored pencils, water color sets, glue sticks, erasers, and scissors) for only $15 / kit!!!!  Just think about how the cost of one night of going out can change the life of a young kid!  Thanks again to Erin, Chris and Mahan!!!

Good Deed #42.  I have decided to do the Operation Baby Blanket project Baby Blankets for Troops.  As a reminder, baby blankets are handmade, sent to an expectant dad that is deployed, they choose which one they want to send to their baby, and then the mommy and child receive the baby blanket from dad.  Just from personal experience, I think that would really mean a lot to Dad and Mom.  So far, I have knitted 4 squares - its slow progress but its progress.  I'm 3 squares ahead of last year :-)

Good Deed Week #5

Update on a Good Deed

1.  What Kind of World Do You Want (Good Deed #29).  I'm speechless.  What can I say?  Wow!  In one week the video received more than 4,000 clicks which roughly translates to $4,000!!!!  One week!!!  Not to mention, I was chosen by Five For Fighting to be the video of the week on their MySpace page!!!! To be honest, I simply wanted to post a video that honored my dad's 20 years of service and honored the men and women who are serving now.  It was a way for me to show my dad how proud I was of what he did and is still doing for the military and for the United States.  I send my most sincere thanks to all those who have watched (I know many of you have clicked several times, even if you had to minimize the screen and mute the sound).  Please keep all the men and women, present and past in your prayers and thoughts.  Wow!  

Good Deeds Week #5

Good Deed #30.  This was a simple good deed (how could I top the one before it?!?) and it is something that is becoming very trendy these Green days.  Brian and I bought 6 reusable grocery bags from the store and we plan on using them each time we go grocery shopping.  It is estimated that nearly 12 million barrels of oil are required to make the 100 BILLION plastic shopping bags Americans go through in a year!!!!  Worldwide, between 500 BILLION and 1 TRILLION plastic bags are consumed each year!!!!!  

Good Deed #31.  For my second adopted soldier, I bought a ton of hygiene products like his wife said he needed and now I am just waiting to hear from him (so I know I have the right information) before I send his first package to him.  

Good Deed #32.  I went to my first Special Olympic Games orientation meeting and fingerprinting session.  It was interesting to say the least.  Did you know they don't use ink for fingerprinting anymore?!?!?  They use this fancy dancy machine that apparently doesn't like my hand (or I'm too stupid to operate the machine).  The orientation meeting was not informative at all and did not orient me with anything - but such is life.  I have a second meeting this Wednesday on my actual duties - I am volunteering in Event Logistics (umm yeah, I don't know).

Good Deed #33.  Most of you know good deed #33 already, on Friday, Feb. 1st it was Heart Health day and you should have worn red (lie if you didn't) and I sent a link to most asking you to click on the Red Dress to donate a dollar to Campbell's Heart Health.  If you missed out, its not too late, you can still click.  

Good Deed #34.  I started this last year, but I didn't get very far.  So, I started over again this year and we will see if I get any further.  I am knitting a blanket for Operation Baby Blanket (caution: this is a horrible site - please mute your computer before viewing).  I'm not sure if I am doing the Mommy Packets - which consists of a baby blanket, hat, and 12 announcements -  or the Baby Blankets for Troops - which the Baby Blankets are made and sent to expectant dads that are deployed and they in turn choose one to send home especially for their own baby (It helps the dads to be involved and to give a gift from DAD).  Right now, I have 2 completed squares and many many many more to do.

Good Deed #35.  I'm still in the works on this one, but hopefully soon I will be a proud owner of Gregers the tree in Niger, Africa from Tree Nation.  I named my tree Gregers because it is Norwegian for "watchful vigilance" and I hope to bring even in the smallest way, some peace, security and vigilance to the area of Niger.  I will keep you posted and will let you know when my tree is planted - we can even follow his growth online and see exactly where he was planted (anyone that knows me and my tree Gunther know this obsession with naming and loving trees happened way before I became engaged with a Tree Guy).