summer1052
04-21-2009, 06:20 PM
Our esteemed Barry has closed Tailgater this week in an attempt to tell us, in the words of my FIL, "Get off your a*s and move your feet!"
While it's true these days, that more of us might catagorize ourselves as needy than before, I have some ideas to offer. Remember, it's most often little things that make a difference.
A. You can plant a row for the hungry while you plant your spring garden. Local food banks, soup kitchens, women's shelters and others love having fresh produce to give out. Programs like WIC and Food Stamps emphasize dry staples over fresh veggies. If your garden goes like mine, you may not even need to plant a row, just bag up your extra.
B. Donate Blood. Your local hospital or blood bank can walk you through it. They are so good, it doesn't even hurt when they stick you. I am a universal donor without a common virus many people carry, and my blood gets saved for premature babies in need. How could I stop after that? You always get juice and cookies when you donate, too.
C. Easter Seals. They are still out there, and still do amazing work. As a kid, when I needed special shoes and orthotics for a foot problem, they helped my single mom get me what I needed.
D. American Cancer Society. Yes, a big organization, but doing lots of good. My mom had a full, radical double mastectomy after her 3rd bout of breast cancer 2 years ago. Not only did they step up and help her with: support, care, rides, stuff for chemo and radiation, they provided her prosthesis and bras for practically nothing. In addition, as her primary caregiver, I got LOADS of info and resources to help me do my job.
E. SMILE at everyone you meet today, and greet them. You may never know what burden you lifted by recognizing an individual.
F. Talk to a local pastor about the needs in the community. They often have good ideas about who can use a little fix up around the house, an extra gift card from the grocery store, or a helping hand.
G. Give a jar of honey to a neighbor.
H. Visit the nursing home with a few friends. Bring your guitar, kazoo, and spoons. Play a few songs and brighten someone's day. Bring your dog along.
I. Contact your local Boy and Girl Scouts. Tell them you are a beek, as well as a programmer, accountant, swimmer, martial artist, underwater basketweaver, etc. They are always looking for someone who can talk about different topics and broaden the kids' horizons.
J. Clean out your bookshelves and donate the result to your library for their shelves, or their annual book sale.
K. The Lions Club takes donations of old glasses and recycles the frames and lenses to those who need them.
L. We still have soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines overseas who could use care packages of magazines, gum, sunscreen, lipbalm, etc.
M. For $52, free wheel chair mission dot org will build a wheelchair out of a plastic lawn chair and send it to someone in a third world country.
N. Smile train dot org does amazing things around the world with docs and nurses who do major cleft palate repair on babies and kids world wide.
O. Sit down with an older relative and a tape recorder. Have a cup of tea, and get them to tell you their stories. Their genealogies, memories, and histories are precious, and they can't write them down, many times.
P. If you have kids, have them make cards or draw pictures for whatever is coming next: Valentine's Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, May Day, Fourth of July. Drop them by the Senior Center. You'd be surprised how much joy a child's project can bring a senior.
Q. Write a letter -- a real one, on paper with ink, and send it to a senior relative. They will be thrilled. Or a postcard, if a letter is too much.
R. Your local animal shelter always needs someone to help feed and walk the animals.
S. Heifer dot org does some amazing things, and will send bees as well as other animals to people around the world.
T. Buy a sandwich and a cup of coffee from the drive thru. Give it to that guy on the street corner you see every morning.
U. Give your skinny pants, the blouse that doesn't have a skirt, and the too small suit to Goodwill.
V. Donate business clothes to an organization that helps people moving into the workforce.
W. Donate to Beesource.
X. Swing a hammer for Habitat for Humanity, or similar group.
Y. Organize a neighborhood food drive, yard clean up day, or block party and collect donations, food, and good will. Meet your neighbors.
Z. Always remember, no matter how bad a day you think you are having, somebody, somewhere is having a worse day. Put some good out in the Universe and pay it forward. It will come back to you. When it does, say, THANK YOU out loud, and to no one in particular. It matters.
Summer :gh:
While it's true these days, that more of us might catagorize ourselves as needy than before, I have some ideas to offer. Remember, it's most often little things that make a difference.
A. You can plant a row for the hungry while you plant your spring garden. Local food banks, soup kitchens, women's shelters and others love having fresh produce to give out. Programs like WIC and Food Stamps emphasize dry staples over fresh veggies. If your garden goes like mine, you may not even need to plant a row, just bag up your extra.
B. Donate Blood. Your local hospital or blood bank can walk you through it. They are so good, it doesn't even hurt when they stick you. I am a universal donor without a common virus many people carry, and my blood gets saved for premature babies in need. How could I stop after that? You always get juice and cookies when you donate, too.
C. Easter Seals. They are still out there, and still do amazing work. As a kid, when I needed special shoes and orthotics for a foot problem, they helped my single mom get me what I needed.
D. American Cancer Society. Yes, a big organization, but doing lots of good. My mom had a full, radical double mastectomy after her 3rd bout of breast cancer 2 years ago. Not only did they step up and help her with: support, care, rides, stuff for chemo and radiation, they provided her prosthesis and bras for practically nothing. In addition, as her primary caregiver, I got LOADS of info and resources to help me do my job.
E. SMILE at everyone you meet today, and greet them. You may never know what burden you lifted by recognizing an individual.
F. Talk to a local pastor about the needs in the community. They often have good ideas about who can use a little fix up around the house, an extra gift card from the grocery store, or a helping hand.
G. Give a jar of honey to a neighbor.
H. Visit the nursing home with a few friends. Bring your guitar, kazoo, and spoons. Play a few songs and brighten someone's day. Bring your dog along.
I. Contact your local Boy and Girl Scouts. Tell them you are a beek, as well as a programmer, accountant, swimmer, martial artist, underwater basketweaver, etc. They are always looking for someone who can talk about different topics and broaden the kids' horizons.
J. Clean out your bookshelves and donate the result to your library for their shelves, or their annual book sale.
K. The Lions Club takes donations of old glasses and recycles the frames and lenses to those who need them.
L. We still have soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines overseas who could use care packages of magazines, gum, sunscreen, lipbalm, etc.
M. For $52, free wheel chair mission dot org will build a wheelchair out of a plastic lawn chair and send it to someone in a third world country.
N. Smile train dot org does amazing things around the world with docs and nurses who do major cleft palate repair on babies and kids world wide.
O. Sit down with an older relative and a tape recorder. Have a cup of tea, and get them to tell you their stories. Their genealogies, memories, and histories are precious, and they can't write them down, many times.
P. If you have kids, have them make cards or draw pictures for whatever is coming next: Valentine's Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, May Day, Fourth of July. Drop them by the Senior Center. You'd be surprised how much joy a child's project can bring a senior.
Q. Write a letter -- a real one, on paper with ink, and send it to a senior relative. They will be thrilled. Or a postcard, if a letter is too much.
R. Your local animal shelter always needs someone to help feed and walk the animals.
S. Heifer dot org does some amazing things, and will send bees as well as other animals to people around the world.
T. Buy a sandwich and a cup of coffee from the drive thru. Give it to that guy on the street corner you see every morning.
U. Give your skinny pants, the blouse that doesn't have a skirt, and the too small suit to Goodwill.
V. Donate business clothes to an organization that helps people moving into the workforce.
W. Donate to Beesource.
X. Swing a hammer for Habitat for Humanity, or similar group.
Y. Organize a neighborhood food drive, yard clean up day, or block party and collect donations, food, and good will. Meet your neighbors.
Z. Always remember, no matter how bad a day you think you are having, somebody, somewhere is having a worse day. Put some good out in the Universe and pay it forward. It will come back to you. When it does, say, THANK YOU out loud, and to no one in particular. It matters.
Summer :gh: