All things baki
Posts tagged salvation army
What are you resolutin’ to do?
10
The time of year is upon us when we say goodbye to our past and get a feeling of a new beginning. A new year is upon us and we can be whoever we want to be in this new year. Or is it a big pile of bull?
I actually like the whole idea that you can reinvent yourself. You think you’re a little too big, so you say you’re gonna get skinnier. You think you don’t give enough, so you’re gonna be a little giver….These sound like song lyrics. Well for me, 2011 is going to be all about….well, me.
I will be starting a new job right away. It will be a really exciting time. I’m getting married next summer and who knows after that. This is going to be a year where I get back to basic. I was just thinking the other day…I don’t fish enough. And I don’t. I don’t workout enough, or read enough or write enough. I don’t paint….ever. I don’t call my grandma enough or listen to my vinyl collection enough. I barely ride my bike or go for a run. I haven’t kicked a soccer ball around in six month and my longboard is collecting dust.
So, these are my resolutions. To be happier, healthier and have more fun-ier. I waste too much time doing nothing when there are so many great things to be doing.
If I had to really focus my resolution, it would be to do more things I like. I love all of those things but I never seem like I have the time. I’ve got the time, I just find it easier to pretend like I don’t. But these things are so much fun, so what’s the problem?
I want to know what you’re doing. What’s your big resolution this year? I love the idea that you are going to be a better you. So do it. Don’t lie and say it….do it.
**PS. If your resolution is to give more, be sure to check out my Salvation Army online kettle. It ends tomorrow and I don’t think I’m going to hit my goal. Help my dreams come true!!!
Keep giving!
2I’ve had some very generous donations to my online kettle for the Salvation Army. I’m excited that people love to support things like that. Feel free to keep donating by clicking the red kettle to the right. I’m almost half way to my goal, so keep helping!
I love looking at other things that can be done to help out and if you read Kelly’s comment from the last post, you’ll see a couple of good ideas.
I just wanted to highlight a few more and encourage more comments on what others can do.
My favorite is “Chrome for a Cause“. Click that link and check it out. But basically, you download the new browser and every time you open a new tab, donations are made. At the end of the day you get to decide which of the 5 charities get your money. This is amazing and everyone should be doing it. Most importantly…This ends December 19th. So, if you’re just gonna sit on your fat butt this holiday and surf the web, at least download chrome and help people who don’t have water. Plus, the new browser is pretty sweet, too.
Another one that has been around for a while is Operation Smile.It’s a good time of the year to help a kid smile. This organizations helps give free surgeries to repair cleft lip, 
cleft palate and other facial deformations to children all over the world. It’s great because there are so many different ways to help. You can simply send money by clicking the “donate online” button at the top. Or you can shop their catalog and purchase items that they need, like medicines or hospital gowns or for the big hearts, you can sponsor an operating table. They also have a “OneSmile” program where you make your own page and encourage friends and family to donate to help raise even more money.
Another great thing that people find fun is donating an animal. It’s a pretty cool idea. Two of the big ones are Oxfam and Heifer. They both work pretty much the same way. After little research, Oxfam seems more global and huge while Heifer seems more focused on certain groups (which I could be wrong about), but both are great. You basically “purchase” an item as a gift. Select anything like worms, baby chicks, goats, or a camel…whatever. And you pay for that and get a card to give to someone which would basically be like 
donating that in their name. But imagine how rewarding it would be to actually know that you sent a goat to a family so that they can have milk for years. That’s how you provide! Now, you’ll never even know, but do understand that in some cases, they may send different animals. They send what is needed. They try to send what is purchased but if 5,000 baby chicks are purchased and they don’t need baby chicks, then they will send something else. Like I said, you’ll never know anyway.
Finally, we come to the best of the best (in my personal opinion)…..Kiva. Please, someone tell me why this doesn’t have more publicity. I will break it down simply and you can do more research if you wish. Say you have $100 to donate. You can go to Kiva.org and put your 
money there. What you do is you select someone to receive your money. They list how much they need and their stories right on the site. You select the exact person who gets it. But here’s the twist. These aren’t starving people, these are entrepreneurs. These are workers who need money for their business. These businesses are in third world countries and they typically entail tools to help build a school or fencing for their cattle but they can be anything. Please check it out because I think it’s awesome. So….it gets better. You aren’t donating the money to them, but you are lending it. They make payments back to you through a field agent and they deposit this money back in your online account on the site. So when they repay your $100, you turn and give it to another person and so on. How awesome. Your $100 could inevitable help so many more people. These aren’t just starving children but workers who are fighting to rid their own town of starvation. It’s the whole “teach a man to fish” scenario.
So, there are just a few more. If nothing else, just send some links to others and maybe they donate because of you.
Again, have a great holiday…be super safe and don’t be afraid to open your wallet to people you don’t know. That will give you a feeling bigger than Christmas morning.
Do Something Good….
2The holidays are coming fast, some are already here (Jewish shoutout!!!)…My question to all of you is, what are you doing that’s good?
The sad thing is that for a lot of people, this is the only time of year where they really think about other people. Once a year we give and donate to help those who are less fortunate. The good thing is that we open out hearts (and our wallets) so wide that we can make a lot of change for the entire year after.
So, tell me what you are doing to make the world around you better? Are you recycling? Did you put some change in that red kettle outside of Walmart? Are you volunteering? Maybe making donations. Whatever you are doing, I think it’s fantastic. We can’t all give money and possessions but sometime all people need is your time and compassion.
Let me know what you’re doing? Anything? Every little bit does actually count. What am I doing? We a few years ago, I rang a bell for the Salvation Army. I did it because I was bored and home from school and I think it gave me carpal tunnel. But I remember how fun (and cold) it was ringing that bell. I loved when kids came up and put something in. A lot of parents told me stories about how they were given that money and told they could do anything they wanted with it….they decided to give it to charity. How sweet. All lies I’m sure….but sweet none the less.
But, I am thinking that I will try and ring the bell again. I liked it. And I didn’t have to give them a dime. Just a little of my day. You’d be surprised how great you’ll feel when you’re done.
So, again…..do something good. Anything. Go get your old neighbors trash cans and bring them up to his house after trash day. Do something. Include your whole family and make it “a thing”. The holidays will truly be that much more important to you.
If you want to do something and don’t want to get up off of your desk chair, I started an online kettle for the Salvation Army. My goal is a measly $200. You can donate anything. And EVERY little bit counts. So click the picture below and get me to that $200 mark.
Tell me what you’re doing this holiday season. Give some ideas for what other people can do to help. If the Salvation Army isn’t your kind of charity, I will find one that will fit you. Let me know!
Do something good for others and the joy you’ll get will make it feel like you did it for you. Be safe!
