THE TWILIGHT WISH FOUNDATION BRINGS SMILES TO DESERVING SENIORS THROUGH INDIVIDUAL WISH GRANTING CONNECTING GENERATIONS.

Mother Teresa was once asked what is the loneliest place in the world. Her answer was “nursing homes in America.” The Twilight Wish Foundation is changing the way America views the aging process and redefining what is acceptable in our attitudes about aging.

It’s Mission: To honor and enrich the lives of deserving seniors through wish granting celebrations that connect generations; and it’s Vision: To make America a nicer place to age.

The Twilight Foundation believes it’s time to say “thank you” by bringing smiles and joy into quiet, humble lives. They celebrate the life of someone special by giving them an unexpected “thank you” in the form of a wish come true.

Twilight Wish also has an Intergenerational Caring Program that “connects generations” by getting many students and schools, clubs, organizations and companies involved by fund raising and directly granting wishes through our wish management.

Since their founding, the Twilight Wish Foundation has granted more than 1,275 wishes. Learn more about the Twilight Wish Foundation in the following Good Deeds On Demand video.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on

Share our Strength is a national organization dedicated to ensuring that no child in America grows up hungry. Share our Strength’s Operation Frontline program is nationally sponsored by the ConAgra Foods Foundation and is celebrating 15 years of groundbreaking nutrition education. This cooking-based program provides a strong foundation in nutrition, cooking, and household budgeting through specialized courses for adults, kids, and teens. Professional chefs and nutritionists volunteer their time and expertise to lead hands-on courses that teach adults, teens and children how to get the most nutrition out of a limited budget. Operation Frontline has reached more than 51,500 families across the country since 1993.

Volunteer to teach others how to eat healthfully and how to make good nutrition decisions … get involved with Operation Frontline.

Other Sources: Vicki Steine and Georgia Spice Company.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on .

SOMETHING TO CONTEMPLATE THIS WEEKEND AND CONSIDER DOING IN THE NEAR FUTURE

Consider participating in a volunteer activity at your child’s school in any way you can…the smallest gesture can make the biggest impact with your child. Talk to neighbors and friends, contact the school or a PTSA representative, or go to the school’s website to find out ways in which you can help. Try and volunteer for something that gives you visibility … whether they show it or not, the kids love to see parents working on their behalf. Be There provides us with reasons why your involvement in your child’s education is a good idea and research to back it up:

Parent involvement research can now document:

These benefits for parents:
1. More confidence in school
2. Teachers have higher opinions of parents and higher expectations of their children, too
3. Greater confidence in themselves as parents and in their ability to help their children learn at home
4. Greater likelihood that the parents will enroll in continuing education to advance their own schooling.

Read the research, and find out more about Be There here

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on

Jog For A Cause will benefit The Justin Gaudineer Fund,  The Kylie Barry Fund, The Keira Grace Foundation, and The Trey Rood Fund. To learn more about these charities click on the respective link.

Registrants can now create their own fundraising page for jog for a cause. Form your own fundraising team if you wish. There will be prizes for the top fundraising individual and team. Help raise funds for this great cause by clicking here.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on

HANDS TOGETHER HAS WORKED OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS TO HELP IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE POOREST OF POOR CONDITIONS IN HAITI, AND, AFTER THE RECENT EARTHQUAKE, THEIR WORK IS NEEDED THERE NOW MORE THAN EVER

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” ~Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King’s words are inspiration for the work being done by Hands Together, a non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of Haiti’s poor so they may live with dignity. Hands Together volunteers are, and have been, “boots on the ground” in Haiti in one form or another for the past 25 years. You will find a first hand account of what happened in Haiti on the day of the earthquake, Hands Together’s response to it and their recovery plan on the Hands Together website.

Hands Together was born of a single service trip to Haiti in 1985, when Father Tom Hagan, O.S.F.S., who was serving as chaplain to Lafayette and Moravian Colleges in Pennsylvania, led a group of students on a visit to Haiti. The history of Hands Together is rich and its accomplishments many despite the years of violence and natural disasters that have threatened to shut them down.

Its vision is the hope that not only will the people of Haiti benefit from the tireless efforts of its volunteers who work to help the poor become free and live dignified lives through education, clean water, and health care, but that the volunteers return to their own community with the ability to identify its needs with a renewed sense of compassion and desire to fulfill those needs.

One can not help but be inspired and feel moved to serve after reading the following Hands Together vision message:

We hope that members of Hands Together work passionately to build a more compassionate and human world; that Hands Together’s workers will be known for their tenderness and mercy, especially toward the poor; that people will visit our projects and experience the beauty and goodness of the people they encounter; that our volunteers will assess the needs of their own communities with a renewed sense of compassion, and search for ways to respond respectfully to help others; that the families who live in Haiti’s desert villages will be healthy, that the people in the slums of Port-au-Prince will drink clean water; that everyone in Haiti will have access to education; that in the poorest communities, Hands Together helps people use their resources so that they become free and live dignified lives; and we hope that the people of Haiti will be able to build a strong community with their friends from Hands Together and exchange ideas in order to improve their quality of life.

Following are concrete goals set by Hands Together to give you an idea of the work being done to carry out its vision:

Education
• 15 school campuses with 11,000 students

Emergency Intervention
• Spontaneous charity to poorest of the poor
• Response to disasters

Nutrition – Health
• Daily meals to 11,000 students, staff and elderly
• Canteens for children ages 2-7
• Medical outreach through 2 clinics

Sustainable Development
• Water well and irrigation drilling
• Agricultural promotion through Bassen Center & Clarke Farm & Environment Protection
• Employment for 500 people

If you find some time to peruse the Hands Together website over the weekend, please do and think about donating what you can to this worthwhile effort. Hands Together has received a four star rating from Charity Navigator for the past four years. Charity Navigator is one of the leading Charity watchdog and assessment organizations.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on

It Won’t Happen To Me presents DRIVE FOR LIFE – a program designed to educate Teens and Parents of the serious matter that is teen driving. Throughout the program, stories will be shared of teens who have lost their lives in teen driving related CAR CRASHES. There will also be discussion regarding the decisions and choices that cost them their lives and how the accidents could have been prevented. It is said to be a very powerful program and parents are encouraged to attend with their teens.

 

WHAT IT IS…The Drive for Life Programs raise awareness that car accidents are the No. 1 cause of teen deaths in the country; and gives purpose to the loss experienced by families who have lost a teen because of a car accident. These families know that perhaps by raising awareness and through education this way other families may not have to go through what they are.

HOW IT GOT STARTED…These programs are put on by It Won’t Happen To Me, which was founded by Bill Richardson and Lauren Winborne, based on their experience and reserach regarding teen driving fatalities. Bill and Lauren formed It Won’t Happen to Me as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation with the specific goal to reduce teen driving fatalities. This goal has expanded to changing the mind set of teens and their parents that tragedies like this can happen to anyone. So to meet these goals, and because these deaths are usually caused by inexperience and unsafe driving habits of our young drivers, IWHTM seeks to educate teens and their parents. In addition to these programs, It Won’t Happen to Me also puts on an annual “In Memory Of” walk-a-thon for the same purpose.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE…All teens, parents of teens (especially those whose teens are preparing to start driving) are encouraged to participate in the program for a whole new perspective on the responsibility and the serious nature of teen driving.

POSSIBLE COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS…If you are a teen check with your school to see if they will give you community service credit for attending the program!

If you need further information please email Bill.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on

13 year-old Emily Kirsche heard of the great work being done by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to help children with cancer. She also heard that the hospital relies on donations to keep the work going. So soon after becoming aware of this, she started a fundraising effort. Half way through last October Emily started raising money for St. Jude by asking friends and family for spare change. In no time, she had collected $200.

Emily decided to step it up and reach out to her surrounding community. In a fundraising letter to a potential donor she wrote: I would like to start an organization called ‘Give A Dollar, Save A Life’. I was wondering if you would be able to help me with this by encouraging students to bring in just a dollar (or more if they wish) to help raise money to save the lives of children battling cancer? St. Jude Hospital is a nonprofit organization that treats children with cancer who can’t afford operations. They also have a research program that is trying to find a cure for cancer. It takes a great deal of money for the hospital to do these things. They rely entirely on donations to operate and I would like to be a part of that with your help. Even if only 50 dollars was raised, that would be tremendous.

Due to policies in place, the donor was unable to help. Emily understood and quickly came up with another plan. With the help of her family, she decided to throw a holiday party. By December’s end she had raised over $600. 100% of which will go to help children battling life threatening cancer now, and for research to help those in the future.

Emily sent the money she raised to St Jude’s, and ended her letter to them with this: This has been an amazing experience for me and I have learned so much from it. I will definitely continue to raise more and more money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital each year. I thank you for taking time to read this letter and I hope I have helped.

We think Emily’s effort will help indeed! Congratulations, Emily, on a job well done! You recognized a need and took action to help find a way to fill it. And, as evidenced by your letters, did it with grace and humility! Feed Your Good Dog looks forward to hearing of your future service efforts.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on

TEN WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE AND FEED YOUR OWN SPIRIT AT THE SAME TIME (continued from TGIFYGDF dated November 6, November 27, and December 4).

Acts of kindness and altruism can reduce stress in our lives according to a recent WebMD Feature article entitled The Science of Good Deeds, The ‘helper’s high’ could help you live a longer, healthier life., written by Jeanie Lerche Davis and reviewed by Louise Chang, MD.

Following are good deed ideas (31 through 40) that make performing acts of kindness and “feeding your good dog” easy as pie. Check out number 36…it doesn’t get much easier than that with the potential of huge positive impact on another person’s life. Source: 50 good deeds for 50 days, By Daniela Payne

31. Volunteer yourself to walk an elderly neighbour’s dog once a week. Getting out for a walk isn’t overly easy for many elderly folk, so they’d most likely appreciate this gesture.

32. Instead of dropping your head and pretending you don’t notice (like the rest of the rush-hour crowd) someone struggling to get a stroller down the stairs, take a second and offer to help.

33. Offer an elderly person, a pregnant woman, a physically disabled person – or just someone who looks tired – your seat on the bus.

34. Help keep your city clean. Pick up plastic bottles and other trash you see around your neighbourhood and deposit it in its appropriate place. Click here to read CanadianLiving.com’s Green Living blog.

35. Visit a nursing home just to chat with some of the residents, as many of them don’t get regular visitors.

36. They say that smiling is contagious. Pick a day to smile at everyone you pass on the street.

37. Pass on your books after you’ve read them for someone else to enjoy. Take them to a local shelter or give them to friends.

38. Next time you read an article about an author you know your book-loving friend would enjoy, pass it on to them. It will make them feel good that you think about them.

39. If you’ve discovered a great little restaurant or store, spread the word. The business and whoever you tell will both benefit.

40. Being angry at someone requires a lot of energy from both people involved, so go ahead and let go of an old grudge. Forgiving someone who hurt you will open the door for a friendship to be rekindled.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on

There is a lot of good being done out there on the local level. Adopt a Family during the holidays is one way people are making a difference in the lives of other families.

Two ladies, Jennifer and Bobbie, have participated in the Adopt a Family program for the past 6 plus years. For the first six or so years they worked together to make the holidays brighter for a different family each year. This year they decided to divide their resources and efforts to help make the holidays brighter for two families.

Six weeks out from Christmas Day, they start the process by putting in their request to adopt a family with a local organization. Then they collect donations from family and friends, shop for items on the family’s list; items such as warm clothing, shoes and food. After the wish list has been satisfied, they wrap each item to be opened by the family on Christmas Day. The week before Christmas they deliver the wrapped gifts and meet the family. An emotional time for the ladies and the families; lots of smiles and happy tears for everyone involved.

Not only are Jennifer and Bobbie making a difference in the lives of families in their community but they also enrich their own lives and the lives of those who donate to their efforts.

Keep up the good work Jennifer and Bobbie! Thank you for spreading your love for life and good cheer with the rest of us!

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on

TEENS EDUCATE FELLOW NEW YORKERS ABOUT THE EFFICIENCY OF CFL BULBS TO POSITIVELY IMPACT ENVIRONMENT AND ECONOMY.

After viewing Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth in March, 2006, Avery Hairston, a then 14 year old high school freshman, couldn’t stop thinking about the issues facing the environment. Soon after he saw the movie, he ran across a Starbucks ad in The New York Times that said if every person who received the newspaper switched one light bulb to a compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb, it would be the equivalent of taking 89,000 cars off the road.*

Inspired by the documentary, armed with the information from the Starbucks ad, and with help from parents, friends and sponsors, Avery founded RelightNY, a program that runs on the idea that together, everyone can have a big impact by doing something small.

Avery decided he wanted to make a positive impact on the environment despite how overwhelmed he felt at the concept of global warming; so, he broke it down into something as simple as changing out a lightbulb!

Earlier this year, Avery was nominated by Julie Moriarty, Director of Curriculum
Children for Children, for the 2009 Heart of Green Local Hero Award. Following is an excerpt from Ms. Moriarty’s letter of nomination:

Avery and his Relight team quickly began educating fellow New Yorkers about their energy use one apartment at a time and to ask their neighbors to switch from incandescent bulbs to CFL bulbs. Then, they figured if they donate CFL bulbs to community members, they would draw attention to the environmental issues and at the same time, help families save money on their electric bills. In the past two years, they have raised enough money to donate 30,000 bulbs to low-income housing in each of the 5 boroughs of New York City.

RelightNY is a great example of individual responsibility, and collective action. It gives groups the power to self organize and achieve seemingly unachievable tasks.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on

*Source: Blog post entitled Teens Inspiring Action, dated March 19, 2007, written by Bob Jeffrey, Chairman and CEO, JWT Worldwide