Feed Your Good Dog

Positive Thoughts | Positive Actions | Positive Results

Good Dog Deeds

TGIFYGDF…Thank Goodness It’s Feed Your Good Dog Friday!

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“DOING GOOD” IS ALIVE AND WELL DESPITE REPORTED WANE IN VOLUNTEERISM

The results of some surveys indicate that we are experiencing a decline in civic engagement. The good news is that despite this decline we are helping in other ways. Especially true for Americans 45 years and older, who are making a shift from their work within organizational structure to helping others in their own neighborhoods by coming up with their own creative ideas and implementing them.

A New York Times article entitled, Volunteering Waning in Recession, Report Says, written by Stephanie Strom and published August 26, 2009, refers to an example of such creativity and work in Peter Norback, of Miles, Tuscon, AZ.

Mr. Norback, a self-employed computer consultant, saw hunger in his neighborhood. In January, after hearing President Obama’s call for community service, Mr. Norback started the One Can A Week Food Donation Program.

He shared his passion with his neighbors as he began talking to them about his idea and soliciting and collecting food from them. He felt if every neighborhood did what he was doing, hunger would go away.

All of the food Mr. Norback collects goes to the Community Food Bank, where the demand for food was up 40% and, as a result, the amount of food available to families had to be cut in half. Mr. Norback’s One Can A Week program is successfully helping to fill the need of the Community Food Bank. The first week Mr. Norback raised 78 pounds of food and, this past week, week 33, Mr. Norback’s One Can A Week program netted 340 pounds.

You can read more about One Can A Week at Mr. Norback’s blog, and if so inspired you can read his how-to-guide there and learn how to start such a program in your own neighborhood.

According to his Second Week Update post, Mr. Norback learned two things in the first two weeks: People like the simple but useful commitment to community service and if he is consistent in his weekly pick ups, the donations will be consistent.

Feed Your Good Dog encourages you to be of service, whether you volunteer within an organizational structure such as a non-profit or come up with your own creative way of helping your neighbors.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!

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Wednesday Wide Smile

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CLEAN AND SAFE DRINKING WATER MADE POSSIBLE BY CHARITY:WATER

Scott Harrison has a special gift. His gift is in his natural ability to successfully promote his clients. Today, Scott’s “client” is a non-profit organization that he founded – charity:water. Charity:water brings clean and safe drinking water to people in 14 developing nations.

In his July 12, 2009 blog post, The New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Nicholas D. Kristof, gives us an idea how Scott uses his “natural gift of promotion” for charity:water to “ensure that every penny from new donors will go to projects in the field.” Kristof tells us that Scott “accomplishes this by cajoling his 500 most committed donors to cover all administrative costs.”

Scott’s journey to charity:water shows us what can happen when one uses their “gift” for good.

Scott graduated from New York University with a communications degree. He spent 10 years in special event planning and promotions, and then started a small upscale event planning and nightclub consultancy business. Kristof says that Scott “spent his nights surrounded by friends in a blur of alcohol… He lived in a luxurious apartment and drove a BMW — but then on a vacation in South America he underwent a spiritual crisis.

‘I realized I was the most selfish, sycophantic and miserable human being,’ he recalled. ‘I was the worst person I knew.’”

Scott decided to see what the opposite of his current life would look like. In August, 2004, he left the event business and all he had worked for in Manhattan to serve for a year as a volunteer photojournalist onboard the Mercy Ship Anastasis in impoverished Liberia, West Africa. – a country with no public electricity, running water or sewage.

There he became familiar with the life-threatening effects of contaminated water and in September 2005, returning home to New York City, he tested the idea behind charity: water by producing a large exhibition of his photographs and videos called mercy. Despite opening in the midst of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Scott’s mercy. show was a success. Visitors contributed more than $96,000 towards providing medical procedures and freshwater wells in West Africa. Scott returned to West Africa for another 6 month journey in October 2005, before returning to Manhattan in the spring of 2006 to found charity:water.

Over the last 3 years, using his gift, Scott and the charity:water crew have according to Mr. Kristof’s post “raised $10 million (most of that last year alone) from 50,000 individual donors, providing clean water to nearly one million people in Africa and Asia.”

View the following video to see The Idea Camp’s interview with Scott Harrison and learn the details of his incredible journey to charity:water.

The Idea Camp – Scott Harrison from The Idea Camp on Vimeo.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!

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Wednesday Wide Smile

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TRI FOR LIFE…THREE BROTHERS RACE IN MEMORY OF THE FOURTH…RAISING AWARENESS FOR ORGAN DONATION THROUGH TRIATHLONS.

Brandon, Trevor and Lon Coleman took up the sport of triathlon in memory of their youngest brother, Chase, who lost his life at 20. Every triathlon they do is a testimony to Chase’s physical drive and infectious spirit. He was an avid cyclist, one of the three core disciplines of the triathlon. Chase didn’t simply live his life seeking to push himself further and further along the spectrum of athletic achievement. He wanted to give new life to others, specifically, by donating his organs.

Chase’s moment came sooner than anyone could have imagined. As a result, seven people received a life-saving organ, including his gift of a heart to then 55 year old Terry Gould. Today, the brothers dedicate their lives to running triathlons in Chase’s memory and raising awareness for organ donations.

With that, the Coleman brothers have challenged themselves to participate in 50 Triathlons in 50 States. They plan to promote organ donation in every state in the U.S. while running races. Their hope is to sign up organ donors in all 50 states. They admit it may take a while … but they are excited about their goals. Pease let them know by contacting them through their website if you have a race to offer and you might just see them there.

Daryn Kagan does a great job telling the Coleman brothers story in the video below from DarynKagan.com and how Chase’s decision to donate his organ gave renewed life to Terry Gould and his family.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!

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TGIFYGDF…Thank Goodness It’s Feed Your Good Dog Friday!

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STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY TIES….ENGAGE A SENIOR MEMBER OF YOUR COMMUNITY

They are our storytellers – our elderly are meant to be those who share the secrets of wisdom and knowledge and life with our youth. – Cameron Diaz

The simple act of social interaction with an elder member of your community can improve their life and yours; and, as a result strengthen community ties.

Visit with a grandparent, aunt, uncle, elderly neighbor, or get to know someone new in your community by visiting a local assisted living home and participating in their volunteer activities.

There are so many ways that you can make a positive impact on the lives of the residents of an assisted living home. They include: visiting, pet visits, reading and letter writing, playing games such as bingo, cards, and chess, helping with crafts, gardening, and, yes, getting them to tell their stories by reminiscing about family photos.

We all benefit from building strong meaningful relationships with senior members of the community; especially young people. It is through social interaction with the elderly that our youth develop a deeper understanding of the aging process, which ultimately results in their compassion for aging loved ones and the senior community as a whole. In essence, they improve themselves and the world around them.

So, this weekend, take the initiative yourself, or encourage a young person you know, to engage someone who has a story to tell.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!

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Wednesday Wide Smile

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YOUTH REVIVE GOOD OLD DAYS IN AMES, IOWA … STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY TIES

A group of young people, ages 10 – 17, took a page out of their local history book and treated their community to a good old fashion block party, with the help of the City of Ames, Iowa and AmeriCorps volunteers.

According to AmeriCorps’ Amanda Martin, the Tripp Street Block Party, was held this past Saturday, July 25 and was completely organized by about 12 young people. Over a month’s time they planned activities, went to businesses for donations, held a car wash to raise money and promoted the event. The City of Ames helped out and debuted its block party trailer called the Street ‘n Greet at the event. The trailer is equipped with everything you could ever wish for to put on a “mac daddy” party, including tables, chairs, a sound system, games, community information and more.

Amanda writes in her blog : The party went off without a hitch. Neighbors came out in full force and enjoyed a great feast, largely prepared by Brenda, the grandmother of one of the girls planning the event. Kids were hula hooping and jumping rope. The youth had a learning station for the younger kids, with books, coloring, educational games, and more. The snow cone machine was a hit with people of all ages. KeeKee led a great dance contest. The whole day was just so much fun.

Amanda concludes her blog with an inspiring observation, I was so impressed with all the work the youth put into organizing this event. If every group I worked with was so motivated and dedicated, I would be ecstatic. The group wants to continue to meet and do service projects, and I am excited to be a part of the creation of this new youth volunteer group in Ames.

Congratulations to everyone, especially the young people of Ames, Iowa, who worked on creating an event so successful that everyone wants to do it all over again! There’s no greater endorsement than that!

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!

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