volunteerism

Wednesday Wide Smile

January 13, 2010 by Rose Caplan

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!
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Wednesday Wide Smile

December 2, 2009 by Rose Caplan

THE VOLUNTEERS OF STORY COUNTY, AMES IOWA ARE AT IT AGAIN…DOING GOOD WORK!

On October 31, November 9, and November 21 Story County volunteers made their neighbors’ homes warmer, their neighborhoods cleaner, and the Thanksgiving holiday brighter for others, and had fun doing it all!

OCTOBER 31, 2009 Volunteers line tape around windows before applying plastic, blow dry the plastic to tighten it across windows and make draft dodgers to keep the cold out of homes, among other things, during the 2009 Story County Winter Weatherization Challenge. More than 150 volunteers weatherized 53 homes.

Winter Weatherization Challenge volunteer_story

NOVEMBER 9, 2009 AmeZone volunteers pick up trash after an ISU football game. Members of AmeZone ride in the trailer to the tailgating fields after the game and show it can be great fun to be part of any volunteer effort.

AmeZone Trash Pickup volunteer_story

NOVEMBER 21, 2009 Volunteers gather at the Volunteer Center of Story County to participate in Story County’s Family Volunteer Day project Volunteers planted tulip bulbs in the pots and then donated them to Meals on Wheels recipients and residents of a local nursing home

Family Volunteer Day 2009 volunteer_story

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!

October 30, 2009 by Rose Caplan

HALLOWEEN BRINGS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE, AND DONATE TO, OUR COMMUNITIES. HERE’S HOW UNIVERSITY OF UTAH STUDENTS AND BALTIMORE RAVENS ARE DOING IT.

In an article posted Thursday, October 29, onThe Daily Utah Chronicle’s website, University of Utah student Brandon Beifuss calls on his community this Halloween to donate cans of food or money to benefit the Utah Food Bank during the Trick-or-Can drive and the Black Pumpkin Affair.

The Bennion Community Service Center is planning a door-to-door Trick-or-Can drive today at 5:30 p.m. from the southwest corner of the Rice-Eccles Stadium parking lot. This volunteer-based can drive, which ends at 8:30 p.m., is a simple way to put a few hours toward community service. Volunteers can even come in costume.

Becca Van Maren, the coordinator of this event, said the economic downturn has forced people to opt out of eating.

“People are forced to choose between paying medical bills, rent, heat and many other expenses,” she said. “Food is the one thing in people’s budgets that they have more wiggle room with.”

Another opportunity exists for students at the U through the Black Pumpkin Affair, an annual Crimson Nights event. Students usually get into Crimson Nights with just their UCard, but the Black Pumpkin Affair is asking that students also bring two cans of food to donate.

With 5,000 students expected to attend the Black Pumpkin Affair by the Union Programming Council, this is a good chance to enjoy a sizeable party while supporting the community around you.

“Demand is on the rise,” Maren said. “Donations are also on the rise but are still not able to cover the amount of demand.”

“If a student donates money instead of canned goods, we will make sure it gets where it is supposed to be: the Utah Food Bank,” said Rachel Sellers, UPC director of Crimson Nights.

There are plenty of incentives to enjoy both the Black Pumpkin Affair and the Trick-or-Can drive by giving during the holiday weekend.

Volunteers, as well as cans, for either of these organizations are happily accepted.

Also, check out Baltimore Ravens’ tight end Todd Heap as he chats with WNST.net’s Nestor Aparicio annual team Halloween party to benefit Goodwill Industries.

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

October 28, 2009 by Rose Caplan

COLLEGE STUDENTS COMMUNITY SERVICE EXTENDS BEYOND DAY OF SERVICE

The mission of the new Office of Civic Engagement and Scholarship (OCES) at College of William & Mary results in William & Mary students and alumni serving local community and learning about the community they serve.

According to Erin Zagursky’s article Students make a difference, learn about the community posted on October 20, 2009 to the College of William & Mary’s website…

Approximately 200 William & Mary students and alumni ignored the gray weather and spent Saturday, October 17, 2009, serving the local community as part of the annual “Make a Difference Day.”

This year, approximately 15 student groups and organizations signed up to participate in Make a Difference Day. Additionally, two alumni groups volunteered to help out.

“With over 200 students, two groups of alumni, and 13 different community partners, Make a Difference Day was a huge success,” Anoll said. “Helping it line up with the mission of the new Office of Civic Engagement and Scholarship, Make a Difference day for the first time combined students’ day of service with issue education and reflection on topics ranging from poverty to biodiversity.”

Shannon Michel ‘12 and Stephanie McGuire ‘12 served as co-leaders for the group that volunteered with the Community Action Agency. Though the group had originally planned on doing yard work, the weather forced them inside where they ended up cleaning and organizing offices and compiling a student directory. The group also learned a lot of about the agency’s programs and how they could help out in the future.

“It was very successful and I feel like we accomplished a lot and really helped out the agency staff,” said Michel.

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!

October 23, 2009 by Rose Caplan

WAYS TO FEED YOUR GOOD DOG THIS WEEKEND

The Queen of Hearts Foundation’s Cardio Kids’ program is back at the Green Market at Piedmont Park, and invites you and your kids to “a day for Awareness and Heart Health Education dedicated to Children. The Cardio Kids is all about an ECO Play Day to share fun outside. Games and activities to get their hearts pumping and to share information as to why it is so very important for them.”

The Cardio Kids’ tent is set up as a drop by in a market setting at Piedmont Park in Atlanta. Activities on the hour.

Destination: Atlanta, GA – Queen of Hearts Foundation’s Cardio Kids tent at the Green Market.

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2009

Time: 9:00am – 1:00pm

Location: Piedmont Park’s Green Market

Address: 1071 Piedmont Ave NE

Atlanta, GA 30309

If you are looking of ways to make a difference this weekend (or any other day in the future for that matter) and affect the lives of others in a positive way, check out the following:

This Saturday, October 24th is World Polio Day. Find out what is happening in your community by contacting your local Rotary Club and make a donation to the End Polio Now Campaign., posted by Mary McManus on DarynKagan.com (link no longer available), and

the new All for Good website.

All for Good lets you browse activities and find events based on your location or interests. It is the “Craigslist for Service”.All for Good makes finding a good deed project in your community easy as pie. Check out volunteer activities and events on All for Good’s website.

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!

August 28, 2009 by Rose Caplan

“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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