Day 41: Help a Stranger

My two little guys and I had to run to the store this morning to get some supplies to make some Hand Scrubs for a Boutique we are attending this weekend. On our way in an older lady, who seemed a bit distracted, started loosing a big bag of bird feed from the bottom of her cart, she didn't even notice and I am going to say she wouldn't have even if it had completely landed on the ground and got left behind. Instead though my middle son, Calon, said "look mom" and pointed to the fallage and we were able to stop the lady, grab the bag and lift it up to a safer place in the cart. It was just a small Good Human Act, but I love that my son's are really getting in on them!

Day 40: Food Bank Donation at the Grocery

When we went grocery shopping at Smith's this morning, a Kroger store, they had a Christmas tree with Bringing Hope to the Table Donation tags as ornaments at the front of the store. Each tag  had a different donation amount on it so you can choose one to fit your budget. Then you just bring the tag to the register with the rest of your groceries, at check out time, and they scan it and that amount gets taken out and given to a local food bank to help feed the hungry. The Smith's by us donates it's donations to the Road Runner Food Bank. We didn't choose an expensive donation tag today but it was still nice to be able to help someone else who needs  food while we were lucky enough to be shopping for all the food we need and want.

Here is a little more about the Kroger Company and their Bringing Hope to the Table program:

For 1 in 6 people across our country, hunger is a reality. 

          • 37 million Americans don’t know where they will get their next meal.
          • 14 million of them are children.
          • 3 million of them are senior citizens.
          • 36% of these households have one or more working adults.
          • 48% of these households are in rural and suburban areas.

More families than ever are turning to local food banks and hunger agencies for help.

The Kroger Co. family of stores is donating $3 million in funds and $1 million in product to help feed those struggling with hunger through Bringing Hope to the Table ®, our annual cause-marketing partnership with Feeding America. Our customers and vendors are strong partners in this effort. Since its inception, the program has directed $20 million in funds and food to local food banks serving the communities across the country where we operate.

You Can Help Food banks are struggling to meet this unprecedented need - we can all help. Make a donation, write a letter, hold a food drive. Go toFeeding America to learn more about the face of hunger in our communities and find the local food bank helping to feed hungry children and families where you live. Leading the Fight to End Hunger in America For nearly 30 years, The Kroger Co. has helped lead the fight against hunger in the United States. Kroger is one of the founding members of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. In 2009, Kroger contributed 50 million pounds of food and other product to Feeding America food banks, to assist hungry families in the communities we serve. Valued at more than $75 million, those donations translate to roughly 60 million meals. Our ongoing commitment to bringing as much food as possible to hungry families led to the creation of a new Company-wide food rescue program, thePerishable Donations Partnership. The program allows fresh, wholesome food such as meat, produce and dairy products to be donated directly from our stores to local food banks that are able to safely handle perishable foods. In 2009 – the first full year of the project – more than 36 million pounds of perishable food was donated to local hunger relief efforts All of our regional divisions work closely with more than 200 local hunger relief agencies, including more than 80 local food banks in the Feeding America network. These food banks provide food and other personal items to pantries, soup kitchens and feeding programs for children, families and seniors. Our people give their time and talent to this important cause. Kroger executives and senior managers serve on the boards of local food banks and the Feeding America national organization. Associates volunteer to sort donations, stock shelves and pack care boxes

Day 39: Save Yogurt Lids for Breast Cancer Donation

Yoplait Yogurt is having a "Save Lids to Save Lives" donation right now. They are donating $.10 for every lid collected and turned in by Dec 31st, 2011. For my Good Human Act today we started our lid collection and I am happy to turn in anyone else's lids who is willing to collect them. I can come get them anytime before Dec 28th, that way I will have enough time to get them mailed in by the deadline. You can also enter a code on the lid and turn them in online if that is easier than collecting them. My kids love yogurt so this is a tasty act for us to do! Thanks Celeste for the wonderful idea!

Day 38: Re-Gift Gift Wrap

We save all the gift bags we get, Birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, you name it- we still have them. I originally started saving the bags because I am too cheap to buy cute bags for presents so, I would just reuse the adorable ones other people bought and gave us. But today when I pulled some out to deliver some stuff to people I realized it is also great for the environment! It is recycling and saving resources. Sometimes I don't have the right bag for the right occasion, so a  little girl's birthday present might be in a Super Hero bag, or a delivery of oils might be in a Godiva chocolate bag, but heck that just adds to the fun of the gift, it adds a little originality, right :) Well, even if it doesn't it, it saves some money and some paper so it seems like an alright re-gifting situation to me ;)

Day 37: Stop Junk Catalogs

I just want to thank everyone who has been giving me ideas. Sometimes opportunities just present themselves for Good Human Acts and sometimes I have to search for projects and it sure makes it easier and more fun doing things other people have tried or suggested, so thank you!

Today's act is from my other sister in law, Lex, she sent me a link from a website called Catalog Choice that you can unsubscribe from catalogs and other ad junkmail from specific companies. We get ads from Target, Toys R Us, CostCo, Party City and Bed Bath & Beyond, all companies we love, but none of which we use ads or catalogs from. And just from this one link I was able to cancel my mailings from all of them. A couple of the stores I had to get directed to the actual stores webpage to unsubscribe but most of them I was able to do with just a quick couple mouse clicks! Awesome idea to prevent unneeded paper mail!

Day 36: Trying to Eliminate Processed Food

This is a Good Human Act that will take me ages to get good at and will be nearly impossible to do all the time, especially with 3 kids but, today I made a small start towards it. Some of our good friends spent the night last night and the 6 hungry kids this morning decided they wanted waffles for breakfast when they woke up. When I went out to our freezer to grab the easy Eggo version and realized we were out I decided to make some real Belgian Waffles. I made a double batch in case the kids were super hungry, but because they were way too busy having fun they each only pounded 1 or 2 waffles and rushed back to playing, which left me with a lot of extras. I tried to convince my friend, Kristy, to take some home and she suggested I just freeze them and toast them up instead of  the Eggos...DUH! What a great idea, an idea that I can be doing with so many things! Now, when my kids are craving waffles I will be able to pull out some homemade ones instead of the processed, store bought kind and help their bodies and the planet a little.

A bit of info from a website called Mother Nature Network on why processed foods harm the environment:

Packaged and processed food

The majority of the food you’ll find in the grocery store is processed and packaged, which is bad news for the planet. Processed food contains multiple chemicals and often involves energy-intensive production processes. Plus, all that packaging typically ends up in a landfill, where plastic poisons the environment and can take thousands of years to break down. In fact, in 2006 the U.S. generated 14 million tons of plastic through packages and containers alone, according to the EPA. Unfortunately, even those eco-friendly packaged items made from cardboard are coated in a thin layer of plastic. The solution? Buy local, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and buy foods like rice, oats and pasta from the bulk bins.

Our Gallon of Waffles!

Day 35: Turn Down the Thermostat

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is a busy day so my Good Human Act is small, but based on numerous Earth Conscious websites it is as beneficial as it is easy. Today we turned down our thermostat and will leave it down. We normally keep it at 69 degrees and we decided we can probably get by with 67 degrees, if we just dress a little warmer.  Here is a tiny bit about it from a website called 50 Ways to Help. Hope you had a great day with loved ones! Gobble Gobble!

ADJUST YOUR THERMOSTAT
Adjust your thermostat one degree higher in the summer and one degree cooler in the winter. Each degree celsius less will save about 10% on your energy use! In addition, invest in a programmable thermostat which allows you to regulate temperature based on the times you are at home or away.

Day 34: Clean Green

Gotta get ready for Thanksgiving, which means cleaning the house for company, for us today. Before I decided to clean this afternoon I took a look to see if it would be hard to make my own green cleaners.... it's not! There are tons of recipes online that have very few ingredients and are suppose to get the job done just as well. Today for my Good Human Act I cleaned green! I needed an all purpose cleaner today so I looked at some cleaning recipes and combined a couple to make a Green Clean for my house.

I put 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/8 cup baking soda, 6 drops of 100% natural lemon oil and 6 drops 100% natural melaleuca (or tea tree) oil into a 27oz bottle and filled the rest with water. Then I shook it really good and cleaned my kitchen and bathroom. It seemed to work really well, it cut through the three boy build up really quickly, but it did leave a bit of a streaking behind, which I am sure is from the baking soda, (next time I may make it without the soda), though following up with a damp cloth took it away easily enough. It also didn't smell all vinegary like I feared it would. Plus, it was fun watching the vinegar and baking soda bubble up before I added the oils, I felt a little like a mad scientist.

The reason for using these natural ingredients is: vinegar, because of its acidity, kills most molds, bacteria and germs, baking soda is non toxic, it absorbs odors and adds a little bit of abrasion to the mix, lemon is a natural disinfectant plus it adds a nice smell and melaleuca has been known for it's penetrating and solvent powers.

There are lots of other recipes that you can make at home for numerous other cleaning jobs, here is a reason why to Clean Green from a website called Earth Easy, you can also click on the link to get lots more recipes for  making cleaning products.


The cost of commercial, chemical-based products can be high -- long term health concerns for the family, and environmental pollution caused by their manufacture and disposal. In the US, for example, 1 in 3 people suffer from allergies, asthma, sinusitis or bronchitis (US National Center for Health Statistics). Treatment for these conditions should include reducing synthetic chemicals in the home environment. 

For many home-cleaning chores, you can make your own cleaning products using the formulas listed below.

A growing number of commercial non-toxic home cleaning products are also available, as healthier and environmentally responsible alternatives. Your use of these products helps promote the growth of green businesses which are contributing to a sustainable economy.

My Green Clean

Day 33: Donate a Turkey

With Thanksgiving so close I was wondering what I could do for a Good Human Act that would fit the Holiday. And lo and behold my sister in law, Kenz, just recently posted a message on her facebook about donating some turkeys which is BRILLIANT and the perfect idea!! I thought it would be an easy task to find a local place that was having a turkey drive, but surprisingly it took me quite a bit of searching to find a place that would accept perishable food donations. The Albuquerque Rescue Mission was thrilled to have it donated though, as they were having a Thanksgiving Banquet today as well as on actual Thanksgiving Day that will feed thousands of local homeless people and families. Plus, it helped that Smith's was having a great deal on turkeys so I was able to donate an almost 21 pound turkey for only $9!

A little more about The Albuquerque Rescue Mission:
 The Albuquerque Rescue Mission offers homeless and near-homeless men and women a variety of daily and restorative services and a network of programs and services to help needy people find housing, employment, and new life in Christ. The caring staff and volunteers not only help meet basic needs, but also help homeless people get off the streets and become stable, productive members of society.
The services offered at the Albuquerque Rescue Mission are available to anyone regardless of age, race, 
nationality,religious or sexual orientation. The services while broad are meant to meet the immediate real 
physical needs of the individual and open a door for restoration leading to a meaningful and productive life, 
active participation in a church body and restored relationships with family and community.  

Day 32: Meatless Monday

Well, today was hard. I love meat. We eat it every day, most of the time multiple times a day. But, I have heard from numerous people recently and read lots of online info about the benefits to your health and the environment by going meatless at least one day a week so, I thought I would try it for my Good Human Act today. Breakfast was pretty easy, oatmeal is delicious and meatless. Lunch was ok, I made a really tasty spinach, almond, cranberry, tomato & basil feta salad with raspberry vinaigrette (would have been really good with some chicken though ;). )But dinner, dinner was by far the most difficult, it was just weird making food without meat. I ended up making a chili pasta, which was pretty good, but going meatless will definitely take some getting used to. I think I will try to keep up with Meatless Mondays for the rest of my 100 days, I will definitely need some tasty dinner dish recipes though, if you have any please send them my way!

Here are some of the benefits of going meatless from the website Meatless Monday:

Health Benefits

• LIMIT CANCER RISK: Hundreds of studies suggest that diets high in fruits and vegetables may reduce cancer risk. Both red and processed meat consumption are associated with colon cancer.
• REDUCE HEART DISEASE: Recent data from a Harvard University study found that replacing saturated fat-rich foods (for example, meat and full fat dairy) with foods that are rich in polyunsaturated fat (for example, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds) reduces the risk of heart disease by 19%
• FIGHT DIABETES: Research suggests that higher consumption of red and processed meat increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• CURB OBESITY: People on low-meat or vegetarian diets have significantly lower body weights and body mass indices. A recent study from Imperial College London also found that reducing overall meat consumption can prevent long-term weight gain.
• LIVE LONGER: Red and processed meat consumption is associated with modest increases in total mortality, cancer mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality.
• IMPROVE YOUR DIET. Consuming beans or peas results in higher intakes of fiber, protein, folate, zinc, iron and magnesium with lower intakes of saturated fat and total fat.

Environmental Benefits

• REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization estimates the meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide . . . far more than transportation. And annual worldwide demand for meat continues to grow. Reining in meat consumption once a week can help slow this trend.
• MINIMIZE WATER USAGE. The water needs of livestock are tremendous, far above those of vegetables or grains. An estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef. Soy tofu produced in California requires 220 gallons of water per pound.
• HELP REDUCE FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCE. On average, about 40 calories of fossil fuel energy go into every calorie of feed lot beef in the U.S. Compare this to the 2.2 calories of fossil fuel energy needed to produce one calorie of plant-based protein. Moderating meat consumption is a great way to cut fossil fuel demand.

Day 31: Greener Laundry

Today is laundry day. We skipped last week's laundry day so today there is about 6 loads to do, which is really high for us. So much laundry really got me thinking about what I could do to make my laundry chore better for the planet. So, for my Good Human Act today I looked up ideas on how to do Greener Laundry. I found lots of ideas, some which we already do, like use a front loading washer that saves water, using free and clear detergent to keep dyes and perfumes out of the water system and cleaning the lint out of the dryer after every load to increase the dryers efficiency. I also found some ideas that I just could not handle with so many clothes in one day, but want to try to do in the future, like hanging the laundry outside to dry, installing a drying rack in the laundry room or making your own laundry soap. And I found some great ideas that helped me be able to do smarter laundry today, like washing on cold instead of hot or warm, making sure each load was full so water was not wasted, not doing an extra rinse cycle and emptying and changing over the laundry before the dryer cools down to cut heating energy. Gotta run, load 4 just beeped and is calling my name! Here are some of the ideas I found for Eco-Friendly Laundry from a website called Killer Green Ideas.

Green your cleaning routine with these 12 free eco-friendly ideas for your laundry room.

1.  Hang it Out to Dry- Air drying your clothes can save 700 lbs. of CO2 and $ 75.00 per person per year. Plus, clothes last longer and won’t pill or fade as much. (700 pounds: Amount of carbon dioxide emissions saved each year by line-drying your family's laundry. You'd save 75 bucks, too. )

2.  Install a Drying Rack- If you don’t want to take your laundry outside, install a drying rack over the tub.

3.  Lose the Lint - Improve your dryer’s efficiency by thoroughly cleaning out the lint trap after each load.

4.  Rinse, Repeat, Rinse, Repeat - Dedicate one day to do all of your laundry and be diligent.  By doing your loads back to back, you’ll maximize your dryer’s efficiency because a hot dryer will dry clothes much more effectively than a cold one.

5.  Wash on the Cold Cycle - You’ll save precious energy wasted to heat the hot water heater.  Worried your clothes won’t get as clean?  Purchase cold water detergent. (34 million tons: Amount of carbon dioxide emissions that would be saved if every U.S. household used only cold water for washing clothes--that's nearly 8 percent of the Kyoto target for the U.S. )

6.  Use Free & Clear Detergent - Minimize the amount of dyes and perfumes that make their way into the water system.

7.  Forgo the Bleach - 3%  Hydrogen Peroxide can be an alternative to bleach in your washer to whiten and brighten. Simply add 1 cup to your wash cycle, avoiding use on wool, silk and dry cleaning only clothing.

8.  Skip the Softener and Use Baking Soda - Also, another bleach alternative; use ½ cup per load to help whiten, soften, and remove odors from clothes.

9.  Toss Your Dryer - Not literally!  Add a few tennis balls or dryer balls (available at Target, CVS, Walmart) to your dryer load to help speed dry time and minimize wrinkles (yay! less ironing later).

10.  Wash in Full Loads - Always wash in full loads. (99 pounds: Amount of carbon dioxide emissions saved per household each year by running only full loads of laundry. )

11. Choose Concentrated Laundry Detergents - Reduced packaging means less waste.

12.  Wear More than Once - Obviously, we aren’t talking socks and underwear here… but if your clothes aren’t soiled or smelly, wear ‘em again.

Day 30: Opt-Out of Phone Book Delivery

A friend of mine sent me a really cool link called 30 Ways in 30 Days, which is a webpage that has 30 ideas of things you can do to make the world better. It is a page put up by the company called Take Part, here is a little blurb about them:

What to Know More?

TakePart is the digital division of Participant Media, whose slate of films includes An Inconvenient Truth, The Cove, Food, Inc., Waiting for Superman, and Page One: Inside the New York Times.

TakePart produces this website, with a daily cycle of original articles and videos that inspire people to get involved. We believe that compelling stories and provocative information creates curiosity, builds awareness and propels people to make positive social change in their everyday lives.

TakePart also provides services – from custom content creation to campaign building – to partners wishing to bolster their audiences with a message of social change. With us we bring a powerful Social Action Network™ of individuals, NGOs, online communities and brands who share a common interest in making the world a better place.

I found 3 or 4 ideas on there that I can't wait to do, including today's Good Human Act, opting out of receiving phone books. I can't remember the last time I used one, we always just recycle ours, but I think it is probably better to not even get one in the first place if they are not going to be used, especially if recycling is not possible. I found a website called Yellow Pages Opt Out that makes it really simple to not receive them anymore. It allowed me to choose which, of 6 local directories I want to receive, if any. On the site it also shows how yellow pages are trying to reduce their carbon foot print and recycle, so even if you do continue to get the books, they are making an effort to be greener with their product, which is awesome.

http://www.yellowpagesoptout.com/

Day 29: Natural Medicine

I recently fell in love with a company and their philosophy. This does not happen often, I am not a shopper. I actually send blank checks to my mom and sisters to buy things for me. But a couple months ago I went to an Essential Oils class my friend had (and honestly I only initially went to spend some time with another friend of mine who was going) and the class just resonated with me. It was a class about 100% Pure Essential Oils and the uses they have. It talked about how you can completely replace your medicine cabinet with Natural Oils, and I try very hard to not take medicine or give my kids medicine anyway, so I was intrigued. I didn't buy anything at the party I went to, instead I went home and researched the company, their philosophy, their products and only after a week of intense investigation did I call my friend up and let her know that I was interested in trying some oils out and learning more. To make a long story short I love doing as much stuff naturally as possible and have had great experiences with the oils so far. So, today for my Good Human Act I am hosting two parties to share what I have learned about these Essential Oils and let others see if using Natural Remedies works for them. I enjoy, not only the oils, but the message the oils convey, that we can heal our families with stuff that Nature has provided, that the answers aren't always man made and in a child-proof container.

If you are interested in learning more about this great company and their products please email me or comment below and I would be happy to tell you more. The company is called doTERRA, which means "Gift of the Earth", which seems to be a very fitting name. Here is a bit of info on their Essential Oils:

WHAT IS AN ESSENTIAL OIL?

Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, and flowers of plants. They can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant, eliciting profound emotional responses. Yet the use of essential oils goes well beyond their fragrant appeal. Used throughout history for their
medicinal and therapeutic benefits, essential oils can be used as natural alternatives in holistic self-care practices. Their unique chemistry allows them to be used aromatically and applied topically to the skin, while other essential oils can be used as dietary aids to promote vitality and well being.

dōTERRA® (meaning “Gift of the Earth”) essential oils represent the safest, purest essential oils available in the world today. 

Each of dōTERRA’s Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® essentials oils is carefully extracted by a global network of skilled growers, distillers, and chemists ensuring a consistently powerful user experience. They are 100% pure aromatic extracts and contain no artificial ingredients and are tested to be free of contaminants such as pesticides or other chemical residues.

We welcome your participation in our mission to share the life-enhancing benefits of therapeutic-grade essential oils with the world. Your path to a new philosophy of wellness begins by opening a bottle.

Day 28: Carpool

We are fortunate enough to have gotten my son into a great Charter School, unfortunately it is a bit far away. The hardest part of deciding to go to this school was committing to the drive! Man, driving the first week all 10 times (to and from x5 days) was rough and had me questioning my dedication to this awesome school. Luckily we have a friend who sends her kids there and she agreed to carpool with us and a couple weeks into the school year another friend of hers got into the school as well so we all share the drives! It makes it so much better, we don't have to forfeit a great education now because of distance. And driving 4 times a week seems so few! Today was not our usual day for carpool and we had an extra kiddo so I decided to count it as my Good Human Act. We try to carpool as much as possible, we have a huge vehicle so it just makes sense. And not only is it convenient and fun for the kids to ride with their friends, it is also so beneficial for the planet!

A website I found called Ride Solutions had a nice paragraph on Why it is Good to Carpool:
Transportation, although a necessity, has a negative impact on the environment. The two greatest concerns are centered on energy conservation and air pollution. Since there is not an unlimited supply of oil for gas, we must all do our part to conserve energy. Conserving will also help us become less dependent on foreign oil. Due to the ever-increasing number of single occupancy vehicles (SOVs) on the road, our air is being polluted by harmful vehicle emissions. Ridesharing will help to solve both of these environmental problems. By carpooling, vanpooling, using transit, walking, or biking to work we will use less energy and pollute less. Won't you do your part to help?

Our Carpool Kids!

Day 27: Big Brother Big Sister Curbside Donation

We got a flyer last week from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central New Mexico saying that they will be in our neighborhood today and if you have any donations to leave them in a marked bag curbside and they will come and collect them. I have gotten flyers like this many times before and have never stopped to read it, I usually just toss it, along with the other junk mail, straight into the recycle bin. But because my brain is on Good Human Act mode I actually read the flyer, saved it, and decided it would be a great idea to help some deserving children. We almost forgot, to be honest, until this morning when I looked on my calendar and then we were all in a donation frenzy mode, it was actually pretty funny! We ended up with two bags of stuff to give ranging from toys to books, a few baby items, some women's clothes and even a few pair of shoes, a little random, but hopefully still helpful. It was a great way to start the day!

Our Curbside Donations.

Day 26: Candy for Our Troops

My husband's cousin, Casey, sent me the greatest idea just after Halloween. Send extra candy to the Troops! And who doesn't have extra candy after Halloween?! I looked it up immediately after getting her email and found an organization called Operation Gratitude  that sends care packages to the U.S. Military and they love to add some extra goodies in the care packages to the soldiers around the Holidays. I emailed some friends (thanks Jamie, Megan, Peggy and Leslie!) and was able to send 6.5 pounds of candy along with 10 kid drawn or heart felt thank you notes to them today for our Good Human Act. It is a great mission Operation Gratitude has undertaken and I am so happy to have learned about it and been able to participate. My kids loved making letters for the soldiers (all 3 of them made one) and giving their candy to people who help us so much. We are so thankful for the sacrifice soldiers and their families make to grant us all safety and peace of mind.

Here is a little more information on Operation Gratitude:

Their MISSION

Tens of thousands of American Service Members are deployed in hostile and remote regions of the world, including the Middle East, Afghanistan, and on ships throughout international waters. The physical conditions they must endure are difficult and they may be separated from loved ones for long periods of time.

Operation Gratitude seeks to lift morale and put smiles on faces by sending care packages addressed to individual Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed in harm’s way, to their children left behind, and to Wounded Warriors recuperating in Transition Units.   Operation Gratitude care packages contain food, hygiene products, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation, all wrapped with good wishes of love and support.

Through Collection Drives, Letter Writing Campaigns and Donations of funds for shipping expenses, Operation Gratitude provides civilians anywhere in America a way to express their respect and appreciation to the men and women of the U.S. Military in an active, hands-on manner.

Operation Gratitude is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, volunteer-based corporation, funded entirely by private donations. For safety and security, the assembling of all packages occurs at the Army National Guard Armory in Van Nuys, California.

Wounded Warrior Care Package Program:

Operation Gratitude works with representatives at Military hospitals and Wounded Warrior Transition Units to provide care packages for Wounded Warriors/Veterans to let them know they are never forgotten.

Recognizing that Warriors when first injured are most concerned with the well-being of their comrades still on the frontlines, we also offer a service to send care packages to the wounded’s buddies.  Not only does this let the downrange troops know their wounded comrade is thinking about them, but most importantly, it helps the wounded feel they are still contributing to the mission and supporting their comrades.

Battalion Buddy Program:

In cooperation with Family Readiness Officers and battalion leaders nationwide, Operation Gratitude provides special stuffed toys – known as Battalion Buddies – to the sons and daughters of U.S. military personnel as their units prepare to deploy.

Our special “Battalion Buddy” care packages contain a large, cuddly stuffed animal, along with other special snacks and items. The Battalion Buddy packages are given to each child at their parent’s pre-deployment or farewell event so the child has something to hug while their Mommy or Daddy is away.

The Battalion Buddy Program is designed to serve and encourage the young children of deploying troops and offer them some degree of comfort while their parent is far away, serving their country.

Who We Serve:

Operation Gratitude sends packages to Wounded Warriors and deployed members of all Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and to units from all states and territories. While we will send at least 100,000 care packages per year, we know the recipients share with their comrades, so we project that at least 250,000 service members will be directly touched by our program annually. In addition, the impact of our program on morale is felt generally throughout the Military (2.7 million people) and by the loved ones of those who serve (several million more).

Day 25: Treats for Firefighters

Today was my MOMS Club's Annual Bake-Off at 10 am. (YUM!) On the way to drive my son to school, I had a quick inspiration that we could donate some of the left over goodies to our local firefighters for our Good Human Act today. So, when I got home at 9:15 I rushed to make a second entry, my go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies, (which surprisingly took first place) to be sure there would be enough desserts to donate. I also had my son help me make a quick "Thank you" card for everyone to sign. I wasn't sure if any of the ladies would be interested in this idea, but because it is such an amazing and generous group of ladies, they couldn't be happier to donate some treats and show their gratitude to some of our local servicemen and women. A friend helped me make the drop. We ended up going to the Fire Department with a  huge plate of cookies, 2 plates of sweet breads, a plate of cake and a bag full of homemade corn bread. When we got there the firetruck was just driving away to help more people and we thought we were going to have to come back another time, but after a little bit an ambulance and a firetruck came by and we were able to share our appreciation with them. To my surprise they asked us if we wanted to come and look around and we all got to check out the huge firetruck. They even let our boys climb in the truck and turn on the lights!! It was so nice and just emphasized how worthy our Firefighters are of a little show of thanks!

Firefighter Cal.

Thank You Card by Calon.

Daxon and Calon in the Truck!

Day 24: Supporting Local Growers

Today I took an idea from my sister and Mom and went to our local Grower's Market in Corrales. In all the time I have lived in New Mexico, I am sad to say, I have never been. It is a chilly day and is getting pretty cold here so there were not many stands or an overabundance of produce, but there was still some great stuff and some very nice growers! I took my middle son, Calon, with me this morning to pick some food to support the growers for my Good Human Act. He loved going to the stands and checking what they had, he also loved helping me pick out the tasty snacks we were going to buy! It was a really nice time. We ended up getting a pound of tomatoes (hand chosen by Cal), a really nice white onion, a small container of fresh, low sugar, strawberry jam and a larger green tomato jam, that tastes like apricot- yum! I can not wait to go back in the spring and summer when the stands are brimming over with fresh goodness.

Day 23: Ink Cartridge Recycling

Once I get on a topic it it sometimes hard to stray, so today I am, once again, going to recycling for my Good Human Act. I just had to change my printer ink and was about to throw it in the trash, when it occurred to me that I can probably recycle it.  I was also recently at Staples, and vaguely member them saying something about bringing old cartridges in to them so, after double checking that they do indeed recycle old cartridges, I am going to drop mine off there today! I also looked up ink cartridge recycling online and found a good site explaining why it is beneficial to recycle ink cartridges. It says:

Why recycle printer cartridges?

Save landfill space and tax dollars

Over 375 million empty toner cartridges and ink cartridges are thrown into the trash every year in the US. Most of these printer cartridges end up on landfill sites or in incinerators.

375 million cartridges amount to roughly 11 cartridges being disposed of every second. If you put all these cartridges end to end they would cover a distance encircling the earth over three times.

This mountain of waste can be reduced through reuse and recycling. Yet approximately 70% of all ink cartridges and 50% of all toner cartridges are still not recycled. Things are continuously changing for the better with pressure from legislation, environmental awareness among consumers and a more mature recycling industry.

The plastics used in printer cartridges are made of an engineering grade polymer that have a very slow decomposing rate ranging between 450 to 1000 years depending on the cartridge type. Ink cartridges may also leak printer ink polluting the surrounding environment.

The recovery, reuse and recycling of all these empty printer cartridges will save tax dollars since we all pay taxes for landfills through waste management costs.

Help conserve natural resources

By recycling printer cartridges, we conserve natural resources and energy by reducing the need for virgin materials. Up to 97 percent of the materials that make up a printer cartridge can be recycled or reused if taken care of. Printer cartridges can in extreme cases be refilled up to 15 times before reaching the end of their life most though averaging between 5-7 refills.

Save money and help creating jobs

Buying recycled printer cartridges can reduce the cost with up to 50% compared to cartridges that are made of virgin materials or non reused parts. Depending on the recycling program and printer cartridge type you will get money back for every returned cartridge.