Day 99: Buy Products that Give Back

I discovered a product today called Project 7 that I bought for my Good Human Act . Project 7 is a company that sells "products for good." For every purchase of a Project 7 product, some good is done in seven areas of need – Feed the Hungry, Heal the Sick, Hope for Peace, House the Homeless, Quench the Thirsty, Teach them Well and Save the Earth. It has a great website that tells you how they are helping in each of the areas and where you can find their products, why they are doing it and it even has a volunteering group called 7 Day that is a "NATIONAL MOVEMENT TO ENGAGE AND INSPIRE PEOPLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE GOAL iS TO SHOW HOW EASY IT IS TO VOLUNTEER AND TO IMPACT THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE LIVE."  http://www.project7.com/

Day 54: Donate Warm Clothes to a Homeless Shelter

My sons school is having a Shel Silverstein inspired Giving Tree that has been collecting food, blankets and warm winter clothes to donate to Joy Junction, Albuquerques largest Emergency Homeless Shelter. So, today my boys helped me go through our winter stuff and we were able to find 6 blankets, 2 scarves, 3 beanies, 1 ladies jeans, 6 kids pants and 5 kid jackets for him to bring to school to donate to the Giving Tree tomorrow. I love that his school is always having service projects, it is a great way to teach the kids to be charitable and thankful for what they have.

Here is the information the school sent out about the Giving Tree:

Giving Tree 2011

In the spirit of ‘The Giving Tree’ by Shel Silverstein, we welcome you to donate
to the Giving Tree to benefit the thousands of homeless people of all ages who
receive food, shelter, clothing and safety from Joy Junction every year.

We are collecting donations of: new or gently used adult & children clothing
(especially coats, gloves, hats, socks, and scarves), blankets and food (boxed or
canned). We will be placing the items under out Giving Tree in our front lobby area.
 For more information on this worthy cause, go to:
www.joyjunction.org

We thank you in advance for giving to local people in need.  
There is an immediate need for cold weather items & food for the ‘Lifeline of Hope’
vehicle which delivers the items to homeless people out in the elements during cold
winter nights.  No item is too small to donate!  Anything from individually wrapped
crackers & canned food to hats & blankets are much appreciated!  

Joy Junction is a place of refuge to those who have been forced onto the streets and is New Mexico’s largest emergency shelter. They are a non-profit organization dedicated to helping homeless men, women, children, and families in Albuquerque by providing food, clothing, shelter, and safety. Each year they are able to serve over 100,000 meals thanks to the generous contributions of citizens and businesses throughout the city— because they are a donations-only charitable organization, they receive no federal, state, or local funding.

Day 42: "Adopt" a Child for Christmas

Happy December!! Our MOMS Club does many service projects throughout the year and for the Holiday season one of them is "adopting" some kids for Christmas, or giving gifts of clothes and toys to kids who are in need. We were given the names of 15 kiddos, from a local Church, that need toys or clothes for Christmas this year and our family is lucky enough to be able to provide the things on one little girl's wish list. We chose to do a little girl because I thought it would be fun shopping for girls' clothes, since we have three boys, but man was I wrong :)! Shopping is not my forte and girl shopping, wow, there are a trillion more choices making it so much more overwhelming.  At least I had Calon and Daxon with me, they were good helpers in making decisions for me and I think we came out of the store with some cute and useful stuff!! It is such a nice thing to be able to do, I have very fond memories of doing the same thing every Christmas growing up with my family and also at school. It is a great to be able to give!

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 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 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 21: Cans for a Food Drive

Keston, my oldest son's school is having a Food Drive this week to help the Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico. This morning after he ate breakfast he grabbed a bag out and I helped him fill it up with stuff from our pantry for our Good Human Act.  He was so excited to help people who need food and was glad to carry the heavy bag all the way to class. His school sent out a flyer with a little information on the Roadrunner Food Bank and some hunger stats from New Mexico. I have included that information below.

Roadrunner Food Bank is New Mexico’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to ending hunger in our state.  Last year they distributed 25.4 million pounds of food and helped nearly 40,000 hungry people each week.  New Mexico continues to be ranked as one of the hungriest states in the nation.

Hunger Statistics in New Mexico from Roadrunner Food Bank

(And the reality of what is happening in our own community)

How does NM Ranks in the nation of people who wonder when they will get their next meal?  5th

What percent of food pantries in NM turn away people due to lack of food.  51%

-Because of the economy food assistance programs in our state are experiencing a demand that

has not occurred since the Great Depression.  

-Roadrunner distributes more than 92,000 pounds of food every working day.

 How many semi trucks loads of food does that equal every day?   3

- In 1999, just under 5,000,000 lbs per year were distributed, 2009 over 20,000,000 lbs were

distributed.

What percent of those served by Roadrunner are homeless?   8%

-32% of the households served by Roadrunner have at least one employed adult.

What is  the average monthly income for households served by Roadrunner?   $900.

In New Mexico what percent of children under 18 live in poverty?   25%

-30% of children under 5 live in poverty.  

-Each year more than 90,000 children receive food assistance. Compared to 4 years ago that is

an additional 11,000 children are being helped through food assistance programs each year.

What percent of Roadrunner’s clients are children?  40%

-It is estimated that this year 29,025 seniors citizens will seek emergency food from

Roadrunner, compared to 11,000 just 8 years ago

What percent of NM senior’s citizens seek help with food at food pantries throughout NM?   30%

What overall percent of households with senior’s citizens report they do not have enough to 

eat?   50%

What percent of senior’s citizens report having to choose between paying for food or 

utilities?    46%

What percent of senior’s report choosing between food and medical care?   37%

Keston and hid Food Drive Donations.

Day 16: Donate (or walk) For a Cure

My sister in law, Kenz, and her girlfriend, Ashley, sent me a link on Facebook to support them while they Walk to End Alzheimer's, this weekend, in Arizona. I think they are amazing and I am so happy to be able to make a donation to back their efforts for today's Good Human Act. My husband's Grandpa suffers from Alzheimer so, this cause really hits home. It is just heartbreaking to see the effects this disease can have. A cure would be miraculous! Here is a link that explains more about Alzheimer's. It has facts and figures, stages, how you can help and so much more: Alzheimer's Association.

If you are interested in donating to this cause click here to be directed to their Team's Donation Page.

Good luck with your walk today ladies and thank you so much for making me aware of this great event and foundation!

Day 15: Sorting Clothes For Service Projects

When my MOMS Club did our Charity Yard Sale a couple weeks back, which was actually the first day of my Good Human Movement, we got so many clothes donated for kids it was mind boggling. After selling as many as possible at the Yard Sale the rest were separated between boys and girls and stored until this month's General Meeting (where we meet as a Group once a month to discuss business, activities, charities etc.), where we could come together and decide what to do with them. As a group, it was decided that one of our Service Projects for the year would be to prepare some much needed  Emergency Bags for children who are taken from their homes by New Mexico's Children, Youth and Families Department. The Emergency Bags will be a duffle bag, that the child removed from their home will receive, that will have a set of clothes, socks, toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, a blanket for babies, a stuffed toy for little kids etc. to help provide the child some basic necessities while their situation is evaluated and permanent decisions made about their placement. Our group is currently collecting supplies for these bags and will be putting these bags together soon. For my Good Human Act today, along with a friend of mine from the MOMS Club, who is involved with CYFD, was to sort through 3 boxes, 1 bin and 7 trash bags full of girl clothes to find the most appropriate items to include in the Emergency Bags. I, also, just started washing the clothes that my sons will help me fold and store, this afternoon, until our MOMS Club has collected enough supplies to fill and deliver the Emergency Bags. The rest of the clothes, that did not fit the needs of this Emergency Bag Project, were dropped off to Storehouse West, which "is a non profit, community-supported agency providing food, children's clothing and hygiene supplies to families and individuals experiencing short term and long term need" in Sandoval County.

Day 10: 5k for RunFit

Today my oldest son, a couple friends of mine, their kids and I all participated in the Great Pumpkin Chase. It is a 10k, 5k and kids 1k and the proceeds benefit RunFit. It was a great chance to get some fresh air, some exercise and have some fun. The atmosphere of the race was fun and light, most of the participants dressed up in costumes and the kids chased a giant pumpkin for their race. We all had a great time. During the day I was able to return two lost items to worried owners also. That was a bonus and was made even better when I walked away from one return and heard the mom tell her daughter, "See, someone found it and returned it, that is the right thing to do. If you ever find anything you should try to return it too and be a good person." So motivational! It was a wonderful Good Human Day!

RunFit:

"RunFit launched the spring of 2006 as a bold initiative aimed at curbing the growing epidemic of childhood obesity by creating a running and/or walking program for children at after-school (or before school) programs across the district. The program is provided free to public and private elementary schools, as well as homeschools. Physical educators, classroom teachers, and parents can incorporate RunFit into their curriculum, after school programs, and at home with their families.

RunFit is a not for profit organization designed to help youth of all sizes, fitness and ability levels utilize the discipline of running to improve health, build character and provide opportunities for children to showcase their talents by participating in a number of RunFit sponsored events throughout the community,” said RunFit founder Stephen Pino. “Before, During and Afterschool programs such as RunFit play a vital role in the lives our communities by keeping kids’ safe, creating healthy habits and helping working families.”

RunFit is a fun program which motivates and trains children 5-13 to run one mile to 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) through active participation on a RunFit team. Participants learn to set and achieve challenging personal goals and are awarded incentives for attendance and improvement and culminating in local RunFit running events. RunFit, while intended to be physically challenging, is designed for children of all fitness and athletic levels.

RunFit provides opportunities to assist schools with their school sponsored jog-a-thons.

While RunFit is designed for elementary aged children, parents are encouraged to participate."

The kiddo line-up!

Me and my awesomely fast friends!

Day 1: Charity Yard Sale

I am in a MOMS Club. In our club the focus, besides supporting each other and our kids, is to donate our time, efforts and money (we raise) to local charities to help other moms and children. I have been thinking about doing something, like this blog, for a couple of weeks now, but it was not until yesterday and today that I decided to actually do it. I donated about 8 hours to setting up and running a yard sale with our MOMS Club in the last 48 hours. All donations were made by our members and all proceeds go to charity and nothing gets you more in the mood to give back and be a good human better than giving back and being a good human. I sorted, I folded boxes, I lifted, I baked (for the bake sale), I haggled, I laughed, I cleaned up, I donated clothes, books, toys  kitchenware and baby stuff, I got a sun burn on my neck, I bonded with other moms and all of it, because it was for a cause bigger than me, made me feel like I was being a better human. So, with that motivation and helping high, I am off to continue the giving journey and try to make it a goal, for at least 100 days, to be A Good Human.

. 
MOMS Club