Your Name on Toast

Yep not kidding.  You can have your name or web address written on toast for any amount of donation (min $100.00) to Oxfam-Ireland. If you click on any of the pieces of toast then it links you to the website of the doner.  

The next logical question is why?  Well the obvious answer to that is who doesn't love toast and who wouldn't want to see their name on toast?

The website claims it's a silly idea, but silly ideas get people talking and creates awareness of the cause you are trying to promote.  SO TRUE!  This is why I

 loved watching Chicago station Channel 9 news in the morning growing up because they would make people do silly things, like be a human bowling ball and they would give you a bit of air time to promote your cause.  If hurling myself down a bowling lane to knock down some pins helps end world poverty than I am in!

I would also like to point out that they have raised over $11,000.00 to help Oxfam-Ireland thus far!   Think of what a unique mother's day gift it could be to, her name on toast.  

Click here to buy your own toast.

Click here to see all the pieces of toast that have been written on.

Related Posts: Holiday Shopping & BYOBag , DWBDG: a case study

Picture Courtesy of: http://yournameontoast.com/

P.S. Thanks for the idea Casey

Got Library Card?

I have one. This past saturday I went to my local library and got my very own library card. The librarian was very helpful with all my questions (what are late fees, what are other policies I should be aware of, etc.). It was rather exciting to have a library card again, probably because I always enjoyed going to the library as a kid.

I really don't know why I haven't gotten a library card over these past five years. When I first moved to Boston for grad school, I read too many textbooks to be interested in leisure reading. Then when I moved into the working world, I started a library within my work and all the people from my department dontated their old books to share with others in the office. I would occiassionally buy books to fill in ones I wanted to read, that no one from my office owned yet.

Now that I have read all the books in my work "library", I made it a goal of mine to get a library card this year. The money I save from not buying any new books will be set aside and saved and at the end of the year I plan on donating it to a cause. Plus if money is tight, and you are trying to cut down on your expenses, it's FREE! Provided of course you return your books on time.

Additionally, the cool thing about getting a Minuteman Libray card is you can use it in 35 other community libraries. From Acton to Woburn, my free little card will let me read to my hearts content. You can even return a book you got from one library in the Minuteman libray network to another libray in the network.

If you don't have a library card, what are you waiting for?

Related Posts: National Sign Up for a Dang Library Card Month , Public libraries are your friend , Volunteering at Lunch: It's reading time!

School Safety Controversy

I am not sure how I feel about this story. The Georgetown, MA school district is considering a proposal to teach children as young as 10 years old how to fight back if gunmen were to enter their school.

What is this Red Dawn? Okay so Red Dawn was about High school kids fighting Soviet gunmen, but are 10 year old children emotionally equipped to fight back gunmen? More importantly do you want children fighting back, which could lead to their harm?

Would your opinion change if schools taught children where to go in the case of a Columbine like attack. Schools have tornado drills, why can they have a "safe shelter" drill?

I work for a University and we have a plan like this in place. Additionally, we even practice this drill to hopefully avoid/prepare the employees for any possible attacks. I would like to point out that there is a huge age gap between us (my colleagues at work) and some of the children of the proposal at Georgetown. Not to mention the emotional developmental differences between youth and adults.

As Kenneth Trump, the president of National School Safety and Security Services, states "We’re asking them (the children) to make some quite serious judgments that even trained adults are challenged to make". "I think that’s an unrealistic and highly risky expectation and burden to put on kids".

What are your thoughts? Should children be taught this in schools? If so, should there be an age restriction, say high school and above? What are your thoughts?

Related Posts: Handgun bans and Dogs

Picture Courtesy of: http://www.catholicregister.org/content/view/799/855/

Happy Halloween from OYFP

I LOVE Halloween. Who doesn't love the idea of being able to wear whatever you want and eat all the candy you can! I was curious about how the holiday had it's beginnings and found out that the holiday goes back to a tradition 2000 years ago!

Apparently the Celts believed that this day marked the end of harvest season and the start of the cold winter. The Celts, of course, didn't have the Garment District to pick out their costumes, so they typically wore what was around them, animal skins and heads. They would tell each others’ fortunes while in costume as well. When the celebration was over, the Celts lit their fires in their homes from the sacred bonfire to protect them during the coming months.

The holiday has certainly changed a lot in 2000 years but I for one am glad that we get the opportunities to dress up in silly costumes or even better dress up our dogs! :)

So if you are all dressed up with no where to go here are some suggestions for tonight.

ICA Masked Halloween Party- from 9-1 pm. It's a great benefit but if you can't afford the high prices there are always other options!

Jacque's Cabaret Halloween Costume Contest- Jacque's is always a good time and who can beat the $10.00 entry fee.

THE ALL-NIGHT HORROR MOVIE MARATHON!!- They are tagging it as "a night to dismember".

Anyway you shake it we here at On Your Feet Project would like to wish you a safe and happy Halloween!

Related Posts: helpin' the little guy, Be a Rock Star: Charity Rock Band Event with Costumes!, Charitable Giving in 2008 - What's the outlook?, Let's get Crafty

helpin' the little guy

Realizing I was one of the few people of color involved in OYFP, I thought about posting a nice and sassy entry on race/ethnicity and politics in light of recent comments and controversies both local (Diane Wilkerson) and national (John Mccain). But I decided I, myself, needed a little respite from the heated, intense discussions surrounding this issue.

So, here's some good news:

Not only do you get to "fall back" and sleep on extra hour this weekend (thank you, Daylight Savings, and sorry, Indiana, for this thorn in your side.), you also give your little ticker an edge. Swedish researchers have analyzed data from the past twenty years and found that the number of heart attacks dropped on the Monday following Daylight Savings (Interestingly enough, the number of heart attacks rose the week after clocks were moved forward an hour in spring!).

I'm happy to hear that. 'Cause Lord knows, after Tuesday's election, my chance of having a heart attack just might increase, and that little guy will need all the help he can get (my heart, that is)!

There's nothing like a warm cup of coffee

With it starting to get really cold here in Boston, I thought a little heart warming post was all we need.

A study recently conducted by Yale University showed those who were physically warmer were more likely to be warm or generous to other people. Researchers rode the elevator up with their recruited volunteers and asked the recruit to help out by holding their cup of coffee while they wrote down the name of the recruit on their clipboard. Sometimes it would be a hot cup of coffee, sometimes it would be an iced cup of coffee.

These recruits were then asked to rate personality traits of a fictitious person. Those who had the warm cup of coffee rated the person with more generous personality traits than those that held the iced cup of coffee. They conducted other studies as well but all came up with the same result that your physical warmth was related to your psychological "warmth".

So does that explain the unfriendliness from many of the people in the Northeast? Everyone is physically cold, especially this time of year, which tends to make people more psychologically cold. I can understand that, who wants to take time to go outside and chat with neighbors/strangers, when that wind is biting at your face.

It is true I have met most of my new neighbors by doing outside activities (i.e. walking the dog, painting the porch), while it has been warm out. People were out and about enjoying the warm weather. When it is cold out everyone retreats inside to stay warm and creates less of a chance of interacting with the community.

So how does one do more good for the community and affect those around you when it is cold out? Can be as simple as buying a neighbor/stranger a cup of coffee? What are your thoughts?

Related Posts: An Economic Recovery Plan, in a cup., Random Acts of Conversation, My Knights in Shining Denim, Who is Happier?, How to be Happier

Picture Courtesy of: http://www.digisky-photo.co.za/portfolio/portfolio_01.html

Random Acts of Conversation

The other day I was walking with Jamie and the dog after work when a man dressed in a marine suit said something to Jamie and I that I couldn't exactly hear and sounded rude. When we were out of earshot I asked Jamie what he said, and Jamie's response was, "The marine guy said, good evening mam, good evening sir." Oops. I felt bad that I misjudged what the marine was saying.

Additionally it made me me realize that I found it weird for some stranger to show us some politeness on the street. There is something wrong when the idea that someone greets you on the street and your first reaction is to look the other way.

This reminded me when I had a friend come and visit me from out of the state and she was unhappy with her visit to Boston because not one person smiled or said hello to her. She said this place was WAY to unfriendly for her. I laughed and said she was being silly, now I think differently. Seriously, when was the last time you said hello to a stranger?

So I tried my little experiment yesterday by smiling at several strangers. Most ignored me but a few smiled back and even went a step further to wish me well. It made me feel great and perhaps even brightened the day of the stranger who smiled back.

So take some time today, or this weekend to greet the person walking by. Maybe even take it a step further and strike up a conversation. Who knows the good it can do. All I know is people shouldn't find it strange or scary when someone is saying hello.

Photo of happy people at a OYFP Event

Related Posts: How to be Happier, Who is Happier? These are the people in my neighborhood

Handgun bans and Dogs

OYFP takes a break from its regular programming to bring you the following:

On the more serious side, guns' prevalence in our society is a little scary, to me at least. Guns aren't a joke. Well, ok, they're a joke when they're not real and a dog is involved, but other than that, they're not so funny.

The Supreme Court recently shot down (pun intended) regional handgun bans such as the one in Washington DC, a move that was applauded by the more conservative politicos, and wept over by the more liberal. It is widely expected that this will increase the number of guns (both registered and unregistered) on the street. Depending on which side you're on, people believe this will either decrease or increase crime.

What do you think?

Related Posts: A Biased Opinion; Dialogue, Anyone? Obama on Race; What is this credit crisis you speak of?; Super Tuesday Preview; Finding your voice politically

Video courtesy of Peter P.

Green Line Crash - Statistics

The recent accident on the D line of the Green Line of Boston's T was unfortunate and sad. There was one fatality and approximately 12 people went to the hospital - but the networks covered the event as though hundreds had been injured or killed. Indeed, we were lucky that only a few people suffered.

In case you're having second thoughts about riding the T due to the recent spate of rail accidents, keep this in mind:

• According to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), there are just 3.3 accidents per million train miles. That's miniscule compared to the number of car crashes.
  
• Since 2004, the FRA reports that the number of train accidents has decreased by 23.3 percent due to improvements made across the rail system.
• In 2007, there were 14.24 fatalities in car crashes per 100,000 people, and we traveled over 3,014 billion miles in cars. Our chances of being hurt or killed is much higher in a car than on the rail. (Source: FARS Encylopedia) Some sources report over 6 million car accidents per year.
  

All in all, despite recent events it is important to remember we are far safer in the hands of the MBTA than behind the wheel.

Our thoughts are with the family of the conductor who was killed.

Don't forget to vote daily for the Volunteer Boston Blog as the "Best Hobby Blog"!

Related Posts: Biking to work in Boston; Springtime, Gasoline, and a Solution
Photo courtesy of Boston.com.

We are the best - if you say so

As you may have heard, the Volunteer Boston blog is up for the "Best of Hobby Blogs" award on the BestofBlogs.com website. I may be biased, but I truly believe we're the best blog nominated this year.. not to mention the only altruistic, non-profit, save the children, earth, and people and help cure cancer blog.

We're closing in on the win. There's just one blog that has more votes than we do, but we're slowly chipping away at their lead. Help us by voting daily. This is your chance to show the world that volunteering is important, and the humanitarian and community issues we discuss here are not only informative, but interesting. And funny. And serious.

We need your help to win. It just takes one click, you don't even have to register.

Thanks in advance!

One day I hope to win a trophy with a goat on top.

Related Posts: Non-Profit: We join the 21st century

Photo courtesy of Arlette.

One Little Drip of Water

As Krystle has written about before, clean, drinkable water is a major issue across the world. According to GlobalIssues.org, water problems affect half of humanity, and some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation.

Here in the good ole US of A, we use a lot of water. I'm guilty of it. In fact, according to the same source, the average person in the US uses 600 liters of water a day. To put that in perspective, the 1.8 billion people who have access to a water source within 1 kilometer, but not in their house or yard, consume around 20 liters per day. 20 liters compared to 600 liters. Wow.

So. How can I reduce the amount of water I waste? The obvious answer is to eliminate the drip drip drip in my shower that I can hear from my bedroom, no matter how hard I try to turn off the water. Just how much water could come out of the slow drip? Well... I was surprised after the 24 hour test I performed:



That's a lot of water, every day, all the time, coming out of my tap. I can fix it, probably by just replacing a washer or two.. at least according to this water information website (scroll down to the section on dripping). Hopefully by making small changes, we can avoid having to resort to recycling sewage into clean water like some California cities...

Don't forget to vote daily for the Volunteer Boston Blog as the "Best Hobby Blog"!

Related posts: Water, Water Everywhere

Street Performers Festival

We have been talking about some pretty serious global issues lately and I thought that I would write about supporting the local community and the artists that entertain us. I sometimes wander to Faneuil Hall during my lunch break and happen to catch various acts of street performances. I am in awe of the talent and showmanship of these performers and find them highly entertaining for my lunch break. It has become quite the tourist attraction, as I always see huge crowds around these street performers.

My personal favorite is the guy who juggles all sorts of interesting objects, including sticks with flames on them. Sometimes these stunts can be dangerous for the performer, such as juggling with flames, but I am glad they take the risk because it makes it more entertaining for me and the other members of the stunned audience.

If you haven't seen a street performer in Fanueil Hall yet, this weekend is your perfect chance! From 11:30- 3:00 pm this Saturday and Sunday a wide variety of acts will be performing in front of the infamous shops around Faneuil Hall. It's free but I would suggest to give a donation to these performers, especially if they make you happy. I promise it will be a wicked good time.

Don't forget to vote daily for the Volunteer Boston Blog as the "Best Hobby Blog"!

Photo courtesy of everstuncensored.org

Unexpected Volunteering

It was a usual walk home from the T after work on Monday. My iPOD was on shuffle, it was a nice evening, and I was thinking about all the housework I was going to catch up on because I had to work this past weekend.

That's when three children caught my attention, they had a stray dog and were trying to corral it and keep it occupied so that it didn't get hit by any of the cars passing by on the busy road in front of us. I approached the dog, it didn't seem unfriendly, and promptly held on to its collar while petting it. I should mention there were no tags on the collar.

I look down the street and see a police cruiser coming down the street, I flagged him down thinking, "Hey, he can take this dog". So Mr. Police Officer came and looked at the dog and told me where I have to bring the dog (5min drive) . At this spot, someone else would meet me and they would put the dog up overnight in a kennel until the animal control officer will look at it in the morning.

I didn't think this was the best solution. If I lost my dog I would be frantic with worry and would have been thrilled if someone took a more active approach to watching over my dog. So I told the police my phone number and told them if anyone contacted them to have them contact me. Meanwhile I took him to the doggie play group I usually take my dog in hopes that someone would recognize this dog.

Unfortunately no one recognized this dog, so I was forced to bring him back home. I fed him and gave him some water. I corralled the dog in the kitchen because I was unsure if he was potty trained.

Meanwhile, my current dog, Chai, did not know what to do with him. She was not used to having other dogs in the house and she took to playing with this dog more aggressively then this dog likes. For a good hour I tried to keep them apart, but they were both so needy for attention it left me exhausted!

I made the decision then that despite my good intentions I could not watch over this dog until its owner was found. So I was forced to bring the other dog to Somerville Department of Public Works, and there it joined another dog who was currently held captive.

So, if you know of anyone who is missing a small black fur, Lhasa Apso mix of some sort, please contact the Somerville Animal Control at 617-666-3311 .

Needless to say I didn't get to accomplish what I wanted to that night (i.e. cleaning my house), but that's okay because I helped a stray dog - probably someone's dear pet.

You may think you are too busy to take time out of your busy life to help someone out, but then you realize how important it is. If I kept on walking like the other people I saw walk by me when I was holding on to the dog then, yes, I could have done many of errands I wanted to have completed, but then something awful could have happened to the dog and that wouldn't sit right with me. Get on your feet and help those around you - you'll feel better in the end.

Related Posts: The Recycling Dog, Spring Cleaning part deux, Who is Happier?, How to be Happier, and Cleaning out your closet for a good cause.

Don't forget to vote daily for the Volunteer Boston Blog as the "Best Hobby Blog"!

Photo courtesy of dogbreedinfo.com. I didn't actually take a picture of the dog, but it did look similar to this dog with black fur instead of grey.

Food for Thought

As you may have heard from various media outlets recently, there is an escalating problem of food shortages for the world's population to consume. Haiti's poor population has been forced to find other ways of feeding their stomachs and have been eating cookies made of dried yellow dirt from the country's central plateau.

So what can you do about it?

Reduce the amount of meat products you consume or if at all possible become vegetarian. I realize this it going to be a tough with grilling season almost upon us but it takes at least three times as much produce to feed livestock as it takes to feed us humans. According to the Worldwatch Institute, the total amount of soy and grain fed to livestock in the US each year could feed everyone on the planet, including enough food leftover to feed a population approximately five times as big!

Additionally the book, "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan talks about how the food we eat now a days are "edible food like substances -- no longer the products of nature but of food science."

Cows nowadays are much bigger than they were 100 years ago. They are bred to be bigger and are sometimes given steroids or antibiotics to optimize the amount of meat that is produced by that cow. This makes it cheaper to sell and easier to mass market the inexpensive, fatty, high-calorie food that has fueled epidemics of obesity and diabetes.

Also with the addition of bio-fuels to help alleviate the high oil prices, much of the corn and grain that would be used to feed us or our livestock are going to create ethanol for our cars. Again this cuts down on the resources available to feed the world. So instead of using your car try reducing your amount of driving by riding a bike.

So take your bike to have a vegetarian meal, and donate money to help feed the poor in Haiti.

Related posts: Food Crisis - Get on the Seoul Train, Biking to Work in Boston: My first time, Bananas: Not just a funnily shaped fruit, Global Volunteering

Photo Courtesy of USA Today

Vote for Volunteer Boston on BestofBlogs.com

While we know you're busy reading about the cyclones, tornadoes, and earthquakes, take a little time out of your day to vote for the Volunteer Boston blog as the "Best of Hobby Blogs" on the BestofBlogs.com website.

We are the only non-profit blog on this list. This is your chance to show the world that volunteering is important, and the humanitarian and community issues we discuss here are not only informative, but interesting. And funny. And serious.

We need your help to win. It just takes one click, you don't even have to register.

Thanks in advance!

We want to have as many ribbons as this little guy.

Related Posts: Non-Profit: We join the 21st century

Photo courtesy of Crimson Flame Wolf.

Earthquake in China - How it's different than in the past

Recently, it seems as though I just keep writing about natural disasters. Cyclones and massive flooding in Myanmar, tornadoes in the Midwestern USA, and now the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in central China.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake is no laughing matter. Once when I was in college we had a minor earthquake - I think it was under a magnitude of 3.0, but it was still unsettling. I can't imagine what such a large earthquake would feel like. Reports from people 150 kilometers from the epicenter say it felt like a rolling and shaking, but that sounds too tame. "Rolling and shaking" is what disco dancers used to do; an earthquake has terrible destructive power that far outweighs the impact of the groovy fashions and moves of the disco era.

Over 5,000 people are reported dead in just one county in central China, with more deaths expected to be reported as this area of China has over 78 million residents (Source: BBC). The quake struck at around 2:30 PM, when kids were still in school and people were still at work. Apparently 900 children are trapped in their collapsed school. Can you imagine anything so terrifying as being trapped?

The only positive thing about this event is the Chinese government's reaction. In the past, it shut down access and tried desperately to control the flow of information within China and to the rest of the world. I suppose the government wanted to make sure a positive spin was put on the event, or more specifically, on their reaction to the event.

However, this time it's different. The Chinese government is very quickly disseminating information, and reacting to the event. The media (well, the BBC, which is where I first heard of the quake) is taken aback, in a good way, at the ease with which information has come forth. With information comes the ability to help. This contrasts starkly with Myanmar's response to the cyclones, though aid is slowly trickling in.

I think the reason China is being more forthright about the earthquake is the upcoming Olympics in Beijing. The country is already under a microscope for the way it's handling the Tibet issue. The last thing they need is further condemnation for their mishandling of a natural disaster. So, if the world wanted to influence Chinese politics by giving them the Olympic hosting responsibilities, I would say they have succeeded... at least in this small way.

If you would like to help victims of the earthquake in China, consider the following organizations:

• Red Cross - Provides disaster relief
• Mercy Corps - Works within "disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against nearly impossible odds"
• China Tomorrow Education Foundation - Builds schools in rural China to ensure education for all
• Alpha Communities - Works with people and communities to realize potential, initiate change, and create opportunities in rural China and Mongolia

Related Posts: Chinese Earthquake: How to help; Global Volunteering; Myanmar Cyclones and What you can do to help; Tornadoes, Cyclones, and Disaster Relief, Oh My! ; An Olympic Debate

Photo courtesy of CNN.com and Getty Images.

Pangea Day

Pangea =The theoretical landmass that existed when all continents were joined, from about 300 to 200 million years ago.
- dictionary.com

Pangea Day = a global event held on May 10, 2008, in hopes to bring the world together through film. The details: 4 hours, 24 films, broadcasted worldwide in seven languages which can be seen at approximately 14:00 (2:00pm) Boston time. If so desired you can even see it on your mobile phone.

The films selected to participate in the Pangea Day were chosen based on their ability "To inspire, transform, and allow us see the world through another person's eyes". There will even be live music and inspirational speakers! Click here to see the trailer for the event.

So where can you go see it in Boston? Simmons College is hosting an event to the public this Saturday from 2:00pm - 6:00pm at the Linda K. Paresky Conference Center. You can also view it online, or even on your mobile phone.

The event is going to be watched by millions of people worldwide, shouldn't you be one of them?

Photo courtesy of EdwardOlive.

How you doin?

Spring is here. Time to get started on that spring cleaning and it's time to get your general affairs in order.

Hey, by the way, how are you doing on your New Year resolutions four months into the year? Are you spending more time with family? Did you finally quit smoking? Are you sticking to your workout routine? Are you saving more money? And, are you volunteering and helping others?

At the start of this year I wrote I don’t do resolutions. Where I shared my view that “when something is labeled a resolution it isn’t really a main priority.” If it was a main concern then why wait until the last day of the year to face it?

Hopefully, you’ve kept your new affirmations. But, no worries if you’ve fallen off keeping those resolutions, start now! Why wait? I’ll check back in August.

Photograph from http://www.wickedgood.info

Getting away from it all

I don't know many people who don't like vacation. There are always a few workaholics who claim to hate time away, but I think they have bigger issues.

Vacation is a chance for us to get away, escape the mundane, leave behind our responsibilities and just concentrate on the here and now. You can go everywhere from the exotic to the green to a dude ranch (ride 'em, cowboy!).

More and more, people are choosing to go on humanitarian / volunteer vacations. Not only do you get to escape your own worries and cares, you can take on someone else's!! Cynical, perhaps, but all things considered, taking on someone else's worries and cares can be refreshing. You learn about someone else, and then act to help make a difference (if only a small one). For an opportunity of your own, visit CharityGuide.org.

This past week, I traveled to exotic New Hampshire. No computer, no email, no snail mail.. no cares, right? Sadly, real life follows you everywhere. My dad called about his website. My mom called about Easter brunch. I thought about one of my client's problems. My best friend texted me about restaurant week. My boyfriend's sister called to let us know his uncle died suddenly. Now there's some real life for you.

The lesson learned? No matter how far you travel or how hard you try, "real life" is right there, staring you in the face, whether it be through your cell phone or via your brain. The only way to truly escape is to learn how to relax, set aside your worries and cares, and just "be." And you don't have to travel far to do that.

What do you do to relax? Where do you want to go on your next vacation?

Chihuahuas like vacations too.

Smoking kills.... Your Wii

This is just too ironic to pass up. According to this story the bad habit of smoking can kill your Wii! So not only is smoking bad for your health but for your machines as well.

Apparently to operate the new game Super Smash Bros. Brawl your Wii has to have a large capacity for memory. Any dirt or smoke film left within the system leaves the system too dirty to operate. Nintendo is offering to clean it for free, if you have suffered a malfunctioning Super Smash Bros. Brawl game.

Hopefully, smokers will take note and take gaming serious and quit smoking or smoke outside for the health of your Wii! If you have a Wii you may want to post this picture on it, to let people know there is no smoking around your precious gaming system.