Volunteer Ideas, Vol 2

No. 2:
HEET:
Home Energy Efficiency Team

Want to show off your handy man/woman skills or learn some new ones? "HEET organizes free weatherization parties to teach volunteers hands-on how to lower their energy bills and carbon emissions. We consult with energy experts to pass on accurate information. We build community, create social marketing for energy efficiency and help facilitate exchanges of ideas."

The nuts and bolts: You get to help others AND help yourself. I was the caulking queen (immature jokes aside) at Cambridgeport School. I went home and fixed my own windows, felt warmer and saved myself some green while being green. What's not to love about that?

Location: A home, school, community meeting place, etc somewhere in the Boston area.
Commitment: Usually a half day; sign up as they come up.
Training: None necessary. Bring your skills and/or can do attitude.
Duties: Varies from painting to caulking to replacing windows to whatever you're willing to try!
Contact: heet.cambridge@gmail.com or visit heetma.com

Yes, We Can - Make it a day on

On Sunday, January 18th, in the spirit of the King Day of Service, the Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET), in partnership with Green Decade Cambridge and with funding from the Massachusetts Service Alliance, will hold a Weatherization Barnraising at The Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House and the Cambridgeport School.

Traditionally, a “barnraising” was when a community would come together to help a family build a barn. Using this concept HEET is brining volunteers together to weatherize The Margaret Fuller Neigborhood House and The Cambridgeport School.

HEET has organized expert builders and contractors to lead the weatherization activities. Weatherization is the practice of protecting a building and its interior from the elements, predominantly from sunlight, precipitation, wind, and of modifying a building to reduce energy consumption and optimize energy efficiency.

Dr. King’s Day of service aims to make the Martin Luther King holiday a day ON, where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to “improve lives, bridge social barriers, and move our nation closer to the “Beloved Community” that Dr. King envisioned.” For more information about the King Day of Service please visit http://mlkday.gov.

The Home Energy Efficiency Team is raising funds in order to make weatherization barnraisings available to households that cannot afford the cost of weatherization materials. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to support some of our neighbors who are most in need.

Check back for hammer in hand interviews and pictures posted live from yours truly.

Picture from http://www.mlkday.gov.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

So in case you haven't heard yet Boston is going to be getting a boatload of snow in the afternoon hours. YEAH! I know I am probably the only person excited about the impending storm but then again I grew up in the Midwest and I am used to being covered in snow.

When there is a foot of snow you really see the true nature of people. I have seen neighbors come together to shovel out each other's driveway, and everyone seems to pull together. This is when I experience the most random kindness from strangers which is always appreciated and wish it didn't just happen when it was snowing.

So you want to volunteer? Get out and shovel a neighbor's sidewalk. You don't even understand how many pedestrians will thank you for the safe footing underneath! Plus the gratitude from your neighbors!

Related Posts: My Knights in Shining Denim, Please shovel your sidewalks

Picture Courtesy of: http://www.fnal.gov/pub/today/archive_2007/today07-12-17.html

Alternative holiday gift ideas

Last week, Krystle wrote about supporting local artisans by buying your Christmas/Hanukkah/ Kwanzaa/ New Year's gifts from them. I'd like to introduce three other options:

1. Make some gifts.
I know, I know. You might claim not to be "crafty." But that doesn't preclude you from making gifts, and perhaps saving a little dough in the meantime! Try baking an assortment of goodies (it's easier than you think), creating a photo collage or photo calendar for friends, family, or co-workers, or maybe giving "coupons" (massages, dinner, breakfast in bed, load of laundry, etc.). Or, perhaps you could do what my group of friends is doing this year - having a potluck to celebrate our friendship instead of giving gifts.

2. Buy some homemade gifts on Etsy.com.

If you'd like to give something with that homemade touch but really don't know where to turn, I highly recommend Etsy.com. Think boutique, or art gallery, only it's online, searchable, and you can request custom items from sellers! You're talking right to the people making the stuff. My favorites include some of the stained glass, baby hats, and vintage finds. Or, of course, the classic sock monkey or sock dog (cough, cough - shameless self promotion).

3. Donate in someone's name.

Sure, maybe this isn't original. But people are more in need than ever. Try giving a cow or a dozen chicks, volunteering for a day on behalf of someone, donating gifts to Toys for Tots, or donating money to your favorite non-profit. My brother once gave me a blank check for $50 that I could send to any non-profit of my choice (I chose Mercy Corps since it was right after the tsunami). He was in college at the time, so it represented no small sum of money. It meant a lot to me, and I'm sure the money made an impact.

So those are my ideas. I'm doing a lot of numbers one and two this year (aside from a few Amazon.com and clothing purchases), and some of number three. Please join me!

Related Posts: Buy local for the holidays; Tapas for Toys; A gift to remember; Conscious Giving; 'Tis the season to change the present; DesignGive - Creativity is a gift; 10,000 Reasons to Buy

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

Keeping Your Home Warm

If you're like me, then you rent from a place that can be quite drafty. My apartment, like many others I know, was built at the turn of the century and hasn't had much home improvements over the years. Granted, I did choose to rent here because of a) the location is great for me and Jamie, b) my rent is low for the area.

That being said, on freezing cold days like today, I have to turn the heat up, which skyrockets my utility bill. So Jamie and I have learned a few things that have helped keep our energy bill down and I thought I would list them here. With all this talk of recession, everyone appreciates saving money.

• Request that your landlord to install a wall heater timer (or if you're handy, do it yourself). This allows you to time the heat to be on when you are home. When you are not at home (i.e. work, OYFP events, etc.), it helps you to keep the thermostat low, which will save you money on your next heating bill. If this isn't possible, remember to turn your thermostat a few degrees lower before you leave the house.


• Close doors and if possible shut off the heat in rooms you do not use in the winter.


• Weatherproof all windows, especially if they are single paned. We use window films that are wicked easy to put up. Trust me if I can do it, anyone can do it! With the money that you will be saving from your energy bill, it is easily affordable. For those who are worried how it will look in your place, they come in decorative styles as well!


• If weatherproofing your windows isn't an option, try the green way and use the sun to help heat your house. Open curtains/shades of east, south and west-facing windows on sunny days to let the sun heat the house. Then at night, close them to preserve the heat.

These are a few of the tips I do for my apartment to stay warm. What do you do?

Please shovel your sidewalks

So being that I work for a non-profit, I can not afford the luxury of parking my car in downtown Boston. So I rely on public transportation and good, old-fashioned walking. Normally I love walking around Boston, it is a very walkable city. But let's face it in the winter, it can be quite treacherous walking around in Boston.


That's when I read this story I couldn't be more appalled that a city councilor chose not to shovel his sidewalk in his neighborhood because, "The reality is the cultural practice is not to use the sidewalks even when the snow isn't there". Clearly this councilor has never tried to navigate by foot around Boston. Granted many of the businesses in the Boston area do a good job of shoveling the snow to make it easier for potential clients to come in. However, when walking around various residential neighborhoods, you will slip every which way until at last you fall.


I know I am not the only one in this situation, every winter I see people forced to walk on the street with the cars because it is to dangerous for them to walk on the slippery sidewalks. I even noticed that a little girl had to walk in the street with her mommy, because she was falling all over the place. We all have seen someone fall as the result of a poorly shoveled sidewalk.


I rent and I know it is not my responsibility for our sidewalk to be clear, but I take turns, just like my neighbors to insure that are sidewalk is clear for anyone to walk through. So please on behalf of all the pedestrians in Boston who are trying to walk home, please shovel your sidewalk. Consider it a way to give back to all your neighbors and help out the community around you.

My Knights in Shining Denim

I think that part of OYFP's goal in promoting volunteerism is to encourage a sense of community and a sense of belonging. When you volunteer, you feel connected. When people feel connected and invested in a place, they are kinder to those around them. When people are kinder, we all feel good.

Why this bout of optimism and community-loving? Last night my 15 minute commute turned into a I-can't-get-up-this-hill-to-my-house-so-I-went-the-wrong-way-down-a-one-way-street-and-still-got-stuck-on-a-teeny-hill commute. I'm in the middle of a side road, tires spinning, and no idea how I was going to get myself out of the situation. I called the boyfriend - no dice. I called the best friend - she's downtown. I called the best friend's boyfriend - he doesn't answer.

I tried asking the garage down the street for sand - bad idea. Harry's Automotive in Brighton Center wasn't going to give me a cup of sand out of their hundred gallon drums, no way Jose. They needed every last grain. I think they just wanted me to pay them $100 bucks for a 25 foot tow.

Instead, a kind denim-clad and pierced couple stopped when they saw my tires spinning. Another woman lent me her shovel. They helped push my car up, shovel out a space, and helped push the car again so I could parallel park. I begged them for their address so I could give them some homemade cookies, but they refused. Maybe they're vegan, maybe they're scared that I'll stalk them, or maybe, just maybe, they were being just plain nice.

Whatever the reason for their kind actions, I'd like to think that OYFP's work helps encourage that sense of community, that sense of belonging to a place, where you would help a stranger just because you wanted them to be ok.

When was the last time you helped a stranger?