Gap's Give and Get

If you are going to be spicing up your wardrobe for spring (its coming soon, I promise!) at the Gap, Banana Republic or Old Navy this weekend, why not take advantage of a discount - who doesn't love saving money? And the best part is, while you get 30% off your purchase, the Gap will donate 5% to a charity! A win, win situation if you ask me. Here's a link to the Give and Get site and here's a link to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society coupon. Happy Shopping!

Clean Out Your Closet For A Good Cause

Thursday marks the first day of spring and it's time to gear up for the traditional ritual of spring cleaning. While it isn’t time to break out the shorts and flip flops just yet in Boston, it’s a good time to clean out your closet and put the clothes you have outgrown to good use.

While there are a variety of organizations that are in need of charitable clothing donations, the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation makes it easy for me to donate. I don’t have a car and I really appreciate that they come and pick up the items from my apartment so I don’t need to carry garbage bags of clothing across town on the T.

Your unwanted clothing and household items can help Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay serve more kids. How? The Big Brother Big Sister Foundation will pick up these items from your home. And you benefit by receiving a tax deduction for the fair market value of the donated items. The proceeds from the sales of these items at consignment shops are used to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay and other Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies in the region.

To arrange a pick up, visit the Schedule a Pick-Up Web page. You can also call 800-483-5503 or send an e-mail with your name, address, phone number and best time to pick up these items to donate@bbbsfoundation.org.

Just make sure anything you donate is clean and in good condition. It’s a great feeling to donate old clothes and items that you don’t want or need knowing that you’ve cleaned out your space and helped others in the process.

Related Posts: Don't throw out your old TV; Spring Cleaning, part deux, How you doin?; Clean out your closet for a good cause; Turn Off Your TV Week

Team In Training: One Way to Make a Difference

Everyone has a cause that is near and dear to their heart. Let me tell you about one of mine.

Last spring, I signed up to participate in Team In Training. Participants of all athletic levels are supported in achieving the ultimate goal of running or walking a half or full marathon, or taking part in a triathlon or cycling event. In exchange for their training and support, you fund raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The money you raise will go towards finding cures to help beat blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

Team In Training was one of the most worthwhile experiences of my life. I ran the Portland, Maine Marathon with the Society last fall. From raising over $2,000 for the Society on my own to crossing the finish line, it proves that “impossible” is just a state of mind. The coaches, staff and Honored Heroes were amazing. Everyone was so supportive and you really do feel like you are making a difference. While $2,000 seems like a small sum in the grand scheme of things, Team In Training has raised over $700 million over the past 20 years, not too shabby.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can visit the Massachusetts Team in Training site or The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society page.

The below clips sums up why I am passionate about raising funds and finding a cure -- Leukemia is is the number one cause of death of children under the age of 15. Have the tissues ready.

Super Hunger Month 2008

January is Super Hunger Month, which benefits The Greater Boston Food Bank. The Greater Boston Food Bank partners with more than 600 hunger-relief agencies in the nine counties of eastern Massachusetts to provide food and grocery products for approximately 83,000 people each week and distribute nearly 30 million pounds of food annually.

The Super Hunger events taking place this month are:

• Boston Bruins Five For Fighting Hunger Can & Cash Drive: Bruins fans attending the January 17th game are encouraged to donate five cans or $5 to The Greater Boston Food Bank.
• Super Hunger Chef Challenge: A dinner hosted by the Four Seasons Hotel Boston where renowned chefs Jody Adams of Rialto, Marc Orfaly of Pigalle and Marco, and TV Celebrity Chef Jon Ashton try to out cook each other with food items donated to the Food Bank. Tickets are $250.
• Super Hunger Brunch: On Saturday & Sunday, January 26 and 27, some of Boston’s finest restaurants will be serving brunch and donating their time, food and services. Prix fixe menus are $25, $35, or $50. What a deal!
• Super Hunger Online Auction: Starting January 17, you can bid and possibly win culinary-themed items and packages such as cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and a weekend getaway.
• Super Hunger On Your Own: If none of the above isn’t right for you, you can still help. You can host a potluck at home and ask your guests to make a donation to support The Greater Boston Food Bank. Conduct a food drive, volunteer at the Food Bank or make a donation. I can personally say volunteering at the Food Bank is a rewarding experience and is a fun activity to do with a group of friends. We all play a role in ending hunger.

'Tis the Season to Change the Present

It's December 21 and there are not a lot of shopping days left in the holiday season! Earlier, Liz highlighted some gift-giving ideas that help make a difference in the Boston community and I wanted to highlight Changing The Present, a nonprofit Web site that offers gifts that makes the world a better place.

Instead of giving a scarf or slippers, you can choose from a variety of causes or search for a nonprofit to make a donation. For example, You can fill a bookshelf for $50, clothe a girl for $25, adopt a beach for $20 or another cause that the recipient cares about.

Changing The Present also has a variety of tools for nonprofits, helping nonprofits raise awareness and raise money, including some of the $250 billion that people in this country spend each year on traditional gifts. They also have a Facebook application, allowing friends to purchase $1 virtual gifts that benefit nonprofits.

I did a quick search for Boston nonprofits, but didn't find any that had an account set up.

Changing the world isn’t easy, but this is a great place to start.

Benefits of Volunteering

Alexdandra Levit at Water Cooler Wisdom recently posted about the different benefits of volunteering outside of the valid, but obvious “to feel good and give back” answers. Two of the reasons that resonate with me are:

• A say over your destiny and a sense of purpose: So much of what happens in life we can’t control, but volunteering allows us to choose how and where we spend our time and efforts, and allows us to make a tangible difference in the world. This especially comes in handy if you work in a situation where the means in which you help others is a little murky – for example, in a corporate law firm or a consumer goods company.
  
• The ability to try out a leadership role: Volunteer organizations need people to coordinate projects, and they usually aren’t picky about how old you are, your background, or your experience. You may find yourself in a position to achieve more than you ever dreamed possible.

Take a look at the rest of the list at Ms. Levit's work and life blog.

OYFP allows me to have a positive impact on the Boston community, whereas at work, it is sometimes hard to see that type of impact. With OYFP, I get to share my knowledge of PR and run with it. Plus, I've meet lots of great people as well! Why do you volunteer?

And for those of you who don’t volunteer, but would like to, as always, OYFP welcomes new members! If OYFP isn't up your alley, here a few places to start to find something that fits your interests and location:

• VolunteerMatch


• Network for Good


• idealist.org