the deal of a lifetime [volunteer opportunity]

So budgets are tight and pennies are gettin' pinched, but it doesn't mean you have to put giving on hold... Listen up, kiddos, for a FREE (that's right, F-R-E-E) way to help some families out.

On Saturday, June 14th, OYFP and Christopher's Haven are hosting a Volunteer Work Day from 11AM-4PM. Christopher's Haven provides temporary housing for families who are here in Boston because their children are receiving cancer treatment at Mass General Hospital.

The organization has just acquired a new apartment to open up to another family, but they need help setting it up. Tasks include opening boxes, setting up the new kitchen, assembling IKEA furniture, and maybe even walking around the block to pick up menus from nearby restaurants and shops.

And did I mention that a PIZZA lunch will be provided? How can you beat that? Good times with OYFPers (who have been known to bust out and let loose on several occasions!) AND pizza AND a chance to create a warm, welcoming home for a family in need of some care ALL AT NO COST TO YOU.

So whatcha' waitin' for?! Sign up today by contacting Hannah Kim at hannah.kim@oyfp.org

Related posts: Pick our new partner; We Rocked; Salsa one step at a time

All photos are from the ChristophersHaven.org website, and are of families staying with Christopher's Haven while their kids get treatment for brain cancer.

Olympics in China - Has anything really changed?

With the recent earthquake in China, the Chinese government has had a respite from criticism around the Tibet issue. Instead, the focus has rightly been on helping those people in immediate need. (And in immediate need they still are.) China has been unusually open in the aftermath of the earthquake, allowing journalists to access many of the regions, and welcoming foreign aid unlike Myanmar.

However, that does not mean that China's overall human rights have improved overnight. There was hope that by giving Beijing the honor of hosting the Olympics, the Olympic committee could have a positive impact on China's human rights. Unlike in past years, though, the details of the contract to host the Olympics have not been made public.

Thus far there doesn't seem to be much actual change. China's relations with Tibet have not improved, and the recently released rules and regulations for all Olympics-bound foreigners (as determined by the Beijing organizing committee) are very strict.

Sure, everyone understands that China doesn't want you to bring opium into the country. But they also prohibit “anything detrimental to China’s politics, economy, culture or moral standards, including printed material, film negatives, photos, records, movies, tape recordings, videotapes, optical discs and other items.”

This is the kind of thing Chinese citizens are subject to all the time. Heck, even the internet, which to most people represents ultimate freedom of information, is censored in China (an example of the censorship).

Little reminders like this make me feel lucky to live in the United States, and inspire me to take action to help reform China's regulations.

Some organizations working for freedom of information in China or with resources about the problem:

• Amnesty International on China
• Global Voices Advocacy
  
• Chinh's News
• Gabriel Real World News
• Chinese Internet Censorship from the CyberCrimes Blog
  

Related Posts: An Olympic Debate; Earthquake in China; Global Volunteering; Tornadoes, Cyclones, and Disaster Relief ; Champions of a Cause

Photo courtesy of StuckinCustoms.com's series "Back Streets of Beijing."
Thanks to Krystle for the article idea!

The winner of Best Hobby Blog is...

...Volunteer Boston!!! Thank you so much for all your votes. Your dedication made a difference - it showed that volunteering is important, and, um, can be a hobby?.

Now to use this award to lift us to new and amazing heights... I know it has certainly inspired me to keep writing. And volunteering, of course.

We're as happy as this chicky, and we didn't even get an actual ribbon!

Photo courtesy of BandanaMom.

Bikes Not Bombs

Bikes Not Bombs “promotes bicycle technology as a concrete alternative to war and environmental destruction.”

For over 23 years, Bikes Not Bombs, in Jamaica Plain, has been a center for bike recycling and community involvement. Bikes Not Bombs’ programs recycle approximately 5,000 used bicycles every year. Bikes Not Bomb’s has sent over “33,000 bikes to Central America, the Caribbean and Africa (and New Orleans) in the last 24 years.”

On Sunday, June 8^th from 12:00-5:30PM Bikes Not Bombs is holding the Green Roots Festival. The event is free and open to the public. They will have live music, food, speakers, workshops on environmental issues, information booths by environmental groups, and children's activities. Check this for a full schedule.

Need a new bike? Check out their retail shop. Want to donate your old ride? Bike Not Bombs accepts donations. Feel like getting involved? Volunteer here.

It is the belief of Bikes Not Bombs that “lasting peace and social justice require equitable and sustainable use of resources. Bikes Not Bombs provides community-based education and assists development projects with recycled bicycles, related technologies and technical assistance, as concrete alternatives to the militarism, over-consumption & inequality that breed war and environmental destruction. Their organization is part of a worldwide movement for peace and responsible stewardship of the earth.”

Related Posts: Biking to Work in Boston; Was it Green?; The Greenest Generation

Don't Forget About Your Pet

Some would say that our economy is currently in recession. Whether you agree with it or not, you will have heard that the economy outlook is not so good for 2008. With people concentrating on making payments to their adjustable rate loan rate they may not have money to pay for food for their beloved pets.

Some pets even become abandoned, according to Brian Adams, Spokesman for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Mr. Adams continues to say, "We've seen dogs that have either been chained up outside or left in the yard when the people have left, we've seen cats who are just set free''.

If you own a pet and can no longer pay for their food or shelter here are some places you can take your pet so they can find a new loving home.

• MSPCA
  
• Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center (617) 522-5055
• Metro South Animal Care and Adoption Center (508) 586-2053
• Nevins Farm (978) 687-7453
• The Animal Rescue League of Boston (617) 426-9170
  

• Dedham branch: (781) 326-0729
• Lower Cape Cod branch: (508) 255-1030

To find other shelters in your area, go to petfinder.com. Out in your zipcode on the left hand side to search for Animal Welfare Groups.

If you also have the time and resources available may I also suggest to use petfinder.com to find the pet you are looking for. That's how I found my rescue dog, and couldn't be more happier with her. I mean, who is going to say no to that face!

Related Posts: Moose Plays Dead; Recycling Dog; Sock monkeys for charity;It's the economy, stupid; What is this credit crisis you speak of, and why do I care?; An economic recovery plan, in a cup; The R-Word; Penny Pinchin' Times

Photo Coutesy of: Moi

Volunteering at Lunch: It's reading time!

Every other Friday, I go to elementary school for a little learning.

Not because I failed to learn my multiplication tables or because my family died of dysentery on the Oregon Trail and I need to repeat 4th grade, but because my employer participates in the Everybody Wins! Power Lunch program.

It's not some corporate networking event where bigwigs pow-wow.
It's not about teaching elementary school.
It's not even about lunch.

It's about reading to the kids.

Specifically, the kid you have been paired up with for the year. Once a week, each of us volunteers comes to the school at lunchtime, collects our mentee from the cafeteria, and heads over to the library for a little one on one reading time.

Why reading? Well, according to the Everybody Wins! website, in two independent evaluations, Power Lunch emerged as one of very few programs documented to effectively impact low-income students in reading comprehension, motivation and achievement, as well as overall academic performance, classroom behavior, self-confidence and social skills.

Wow. I can do all that just by showing up once a week at lunchtime to read to Melissa? Not only that, but I get to field some pretty funny questions. We've talked about why 3rd graders don't need padded bras, why her sister came back from Russia, and how to pick how an interesting chapter book.

It's pretty simple, really. Since I've partnered up with one of my co-workers, I only read every other week, which allows for any intervening work issues. It all takes place during lunch - when I'd normally be drinking my Fresca and chatting with co-workers anyway. All I had to do before being qualified as a reader was to show up to a brief orientation and complete a CORI background check.

And, the whole thing was relatively easy for my employer to set up. Everybody Wins! simply asks for a small annual donation from the employers to help support the program. The staff then assigns the employer's interested volunteers to an elementary school nearby that participates in the Power Lunch program.

Really, Everybody does Win. Corporations are able to give back to the community around them. Employees are able to volunteer within their often busy work schedules and home life. And the kids, well, the kids are the real beneficiaries. More than 87% of Power Lunchers improved their reading comprehension, and were five times more likely to have improved classroom behavior.

So. Get your employer involved. Everybody Wins! is a national non-profit - bring it to your area. Make the difference in the life of a child. Make a difference in your own life.


Related Posts: Public libraries are your friend; Hats off to the Italian Home for Children; YouthBuild; Hearts and Crafts; Eyes Wide Shut

Photo courtesy of Crimfants.