Volunteer Boston: Get On Your Feet

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

If they can give, you can too

Times are tough, I get it. But if these homeless men in Detroit can raise $500 to adopt four families this Christmas, I'm sure you can spare $25 to buy a toy for a kid.

Homeless people, as in - they don't have a home, one of the basic necessities of life - are giving this season.

What's your excuse now?

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

Friday, December 5, 2008

Snoop Dog and Martha Stewart, Sitting in a Tree: TGIF

This video just about made my Friday. Martha and Snoop Dog have the pitter patter of a cooking show together down to a science, or should I say, "sizz-ience." Who would have thought Martha Stewart would be self aware enough to bring on an unexpected guest like Snoop?

Courtesy of Extreme Craft.

Buy Local for the Holidays

So the "experts" finally realized that we are in a recession. Thanks for FINALLY admitting what we all have known to be true for awhile now. With the terrible economy many are choosing to

scale back on their purchases for the holidays.

However if are able to buy gifts this year, you can really help the local economy if you buy from local vendors. Where to find these local vendors? Come on out this Sunday to the Bazaar Bizarre at the Castle at Park Plaza on the corner of Arlington Street & Columbus Avenue in Boston.

Bazaar Bizarre began in 2001 in the Boston-area as a celebration of local artists and their handcrafted DIY wares to sell and at the same time staging an offbeat entertainment extravaganza. If you're looking for gifts that are unique, I guarantee this place has it.

Details
Date: Sunday December 7, 2008
Place: The Castle at Park Plaza
Time: Noon-7pm
Cost: $1 to get in

Related Posts: The R-word, Sock Monkeys for Charity, designgive - creativity is a gift
Photo Courtesy of http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Stay Healthy During the Holidays

So this post isn't exactly about volunteering, or doing good for others... but it is about doing good for yourself. 'Tis the season for weight gain. We're talking the annual "freshman 15" from all the booze, fruitcake, and rich foods you'll be eating this season, combined with the occasional pizza or Indian food takeout. It's not good for your figure, nor for your heart.

No worries, I'm not one to play Grinch of Holiday Yumminess. However, there are a few things I'm going to do this season that I thought you might want to do too:

1. Before going out to eat (or maybe at the table on my iPhone), I'm going to check out this handy dandy Eating Out Guide from the American Heart Association. It doesn't just tell you "order the chicken fillet instead of the burger," it includes "ethnic" foods, which are my favorites! You can still eat Indian food, but do so in a more healthy way.

2. Eggnog fan? Try a glass of half eggnog, half 1% milk, splash of whatever alcohol it is you put in eggnog. And make it a small glass while you're at it.

3. Try a little bit (like a bite) of all the desserts, and then stop. No really. Stop.

4. Go for a walk at lunch. Not only will this get your heart pumping, but the sunlight and vitamin D will help stave off seasonal affective disorder (read: winter makes me sad).

5. Go to the gym with a friend. Ok maybe some of you doobies out there actually go to the gym the required number of times per week, but I'm not one of them. I don't even belong to one right now. Too boring. But add a friend? I'm hoping for magic, or at the very least, discipline.

Any tips for staying healthy through the holidays? Please share.

Monday, December 1, 2008

World AIDS Day - How to celebrate

Today is World AIDS Day.

Why should you care?

Well, according to the Centers for Disease Control, at the end of 2003, an estimated 1,039,000 to 1,185,000 persons in the United States were living with HIV/AIDS, with 24%-27% undiagnosed and unaware of their HIV infection. The CDC estimated that approximately 56,300 people were newly infected with HIV in 2006 (the most recent year that data are available).

This means one of your partners could have HIV/AIDS and not know it, putting you at risk.

And the US population with HIV/AIDS is minuscule compared to the rest of the world. More than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981. Africa has 11.6 million AIDS orphans. And at the end of 2007, women accounted for 50% of all adults living with HIV worldwide, and for 59% in sub-Saharan Africa.*

What can you do about it?

1. Be safe. Have safe sex (read: condoms, folks), and if you're frequently using needles, make sure they're clean.

2. Donate money to the Boston Living Center, the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, or the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.

3. Volunteer locally in Boston at the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts or at the Boston Living Center. Volunteering internationally is always an option too!

4. Attend one of the Boston area World AIDS Day events, including a memorial service at the Boston Living Center; a talk at the MIT Museum entitled "AIDS: When will it end?"; or a chamber concert benefiting the AIDS Action Committee.

Either way, it's time to take action.