World AIDS Day

December 1 is World AIDS Day. Started in 1988, World AIDS Day is essentially about increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education about HIV/AIDS.

2010 Theme: Universal Access and Human Rights

Currently, there are 3.3 million people living with HIV, including 2.5 million children. During 2009, some 2.6 million people became newly infected with the virus and an estimated 2.6 million people became infected with the virus and an estimated 1.8 million people died from AIDS.

These statistics may be hard to swallow and may not mean much, despite the large numbers-- one way to think about the epidemic is by listening to stories. HIV/AIDS is not a crime or a punishment. HIV/AIDS is a serious, yet preventable disease. December 1 is a great day to tear down the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and learn the facts.

How can you help?


Learn the facts and spread the word. Tell people about what you know and break down people's stereotypes and negative stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS

Wear a red ribbon. The red ribbon is an international symbol for HIV/AIDS awareness that is worn by people to show care, concern and support for people with HIV/AIDS.


Attend events in Boston and other places in MA about World AIDS day. There's lots of opportunities to get tested, watch films, and get educated about HIV/AIDS all other Boston and MA on December 1.

If you are a Boston University student, support & sign up for Dance Marathon in the spring. (Check out their blog: http://budancemarathon.blogspot.com/) For the past eight years, Dance Marathon has been the largest annual fundraiser at BU. Dance Marathon is able to donate thousands of dollars each year to two organizations that assist children and their families who are combating pediatric HIV/AIDS and fund research efforts to find a cure! (I wish I could do this this year, but I will be in Sydney, Australia studying abroad. Dance for me!!)

Take AVERT (an international HIV and AIDS charity, based in the UK, working to avert HIV/AIDS worldwide, through education, treatment, & care) quizzes and games to test your knowledge about HIV/AIDS, sex, pregnancy & condoms.


This is an important day and it's important we all show our support. In what ways will you support people with HIV/AIDS?

Ways to Help Charities, Non-Profits & People Without Money

Make a difference without emptying your wallet!

People often say you can't make a difference without spending money. But, as I've shown in my past posts, there are lots of ways to make a difference without spending a dime. Check out these 4 ways in particular that cost you nothing to help charities & the people they help:

Use the coupons you get for places like Shaws, CVS, Rite-Aid and Stop & Shop to get free food. (See the video below). If you don't need or like the particular item you get from the store, donate it to a local charity. What could be easier? Plus, it doesn't cost you anything.

If your hair is long enough and grows back fast, donate your hair to Locks of Love! Children lose their hair due to cancer treatments, alopecia, burns & other circumstances.  It is Locks of Love mission is to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children. The children receive hair prostheses free of charge or on a sliding scale, based on financial need.

Before you throw something away, visit Boston's Freecycle Network. This is a great website that helps the environment and people worldwide. Before tossing items (like an old fax machine, an old tennis shoe missing a pair, or an old picture frame)-- think to your self: Can someone use this? Simply join the Freecycle Network & post your item up and before no time-- someone is bound to want to use your item. 
You can even use FreeCycle to acquire something for yourself. Respond to a member's offer and you might just get it. Know, however, it's up to the giver to decide who receives the gifts and set up a pick up time to pass on the treasure.

Blog, Facebook, or Tweet about your favorite non-profit or charity. Word-of-mouth, especially via social networks and new media, is especially important because it lets people know about ways to volunteer and help different causes. People value the opinions of their friends and family and will value what you have to say and your advice about who to donate to or to volunteer with. Spread the word!

What ways do you help charities and non-profits for free?

Big Wishes for Little Wanderers Gift Drive

Black Friday is coming up (one of my most favorite days of the year)! With lots of money to save online or in store, Black Friday is a great day to knock out some Christmas shopping for your loved ones. Since your saving money with all the great deals, remember to not only think of friends and family but those in need when holiday shopping.


Imagine on Christmas, you didn't expect anything. Presents were something you only dreamed of. That's how the holidays are for a lot of people & children in this world. How can you change this?

One way is to participate in The Home for Little Wanderers Big Wishes Gift Drive! The Home for Little Wanderers, where I intern, is the nation's oldest child and family service agency and has been part of the Massachusetts landscape for over 200 years. Today, The Home serves thousands of children and families living in at-risk circumstances.


There are a couple of ways you can help:

• Drop off new, unwrapped gifts at The Home for Little Wanderer's Toy Room, 161 South Huntington Ave, Jamaica Plain, MA or any of the drop off locations near you.

• Select a gift for a particular child or family using their Wish List Website.
• This list gives you background on an individual child or family and lists their wishes. When you purchase the gift, you can know the gift is something the child/family will appreciate or needs.

• Gift Card Challenge-- Donate a gift card. Gift cards are especially helpful in fulfilling wishes of teens, an often over-looked population for donated gifts. Gift cards are also great because families can use the gift cards to shop for themselves or use them to take care of basic things, like food shopping and clothes shopping. The cool thing about the gift card challenge Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Cares and Bernie and Phyl's Furniture will match dollar to dollar up to $5,000 in gift card donations.

What is inspiring you to donate this year?

Mentor

Last year, I mentored a first grade girl through Boston University Community Service Center's Siblings program, designed to give children the opportunity to get involved with college students, who serve as a positive role models and good friends.

During my academic year as a mentor, my life was completely changed for the better. Every other week, I would do something fun with her. We would go to the dining hall, paint pottery, go bowling, go see a movie, go to the park-- whatever kind of adventure we wanted to get into. Every time I went to go pick her up, there she was waiting anxiously at the door before I even had time to ring the doorbell. Her face would light up and every time her mother would tell me how she just couldn't wait all week until I came to spend time with her. I watched my mentee grow from shy and anxious girl to a chatty, outgoing ball of sunshine. As the weeks went on, she taught me more and more about how to appreciate the little things and life.

Some cool reasons to become a Sibling (more listed on the CSC blog)

1. You will get a new friend who will look forward to hanging out with you-- no matter what.

2. You have an awesome excuse to relive your childhood at the Children's Museum.

3. The joy on your Sib's face when they accomplish something. I took my Sib bowling for her first time and when she got a strike she had this look of pure happiness that I will never forget.

4. A break from homework! It's fun to make bracelets, color and do something fun with your Sib instead of thinking about that big exam or working on that paper.

5. The smiles and the hugs! My sib would get so excited to see me every week. Sometimes, she would even make presents for me or draw pictures of me and give them to me when I came to hang out with her.


This program is only open to Boston University students. However, there are many other programs like siblings outside of BU that you can get involved in within Boston.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay covers 4 regions within MA: Greater Boston, Cape Cod & The Islands, Fall River & Greater Attleboro. Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest and largest mentoring organization in the country, serving young people nationwide—including here in the Massachusetts Bay area.  As a Big, you get to be a kid again for a couple of hours every couple of weeks and in the process change a kid’s perspective on life. All you have to do is be a real friend and involve your "Little" in things you probably do already, like play sports or play video games. To apply, visit here. If the time commitment is too large for you at this time, donating to the cause is always an option. 

Best Buddies is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. There are six different programs within Best Buddies to get involved in-- Best Buddies Citizens, Colleges, e-Buddies®, High Schools, Jobs and Middle Schools – that will positively impact more than 400,000 individuals this year alone. To volunteer, click here or donate to the cause.

Want to learn about more mentoring opportunities within Massachusetts? Check out the Mass Mentoring website,the umbrella organization for more than 165 mentoring programs throughout the state. This website makes it easy to find the right organization for you to find a mentee through.

Are you a mentor? Tell me why you became a mentor and how it changed your life.

Do you knit?

I, for one, do not knit. I wish I had the skills. My roommate is a crazy good knitter and knits up a storm blankets, hats, little yarn animals-- you name it. She's really good and she inspired me to blog ideas about where to donate knitted items in Boston.

If you possess the skill to knit (I wish I was that talented), you can donate your knitted goods & help lots of people!

Knit for Boston is a program that connects kindhearted crafters with local charities in need of clothing, blankets and other knittable items. Currently, the program donates items to Friends of Boston's Homeless, Cradles to Crayons, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, & Blum Cancer Resource Room at MGH.


As of right now, the need for donations include:

• Chemotherapy Caps
• Children's Sweaters, Hats, Scarves, Mittens--These items will be donated to Cradles to Crayons
• Mittens, Sweaters, Socks--These items will be donated to Friends of Boston's Homeless

How can you help? Send clean completed projects to: 
Knit for Boston
P.O. Box 425762
Cambridge, MA 02142

Warm Up America!, founded in 1991, started in the small Wisconsin town with neighbors knitting and crocheting afghans for neighbors in need.

Ways you can help:

• Crochet or knit 7" x 9" sections for Warm Up America!
• Joining sections into completed afghans
• Have your club, organization, book club, co-workers or friends all come together and knit for good cause. For example, the Boston University Knitting Club has all their new members create a square for Warm Up America!
• Donating yarns and needles/hooks to groups in your community
• Contributing money to expand Warm Up America! to groups nationwide

There are several other organizations worthy of knitted donations. Check out this complied list of Boston Knitting Charities. 

Do you knit? Where do you and your friends who knit donate items?

CAN you help people in Boston this Thanksgiving? YES!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It's a time to share what you are thankful for-- your family, friends, a roof over your shoulder, clothes on your back & the simplicities of life. Thanksgiving is also a time to give back & show others you care. There are plenty of ways to help people in Boston this November.

One way to donate canned goods at Boston University as part of the Great BU Can-Off this week. There are several drop off locations all throughout the BU campus, right in the heart of Boston. Help the campus reach their goal of 1,000 cans for those in need this holiday season! (Personally, as an active member of the Community Service Center, I recommend donating the cans to the Community Service Center on the 4th floor of the George Sherman Union at 775 Commonwealth Ave. It is a competition after all--:)-- but any of the locations at BU will do.) Helping others is all that matters.

Boston Can Share is an annual food drive sponsored by Mayor Menino, the Mayor's Advisory Committee on Hunger, FedEx and The Greater Boston Food Bank. Now in its 24th year, the Boston Can Share pairs with office suites & business through the city as drop off locations for people to donate canned foods during the month of November. At the end of November, the donated food collected by the Boston Can Share is transported by Fedex to the Greater Boston Food Bank, which serves as a distribution center to nearly 100 food pantries, emergency meal programs & shelters in Boston. During November, donate:

• Proteins such as canned tuna fish, salmon, chicken, turkey, beef stew, canned nuts, peanut butter & canned meats
• Canned beans and peas
• Canned fruits and vegetables, juices & dried fruits w/ no added sugar
• Milk either evaporated or powdered
• Pasta, oatmeal, & canned soups
• Non-perishable food
• Dry packaging & canned foods

The Food Bank is unable to distribute baby food, baby formula or food in class containers collected through food drives.

Need a pie for Thanksgiving? Purchase your Thanksgiving pies through Community Serving's Pie in the Sky. This Thanksgiving, buy a delicious apple, pecan, pumpkin or sweet potato pie & pick it up Wed, November 24 (the day before Thanksgiving) at 45 locations in the Greater Boston area. For $25, the cost of a single pie, Community Servings will be able to provide a week's worth of free, home-delivered meals to a man, woman or child who is battling a critical illness such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes or MS. Here is the order form for the yummy pies.

On Thanksgiving Day, you can participate in the Boston Volvo 5K Road Race in support of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. By participating in the Volvo 5K Road Race provides help through education, support, advocacy & research funded by the National MS Society, Greater New England Chapter. This makes a huge difference to the 19,000 people and their families in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire & Vermont-- and the 400,000 people nationwide-- who must live with MS every day of their lives. You can register before November 22 for $20 or register on-site of the race at Boston Volvo, 75 North Beacon St., Brighton, MA. There will be prizes for the top finishers.

Another way to help include inviting someone who doesn't have a place to go this Thanksgiving or can't afford to have Thanksgiving with their family who lives far away, to your Thanksgiving table. The more, the merrier! :)

Do you know of any other ways to help this Thanksgiving?

Veterans Day!

This Thursday is a very special day for two reasons.

1. It's my BIRTHDAY!! :) (I am finally turning 20. Took me long enough)

2. More importantly, November 11 is Veterans Day.

Maybe you are asking your self: Why is Veterans Day important? The answer is simple: Why isn't Veterans Day important?

It's not just a day on the calendar, but a day to remember, and be reminded of just how important our freedom is. Veterans Day is about all the brave men and women who keep our freedoms alive and strong. It's not about wars, past or present, or our opinions on them. Many soldiers may have the same opinion as many other citizens, but they serve, fight, and sometimes die, regardless of their political opinions.Veterans sacrificed their lives so you and I didn't have to. They answered the call so you and I could be free. This is such a brave and noble thing, and Veterans Day reminds us of this.

How can you show your support?

Know a veteran? Chances are someone in your family or someone you know has fought for our country. Call them and let them know you appreciate them.

In Boston, Vetrans Day will be celebrated in lots of different ways. Come out and show your support.

Gold Star families will join military and political leaders in Memorial Hall at the Statehouse on Thursday morning for the state's annual Veterans Day ceremony.


City of Boston Veterans Day Parade will start on the corner of Charles and Beacon Street and wind up at City Hall Plaza.

In other parts of MA:


The town of Middleborough will hold it's annual American Flag retirement ceremony.

Springfield Technical Community College is currently hosting an art show through Friday, Nov. 19 featuring works by veterans.

Another way to show your support is through Operation Gratitude.


*Write letters to veterans thanking them for all they did for our country. It may be long overdue-- but veterans will appreciate your kind words. You can also write to currently deployed service men, who are fighting as we speak for our freedom. Letters can make a big difference.


Look at this response from a veteran who received a handwritten letter:


"When I opened your envelope today and read your letter and the 3 others you have sent me, I was profoundly moved.  Through the years since I returned home, I have had people, from time to time, thank me for my service.  But this is the first time I have received letters sent from the heart by people who have no idea who I am.  Only the fact that I served.  With each one I read, I could feel the emotions welling up inside and when I finished the last one, I was filled to bursting with pride, love for my country, and love for my people.  Please accept my thanks for your thoughtfulness and caring.  I never thought letters like this could have such an effect.  You have given me a gift I will carry in my heart always. Sincerely, RM2 P.R. USCG"

Thank you Veterans and soldiers currently fighting for our country! We greatly appreciate you--not just on November 11, but every day of the year.

E-Cards

Thank goodness it is Friday. Wow, what a week. With midterms, work, volunteering and interning, I barely had time to sit down and breathe.

Something I received in an email this week, however, made me smile and got me through the chaos of what were a hectic five days: an e-card. One of my very good friends, who I had not talked in a few weeks, sent me an e-card telling me she was thinking of me. The message was not long at all, but the thought behind the message really made a difference:

"Amey, I miss you and just wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you. Good luck with everything! Love you!"

This got me thinking. How hard it is to fill out a small message and send off an e-card to someone you love? Whether it's their birthday, a holiday or just a random Wednesday, it doesn't take more than five minutes to send wonderful thoughts someone's way.

Right here in Boston, there are several places, like non-profits and museums that offer e-cards to send to your family, friends, boss or anyone else I haven't mentioned. 

Museum of Fine Arts has beautiful e-cards you can send to people. Some of them display beautiful paintings, while others show off some of the beautiful sculptures. I love the MFA and if you haven't been, you should definitely visit. (For those Boston University students, like me, admission is free for you-- so you should definitely consider visiting!)

I intern at The Home for Little Wanderers, the nation's largest child and family service agency whose administrative office is headquartered in Boston. This organization has adorable e-cards creatively designed by the kids in their programs. The Home helps thousands of children and families each year. By sending an e-card, not only will you be brightening someone's day, but you will be spreading awareness about The Home's mission.

Children's Hospital Boston also offers e-cards, two for this holiday season. By making a donation, you can send these e-cards to anyone you'd like and wish them a happy holiday season. They are so cute and by sending them will benefit Children's Hospital of Boston.

Okay, this may not be a place in Boston (but look at that face!). You can send Boston Terrier e-cards. They are so adorable and very Boston-y!

Here is a list of cool sites that offer free e-cards:

E-Cards from American Greetings

E-Greetings.com: Make Their Day

Care2.com E-Cards

I plan on sending one back to my friend and some people I've been neglecting to talk to due to my busy schedule. I want them to know I haven't forgotten them!

Have you received an e-card recently? Tell me about why it made your day.

Birthday Wishes

Since my birthday is in just a few days, I have had birthday on the brain.Growing up, almost every year, I had a birthday party of some sort and last year, I was even lucky enough to have my friends throw me a surprise party. Fortunately, I have great friends and family, who I know no matter what will celebrate with me on my special day.


But for the more than 3,000 homeless children staying in publicly-funded homeless shelters in Massachusetts, their birthdays often go without celebration. For the over 96,000 homeless children in Massachusetts, a birthday party is something a homeless child can only dream of.




Every child deserves to celebrate their birthday. This is where Birthday Wishes comes in.

The mission of Birthday Wishes is to bring birthday parties to homeless children. Birthday Wishes recognizes the importance of a birthday in a child's life and believes that the gift of a birthday celebration provides normalcy, joy and hope in these children's otherwise unsettled lives. The Birthday Wishes main office is located right in Newton Centre, MA, but have several other offices in Massachusetts, as well as other states.

There are many ways you can help out Birthday Wishes' cause:


1. Donate money, in-kind donations, or your time. Many of the wanted items include:

• Gifts for children 3 and under    
• $20 Stop & Shop gift cards 
• $35 gift cards for Gap, Dick's Sporting Goods, Old Navy, Target or Foot Locker
• Juice boxes
• Gifts for boys ages 8-13 (Red Sox/Patriots gear, basketballs, soccer balls, footballs, etc.) 
• Party supplies: birthday-themed gift-wrap and birthday-themed paper table covers
• Monetary donations
• Large birthday-themed gift bags
• Caran d'Ache face paints
• Batteries - AA and AAA
• Bulk supplies for Arts & Crafts projects

You can even look at the party schedule and see who the party will be for and what specific donations or number of volunteers are needed for that particular celebration.

2. Volunteer your time by:

-Volunteering your services at a Birthday Wishes party as a facepainter, cake-decorator, or magician. Any special talent you have could brighten someone's day. :)

-Becoming an office volunteer. Assist with day-to-day office tasks such as data entry, mailings, answering phones, receiving donations, and organizing files as well as putting together birthday boxes. 

-Volunteer at a party. Birthday Wishes parties require anywhere from 2-6 volunteers to help set up, engage the kids with crafts & games, serve cake and ensure a great time for everyone.

3. Throw a Birthday Wishes Themed Birthday Party! An impressively growing number of young people are choosing to support Birthday Wishes as the "theme" of their birthday parties. They provide a template invitation, which invites all attendees to bring an item for Birthday Wishes to the party (this is done either in lieu of or in addition to gifts for the birthday child – its up to you). When you bring in your items from the party to Birthday Wishes, they will take a picture of the birthday child with their donations for the newsletter.

Support Birthday Wishes on November 7th, 2010 at 5pm in its first annual Luminary Night. Simply light the luminaries on your front walks or driveways. Birthday Wishes Luminary Night is a special way to bring light and joy into the dark days of winter, while benefiting Birthday Wishes and the children the organization serves. Luminary Kits, can be purchased from Birthday Wishes, and will be dropped off at your home on Saturday, November 6. Each kit contains everything you will need for a dozen luminaries.

Birthdays should be special-- for everyone. Help the Birthday Wishes Cause. I think organizations like this need to be in every community. 

Have you ever donated or volunteered for Birthday Wishes or a similar cause? Share your story. I'd love to hear what impact you made.