Everyone is struggling in this rough economy and your favorite organizations are struggling even more. That's why when I read about all the innovate, convenient ways non-profits are helping us give back, in the January issue of Marie Claire, I knew I had to shout it from the mountain tops. Or just post it on my blog.
1. Common Kindness is perfect for every Extreme Couponer. Create and select the non-profits closest to your heart. Print out coupons to start saving. For every coupon you use, Common Kindness will charge the company a quarter and donate 5 cents to your choice organizations. Simple as pie.
2. Entertain yourself and strengthen your vocabulary at Freerice.com. With every correct question you answer, 10 grains of rice is donated through the World Food Programme to help end hunger. FYI - there are a little over 10,000 grains of rice in a cup. Don't ask how I know this.
3. Calling all YouTube Lovers aka everyone. Visit the VISO Give channel at Youtube.com/user/give. This channel showcases videos from non-profits and documentary film makers worldwide. For every video watched on VISO Give, money is directly donated to that cause.
4. Feed that online shopping habit while feeding an organization. GoodShop works with thousands of your favorite retailers - Amazon, TARGET, J.Crew, Apple - by donating a percentage of your purchase to charity. No you will not be paying extra. A portion, of the amount you are already paying, will be donated to charity. Each merchant donates different percentages, but goodshop.com provides more detailed information.
5. Sparked.com is for that busy individual who doesn't even have a moment to breath. It puts volunteering for busy professionals, right at their fingertips. Marie Claire says, "You can offer ideas for a nonprofit's fundraiser, write a letter to an underprivileged child, create a new logo for an organization that can't afford a graphic designer and more." So what are you waiting for?! Bring out your iPhone or iPad and start writing!
6. And for all you runners out there.... I'm talking to you Lauren Pantzer. Run for Congo Women is a global run/walk benefiting Women for Women International's Congo program. Women for Women provides financial aid, job training, rights awareness and leadership education in the eight countries where it's operated. Run for Congo Women specifically helps Women for Women International with female survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts destroying their country.
Now that you've read all this, don't tell me you don't have time to give back.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
The Homeless and the Hammer
This evening I saw a large group (15 or so) Dominican and Puerto Ricans teasing and harassing a homeless fellow, who obviously had mental problems. As I strolled the bodega looking for items to amass to the $5 debit card minimum, the outside commotion grew louder and louder. At first I assumed it was neighborhood hoodlums duking it out, but later noticed the homeless man bringing out a hammer to attack the bullies.
The group backed away, but continued to antagonize him. I don't know what came of the situation, but I do know karma is a bitch. And those peons should be careful.
---
My New Year's Eve was spent babysitting four, attention deprived, sugar hungry children. Two of them being the children of the woman from my "Ex-Boyfriend" post. That's right. I was in his hood on New Year's Eve and I knew I would be, so I devised a plan on how to react in case of a run-in. The plan was so well put together, that when I thought I saw him walking towards his building, I hid inside a bush behind his building. You read correctly. I hid inside of a bush, behind his building.
Just to clear things up. Hiding in a bush was not part of the plan, but being so startled the original, more adult like plan flew out the window. Till this day, I don't know what my plan was. Oh and wait... that's not the worst part. Not only was I caught by the security guard of his building and awkwardly stammered and fumbled my poorly explained explanation to why a grown woman is hiding in a bush - so poor that I didn't even finish explaining before trotting away - but it wasn't even him. It was someone who walked like him and sort of resembled him.
This is my life.
The group backed away, but continued to antagonize him. I don't know what came of the situation, but I do know karma is a bitch. And those peons should be careful.
---
My New Year's Eve was spent babysitting four, attention deprived, sugar hungry children. Two of them being the children of the woman from my "Ex-Boyfriend" post. That's right. I was in his hood on New Year's Eve and I knew I would be, so I devised a plan on how to react in case of a run-in. The plan was so well put together, that when I thought I saw him walking towards his building, I hid inside a bush behind his building. You read correctly. I hid inside of a bush, behind his building.
Just to clear things up. Hiding in a bush was not part of the plan, but being so startled the original, more adult like plan flew out the window. Till this day, I don't know what my plan was. Oh and wait... that's not the worst part. Not only was I caught by the security guard of his building and awkwardly stammered and fumbled my poorly explained explanation to why a grown woman is hiding in a bush - so poor that I didn't even finish explaining before trotting away - but it wasn't even him. It was someone who walked like him and sort of resembled him.
This is my life.
Friday, January 6, 2012
E-PEW-me
Living in New York provides easy access to many Catholic Churches that distance is never a reason to why I can't make it to mass on Sunday mornings. So, when I do finally drag myself away from doing laundry to worship Jesús Christo, I choose to sit on the edge of the last pew. No, it's not because I'm a late comer, or I'm afraid to be struck down by the big man on campus. I just don't like feeling as though "escaping without doing the walk of shame" isn't an option.
But what really gets me is when another church goer decides to screw up my whole plan and ask me to scoot down so they now block me in, when a perfectly edge free pew is open directly in front of me. Who do they think they are?! You just ruined my plan and leaving mestuck unable to exit, if necessary.
ASS.
---
It baffles me how people work harder to make non-legal binding relationships work than they do marriages. Seriously. I know of so many people in funktastic relationships that are held together by the thread of dear life that choose to hold on kicking and screaming. Sidenote - Dude... let go. This shit will not and should not last. You look desperate, pathetic and what other demeaning words that fall in between. But married folk divorce on the simple basis "He doesn't listen to me anymore".
Really?! Stop fooling yourself. He never listened to you before you were married. You selfishly wasted that $5000 Monique Lhuillier dress when you knew things weren't going to change. Did you think that by some miracle, he'd start listening because of the binding contract between the state of [insert state here] and you, that it would fix itself? You, my dear, were deluded. You were just to lazy and self-involved to make it work and quit on your future.
Honestly though. I see more and more failed relationships working than I see marriages. Is there something wrong with our society, or is this life running its course?
---
My holiday trip to Houston was fantabulous. The holiday music, cherub fountains on the lawns and daily carolers would have been added bonuses, but my mum, sister and bestfriend had to suffice.
For real though, I don't think I laughed so hard...ever. Many evil, funny comments were made. The worst being from my mum in the drivers license office,"Those Mexican children need to be careful and stop laughing at him. He could go outside, strap on a bomb and teach them a lesson."
I know... you're probably thinking she's racist, but you know what...
Forget it. I don't have the time of day to defend the obvious. Long story short, it's funny and I had an amazing trip to H-Town.
But what really gets me is when another church goer decides to screw up my whole plan and ask me to scoot down so they now block me in, when a perfectly edge free pew is open directly in front of me. Who do they think they are?! You just ruined my plan and leaving me
ASS.
---
It baffles me how people work harder to make non-legal binding relationships work than they do marriages. Seriously. I know of so many people in funktastic relationships that are held together by the thread of dear life that choose to hold on kicking and screaming. Sidenote - Dude... let go. This shit will not and should not last. You look desperate, pathetic and what other demeaning words that fall in between. But married folk divorce on the simple basis "He doesn't listen to me anymore".
Really?! Stop fooling yourself. He never listened to you before you were married. You selfishly wasted that $5000 Monique Lhuillier dress when you knew things weren't going to change. Did you think that by some miracle, he'd start listening because of the binding contract between the state of [insert state here] and you, that it would fix itself? You, my dear, were deluded. You were just to lazy and self-involved to make it work and quit on your future.
Honestly though. I see more and more failed relationships working than I see marriages. Is there something wrong with our society, or is this life running its course?
---
My holiday trip to Houston was fantabulous. The holiday music, cherub fountains on the lawns and daily carolers would have been added bonuses, but my mum, sister and bestfriend had to suffice.
For real though, I don't think I laughed so hard...ever. Many evil, funny comments were made. The worst being from my mum in the drivers license office,"Those Mexican children need to be careful and stop laughing at him. He could go outside, strap on a bomb and teach them a lesson."
I know... you're probably thinking she's racist, but you know what...
Forget it. I don't have the time of day to defend the obvious. Long story short, it's funny and I had an amazing trip to H-Town.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
5:00 PM Wake-Up
I live in the Dominican Republic which sounds great but really isn't. Here are personalized letters to my neighbors.
To the pre-teen Dominican girls -
Hopefully you will grow into your "beauty" but until then, stop wearing that bright pink lipstick. It only enhances your full grown mustache and chewbacca like eyebrows that for some reason unite in the middle. Maybe it's genetic, maybe it's not. I don't know. What I do know is that sexy look you're going for to woo the boys that brought you to McDonald's, isn't cutting it. It wouldn't cut it at DOTS, so it sure as hell wouldn't cut it in the real world.
Sincerely,
Me
P.S. McDonald's not a hang out. It's a place for the homeless to bathe and stay warm. Please try somewhere else.
---
To the woman who I held the door open for -
Besides setting an example for your son, you've also gone to show that you're an ungrateful beast. I stood in the cold for you to come out the door and you repay me by whacking me on your way out, as I was the problem. Ugh... you're lucky you found me on a good day.
-Me
---
To the grown boys on the corner all day -
Why are you not in school is the main concern. Honestly, when it's raining cats and dogs you surround your stoop all day, as if you get paid to do so; which I'm sure you don't because the only conversation I've ever heard you have is how someone is stupid, or the girl your trying to get with. You're not bad ass or scary. If you want a taste of scary, come meet the Southern Hispanics. You wouldn't survive a day in their crew.
Sadly not impressed,
Me
P.S. I know in those stacks of hundreds you're counting, the center is filled with dollar bills. Stop trying to be fancy.
To the pre-teen Dominican girls -
Hopefully you will grow into your "beauty" but until then, stop wearing that bright pink lipstick. It only enhances your full grown mustache and chewbacca like eyebrows that for some reason unite in the middle. Maybe it's genetic, maybe it's not. I don't know. What I do know is that sexy look you're going for to woo the boys that brought you to McDonald's, isn't cutting it. It wouldn't cut it at DOTS, so it sure as hell wouldn't cut it in the real world.
Sincerely,
Me
P.S. McDonald's not a hang out. It's a place for the homeless to bathe and stay warm. Please try somewhere else.
---
To the woman who I held the door open for -
Besides setting an example for your son, you've also gone to show that you're an ungrateful beast. I stood in the cold for you to come out the door and you repay me by whacking me on your way out, as I was the problem. Ugh... you're lucky you found me on a good day.
-Me
---
To the grown boys on the corner all day -
Why are you not in school is the main concern. Honestly, when it's raining cats and dogs you surround your stoop all day, as if you get paid to do so; which I'm sure you don't because the only conversation I've ever heard you have is how someone is stupid, or the girl your trying to get with. You're not bad ass or scary. If you want a taste of scary, come meet the Southern Hispanics. You wouldn't survive a day in their crew.
Sadly not impressed,
Me
P.S. I know in those stacks of hundreds you're counting, the center is filled with dollar bills. Stop trying to be fancy.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Determined
I chased down a USPS truck today, because it had a package that I've been waiting to receive. This may seem normal, but do you know how many USPS trucks are on a block in New York?! Neither did I until I got to truck number six, on the same block and they too didn't have my package.
Long story short, truck number lucky seven had the package.
That lucky number seven. You never cease to cheer me up.
Long story short, truck number lucky seven had the package.
That lucky number seven. You never cease to cheer me up.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
My Ex-Boyfriend
My first week in New York, I met a man. He fit everything on my exception list (French and older), plus his great job was an unexpected additive. We dated for about a month an a half, and one day he became my ex-boyfriend. I'm not going to go into details, but I was sad. Not because I thought I could have done things differently, or because he broke my heart. I was sad because that's just how I felt. I liked him and he liked me and there were no questions about it.
It's been almost a month since I've spoken or seen him, and I've intentionally avoided his area like the plague. I thought I could continue this charade until I was capable enough to bump into him without stuttering from anxiety. That day hasn't come and because my life likes to throw boulders in my path while riding a bike on a beautiful Sunday, life wasn't going to wait until I was ready either.
Friday, I messaged a mother looking for a part-time nanny for her children. She wanted someone who spoke French as well as English, so her rugrats didn't forget what they learned, their year abroad. We quickly hit it off and made plans to meet her, and her children the next day, in her home. "Good job, Tillie" is what your probably screaming but wait! She lived in the conjoined building directly next to my ex. It's so direct, that I have to walk through his building entrance to get to her building. And because life didn't think that was enough, I found out they work in the same department at work. Ugh.
I went for the interview and as I walked to her building this overwhelming amount of heat overcame me. It was freezing cold outside and though I was properly dressed in leggings, boots and a parka, I wound up stripping off my parka to prevent further sweat beads from streaming down my forehead. Lucky for me, I didn't run into him, but the mother really liked me and there are amazing perks to the position that only a fool would pass up.
Now it's the day after and I sit waiting for her decision. A decision that affects me more than she knows.
It's been almost a month since I've spoken or seen him, and I've intentionally avoided his area like the plague. I thought I could continue this charade until I was capable enough to bump into him without stuttering from anxiety. That day hasn't come and because my life likes to throw boulders in my path while riding a bike on a beautiful Sunday, life wasn't going to wait until I was ready either.
Friday, I messaged a mother looking for a part-time nanny for her children. She wanted someone who spoke French as well as English, so her rugrats didn't forget what they learned, their year abroad. We quickly hit it off and made plans to meet her, and her children the next day, in her home. "Good job, Tillie" is what your probably screaming but wait! She lived in the conjoined building directly next to my ex. It's so direct, that I have to walk through his building entrance to get to her building. And because life didn't think that was enough, I found out they work in the same department at work. Ugh.
I went for the interview and as I walked to her building this overwhelming amount of heat overcame me. It was freezing cold outside and though I was properly dressed in leggings, boots and a parka, I wound up stripping off my parka to prevent further sweat beads from streaming down my forehead. Lucky for me, I didn't run into him, but the mother really liked me and there are amazing perks to the position that only a fool would pass up.
Now it's the day after and I sit waiting for her decision. A decision that affects me more than she knows.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Pretty in Pink
According to Marie Claire's October 2011 issue, the National Institute of Health allocated $763 million to the study of breast cancer last year which is more than double what they provided to any other cancer. This year the Department of Defense gave $150 million to fund breast cancer research and last year Susan G. Komen grossed $420 million. With all this constant funding, for a good cause, two things have always crossed my mind - 1. I know there are more diseases in the world that are ailing our community, that have been out shined by breast cancer, and 2. with all profitable good deeds lurk snakes that want to profit from the sick (some organizations pocket 90 cents of every dollar raised).
I'm all for the research of diseases to cure the sick, and preventatives for future generations but many of them aren't getting the proper funding. How often do you pay an extra dollar at Walgreen's in aid of the Juvenile Diabetes fight; how about pledging to Step Up to Cancer? Probably $0. But let me wave a pink trinket in your face and say part of the proceeds go to helping in breast cancer research, I'm sure you'd buy two or three, just to be apart of something monumental.
It's true that 110 woman die each day of breast cancer, but did you know more than five children die each day of child abuse, 80% of them being under the age of 4; Every day 16,000 children die of hunger; 1 in 7 kids go to bed without food in the US; 29,959 Lyme disease cases were reported in 2009. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to pull you away from purchasing those pink Ralph Lauren scarves, it just really bothers me that other things are taking lives of our mothers, sisters, friends, brothers, neighbors, etc, but their fight is being somewhat ignored.
I know that I give in and purchase pink inspired trophies, but I also donate to other causes when asked. Hell, I even "adopted" a child because a man on Prince and Broadway explained how my $22 a month could change my son's life.
Ugh... I'm sure many are angered about my bias opinion on breast cancer organizations or delighted that someone had the balls to speak up. Either way, I'm not looking for criticism or cheers; just an outlet to voice my opinion.
I'm all for the research of diseases to cure the sick, and preventatives for future generations but many of them aren't getting the proper funding. How often do you pay an extra dollar at Walgreen's in aid of the Juvenile Diabetes fight; how about pledging to Step Up to Cancer? Probably $0. But let me wave a pink trinket in your face and say part of the proceeds go to helping in breast cancer research, I'm sure you'd buy two or three, just to be apart of something monumental.
It's true that 110 woman die each day of breast cancer, but did you know more than five children die each day of child abuse, 80% of them being under the age of 4; Every day 16,000 children die of hunger; 1 in 7 kids go to bed without food in the US; 29,959 Lyme disease cases were reported in 2009. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to pull you away from purchasing those pink Ralph Lauren scarves, it just really bothers me that other things are taking lives of our mothers, sisters, friends, brothers, neighbors, etc, but their fight is being somewhat ignored.
I know that I give in and purchase pink inspired trophies, but I also donate to other causes when asked. Hell, I even "adopted" a child because a man on Prince and Broadway explained how my $22 a month could change my son's life.
Ugh... I'm sure many are angered about my bias opinion on breast cancer organizations or delighted that someone had the balls to speak up. Either way, I'm not looking for criticism or cheers; just an outlet to voice my opinion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)