Make Merry

Santa Claus came early to a Pennsylvania retailer recently. In December 2014, an anonymous man walked into a store and told the manager he wanted to donate $50,000 to help pay off customer layaway accounts. “We made him say it twice,” said store manager Steve Meyers. “When we started telling customers, they thought it might be a joke.” The donor, who asked to be known as Santa B.,arrived just in time, as unfulfilled layaway orders were set to be cancelled that day. “He just wanted to bring Christmas cheer to everyone,” Meyers said. “He was in and out, kind of like Santa Claus.”

Pay It Forward

https://pifnow.org/

Stop for a moment and think of someone who needs a gesture of kindness. Perhaps it is something kind that someone once said to you. With gratitude for what was given, reach out and give back. It can be a simple gesture, like sending a card, or calling someone who is sick and saying you care. You may well recall the movie or book, but if you want ideas and to connect to other kindly folks, go to payitforwardfoundation.org. Pay It Forward is all about people, from all walks of life, giving to others and making a positive difference. At last count there were more than 500,000 people in 60 countries around the world participating.

Earth Hour Day

Participate in Earth Hour Day today, beginning at 8.30pm in the United States, and turn off all the lights in your home for one hour. Earth Hour (earthhour.org) unites millions of people around the world and gives them the hope that together we can make a difference.Take this hour to sit with your significant other or invite some pals over for a candlelit evening of togetherness. Just be. Together.

You Don’t Have to Adopt to Make an Impact

Adopting an animal is a serious commitment. For those who aren’t able to adopt, but still want to make a difference in the life of an abandoned animal, fostering is an excellent alternative.

There are many foster programs that give at-and-dog-lovers the chance to provide interim housing for displaced pets who have yet to find their forever home. Many of these foster programs cover food and medical expenses, meaning all you have to worry about is giving your furry guest a safe and loving place to stay. And who knows? You might just fall in love.

Make It Count

My boyfriend is first-generation American Chinese, an “ABC”. His family was unable to vote or even own property until the Civil Rights Act was passed in the sixties. He tells his children to “make it count” and passionately follows local, national and international events and politics. Get educated about the governance of your own neighborhood in addition to the national political landscape. Exercise your right to vote. Voting is a sacred right that is one of the most important parts of our political system. Be informed about what is going on in your country, know what ideas you support and are against, and vote on each Election Day to speak for the public-you will be heard.

Make Time for What Matters

Been meaning to spend more time with your family? Are you putting off errands? Is there not enough time to volunteer, go for a walk, or make dinner? Make time. Once you commit to something and begin to make a habit of it, you will be more likely to continue instead of saying, “ I would like to, but I don’t have enough time.” You have the time; you just need to find it.

Letting Nothing Drop

    Sign up to volunteer with the anti-dropout program Communities in Schools (communitiesinschools.org), which helps vulnerable students in 26 states and the District of Columbia. Let’s help get this to every state!

Pay It Forward

    Stop for a moment and think of someone who needs a gesture of kindness. Perhaps it is something kind that someone once said to you. With gratitude for what was given, reach out and give back. It can be a simple gesture, like sending a card, or calling someone who is sick and saying you care. You may well recall the movie or book, but if you want ideas and to connect to other kindly folks, go to payitforwardfoundation.org. Pay It Forward is all about people, from all walks of life, giving to others and making a positive difference. At last count there were more than 500,000 people in 60 countries around the world participating.

Give Good Luck

    If you see a penny on the ground, flip it and make it face head’s up. Some people find joy in picking up a lucky penny and you can help bring that joy to them.

A Mission of Importance

    When I lived in the Lower Haight neighborhood of San Francisco, I drove for a food bank for AIDS patients in my rusted-out little care I had brought all the way from West Virginia. I had arrived in the mid-eighties which we may all remember as the height of the AIDS crisis. One early morning, I was walking to the Church Street MUNI station and there was the food bank, with giant pink letters announcing itself as a place to lend a hand for the AIDS crisis. I went in and within two minutes had a shift and assignments for the week. Everyone in there seemed extremely cool to me. They were not grim at all, but seemed to have a mission of importance. It seemed such a small way to help during that scary time. I learned that regardless of what you can give, large or small, it is important to give of yourself. And it all does add up! Feeding America is the largest hunger relief organization in the United States and they need you. Please visit feedingamerica.org to find your local food bank or hunger organization. Get involved- you’ll make a difference and you’ll make friends along the way. I sure did, and they remain my friends to this day.

Listening Is an Act of Love

    We don’t always have to donate time and energy to other parts of the world. Sometimes help is needed much closer to home. Is a parent, sibling, spouse, or friend having a difficult time? Help lift their spirits by letting them experience that loving feeling. Invite them to coffee or to dinner, surprise them with a simple gift, or take them somewhere they like. Lean forward and listen closely. Just listen.

Have Mercy

    Donate a gift through Mercy Corps. It’s as simple as this: choose a gift on their website. The recipient gets a card that explains the gift and donation made in their name, and your gift helps families in need. Visit gifts.mercycorps.org to view the gift selection, ranging from clean water to a goat. You can choose to remain anonymous or you can personalize with a friendly note to a family on another part of the globe. It’s really nice to see how your gift is of benefit and people have developed long-distance friendships through this kindly organization. Often, the daily headlines are reflected by the regions presented. Currently, families affected by Ebola need all the help we can give them.

Love Lifts You Up

    If you have frequent flier miles you are not planning to use, give them to service members who have been injured in the line of duty and need to be flown to proper medical treatment. This can also enable family members to visit them. Check out fisherhouse.org to discover all you need to know about Fisher House Foundation’s Hero Miles Program. Love has an enormous power to heal, so sharing your unused miles stretches your love a mighty long way!

Lend an Ear

    Counselors can contribute enormously to our troops when they return from their service term. I honestly think my ex-Marine dad had PTSD. Post-traumatic stress was not even acknowledged until long after the Vietnam War, and only through the hard work of many activists. Therapists and mental health professionals can really help our military veterans by volunteering their own services through the organization Give an Hour (giveanhour.org) and this is extremely helpful to families of vets. Listening can change lives for the better in a big way.

Resolve to Be a Force for Good in This World

    Did you make a New Year’s resolution for this year? Throw that word resolution out the window, It’s not strong enough to hold people to their goals—or at least that is true for me and everyone I know! If you want to eat healthier, spend more time with your family, or finally volunteer at your church’s soup kitchen, go ahead and make these things happen. Tell people about your mission and maybe they will join forces with you. I had so much fun at Glide Memorial Church serving lunch that my friends asked to come along with me! Or, if you want to jump-start your New Year’s with a major act of kindness, head on down to LA for the New Year’s Race for A Place Called Home (apch.org). They are a safe haven in South Central Los Angeles where underserved youth are empowered to take ownership of the quality and direction of their lives through programs in education, arts, and well-being. These young people are inspired to make a meaningful difference in their community and world. 

Actions Really Are Louder than Words

Pay attention to the body language of others around you. If you notice someone with droopy posture or a frown, offer assistance if they need it. That someone could be having a bad day, and one person noticing could make a big difference.

Who Knew Compassion Could Be so Comfortable?

    Buy a pair of Toms shoes. They are a one-for-one organization that donates a new pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair of Toms purchased. Visit toms.com to learn more about the cause and view the various styles. I like the shiny, glittery Toms!

Feed a Family on World Food Day

    UNICEF works to give kids a healthy start and your contribution, large or small, can help someone on the other side of the globe. Go to UnicefUSA.org and explore all the options available to you. 

    Malnutrition is linked to nearly half of all childhood deaths. Children who are malnourished are smaller, more likely to get very sick from ordinary infections, and their brain development can suffer. By treating malnutrition in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, UNICEF has helped cut the number of children badly affected by over 100 million. Now that is making a difference on a global scale!

A Quarter for Your Thoughts

    If you see a car parked in a metered spot that is about to run out of time, slide in some loose change to help avoid a parking ticket. Sometimes the driver is just a few minutes late and a ticket is almost a 100% guarantee to spoil someone’s good day.

Show Someone You Care

    Collect or buy some items to make a care package for someone, such as a soldier serving overseas or a child in need you have found through an agency. I have two shelves in my closet where I stash stuff I know will make a difference in someone’s day. I picked up this wonderful habit from my mom and the ladies at her church. They have the knack of knowing just what people want.