Helping Those Who Want to Help Themselves

    We all remember the Biblical parable about teaching a man to fish so he can provide for himself and his family. Two thousand years later, we can do exactly this. My dad taught me how to fish in a pond back home on the farm in West Virginia. Even as a seven-year-old, I noticed that we not only got a couple of day’s worth of yummy trout for our efforts but my papa, a former Marine with many battle scars, seemed to relax after an afternoon at the pond. You can gift a $49 fishing kit in a loved one’s name or set up a recurring monthly donation at Action Against Hunger ( ActionAgainstHunger.org), which feeds over 7 million people each year. Go fish!

Planting Trees is Good for All

    In 1872, J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day, and the year, over a million trees were planted in Nebraska. It's usually celebrated on the last Friday in April (some states choose different ages depending on their weather for best tree planting times). Probably now, more than ever, we need to honor Morton's big idea- trees hugely improve the quality of our lives. They provide shelter and food for our wildlife, clean the air, absorb carbon dioxide, and release oxygen. They mask noise, prevent soil erosion, and provide wood for fuel and buildings: all this plus the joy and wonder of such a majestic and wonderful plant.

    Celebrate Arbor Day this Friday by logging onto arborday.org and finding out what you can do in your area. Save a tree by recycling paper. Plant a suitable tree in your garden or neighborhood and dedicate it to someone special.

Be a Visionary

    Did you know your old specs can have a second act? Old prescription eyeglasses can be donated to a LensCrafters store. Every LensCrafters business supports OneSight, which provides glasses to millions of people around the globe. Learn more at LensCrafters.com/onesight/

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

    
    Support Love146, an organization that provides holistic care to children who have survived exploitation, enforced labor, abuse, and even slavery. Join a task force, fundraise for abolition, spread the word, or donate to this cause at love146.org.

Veg Out

    Have you heard of "food desserts"? I certainly never did until reading last year in The New York Times about entire swaths of urban areas with nothing but corner stores filled with processed, packaged foods and no produce whatsoever. I started paying attention and it is true. There is something you can do about it. By making a donation to WholesomeWave.org, they will provide fresh fruits and veggies to those undeserved communities. How great is that? Actually, it is even better, as Wholesome Wave obtains their organic produce from small and mid-sized farmers.