August 1, 2010
Ideas
No debate. No bureaucracy. No billions or trillions. Just help, super-fast.
If you are unemployed, we want you. Your goodwill and energy can help lots of people. You’ll give them hope, and feel hopeful too.
Our projects are simple and inexpensive. You can do them in your own community, or see addresses below to help people around the U.S.
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Super All Year
S.A.Y. (Super All Year) Detroit is a nonprofit group that supports a new free clinic for needy women and children.
Sick kids at the clinic have so little. They could use something fun to do while they're waiting to be examined.
Please send any of the following:
1. Crayons, dolls, books, puzzles or other toys. (Gently used are fine.)
2. Print out Do One Nice Thing coloring pages for the kids.
3. Send some love! Make a get-well card for a sick child.
Address: S.A.Y., 211 Glendale, Highland Park, Michigan 48203, attn: Ms. Yvonne Harper
Need Coffee? You’re not the only one.
Bring a cup of coffee to a friend. It doesn’t have to be designer coffee from a cafe. Make some at home, pour it into a thermos, and surprise someone.
BINGO!
Collect small hand lotions, soaps, combs, and other toiletries, and send or deliver them to a senior center. They are fun gifts for elderly bingo players to win as a prize.
Also, fabric scraps, yarn and old greeting cards are wonderful supplies for seniors’ craft projects. Save and recycle, and make some disabled or elderly people feel good about themselves and their abilities.
Bring to a senior center in your community or mail to Senior Independence, Franklin Adult Day Center, 333 Conover Drive, Ste. A, Franklin OH 45005
Sparkle Patrol
Organize a group of friends to spend a few hours washing windows for the elderly or other neighbors who need the help. Start with someone in your neighborhood or from your house of worship, and call to see if it's okay for your Sparkle Patrol to stop by.
Wash the outside windows, and if the person is comfortable letting you inside, you can also wash the inside windows. You don’t do windows? Offer to pull weeds in someone’s garden.
Make Time Fly
Sort through your magazines and books, and donate those you have read. People waiting in doctor's offices, hospitals, auto repair shops and many other places will enjoy the reading material you don’t need anymore.
Homeless shelters, halfway houses, nursing homes, shelters for abused women, food pantries, soup kitchens might appreciate them also. Often old bibles are welcome too.
Rock-a-bye, Baby
Help a young military family in need. Collect coupons for diapers, formula, juice and other baby items. Coupons are available in newspapers, magazines and online.
Mail them to Soldiers’ Angels to benefit U.S. service members’ families across the country: Soldiers' Angels, 914 Tourmaline Drive, Newbury Park, CA 91320
Doggy Pinatas
Send empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls to an animal shelter. The staff puts an edible treat inside, folds over the ends, and makes a "pinata." The animals love it! They exercise by running around and pushing the toy, and receive the treat when they eventually break into the pinata. This also keeps the rolls out of the trash.
Bring the rolls to an animal shelter near you or mail to the Asheville Humane Society, 72 Lee's Creek Rd, Asheville, NC 28806. (If you mail them, stuff a little newspaper or other paper inside so the rolls keep their shape.)
