Give back to the community

And tie them to the arms on the dumpsters in the alley. We have several people in the neighborhood who walk the alleys taking scraps of metal, and I figure that by bagging the cans separately, it makes their work a little easier.

Initially, this idea did not jive with the idea I have of what it means to give back to the community, but really, these alley combers are part of our community. I see them and have exchanged words with them, and I don’t know if I can say that about other members of “the community.”

Also, it makes me happy to see that others also bag their cans and hang them.

Over the last couple weeks, I have cleaned out my closet and bagged up all the clothes I no longer wear. We also cleaned out the basement storage locker and have either listed everything we no longer use for free on Craigslist or bagged it up and donated it to TreeHouse Animal Shelter or the local homeless shelter.

Its a win-win situation.

And we managed to have some fun and get some exercise while doing it!

Shannon was selling them on behalf of someone’s daughter.. and I bought three boxes, not knowing that Syed had also purchased two from her.

For breakfast, I had a couple cookies. There’s my giving back for the day.

I had bigger plans than this, obviously. Although I guess that every little bit does help. And these cookies sure are tasty.

brings so much into my life. I have volunteered my time once a week for 7 years helping Habitat for Humanity in their thrift store. I like knowing that I help bring in money that allows someone to finally live in their own house.

It is rewarding in so many ways and I will continue to do this as long as I’m able. My children “grew up” knowing what Habitat stands for and that we offer our time that helps others. The people that I have met through volunteering are great too!

Small things in my neighborhood, signed up to be a crew member for the Walk for Breast Cancer… Will do my usual MS something or other this year, organized a big Food Bank drive at work, etc, etc… So, will keep this up but am marking as completed for now…

Habitat for Humanity (HFH) is an organization with which I was briefly involved. I would love to work with them again, but they’re always building when I’m working. Most of their builds take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and/or Thursdays and I can never get time off from work to go out and help. There’s a certain feeling you get, though, when you help frame out a house. I miss that feeling.

I would someday like to sponsor a build for HFH. This, as you may know, requires quite a lot of money. Basically by sponsoring a build, you’re buying all of the materials needed to build a house. Someday I hope to be in a position financially where I can buy all of the materials and help build someone a home.

I would also like to spend my retirement “giving back” to the community, not just through various volunteer projects, but financially as well. If I make it to retirement, I don’t want to just be a lump, lounging around at home being all useless and whatnot. I’d like to think I could spend my time at soup kitchens, hospitals, and anywhere else I’m needed. The work force may no longer need me, but someone else sure will.

Once I am comfortable enough financially, I’ll start setting up an annual contribution system. I pledge to donate at least a quarter of my income each year to charities, even after I retire. I mean, there are people out there that are in need; if I can afford to help them, then why not do so?

Visit this link from Dept of Health & Human Services

...I went to college in New Orleans- Xavier University located right off I-10; nestled in between GertTown & Tulane Ave… Just looking at the devestation on TV is terrible… One of my college buddies (who’s now in Michigan) just emailed me a story about how there were FORTY GIRLS trapped on the sixth floor Katherine Drexel Dormitory with no electricity & waning food/water supplies- that’s the floor I stayed on for two years! I also read that the roofs off of several buildings were blown off… I have sent up prayers & now it is time for me to be a blessing to someone else… New Orleans was good to me, Xavier was good to me- it got me to where I am now…

... See http://www.deltasigmatheta.org