Being the Difference

Wynona Ward: "I just said this has to stop"

2010-01-11T06:33:00-05:00

Abused as a child and a witness to domestic violence later in life, Wynona Ward finally said "this has to stop." So she did something about it: went to law school, graduated at 48, and now provides legal assistance to victims of abuse in rural Vermont through the non-profit she founded, Have Justice Will Travel. "I don't want them to have to go through what I did as a child", she says. Her story just like that of the people I profiled in Being the Difference. She went through challenging circumstances and later used her own experiences to help others facing the same problem. Check out this video of Wynona Ward, CNN's hero of the week and someone who is being the difference.

Get some cash for your community project

2010-01-07T21:54:06-05:00

Have an idea for a service project you'd like to start in your community? Or are you currently involved in a community project that could use some additional funding? If so, Pepsi wants to help! Starting January 13th, individuals and non-profits can submit their project idea and each month the Pepsi Refresh Project will award up to 1.3 million dollars to the ideas that receive the most votes from the public.
You can submit your idea to compete for $5,000; $25,000; $50,000; or $250,000. And if at first you don't succeed, submit your idea again the next month for another chance to have your project funded. Visit www.refresheverything.com or download the toolkit for more information.

Person of the Year: Mark Horvath

2009-12-31T19:00:16-05:00

People often ask me why I decided to write Being the Difference and how I came upon the idea of profiling "ordinary people doing extraordinary things to change the world". My answer is always the same: we always hear about celebrities and billionaires that display acts of generosity, but I think we don't do enough to celebrate or appreciate "ordinary" people who don't possess fortune or fame but nonetheless give what they have or do what they can to make life better for someone.

Over the past year I've profiled some of these people on this blog with the hope that sharing their stories will serve as an inspiration for others. All of the individuals profiled this year are doing phenomenal work in their communities, but today - the last day of the year - I'd like to highlight someone who this year has been the epitome of what being the difference is all about.

Mark Horvath has been documenting homelessness in America with a no-holds-barred-style to shine the light on a pervasive yet generally invisible problem throughout our country. Formerly homeless and armed with a video camera, Mark creates compelling video interviews with currently homeless individuals. But he's not the kind of documentary filmmaker you would expect. Having experienced homelessness himself, he's not afraid to get his hands dirty in his mission to provide a glimpse into the lives of homeless Americans. Whether in Sacramento's tent city, a shelter in Los Angeles, or a street corner in Detroit, Mark is there to give us a wake up call about our country's "invisible people".

In his own words:
"Unlike news media, where you will hear a reporter tell a brief, punchy version of the story, I wanted to capture the real stories of the real people... Raw, unedited, unsponsored and in their own words."

That's exactly what he's done. Mark started with a vision and a camera and in the past year has undoubtedly become a social media phenomenon. His videos have been viewed widely and his work has been highlighted on numerous blogs and news outlets. He has been a guest speaker at major conferences and recently became a contributor at The Huffington Post. But that's only the beginning. On any given night, Mark may be shuttling families to a nearby shelter or hotel, or helping them meet an essential need like getting some clothes for them if they have none. Here's an example:

On a recent night Mark sent out the following message via Twitter:
"mom w/ 9yo boy has nothing! She needs clothes and the boy needs clothes! They were living in their van which was towed! HELP?"

In an instant a response came that someone would meet him and the family at a nearby Wal-mart to get the family some new clothes. (Read Mark's blog post about that evening here.) This is not a once-a-month or even a once-a-week occurrence, but a daily mission. Mark uses his experiences, the people he knows, Twitter followers, and his unyielding determination to help provide a better life for homeless Americans one family at a time.

This is what "being the difference" is all about -- using whatever you have, to do whatever you can to make a positive change in someone's life. Over the past year Mark has gone far beyond that and truly demonstrated how much of an impact one person can make. For offering us an unvarnished look into the lives of homeless Americans, selflessly giving his time and energy to meet the needs of families he encounters, and being an extraordinary example of the difference that one person can make, Mark Horvath is Being the Difference's Person of the Year.

You can learn more about Mark's work here:
insiviblepeople.tv
hardlynormal.com
twitter.com/hardlynormal

Christmas Gifts That Give Back

2009-12-15T09:16:47-05:00

If you're like me, you probably still have a few people to get gifts for but have no idea what to get them. You may remember that earlier this year I posted a list of Valentine's gifts that give back -- gifts where a portion of the purchase price goes to a charity. Well that idea seems to have caught on and this holiday season many publications have come up with lists of gifts ideas that help out good causes.
Below are some of the lists I especially like. Remember, when you purchase any of these items you are contributing to a charitable cause. So buy a gift that gives back and know that your gift will bring a smile to more than one person's face this holiday season.

- Gifts that give back from The Huffington Post

- Gifts for a cause from SheKnows.com

- Give gifts that give back from Forbes

- Christmas gifts from Giftback.com

- Charitable gifts from Marie Claire

Know of any other good gifts that give back? Add them in the comments.

On a mission to shield kids from gun violence

2009-11-04T10:31:38-05:00

From InsideBayArea.com:

Hey kids, know what's not cool? Getting shot. Ask Arthur Renowitzky, he knows. The 21-year-old paraplegic told a rapt group of teens at a Boys & Girls Club in East Oakland on Tuesday that despite what some hip-hop heroes may say, there is nothing glamorous about gun violence.

"It took just one to put me here," Renowitzky said from his wheelchair. "One shot, one bullet and I'm paralyzed. A lot of people see Tupac and 50 Cent, and hear raps about how it's cool to be shot — it's not. It won't get you more girls. ... I'm lucky just to be alive."

It all went down Dec. 2, 2007. That Saturday night had turned into a wet Sunday morning, and Renowitzky was leaving a San Francisco night club in a good mood, with a "couple of numbers" from women he had met. Turning a corner into the dark alley where he had parked, he heard a loud voice: "Give me your wallet and chain, or I will kill you." He saw a flash, heard a bang. Felt the pain and the panic — I've been shot!

During his 40 days of rehabilitation at the hospital, Arthur decided that things happen for a reason. Not deeply religious but Christian, Arthur believes that God has a plan for him. And he believes that plan involves teaching youths about the damage a gun can do, and thus began the Hayward-based nonprofit Life Goes On Foundation. "I didn't want the same thing to happen to another happy, innocent kid like me," Renowitzky said. "I didn't think things can happen just like that. I'd see them in street, you know, the guy in a wheelchair, but you never know that it can happen to you just like that."

He said he wants to change a mindset that glorifies the gun, making it seem like little more than a toy or status symbol. "It's so easy to pick up a gun these days, and people think it's OK," he said. "They don't know the effects of gun violence. ... If they could live one day in my position and see what it's like, I think they'd change their mind."

Continue reading this story here...

Arthur Renowitzky is a true example of being the difference! Do you know someone who is being the difference in your community? Tell me about them and they may be featured on this blog.

Rock the Vote

2009-10-20T05:26:32-04:00

Earlier this year, Tom's of Maine launched the 50 States for Good initiative to reward non-profit organizations focused on lasting, positive change. The initiative received project funding proposals from non-profits in all fifty states that work in the areas of environment, community building, and health.

Based on the positive impact, achievability and level of community involvement of each project submitted, a panel of judges (myself included) narrowed the list down to fifty finalists.

Head over to www.50statesforgood.com, where you can read about some great non-profit project ideas from around the country and vote to determine which five projects will split $100,000 in funding. Voting ends on October 30th and the winners will be announced in November.

Charity TV

2009-09-30T01:23:03-04:00

From Mormon Times:

Late at night, starving children, homeless veterans and unwanted animals come out. Commercials showing the destitute, the afflicted and the in-need are broadcast in between regularly scheduled programming on network television -- to empty living rooms, night owls and people who can't sleep.

Some viewers feel the beginnings of sympathy during the 30-second spots, but before those feelings take root and turn into action, the images are often off the screen, and the toll-free number gone. John Marsh wanted to provide a louder voice.

Marsh is the creator of a non-profit TV station on Dish Network called the Starfish Network. It's a channel he built for programming that inspires people to take interest in their fellow men. It's a place where old public service announcements live on, where celebrities promote causes instead of themselves, and where people who want to know how to help can tune into.

"I noticed that there was a food channel and a golf channel and a history channel, and I really felt there ought to be a charity channel," Marsh said.

The Starfish Network broadcasts news and information about charitable causes 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More than 500 charities are represented, at no cost to the organizations. "Our product is our airtime, and we give it away," Marsh said.

Continue reading this story here...

For more information or to watch live or archived programming, visit www.starfishnetwork.org.

Making a Difference Through Story Time

2009-09-18T00:00:35-04:00

From Reader's Digest:

Tammy Barry sits in the front of the library, trying to transform a newspaper into a boat. Her audience is young women and their toddler children, and she has just read aloud a book about Curious George—that naughty monkey!—who neglects to deliver newspapers along his paper route and instead folds them into boats and floats them on a pond.

But Barry is not exactly a whiz at shipbuilding. "This is hard for me," she tells the mothers in Spanish. That's when one of the women, who had only paper boats to play with as a child, shows the group—in 30 seconds flat—how to make one. Once the fleet is folded, the group launches their boats in water-filled Tupperware "ponds." It's moments like these that Barry, 46, most loves about her volunteer job teaching three reading classes a week at Mercy Learning Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Continue reading this story here...

Tammy Barry is a true example of being the difference! Do you know someone who is being the difference in your community? Tell me about them and they may be featured on this blog.

Can Fashion End Sexual Slavery?

2009-08-19T08:59:40-04:00

From Change.org

Nomi Network Co-Founder Diana Mao tells the powerful story of how a heart-breaking trip to Cambodia led her to create her own non-profit organization to help girls and women in Cambodia find freedom from slavery.

My first encounter with sex trafficking was when I was a micro-finance research fellow in Cambodia in 2005. My task was to interview over 300 micro-finance clients, many of whom lived in remote villages and made less than $1 per day. The experience was a rude awakening. A micro-finance client and father of 7 children offered to give me his daughter to bring back to the United States, in the hope that she would have a better life. As I stared into his eyes, I understood that he did not want to give up his daughter but that his request was a result of desperate poverty. In this same village very young girls were being recruited to work in brothels.

My experience in Cambodia led me to form the non-profit organization, Nomi Network. Sex traffickers prey on poor and unemployed women. The goal of Nomi Network is to empower women economically by employing them in manufacturing jobs in the fashion industry, and to help create a market for the products they make. Once women have stable employment and a steady income, they will no longer be at risk to sex traffickers. To ensure success and sustainability, Nomi Network coordinates the efforts of the women with manufacturers, retailers, and consumers.

Consumer purchases can contribute greatly towards the eradication of sex trafficking. The total market for illicit sex trafficking is approximately $28 billion dollars. What if just a fraction of that amount was channeled into creating opportunities for girls that have been exploited? Girls, some as young as 5, who were once exploited, violated, and stripped of their dignity could be given the hope of a future. Nomi Network offers survivors of sex trafficking gainful employment by ensuring that there is a demand for their products and not their body.

You can help break the vicious cycle of sexual exploitation and invest in their lives by purchasing Nomi Network's signature product, the "Buy Her Bag, Not Her Body," tote bag. The tote bags are made from recycled rice-bag paper, and are made by women who are either survivors or at risk from sex trafficking. The women who make the bags receive competitive wages, medical care, childcare, and one meal per day. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from each sale will be allocated to creating more training and job opportunities for survivors. Put your consumption power to use and pre-order a bag today for $20 at www.nominetwork.org.

Start a kid's school year off right with just $15

2009-08-10T15:25:48-04:00

If you subscribe to your local daily newspaper or are a budget-conscious shopper, you're probably familiar with the weekly sales ads from grocery and drug stores. Some people probably ignore these ads altogether while others look for deals and discounts on items they purchase frequently. Yesterday, as I was looking through some of these weekly ads in the newspaper I wondered, what if people used the coupons and discounts offered in these ads to purchase commonly needed items for charities?

With the back-to-school shopping season in full swing, many of the current ads feature deep discounts on school supplies. I figured that with all the sales and discounts, I could get a good amount of items to donate to a local school supply drive. So today, I went to the drug store in my neighborhood to see how much I could get for $15 to donate to a school supply drive.

Here's the final rundown of what I purchased and will be donating:

Backpack ($7.49)
Insulated lunch bag ($3.99)
Pack of 10 pencils (33 cents)
Pencil sharpener (50 cents)
Small notepad (50 cents)
Three 70-page notebooks (33 cent each)

It took me less than 10 minutes and I didn't even need to use a coupon because all the sale prices were clearly marked (thanks Rite Aid!). The total cost was $14.88.

So if you haven't already donated to a school supply drive this season, now is a great time to do it before the sales end. You just might be surprised by how much you can get and how big a difference it can make in helping a kid this school year.