Five minutes of caring

Give the Revolution

Sam Davidson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    We&#39;re hopping on our own [holiday bandwagon][]. In an effort to spread the revolution, for every copy of [New Day Revolution][] that you purchase, **we&#39;ll donate one to a library of your choice**. So, whether you grab [one copy or several][], we&#39;ll be in touch and ask you where you want us to send their counterparts. This is a model we&#39;re pioneering this holiday season, but as far as [our book][] goes, it will stay in place long after [sugarplums have danced][] in your head. Starting at just $5 [a copy][], this is an easy way to give twice.

Be Good, Thank Alice

Sam Davidson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    [GoodGuide][] and our friends at [Alice.com][] have teamed up to help you shop smarter - and better. Imagine being able to go shopping and when you pick out the product you want you can see how it rates on health, the environment and social responsibility. **Now it&#39;s possible. And easy.** We&#39;re all concerned about our purchases being safe for our family and good for the planet. When you shop on [Alice.com][] for essential household items like [detergent][] or [shampoo][], you can now easily see [GoodGuide][]&#39;s independent health, environmental and social responsibility ratings for everyday items. Be cool and shop well!

A Power-full Wall

Sam Davidson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    [Repower America][] has amassed a collection of thousands of people and organizations that are calling for clean energy - **and now you can be a part of it**. By visiting [their site][], you can watch countless videos and read tons of messages with one point: we need more clean energy. Uploading your video is easy and [your message][] will make a difference. If you think energy should be cleaner and better for our planet, then you&#39;ve got something to say. Take five minutes today to see what others are saying and [offer up your viewpoint][] on this very powerful issue.

United in Giving

Sam Davidson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    Fresh on the heels of talking about the [GiveCard][] last week, we&#39;ve found another giftable idea: the [American Express gift card][] that sends $3.95 directly to [United Way][]. When you get a gift card for a loved one, the processing fee you pay will be [donated to United Way][] in order help the common good through education, income, and health programs. So, if there is someone (or a few someones) on your list that makes shopping difficult, [grab a gift card for them][] and tell them you [gave twice][]. Best of all, this deal is good until [next year][].

Free Shipping

Sam Davidson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    Just in time for the holidays, we&#39;ve found a site that makes all your shipping free. **Well, free from carbon at least.** [Green Shipping][] is a handy tool that calculates how big your [packages][] are and how far they&#39;re traveling. Based on that calculation, you can then purchase [carbon offsets][] to make up for the pollution emitted when getting your gifts to loved ones. UPS (who tries not to make [left turns][]) also offers a [carbon neutral shipping program][]. So, no matter what you&#39;re sending or where it&#39;s going, you can make it get there in a greener way.

Give Twice: GiveCard

Sam Davidson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    Much like [TOMS][], we&#39;ve written about how cool [the GiveCard][] is before. Since [billions of dollars of gift cards][] are bought and exchanged this time of year, why not divert a little bit of that towards a worthy charity? That&#39;s exactly the concept behind the [GiveCard][]. When you buy one for someone on your list who is hard to shop for, **the recipient can choose which nonprofit receives $5 of the purchase price**. Your loved one gets money to spend at their favorite [store][], and a local organization has a little extra headed their way to make a difference.

Click here to see the other Give Twice opportunities in this year's Christmas is Not Your Birthday campaign.

Turkey for 100

Sam Davidson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    It&#39;s no secret that we&#39;re fans of local food at Cool People Care, [touting the wonders][] of Farmer&#39;s Markets and [CSAs][] whenever prudent. And just like [politics can be local][], what you put on your table for Thanksgiving can get there by traveling [a very short distance][]. **Make a commitment to eating a locally grown and raised Thanksgiving meal this year.** Whether you commit to finding everything [within 100 miles][] of where you live, or you venture to the [local produce section][] of the supermarket, making sure you&#39;re using food that came from nearby will reduce [your carbon footprint][].

Youth Homelessness

Sam Davidson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    November, in addition to calling attention to [several other causes][], is also the month to raise awareness about [youth homelessness][]. Nearly 27% of the homeless population in the US is made up of [children and teens][]. This only adds to the already complex issue that homelessness is, where real solutions seem difficult and complicated. Whether it&#39;s providing [healthcare for homeless individuals][], or supporting [an organization that works with them][], **see what you can do in five minutes today to make a positive difference**. If nothing else, tell a friend about the eye-opening stat we shared in the second sentence.

5MOV

Sam Davidson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    For over three years, we&#39;ve been bringing you 5MOC ([Five Minutes of Caring][]) ideas each weekday. And while we hit on [lots of issue areas][], it&#39;s usually difficult to come up with ways to volunteer in under five minutes (which is why we offer [a calendar][] full of such opportunities). But now, **two great resources showcase ways you can actually volunteer in less than five minutes, both with your mobile phone**. Click the links below to learn more:

The Extraordinaries connects you with ways to help museums and other nonprofits.
Give Work is a handy iPhone app for volunteering.

Let the Air Out

Sam Davidson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    Nothing says welcome to the holiday season like [a giant Santa][] on your front lawn (except maybe some [tacky lights][]). And while we can all love the certain kind of fanfare that only happens when a manger scene full of hot air takes over your yard, **using inflatables to state your love for winter holidays will certainly inflate your energy bill as well**. So, instead of blowing up [Rudolph][] (no, not like that) for your neighbors to see, [string some LED lights][] and wish the planet a happy new year. Then, spend your savings on [gifts that give twice][].

Give Twice: TOMS

Sam Davidson — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    If you&#39;ve been following us for a while, you know we&#39;re fans of [TOMS Shoes][]. We love the [buy one, give one][] model, and that&#39;s why they&#39;re kicking off the 2009 [Christmas is Not Your Birthday][] campaign. When you buy a pair of [TOMS][] (for yourself or someone else), **you will get one pair of shoes to wear and another pair will be given to a child in need around the world**. Make your gift giving even cooler this year - [click here to shop][].

Stay tuned: We'll share a "give twice" idea every Friday between now and December 25.

Thank a Youth Worker

Sam Davidson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    Today is [Thank a Youth Worker Day][]. So, whether you&#39;re young or young at heart, **spend five minutes thanking someone who helped get you where you are**. Maybe it&#39;s a [teacher][], a [mentor][], or a coach and you&#39;re realizing they get thanked far too little. So, sign on to the [Thank a Youth Worker movement][] and share with others who you&#39;ll be thanking. Or, head over to [their fan page][] and do the same.

Who will you thank today? Tell us in the comments of this article and one lucky person will receive a copy of New Day Revolution!

Pet Project

Sam Davidson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    When it comes to owning pets, **we may not be as green as we think**. In fact, it could be [worse than][] driving a huge SUV. Luckily, there are lots of resources to help us be eco-friendly the next time we [adopt][] and care for a dog or cat (or any other acceptable pet). Here&#39;s [a handy buying guide][] when it comes to pet food. Also - make sure you buy a [durable collar or leash][], so you don&#39;t replace it over and over again. And, you should always [clean up after your pet][] (we really hope you already do).

L.E.A.F.

Sam Davidson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    Since fall is in full effect, beautiful orange and red leaves are all over your [yard][]. When it comes time for you to rake them up, **be sure to remember these four steps to ensure that your leaf disposal tactics are good for our planet:**

L is for landfill, which is where we don't want our leaves going. Compost them instead.
E is for earth, which is where the leaves will return if you use biodegradable bags.
A is for avoiding waterways. Never sweep leaves into the street.
F is for fall leaf collections - nearly every city has one.