Volunteer Boston: Learn what's going on in Boston and beyond

Health Care- A Global Perspective

2009-10-02T11:00:00.002-04:00

This topic we haven't discussed on this blog yet, partly because I feel it is so polarized in America. But I keep hearing stories from various news outlets regarding the 'state' of the US healthcare, so I felt it was time for me to do my own research and take a comparable look at other industrial nations to see if we even need health care reform.

Our Ranking:

In 2000 the World Health Organization ranked the world's health systems. It ranked France as

number 1. At that time the US ranked 37, behind Costa Rica, & Dominican Republic and ahead of Solvenia and Cuba.

Preventable or Amenable Mortality:

Researchers from London in 2008 studied the amenable mortality, or deaths that could have prevented with good health care. Of the 19 Industrial nations they researched, France came in first, the United States came in second.

Cost:

The Commonwealth Fund did a study in 2008 and tracked chronically ill patients from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States. In this study, the US has the highest percentage (54%) of chronically ill patients who did not seek the recommended care because of the high costs of medical bills. The lowest percentage went to the Netherlands (7%).

USA Today even did an article showing how countries provide and pay for the cost of health care with in their country. Interesting to note in this article, France offers health care coverage to all of it's residents including their illegal residents.

I am a fan of science, and all the research that has been done on the US health care system seems to prove that the US lacks in the health care services it offers to its residents. I guess I am missing a concept here and why this is such a big argument in the US. Why do we not want to improve the health care systems we offer to our residents? Can someone explain to me why this isn't an important matter?

Related Posts: Stay Healthy for the Holidays

Picture Courtesy of: h ttp://blog.damballa.com/

A Somewhat Passive Way to Get Smart and Be Inspired

2009-10-01T12:50:00.005-04:00

Movies!

Head to Cambridge this weekend (it starts today) to check out the UN's Global Voices Film Festival. You can choose a film or two from the schedule or hit up the opening party tonight. I went a few years ago in NYC and left inspired to make changes and to help out my community. And what better way to learn than in front of an extra large boob tube??

While you're at it, send over some reviews and comments... I'll be out of town and have to miss out.

Fall Activity Line-Up

2009-09-22T11:36:00.003-04:00

I'm a fan of fall for many reasons. For instance, my birthday is in fall. Also, new episodes of my favorite TV shows begin in fall. Maybe my favorite part of fall, however, is the perfect New England weather. Every other season, there's an excuse to stay inside: winter can be too cold, spring too soggy, and summer causes excessive back sweat. But with fall, I try to be outside as much as I can.

If you're like me, and want some ideas for outdoor fall weekend activities, read on:

1) Pick some produce. With so many apple orchards and pumpkin patches nearby, the options are endless. Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton, MA is a great choice. Not only can you go apple-picking, but they have an operational winery with full tours and tastings. Also, On Your Feet Project is providing transportation to their annual Bluegrass & Brews Festival on Sunday, October 25. Have fun and support a great cause at the same time!

2) Check out an outdoor museum. The DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln, MA has some cool exhibits. Also, Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, MA is a great outdoor option, and, as luck would have it, free this weekend (along with dozens of other local museums) thanks to Smithsonian's National Museum Day.

3) Get lost. In a maze. Made of corn. Sounds like a winning combo to me. I've gone to Davis' Mega Maze in Sterling, MA for the last two years, and only had to cheat once. If you're looking for something a little closer to Boston, I've heard Connors Corn Maize in Danvers, MA is where it's at. This year's theme is Family Guy, i.e., they carved Brian and Stewie into a 7-acre corn field.

So much to do, and so little time. Before you know it, we'll have turned the clocks back, dressed up in silly costumes, eaten a coma-inducing turkey dinner, and we'll look outside and there will be a mysterious white covering on the ground. So get busy and enjoy the foliage!

Volunteer Event! Kicking It With The Kids

2009-09-15T20:52:00.005-04:00

It's time to get out there with the kids at the West End House!

On Wednesday, September 23 from 5-7pm, OYFP will be at the West End House in Allston, playing games in their sweet gym (see left) or unleashing our creative spirits in the art studio with the grade schoolers at WEH.

Volunteers can spend their time in the gym, in the studio, or mix it up and spend an hour in each.

And for those of you who can't get swing by at 5, feel free to come by at 6 for the last hour -- it'll be a great time! To make sure volunteers can really interact with the children, we're capping the number of volunteers at 15. Please email David at david.dsilva@oyfp.org to claim your spot.

Bring your gym shoes and your smocks and we'll see you there!

Picture courtesy of the West End House

Got Game?

2009-09-11T10:43:00.003-04:00

I loved playing sports growing up and my sport of choice was soccer. I loved the half-time oranges from the soccer-moms (it's true they do exist), the beating up of boys (I was on a co-ed league) and of course playing with my friends. Being apart of a soccer team was much more than simply learning how to kick a ball; you learn team work, good sportsmanship and valuable social skills that stay with you as you grow up.

If you grew up playing sports, think about all the

coaches, trainers, and specialized help you received to learn the sport of your choice. Isn't it time you returned the favor by becoming a coach as well?

One such opportunity would be the volunteer Coaching Positions for the East Boston Recreational Soccer League. Here you will serve as an assistant coach for this introductory youth soccer program and be able to help teach these kids all the special skills you have obtained from previous coaches.

It's not even a HUGE time commitment either. They practice two times a week from 6-7:30pm and games are Saturday morning from 10-noon. The season starts on September 22 and ends on October 31. The location for most of these practices and games is East Boston Memorial Park (close proximity to Airport T stop-Blue Line).

Please do contact Jennifer Molina at 617-568-4701 or molinaj@ebnhc.org for more details.

Related Posts: "Champions" of a cause, An Olympic Debate

Picture Courtesy of: http://www.illinois-valley-news.com/archive/2008/04/30/index.html

5th Annual Taste of Fort Point Channel - Free Food & Music

2009-09-03T09:49:00.003-04:00

VOLUNTEERS are needed for the 5th Annual Taste of Fort Point Channel hosted by the Friends of Fort Point Channel on Thursday, September 17th from 12noon-1:30pm at the Children's Museum Wharf Park next to the Boston Children's Museum.

The 5th Annual Taste of Fort Point Channel is a dining event featuring 15 local Fort Point restaurants that will serve up samples of their signature dishes for the public during lunchtime! This event is FREE and will feature live music and a variety of cuisine!

The Friends of Fort Point Channel are expecting about 1500 people at the event!

Details:
Date: Thursday, September 17th
Time: 12noon-1:30pm
Location: Children's Museum Wharf Park next to the Boston Children's Museum, 300 Congress Street, Boston, Ma 02210
List of restaurants

They are looking for volunteers from 11:30 – 2:00 to help welcome people as they arrive and give them a map of the area. If you or your friends are interested, please contact events@friendsoffortpointchannel.org.

Friends of Fort Point Channel is a nonprofit organization committed to making the Fort Point Channel an exciting and welcoming destination for all of Boston’s residents, workforce and visitors.

Volunteer Opportunity!

2009-08-28T09:40:00.005-04:00

Hospitality Homes, a local Boston nonprofit that provides cost-free, temporary housing for the families and friends of patients traveling to Boston for medical care, is holding its major annual fundraiser and needs volunteers!

Hospitality Homes seeks volunteers for its 7th Annual Charity Golf Classic on Friday, September 11, at Red Tail Golf Club in Devens, MA. Registration begins shortly after 7 a.m. and the event runs until mid-afternoon, concluding with a lunch and live auction with sportscaster Bob Lobel as guest auctioneer. Volunteers are welcome to commit to either full or half days and will perform a number of tasks, including set-up, registration, contest promotion, auction logistics, and wrap-up. This is a great opportunity for a fun, team-building experience. The Charity Golf Classic is the major annual fundraising event for Hospitality Homes, which provides no-cost, temporary housing in volunteer host homes for families and friends of patients seeking care at Boston-area medical centers. To register as a volunteer, please contact Jeff Stokes at jstokes@hosp.org or 617.482.4338.

To learn more about Hospitality Homes, visit www.hosp.org.

When Moving....

2009-08-21T09:24:00.005-04:00

I've written about it before, but I have to say when people move, they tend to forget that it creates a lot of garbage. There are steps you can take to reduce your garbage such as going through your stuff and deciding what is donatable.

Where to donate the stuff?

Boomerangs in Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury. Benefits HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs.
Household Goods Recycling in Acton
Goodwill stores various locations throughout Boston

Sometimes you just have to take the time to advertise what you have on Craigslist or freecylcle and someone will come and pick it up from your house!

Not that I mind all the free furniture I receive when I walk my dog, but please take the time to save the items that can be reused!

Picture Courtesy of: http://stuytownluxliving.com/2009/07/ex-residents-to-stuy-town-mgmt-f-you.html

In Support of Public Pools

2009-08-13T16:07:00.003-04:00

I love swimming. Not in the Michael Phelps sense of the word of course. I don't actually do any strokes, and rarely find exercise in any context enjoyable. By "swimming" I mean hanging out in a body of water. While lakes and oceans offer several outstanding benefits, it's generally more convenient to go to a friend's pool. Plus, you're much less likely to have an unwanted encounter with any sort of marine life (you can read more about my general distaste for fish here).

But what if you find yourself without access to a friend's pool, either because you don't have any friends with pools or you lack friends in general? There is another option.

A year and a half ago, my girlfriend and I moved to a new apartment with an idyllic community pool. With the promise of heated, pristine water within walking distance of our home, I could not wait for summer to begin. The day finally came when the pool opened up on a blazingly hot Saturday. My excitement peaked when we arrived, and soon after plummeted. There were so many people, you could barely move around in the water without knocking into screaming kids playing Marco Polo. One overbearing mother sprayed her rotund, sun-burned child with sunscreen while he was in the pool, leaving a layer of film on the surface of the water. It was too much for me to handle, and after that disappointing experience I did not return to the pool for the rest of the summer.

I'm not sure how I managed to survive the blistering dog days last year without walking a few hundred yards to the nearby oasis. But this summer, I decided to give it another try. To my surprise, it was much more pleasant. Less crowded. Less gross. More refreshing. I'm now a regular on the weekends, and am glad I was able to get over my initial distaste for the public pool after one bad experience. And I'm sure to be there this weekend with the sun and 87-degree weather.

Calling All Sewers, Knitters, & Fabric Lovers

2009-08-11T10:44:00.007-04:00

I have an addiction. The type you read about. It's bad, real bad.

I just can't say no to fabric.

All you sewers, quilters, or knitters out there understand. I know you understand, because I read about your addictions on all my craft and sewing blogs.

I have two rubbermaid containers full of fabric. And then some more on top of it. And on top of that. With my boyfriend moving into my small apartment, I can't keep it all. What's a girl to do with all the fabric?

My solution? Donating to Iraqi Bundles of Love. A soldier in Iraq is soliciting fabric and sewing supply donations to give out to women's sewing collaboratives. It all started when he looked at all the items soldiers returning home were leaving behind... and grew from there.

It's simple to participate: Buy a flat rate box from the Post Office for $11.95. Follow his directions on the blog to make a bundle (small or large) filled with whatever sewing/knitting supplies you would like. Contact him for his APO address. Mail for the same price it would cost to send a package to NYC.

And wallah! You've helped women in Iraq make a living, cleaned out some of your fabric stash, and made room for your boyfriend to move in (ok maybe that last one is just me).

Related Posts: Helping a little old lady (quilt); Quilting for a Cause; Flooded Midwesterners still need your help; Partying for Good

Photo courtesy of my stash. But I actually made something out of this fabric - a skirt!

Walk Now for Autism-October 18th

2009-08-07T09:24:00.004-04:00

Autism, do you know it affects nearly one in every 150 children in the United States? Therefore it is estimated that 1.5 million Americans may be affected with autism, can you believe that staggering number? Research has yet to provide a cure, but you can help the efforts to find a cure by volunteering to help out the Greater Boston Walk Now for Autism.

This year it will be held on October 18th at Suffolk Downs Racetrack in East Boston. Volunteers are needed for set up, clean up, handing out water, greeting participants, cheering the walkers, assisting with children's activities and more!

Details:

Greater Boston Walk Now for Autism
Sunday, October 18th, 2009
Suffolk Downs Race Track
East Boston, MA

Registration for volunteers: click here.

Registration: 9:00 am Walk Starts: 10:30 am

Join Autism Speaks as we tackle autism! Experience the power of thousands united by a single cause by joining Walk Now for Autism. Start a corporate, school or family team today! Walk Now for Autism offers everyone a fun-filled experience with entertainment, refreshments, an autism community resource fair, and much, much more.

Tips to Travel Green

2009-07-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Whether it be a staycation or an actual trip it's hard to be Green while traveling. For example I was fortunate enough to visit the Carribean a few weeks ago which has spectacular views and scenery.

That being said, it was also difficult to find any recycling bins for the basics (bottled water, paper, cans, etc.) and when I did find recyle bins they were ONLY for cans. I even took all the paper home from our trip (maps, info guides, etc.) home with me in my luggage to recycle it all when I came back to Beantown.

My sister informs me that I no longer have to pack my recyclables, but I can also be green when I travel as well. Here are some helpful sites to help you plan your trip!

Eco-Friendly Vacations for you and your family
Green Hotels
Cruises
Ski-Resorts

You can keep your hobbies, such as traveling, and still maintain your sustainable life-style! Have you heard of any other Eco-Friendly Traveling tips?

Picture of my trip to St. Thomas

Sing Sing Sing Sing

2009-07-15T02:22:00.006-04:00

You are about to have a fantastically hysterical time... That is, of course, if you come out this Thursday night to our Karaoke party at LimeLight. Arrive between 8-9 pm and your full cover charge will go towards supporting Friday Night Supper Program (FNSP). Bar drinks will be available in case you are in need of liquid courage.

Singin' for Friday (Night Supper Program)
Date: Thursday, July 16th
Time: 8pm
Location: Limelight Stage & Studio
204 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02116
(across from the Boylston T-stop)
Partner: Friday Night Supper Program
Cost: $10

Anyone you know have a birthday, wedding, anything coming up? Want to just spoil yourself? Why not win a gift!

Raffle will include prizes like:

Red Sox Tickets - August Game
Limelight Gift Certificate
Boston Center for Adult Education Gift Certificate

Wine & cheese
Frequent Flyer Miles
Framed Photographs

ImprovAsylum Tickets

Go Blue!

2009-07-10T09:00:00.003-04:00

When I attend the OYFP Speaker Series event two days ago, I was really struck by a point made during the lecture. Boston spent 15 Billion on the Big Dig project, making sure people who drive have a better trip into the city, but does little if anything for those who rely on public transportation.

Just imagine, Boston, what kind of public transportation we could have currently if even half of that amount of money was used to create a better public transportation for the City of Boston. We would have new train cars that won't break down or become disabled and delay your trip home every day. When you are waiting for the bus you would actually know how much longer it will be until the next bus arrives because of the electronic sign above you. The Green line would go underground and you would no longer have to stop at every intersection because of street traffic and could actually get you to work on time.

Sigh, okay back to reality. Instead, those of us who rely on public transportation to get to and from work, or even navigate Boston are facing a possible 20% increase in prices to ride the T. If the city really is trying to be more green or more blue as John, our speaker, likes to say (the earth is 70% made of water), than shouldn't our government make public transportation a priority?

If public transportation was more reliable, and made Boston more accessible, than we could take more cars off the road and reduce the amount of Carbon Dioxide we release into the atmosphere, thus less pollution for the ocean! Win-win!

Do you think the state should spend money upgrading its public transportation system?

Picture Courtesy of: http://herokids.wordpress.com/

In Search of Dignity

2009-07-08T09:34:00.006-04:00

This is just too thoughtful and thought provoking not to re-publish. And there is certainly an argument to be made for reviving dignity (or establishing a new sense of social dignity) through civic engagement, public service, time spent at the benefit of others. Thoughts?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Op-Ed Columnist

In Search of Dignity
By DAVID BROOKS
Published: July 6, 2009

When George Washington was a young man, he copied out a list of 110 “Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation.” Some of the rules in his list dealt with the niceties of going to a dinner party or meeting somebody on the street. “Lean not upon anyone,” was one of the rules. “Read no letter, books or papers in company,” was another. “If any one come to speak to you while you are sitting, stand up,” was a third.

But, as the biographer Richard Brookhiser has noted, these rules, which Washington derived from a 16th-century guidebook, were not just etiquette tips. They were designed to improve inner morals by shaping the outward man. Washington took them very seriously. He worked hard to follow them. Throughout his life, he remained acutely conscious of his own rectitude.

In so doing, he turned himself into a new kind of hero. He wasn’t primarily a military hero or a political hero. As the historian Gordon Wood has written, “Washington became a great man and was acclaimed as a classical hero because of the way he conducted himself during times of temptation. It was his moral character that set him off from other men.

”Washington absorbed, and later came to personify what you might call the dignity code. The code was based on the same premise as the nation’s Constitution — that human beings are flawed creatures who live in constant peril of falling into disasters caused by their own passions. Artificial systems have to be created to balance and restrain their desires.

The dignity code commanded its followers to be disinterested — to endeavor to put national interests above personal interests. It commanded its followers to be reticent — to never degrade intimate emotions by parading them in public. It also commanded its followers to be dispassionate — to distrust rashness, zealotry, fury and political enthusiasm.

Remnants of the dignity code lasted for decades. For most of American history, politicians did not publicly campaign for president. It was thought that the act of publicly promoting oneself was ruinously corrupting. For most of American history, memoirists passed over the intimacies of private life. Even in the 19th century, people were appalled that journalists might pollute a wedding by covering it in the press.

Today, Americans still lavishly admire people who are naturally dignified, whether they are in sports (Joe DiMaggio and Tom Landry), entertainment (Lauren Bacall and Tom Hanks) or politics (Ronald Reagan and Martin Luther King Jr.).

But the dignity code itself has been completely obliterated. The rules that guided Washington and generations of people after him are simply gone.

We can all list the causes of its demise. First, there is capitalism. We are all encouraged to become managers of our own brand, to do self-promoting end zone dances to broadcast our own talents. Second, there is the cult of naturalism. We are all encouraged to discard artifice and repression and to instead liberate our own feelings. Third, there is charismatic evangelism with its penchant for public confession. Fourth, there is radical egalitarianism and its hostility to aristocratic manners.

The old dignity code has not survived modern life. The costs of its demise are there for all to see. Every week there are new scandals featuring people who simply do not know how to act. For example, during the first few weeks of summer, three stories have dominated public conversation, and each one exemplifies another branch of indignity.

First, there was Mark Sanford’s press conference. Here was a guy utterly lacking in any sense of reticence, who was given to rambling self-exposure even in his moment of disgrace. Then there was the death of Michael Jackson and the discussion of his life. Here was a guy who was apparently untouched by any pressure to live according to the rules and restraints of adulthood. Then there was Sarah Palin’s press conference. Here was a woman who aspires to a high public role but is unfamiliar with the traits of equipoise and constancy, which are the sources of authority and trust.

In each of these events, one sees people who simply have no social norms to guide them as they try to navigate the currents of their own passions.

Americans still admire dignity. But the word has become unmoored from any larger set of rules or ethical system.

But it’s not right to end on a note of cultural pessimism because there is the fact of President Obama. Whatever policy differences people may have with him, we can all agree that he exemplifies reticence, dispassion and the other traits associated with dignity. The cultural effects of his presidency are not yet clear, but they may surpass his policy impact. He may revitalize the concept of dignity for a new generation and embody a new set of rules for self-mastery.

A version of this article appeared in print on July 7, 2009, on page A23 of the New York edition.

My guilty concience: Vegetables

2009-07-07T10:27:00.010-04:00

I have guilt.

Oh the guilt!!!

It's not about leaving OYFP (yes, after three years I'm resigning, and like Sarah Palin, I'm not sure what my future volunteering plans are).

It's about all the vegetables in my fridge.

Oh the vegetables!

Daikon turnips, kale, radishes, cabbage (two kinds), three bunches of cilantro, two bunches of parsley, ten cucumbers, garlic scrape, regular garlic, onions, tomatoes, and more. It's CSA time, and I have plenty of veggies again. The harvest has been bountiful despite the overly rainy and cloudy season, and my fridge is bursting at its seams. How quickly I forgot the pressure of the veggies in the fridge --- "eat me! cook me! I'm organic and natural and going to go bad unless you do something!"

I have extra pressure this year because my brother -- my own flesh and blood -- has grown these vegetables.

Don't get me wrong - these veggies are out of this world delicious. I want to eat them. But there are some unusual veggies in the mix, and there's only so many stirfry dishes a girl can stand. Or cabbage soup (yuck). I've been on the search for a Few Good Recipes, and I think I've found them.

My easy seasonal recommendations, which even those of you who don't belong to CSAs can use:

Parsley: Pepita Parsley Pesto
Cabbage: Curried Coleslaw (sub out half the mayo for greek yogurt)
Cabbage: Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancake)
Kale: Roasted Kale Chips
Kale: Summer Pasta n' Kale a la JLK
Cilantro: Chickpea Cilantro Dip (add red onion or substitute navy beans for chickpeas)
Zucchini: Throw 'em on the grill, or in the oven with the kale
Daikon radishes: Just eat them raw
You can't go wrong with a Summer Veggie Curry
Or use a farm-fresh egg and some of your summer greens on this fun pizza

Let me know what you think! My guests have been more than happy with the results...

Related Posts: PSA for CSAs; Not Wasting Food; Patio Gardens; Find Local Food Locally
Photos courtesy of Red Fire Farm. You can buy their veggies bi-weekly at the South Station Farmer's Market.

Tick Tock Time Management

2009-06-20T20:46:00.006-04:00

I am continuously running into this issue. To work (or apply for jobs for many of you out there), to volunteer, to have fun, to relax... how to keep this all straight and remain sane?!

The point is, as a mid-twenties-er trying to make a name for myself and figure out where I want to go and be, I find keeping up my momentum is the biggest key to success (yes, I just used the phrase "key to success"...enter vomit).

Sure, on a Tuesday night, I am tempted by the cheese-bucket reality TV my roommates are watching on the boob. Sure, at least 30 percent of the time I give into the temptation to slouch on into my new comfy couches and go numb for a while.

My more important point: Don't deny that YOU DO have the time to fit in SOME form of volunteering on, say, a bi-weekly basis (minimum).

Better yet... Your enthusiasm will motivate me and the others around you to do something interesting. And let's face it, we could all use a little more excitement in our (actual) lives.

The Canary Project

2009-06-17T11:54:00.004-04:00

I work for a very green company in a very green workplace, so it was no surprise to me when the founders of the Canary Project paid us a visit to educate us about their work. The Project "produces visual media, events, and artwork that build public understanding of human-induced climate change and energize commitment to solutions." Edward Morris and his wife and photographer for the project, Susannah Sayler have travelled the world (I won't pretend I'm not a little bit jealous) photographing areas affected by climate change. The Canary Project successfully melds art and activism and is an interesting new way to inform and inspire. Check it out!

Cocktails 101

2009-06-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

Does this scene sound familiar with you?

You are heading out after work with a few friends to a new bar you haven't been to before. The waiter hands you a list of the drinks offered at this bar and you haven't heard of any of them previously. Your friends look at the menu and know exactly what they are going to get in seconds. You, on the other hand don't know what drink you prefer as you look through the short novel of all the drinks they can create for you. You don't want to be lame and ask the waiter/bartender what exactly is in each of the drinks, but you aren't sure which ones you will like. The waiter comes back and takes everyone's orders, and when it comes to you, you try the first one on the list. Several minutes pass, and the waiter comes back with all of your drinks. You take a sip of your drink, and you don't like it, you try your friends drink and love it. If only you knew what drinks were what.

If that scene sounds familiar have we got an event for you! Cocktails 101, where you can learn from the Boston Shaker how to make a Martinez, French 75 among others. Enjoy Cocktail Samples and amazing appetizers from Mantra while your at it!

PLUS ALL PROCEEDS will go to the West End House which offers life-shaping opportunities to more than 1,000 youth representing 40 countries. Learning and doing something good for you community, all in one!

Details:

Where: Mantra, 52 Temple Street

When: June 18th, 6-9pm

Benefitting: West End House

Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at the door

Sponsors: Mantra, Boston Shaker, Berkshire Mountain Distillers, Preiss Imports and Vin Divino,.

Related Posts: 80's Game Night, I love Pasta, Spirit of Service

Maybe it’s time to GIVE a bit more Boston…

2009-06-05T10:47:00.002-04:00

Maybe it’s time to GIVE a bit more Boston…

Sometimes you have to hand it to Congress, at least for their creative naming of legislation. Proposed bill names are often a little self serving, i.e. the ABC act (Access to Books for Children); or they may provide a little double meaning, as in one in the news recently, the FACE act (Freedom of Access to Clinics); sometimes they even actually make sense, e.g. BUSES act (Bus Uniform Standards and Enhanced Safety), and sometimes they are just aptly named, e.g. the CAN-SPAM act (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act); and, of course others make you wonder how much time and effort was spent just naming the thing, and why, e.g.the HOME-RUN act (Helping Owners Make Energy-Efficiency Residential Upgrades Now).

Fun with words aside – in April of this year, Congress passed the GIVE act (Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education). Okay, so this was later renamed in honor of our own Sen. Kennedy, but regardless the bill provides for the reauthorization of the Corporation for National and Community Service, vastly expands the AmericaCorps program, creates a social venture capital fund, and provides funding for programs to support community involvement among college-students, senior citizens, and yep you guessed it…younger, working professionals.

According to 2007 data from the Corporation, Boston residents aged 25-34 are the least likely to volunteer their time (20% participation in volunteer activities). Sound low? This is in a city that ranks 34th out of the 50 largest US cities in terms of volunteerism rates (26.4% in 2007).

Surprising maybe? This means that just 1 of every 5 of your friends in Boston is likely to volunteer their time to a local or national organization provide tutoring, mentoring, fundraising, organizing, or direct services. The median time given among young professionals? -- just 36 hours, or less than 2 days a year, about 12 Red Sox games, or the time spent watching a season of 24.

So what can we do to encourage a Spirit of Service among this age group? Aside from increased federal support for organizations, encouraging access to positive volunteer experiences may increase the likelihood of individuals developing a sustained interest in civic service.

For working professionals with competing interests, this may be easier said than realized. Still, there is no shortage of great organizations and volunteering opportunities in Boston. OYFP, for one, is among many others, such as YAVA. Private and business support for volunteering is organized through organizations such as Boston Cares. Traditional services-organizations are expanding their reach, e.g. United Way’s Young Leaders program. You can encourage your company to adopt a community-oriented component to their mission statement, that explicitly supports employee involvement. In this increasingly connected world your iphone and facebook account can do more than update your friends’ status, by plugging into a lot more.

Talk to friends, commit a couple hours, join a email listing, become involved, GIVE a little bit more, and help Boston become better than 1 in 5.

On Your Feet Project Volunteers serve Friday Night Supper!

2009-05-29T09:47:00.002-04:00

The Friday Night Supper Program is a Boston based "soup kitchen." FNSP has served nutritious home-cooked meals to homeless and hungry people in Boston every Friday night since 1984. Every. Friday. Night.

Tonight! 10-15 OYFP volunteers are donating their time to serve hot meals and distribute clothes to over 150 guests.

If you cant make it tonight you can go next Friday, or the Friday after that or...you get the point.

Volunteering with FNSP provides a meaningful way for individuals and groups to “give back” to the community, and it is a wonderful way to meet and work with people who share your concern for helping others. Volunteering also provides a valuable educational opportunity for individuals and groups who want to learn more about and advocate for the end of hunger and related social issues.

Cheers!

How's the End of Your Sidewalk?

2009-05-29T09:00:00.002-04:00

I am going to pull a Christina here and write about something I have noticed on my walk to work. Recently the end ramps of sidewalks around Teele square in Somerville have been dug up and replaced with these tiles in the picture to the right. I didn't know why the city would do this, so I asked around. Is it to help pedestrians navigate the sidewalk when its icy out? Give us traction when it rains?

It turns out that that this is a detectable warning tactile tile, which helps visually impaired people find the end of the street and wheelchair users have access to get on and off the sidewalk. I am glad that City of Somerville is making efforts to make their sidewalks more friendly for the individuals that are differently abeled than myself. Isn't it amazing how much you take for granted, such as crossing the street safely?

A point to ponder is why haven't I noticed this tile elsewhere before? Possibly I only noticed this NEW change to the neighborhood, mostly because it effected the path I take to work and there could be longstanding ones in the Boston area that I have never noticed. It also makes me wonder what else I take for granted/ never noticed around my community?

What positive changes have you noticed in your neighborhood lately?

Related Posts: Guide Horse?, Please shovel your sidewalks

Ending Childhood Hunger - What you can do

2009-05-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today, more than 12 million children in the United States do not know when their next meal will come. Unfortunately, this number continues to rise as these difficult economic times are leaving more and more people jobless, without homes, and unable to provide food for their families.

What can you, one person, do?

1. Sign-up to host a bake sale: http://www.GreatAmericanBakeSale.org/vgabs, and then actually host it. Easy as pie (literally)! Host it at work, on your sidewalk, at your church, etc. Get creative!

2. Buy the virtual Great American Bake Sale eBook:
http://StolenMomentsCooking.com/virtual-gabs

3. Post a ChipIn widget or banner on your blog:
http://www.GreatAmericanBakeSale.org/bloggers

Together we can work together to end childhood hunger.

Photo courtesy of Whipped Bakeshop in Philadelphia, PA.

Memorial Day - Tribute to the Troops

2009-05-25T12:12:00.003-04:00

No matter your political views, most of us can appreciate the sacrifice individuals make when they volunteer to serve in the US armed forces.

This past March, my boyfriend and I spent two weeks in Honduras to rest, relax, and explore. During our time on Roatan (an island off the coast of Honduras), we met a group of Navy people (sea men?) who had volunteered to help build schools on the island. The Navy also donated $9,000 towards the effort.

Most of the sailors on the ship moored just off the coast of the island chose to rest and relax like Terrence and I did, but it was really touching to see this group of sailors who chose to give up a few days to help build the school, play with the kids, and make a difference in a place where 75% of kids do not attend school.

So on this Memorial Day, I'm saying thanks for the things our armed forces do that are above and beyond protecting us - for reaching out and helping people who really, truly need it. Thank you.

The photo is of laundry drying in a village on Roatan island in Honduras.

Puppies Behind Bars

2009-05-16T11:30:00.003-04:00

I know, I know. It has been awhile since I blogged. Blame work, blame my class, blame my lack of motivation. However. This morning, in the process of working (yes I realize it's Saturday), I came across the organization Puppies Behind Bars, and was so moved, I cried. Yes, tears fell on my work laptop.

Why all the emotion? Because of this video.

I believe that US prisons have long been broken. The primary goal of prisons is to punish people for their illegal acts, which the system does a fairly good job of. The second goal, however, is to rehabilitate them for their re-entry into society. And that is where the prison system is flawed. Counseling sessions and job training classes only go so far - many prisoners can't be reached. Puppies, however --- puppies can get in.

Puppies Behind Bars accomplishes two things: Training service dogs for disabled people, and rehabilitating prisoners. The dogs stay with the prisoners 24 hours a day, and the prisoners are responsible for training them and taking care of them. In return, they get love and loyalty from their dog, and the knowledge that the dog is going to help someone who really needs it - a disabled veteran or other disabled person.

The experience really seems to transform the prisoners, not to mention the person who receives the trained dog. The prisoners reconnect with the part of them that has empathy - a part lost long ago, and which probably led to them committing crime. I believe that participation in the program will lead to lower rates of recidivism, but Puppies Behind Bars does not have statistics available.

There are a lot of non-profits out there, but this one may now be my favorite (aside from OYFP of course). The win-win situation really inspires me, and moves me.

What do you think of the program?