Featured

3 Ways to Celebrate Food Revolution Day

Ravelle Mohammed — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:54:42 +0000

The 2^nd annual Food Revolution Day is being celebrated on May 17, 2013 to spread the love and importance of fresh, healthy food. Get involved to share the tastiness (nom nom nom) and tell the world why food is so great. If you’re like us, you probably already do that every day anyway... right?

Why cooking skills matter:

Americans consume 31 percent more packaged foods than fresh foods and admit to eating 20 percent of all meals in the car. But let’s be real, homemade meals aren’t overrated. Fresh foods are both delicious and more nutritious. By learning a few simple cooking skills, you can be a true foodie. Trust us: your body will thank you.

What you can do:

1. Be a Recipe Scavenger:

Exchange recipes with friends on social networks.
Search for fresh, new recipes to add to your collection that are easy to make.
Start a recipe chain.

2. Take a picture of your home-cooked meal and post it using the hashtag #FRD13.

3. Encourage friends and classmates to bring more bagged lunches to school. And if you are going to buy, try to go for the fruits, veggies and protein.

Create a healthy living cookbook. GO

Source: Food Revolution Day

Organic Food

Hunger

Healthy Living

Amanda Bynes’ Recent Behavior Has Us Worried

Teresa.Roca — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:23:54 +0000

Another day, another troubled child star.

Amanda Bynes had audiences laughing with her spunky attitude and quirky personality on Nickelodeon’s All That and The Amanda Show. She later transitioned to the big screen with laugh out loud hits like She’s the Man and Easy A.

But in the last few months, Bynes has been displaying weird behavior that's got us super worried.

Let’s start off with her legal troubles. In April of 2012, the actress was arrested for driving under the influence. Her license was finally suspended on Sept. 6 after two hit-and-run accidents (yes, two). Despite a revoked license, she drove days later. On May 9, 2013 the actress was placed on three years' probation.

She's also displayed other bizarre behavior such as showing up to a gymnastics class in fishnet stockings and smoking a suspicious looking cigarette in New York City.

Her legal troubles and behavior aren't even the worst part. Bynes’ Twitter feed is filled with statuses revealing body image issues.

April 13: "I have an eating disorder so I have a hard time staying thin."

April 24: "This is a good 1! No magazine put this in their issue! Y do tabloids only use the fattest most unflattering pics?"

April 30: "About to put on makeup! I weigh 135, I've gained weight! I need to be 100 lbs!"

Do you see why we’re concerned? We think Bynes looks beautiful the way she is and shouldn’t be focusing on finding faults in her flawless photos, but living in the public eye since childhood can have a toll on a person. Hopefully she can focus on staying healthy. And who knows, maybe eventually make a return to the big screen. She’s the Man the sequel anyone?

Get the facts about eating disorders. GO

- Teresa Roca is a NYC writer who is obsessed with celebrities, sports and movies. Her favorite cause is bullying and violence.

Teen Kicks Cancer's Ass, Now Inspiring Others

Ravelle Mohammed — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:23:08 +0000

Meet Robert Ram. He’s a senior at Tesoro High School in Las Flores, CA. He plays three sports: wrestling, water polo and swimming and diving. He’s also a mentor for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, where he encourages kids who have faced an amputation to never give up on sports. Oh yea – did we mention that Robert is a living example of what he teaches?

The 17-year-old is one of our Foot Locker Scholar Athlete semi-finalists. His story is amazeballs. Check out our interview below!

DoSomething.org: How has swimming changed your life?

Robert Ram: Swimming has taught me to not hide my disability, but embrace the fact that I can still be active with my life. It has taught me to never give up and I have become a leader through swimming as a result. I have learned to be committed with something, and not jump around doing a new thing every day.

DS: Can you tell us how you kicked cancer’s butt?

RR: There are many, many answers for this question. Everything I did from the day I was diagnosed (at age 12) has helped me in my battle with cancer. My family supporting me and being there for me showed me that people cared. My friends sending me posters and visiting me while I was in the hospital and not in school with them made me feel like I was not missing out on anything. My siblings keeping me company and making me smile made it feel like I was still a normal brother. And my drive to be alive and be happy kept me fighting.

DS: What’s something you learned from the adversity you’ve faced?

RR: I learned that everything happens for a reason and I live by that. I am actually more active, happier, and more caring and helpful to others because of cancer. It has taught me to help people and always be there for someone because there is always someone who is having a worse day than you are. Also, I do not complain about little things. I am thankful for the little things in life, because I have been in situations where I was scared I would not have those little things anymore.

I have also learned to embrace the fact that I am different from other people, and being different is good. I like standing out in crowds and being approached by someone who is interested in my prosthetic leg.

DS: How are you using your experiences to raise awareness?

RR: I am giving back to my community by speaking to local elementary, junior high, and high schools. I talk to students about my situation, and show them that not everyone is perfect. I am spreading awareness about cancer in teens and I am sharing my experiences with them.

I am also a mentor for young kids who have been affected by cancer. I visit children and their families in the hospital to provide emotional support and to be an example of what they can accomplish.

DS: What are your plans for the future?

RR: For my academics, I am attending a local community college for two years, and then transferring to the University of California, Irvine to study Computer Science.

For my swim career, I am training with a club and I am very close to making the USA National Paralympic Team. I have high hopes to make it to the 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil. I am going to swim and attend college at the same time.

DS: Any advice for teens facing any obstacles?

RR: Know that there is someone going through, or has gone through something exactly like you. Asking for help is not hard, and you will receive it. Do not give up and you should be happy to be alive.

Help brighten the day of kids in hospitals with these tips. GO

Physical and Mental Health

Cancer

Featured Club: MCCS DoSomething.org Club

Ravelle Mohammed — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:35:36 +0000

Energy vampires are those little suckers that continue to use power even if a device is turned off or in standby mode. (Read: laptops, TVs, or chargers that are left plugged in.) Nationally, energy vampires waste more than $10 billion a year. That’s the equivalent of 100 billion kilowatt hours – enough to power 10 million homes for a year!

MaST Community Charter School DoSomething.org Club is slaying this issue, one vampire at a time. Check out our interview with club leader Amanda Lor below.

Who/what inspired you to create (or join) a DoSomething.org club?

My vice president, Krishna Majmundar, and I noticed that we have such an energetic and friendly group of peers. Everyone possesses the ability to pioneer creative innovations and the will to fight for causes they care about. So, we thought it would be a good idea to form a club where everyone could contribute their strengths, and get involved with the community. There was only one philanthropic club in school, but only certain members of the student body were permitted to join.

We wanted to build a club where everyone is welcome, as long as they want to do something. The idea of a club empowered solely by teens was so exciting. DoSomething.org was our golden ticket to creating the club we envisioned. Signing up was easy too! Within a week, we got school approval, more than 20 members, and the support we needed!

What makes your club unique?

What makes our club unique is how weird we are. We like to call it the "MaST Bubble." It is impossible to escape. The MaST Bubble describes how everyone in MaST shares the same geeky sense of humor or agrees on the same things that a majority of people outside the "Bubble" wouldn't. For example, on Wednesdays, the student council sells Philly soft pretzels. One day, Armen, one of our members, told me to come over and sniff a piece of pretzel. I hesitated, thinking to myself what he could possibly be up to. He kept insisting, so I gave in and sniffed it. It smelled like dough, pure uncooked pretzel dough. Armen then started to scribble on a piece of paper. He took a piece of pretzel, looked at me with this crazy look on his face, and started erasing his scribble with it! And, it WORKED! Not only did everyone find it incredibly funny, we discovered how to make erasers edible. No more getting hungry in class.

What is the most kickass project you've done so far?

The Don't Be A Sucker Campaign. Check out our video below:

Any advice for students looking to take action around issues they care about?

Students should try to cooperate with each other. You are most likely to achieve greater results when you have support, not to mention the ability to divide and conquer! Also, have an optimistic outlook, yet realistic goal. Don't let anything stop you from accomplishing amazing feats and overcoming the issues you care about.

Tell us what your club is doing! GO

Environment

Energy Conservation

Hurricane Sandy: 6 Months Later

Ravelle Mohammed — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:59:38 +0000

It’s been 6 months since Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the US, leaving a path of destruction. While it devastated both New York and New Jersey, it allowed thousands of jobs to be created in the area and gave residents a personal reason to get involved in their community. But, where do things stand now?

The Rockaways of Queens, NY was one of the areas hardest hit. There are homes and lives that are still completely destroyed because of it. The A Train, which is one of the main modes of transportation to and from the area, was heavily damaged. This has made the already long and stressful trip from The Rockaways to Manhattan, NY even longer.

Read: 11 Facts About Hurricane Sandy

Many residents have to rebuild not only their homes, but their lives. Others have to worry about the extra expense of elevating their homes. New Jersey has implemented new elevation standards to flood zone areas that require residents to raise their homes based on updated Advisory Flood Elevation standards. You can find information about the standards for your area and getting the proper flood insurance here.

A number of schools are still damaged because of Sandy. The last New York City school to be closed because of the hurricane was opened in January, but there are still thousands of dollars in repair to be done. Many classrooms lack school supplies and technology for students. Not to mention that many of these students and parents are still displaced because of the storm.

To find out about ways to volunteer, you can go to New York Cares, The American Red Cross, among others.

Get the details on how to organize a disaster relief zone. GO

- Kori Williams is a NYC freelance writer, who loves music, food, and photography. Her favorite cause is Human Rights.

Sources: NJ.gov, MTA, CNN, Daily News

I'm One of 20,000 NYC Kids in a Homeless Shelter

Ben Kassoy — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:55:11 +0000

My name’s Lachelle. I’m 14 years old and have been living in a homeless shelter in New York City for the last two and half years with my mom, 12-year-old brother, and 10-year-old sister. We used to live in a nice apartment, but when my mom got laid off from her job, then got hit by a car a few weeks later (breaking her pelvic bone in two places), and then was diagnosed with cancer, things got really hard. Bills piled up until we couldn’t pay our rent anymore, and so we had to stay with my uncle for a while. But when he left to join the Air Force, the landlord immediately kicked us out. We had nowhere else to go, and ended up in a homeless shelter.

Help Lachelle: SIGN the Petition

Our first night there, we were all too shocked and sad to even talk to each other. We just laid on our beds in silence. It was really scary, and when we had to use the common bathroom, my sister and I quickly learned go together to protect each other. We did eventually did get moved to a room with its own bathroom and a kitchenette, where we’ve now been for more than two years. But it’s not the kind of life that any kid would choose to have.

The shelter has a lot of people using drugs and alcohol, and when I come home from school every day I have to walk past a bunch of men hanging out near the front door who shout things that make me really uncomfortable. For a while, one grown man was stalking me, until my mom was able to get him thrown in jail. It’s also impossible to keep anything nice in the shelter. The ring my grandmother gave me for my 5th grade graduation was stolen, as was my brother’s favorite football jersey. Recently, he also got mugged and beaten on his way back to the shelter from school, and is still in the hospital.

I try to live a normal life though. I volunteer to help senior citizens after school, and my brother and sister and I all do extracurricular activities on Saturdays. But I can never have friends over, since I’m afraid to let anyone know I live in a shelter. Some kids at school think shelters are just for drug addicts or bad people, but they’re not - they’re full of kids just like me. In fact, there are now more than 20,000 kids like me in NYC shelters. That’s crazy. It was never like this before, and it’s only like this now because of bad city policies that took away any chance for families to move from shelter into permanent housing.

We need this to change. A shelter is not a home. Please sign this petition to help me - and 20,000 other kids in NYC - have the safety and stability of a real home.

Want to help Lachelle and other kids stuck in shelters get a real home? SIGN this petition. GO

Featured Club: MHS DoSomething.org Club

Ravelle Mohammed — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:45:02 +0000

Middlesex DoSomething.org Club has taken their crunchy vs. smooth debate to morning news. Club members recently made a special appearance on PIX 11 to talk about their Peanut Butter & Jam Slam Drive, and create some, er, unique PB&J sandwich combos. (Think potato chips.)

The NJ teens, with the help of their high school and local middle school, were able to collect 113 jars of peanut butter. And that’s over the course of a week! Check out our interview with Kyra Seeley, club leader of this amazeballs group.

1. Who/what inspired you to create (or join) a DoSomething.org club?

I wanted to create more opportunities for my peers to get involved in their communities. In middle school, I was inspired by my 6th grade teacher to help others. When I got to high school I felt like no one was motivated to make change, and I wanted to do something about that (no pun intended)! After searching DoSomething.org’s website, I learned all about the clubs, and that was when the Middlesex DoSomething.org club was born!

2. What makes your club unique?

What makes us unique is our impact on the community even with only a few members. The members in our club all come from different backgrounds with different interests. However, when we come together, we all have the same goal and that is to help others.

We've held several different fundraisers for the March of Dimes, TWLOHA, and Muscular Dystrophy Association. This past Christmas we went caroling for canned goods and sent soldiers holiday cards. We have also participated in Teens for Jeans twice and recently we just completed the one and only Peanut Butter & Jam Slam!

3. What was one thing you learned from running your Peanut Butter & Jam Slam drive?

We had some confusion on what we were collecting. Some people thought we were collecting PB&J sandwiches, so make sure it’s clear you are collecting unopened jars of PB&J.

Also, hold the drive as long as you can. This gives people more time to get their peanut butter and jelly.

4. What is the most kickass project you've done so far?

Our most kickass project we have done so far was holding an outdoor movie night fundraiser. We chose the location, time, activities, and of course did all the planning. There was no adult help and we are proud of that! It was amazing to see the end result and how we, just teens, could host a great and successful fundraising event for an organization we really cared about.

5. Any advice for students looking to take action around issues they care about?

My advice would be to not worry about what others think of you when trying to make a difference. I think a lot of times young people feel embarrassed to do something good, because it is not the norm of other people their age. However, you would be surprised by how many teens are out there who want to do something good but just don’t know how to get involved. Be that person who motivates and guides them.

Start a DoSomething.org club at your school. GO

Homelessness and Poverty

Hunger

Why Ben Affleck Is Living On $1.50 A Day

Desiree Coleman — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:22:23 +0000

Oscar-winning actor, producer, and director, Ben Affleck is known for his support of the Eastern Congo. In 2010, the star founded the Eastern Congo Initiative to provide its people with economic and social development opportunities. This month, Affleck and fellow stars Josh Groban and Jonah Hill are participating in the Live Below the Line campaign by living on $1.50 every day for 5 days (April 29-May 3).

You can participate and bring awareness to a poverty-stricken region close to your heart by taking the 5-day challenge (use #BelowTheLine on Twitter)! Think it’s crazy?... Get this:

1.4 billion people worldwide live on less than $1.50 a day
80 percent of the world’s population lives on less than $10 a day.
Read more about global poverty with our 11 Facts.

Donate these 5 things low-income families need most. GO

Source: ABC

Top 11 of the Interns’ Favorite Strategies for Saving Money

Ravelle Mohammed — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:37:12 +0000

There have been a ton of great submissions to the Craziest Thing I Did to Save Money gallery. At DoSomething.org, we’ve been cracking up at some of the submissions. Here’s the next top 11 list: the interns’ favorites.

11. Hide your $$ so friends will pay

10. Flirt with the cashier for free food

9. Reuse folders in college

8. Dry your clothes in a microwave (probably not the best idea...)

7. Pick up girls at the movie theater

6. Rewrite the “Fresh Prince” rap

5. Attend a lecture for the free food

4. Get creative with your healthcare

3. Avoid buying snow boots

2. Wear two pairs of glasses

1. Capitalize on online dating services

Why We Surprised This Teen With a Disney Trip

Ravelle Mohammed — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:53:01 +0000

Meet Rebecca Anolick. She’s a New Jersey resident and a Morristown High School student, who also happens to be our 1 MILLIONTH MOBILE MEMBER!

Rebecca’s BFF, Sami Spencer (who invited her to join our mobile list), helped some DoSomething.org staff members coordinate a baller surprise. Along with Rebecca’s teacher, sister, and friends, we were able to make this a pretty special day.

Check out the video below of Rebecca when she found out that not only was she our millionth member, but would also bed heading to Disney!