Honoring Memorial Day

Photo Credit: Arlington National Cemetery

According to History.com, Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May each year in order to honor the people who died while serving in the United States military.  This American holiday was originally known as Decoration Day and became an official federal holiday in 1971.  Many people think of Memorial Day weekend as the start of summer, hot dogs, beach days, BBQs, and other outdoor adventures.  But go beyond the red, white, and blue theme you'll use to invite family and friends over for a backyard roast, and think about giving a few hours of service on this upcoming weekend.

Some ideas to get you started:

• Operation Gratitude is a non-profit in Van Nuys (Los Angeles) that sends hand-written letters and care packages around the world to active military personnel, veterans, and their families.  I'll be here with a bunch of UCLA Bruins on May 25 to work at the base!
• Local cemeteries might need your help before and after Memorial Day to place and remove flags at the gravestones of fallen heroes.  There are sites in Arlington, Boston, and over 130 national cemeteries in need of flags - all of which are placed by volunteers.
• Donate blood or volunteer for a local blood drive in order to help those in need year-round.
• Run a marathon or do something active to raise funds and awareness for veterans and military families; search "Memorial Day" on Active.com for ideas near you.
• Cell Phones for Soldiers is a non-profit that allows you to donate your old cell phone in order to provide free communication and minutes for military service members to call home to their families.
• Visit your local VA to serve meals, sing songs, or just visit veterans to share stories and time.

These are just a few ways to serve, and many of these non-profits are looking for volunteers all year-round -- not just on Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, or other big holidays.  Many activities are family-friendly too, so get your kids and grandparents involved!

Do you have other ideas to share?  Contact A Whispered Wish to share your favorite service activities on this great May weekend of remembrance.

Entertainment Morality Clause

Photo Credit: GLEE on FOX Extras

Being sick for the past two weeks, with the last 4 days spent lying on the couch watching bad TV in a medicine-and-cough-induced haze, your mind sort of turns to mush.  Watching obscene amounts of How I Met Your Mother (great), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (leads to bad/crazy dreams), and GLEE (so embarrassed to admit this) leads to some interesting ideas for blog posts... like this one.

While I have many morality issues with the show GLEE, I still can't seem to delete it from the DVR and end up catching up with the show when I'm sick or bored.  But, they briefly got one thing right in their last episode -- calling out Chris Brown.  Does it drive anyone else crazy that Chris Brown's songs are still played over and over on the radio, and that he is getting paid to make music and appearances?  It makes me nuts that bad role models such as Chris Brown, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Charlie Sheen, and others can do so much wrong for the world and yet still be paid and praised by the general public.  Sure, everyone makes mistakes and deserves a second chance, but haven't these people had dozens of chances with no thoughts of change?  There are so many talented and professional people willing to work in the entertainment industry - why do we allow these lowlifes to continue to be on our TVs, our radios, in our movie theaters and pay money to see and hear them?  We can't all be perfect role models, but I wish they would try.

The next time you want to have an entertainment role model, look at do-gooders who are known for their talent and compassion - Kristen Bell, Sophia Bush, Brad Pitt, and Harry Connick, Jr. - to name a few.  Better yet, find a role model you can look up to in the real world: a teacher, an astronaut, a scientist, or a family member.

Super Charitable Bowl

Photo Credit: NFL.com

With Super Bowl 47 looming just around the corner, many people are thinking about what jersey to wear, where to watch the big game, and how many pigs in a blanket can be consumed in a day.  Or, they are taking bets on the "Harbowl" - wondering which brother's team will take home the win.  [Sorry San Francisco, I'm rooting for Baltimore because I just can't handle your city having another championship this year.]  Some folks are also using this time to think about how philanthropy and football can go together.

Ahrif Sarumi, founder of The Knoble, recently wrote an article for Huffington Post: Impact called 7 Points for Having a Charitable Super Bowl Party, which details seven easy ways to give back on the big day.  Ideas include making a monetary bet where the dollars won go to the winner's favorite charity, collecting clothing, cans, and non-perishable goods from guests at a house party, or inviting everyone over to your home to save electricity and waste.

The NFL also thinks about charity alongside the Super Bowl Legacy.  Since 1992, cities who host the big game are given a $1 million dollar Legacy Grant to serve and enrich local youth in need.  The Super Bowl Host Committee also collaborates with local public and private support to get this grant matched in order to establish a ten year operating and fundraising plan in the community.  This ensures that the legacy lasts longer than a single Super Bowl year.  With this year's Super Bowl being hosted in New Orleans, each dollar for the community matters even more.

Finally, the NFL Foundation contributes with a week of fundraising events before the game.  This year's events include a Celebrity Bowling Classic and a Celebrity Golf Classic, where amateur and professional players team up to have a good time and contribute to the local community of New Orleans.

As you get ready for Super Bowl Sunday, think about how you can contribute while having a good time.  If you think of more ideas, share them with me on Twitter @awhisperedwish or leave a comment on this post.  GO RAVENS!

Light for Light: Mwanga Candles

Photo Credit: Mwanga Candles on Facebook

According to Mwanga Candles, about 79% of people in third world countries do not have access to electricity, most of them in Africa as well as South and East Asia.  What would you do if you had no electricity?  You certainly couldn't write an email, a blogpost, or check the latest football scores with your computer.  For basic necessities, electricity is an important one to have.  Mwanga Candles is trying to improve one aspect: LIGHT.

Mwanga Candles sells safe, hand-crafted, natural, and beautiful soy candles out of a passion for mission work and charity.  Each candle sold leads to a donation of a solar-powered flashlight to a family in another part of the world with no access to electricity.  UCLA Magazine recently profiled the efforts of Mwanga Candles in their July 2012 issue.  The non-profit owners, a young married couple who wanted to merge their talents in sales and missionary work, started the company in December 2011.  They strive to make a big impact on a large number of people in areas such as Tibet, Africa, and South America through the local sale of candles.

Learn more about Mwanga Candles and purchase a gift for yourself in the New Year - the gift of light will go where needed.

Feed SoCal Hunger Drive

Photo Credit: Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is a fantastic organization that provides more than 60 million pounds of food to more than one million in-need people in Los Angeles County.  For every $1 donated, the Food Bank is able to use their resources to acquire and distribute 4 meals.

I have volunteered there several times myself with the UCLA Volunteer Center and our External Affairs department (see our pictures here), and can personally attest to the fact that this is a well-run, highly-organized, and dependable organization.  The Food Bank has a number of ways you can do simple things to help raise funds and awareness, from liking partners on Facebook to buying products you already use from their partners.  They are also in need of volunteers to work at their warehouse to sort donations, put together food packages for school children and the elderly, and more.  As you can see from the pictures above, volunteering is a lot of fun -- they even let you juggle potatoes as long as you don't drop them!

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank's current July drive is one in conjunction with ABC7 and VONS for a month-long hunger awareness drive called "Feed SoCal."  From July 2-29, visit your local VONS store to purchase a $5 pre-packaged bag filled with needed items for the Food Bank to distribute.  There will also be a "Stuff-A-Truck" food drive in Pasadena on July 20.  Can't make it to a VONS?  Donate online to support the campaign or host your own food drive at your school, office, or neighborhood.

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is an excellent organization.  By supporting them, you are supporting their extensive work with farmers, schools, shelters, senior homes, and many other needy areas and populations.  Help them do their best work by volunteering to give of your food, time, or money.  Don't live in LA?  Find your local food bank to see what support they need.

Photo Credit: Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

The mission of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is to mobilize resources to fight hunger in our community.  To fulfill our mission we:

• Source and acquire food and other products and distribute to needy people through charitable agencies or directly through programs; 
• Energize the community to get involved and support hunger relief; 
• Conduct hunger education and awareness campaigns and advocate for public policies that alleviate hunger. 

Our vision is that no one goes hungry in Los Angeles County.

Better World Books

Photo Credit: Better World Books

Better World Books started as an idea from a couple of college kids: they envisioned a different kind of company with a built-in social benefit.  BWB strives to solve the problems of both literacy and the environment by being a better bookstore.  Some of the ways they make a difference:

• Book for Book: Each time a book is bought on their website, a book is donated to someone in need through Books for Africa and Feed the Children.  Since October 2011, more than 6.1 million books have been donated.
• Literacy Funding for Non-Profits: Over $11.5 million has been raised for literacy for educational non-profits and libraries, and more than 63 million books have been collected at book drives on college and university campuses.  
• LEAP Grants: Literacy and Education in Action Program grants fund literacy and educational projects all over the world.
• Environment - Reducing Landfill & Carbon Offsets: Books that cannot be found a good home are recycled or re-used, leaving to more than 80 million pounds of books and 900,000 pounds of metal shelving from libraries to be properly recycled instead of thrown in a landfill.  Carbon offsets are bought to clean up their footprint even further.

Better World Books is also the official bookstore of TED, sharing great ideas and interesting book lists.  So, are you ready to recycle and donate your books?  Start here.

The Pujols Family Foundation: Scoring a Win

Photo Credit: Pujols Family Foundation

A few months ago, Albert Pujols signed a 10-year, $240+ million contract with the Angels to bring his talents to California.  But his heavy paycheck and solid game won't be the only thing hopefully coming to the West Coast -- fans are excited to see his charitable work grow west of St. Louis as well.

The Pujols Family Foundation was created on May 5, 2005 (05/05/05, also symbolized in his uniform number) to help those living with Down Syndrome in the Dominican Republic.  The Foundation promises to promote awareness, provide hope, and meet tangible needs for families.  Through Pujols' connections to Major League Baseball and St. Louis through the Cardinals, the Foundation's reach has grown to also benefit those in St. Louis.  Recently, the chief executive of the Foundation has been making calls to charities that help families struggling with Down Syndrome in the Orange County and Los Angeles areas to assess their needs and find ways of partnering with existing efforts.  It should be an easy pairing: Angel Stadium has already been involved with the cause through their annual Buddy Walk each year, which celebrates Down Syndrome awareness, acceptance, and inclusion.

For more on Pujols' good deeds and move to Anaheim, read the full story from Los Angeles Times sports reporter Mike DiGiovanna.

The Pujols Family Foundation is an IRS 501 (c)(3) organization benefiting people with (a) Down syndrome (b) disabilities and/or life threatening illnesses as well as (c) children and families living in impoverished conditions in the Dominican Republic.

Operation Thin Mint

Photo Credit: Operation Thin Mint

It's Girl Scout Cookie season. The time when you can't walk into a supermarket or office without a little girl in uniform or her mom asking if you would like to buy a box of delicious Samoas, Tagalongs, or Do-Si-Dos. At $4 per box and only running once per year, these Girl Scouts prey on the appetites and goodwill of thousands of cookie consumers.

Alas, the Girl Scout Cookie Program is for a good cause. This year's season happens January 29 to March 11, and the $700 million dollar program is the largest girl-led business in the country.  Girls learn about goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics.  Most of the money from the $4 box stays local, going to programs and services for the girls.  In San Diego, Girl Scouts have been collecting donations since 2002 to send millions of cookies and notes to the troops overseas through Operation Thin Mint.  Hungry yet?  Click here to use the Cookie Locator to find a troop selling cookies in your area.

Girl Scouts USA, founded in 1912, is a leadership organization for girls that allows them to cultivate friendships, serve their communities, and enrich their lives with exciting experiences in an accepting and nurturing environment.  Now in their 100th year, the Girl Scouts organization is celebrating a century of leadership, fun, and friendship.

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character,who make the world a better place.