Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Looking for my long red cape...

When I was a child, I wanted to see the world. As a young woman, I wanted to save the world. As an adult, I simply wanted to survive in the world. As I got older, I lost my red cape amidst the muzzy muck of daily life. Now, as a mother, I am looking through the attic to find that little bit of superhero I used to be.

I am a busy woman, with a family to care for, a house to clean, and a business to run. I do not have much time to devote to securing a better future for my kids, and myself. As an environmental attorney, I get to do some good, but let's face it, working from home with an infant means a severe reduction in the amount of cases I can handle. I simply don't have many solid hours to research and work in my day. So I have been looking for more ways to help, and ways that don't take too long, or cost too much.

Each morning I click on the Hunger Site, the Breast Cancer site, the Child Health site, the Literacy site, the Rainforest site, and the Animal rescue site. I also purchase as many of my gifts as I can from the Greater Good Stores, which are connected to these sites and donate additional resources when you purchase from them. However, the majority of their success comes from the few seconds of clicking people do every day, so you can make a big difference with no money spent and only a few seconds a day.
In 2007, the sites and stores provided:
53.6 million cups of food for the hungry
7,151 mammograms to women in need
Medical care to 657,619 children around the globe
328,072 books for children
Resources to save 10,155 acres of rainforest
and
42.7 million bowls of food to animal rescue.

I donate clothes my family is no longer using to the Salvation Army. The clothes are usually still in good condition, but no longer fit or are simply no longer being used. At least I know they are going somewhere good.

I test my language skills on FreeRice.com, and donate rice to the hungry. The site provides you with a word and four possible definitions. For each one you get correct, the site donates 20 grains of rice to the U.N. So far I have donated 6320 grains of rice. (My mother is in the tens of thousands. Go MOM!)

My roommate suggested I offset my carbon emissions from driving and flying with Carbonfund.org. Carbon offsets enable anyone to reduce their climate footprint by supporting projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions to balance out one’s own carbon footprint. It is a new thing for me, but I think I can offset all my family's carbon output for about $250.00 a year. It will feel good to be carbon neutral.

I am looking for more simple, easy, and effective ways to help the world. Hopefully, I will be able to teach my children to give back as well. Maybe if I find enough of these little ways to help, I can feel as though I have recaptured my inner superhero.

Does anyone else have any good ways to help?

3 comments:

MarĂ­a said...

I also click on those sites everyday via Care2.com. I love freerice.com - but I've been stuck on level 43 for over two weeks now. Don't laugh @ me!! *lol*

I think it's wonderful what you are doing, and being an environmental attorney is so admirable. You are definitely doing your part and hopefully I can follow along in your footsteps and get my husband to do it too. [He's blah. *lol*]

Scylla said...

Lol! My husband usually says I am doing my part, and his, and he is funding my part.

Red Flashlight said...

From my perspective you're already wearing your long, red cape! Take a twirl in front of the mirror, silly. :)

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