How do you give back - The Community Service Thread

[BeneathMyWillowTree]

My entry today isn't about something that I did. I wanted to talk about two wonderful people and their acts of kindness. There was an earthquake this past Sunday in Mexicali, Mexico. This is a place I often visit. People I care for dearly live there. My friend and I rushed over from Califonia to Mexicali upon hearing about the quake. We wanted to check in on everyone to make sure everything was okay. Thankfully everyone was.

Mexico has potential to do greather things. Unfortunately they are plagued by corruption and the drug cartel. Despite all of the bad things that happen there, there is plenty good. I am referring to the two wonderful people I met during my last visit there. This is for Susanna and Marcos. They are neighbors of my friend's parents. They have no reason or obligation to look in on them. They take it upon themselves to do it out of the kindness of their hearts.They were there for them when the earthquake struck. It is comforting to know that they are there for them when we can't be. I am not a religious person, but this gives meaning to "love thy neighbor."

They may not ever read what I wrote here today, but to Susanna and Marcos...there aren't enough words in this world to express my gratitude to you. People like you give me hope. Hope that maybe one day more people will take your example and make this world a more better place. Muchas gracias por tu apoyo y compasion. Thank you for your support and compassion.

Con mucho amor y paz!
With much love and peace!
Jenny B

[JustSkipIt]

Jenny B - That's quite cool.

I did my 8th double platelet donation today. Actually I thought it was my 8th but I noticed there is a big poster there and it had my name for 8 donations this year already so maybe it was my 9th. Or maybe they gave me credit because I was scheduled. I don't know...

Also, tomorrow I'm giving a friend of a friend a ride to and from work. I don't know... there's not like a good reason. The friend had a thing on FB and said "anyone going into downtown from NOrth" or something so I commented and she took me up on it. I'm glad to help but I definitely don't want to do it for like weeks for someone I don't know (she broke her arm). We'll see about this week though.

[BeneathMyWillowTree]

Deb - I am so jealolus of you! I continue to live vicarously through you right now since I am still banned from the Red Cross. A few more weeks and I'll be back in action.

So there was an opportunity and I seized the moment. I decided to donate about 260 CD's to the U.S. Armed Forces. These CD's will be given to any of our troops who are out in Iraq and Afghanistan. I know they can sure use some kind of entertainment. Believe me they are gonna get it! I had all kinds of Sh*t! LOL. Dude! I like diversity! I even had stuff that I had noooo idea what they were saying, but I liked the music. That is what it all comes down to. Of course before I donated the CD's I downloaded them all to the computer. My God what a project. It took me 6 days to complete. Insomnia was my friend for sure...okay Red Bull was too! That was a lot of freakin' music! Geez! As long as I have the music still I don't care that I don't have the CD's anymore. That's why it didn't phase me giving them away. Hell I cleared so much space it's not even funny! So everybody wins!

[Guest]

Bless everyone, every situation and every single aspect of your life. Bless the bus when you get onto it. Bless all the people in it. Bless the Earth when you walk on her. Bless your family, especially when they hurt you.

Give out blessings and blessings will be sent back to you a thousand fold. It is a universal law.

Blessings to you all,

Vi'

[JustSkipIt]

Jenny B - That's a pretty cool idea. All our music (or almost all) is on our ancient computer but I guess I'd be afraid something would happen to it and we'd be out all that music. On the other hand, I'd love to get rid of the CDs. At least we don't have the cases. We have our cds in 3 big binders... Nothing to do with community service.

Vi - Absolutely. You can find that moment, that beingness for love and blessing at every moment.

[RainbowNerdette]

I just wrapped up a week of wardrobe duty at my sisters amateur musical theater group. Of the nearly dozen of women there I wasn't only by far the youngest (only one well under 50) but also the most dedicated one if I may say so myself. The only one knowing the script, memorizing the costume changes and not slacking off and/or forgetting changes.

I was so stressed and burnt up by the end of the week... But I got several thank yous for being so dependable and such a source of peace during the quick and stressful changes Dunno how I did it but sure made me proud as hell Gonna miss it!

Not gonna miss my coworkers though, they're ok but everything was about old age inconveniences and they were less than motivated. Complaining about not getting enough free drinks and having to pay their own parking costs all the time LoL

Have to wait at least 2 months till my next go at a good volunteer job

[BeneathMyWillowTree]

I want to start by saying thank you to the 3 wonderful women that helped me get the word out on my Cat's Claw book project. Thank you to My Southern Gal Trista who is out in Georgia, USA! It was her communication with Amber Benson that enabled me to be bombarded with emails. My goodness! Thank you to one of my fellow kittens Dia who is out in Texas, USA! It was you that enabled me to spread the word here at HOME! I'm sure many will agree and say how much they love the KB. So it was wonderful having the word spread here. Last and definitely not least to La Greco Enojada(The Angry Greek) who is out here with me in California, USA. You my dear even before this became a close ally not to mention a beautiful friend. All 3 of you hold a real special place in my heart. Please don't ever question or doubt that! What I feel for you guys is pure and true! A special thank you to a buddy of mine over at the Red Cross. Peter was sweet enough to buy a book and give it to me to give away to a lucky fan. A special thank you for the coolness of you too.

The whole point of this book giveaway was UNITY! You can see the significance by the regions my friends are in. This has been an unforgettable experience. To be honest I don't think I can describe what I feel after all this. If there is such thing as something higher then peace I may very well be there. With all that is in me I say thank you to my fellow Americans, Brazil, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada, and Argentina! All of you reached out to me. This became global! 120 people became apart of this whole thing! I felt the love, happiness, excitement, gratitude and anything else associated with this from all of you. WOW! Thank you for trusting me to do this for you! Please know you guys did more for me then you could have ever imagined.

I was asked why I was doing this? Well us humans aren't use to this kind of treatment. I understand we have to be cautious of each other cos you never know. Sadly we have done that to each other. I also know that if we showed more patience, compassion and kindness towards each other the world would be a much better place. I am here to hopefully inspire people to live by what I just said. By doing that I must not only speak but act! Every single person on this planet has one thing in common and that's life. So we should live it in peace! So with that said to everyone who reads this! To everyone around the world I give you my most precious possession...MY HEART!

My humble thanks!
Jenny B

[BeneathMyWillowTree]

But one thing I do that I have done for many years is carry granola bars in my car and give them to hungry people at intersections. I also frequently give away my leftovers as well or bottles of water if I have one. My sister will go drive through a nearby restaurant and take someone some food as well. I particularly like that my kids just think it's what you do: give food to hungry people.

Deb -
I dedicate the following act to you and your sister. Okay so I was on my way home tonight and wanted to get something to eat. I'm my way there I saw this homeless man sleeping on a bench at a bus stop. I thought of you. I really did cos I remembered your quote up above. My thought was I have a home that has food in it; so I really didn't need to buy myself something to eat. Instead I bought something for this man and gave it to him. You inspired me to do that.

On a different note I am hoping I will be able to do what I have in mind next. I have donated blood here in my own country. I have left my blood in Mexico on a couple of occasions. So now I hope to leave it in Argentina. I will be on vacation there starting this week. I know it's a vacation so I should act like it is. I want to set some time aside to donate blood there too. I have to explain the process. Argentina is no different then Mexico when it comes to the blood process. It makes me appreciate America more. Just like Mexico if you need blood for whatever reason you have to replace the units used on you. So if you receive like 3 units you need 3 people to donate blood on your behalf to repay your debt to the hospital. It is crucial. They don't care about your money they want the blood. The process of this is tedious and can make it a long day. I don't want to get into more details cos this will be a longer post then I intended. The whole point of this post is that I wanna go to a hospital and walk up to any random family and ask them if I may donate blood on their loved ones behalf. So fingers crossed that I will be able to.

[JustSkipIt]

Jenny (Jenni?) - Cool about buying the guy lunch rather than yourself. That's way cool.

How interesting about donating blood in Mexico and Argentina. Good luck!

[JustSkipIt]

I went to try and donate blood platelets. For the second time in a row my iron was too low. I'm getting frustrated but will keep trying.

[BeneathMyWillowTree]

Hola Deb! I am sorry to hear about you not being able to donate platelets again. I know how frustrating that can be. Suerte!

I am soooo happy to report that I was able to donate blood here in Argentina today. Since there wasn't many donors I went in voluntary instead of asking anyone if I could donate on their loved ones behalf. Either way my blood will go to someone so I am happy. Afterwards I received a meal ticket to retrieve a breakfast in the cafeteria. I knew I wouldn't use the ticket for myself for 2 reasons. One I wasn't hungry and two I am vegan. I knew they wouldn't have anything vegan to serve me. So instead I used the meal ticket and gave it to a very hungry woman that was in the cafeteria. She may have been homeless so I was eager to give her my meal instead.

In conclusion I have decided whether it is in a different country or state here in the US I will make it my mission to donate blood or platelets wherever I find myself. The thought of this makes me very happy. So next on my list will be Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I will be there soon so here I come.

[JustSkipIt]

Jenny B - Awesome that you were able to donate and that you also gave about the meal coupon. I saw in another thread that you were having trouble eating there. I would think that they would have beans & rice there at least? Actually, I'm sort of blown away that you can reach the iron cutoff and you are Vegan. Heck, I eat a little dairy and few eggs and fish once a week or so (mostly to try and achieve my iron) and I've missed the last two.

I did donations this week for the food bank in honor of my brother's birthday, the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure for a friend who is walking (and his birthday is today), and the Tour de Cure for my uncle. Actually, my Uncle is 74 and he'll be riding his bike 30 miles on Sunday for TdC which I think I pretty kick ass.

[BeneathMyWillowTree]

Deb - I take my iron pills daily which is why I keep my numbers high. If it wasn't for them I would be out of luck from donating. Food over in Argentina was hard for me. I did have people get creative for me, but it wasn't the same. I've noticed that you contribute to food banks which I think is hella cool. I haven't gone that route; then again who wants organic food? About your uncle that is pretty kick ass!

So after so much traveling these past few weeks I had joined Delta's Sky Miles. Hum? Imagine that! I never thought I'd be traveling let alone join a miles club. I accumulated a little over 15,000 miles within a 3 week period. In the beginning I thought oh sweet! Here is my chance to use miles or add some more for my upcoming future traveling. Of course when I saw that I could donate my miles to any participating charities I jumped on it. I was so excited being able to contribute to any causes this way. I donated 3,000 miles each to the following organizations:

Canine Assistants

A nonprofit organization that trains service dogs to enhance and improve the lives of children and adults who have physical disabilities, seizure disorders, or other special needs.

Dream Foundation

Is the first and largest national organization granting dreams to adults, over the age of 18, who are battling life-threatening illnesses. Donated miles are used to reunite families, bring loved ones together or to create lasting memories with one last family trip.

Latin American Association

A solid community anchor providing a vital link for Latino residents of Atlanta and beyond as they integrate into American society. They assist families with urgent needs, provide long term intervention in specialized areas, promote youth academic achievement, and support self-sufficiency through education and prevention.

The Nature Conservancy

A leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.

Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.

Honor Dr. King's contributions to world peace through non-violent social change. The vision of the Memorial captures the essence of his message, a message in which he so eloquently affirms the commanding tenants of the American Dream - Freedom, Democracy and Opportunity for All. Your support puts us one step closer to making this dream a reality.

There you have it! I am again HAPPY to have been able to do this!

Mucho paz y amor hoy, manana y siempre!
Much peace and love today, tomorrow and always!
Jenny B

[Guest]

Jenny B, that is an awesome way of sending out the energy of love to the Earth's core . Thank you for being the person you are.

Blessings in abundance to you and to all who know you,

Vi'

[BeneathMyWillowTree]

Vi - Muchas gracias for all the love and support that you always send my way. It is very much accepted and appreciated. Here's to looking at you kid.

I am a very happy camper! After being banned from the Cruz Roja(Red Cross) for a couple of months I was able to go in today. I donated my usual house special...platelets. Everything was smooth this time. I was skeptical about going to the same donor center that tore me up the last 2 times. It was all good in the hood this time. Aaahh! I can breathe again! I needed my Red Cross fix mission accomplished. I have a new trick up my sleeve which I will be doing pretty soon. Stay tuned...

[JustSkipIt]

Jenny - That's so cool. I never thought about donating miles but I've heard of it. Of course, I never travel so I wouldn't have miles to donate but it's very cool. And I'm so glad you were able to donate and can now be back on a schedule.

I went to the center today a little on the spur of the moment. I wanted to go last week but couldn't manage it and then wanted to go tomorrow but when I asked my boss for the time off he reminded me I have a meeting. So I said how about today? Anyway, my iron was 40! The last two times it has been 37 (need 38) so I was well above. And my platelet count was pretty high so it only took about an hour to donate the double. That's 9 this year. I wonder if I can still do 11 more... I donated so fast that I'm now waiting for the family at our regular Vietnamese restaurant and using the free wi-fi.

[JustSkipIt]

I'm on the machine donating platelets right now. It should be a double and my count was high so yes a double.

[BeneathMyWillowTree]

Wow Deb! That is awesom-o! I love how you posted you were in the process of donating; it made me feel I was right there with you. I am happy that you are knocking them out of the park again. Go Deb!

I am yet to do my next task. For the time being I donated money to the HRC(Human Rights Campaign). It went towards what is happening in the state of Texas. I know there's so much going on there against the LGBT community. It will never seize to amaze me how far people will go to ensure that something that has no affect on them be carried out. Some of these same people talk about peace, love, compassion, saving animals and anything else. Yet when it comes to homosexuals we are an abomination. I hope that one day people will just get over it and let us be. I may not want the same things my people want as far as kids and marriage, but I'd like to know that I have the option to.

As always paz y amor!
Jenny B

[Guest]

A few months ago, I joined a private community known as the "Green Tantra" community. It's a group of people dedicated to living out their ecosexuality. It is all about reclaiming all that is natural namely beautifying nudity, raw or vegan food consumption and embracing ourselves and our lives unconditionally. I see it as a very empowering community since its focus is on conscious living and conscious rejuvenation of Earth. The more we make use of everything that is "of nature" and that is not simply exclusive to organic farming, the more we re-create a sacred connection with life. It reminds me very much of how nature knows its own limits and if we would just let nature flow as it desires, peace would pave its way on earth again.

So basically this was a reminder, to myself as well, that the seed sprouts from within. That's what enables the blossoming of the resultant flower that is known as giving back to the community since everybody benefits from your own inner peace.

My gentle thanks to all of you for all that you do.

Love,

Vi'

[JustSkipIt]

Vi - What a wonderful community you have gathered. I was once at a religious service where the person speaking said that you should always hang out with the healthiest people willing to hang out with you and I've loved that. When we surround ourselves with those who want to work toward the same earth we want, we can be so much more powerful. And that is just one reason I love posts like these from you. Even when I'm having a bad day, I can read a post like this and remind myself of my vision for this world. Thank you.

So Monday morning I went in to work and started sending out e-mails about our next blood drive scheduled July 21. Well, no sooner had I hit the send button but a friend who is on the list of previous donors called and said, "you know that's the day of the annual conference right?" Well, no I didn't know that but it meant that most donors would be out of the office. I called the blood drive coordinator (not me - the one who works for the blood bank) and got it moved to the 28th and contacted the other people in the building and other donors to tell them about the new date and so far we have 7 people signed up. Hopefully that will go up to 15 or 18 by the day of but 7 is a good start for 4 weeks out. I also wrote the coordinator and said that our next drive isn't until November 17 and by my math could we jam a drive in on September 22. Unless my math is off we could fit an extra one into 2010. I hope that works.

Peace & love to all.

[BeneathMyWillowTree]

This entry from me today is very personal. The meaning behind it is significant to me that I managed to do something I have never done before...touch my own heart. A dear friend of mine who I love unconditionally has cancer. She has been fighting this disease for months now. It didn't hit me hard until recently when I found out she was under going chemo and radiation treatments 2 times a week. It broke my heart thinking about all that she is going through. I don't have sympathy for her instead I have compassion. I feel so much love and compassion for her that I felt compelled to do what I am going to share here today. I have or more like had curly black that I had straighten out today. A close friend of mine cut it for me so I can donate it to women who have cancer. That wasn't a big deal to me. What I did next is what became bigger then me. I shaved my head in her honor. So yes I now have a bald head. I can't even begin to describe what I am feeling right now. I love her so much. I would go the distance for this woman. I walk around like this for her. All for her. To you my friend I love you with all my heart. I am always with you. I feel a connection to you in a way that I have never connected with another human being. This is a defining moment for both of us.

I have to add a special thanks to all those I consider my friends. I love you all . Thank you for loving me and supporting me always. It means so much to me. I honestly don't think I could have done this without all that you give to me. Please know I would go the distance for you as well. You know who you are.

All of my love,
Jen

[JustSkipIt]

Jen - What a very beautiful and passionate act. I very much considered doing just that when my mother was undergoing chemo as well but my work has a very strict dress (and hair) policy and I was not willing to chance it.

I have a friend who donates her hair every few years. Her oldest daughter is 9 and will begin donating hers as well next year.

[BeneathMyWillowTree]

Deb - As always a special thank you for all the support you have given me. You are a valued asset in my life.

Today I went to see my friends over at the Red Cross and donated platelets. This was my 4th successful donation this year. I was a little disappointed about that number since I have gone more then that. Sadly when I was in the middle of my donations my vein would collapse which made my donations not count. The deferment didn't help either. I am complaining about not donating enough. Wow! I am a freak! Is there such thing as a donor junkie? It's all good in the hood. In 2 weeks I'll be at it again.

[JustSkipIt]

Jen - Well done again.

I did my 11th Platelet donation of the year today (a double). My iron was exactly 38 so I met the cutoff. They are going to start taking triples but the machine will say if someone has a high enough platelet count. Today I did not but she said my usual is in the range that means the machine may suggest it in the future. I said if I don't have someplace to be that is fine with me.

[BeneathMyWillowTree]

Deb - This is a personal message to you. I said I wanted to do something in your honor. I wanted it to be big and significant. I know how you feel about donating food to food banks and anything else relating to feeding people. So here goes...

Ideas always pop in my head at any random moment. Having an idea enter my mind isn't enough for me to act on it. If that same idea enters my heart then it has to be done. I was thinking of food. Not in the way you think. I thought about all the people all over this world who are dying from hunger. A homeless person on the corner, to a child asking their mother for food they don't have, to a senior citizen who is starved in our own country. So my mission is this. I decided to go on a fast. I won't be eating any solid piece of food for one month. Yes one month. The money I normally use to buy myself food. To buy myself something to snack on from 7 Eleven or 2 burritos from Taco Bell that I love so much. Any money that equals buying food for myself I will give it to people who are starving. I will buy the food and give it to someone who hasn't had a meal in God knows how long. Donate some money to organizations that feed the hungry. Buy canned goods and other stuff and donate it to local food banks. Anything equivalent to food I will give to someone else. It's like the old saying "Giving the shirt off your back to give to someone else." In my case any food I would give to myself I shall provide to someone else and do without. I have the luxury of eating whenever I want. I don't have to worry about when my next meal is. You may still ask why do I need to starve myself then? Why can't I just give to others and have to do without? In 2 words: compassion and understanding. In order for me to serve my purpose better I want to understand it better. I need to reach a higher level of compassion for these people. For me to do that I must understand. I want to feel what they feel. I want to know what they know. I know this will affect me physically some how. I am on day one and already I feel my stomach asking for food. We will see where this journey will take me.

So this is for you Deb. You inspired this from me. I will feel connections to anyone who will benefit from this.

Namaste,
Jen

[JustSkipIt]

Jen,
Wow. What an honor. I can only imagine (or not not even imagine) the difference this action will make in your and others's lives. I will be fascinated to hear how it goes and what you feel and learn.

Love,
Debra

[BeneathMyWillowTree]

Okay so I am on day 4 of my 1 month fast. I wanted to keep track of my weight since the start of this; not to mention how I feel physically. I've lost 7 pounds in just 4 days. The first 2 days was tough because my stomach was aching for food. On the 3rd day I felt very tired and didn't have much energy. Today I feel good actually. I am hungry but not as bad as before. I decided that each week I would do something different. This week is dedicated to feeding the homeless. I drove around different cities in my county hoping to find people. I was able to feed the following 9 people Russ, Ken, Betsy, Lucerio, Brenda, Terri, Lil Mama, and 2 other people whose names I didn't catch. I shook hands with these people. I wanted them to know that I didn't think any less of them and wanted to be there for them. I asked them what they desired to eat and provided them with a meal of their choice. I was so touched and humbled by the end of the night. It was also an emotional night for me. I discovered something about them. Homeless people aren't greedy. We humans can be greedy at times. There is nothing wrong with wanting more, but there's a line that shouldn't be crossed. Since these people have nothing to lose except their lives they keep it simple. When I asked Ken what he wanted to eat he was grateful for anything. He couldn't remember the last time he ate. I was heart broken about that. I can't imagine not knowing when your last meal was. A few people didn't take me up on my meal offer. Apparently they had already eaten. I was astounded by that. God knows when thier next meal will be and they passed one up. You see my point? No greed! By them doing that it enabled me to feed others that were hungry. I realized how hard these people have it. I am sure it's hard for a man, but I think it's harder for a woman. When I approached Betsy she was on the defensive. She told me that she was ready to kill me. Once she saw that I meant no harm she told me her story of how she was almost raped the other night. She learned a lesson that you should never cover your head with anything when you sleep on the streets. You have to be ready for anything that may happen. When I shook her hand she didn't want to let it go. She said that by me holding her hand it meant more to her then food. I couldn't help but smile. I could see the sincerity in her face. Later that evening I met Brenda. She also told me how hard women have it on the streets. She talked about her friend being raped and was later found dumped in a dumpster all cut up. She wasn't even a prostitute. Luckily Brenda has a group of people she hangs out with. I met these same people that night. I am glad I took the time to meet these people. They truly touched my heart with their humility and kindness towards me. They'll be forever connected to me as I am to them. This story has only just begun. There is more to my journey as I continue on.

On a different note I went in for my 5th successful platelet donation. I was afraid of how I was going to feel afterwards. I felt really good. I know I may have been pushing it by going in while fasting, but it was worth a shot. I so scored! I am making plans on donating blood in Nevada 2 weeks from now. I am still on my quest to leave my DNA everywhere. Hahahaha! Alright it's time for me to say adios for now.

Paz y amor,
Jen

[JustSkipIt]

I donated my 12th double unit of platelets today. My iron was 41! Perhaps my highest ever. My platelet count was high enough that they would have asked me to do a triple but it turns out that they are only allowing two triple donations per day because it takes a lot of work for the lab to process it. I don't get it but ok.

And our work blood drive is this Wednesday. I had 16 of 18 slots filled as of Friday so I asked for another our and got 4 more slots (1/2 hour). When I came in today all 22 of 22 slots were filled so I asked for another 1/2 hour. The girl did it but she sort of messed up the online scheduling thing so ... Still, 22 would be a great turnout.

[JustSkipIt]

Our blood drive last week was a success. I only had two cancellations on the day of so that took our count down from 23 to 21. Then 6 were deferred which seems high to me. Oh, and two donors did double donations so 17 pints were collected. I felt happy with that.

I actually started personally asking people about donating about a week before. In the past, it's mostly been generic alluser e-mails and notices on the intranet page and like that but this time I started asking seemingly healthy people. Basically... "hey, have you ever donated blood?" I should do that more often for the next drive.

[JustSkipIt]

I'm at the blood center donating a double unit of blood platelets. It's my thirteenth of the year.