My One Green Act for Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day, I woke up today wondering what one thing I could do to help the environment. Halfway through the day, I saw a news item on the mind-boggling number of plastic bags that are used in the United States every year. You can see a very disturbing counter at the top of Reusable Bags website.

For a long time, I have been bothered by the number of plastic bags that my family brings home after each trip to the grocery store. I have thought more than once about finding cloth shopping bags, but I never took the time to find ones that would be just right. The ACME Bags that are available on the Reusable Bags website have very high marks from consumers, and they look like they will fit our shopping needs perfectly. I just ordered five of them.

Meanwhile, I am looking forward to my April service project this Saturday. I’m going to help clean up a local stream just before the Durham Earth Day Festival. Do a little good work and then enjoy an outdoor festival…what a great combo!?! Added bonus: The weather is supposed to be beautiful!

Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act: What Will Its Impact Be 30 Years From Now?

Today, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, a bill that will triple the size of the AmeriCorps service program over the next eight years and expand ways for students to earn money for college through volunteer work. The bill outlines five areas in which people can serve: help the poor, improve education, encourage energy efficiency, strengthen access to health care and assist veterans.

During the current recession, AmeriCorps has received an unusually high number of applicants. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, the organization that oversees AmeriCorps, they received 17,038 online applications in March. A year ago, in March 2008, they received 6,770 applications.

I’ve read in a couple of different articles that recent graduates are turning to volunteer service as a way to postpone their job hunts. Students signing on with AmeriCorps could have once-in-a-lifetime experiences serving worthwhile causes and then…fingers crossed…be in a better position for getting the better jobs that will be opening up as the economy improves.

I’m pleased with the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act because it makes the AmeriCorps 10-month community service program an option for more young adults. I wonder how the legislation will impact the generation of kids who take advantage of it? Will their AmeriCorps service be something that they do to simply sidestep today’s lack of jobs ... or more likely, in my opinion ... will it shape them in more ways than we can imagine?

SPCA of Wake County K9-3K Walk – April 18th

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Wake County is having its 10th Annual K9-3K Walk this Saturday, April 18th at Moore Square Park in downtown Raleigh. The festivities run 10am to 2pm, with the walk starting at 11am. Money raised will support the SPCA’s mission of “creating a more humane community where every adoptable pet has a home.”

In addition to the money that will be raised for a great cause, it sounds like a fun day with some entertaining dog contests kicking off at 12pm. As an owner of a lovable, but crazy Pug, I really wish I could make it to this event, but I have a prior commitment.

For full details on the K9-3K Walk, please visit the SPCA of Wake County website.

Also, it looks like the SPCA of Wake County has some great volunteer opportunities throughout the year. Volunteers are required to attend a basic orientation and make a minimum commitment of 25 hours per year.

Buster and I will have to catch this event next year.

Getting April Project Lined Up

I was looking forward to a Habitat for Humanity project this Saturday, but it just got cancelled. (I am finding that in order to meet my "one project per month" goal, I really must plan at least two projects.) April 22nd is Earth Day so it would of course make sense to take on an environmental project. A quick Google search led me to Durham’s Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 25th. Before the festival begins, they are having a Stream Clean-up. I’m sending in my name now and keeping my fingers crossed that they can still use some help.

Food for Fashion Food Drive

Tomorrow (April 7th) through Thursday (April 9th), you can donate canned food to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and get 10% off your purchase at participating Old Navy stores. More information can be found halfway down the Food Bank's Events webpage. An easy way to give a little something while you are out picking up some warm weather clothes.

Capital Nursing Home

Last night, I returned to my volunteering roots and visited a nursing home. (My first community service work back in high school many, many years ago was volunteering with the elderly.) I visited Capital Nursing Home to help with the arts and crafts class. Our project was painting some pre-cut wood decorations (butterflies, dragonflies, frogs, etc.) for the center’s garden. I have very little artistic ability so the butterfly that I helped paint is probably the least attractive one in the bunch. However, I enjoyed talking with the residents.

The class was short so we did not have a lot of time to visit. A few of them invited me to return and I’m going to do my best to go back soon.

Shepherd's Table Soup Kitchen

I must address the fact that I did not make it to a project in February. I’m disappointed to fall short of my one project per month goal so early in the year, but I’ll make up for it. It has been more difficult than I expected to find volunteer opportunities that I can do on a one-time basis, but they are out there and I’ll continue to find them. Having told just enough people about this blog, I’m sure I’ll keep my year-long commitment one way or another.

My Comfort Zone
This morning, I helped prepare and serve lunch at the Shepherd’s Table Soup Kitchen. I thought volunteering with the homeless would take me outside of my comfort zone, but it was quite the opposite. As I walked in the door, I was overwhelmed by the wonderful, intense aromas of the meal that was being prepared and at the same time, enthusiastically greeted by another volunteer. What a way to start a cold, grey day!?!

The volunteer captain gave me an equally nice welcome and immediately showed me the ropes. She was in charge of the 27 volunteers who were there to prep and serve the food for the approximately 300 homeless people who would arrive at 11am.

Some of my fellow volunteers (left to right): Vsev, Fred, Bruce, Deanna and Richard

There was a mix of volunteers – some who were first-timers like me and some who were “old-timers,” devoting one morning a week to the soup kitchen for years. They were all very nice and they all really enjoyed being there. That kind of energy makes a person feel good. I was anything but uncomfortable.

Stepping Outside Myself
Although I didn’t leave my comfort zone, I did step outside myself for the three hours that I was there and that felt good. I forgot the stuff that weighs me down day to day. I think that is a benefit of volunteering that most volunteers will admit – the opportunity to forget your troubles while you help someone else.

As I helped serve lunch to the clients, I sensed that some of them were regulars and some of them were there for the first time. Some of them didn’t make eye contact with the volunteers and others gave great big smiles with simple words of thanks. Some were understandably sad and some were surprisingly happy.

Driving home, I realized that the happy folks have a grasp on one lesson that I know is true, but one that I have trouble following 100% of the time. Every morning, when I wake up, I can choose to be happy or I can choose to be sad/upset/stressed/etc. Today, thanks to my experience at the soup kitchen, I chose to be happy.

$25,000 by May 1st
The Shepherd’s Table Soup Kitchen is trying to reach its budget and the weak economy is making it very difficult for them to do so. Through a Steward Foundation Campaign, if they raise $25,000 by May 1st, that amount will be doubled – but they have to make it all the way to $25,000. Every little bit helps. If you’d like to donate, checks can be mailed to The Shepherd’s Table Soup Kitchen, P.O. Box 28024, Raleigh, NC 27611.