Thursday, December 20, 2007
Looking for 12 used computers
In late October, I blogged about Gordon House Youth SEARCh, an innovative charitable program here in Vancouver provide training and resources for "at-risk" youth.
In the blog entry, I talked about my first-hand experience with a client of their program and I'm happy to report that the young man I spoke of has now been hired-on full-time by Cineplex Odeon.
The organization has just recently posted a project proposal on the GiveMeaning website and is now seeking votes. You can see their project proposal here. Please consider voting for their proposal or better yet, if you're sitting on 12 computers of similar make/model and OS, get in touch with me and consider donating them to this worthy cause.
Your computers will help many at-risk youth connect with employers, keeping them safe and providing them a much-needed income.
In the blog entry, I talked about my first-hand experience with a client of their program and I'm happy to report that the young man I spoke of has now been hired-on full-time by Cineplex Odeon.
The organization has just recently posted a project proposal on the GiveMeaning website and is now seeking votes. You can see their project proposal here. Please consider voting for their proposal or better yet, if you're sitting on 12 computers of similar make/model and OS, get in touch with me and consider donating them to this worthy cause.
Your computers will help many at-risk youth connect with employers, keeping them safe and providing them a much-needed income.
Labels: atriskyouth, computers, donation, givemeaning, gordonhouse, vancouver
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
We can take them with us but what good do they do us?
My friend and fellow traveler, Joel Solomon is well-known in the social entrepreneurial world.
Joel has been a supporter (in all sense of the word) of many social entrepreneurs, especially in Canada and extra-especially in BC.
Joel has been in search of a kidney for quite a while and a dear friend of his, Shivon Robinsong (also a tremendous force) has agreed to donate one of her kidneys in what can only be described as the most generous act of friendship I've ever known.
Joel recently wrote an email to friends and colleaguesabout the challenges of organ donation
To Colleagues and Friends
The following is an excerpt from that letter:
"The point of this letter is to emphasize both the general and specific importance of all of us making the effort to sign up so that our organs may be used after our death, by others for whom they can be the gift of life. And for the extra courageous and hearty, there are organ and bodily donations that can happen while we are alive. Many people wait on lists desperately hoping for this miracle, and any of us may find ourselves or a close loved one in need at some point in ourlives...
...The sad fact is that a small fraction of the population has signed up to make such donations possible. At least by the laws in BC, without that few moments of paperwork, our body parts will simply go to the grave or crematorium.
Please go to the web site link that follows and sign up ASAP. If you live in another jurisdiction, take a few minutes and find out how you can do the same.
Consider forwarding this email to your friends, your facebook site, your network, post on your blog, or however you prefer. Let's create a wave of donors."
As the title of this blog entry says, we can take our organs with us, but what good do they do for us in the ground?
Joel has been a supporter (in all sense of the word) of many social entrepreneurs, especially in Canada and extra-especially in BC.
Joel has been in search of a kidney for quite a while and a dear friend of his, Shivon Robinsong (also a tremendous force) has agreed to donate one of her kidneys in what can only be described as the most generous act of friendship I've ever known.
Joel recently wrote an email to friends and colleaguesabout the challenges of organ donation
To Colleagues and Friends
The following is an excerpt from that letter:
"The point of this letter is to emphasize both the general and specific importance of all of us making the effort to sign up so that our organs may be used after our death, by others for whom they can be the gift of life. And for the extra courageous and hearty, there are organ and bodily donations that can happen while we are alive. Many people wait on lists desperately hoping for this miracle, and any of us may find ourselves or a close loved one in need at some point in ourlives...
...The sad fact is that a small fraction of the population has signed up to make such donations possible. At least by the laws in BC, without that few moments of paperwork, our body parts will simply go to the grave or crematorium.
Please go to the web site link that follows and sign up ASAP. If you live in another jurisdiction, take a few minutes and find out how you can do the same.
Consider forwarding this email to your friends, your facebook site, your network, post on your blog, or however you prefer. Let's create a wave of donors."
As the title of this blog entry says, we can take our organs with us, but what good do they do for us in the ground?
Monday, July 09, 2007
Update: Send me your junk
In the mail today, I received my first package of stamps in response to the recent request I made on this blog!
The stamps came from the good folks at Bluelime media and I'm most grateful!
After I posted my appeal, Darren Barefoot blogged about it and I'm pretty sure that the Bluelime folks heard about the appeal through Darren's blog. Many thanks Darren!
For those of you not familiar with my appeal, it's so simple: I'm asking that you cut the top right-hand corner of envelopes you receive in the mail and send them to me in the mail. Also, for you soda can or beer can drinkers, send me the "tabs" on the top of the can. Mail them to me here:
Attn: Tom's Gramma Fund
45 Dunlevy Ave, Suite 230A
Vancouver, BC V6A 3A3
My Gramma is no longer in independent living and the transition to a full-fledged care home has been very depressing for her and all of us that love her.
My Gramma recently told me that one of the things she most laments about losing her independence is that she can no longer send used stamps and soda-can tabs to the BC Guide Dogs Society. This great charity which provides guide dogs to sight-challenged people encourages people (especially seniors) to send stamps and soda-can tabs in to the charity who then sells the stamps and recycles the tabs and makes more than $1,000 a year from this simple act.
If I can collect enough stamps and soda-can tabsby July 31st, the BC Guide Dogs society might bring in one of their Guide Dog pups for a visit to my Gramma's care-home, something I know would cheer-up many of the residents there.
Please take a few moments out of your day to put aside your soda-can tabs and used stamps. I'll be sure to recognize each contributor on my blog and post pictures of the guide dog visit on this blog.
Many thanks!
The stamps came from the good folks at Bluelime media and I'm most grateful!
After I posted my appeal, Darren Barefoot blogged about it and I'm pretty sure that the Bluelime folks heard about the appeal through Darren's blog. Many thanks Darren!
For those of you not familiar with my appeal, it's so simple: I'm asking that you cut the top right-hand corner of envelopes you receive in the mail and send them to me in the mail. Also, for you soda can or beer can drinkers, send me the "tabs" on the top of the can. Mail them to me here:
Attn: Tom's Gramma Fund
45 Dunlevy Ave, Suite 230A
Vancouver, BC V6A 3A3
My Gramma is no longer in independent living and the transition to a full-fledged care home has been very depressing for her and all of us that love her.
My Gramma recently told me that one of the things she most laments about losing her independence is that she can no longer send used stamps and soda-can tabs to the BC Guide Dogs Society. This great charity which provides guide dogs to sight-challenged people encourages people (especially seniors) to send stamps and soda-can tabs in to the charity who then sells the stamps and recycles the tabs and makes more than $1,000 a year from this simple act.
If I can collect enough stamps and soda-can tabsby July 31st, the BC Guide Dogs society might bring in one of their Guide Dog pups for a visit to my Gramma's care-home, something I know would cheer-up many of the residents there.
Please take a few moments out of your day to put aside your soda-can tabs and used stamps. I'll be sure to recognize each contributor on my blog and post pictures of the guide dog visit on this blog.
Many thanks!
Labels: bc, charity, donation, gramma, guidedogs, simpleacts, vancouver
Saturday, June 02, 2007
The art of Bullshit
Last week, while at Hollyhock, I was promoting the need for bullshit within the non-profit community. That statement is immediately controversial and that's my point. Too often, the starting place in change-agent conversation is centered around "this is what I believe and this is why." A bullshiter has to start the conversation figuring out what YOU believe before (s)he can learn how to sell you whatever (s)he is selling. And I specifically use the word bullshit because what I suggest is stepping a bit further outside your comfort-zone about what you will and won't do for your cause.
Take for example, the most tasteless piece of news this week. That a Dutch reality TV show was airing where a dying woman would award her kidney to a contestant in need of a transplant. It has now been revealed as a hoax designed to raise awareness around the fact that "200 people die annually in the Netherlands while waiting for a kidney, and the average waiting time is more than four years. Under Dutch rules, donors must be friends, or preferably, family of the recipient."
This is perhaps the extreme example. This hoax got worldwide attention and created a global conversation (if only for one week) on the issues facing those in need of organ transplants. At the same time, it also created a conversation around our standards for reality television in a very post-modern way.
I'm headed to the airport now for my flight back to Vancouver.
Take for example, the most tasteless piece of news this week. That a Dutch reality TV show was airing where a dying woman would award her kidney to a contestant in need of a transplant. It has now been revealed as a hoax designed to raise awareness around the fact that "200 people die annually in the Netherlands while waiting for a kidney, and the average waiting time is more than four years. Under Dutch rules, donors must be friends, or preferably, family of the recipient."
This is perhaps the extreme example. This hoax got worldwide attention and created a global conversation (if only for one week) on the issues facing those in need of organ transplants. At the same time, it also created a conversation around our standards for reality television in a very post-modern way.
I'm headed to the airport now for my flight back to Vancouver.
Labels: big donor show, donation, kidney, media, organ, transplant
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