For those of you who follow me on pinterest, you may have noticed a new wave of pins onto my new board “Philanthropy”. First off, lets talk about Philanthropy. According to Wikipedia; Philanthropy etymologically means “love of humanity” in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, enhancing, what it is to be human. I never realized what philanthropy really meant until I started donating blood, reading “The Power of Half” and supporting companies with a mission to give to others.
Donating blood.
Let’s see, I started donating blood over a year ago when a facebook friend invited me to facebook event. This event was “Anywhere, Anytime” and acted as a movement to inspire others (anywhere) to donate blood. Originally created by a friend of friend who was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer, myelodisplastic syndrome, this facebook event reminded me I had something to give that cost nothing. Thus began my mission to donate blood as often as I could, to help others. Bonus; I discovered I am O positive which means I produce blood that can help save anybody’s life, no matter what blood type they are. Donate blood today.
The book.
This book was suggested to me by Amazon (yes I buy so many books from Amazon that they know my tastes well). I Started reading just a few weeks again and it has elevated my thinking. The Power of Half : One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back, is a book written by Kevin Salwen and his 14-year-old daughter Hannah in 2010. It describes how the Salwen family came to decide to sell its home, so that it could donate half the proceeds to charity. The family then bought a new home for itself, half the size. It also discusses what the family went through in selling its home, donating half the sales price, and down-grading to a smaller home, and what they learned in the process.
Companies/Business that Support One for One.
Last year, while browsing online for frames, I purchased these specs.
Out of the millions of frames to choose from online, these stood apart from everything else. Why? Because these frames are from the company, Warby Parker, a business that has built their company around the idea of One for One. One for One is when a consumer buys a product and someone less fortunate receives the same product for free. Like Toms Shoes and OLPC (One Laptop Per Child), these ideas moves me.
One last amazing mention, Hand in Hand. A husband & wife force of social entrepreneurs, Hand in Hand donates a bar of soap for every bar purchased to help save lives.
So, I’m thinking, what can I do? One idea so far is I have scraps and mistake paper & envelopes after completing a design or addressing envelopes. I’m thinking there might be something I can do with those. While searching online, I remembered this Recycled Card Program. This doesn’t help with all of the leftover envelopes, but it does help with all of the cards I have from the holidays. The Recycled Card Program created by St Judes Ranch for Children, recycles your used greeting cards and creates new holiday and greeting cards for any occasion. They are then resold in packs of 10 for $10 to support their programs and services. For all of you who don’t know about St Judes Ranch for Children, their mission is to transform the lives of abused and at-risk children, young adults and families by empowering them to create new chances, new choices and new hope in a caring community.
I am redirecting my focus. I am unsure how, but I am not ignoring the feeling. In fact, talking about it to you helps me visualize it a little more, it give it more weight and perhaps you can help me discover how I can help others with the gifts that I was given.
Do you know of other, or are you a, small business(s) that embrace(s) this idea that I didn’t mention? I would love to know you or hear from you and learn more. Please leave any thoughts or mentions in regards to philanthropy below in the comments or send me an email at [email protected].
During my honeymoon, I picked up this book. Little did I know I was about to be forever changed by the story of a man on his search for answers during a time of darkness and his discovery of gratitude.
