Becoming A Modern Day Model Citizen Pt. Deux

Charity for charity's sake.

I think Lily Tomlin said it best "I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody."

We are all somebody. Maybe not as funny of a somebody as Lily, but somebody none the less. Earlier this week we talked about being green and today I'd like to share some fun ways to lend a hand in your community. Occasionally I help serve dinner at a homeless shelter here in Austin, TX called the ARCH. I'm on an email list and when they need me I go. It's allowed me to meet some really neat people and see a side of my city that I used to just pass by. Since I do not have a lot of expendable income, my time is the most valuable thing I have to offer. I think the same goes for most people these days. And with the economy hurting as it is at the moment there are a lot more volunteer opportunities out there.

Here are just a few:

* If you'd like to get charitable along side your friends I suggest you throw a bake sale or YART sale and donate part of your proceeds to a local charity. Baking some cupcakes and take them directly to the homeless shelter would be a genuinely good deed as well. And perhaps, if you live in a place that is cooler than Austin TX, consider having a picnic in a your favorite park and then literally pick up some litter once you've finished dining with your friends. You could separate all the recyclables and take them to the recycling center and pat yourselves on the back.

* If you are an animal lover you could walk a dog at your local animal shelter. Lots of animals have been displaced as people have lost their jobs and our furry neighbors need some love too. If you fall in love with one of them you could offer to foster them until they find a permanent home. Shelters often do not have a lot of money and this helps them out tremendously.

* Sort donations at a food bank or goodwill. Most of these centers deliver to a plethora of different locations and truly need you help, because it's not all peas and carrots. There's so much more work to it.

* Be a Baby Cuddler! Hospitals, orphanages, group homes & nurseries need people to come in and simply hold babies. These little bundles of joy need human contact to begin developing their social interaction skills. It will literally change their lives. You could help them increase their learning abilities and build stronger self-esteem. Sometimes babies who were born prematurely will stay at the hospital for months, but their parents have to go back to work. That's where you come in, to be there when their parents simply can not.

* Do you have a green thumb? You could help teach elementary school children how to garden and what it means to eat organic! I've seen lots of schools around here put in small gardens for their students. They learn about composting and which bugs are helpful or harmful. Down the road it means healthier kids who care about what they eat and where it came from.

* Every city has a homeless shelter and they often need a lot more than someone to help them serve dinner. They need hairdressers to volunteer a haircut or two so that their clients can go out and get jobs! The ARCH is always asking me if I know anyone who can come teach the men who live there how to play chess. They even have art teachers come volunteer their time so their residents can creatively express themselves.

* Join your local Food Not Bombs chapter. You will meet some very awesome and highly progressive people while getting a lesson in vegan cooking

To find awesome opportunities in your area please visit www.volunteermatch.org - you will be glad you did.






Do you already lend a hand? I want to hear all about it! Please tell me your story in the comments.

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Charity in Style

Yes, we are in a recession. Things are tough all the way around. In times like these though we must think of each other. Think of "community" rather than "me". I'm talking locally, nationally & globally. We've all heard that what you give is what you get, so here are a few ways you can lend a helping hand to your constituency that don't require you to dole out lots of your hard earned cash.

In case you haven't had the pleasure, allow me to introduce you to Capucine. She is quite possibly the most adorable little story teller I've ever laid eyes on & she is calling on you to help the children of Mongolia have the same opportunities she does at school. You can purchase T-shirts with Capucine's drawings on them to help drop some knowlege.

Capucine for Edurelief in Mongolia from Capucha on Vimeo.

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I was outraged when I read about the assaults in Mangalore last month. 40 angry men assaulted a group of women who were found drinking in a pub called The Lounge. Why? They were asking for it? Hell no! Simply put, they felt that these women were bucking Indian culture. So these "self-styled moralists" took it upon themselves to show these women that they found their actions unacceptable, by chasing them, pushing them to the ground and even punching them and pulling their hair. In response to these horrific actions women all over India gathered up their pink chaddis (aka panties) and mailed them off to Mr Muthalik, the leader of Sri Rama Sene who was the brains behind this attack. Why pink panties?
Well, they were a Valentines day gift that said something you can't find the perfect card for. I mean, where can you find a card that says 'You can't shame us into submission!'? I do believe that the chaddi drive is over, but their fight for equality is not! Visit The Pink Chaddi Campain to find out what their next plan of action is and please join their facebook group. For even further details check out Ultra Violet.

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Did you know that most women wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time? I know this is true of me. I fall in and out of love in my closet almost daily. If you are in the Austin area and want to rejuvenate your wardrobe then I have just the thing for you! The Austin Womens Clothing Swap will be held on Saturday, March 28th. This is gives you plenty of time to clean out your closet! Come out, make friends, & get your swap on! All unclaimed garments at the end of the day will be donated to Safe Place.
Win Win! Check the link for more details.

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Also, don't forget that I will be giving 10% of all Model Citizen Clothing profits to The ARCH until the end of March. The ARCH is an amazing place that really gives people an opportunity to get off the street. They offer job placement assistance, have a laundry facility, clean showers, & a doctors office all on site. They even offer art and yoga classes to their clients. An incredibly worthy cause!