52 Ways to Change the World!

Happy Birthday!

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:37:00 GMT

By incorporating charity into your party, you can make your birthday special. You might choose to ask for charitable donations rather than presents. You could also plan a charitable event for your party, such as making cards or care packages for the needy.

One great organization that you can send cards or donated birthday gifts to is America's Littlest Heroes. Visit their website at www.alheroes.org.

You've Got Mail

Sat, 9 Aug 2008 03:47:00 GMT

You can get a free email account that donates to charity every time you send an email! These are the charitable email providers mentioned in this episode:

www.communitymail.net/planetsave

www.ecologyfund.com

www.animail.com

www.care2.com/accounts/free_email.html

You can also register a new or existing Hotmail or Windows Live Messenger account to donate to the cause of your choice when you send emails or IMs at www.im.live.com.

Bake a Difference

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:35:00 GMT

There are several ways that you can make a difference by baking. You can bake cookies or brownies for the residents of a nursing home or anyone else who might enjoy some sweets. You can also hold a bake sale to raise money for charity.

Visit http://gabs.strength.org to register for Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale.

EZgreetings

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:59:00 GMT

At www.EZgreetings.org, you can order cheerful singing grams for all occasions, delivered via email, for your friends and family. Each singing gram costs $5 and represents a donation to food allergy research.

Be a Lifesaver

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:37:00 GMT

Getting trained in CPR or first aid this summer can prepare you to save a life in the event of an emergency.

The American Red Cross (www.redcross.org) and the American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org) offer courses in CPR, first aid, and other other valuable lifesaving skills. The American Heart Association also sells CPR Anytime, a kit that can teach you CPR in 22 minutes.

Cheer Up the Lonely Day

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:21:00 GMT

Take a few moments to think of anyone you know who might be lonely, and remember to call these people or send them a card to let them know that you are thinking of them.

You can also visit a nursing home to bring cheer to the residents.

Remembering Soldiers on the Fourth

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 02:19:00 GMT

On Independence Day, remember those who are serving our country overseas. You can send cards as well as items such as food and toiletries requested by the troops to any of the following organizations:

www.adoptaunitus.com

www.boatsie.com

www.operationcarepackages.org

www.troopcarepackage.com

Have a fantastic Fourth of July!

Click to Give

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:42:00 GMT

There are many websites which donate to charity every time you simply press a button! It's quick, easy, and free to click on these sites every day.

Here are the ten click-to-donate sites featured on this episode:

www.ripple.org

www.povertyfighters.com

www.care2.com/click2donate

www.thestophivsite.com

www.giveaminute.org

www.craigresearchlabs.com/cancer.html

www.porloschicos.com/PorLosChicos.NET/index_english.htm

www.fandonation.com

www.landcareniagara.com

www.thehungersite.com

Garage Sales for Charity

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:30:00 GMT

Garage sales are a fun summer activity! You can donate part of the proceeds from a garage sale to your favorite cause, and you can also give the leftover items to charity.

Best Foot Forward

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:04:00 GMT

There are more than one billion people in the world who do not have shoes. You can donate your old shoes to any of the following charities which provide people in need with used shoes:

One World Running, www.oneworldrunning.com

The Shoe Bank, www.shoebank.org

Heart and Sole, www.com.msu.edu/pub-rel/heartandsole/

Sole Responsibility, www.soleresponsibility.org

Share Your Soles, www.shareyoursoles.org

You can also donate your shoes to Nike's Reuse-a-Shoe program, which turns old sneakers into sports surfaces for underprivileged communities. Visit www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe/ for more information.

Let the Games Begin

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 00:42:00 GMT

When you play these free, fun, and educational online games, money will be donated to provide food and water to impoverished people around the world.

The websites described in this episode are:

www.freerice.com

www.freepoverty.com

www.savetheworldwithmusic.com

Be a Jewel -- Recycle a Case!

Sat, 31 May 2008 01:29:00 GMT

The jewel cases that most CDs come in are made of PVC, a plastic that can cause environmental and health problems. To prevent these issues, you can donate your old jewel cases to your local library, use them for fun art projects, or give them to GreenDisk (www.greendisk.org), a company that will recycle them.

Books Aloud!

Thu, 22 May 2008 21:35:00 GMT

You can read books out loud right in your own home to provide audiobooks for the visually impaired.

One great organization that welcomes volunteers to record books is Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (www.rfbd.org).

Shop 'Til You Drop!

Fri, 16 May 2008 22:39:00 GMT

You can plan a scavenger hunt in your local mall or grocery store and donate the items that you collect to charity! This activity is fun for people of all ages and makes a fantastic party!

Stamp Out Hunger

Tue, 6 May 2008 23:12:00 GMT

Donate food to the hungry in your community this Saturday through the National Association of Letter Carriers' food drive! All you need to do is put a plastic bag full of non-perishable foods next to your mailbox before the mail is delivered on Saturday, May 10.

To sign up for a reminder email or send an email to your friends about this event, visit www.helpstampouthunger.com.

Pen Friends

Fri, 2 May 2008 02:41:00 GMT

You can brighten someone else's day and enjoy the excitement of receiving letters yourself by becoming a pen friend! Nowadays, it's easy to be a pen pal: you can correspond with your new friend online!

To find a pen pal in a nursing or assisted living home, visit www.bridgeofhopefoundation.org/pen_pal.htm or www.elderswithoutwalls.com/Assisted%20Living/adoptagrandparent.htm.

At www.zambian.com/bethel/pen-pals-for-kids-bethel-children/html/write-pen-pal-child.html, you can become a pen friend of a child living in an orphanage in Zambia.

Through the In2Books organization, you can be a pen pal mentor and help an underprivileged elementary-schooler learn to read and write. Visit www.in2books.com/school/penpals.html for more information.

Happy writing!

Bidding for Charity

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:01:00 GMT

You can bid in online auctions and donate to charity at the same time!

Visit www.ebay.com/givingworks to view all eBay auctions which will donate a portion of their proceeds to charity. You can also find charitable online auctions of items donated by celebrities and businesses at www.charityfolks.com.

If you'd like to sell your own items and donate part of the proceeds to charity, visit www.missionfish.com.

Earth Day

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:35:00 GMT

Tuesday, April 22, is Earth Day! To protect our planet, you can help prevent junk mail and reduce your consumption of plastic shopping bags.

Visit www.charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/junk-mail.htm for more ideas about reducing junk mail and specific information about the ideas mentioned in this podcast.

Visit www.reusablebags.com for more information about reducing the use of plastic shopping bags.

To find Earth Day events in your area and more about this holiday, visit www.earthday.net.

Happy Earth Day!

Keeping Tabs on Charity

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:19:00 GMT

You can collect the pull tabs from soda cans and donate them to charity. These organizations might be able to use your tabs to earn money to support their efforts:

Ronald McDonald House Charities: www.rmhc.org/giving/ways-to-help#soda

Lions Club: www.lionsclubs.org

Shriners Hospitals for Children: http://shrinershq.org/Hospitals/_Hospitals_for_Children/

Bowled Over

Tue, 1 Apr 2008 02:20:00 GMT

You can compete for your favorite charities when you go bowling! There are many creative ways that you can donate to charity within the context of a bowling game!

You can also participate in a Bowl for the Cure event to fight breast cancer when you bowl. To search for one in your area, visit www.bowl.com/cure.

Green Thumbs Up!

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:47:00 GMT

Spring has arrived! This is the perfect time to plant a vegetable garden. You can donate the fresh foods you grow to a soup kitchen.

Play It Again!

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 03:46:00 GMT

You can donate your used books, magazines, videos, and DVDs to people in need of entertainment.

Drop off magazines at a home for the elderly, or give them to a hospital waiting room.

Visit www.booksforafrica.org for information about donating your old books to children in Africa, or check out www.booksforsoldiers.com to meet the book requests of American soldiers.

You can donate videos to children's hospitals, or send DVDs to soldiers through Operation DVD (www.operationdvd.net).

A Beary Special Project

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Everyone loves cuddly, cute, friendly teddy bears! You can make a teddy bear for charity or give one of your teddy bears to a child in need.

A Talent for Helping Others

Mon, 3 Mar 2008 03:02:00 GMT

Do you sing, dance, juggle, do magic, write stories, play an instrument, act, or yodel? You can use your unique talent, whatever it is, to entertain those in need!

You CAN Make a Difference!

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 03:55:00 GMT

It's Canned Food Month! Listen to some creative ways to collect canned goods, then see if you can come up with any of your own.

To learn about the Cut Out Hunger project and read more about saving money with grocery coupons, visit www.couponmom.com.

To find a Nothing But Noodles restaurant near you where you can receive a 10% discount for bringing a canned good, visit www.nothingbutnoodles.com.

To see pictures of the Canstruction project, visit www.canstruction.com.

Furry Friends

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 23:50:00 GMT

Did you know that February 20 is Love Your Pet Day? This week, we discuss visiting the elderly with your pet!

For other great opportunities to connect with the elderly, visit www.dorotusa.org.

A Gift From the Heart

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:02:00 GMT

You can bring Valentine's Day cheer to those in need by making cards for sick children or soldiers or by purchasing charitable greeting cards.

To send cards to seriously ill children, visit www.makeachildsmile.org or www.postpals.co.uk.

For an extensive list of organizations that send mail to American troops, visit www.americasupportsyou.mil/AmericaSupportsYou/letters_messages.html.

To buy greeting cards that support your favorite charities, visit www.justgive.org/html/ways/holidaycards.html or www.cardsforcauses.com.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A Good Yarn

Tue, 5 Feb 2008 00:50:00 GMT

The groundhog has predicted six more weeks of winter! Use your craftiness to knit, crochet, or sew items to keep those in need warm during the cold weeks ahead.

Here are the websites of the organizations featured on this week's show:

www.binkypatrol.org

www.projectlinus.org

www.headhuggers.org

www.geocities.com/helmetliner

www.cubsforkids.com

www.teddiesfortragedies.org

www.knitforkids.org

www.afghansforafghans.org

www.carewear.org

www.lionbrand.com/charityConnection.html

Super Ideas for the Super Bowl

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:10:00 GMT

You can help the hungry at your Super Bowl party! Ask your guests to bring a canned good, hold a pool for charity, or participate in a project with The Souper Bowl of Caring.

Visit www.souperbowl.org for information.

Enjoy the game!

Helping the Homeless

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 03:07:00 GMT

This week, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by talking about real ways to help the homeless: by collecting and giving fast food coupons, saving and distributing sample-size toiletries, and treating homeless men and women with respect.

A Penny Saved

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:44:00 GMT

"A penny saved is a penny earned." As Ben Franklin said, saving pennies can really add up. In this week's episode, we'll talk about how this simple habit can help change the world!

Search for Charity

Mon, 7 Jan 2008 02:05:00 GMT

Welcome to "52 Ways to Change the World!â? On this first episode, I'll tell you about charitable search engines that give money to your favorite causes every time you search the web, without costing you anything!

Here are the ten search engines I feature on this week's show; click on these links to visit them:

1. www.goodsearch.com

2. www.searchkindly.org

3. www.searchgive.com

4. www.charitycafe.com

5. www.ripple.org

6. www.magictaxi.com

7. www.clicks4cancer.com

8. www.findwithpink.com

9. www.lookpink.com

10. www.blackle.com

Thanks for listening, and please e-mail me at juliemz@comcast.net with your ideas! ~ Julie