Contributor Assignment: Women's History Month

The following are some individuals that represent a diverse cultural history of accomplished American Women.  Most are popular TV or news program anchors, industry leaders in the spotlight with branded names.

Jill Khadduri, Lucy Sykes, Jo Piazza, Rachael Ray, Jillian Michaels, Tyra Banks, Jennifer Lopez, Ellen DeGeneres, Anne Hathaway, Robin Meade, Mika Bryzinski, Melisa Harris-Perry


Tweets from https://twitter.com/stlvolunteers/lists/women-s-history-month

Contributor Assignment #FieldDayFriday

Shop discount stores for group supplies such as Harbor Freight for extension grabbers, disposable gloves, clear plastic bags for yard waste and separating recyclable debris.  Going further hand sanitizer, recommend a change of clothes and surgical masks. 

Depending on the location of your cleanup and the amount of debris being collected, notify the appropriate disposal company/authority. 

Find a way to reward your team for their hard work.  Think pizza parlors or sandwich shops that offer outdoor seating (weather permitting)

Survey an area including commercial and residential properties if a team of 3 or more hasn't been assigned yet.  A strategic cleanup could be organized with little effort.  Think in terms of a 4-7 block radius, something like the area including the baseball grounds, arena, parking lot and garage near Fairbank Field.  Assess drainage grades and ditches. 

In the long run value will be added to the area. Pedestrian traffic, cyclists and motorists shouldn't be distracted by debris laden fence lines or ill prepared dog owners.  Promote the LetsMove campaign by encouraging those with cleaner streets to walk down.  Cyclists notice maliciously discarded glass containers near curbs before motorists as pedestrians will notice debris laden fence lines, uneven walkways and over- grown lots before cyclists and motorists will.

Stop looking Back

Encounters. Accountability. Convenience. Choices. Choose Happiness. Sync yourself with a purpose other than your own. Delight in predictable situations. Know your position. Dead weight. Someone is counting on the moment they're activated. Mental sharpness. Quick means short bursts of strength. Try not overcompensating when a new page is turned, focus instead on the most important first. For example if in order for you to feel like you're being taken seriously involves a short routine of showering, getting made up and dressed before anything else, do that. Don't interrupt. Find somewhere to think large and somewhere else to think small. Earn back your self respect if its gone. Find and cherish something unique, quirky even. Stop looking back. Find a hillside or clearing in the woods to watch the sunrise. Feed the birds, they'll be there.  If you beg to differ and your
demand is met, be glad. 3 people I used to know could easily put a Holy Bible scripture, book and chapter with this thought immediately. 

Contributor Assignment

#BottleCaps

#CrazyDonuts

#AfterhoursWithGranny

#FlakingOut

#Inlaws

#Obesity

#Dimensional

#ShoesWithPuffyTounges

#NoisePollution

#HyperExtension

#VisualPollution

#InvoluntaryRestarts

#AdvantagesOf

#DisadvantagesOf

#Opinionated

#Voting

#CryingBabyInAnAwkwardPlace

Assignment: find an image, current news article or object for the above listed captions.

Observe an observer during commercials while the Superbowl is being watched. 

Create a unique write up to share about your Superbowl49 weekend experience. 

Record collaboration by joining a roundtable discussion livestream Monday night at 7 pm on YouTube. 

Promote viewers and interaction before the broadcast.  Explain the #BigBrotherTheory
(number of views=$$$ donated)

The Catch 22 of Volunteering

What's more relatable?  Finding a cause or being found by a cause?
Is the following scenario statement valid?
Claiming to be involved as a volunteer projects an image of a holy high roller. 

'These people show up like they're saving [us] or something. I don't have time to babysit or police these adult rejects, trying to reinvent themselves by serving once a month at this transition center.  All they want is a pat on the back for doing what they should be doing.  Once the newness wears off this moment of inspiration they scatter and flee as if they were never here. 

Volunteers get profiled.  Value is taken away from incentive.  Naive suburban kids are scorned for giving a damn about their peers in different circumstances.  The witty & underprivileged get punished for acknowledgement. 

Oh, there's only you 3 interested in showing up?  They must think they can do my job. Guess I got to look their people up and ask some questions.  Put some barriers up so they don't think they can just show up and start taking charge.     

Let me be clear.  I'm no entertainer. Not dying to expose your lack of job satisfaction either.  I'm not currently in a position to make generous financial contributions and don't have the most stable bridge of personal or professional character references for you to check.  I still flake out over neutrality and great expectations. 

Rereading and watching this brief interview I recorded a couple years ago.  

Here

#GivingTuesday

Thanksgiving discussion about #Pray4Ferguson

Hypothetical situation.  If you as an individual had somehow raised 10K to help the recovery effort in Ferguson and you are in a position of power, would you choose to spend the money rebuilding 

1) Parks or monuments that had been damaged

2) Community house of Faith and Worship

3) Grocery store

or 

4) Quick Mart Gas Station/Garage

The decision was based on who would benefit most, who had the most employees.  Option 4 was the decision

Next question was Since insurance may cover structural and property loss damage, how will the money best be spent? 

The answer was to help employees that may have suffered loss not covered by the franchise.  For instance 3 households of persons employed by that specific location who may have suffered lost wages or somehow directly affected by the circumstances.

Last question.  From the 10K, 3K was left over after helping out the 3 households.  Would you restart your fund raising efforts and start from the first questions or contribute the remaining 3K to a disaster relief effort and be satisfied with your efforts?  

National Homelessness Awareness Week: 2014 November 15-23

What image comes to mind when you think of a homeless person?  Is it a heavy, unkempt looking person pushing a shopping cart down the road or do you think of the movie Joe?  

During this week of awareness I'm rethinking homelessness.  The following  are some of the persons I now visualize:  

The Underemployed or Transient worker

The Physically and or Mentally Disabled

Victims of Tragedy like Rape, Sexual Abuse, Domestic Battery
#rethinkhomelessness Tweets   Tweets from https://twitter.com/stlvolunteers/lists/street-team-stl