100 Ways To Make a Difference - Weekly Motivator

Every Sunday, I will be posting "weekly motivators". They will either be videos, short readings, quotes, inspirational stories, etc. (Just a quick way to remind yourself that you can make a little change that will have a huge impact on someone else in the coming week.) This week I am posting a list titled, 100 ways to make a difference! I found this list on http://myfeetarentugly.com/blog/2009/05/17/100-ways-for-teens-to-make-a-difference-in-your-community/ I hope this motivates you to make a difference in the coming week!(:

1. Help teach a younger child to read. 2. Help cook and/or serve a meal at a homeless shelter. 3. Gather clothing from your neighbors and donate it to a local shelter. 4. Make “I Care” kits with combs, toothbrushes, shampoo, etc. for the homeless. 5. Pack and hand out food at a local food bank. 6. Adopt a “grandfriend” and write them letters and visit them. 7. Visit senior citizens at a nursing home. 8. Rake leaves, shovel snow, clean gutters, or wash windows for a senior citizen. 9. Pick up groceries or medicine for an elderly person. 10.Go for a walk with a senior citizen in your community. 11. Deliver meals to homebound individuals. 12. Hold an afternoon dance for your local nursing home. 13. Teach a senior friend how to use a computer and the Internet. 14. Paint a mural over graffiti. 15. Invite local police officers to present a drug awareness or safety presentation. 16. Tutor a student that needs help learning English or some other subject. 17.Organize a canned goods drive. 18. Clean up a vacant lot or park. 19. Organize a campaign to raise money to purchase and install playground equipment. 20. Plant flowers in public areas that could use some color. 21. Volunteer to help at a Special Olympics event. 22. Set up a buddy system for kids with special needs in your community. 23. Raise money for Braille books for visually impaired people. 24. Read books or the newspaper on tape for visually impaired people. 25.Bring toys to children in the cancer ward of a hospital. 26. Contact your local political representative about key issues. 27. Register people to vote. 28. Organize a public issues forum for your neighborhood. 29. Volunteer at a polling booth the day of an election. 30.Take a friend to the polling booths. 31. Vote. 32. Offer to pass out election materials. 33. Plant a garden or tree where the whole neighborhood can enjoy it. 34. Set up a recycling system for your home. 35. Organize a carpooling campaign in your neighborhood. 36. Adopt an acre of a rain forest. 37. Clean up trash along a river, beach, or in a park. 38. Create a habitat for wildlife. 39. Create a campaign to encourage biking and walking. 40. Test the health of the water in your local lakes, rivers, and streams. 41. Contact your local volunteer center for opportunities to serve. 42. Volunteer at your local animal shelter. 43. Help build a home with Habitat for Humanity. 44. Walk a neighbor’s dog or pet sit while they are on vacation. 45. Teach Sunday school. 46. Learn to be a peer counselor. 47. Send a letter to one of America’s veterans or overseas soldiers. 48. Volunteer at your local youth center. 49. Participate in a marathon for your favorite charity. 50. Become a candy striper at your local hospital. 51. Mentor a young person. 52. Serve your country by joining AmeriCorps. 53. Become a volunteer firefighter or EMT. 54. Donate books to your local library. 55. Donate clothes to the Salvation Army. 56. Start a book club in your area. 57. Adopt a pet from the Humane Society. 58. Hold a door open for someone. 59. Give up your seat on the bus or train to someone. 60. Donate your old computer to a school. 61. Give blood. 62. Coach a children’s sports team. 63. Become an organ donor. 64. Teach a dance class. 65. Participate in Job Shadow Day (February 2). 66. Organize a project for National Youth Service Day. 67. Volunteer on a hotline. 68. Meet with local representatives from your area. 69. Don’t drink and drive. 70. Listen to others. 71. Write a letter to the editor about an issue you care about. 72. Learn first aid. 73. Shop at local, family owned businesses. 74.Become a Big Brother or Big Sister. 75. Take a historical tour of your area about your community. 76. Write a note to a teacher that had a positive effect on you. 77. Get together with some friends to buy holiday presents for a family at a shelter. 78. Recycle. 79. Drive responsibly. 80. Get CPR certification. 81. Don’t litter. 82. Shop responsibly. 83. Don’t spread or start gossip. 84. Tell a custodian that you appreciate him/her. 85. Hold a teddy bear drive for foster children, fire victims, etc. 86. Make a care package for an elderly or shut-in person. 87. Teach at an adult literacy center. 88. Sing for residents at a nursing home. 89. Befriend a new student or neighbor. 90. Babysit. 91. Look for the good in all people. 92. Coordinate a book drive. 93. Donate money to your favorite charity. 94. Make quilts or baby clothes for low-income families. 95. Bake cookies and bring them to your local fire hall or police station. 96. Donate toys or suitcases to foster children. 97. When visiting someone in a hospital, talk to someone that doesn’t have many visitors. 98. Around the holidays, visit the Post Office and answer some letters to Santa. 99. Start a neighborhood welcome committee. 100. Visit SERVEnet.org to find volunteer opportunities in your area.

Have a great week!
Remember, we can all make a difference, one click at a time!
- Mia

The Key to Smiles - The Children's Bereavement Center (September Blog Post)

Have you ever felt the need to talk to someone after the death of a loved one? Or have you ever felt that no one understands the pain you are going through? The goal at the Children's Bereavement Center (CBC) is to "enable children and families to acknowledge change and integrate loss with healthful grief and mourning." Through personal experience with volunteering at the Children's Bereavement Center, I know that children, teenagers, and even adults endeavor serious amounts of grief after the death of a loved one. By going to the Children's Bereavement Center, people in mourning are surrounded by others who have also lost loved ones and are able to deliver their thoughts and feelings with others who are in the same position. Over the past few weeks, I have been speaking with Kathy Kramer (program and training coordinator for the CBC) about the CBC's mission, the impact teen volunteers make with the CBC, and how teens can get involved.

1. What is the mission of your organization? "The Children’s Bereavement Center provides a supportive, caring environment so children grieving a death can share their experience as they move through the healing process. The Children’s Bereavement Center extends supportive services to families, caregivers, schools and the community."

2. How long have you been established in Miami Dade County? "12 years."

3. Approximately how many people do you serve in the community? What are the demographics of the people you serve? "The CBC serves the multi-cultural and socio-economically diverse community which comprises the tri-county area. We serve approximately 450 individuals monthly."

4. What prior or ongoing experiences have teens had with your organization? What roles have teens served? "As the CBC provides peer support groups for children and their families, teens, who have had a loss, attend our peer support groups as participants. Teens who attend the CBC as participants due to a loss can become teen mentors after participating in the program for approximately one year. Teen mentors who serve as volunteer facilitators in the peer support groups are required to attend our Teen Facilitator Training.

Teens who have not had a loss but wish to obtain community service hours can do so by attending our two-night teen facilitator training course and then committing to attending groups as teen facilitators who assist in both the Elementary and Middle School groups.

Teens can also participate by starting a “CBC Club” at their school. School clubs work to get the word out about the CBC and the impact loss and grief plays in the development of children, adolescents and teens. The school clubs can also do fundraisers (car washes, bake sales) which support the CBC programs. Becoming a friend on Facebook is also a great thing for club members to do."

5. What is an upcoming opportunity in which teens can get involved? "At the beginning of the school year, teens can attend the teen volunteer training and then commit to attending groups throughout the school year on Monday evenings. Teens will obtain two contact hours each Monday they attend groups. Most teens attend two Mondays per month…i.e. the first and third or second and fourth."

More information about the Children's Bereavement Center can be found at www.childbereavement.org. You can also become a friend/fan of the CBC Facebook Fan Page.

Through personal experience with the CBC, I have come to realize one of the greatest gifts that the CBC offers. Every person who leaves a CBC support group, whether they are a child, teen, adult or volunteer, leaves with a smile on their face. You can be the next smile maker...


Upcoming Events:

CBC Volunteer Training Session
(Interested teens may contact Kathy Kramer)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Movie Premiere - Saturday, November 20th & Sunday, November 21st
in IMAX 3D

Paragon Grove 13
3015 Grand Avenue, Coconut Grove

Tickets $25 Per Person
Including Small Popcorn and One Bowling Coupon

Contact Information: Please contact Kathy Kramer with any other questions about the Children's Bereavement Center.
kaokramer@childbereavement.org

Please subscribe to my blog to find out more ways that you can get involved in the community.

Clicks for Change
"Making a difference one click at a time!"
- Mia