Letters that mean so much

My brother is currently deployed in Iraq, and one thing that really comforts him is letters from home. If you are short on time to volunteer with an organization for a certain number of hours, writing letters to our troops is a great way to make a difference! I know that Pontiac has partnered with A Million Thanks to help raise the number of letters being sent to our troops over seas. This is one of the best ways to send a letter to our troops. Just compose a letter of encouragement, find a dealership nearest to you and put the letter in the drop box. "Amillionthanks" should also be an inspiration to all teens to make a difference. This huge program was started by a teenage girl, Shauna Flemming who helped support our troops by collecting letters form church congregations and various school organizations. Her program grew so large that she has drop boxes posted in a various Pontiac dealerships throughout the nation. So don't let anyone tell you that you can't make a difference as a teenager! To learn more about A Million Thanks check out http://amillionthanks.vox.com/

Samaritan's Purse

I received a letter in the mail a few days ago from Samaritan's Purse that asked for me to make a donation to aid in the assistance of the families involved with Virginia Tech Massacre. The giving of funds is a great way to help out your community. So please check your mail to look for opportunities to serve. Now there is no excuse to not help out...you don't even have to leave your home to help others. Samaritan's Purse is great organization to donate money to; they help provide care for those who have faced natural disaster (hurricanes, tornados, famine) and those who have faced major crises ( 9-11, Virginia Tech massacre). They also have a great program around Christmas time called Operation Christmas Child. Participants collect small gifts and place them in a shoe box that will be sent to third world countries and children who would not usually receive a present on Christmas day. This is a great way to others and to get into the spirit of giving.

Palmetto Pride

Palmetto Pride is a wonderful organization that is committed to eliminating litter and promoting the beautification of our great state! They have massive media campaigns that publicize their cause. In fact this weekend's emphasis is their Zero Tolerance Campaign, in which law enforcement are going to be patrolling our roads and highways ready to enforce our no tolerance laws for litter.

They also motivate and organize groups to clean up the already existing debris. They have four essential areas of concern: education, enforcement, awareness and pickup resulting in behavioral change.

You should check out their site for more information and to find out how you can get involved...
www.palmettopride.org

The Greenville Humane Society

The Greenville Humane Society is another great organization with which to volunteer. They have united more than 1 million individuals with previously unwanted animals in the upstate. The Greenville Humane society operates a full-service animal shelter and is always looking for volunteers. Some of the great opportunities for service are volunteering with the adoption area, and special events group. You can also become a foster home and take care of newborn puppies, or become a part of the pet therapy group who takes puppies to visit nursing home residents, hospital patients and others who suffer adversities or disabilities.
To sign up to volunteer click on this link http://www.greenvillehumane.com/volunteerform.html
The Greenville Humane Society would be a great pale to volunteer if you are an animal lover. however, if you don't have enough time to volunteer you can still make a difference for the animals by donating to the Greenville Humane Society. It costs about $20 a day to care for an animal in their facility so every penny that they can get really helps!

Local Churches

Another great way to get involved with local, national, and international service is through your local churches.

Almost all churches have some type of missions projects they focus on. I know my church focuses on all three...the local community, national, and international missions. The leadership at Taylors First Baptist is very service and missions minded, and they have passed that on to church members teaching us to share the love of Jesus in a practical way.

Some of their local service projects include a Single Mom's Oil Change, Angel Food Ministries, and Impact Greenville. On a national level, we have sent teams to help Katrina victims and we also have groups that travel to other states that are in need of workers...like Texas, Baltimore and Maine. This year we have 8 international mission trips planned!

I have also participated with the international ministries. I and 15 other students from my church went on a mission trip to Bulgaria. In Sofia, Bulgaria we met up with other churches and divided ourselves into volunteer groups. One group visited an orphanage and spent time with the children all day while another group painted a playground for a public park. I was in a group that cleaned up a small park outside of an apartment building. This was a lot of hard work since the park had not been cared for since the fall of communism. In fact, when my group got done with the park, we discovered doghouse and a sidewalk that had been covered up by vegetation. We only had hand-held tools so I definitely worked up a sweat cutting down small trees, pulling up weeds, and cleaning up a swing set. This was one of the most full filling acts of service I had ever done because as soon as we cleaned up an area of the park, we got to see the faces of the children that came out of the apartment building to play in the park for the very first time. It was definitely instant gratification, and after all of that hard work I had some pretty strong arms!

So if you are not involved in church or if your church doesn't have projects like this going on...you can always come participate in Taylors First Baptist service/mission projects. I know the church welcomes anyone willing to help and serve.

Angel Food Ministries

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The program began in 1994 with 34 families in Monroe, Georgia (between Atlanta and Athens), and has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of families every month across 32 states. Angel Food Ministries crosses denominational lines and has spread the good news of the gospel of Christ through salvation tracts that are placed in each food order.

Blessings by the box

Angel Food's groceries are sold in a quantity that can fit into a medium-sized box at $25 per unit. Each month's menu is different than the previous month and consists of both fresh and frozen items with an average retail value of approximately $50. Comparison shopping has been done across the country in various communities using a wide range of retail grocery stores and has resulted in the same food items costing from between $42 and $78.

Generally, one unit of food assists in feeding a family of four for about one week or a single senior citizen for almost a month. The food is all the same high quality one would purchase at a grocery store. There are no second-hand items, no damaged or out-dated goods, no dented cans without labels, no day-old breads and no produce that is almost too ripe.

Also offered are specialty boxes such as steaks, chicken and pork. Many participants in this bonus program appreciate the expanded choices. Additionally, there is no limit to the number of units or bonus foods an individual can purchase, and there are no applications to complete or qualifications to which participants must adhere. Angel Food Ministries, like most all other retail grocery stores, also participates in the U.S. Food Stamp program, using the Off-Line Food Stamp Voucher system.

How the Program works

Food sales and distribution are handled by church host sites. Orders and payments are collected by the host sites during the first part of each month. These orders are then turned in to the Angel Food main office in Monroe, Georgia, on a predetermined date. Several days later, in the same month, the host site either picks up the food from Angel Food's 160,000 square feet warehouse to fill the orders on Distribution Day or, because this ministry is growing nationwide, food is delivered to the host site by a pre-arranged delivery mode. In most cases, as long as there is a truck headed in the direction of a community who wants this program and sees its ministry influence, there are no extra transportation costs.

To learn more about this ministry please visit their website.

Here is a link to churches and organizations in South Carolina that host this ministry. Contact them to get involved in this wonderful program!

The Children's Miracle Network

Children's Miracle Network is the alliance of premier children's hospitals. Every year, Children's Miracle Network hospitals treat 17 million children for every disease and injury imaginable. Children's Miracle Network hospitals impact the lives of more children than any other children's organization in the world. Children's hospitals provide state-of-the-art care, life-saving research and preventative education for children 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There is a Children's Miracle Network hospital dedicated to serving children in every community across the United States and Canada. These hospitals are committed to providing the best care for children when they need it.

Your support of Children's Miracle Network helps ensure that children have the specialized care they need and deserve.

Children need the specialized care and equipment only children’s hospitals can provide. Children's Miracle Network hospitals: Provide $2.5 billion in charity (uncompensated) care each year Treat 98% of all children needing heart or lung transplants Treat 88% of all children with cancer Treat 76% of all children with cystic fibrosis Treat 90% of all children with sickle cell anemia Treat 72% of all children with pediatric AIDS Devote 60% of their services to children under age six and 25% to newborns Train 60% of pediatricians and 80% of all pediatric specialists Educate families about issues like child safety seats, helmet safety and bike safety

Recently, I got involved with this wonderful program by helping to raise awareness and funds for this organization. Visit this website to learn more about Children's Miracle Network.

You can also visit this link to help me in my efforts to raise funds for CMN. Your donation will be considered a charitable donation for tax purposes and a receipt will be provided at the end of the year.

A Little Suggestion

I know the school year is quickly coming to an end; but one of the easiest ways to learn about volunteer opportunities is to join various service organizations associated with your school. Clubs such as the Beta Club, Key Club, and National Honors Society not only require their members to serve their community for a certain number of hours, they offer hundreds of ideas and ways to serve. The Beta Club at Eastside High School usually suggests volunteering at the local humane society and helping with charity events such as Relay for Life. Service organizations usually help you set up various times and location for you to volunteer. This way you don't have to go searching for people who need your help...they come to you! So try to sign up to be a member of one of those organizations before the school year ends, because they usually have great summer volunteer opportunities as well.

Here is one of my favorite quotes on volunteerism:
"It is one of the beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely help another without helping himself."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
It basically is saying how beneficial, mentally and emotionally, volunteering can be to the one who is serving.