Day 181: Barley

I donated a bag of barley today to the Freestore Foodbank via Green Bean Delivery. This particular bag of barley was purchased by my sister when she meant to purchase something else. She gave it to me to donate. I'm not sure if people who get food from the free store know what to do with barley, but then again I probably shouldn't judge. Perhaps people who are low in food know more ways to cook than most. At least barley is healthy and hearty.

Day 180: $3 to Children's Miracle Network

I went to Sam's Club today and dumped a ton of change (totaling a little more than three dollars) into this silly little vortex device. The change goes round and round until it reaches the hole in the bottom of the container. I felt somewhat foolish because the vortex is designed to attract children, and I could have just dropped my change directly into the hole. I decided, however, that I deserved some fun, too.  It looks like Sams/Walmart collected quite a bit of money for children's hospitals last year. Good thing, because giant corporations making ungodly amounts of money should engage in philanthropy, too. 

Day 179: $1 to SPCA

I stopped by the Loveland Farmers Market today, but I was a bit to late to buy any good produce. Most vendors had sold out of much of their goods. Lucky for me, there was an SPCA van at the market.  There were three cute dogs and one super adorable kitten sitting on a worker's lap.  There was also a jar for donations. I only had a single dollar and a twenty dollar bill. I debated momentarily, but went with the single dollar. I guess I was feeling cheap today. I can always go back to the Farmers Market and look for the van again.

Day 178: $1 to Wellness programs via Laughing Cow cheese

I love Laughing Cow cheese, so when I saw a television advertisement last night for their opportunity to donate to wellness programs, I was all over it. Sure, I had to buy a pack of Laughing Cow cheese wedges (I chose the Light Creamy Swiss type) and I had to enter a tiny bit of personal information online at The Life Well Laughed, but I was in time to enter as the number 12,599.  That means that not even 13,000 people have entered yet. I may buy some more cheese tomorrow! When the meter gets to 500,000, they stop and they also guarantee a minimum donation of $250,000 to YMCA wellness programs. What a great philanthropy idea.

Day 177: striped shirt

I dropped off a nice shirt today in a donation box (proceed to Special Olympics).  I've owned the shirt for several years, but it is still in quite good condition.  It's white with brown horizontal stripes (not the best for me) and I have to wear a tank top underneath it because it is so low cut. I originally wanted to drop the shirt off at the Planet Aid box nearby, but that box was completely overstuffed.  There were garments actually overflowing the box and a bunch of stuff just left on the ground beside it, I wish people wouldn't do that. You have to think that the businesses that allow donation boxes in their parking lots don't want what looks like trash overflowing into the parking lot. Hopefully Planet Aid picks up soon and isn't in danger of being discontinued.

Day 176: $5 Kohls Cares

I purchased a small cookbook--100 healthy lunch boxes--from Kohls today.  All the proceeds from the purchase go to Kohl Cares which supports children's health and education programs as well as environmental programs. The cookbook is hilarious because I can't imagine anyone actually making these lunches for children (they are supposedly geared toward children). The lunch recipes include a tuna nicoise salad. Really? The other interesting part of the "healthy" cookbook is that no nutritional information is included with the recipes. Kind of a strike out, but that's ok, because I really purchased it for the donation. I will probably re-donate this book later to Goodwill or St. Vincent DePaul.

Day 175: book to Middletown Jail Library

I received an email a few weeks ago from an instructor in the English department at Miami. She and another instructor are organizing a book drive for the Middletown Jail, a facility for misdemeanor crimes.  This means that most inmates are spending a year or less incarcerated there. According to the email, the jail does not have a library, so I donated a paperback Faye Kellerman novel--a bestseller type of book. I think it's a laudable project.

Day 174: Noodles and Box of Potatoes

This week (or maybe next) is the last of my Green Bean deliveries for the summer. I'd rather purchase my fresh produce at the various farmers markets than have it delivered, although I will definitely continue with Green Bean later in the year. So, I again took advantage of Green Bean's constant food drive, and left a package of noodles and a package of boxed potatoes in my bin for pickup today. Green Bean will make sure that the food gets to the Freestore Foodbank in Cincinnati. It's not much, but every bit counts when people don't have money for food.

Day 173: Sudoku Books to Yellow Ribbon Support Center

I made a special trip to the Yellow Ribbon Support Center today to drop off two sudoku books that I have been saving to donate. The Yellow Ribbon Support Center, among other things, makes care packages for soldiers overseas. One of the items on their wish list (which I picked up while there) was indeed sudoku books! (I thought it would be.)

It might seem odd to drop off something relatively inconsequential and small, but I truly believe that these silly little puzzle books will make it over to Iraq or Afghanistan, and will help someone pass the time in difficult circumstances. What I really like about dealing with local charities is that you have a certain level of trust. Everyone in Cincinnati knows Keith Maupin, the Yellow Ribbon Support Center creator/organizer, and we all know the story of his son, Matt, who was killed in Iraq.  Keith and others have dedicated themselves to supporting the troops, so to support the Yellow Ribbon Center is an easy choice. Now that I have the wish list, I'm sure I will go back.  In fact, on the Yellow Ribbon website, there is a list of other locations that collect for Yellow Ribbon.  One is right in my neighborhood on Friday.

Day 172: $1 to Ronald McDonald and $1 to memorial fund

I drove through McDonalds today to purchase a Diet Coke (they are $1 no matter the size all summer) and I donated an additional dollar to Ronald McDonald.  Later, I purchased a pizza for my mother from Papa Johns. I do not care for their pizza, but my mother really does, and she never really gets the chance to have it. At any Papa John's location, today only, 10% of your bill goes to the memorial fund set up for the family of a local policed officer who died in the line of duty.

Day 171: donation to Children's Miracle Network

I stopped by Meijers today to purchase a carrot for the salad I want to make for dinner and a few other things. In the produce department, I noticed that if you purchased certain products between now and June 28, Produce for Kids would donate money to the Children's Miracle Network.  One of the products was Marzetti salad dressing, so I will now be trying the white balsamic dressing tonight at 100 calories per serving.  I'm still trying to figure out exactly how much money was donated due to my purchase. The website doesn't seem to say. I guess I'll just have to have faith that it was at least a semi-significant portion of the price of the dressing.

Day 170: $2 to homeless pets

I purposely purchased kitty litter at PetSmart today knowing that at the checkout I would have the opportunity to donate to homeless pets.  Whenever I am at PetSmart, I look at the cats and kittens that are up for adoption. They are always heartbreakers. Today, two adorable kittens were playing, unaware of their miserable confines.  All the other cats were adult. One was named Wicket and had a whole story about how her owner couldn't care for her anymore because sometimes "life happens." You can't argue with that. In many ways, we are all just one bit of bad news away from "life happening."

I'm glad that PetSmart makes donating so easy. They even have a program where you can donate to a local shelter online. I also found this article about where your dollar goes when you donate at PetSmart. Very reassuring.

Day 169: $25 to SPCA

I was able to redeem my credit card points for another gift card for charity. This time I chose the SPCA as the recipient. One of my two cats, Callie, came from the SPCA. (Aggie came from the sidewalk.)  We purchased Callie as a friend for Aggie the stray, and for the most part they are pretty good friends.  There are some days, however, when they just have to be classified as frenemies. Like most people, it breaks my heart to see little cats and dogs without homes, but at least at the SPCA shelters they have a chance for adoption.

Day 168: $5 to Global Soap Project

I ran across a story on CNN.com today about the Global Soap Project an organization that takes discarded soaps from hotels (that were otherwise just being thrown away) and reprocesses them into new soaps for people throughout the world who cannot afford such general hygiene products. So much disease and death in developing nations stems from unsanitary conditions, but as the CNN article pointed out, if you make only one dollar a day you are probably not going to spend 25 cents of that on a bar of soap.  Rather, you will buy food, of course. It's amazing how people live in such different conditions in our world and with such different philosophies. Here, we are so used to just throwing away items that others would love to have.

Day 167: Cereal to Freestore Foodbank

It's Thursday which means I'm getting a delivery of fresh produce from Green Bean Delivery right on my doorstep!  I'm excited for my bin to arrive later today, and I'm again taking advantage of Green Bean's Constant Food Drive which allows me to leave non-perishable food items in my return bin.  Green Bean makes sure that the items get to the Freestore Foodbank, the largest free food provider in the tri-state area.  Today I put in a box of cereal called Healthy Lifestyle that looked like flakes with dried strawberries.  I don't know why I had never opened this box, but it's been in the pantry for awhile so I figure it should belong to someone who is going to eat it.  I also donated some ready-to-heat-in-the-microwave oatmeal (vanilla peach). While I thought this type of oatmeal would be good for a quick breakfast during the school year, there are too many preservatives in it for my comfort. I'd rather just mix the hot water with the dry oats after all.

Day 166: Two t-shirts

Today I washed and then donated a plain white t-shirt and a plain gray t-shirt.  Not really a significant donation, but they did both smell like Bounce, so that was an added bonus.  I plan to only buy/keep/wear t-shirts that meet at least one of the following guidelines:
1.  Nostalgic (like from a concert or National Park)
2.  Soft and comfortable
3.  Free and for my job

Of these three rules, I will also eventually eliminate shirts that only qualify under rule 3.  The most important rule is rule 2.  They actually do make comfortable and soft t-shirts.  You just have to look for them.  All scratchy, cardboard-feeling shirts are destined for donation this summer.

Day 165: $1 to Share the Bread

Today's one dollar "dough-nation" to Share the Bread is a common one for me.  I was lucky enough to buy a Panera breakfast sandwich today (but not lucky in that it was on the way home from dropping my car off for a major repair).  I have to get the air conditioning fixed in my car for upwards of $900.  That's a crazy amount that I would rather not pay right now, but air conditioning is essential for summer.  I've already driven around on some 90 degree days feeling miserable, and I would rather not do that all summer long.  I'm not a good hot person.  I turn cranky and sullen when heated.  The fun part (if you can call it that) is that for the past two weeks or so I've actually noticed the other people on the road who have their windows down in the searing, sweltering, abominable heat.  Kindred spirits I never knew I had. Usually it's a guy in a beat up, rusty truck, not a woman in a Hyundai like me, but whatever.  Something in common is something in common--which brings me back to Share the Bread.  I like giving to this charity is because of the name and the basic idea.  What could be more important than feeding hungry people?  What could be more satisfying than bread? What is easier to share?

Day 164: 2 CDs to the library

Since I wad returning an item due today, I took the opportunity to donate two CDs to the library.  I donated a John Mellencamp CD (no Cougar, so it must have been relatively recent) and a CD by a band called Red House Painters.  Two things struck me.  1.  Why did I have a John Mellencamp CD?  2.  What one-hit wonder did I like by the Red House Painters?  When the library get a donated CD, they do one of two things.  Either they add the CD to their collection at a branch, or they sell it to raise money for the library.  I imagine the latter is what they do most often.  I wonder how they decide.

An addendum to today's giving:  Two pre-teen girls in my neighborhood came around this evening selling "bracelets" for a dollar each.  I'm quite sure their parents didn't know they were ringing doorbells at 9:45 p.m., but I purchased a tri-color bracelet made of three braided strings.  It's not even a bracelet really.  It's just string.  Is this a donation?  Maybe.

Day 163: 58 cents to litearcy fund and $1 to Boys and Girls Club

I stopped at Dollar General today, a store I do not usually frequent.  In fact, I think dollar stores are strange, and whenever I find myself in one I feel like an anthropologist studying the workers and shoppers.  It's not that I think I'm better than anyone in there; it's just that the whole concept seems centered around junk and expired items.  I went to the dollar store to buy this specific type of kitchen sponge that I like to use while washing dishes.  For some reason, you can't find these little, colored, plastic sponges anywhere, so when I do run into them, I make a note of it.  I was only able to buy one pack of sponges (and the pack was sort of open).  Anyway, at the checkout counter, I noticed that I could "donate my change to make a change."  Apparently Dollar General sponsors a literacy foundation.  What was most interesting about this was the sign that invited people who were interested in learning how to read to take a pamphlet.  Really.  I suppose the pamphlets were for people donating, too, but as I flipped through it I noticed the boxes to check to indicate what type of literacy skills you most needed help with.

After completing my obligation for the day, I was at the Arby's drive thru purchasing a chicken salad wrap sandwich for my mom (her latest addiction). The drive thru worker, Twila, asked me to donate a dollar to the boys and girls club, and she said that it was the last day to do so. I had an extra dollar in my wallet, sort of even jumping out if you can believe it, so I donated again.  I had to sign my name to some silly sticker that they will post in Arby's.

Day 162: $10 to sponsor Bike MS

On the last day of school, a colleague, Andrew S, sent out an email to everyone letting us know that we could sponsor him in Bike MS Venture the Valley 2011.  I thought it was a good idea (and convenient), so I logged on today to give a $10 donation.  In noticed that my donation was the smallest collected so far, but that most of the people who had donated (with the exception of one other colleague) looked to be relatives or close friends of Andrew. They are required to give more.  I also felt a little cheap because $10 was not an amount that you could automatically select (those started at $25) but had to fill in deliberately.  But hey, like I said, there was only one other colleague on the list who had donated. I like the convenience of websites where you can sponsor people, and the MS website was similar to the Relay for Life website where I donated to a student earlier this year.  I much prefer this than filling out a sheet that looks like a Girl Scout cookie order that a student brings up to your desk.

Yesterday was the first official day of my summer vacation, and I have to admit I'm worried that the opportunities for giving/donating will not be as plentiful as when I was in school. Hopefully, though, I will be able to get back to one of my selfish goals for this project--de-cluttering.  More time in the summer means more time to clean out old things and donate them.

Day 161: Vacuum cleaner to VetsConnect

As always, when you donate household items or clothing to the veterans through VetsConnect, they are spot on with the pick-up.  I registered online just two days ago, and they showed up promptly at 8:00 a.m. to retrieve the vacuum cleaner from my front porch.  This was a really nice vacuum cleaner that recently began to smoke when I turned it on.  A handier person will fix it, I'm sure, and it will be good as new.  It probably just has too much cat fur stuck in it somewhere.  I'm left with a lesser vacuum cleaner, but I'm still happy with the outcome.  One of the things that makes this transaction so simple, was the ability to schedule the pick-up online.  It's not that I hate talking to people on the phone or anything, I just prefer to handle things without that interaction.  So much easier just to click and go.  Who needs human interaction anyway?

Day 160: crackers and noodles to Freestore Foodbank

I took advantage again this week of the opportunity provided by Green Bean Delivery.  I simply took a box of crackers and a box of lasagna noodles out of my cupboard and put them directly into the Green Bean box that is exchanged for a new box with delicious produce each Thursday right on my doorstep.  This really makes me think:  shouldn't every business endeavor to do something similar.  Again, it's local giving/donating/helping.

I noticed that Toms has expanded its one-to-one program to now include sunglasses.  With every pair you purchase, you help someone who needs eye care.  Sounds great, but $135 is way beyond what I can fathom paying for sunglasses.  I wear sunglasses religiously when I'm outdoors, but I have a real problem paying a lot for them.  The other day, I was out without sunglasses and I wanted to buy some while at the grocery store.  I stood in front of them for about 10 minutes, but I could not make myself purchase them because they were $15.  If they had been $10, maybe.  It's just one of those things with me.  I'm aware that other people will spend hundreds of dollars on sunglasses.  I'm not calling them foolish because I'm sure there is some other item that I go over the top with, too.  Sunglasses for $135, though, it might just be conspicuous consumption. 

Day 159: $20 donation to memorial art club project

Today I made a $20 donation (somewhat larger for my daily giving) to a junior high art club in my district.  One of the reasons I gave to this project was because the genesis of the art club was a tragedy experienced by our superintendent and his family this past year when their son (who loved art) passed away.  Since I think our superintendent has been courageous and graceful in his outward persona this year--which really must be difficult--I wanted to be a contributor to this worthy project.  Also, I love giving locally. It's nice to think of the junior high kids having an art outlet this summer.

Day 158: $1 to the USO

Since I had very little time today, I was happy to be able to donate a full dollar (as opposed to earlier this week) to the USO at Kroger. This will really be the third type of donation I've made to the USO in the past few weeks. Funny, I probably would have never thought of donating to this organization in the past had I not undertaken this project for the year.

Day 157: really ugly shirt, never worn

Last week I had one of those days when I purchased a random, slightly dressy t-shirt from Meijers.  Why?  I have no idea.  When I later showed it to my sister she told me that I could not wear it, that it was, in fact, too ugly to ever wear.  That's what good sisters do.  The shirt had little pieces of what appeard to be peach tissue paper on a taupe background.  What was I thinking?  I kept the shirt in my car with the intention of returning it for my $7, but then decided I should just donate it.  Someone else might like my poor taste.

Day 156: 75 cents to the USO

This is my second donation to the USO (soldiers and their families) and sadly it's sort of a meager donation.  I was able to add 75 cents to the box at Kroger where I was shopping for my sister's birthday present--a Cuisinart Immersion Blender that was on sale.  I really would have given at least a dollar but I had no cash on me.  Nonetheless, quarters are valuable to me.  After all, my normal morning medium coffee from White Castle costs $1.25.  I'm always coveting quarters.  Most people do, I think.

Day 155: Cleaning supplies for Joplin, MO

At a Kroger (not too local, but not too far away) today organizers were collecting goods for Matthew 25 Ministries to help distribute to tornado victims in Joplin, Missouri.  It was an easy thing to do, and a nice day for a drive to the Kroger store in Mason.  I was able to donate some Soft Scrub, some Clorox cleaner, and a package of yellow gloves.  I also included the two packages of Charmin Freshmates that I tried to giv eaway on Freecycle last week.  (I still can't believe someone didn't take those.  People take used, cooked hot dogs for goodness sake).  The event was called Rally 4 Relief and it had multiple sponsors besides Kroger.  It's nice when local business can collaborate.  I even noticed that my friend Gina's old workplace, Planes Moving Company was involved.

Day 154: 10 cents to the OSU

I was able to donate 10 cents to the OSU today by clicking on the Taste of Home website and looking at the Flag Cake recipe.  According to the website, the dime will be used for a soldier overseas to be able to make a phone call home for two minutes.  Even though today's donation doesn't seem to count for all that much (monetarily) at the same time it feels like it counts for a lot.  Also, since only 523 people had tweeted about the opportunity to donate, I did that. 

Day 153: Grape Jelly and Chicken Noodle Soup

I recently found out that when returning my empty Green Bean Delivery bin on Thursdays, I can add items to be donated to the Freestore Foodbank.  Had I known this earlier, I would have been doing this every Thursday.  Unfortunately, I am soon going to put my Green Bean orders in abeyance (for farmer's market season, of course) so I will not have that many opportunities.  The good news:  this donation completely fell under my rule this week of only donating from my household.  I did not shop for the two items beyond shopping in my kitchen cabinet. I also very much appreciate Green Bean Delivery for this opportunity, and I like the fact that they say "no donation is too small."  I agree.

Day 152: $1 to Crayons to Computers

Well, I blew my whole idea of only giving items from my household this week.  While driving through White Castle for my medium coffee (cream, two Splendas) this morning, I realized how easy it would be to just give an extra dollar and have my donating obligation fulfilled for the day. So I gave a dollar to Crayons to Computers, and the young cashier was quite confused.  Maybe she was new and not used to people donating, but she really thought that I wanted to buy something additional. I will try to return to household items later in the week and stop taking the easy way out.