Food
FOOD PROGRAMS PROVIDE MORE THAN JUST FOOD
When I was a young father, I lived paycheck to paycheck. Every morning before school, I made my three kids PB&J sandwiches for their lunches. They liked creamy peanut butter, grape jelly, and preferred wheat bread.
I remember the days leading up to payday when I worried if the half loaf of bread would be enough. Would I have to fold a piece of bread in half and send them to school with less than a whole sandwich?
Virtual Volunteer
Doing Good From Home
Assist the Blind. Download the app BE MY EYES to help blind people accomplish everyday tasks. You’ll help out by lending your eyesight via live video call.
Emotional Support. Engage in supportive conversations with people going through hard times. Visit www.7cups.com
Translate. If you are bilingual and have a knack for writing, volunteer to write translations for humanitarian and development projects. Translators Without Borders
Transcribe. Help the Smithsonian Institution make historical documents and data more accessible by transcribing facsimiles of field notes, diaries, ledgers, manuscripts and other texts. www.transcription.si.edu
Education
Best Poverty Prevention Tool
A keystone of collective impact is our investment in education. Let’s not let our historical investments outpace our future commitment to investing in education programs.
“It is what it is” breeds complacency and perpetuates mediocrity. Investing in education will prevent poverty and reduce crime and obesity while improving life expectancy and median income.
Laboratory of Life
Stacey DeWitt PODCast Interview
Defining Us uses the power of media and the promise of education to inspire educators to join the conversation on the socio-political cultural issues that matter. Listen in as Josh shines light on the ways in which we can all come together to build trust, provide dignity for ourselves and others, while finding solutions to complex issues in our communities.
2:00 - 211 is America’s Best Kept Secret
8:54 - Information is Empowerment
13:36 - Anonymity, Dignity and Trust
16:27 - American Values Around Giving
22:20 - Creating a Symphony of Service
47:03 – The Intersection of Faith, Sexual Identity and Hope
Ridiculous
They All KNEW It Was RIDICULOUS
Martin Luther King, Jr said that “even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow,” he still had a dream. For me going back to college and completing my education seemed impossible as I was already well established in my career and family - it was a dream.
While still working a full time job, commuting and raising a family, I got up extra early each day for class and stayed late on campus to attend school full time for two years. I was selected to speak at commencement about accomplishing seemingly ridiculous things.
Closets
Everyone COMes Out
Working for 211 has helped me see that coming out of closets and sharing their difficult situations is something we all might encounter. Exposing our vulnerabilities is never easy and creating a safe place for everyone is important.