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Je Ne Sais Quoi: Giving Back (a fundraiser for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer)

That generosity is a quality of exceptional women goes without saying. Of course a charitable habit would be part of the alluring attraction of je ne sais quoi.

The trouble is figuring out how to give...

I was just reading an article about how volunteerism and charity have evolved over the past twenty years. No longer do we as a culture have an army of stay-at-home moms ready and able to donate hours of their time to noble causes. We're busier. We work more. And because of the recession, we have less money to give.

Which is why I have been feeling a little guilty lately. There are so many needs--Haitian earthquake relief, AIDS orphans in Africa, my local food bank--but my time and money aren't always easy to give.

Which is why earlier this year I started searching for opportunities to give back that fit within my particular set of skills (craftiness, for instance). Because I want to be charitable, but I don't exactly have the deep pockets of a philanthropist.

I do, however, have a stash of baby blankets that I made last year just sitting in my house. A house, I might add, that does not have any babies in it. So when my friend asked if I would be interested in donating something to her team's Avon Walk for Breast Cancer fundraising event, I knew immediately that I could help.

Tucked within this little anecdote is a principle that I LOVE to talk about: resourcefulness. I've mentioned it plenty of times in the past, usually referring to updating used clothing or making clever recipes from pantry misfits. But resourcefulness works just as well for charity, too.

The key, I think, is to start by asking what you have that you can give. I, for instance, don't have much discretionary cash, but I do have baby blankets. And my friend--the one raising money--can walk for a good cause. And that's just the tip of the iceberg:

Knitters can donate socks to the homeless.
Quilters can make quilts for sick kids.
Bankers can offer financial reviews for single moms.
Social butterflies can use their facebook and twitter accounts to spread the news about needs.

In other words, there are a million and one ways to give back, even for a busy, cash-strapped person. All you need is a little creativity, a resourceful eye...

...and a little je ne sais quoi.

To learn more about the "Wine*Music*Massage fundraiser" happening on Tuesday, May 4th, click here! I'd love to see you there!

What is your favorite way to give back? Share by posting your comments below!

Original Extension

Normally come Friday morning I am in the mood to be a little silly. Because it is the end of the week, and couldn’t we all use a break? Today, however, is not my usual Friday. Today is the end of a series, and I can’t in good taste go out with silliness.

Which, I suppose, works out conveniently because there is one more subject related to originality that I want to chat about before the series closes, and that is the practice of extending ourselves to others.

I use the words “practice” and “extension” intentionally here, because that is exactly how I feel about stretching myself to serve. It is figuratively a stretch for me--and like my sad, sad hamstrings, I’m often a bit tight and cramped up. And so I need practice. Lots of it.

This time of year we are often encouraged (or “bombarded” depending on how you look at) with opportunities to give of ourselves. And I wouldn’t be a good citizen or good human without urging all of us to take advantage of these open doors and give.

However, this year I want to dig a little deeper--make it a little more personal. And, frankly, a little more fun. And that is the “original” part of my quest. What I want is to start with what I have, meaning my skills and talents and resources, and explore the creative ways I can use those skills and/or stuff to extend myself to others.

So, for instance, when my good friend petitioned me last week to help her knit baby items as a fundraising effort for her international adoption, I was thrilled to say yes. Not only do I have a special place in my heart for women who are pursuing unconventional families (because I am one of them), but also I love to knit. Love it. And donating my time is a perfect way to extend myself for a good cause. It’s just the kind of practice I need.

During this season, then, I want to challenge myself (and you) to consider ways to give beyond the usual food donations and Good Samaritan coin collections (but of course give to them too!) by considering ways that we can creatively and with originality extend ourselves using the gifts we have been given. Maybe your talent is for cooking or sewing or organizing or just listening. Find it and give.

Because originality may start with us as an individuals, but I’d hate for it to end there.

And with that final note, I’m signing off! Stay tuned next week for photos and anecdotes from my Thanksgiving week, and then come back for the launch of my new series on handmade holiday fun! Until then--have a great Friday!

Photo Glossary:
photos 1-2: handknit baby sweater-dress, my latest knit design (I love how it turned out, don't you!?)
photo 3: handknit bunny from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
photo 4: bunny on baby girl quilt designed by me and sewn from recycled fabrics
photos 5-6: handknit raglan from Last Minute Knitted Gifts on baby boy quilt designed by me and sewn from recycled fabrics

Un-Clutter for a Good Cause

If you have taken up the spring cleaning challenge like I have this year, and are finding yourself buried under a pile of things that you no longer use but would hate to throw away, consider donating them for a good cause!

For instance, my friend and former Marketplace Maven Laura from Uproar is co-sponsoring a local garage sale to raise money for her adoption.  I certainly have an armful to give to this worthy endeavor--a VCR, an old juicer, various home accessories, etc. etc.--and love that I have an opportunity to help bring kids into Laura's family!

I've talked a lot about the benefits, both to your pocketbook and to the economy, from purchasing used items from thrift stores or garage sales.  And we are headed into the perfect season for donating and shopping alike!

So, if you are in Northern Colorado, check out the garage sale by visiting the link in the sidebar anytime.  Or, if you hail from another region, search your home for donations, and your town for opportunities to give (and even spend) for a good cause today!

Previous Related Posts:

Craftivism & Compassion

The Trifecta of Domesticity

Ta Dah!  a room makeover, thrift style

Deviancy and Compassion

When I was younger--nineteen, to be exact--I spent a year living in inner-city Philadelphia, volunteering in the community and at a local high school.  It was easy during that time to be mindful of the needs of others, especially in a neighborhood where provision for the basics wasn't always easy to come by.

Since returning home to Colorado, however, it has not been as easy to be so mindful.  I am fortunate to live in a community with good schools, safety, and relative wealth.  Those fortunes make it seem like everyone is blessed, when really I know that they are not.  Even if the people in my community are provided for (which I know some are not), there are millions around the world who struggle just to find the basics--food, shelter, water, health.

I mentioned earlier this week that I didn't want my new, flexible, work-from-home lifestyle to just benefit me.  I sincerely feel that if I can't help others, than what is the point?  And so I submit that one of the key tenets to Deviancy 101, in addition to working grassroots jobs and going off the grid, is to be a helper of those in need.  Now, I haven't figured out exactly how I personally want to do that through my life and business (there are so many options!), but I know that it is important to start.

Fortunately there are examples all around of women who are doing just what I'm talking about.  Amanda Blake Soule of Soule Mama for instance (one of this Fall's Marketplace Mavens) recently launched a project to provide caps and receiving blankets for new babies in Haiti.  Her project demonstrates well the notion that "Don't Deviate Alone" means that as women we take special care to care for others, and to reach out beyond the shelter of our own lives.  I admire the Mama to Mama project, and any woman who is using her creative talents and passions to help those in need.  Note: she also has links to other "craftivism" projects on her site ("craftivism"--isn't that a clever way to phrase it!?)

Maybe you know someone who also demonstrates the kind of creative compassion I'm talking about.  I'd love to hear more about them and their special project!  Please share by emailing me at shillberry@comcast.net or commenting here.  Or tell me your thoughts on how we busy, modern ladies can be more mindful of others and actively compassionate.  I'm open to any tips or ideas you might have!

A peek at what is to come:  I'm wrapping up Deviancy 101 at the end of this week, and am really excited to start a new series, Handmade Holidays, soon!  We'll talk about some great DIY projects, oogle over gift ideas, and I'll wax poetically about how supporting "grassroots jobs" is good for us as women, and good for the world.  Stay tuned next week for more!