Day 126 - Clowns Without Borders



If there ever was a need for laughter and fun, it would be where children are suffering through trauma in areas of crises.  In war zones, in refugee camps, after natural disasters - that is when and where Clowns Without Borders do their best gigs, performing and entertaining around the world.  "No child without a smile" is the mantra that works wonders in lighting up the eyes of kids who would otherwise be without hope and levity.  Clowns Without Borders was founded in 1993 and now has roots in 9 countries around the world.  Besides the United States, it's in Spain, France, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, South Africa, and Canada.  Recent performances have been in Colombia, Cambodia, Haiti, Egypt and Burma/Myanmar. The clowns and their props also put on shows as fundraisers all over the United States.




Clown Noses I sent as props for clowns

 

Day 125 - Feeding Nikita



I can relate to Nikita.  There's snow on the ground and it's cold outside.  I decided to help him out and feed him for most of a day.  It may look cheap but it costs nearly $27 to feed him all of his meals for one day.  That's over $10,000 a year for one polar bear!  If someone really wants to help him or other polar bears at the Kansas City Zoo, they can have their name on the Polar Bear Wall of Fame by:

DONATING

Baby Bear - $100 or more

Mama Bear - $250 or more

Papa Bear - $500 or more

OR

Here's an incentive:  If you want to have breakfast with Nikita, join the Nikita Club by contributing $1000 or more!

Day 124- Deconstruction

It was a man's world, at least where I was on this day.  I did my hour and a half volunteer time deconstructing/cleaning up what must have been an activity room at Tomahawk Hills Country Club in Shawnee, KS.  A Heartland Habitat for Humanity ReStore van hauled away anything salvagable that could be used to build a house.  I'm not going to say that the room in which I was working looked anything like Pompeii after the Mt. Vesuvius eruption, but it seemed like one day there were activities there and the next day it was abandoned.  The other volunteers, all male, were busy undoing electrical stuff and using tools but honestly, everyone's effort was pro bono and for a good cause.

Day 123 - Send One Suit



 



During dressbarn's Send One Suit weekend Feb 24-27, thousands of suits, separates like blouses, pants, and jackets were collected for women who need to look sharp and chic for job interviews.  The program is a partnership with Dress for Success, and dressbarn was a national title sponsor and drop-off site.  Thirty-five organizations and companies helped sponsor the annual event which started in 1996.  Dress for Success, with its tag line 'Suits for Self-Sufficiency', now has affiliates in 110 cities around the globe, stretching from the U.S.A. to New Zealand.  I donated one suit.  The woman who came in before me donated 17 suits!











This suit is now part of the
Send One Suit program





Day 122 - Pints for Penguins

Pints for Penguins, in some circles known as the Penguin Happy Hour, was an event that raised money to bring penguins to the Kansas City Zoo.  The pints were sample beers from our local Boulevard Brewery, a hypnotist entertained, and Cafe Roux appetizers were served.  It will cost millions of dollars to relocate the penguins and buy them a permanent home here, hopefully by 2012.  Luckily for Kansas City humans, the average cost of housing is a lot more reasonable than that for a penguin family. A lot of the money raised for the penguins comes from the annual Jazoo party, a creative black tie event where jungle prints reign and tuxedo jackets are worn over bermuda shorts. Also, private donations (like mine), public donations and other sources like Pancakes for Penguins, Penguin Palooza, and Penguin City Pizza, are contributing to bring a world class penguin exhibit to the Kansas City Zoo.



Day 121 - Smallcakes

Jeff Martin's name is synonomous with cupcakes, and Cupcake Wars on the Food Network, and pumpkin - or leaving pumpkin out.  As the captions on the t-shirts in the picture below shows, Jeff was on Cupcake Wars twice, losing both times.  The first time he left out the key ingredient that was supposed to go in, pumpkin.  But, the cupcakes tasted so good that it won him a guest spot on The View and national notoriety.  Three stores later, SMALLCAKES has clout and cache in the Kansas City cupcake market.  This week, during the grand opening of Jeff's 3rd SMALLCAKES store in Lee's Summit, MO, he donated all of the proceeds from 4-packs-of-your-choice cupcakes to the Lee's Summit Social Services.  This agency assists low-income, elderly and the disabled with prescriptions, utility bills, food - anything they need to tide them over and give them dignity in living their lives. 

                                                    

                                                     

 



My cupcake server and Jeff Martin



Day 120 - Hope Lodge

Their motto, Giving Hope a Home

With an average patient stay of 6 weeks, the local Hope Lodge is home base to cancer patients requiring overnight lodging while receiving treatment in Kansas City.  This magnificent place, along with 29 other Hope Lodges (and 1 on the way) across the country, is owned by the American Cancer Society.  Our Hope Lodge has 45 guest rooms, each sleeps 2, the patient and a caregiver (plus a rollaway, if needed) and there are 2 family suites.  Priority is based on length of stay - the record being 18 months.  40% of the residents are having transplants at the University of Kansas Medical Center and others are receiving radiation and chemotherapy.  There are laundry services, activities like bingo, casino nights, Mardi Gras parties, etc.  Companies and organizations take turns cooking and serving around 40 meals a night and each patient has their own bin to store personal food supplies in one of 3 large kitchens.   My daughter and I accompanied Kansas City Cancer Center South's employees and family members in serving a taco, refried beans, salad and dessert dinner.  The most amazing statistic about all of the Hope Lodges is that they are absolutely free, no charge to any of the patients.



Day 119 - Presidential Money

All money deposited in this bin goes to the
 Ronald McDonald House Charities

That's the money bin at my neighborhood McDonald's where, on President's Day, I put in an Abraham Lincoln, a Thomas Jefferson, a Franklin Roosevelt, a George Washington, and a John Kennedy.  No, I didn't put in a James Madison ($5,000 bill) nor an Andrew Jackson ($10,000 bill.)  And I couldn't get my hands on a Woodrow Wilson ($100,000 bill), mainly because it was never used in general circulation.  It was a currency note used between 1934 and 1935 to transfer money between government departments. 

Day 118 - Half Pint Library

Read a child a children's book and then drop it off at the nearest Half Price Books by March 31 for the Half Pint Library Book Drive.  It's a literacy program that in 2010 had almost 200,000 books collected for kids. Ever since 1999, when Half Price Books began the Half Pint Library, children have received 2 million books to read and books that could be read to them.  Nonprofit organizations distribute the new and gently used books to families in need and Half Price Books matches each book donated during the drive.  If you love to read, love children, or would love for children to read, follow my lead and donate a book - or 2 or 10 - to Half Price Books for the Half Pint Library.



Day 117 - Remembering the Vets

Our local Vietnam Memorial

A Vietnam Veterans of America truck picked up a TV that we were no longer using, for donation to their organization.    Founded in 1978, Vietnam Veterans of America has 50,000 members and serves veterans from all over the country.  They sponsor vital programs for veterans, addressing mental and physical issues resulting from military service.  Post traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and homelessness are some of the reasons why VVA is still active.  Interestingly, keeping a positive perception of service during the Vietnam War is one of their missions.  Remembering the POWs, MIAs, and all those who served honorably will always be a major part of their goals.



Day 116 - Kids Helping Kids

A young nephew of a Bentwood Elementary School physical education teacher in Overland Park, Kansas, has Juvenile Diabetes.  He gave a wonderful talk to the students about diabetes and using an insulin pump.  The kids asked great questions and the boy was very open and honest in answering them.  Afterward, they held a fundraising walk for diabetes, circling the school building 3 times and then the gym a couple of times.  After each lap they were treated to vitamin water and fruit.  Collectively, they raised $2300 by getting sponsors for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  I had the pleasure of sponsoring Julia, one of the students who talked the talk and walked the walk.  Great school spirit, respect, and support was given to this worthy cause.

These shoe pictures on the school wall
represent people that the students
know with diabetes

Day 115 - The Family Room



I joined Carol's crusade by serving lunch in the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Children's Mercy Hospital.  Carol Yarmo is the consummate volunteer; she organizes everything, calls everyone for serving, cooking and buying food, and to top it off, she does this for multiple organizations and events.  What the 4 of us did was prepare a spread in the warmth of the Family Room for parents and others who were there while their children were being treated at the hospital.  Many of the children were in surgery and the Family Room was a nice respite with its sitting areas and outdoor patio.  We represented Beth Shalom Sisterhood who serves lunch at Children's Mercy many times during the year. 



Becky, Marcy, me, Carol









Day 114 - Peanut Butter & Jelly

A couple jars of peanut butter and a couple jars of jelly - that's all it took for me to help stock The Children's Place pantry in Kansas City, MO.  With all kinds of donated food and snacks, kids who have been abused and neglected can count on healthy meals both at school and at home.  Thank you, NCJW for partnering on this project.

Day 113 - Japanese DealBug

DealBug is different.  It's an online voucher blast that gives you discounts for various restaurants and activities in town.  I paid $15 for $30 worth of Japanese food at Hikari, our family favorite Teppenyaki-style Japanese Steak House where a chef sets food on fire right in front of you.  Why is DealBug different?  Because it donates a portion ($1.50 for mine) of each voucher sold to random non-profits or non-profits of your choosing.  I decided to go random.  After printing out the DealBug voucher, the non-profit chosen for me was the Liberty Public School District No. 53.  Non-profits, organizations and schools can apply to be one of the DealBug charity recipients.  For everyone, it's a good deal.

Day 112 - Red at RA



Sushi + Bar + Restaurant



There were red events all over the place but RA was the place to be, at Park Place in Leawood, KS.  

It was RA's 2nd Annual Go Red at RA Party presented by HERLIFE Magazine, Mix 93, and Menorah Medical Center.  When you ordered Red Heart Rolls or a Red Dress Martini you benefited Go Red for Women, an American Heart Association program.  In addition, complimentary appetizers were served and trays of Red Velvet Cupcakes from Cupcake A La Mode were scooped up faster than a speeding bullet.  And there were raffles and giveaways.  And gift bags, too.  They were filled with gift cards and discounts from Park Place stores and restaurants. 



These lovely ladies represented the
American Heart Association,
Park Place and Menorah
Medical Center



Red Dress Martinis
were on the menu

Red Heart Rolls

Party time



Sushi chefs

                    

Day 111 - Clorox and Children

Doesn't everyone have Clorox in their laundry room?  I'm sure the actress Julianne Moore does.  She and Clorox and the Children's Health Fund, co-founded by songwriter Paul Simon and a pediatrician, are partners in a project that provides mobile healthcare for children in need - with a goal of providing 500,000 healthcare visits over a 2 year period.  The CHF's large blue buses bring healthcare directly to homeless and low-income children.  It is the largest mobile healthcare system in the nation, thanks to the generosity of Clorox and customers like me who want their clothes and houses, cars and classrooms sparkling clean.  Sign up as a fan on the Clorox Facebook page until January 2012 and Clorox will donate $1 in your honor to the Children's Health Fund.