05/03/08

From Rev. Cara Gee
 

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” - Leo F. Buscaglia

            The biggest excuse I hear from people why they don’t do more ‘good deeds’ is that they don’t have the time. They have to pick up the kids or rush to work or run errands or any number of things. Life is just too busy to take a few hours out and volunteer.

            Now, I say that you can do any number of good deeds in five minutes or less. I got the idea originally from the Hunger Site (www.thehungersite.com) where, in exchange for pushing a button once a day they donate a cup of food to Mercy Corps and America’s Second Harvest. That site was so popular that there now exist sites for Breast Cancer, The Rainforest, Child Health, Literacy and Animal Rescue. With a good internet connection, you can help each of those causes in under a minute every day.

            Here are some other good deeds that won’t take much time out of your schedule at all:

·        Put the cart back in the corral

·        Write a thank you note.

·        Throw away a piece of litter.

·        Turn off the lights when you leave a room.

·        Give complements. People often think that others realize that you appreciate them. However, people rarely say it.

·        Say "thank you," to people you might not otherwise: The waiter, the gas station attendant, the parking garage guy, the grocery cashier

·        Say a prayer every time you hear a siren – someone is in trouble at the other end of it.

·        Sign an online petition for a cause you believe in.

·        Give change to someone who needs it at the store. (You know, "Oh shoot, I don't have enough change." "Here, will this help?")

·        Another online idea: www.freerice.com . This is a word building vocabulary game which donates rice as you play.

·        Change your light bulbs to the energy efficient ones.

·        Give old books and clothing to a shelter/Goodwill/Salvation Army, etc. rather than throwing them away. A lot of times they'll even pick up your stuff. It doesn't have to be a big task: keep a box in your basement/garage specifically for this purpose. Whenever you come across something you no longer want, toss it in. When the box is full, donate it.

I’m sure you can come up with your own list if you take a few minutes. So, what can you do to make a difference this month?

Recycling has come to Westminster!

You’ll find in the kitchen and in the office, two large blue trashcans. They are our new recycling bins! Empty cans and bottles and all paper that isn’t glossy should go in them instead of the trashcans. Every Sunday night, the youth will collect the recyclables and get them ready for collection on Tuesdays. So do your part to help make Westminster better stewards of this world!

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This site was last updated 05/03/08