Archive for March, 2010

Volunteer for Chicago’s Global Activism Expo

March 24, 2010

Even if you can’t volunteer this time (“Don’t almost volunteer–volunteer!”), mark your calendar now and plan to take your tweens and teenagers for some serious perspective on how good they have it.

Here’s the announcement I received from Chicago Public Radio:

Next month is the 2010 Global Activism Expo and it’s shaping up to be the largest public gathering on the Chicago Public Radio calendar.  With over 100 activist groups, four onsite volunteer opportunities for the public to “get involved,” eight restaurants selling food, Goose Island Beer, workshops all day long, this thing has expanded like one of those spongey kid’s toys!  On top of all the fun, it is notable that there isn’t another gathering of globally responsible groups like the GAX on the entire Face of the Earth.

We need app. 30 volunteers and everyone coming needs to participate in our Orientation Party (pizza, beer, soda, comprehensive instructions for the Main Event, and tie dye with Jerome McDonnell)

Saturday, April 17, 2010
10:00 AM to 7:00PM
UiC FORUM, 725 W. Roosevelt Road

Hosted by Worldview’s Jerome McDonnell, Chicago Public Radio Presents… is thrilled to again present this remarkable celebration – complete with food, music and over 100 Chicago-area Global Activists, all featured guests of Worldview’s Global Activism Series. On the air for seven years now, the Series continues to be inspirational, and bringing everyone together for this Expo has quickly become an annual event.

This year, in order to properly prepare for the estimated 5,000 people we expect to attend, we’ve arranged for a special GAX Volunteer Orientation Party. In order to volunteer for this intensive event you will need to be available for both the event AND the party.  We will assign duties, eat pizza, drink free beer, and make special tie-dyed volunteer tee-shirts with Jerome at Navy Pier on Tuesday, April 6 from 6:00PM to 9:00PM.

We need thirty (!!) volunteers to staff this huge event – duties will include general ushering, box office, assisting with workshops, and controlling the mayhem of this amazing all-day experience.

If available and interested, email me at donhall@chicagopublicradio.org with GAX in the Subject Line.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Disney Volunteer Vacation Day: Needed Encouragement or Wrong-Headed Bribe?

March 17, 2010

Maybe you saw those commercials on TV lately, the ones with Miss Piggy and Taye Diggs building a house. It was about the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” campaign, a partnership between Disney and the Hands On Network.

According to the Hands On Network,

The innovative nature of this program exponentially increased organizations’ capacity to both invite and excite people about volunteerism. Many volunteers served for the first time, beginning what we hope will be a life-long service journey. We look forward to organizations carrying on the momentum of this program, reconnecting with volunteers, and accomplishing even more in your communities this year.

My first instinct (as I tweeted a few days ago) was that this effort to bribe people into volunteering by rewarding them with a day at a Disney theme park seemed inherently wrong-headed. Shouldn’t people volunteer because it’s about helping others, not helping themselves? Doesn’t providing an explicit, promised reward for good behavior miss the point, and turn volunteering into a selfish act instead of an act of altruism? It just seems off to me.

But I seem to be the only one with this reaction. Joanne Fritz at about.com applauds Disney’s efforts, which they are saying recruited 1 million volunteers. Fundraising expert Ted Hart used his radio show to point out my skepticism but said he didn’t agree.

So I’m really curious–what do you think? Am I being too hard on Disney? Does a campaign like this provide the little push toward volunteering that people need, and do you think it will be “a life-long service journey”?

Posted in Giving Time | 8 Comments »

Don’t Almost Give – Give

March 12, 2010

Any of this sound familiar?

  • I almost wrote a check to Partners in Health after the earthquake in Haiti.
  • I almost offered to volunteer in my son’s classroom.
  • I almost told someone who casually used the “r-word” to get a clue.
  • I almost called my senators to let them know how I feel about the health care bill.
  • I almost wrote a blog post about the Carson’s sale event to benefit Goodwill (Donate to Goodwill, get 20% off).

Our character isn’t comprised of the things we almost did–it’s the accumulation of the things we actually did. Good intentions and charitable impulses aren’t enough. So, while all of the above are sad reminders of the things I didn’t do this week, I’m happy to say I followed through on a few charitable impulses, too.

  • I volunteered at the Cara Program to help unemployed workers develop their interviewing skills.
  • I served as Cookie Mom for my daughter’s Girl Scout troop.
  • I became a “High Fidelity” member of my favorite public radio station in the country, (you can pledge, too, at WBEZ).
  • I helped my kids round up their pennies and dollars (and mine, too) for the Central Asia Institute’s Pennies for Peace campaign at their school.
  • I started posting to my philanthropy blog again after three months of almost posting.

I feel great about those efforts. I always feel good when I follow through on something. And the legacy I hope to pass to my kids is that of a parent who speaks and acts with compassion and consideration, not one who really meant to but never got around to it.

So the next time a charitable impulse makes itself known in some part of your busy brain–act on it.

Thanks to Rosetta Thurman for pointing out the “Don’t Almost Give – Give” campaign sponsored by the Ad Council, which inspired this post.

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Posted in Giving Money, Giving Things, Giving Time, Involving the Next Generation | 1 Comment »

Friday, March 19 UNICEF Tap Project Benefit Dinner (in Chicago) to kick-off World Water Week

March 10, 2010

As a huge fan of Sunda (sushi restaurant) and, of course, water, I just had to pass this along.

Please join Sunda & UNICEF Tap Project Chicago for a very special evening kicking off World Water Week, March 21-27. Join us in our new private dining room for a sit down, four course dinner from Executive Chef Rodelio Aglibot including wines, cocktails and more!  Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 7PM and dinner at  8PM. Cost is $100 per person including tax and gratuity, seating is limited. Proceeds go to UNICEF’s water and sanitation programs bringing clean water to millions of children around the world. To purchase tickets and for additional  information email: cathy@sundachicago.com

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

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