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We seek out people in the world who are doing positive or creative things. People who are being true to themselves and living their dreams. This is simply a collection of random happy discoveries. If you come across something you'd like us to feature, drop us a line: custodian @ serendipityfactory.com 

Entries in Inspiring Campaigns (16)

Thank You Donor Campaign

thankyoudonor.jpgThis evening I was so happy to get an e-mail from Matt, who wrote to tell me about the Thank You Donor Campaign. It is  a social media project that he created in order to encourage people to donate blood in order to save lives. The website allows recepients of blood, platelets, plasma or stem cells say "Thank you" to their donors, and attract new people to give blood by sharing their stories.
 
The web design is a really amazing interface, and the stories, photos and videos that have already been posted are very beautiful. If you or someone you know has been a grateful receipient of a blood donation, Matt would love for you to participate in this great cause. If you are interested in donating blood, visit the Canadian Blood Services or the American Red Cross.

Card Drive for Kids

carddrivelogoside.jpgJennifer McGuire is one of my favorite creative people. She is passionate about her art, she shares her tips and talents with other people through her blog and videos, and her love for her family is very evident. Jennifer is enlisting the help of other creative people to share love through her Card Drive for Kids.
 
The card drive was designed to benefit the Chapman family children who recently moved to Liberia (see my previous post to learn more). The move has been challenging for the kids, and this act of kindness is Jennifer's special project to bring some sunshine to their lives.
 
I joined in the campaign by doing one card for the kids and one card for the parents, which you can see below. The deadline for submitting cards is August 15, 2008 if you'd like to participate as well. 
kidscard.jpg  parents2.jpg

Using Your Gifts for Good

Chapmans.JPGKristen and Keith Chapman are a remarkable young couple, who have commited their lives to making a difference in the world. Imagine relocating your family to Liberia, West Africa and making the building below your home. It will be shared with other staff members giving their time to work on their project, Trinity Dental.

Liberia is one of the poorest nations in the world. In the United States there is one dentist for every 2,000 people. In Liberia there only 1 dentist  per 1,000,000 people. As a dentist, Keith Chapman's vision is to do his part to restore some hope by opening a dental clinic. They will also have portable dental units that will make it possible to visit remote villages with the option of transporting patients with more critical needs. Kristin teaches dental health to the children.

homeBeyond offering dental care, the clinic will also serve as a learning lab to help train Liberian's to become future dental professionals. The country lost many of its educators who fled to escape the civil war. The training programs will create jobs to help some lead better lives in the future. To learn more please view the video below.



YouthVille Detroit: Learn, Grow, Change the World

DYFlogo800.jpg

In 1987, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation's Youth Initiative Partnership (KYIP) began with a single mission: to improve the quality of life for children and youth in Detroit who are facing economic, social, and educational challenges. Kellogg committed a 20-year investment to improving outcomes in the area by partnering with communities so they can provide opportunities to youth to grow into healthy, contributing adults. The Detroit Youth Foundation (DYF) successfully evolved from that program. The goal is to "establish viable, long-term vehicles to help communities create, institutionalize, coordinate, and sustain positive youth development efforts and to keep the development of children and youth a top priority." 

DYF’s work is based on four assumptions:

  • Young people who are involved with a variety of positive activities and opportunities will be more productive and avoid risky behavior.
  • Young people thrive when they have positive relationships with caring, responsible adults.
  • Young people who are intentionally involved in decision making to shape their own development attain sustained positive growth.
  • Communities need to maintain a safe, clean, vibrant, nurturing and supportive environment in order for young people to be productive.

YouthVille Detroit is the signature project of Detroit Youth Foundation. YouthVille was designed to developing youth by enhancing emotional, social, physical, mental and academic well-being through providing direct programs and research in partnership with others. Housed in a 73,000 square foot facility, the program was designed to be the most comprehensive neighborhood youth development center in the city of Detroit and the Midwest.

With programs designed for and by kids, YouthVille Detroit offers a broad range of youth development activities from art to computers, academics to fitness, Web radio broadcasting to music studio recording and much more within six core areas of leadership development, cultural and fine arts, education and academic enrichment, technology, health and fitness and music.  The kids also have It also provides multiple opportunities for adults to volunteer and interact with youth.

Members are given opportunities to hear from professional speakers on topics such as entrepreneurship, financial independence, career planning, personal safety, healthy living, and much, much more. They also have their own career coach to help them create a career plan.

As part of their membership registration process youth have the opportunity to design a personal plan for their future. Through the guidance of trained staff, members will learn how to identify their life goals, set steps toward accomplishing those goals and create a plan for achieving their goals. Throughout the year the plan will be reviewed and revised providing youth with a powerful tool to making their dreams reality.

 

Posted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 05:54AM by Registered CommenterSerendipity Factory in , | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail

Spread Love with the Heart is Hot Movement

heartishot.jpgWhen doing the 29 Day Giving Challenge, I found out about Heart is Hot from a posting by Cami Walker.  Heart is Hot, is a goodwill movement designed to remind us all that we are connected. On this website you can purchase a 100% recycled glass heart. Each heart is individually numbered so you can log into the site and write a story about the person you're gifting it to. The recipient can then log in and write a story about receiving it. They are then encouraged to "re-gift" the heart and pass on the love to another person, who in turn writes a story. The hearts are tracked all over the world through the site, and you can read the different stories related to each heart's journey.
 
The Heart is Hot movement was started by a woman named Sahara.  Her inspiration for the campaign came to her after a chance encounter with a distraught stranger in San Franciso. She wanted to give him a gift of encouragement, and thought of a glass heart she had at home. She then thought, "I wish I had a bag of hearts to carry around San Francisco and pass out to people when I felt impacted by them in any moment". With that the giving program was born.
Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 at 08:03AM by Registered CommenterSerendipity Factory in | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail
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