Here are the guidelines for the TSB -- the one I received is #5.
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| You could win all of this! |
Here's how to qualify. Post a comment that answers this question: How do you contribute to improving the quality of life in your community? * (Do you serve in a leadership capacity in your town? Volunteer at church, school, the library? Vote in local elections? Belong to Rotary, the woman's club, or other service clubs? Delivery Meals on Wheels or run errands for neighbors?)
On Saturday, February 8, I will draw a winning name from among all qualifying entries. (Be sure you provide a way for me to contact you. You need to have a blog in order to promote the TSB for the next round.)
Note that the box ships to US residents only. In order to win you must have a blog. If you live in another country and/or you do not have a blog, you are welcome to leave a comment anyway. :)
* Brighten the corner where you are!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3oO50bnlqk
Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do,
Do not wait to shed your light afar,
To the many duties ever near you now be true,
Brighten the corner where you are.
Refrain:
Brighten the corner where you are!
Brighten the corner where you are!
Someone far from harbor you may guide across the bar;
Brighten the corner where you are!
What a thoughtful question. I do several things in my ward (church). I teach a sunnday lesson to the women, I do visiting teaching. One thing I learned this week. Hubby has been in and out of the emergency room. As we were waiting to go back to be with him, I was worried and scared, all those emotions. Next thing I knew an older lady came and sat across from me. I think she was more scared than I. We started talking, visiting we one another. Not even talking about what was going on with our loved ones. But the effect was we became calmer, more at ease. Peaceful. I dont know if she helped me or I helped her. But we were a blessing for each other. Lesson? Be of service wherever you are.
ReplyDeleteQlt7scrap at gmail dot com
I volunteer at a community garden and lately, I joined the local quilt guild in my area. I try to improve the quality of life by doing little things too like not idling, helping out as much as I can at the local community theatre group whether it is taking cast photos or going to the copy shop to get posters printed out :)
ReplyDeleteHi! I have never entered this before, but I'd love to try it! I make teeny tears diapers for the local hospitals for preemie baby's who don't make it. I was blessed with 3 kids, it's my way to be thankful for that.
ReplyDeleteCindy_bartz03@hotmail.com
That is a great question! I am totally of the belief that everyone contribute to their community, especially those that are less fortunate! I myself have chosen the local food bank, which I support by doing multiple food drives at my school. I do fundraising within our staff and purchase grocery gift cards for the food bank and I also volunteer there regularly. I also organize staff volunteer sessions periodically where we work for a few hours at the food bank after school and then go out for a bite and socialize! It is very rewarding.
ReplyDeleteI make quilts for the local homeless shelters and homeless vets. I am a member of DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). We give items to homeless shelters... toilet paper, personal hygiene items, etc.
ReplyDeleteMy community service is to volunteer my time at the local Senior Center to teach quilting to the elderly who have all different skill levels. Every week, I bring a jar of chocolates to pass around, because, after all, you can't quilt without chocolate, LOL!
ReplyDeleteIn our early 60's my husband and I adopted two young children, distant relatives and once again were enjoying parenting. We had been foster parents for many years, but not recently but we decided that if we had two at home we might as well add a few more. We mostly care for kids in emergency situation for a short while as more permancnet plans are made for them. Last year we cared for 31 children. We have had some challenges but mostly it is a joy.
ReplyDeleteI never did any volunteer work until, our daughter, a nurse, passed away unexpectedly. That is when I decided that teaching Home Economics just wasn't enough! I went back to college and earned my second Master's Degree in Family and Child Science. This is when I started offering up all of my extra time to those in need. I began sewing and knitting items for a local pregnancy crisis center where I am making any item that is needed from crib blankets to baby sleepers. I joined RSVP and I work with the ladies quilting, knitting and sewing items for those in need. I have my husbands UAW Retiree group of men and women involved in sewing blue jean lap robes for the veterans hospitals and nursing homes in our state. I joined our Senior Center and we sew bed quilts for a local drug rehabilitation house. I knit and sew hats, scarves and mittens for the homeless. I co-chair a prayer shawl group at our church and I knit shawls and sew pillows for Baskets of Care. I knit "knockers" for our local Head Hugger Group along with many hats. I knit newborn hats for our local hospital. I recycle what I can to make many different items that I believe will bring comfort to those in need. I continue daily with my volunteer work and look forward to working with many more groups in our community.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nann, for using the comment to remind us again that we ARE connected. My husband and I are very blessed. We both volunteer several times a year with our community free lunch program. More regularly, I spend a couple hours a week at our nearest food pantry, and together he and I updated the pantry's website last fall. For my local quilt guild, I've served in leadership roles for 6 of the last 8 years, which is the whole time I've been a member! Of course we try to be good citizens, as well, both voting and volunteering for candidates, recycling, picking up trash along our regular walks, etc. And what we do is small but important to those we help. Thanks again. Whether I win or not, I want you to know I stop by regularly and enjoy your blog.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great question. I work in an elementary school media center and allow our students to come in early for help with projects. I also work with our counselor to make sure that all of our students have the necessary supplies for school. In my neighborhood I help our elderly neighbors with errands especially when the weather is bad. I knit hats and scarves for the local shelters and work with our local community food bank. I know that I could do more, and do when time permits. Love your blog.
ReplyDeleteI came across this traveling box on another blog and passed on the chance to enter. This time, I want to leave a comment as I feel ready to enjoy the experience should I be lucky enough to win. I contribute locally by supporting our nearby small library, having just contributed recently to their drive to pay for new carpeting. On a wider level, I am finishing up #12 and #13 quilts (binding today) for my 2013 promise of 13 donation quilts for wraptheminlove.org I will contribute in 2014 as this is my beloved charity for children who need quilts but not holding myself to a specific number this year. As I am a full time working out side the home person, I donate volunteer time when I have the time and opportunity to fit doing so within my limited off work hours. thanks so much Nann for passing along the chance. my blog is:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cherzoe.blogspot.com/
Wonderful question and really made me think... what do I really do to contribute to my community (other than spend money at LOCAL businesses as much as possible)? I vote, of course, and I work at my local polling place on election days as an inspector (that kind of means I'm the boss of the clerks at the polling place). I make quilts for our local charity. I regularly donate items to the Samaritan Center, which is a place for our local homeless folks to gather, shower, do laundry, eat, use as an address to get a job, and so forth. I feel like I should be doing more now that I write this, it just doesn't seem enough, does it? But I try... I will try harder now.
ReplyDeletemy blog is: http://serial-quilter.blogspot.com/
I like the question, very thought provoking. I volunteer during the summer st a Visitor Center and give tours of the hydroelectric power plant. I especially enjoy the school ed groups and senior citizen groups.
ReplyDeleteI work helping people find employment and getting linked to community resources.
ReplyDeletePS -- the box is US only and does not ship to Canada.
Things that I do to enhance my community. I'm quite involved in my church. I help cook food for "Feed My Sheep" every Friday; I'm on fundraising committee for my church; I teach Older Adult fitness 4x/week; and I quilt charity quilts for my local guild. I have a longarm!
ReplyDeleteI am a clinical psychologist and do many services pro bono in my community. I have adopted an 83 y.o. neighbor in my adult community and do many services for her and her sp. who suffers Alzheimer's. This feels a bit like public bragging. I hope I win the box though.
ReplyDeleteI volunteer through my church programs ... helping people in the community with rent and utility bills, donating food to the local food bank, and donating items to the local pregnancy center
ReplyDeleteWith another community group ... I knit hats and scarves for the Appalacian backpack program, make quilts for the local hospice care, we made backpacks for children of soldiers that were deploying
I do things for my church. And there are people that will tell me about others that need help. My place of work also gives me a in to people that need a helping hand. I also make quilts to raffle off for cancer treatment . What ever I could do for anyone I do try and will keep doing what I am.
ReplyDeleteHow do I contribute to improving the quality of life in your community? First I'm a member of the Illinois Dunesland Garden Club, which we plant gardens in the local community,also we'll go to different area school to teach childrens how to start a garden or just to show them how something grow,
ReplyDeleteOne more thing is I'm a Deputy Registrar at the Zion Pulic Library in our community, which I'm proud to do.
Unfortunately I don't have a blog, I'm honestly not computer savvy enough to maintain one, but I wanted to share with you what I do, not to "toot my own horn", but to spread the word of how wonderful dogs are and what a difference they can make in someones life. I am a foster puppyraiser for KSDS Inc in Washington, KS. KSDS provides Service and Guide dogs (at no cost!) to the people who need them so that they can be more independent and maybe even an active member of society instead of being held captive by a disability. We get the puppies (golden ret and labrador ret.) at 8 wks of age and housebreak, teach house manners, and give much love to them as well as basic obedience training. As they get older they will start going everywhere with us so that they learn how to behave in all situations. As a puppyraiser, we also do fundraising (we help pay for the harnesses that the working dogs wear so there is no expense to the person) and to educate the public about disabilities and Etiquette for when you meet a person with a disability and the dos and don'ts of interacting with a working dog. When they turn 18 mo to 2 yrs they are returned to KSDS for health checks and testing for temperament and aptitude to see what facet they would fit best in. Then they are trained, Certified, and GIVEN to someone who needs them. Sometimes these puppies are released do to physical reasons such as hip dysplasia, Paris is one of those dogs. When they are released, the puppyraiser gets first chance to get the dog back, Paris has very bad hips so she was released early. Paris's love knows no bounds, God had a different plan for her, she and I joined the Victory in the Valley Canine Friends who go to the Cancer treatment centers of Kansas and visit patients while they take their chemo. Generally it's just for the love and support of these individuals who allot of times are alone or have left their precious 4-legger at home and need a warm nuzzle, but sometimes they help relax someone who is scared and the nurses are having trouble getting a port in, the dogs offers unconditional love and in response, the people will relax and the ports go right in. Paris also goes to the grade school in our town and watches the kids as they do their work or is a reassurance of a job well done. This isn't a normal class room, these are special needs children, and Paris LOVES to go see her kids. She is also great therapy for the staff in the office and the teachers that she greets on her way to class. So, never underestimate what a dog and their ability to love so thoroughly and unconditionally. So I guess this is more what Paris does than me, but I make quilts for VIV who gives the quilts to the people so they have lap covers while taking their chemo, Victory in the Valley is a support group for every need that a person or family who is dealing with cancer has from transportation to wigs or prosthetics, it's a wonderful group to be involved in.
ReplyDeleteThought I should add that obviously Paris can't drive, so we go everywhere as a team, so I guess it's what I do as well. LOL
DeleteI'm a Girl Scout Leader. We help girls get through adolescence to become women of Courage, Confidence and Character. And we sell great cookies! :)
ReplyDeleteI volunteer for an organization that picks up stray cats and spays/neuters them, including any other shots and medical care they need. Then the cats are released where they live, and their caretakers can continue to feed them, but the cats can no longer reproduce. Overall this decreases the number of outdoor "strays". I am very passionate about animals!
ReplyDeleteWell I am active in church. I am also a public figure, not elected but work in the county with farmers. I help promote hunting with kids in single family homes. I am active in the school system. I donate to local food banks (i am a couponer). I need to do more, and anytime I see a need I try to do something at all. I want my child to help others, and see that I try to do the same. I think that has become lost in the world these days. Thanks for a chance to win the box!!!
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