Everyday Giving Blog

College Students Compete To Save Lives

Sports and academics aren't the only areas college students compete. Starting October 2007, college students in Illinois will have a unique challenge. The purpose of this “I Am. Are You?” Campus Challenge is not to win a trophy or earn a better grade. It will save lives! The challenge is a statewide organ/tissue donor registration drive competition between Illinois colleges and universities.

I had the privilege of being able to ask Scott Meis, Campaign Manager for Donate Life Illinois, about the upcoming campus challenge. Here is what he shared with me.

Roger: Why is Donate Life Illinois putting on the campus challenge?

Scott: Simply put, there are a lot of stereotypes that exist about college students being lazy or unconcerned with larger social issues. In our past work with Students for Organ Donation chapters and other student groups in Illinois, we’ve seen how motivated students can get around the issue of organ/tissue donation. There are still millions of Illinois residents that do not realize that they need to RE-REGISTER post Jan. 1, 2006 (when Illinois initiated their first-person consent registry) to ensure their wishes as donors. So many residents quickly associate signing the back of their driver’s license with being a donor, which is no longer the case in Illinois if you want to ensure your wishes.
 
The “I Am. Are You?” Campus Challenge is a great way for us to unite these college students for a one-month focused registration effort that engages students, faculty, staff, alumni and surrounding campus communities. Given the context and popularity of today’s social media atmosphere and the benefit of having an online registry in Illinois, it only makes sense that we put these elements together and forge ahead with a strong outreach effort.   

Roger: What goals do you hope to meet through this contest?
 
Scott: Primarily, we want to push beyond the notion of promoting the issue. Promotion is certainly a key element to any outreach initiative, but let’s face the facts…4,700 Illinoisans and now over 97,000 people nationwide are waiting for lifesaving transplants. That demands action. It’s such a simple process to register and the potential benefit of one day being able to save 25 lives is downright incredible. This is such an easy, powerful issue for college students to get behind.
 
Second, we want to not only engage college students, but make them strong advocates. We have some great content lined up to keep their attention engaged with the Challenge and on the issue at large during October. We hope that this will eventually spur registered donors to tell their friends, family and so forth about the need to re-register. Even with our support and coalition partners, Donate Life Illinois is a pretty small team, so we need all the help we can get encouraging action and spreading the word about Illinois’ new registry.

Roger: What schools are involved?

Scott: As of August 30, we already have the following schools planning to participate in the Challenge in one capacity or another:

• University of Illinois
• Western Illinois University
• Northern Illinois University
• Southern Illinois University (Carbondale & Edwardsville)
• Illinois State University
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• Loyola University
• Midwestern University
• Columbia College
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• North Central College
• Illinois Central College
• Monmouth College

We’re incredibly cognizant of the limited time and resources of college students, so we work with each group on an individual basis to ensure their efforts can be maximized. With our Facebook group, MySpace group, YouTube and other online communities, we’re working hard to engage as many students as possible in the effort.

I am excited about the hope this campaign will bring to others. Be sure you check out http://www.IAmAreYou.org, http://www.giftofhope.org/donatelife/join-campus-campaign.htm and http://iam-areyou.blogspot.com/2007/08/donate-life-illinois-2007-campus.html to learn more about how to get involved.

National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week

I have described my life as a roller coaster ride many times. Why? My wife, Kim, suffers from chronic illnesses including lupus and osteoarthritis. One day she can be feeling great and the next day she can be in a significant amount of pain and not able to get out of bed.

It was interesting to discover that this year's theme of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is "Living with invisible illness is a roller coaster. Help a friend hold on!" I guess my family isn't the only one that feels like they are riding the popular amusement park ride.

Many people live with a chronic illness. Nearly 1 in 2 people in the United States have a chronic condition and 96% of it is invisible. You probably know one or more people who are dealing with a chronic illness. However, you may not know they are struggling from a serious illness unless they tell you. That is why some call it invisible.

It is important that you check out the National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week's web site at http://www.invisibleillness.com. You will learn many ways you can help someone who is chronically ill. The website contains articles, resources and will feature twenty online seminars during Sept 10-14, 2007. Guests include Maureen Pratt, author of Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain and Illness. Maureen Pratt is one of Kim and my favorite authors on this important topic.

Find more videos like this on Illness-Disability-Healthcare-Caregiver Ministry Network

Interviewing On The Web Is Now Easier Than Ever

Interviews can be a great way to let others know about a cause you believe in. They can also be a great way to announce things like charitable events. Most people think they have to talk to a reporter who is taking notes for a newspaper article or stand in front of a camera for a television news segment. This can create an uncomfortable situation knowing anything you say or do at that moment can find its way on the news.

Today, blogs have gained a significant amount of influence and respect in the news community. Blogs have become a part of the new media. In the past, you may have been nervous about standing in front of a camera or reporter while answering questions on the spot. Interviewing with a blogger is much different. First, questions are developed and sent to you in advance.  Then, you type your response to each of those questions and send them back to the blogger when you're comfortable with your answers. You have the ability to review and edit your answers before the interviewer sees and publishes them.

I've recently discovered a new, free web service that makes this process easy. You can check it out at http://www.Peopleized.com. Not only is it easy, but it also makes the interview available to other bloggers and website publishers. This means each interview that you do could be picked up and published multiple times on the Internet.

To give you an example of what an interview looks like, I've included my first interview on Peopleized.com at the end of this post. If you want to send me some questions for an interview, go to http://www.EverydayGivingBlog.com and click on the "Interview Me" button.

 

If being a part of an interview made you nervous in the past, consider using this new interview service to make a difference.

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rogercarr
    Peopleized by: Euripidis - Saturday, 25 August 2007
   

Hi, my name is Roger Carr. I live in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia with my wife, Kim, and my son, Trevor. I am the founder and owner of Everyday Giving. The purpose of Everyday Giving is to inspire others to give back and make a difference in the world.

   

   

Euripidis: Why did you start blogging?

rogercarr: My purpose in life is to help people help others. I needed a great way to let people know how easy it is to make a difference. Blogging is one of the ways I use to communicate the message and the response has been terrific.


Euripidis: The top 3 blogs you read?

rogercarr: I regularly follow several blogs. My top three are:

* Serving Strong by Scott Couchenour at servingstrong.typepad.com. Scott's blog posts provide great insight and thought provoking questions for Christian leaders.

* World Wanting Peace by David Perdew at www.worldwantingpeace.com. David is a very giving, honest and passionate person about life (and Internet marketing).

* Beth's Blog by Beth Kanter at beth.typepad.com. Beth provides the best information regarding technology for nonprofits.


Euripidis: Where do you get your inspiration from to write?

rogercarr: I get my inspiration in many ways. I'm writing about a subject that God has given me a passion for so much of my inspiration comes from within. I also read or listen to many good books, blogs and podcasts. Finally, inspiration comes from watching generous people take action to unselfishly help others.


Euripidis: Choose one word to describe your blog?

rogercarr: Giving

rogercarr's Page

Authors Page: Euripidis

   

powered by Peopleized!

Changing The World One Day At A Time

How do you start your mornings? Julia Bailey dedicates a portion of her mornings to thinking about how she is going to change the world. Julia doesn't do it for the mental exercise. She turns her thoughts into actions and makes a positive difference in the world.

You can read about the generous deeds Julia has accomplished on her blog entitled How I changed the world today. She demonstrates that you can have a significant impact on the world by doing something every day.

What did you do yesterday that made a positive difference in someone's life? What are you doing today to help change the world?

Dare To Raise Money For Charity

Do you want to get your heart really pumping on your next adventure to raise funds for charity? Many generous people are doing just that. Welcome to extreme fundraising!

You've watched and maybe participated in extreme makeovers and extreme sports. Extreme fundraising is also finding its place in the nonprofit world.

Just like traditional fundraising events, extreme events raise both money and awareness for the charity and its cause. Due to the uniqueness of these events, they have the potential to get the attention of people who wouldn't get excited about traditional fundraisers such as runs, walks, raffles or auctions.

Skydiving is one way you can put your fears to the test and have fun while supporting your favorite charity. Several individuals and groups have performed an exhilarating parachute jump to collect charitable donations.

What extreme activity have you always wanted to accomplish? If you are still waiting for an incentive to go after that dream, consider doing it for charity. Take the leap and you might be surprised at how many people will donate money to your favorite charity to see you follow through.

Note: Get permission from the charity before you collect donations. There are some that don't want money collected through extreme (dangerous) activities.

My Girlfriend Doing A Skydive For Charity - Good Girl... - The funniest home videos are here

One Bank Is Doing More Than Giving Away Toasters

If you are a baby boomer, you probably remember a time when customers were drawn to:

• Gas stations that gave away items the customer could hang from the car radio antenna that would flap in the breeze while driving around town
• Banks that gave way small appliances when new customers opened an account

Today I don't see many balls or tails attached to the top of car radio antennas. I also don't read bank advertisements that offer toasters. These items wouldn't attract very many people today.

What would entice a person to become a new customer? SunTrust believes philanthropy is the answer to that question and they're "banking" on it.

SunTrust has recently announced a program called MyCause. They will donate $100 to the charity of your choice or you can choose to receive $50 to keep for your own cause when a person or business opens a new checking account. Go to http://promotion.suntrust.com/mycause and learn more about the promotion.

I hope charitable promotions such as this one are successful and the concept becomes mainstream. We should all look for ways to help others in everything we do.

Would You Like a Refill?

Already seated at one of my favorite Italian restaurants, I was ready to eat lunch. It was a hot day and I had put in quite a few miles on the road. I was even thirstier than I was hungry.  The server was friendly, attentive and prompt.

Every time my drink got down to the halfway point, my server would ask, "Would you like a refill?"

The first time I was asked this question, I had just begun to eat my salad. This was repeated a few more times as I completed the salad and enjoyed my entree. The best servers in restaurants can anticipate your needs and respond without asking these types of questions.

Why did he need to ask me that question? He was probably taught to ask the question. I believe he was genuinely trying to be helpful.  He asked the question and responded to my answer in a very polite way.

This experience got me to thinking about how we react to others in need. How many times have you known of someone who was experiencing a difficult time and you said the words "Just give me a call and let me know how I can help."

When you said those words you really meant them. You were trying to be as polite and helpful as you could be. However, most people that are in a difficult situation don't want to be a burden on others. There is a difference between this situation and the restaurant example above. In this situation the person will probably tell you he or she will call but then walk away with no intent to get back to you.

If you know someone who is in need, find ways to help him or her and take action. Do it in a way that respects their privacy and desires. Even if you can't do something to ease their hurt, there are several things you can do to encourage them and demonstrate someone loves them.

Get out your pen and write a note of encouragement. Invite them to your house for a meal or deliver them a meal. Share one of your favorite books with them. Pray for them.

Helping and encouraging someone does not have to take a significant amount of time or energy. Demonstrating your love is powerful. It can have a long-lasting effect on other's lives.

Next time you are talking to someone in need, don't just ask how you can help. Make sure you follow your words up with acts of love and kindness. There is someone who is depending on you, whether they tell you they are or not.