Looking for a simple way to find volunteer activities in your community?  Check out All for Good — a search engine to help you give back in your community.  With a database of more than 150,00 opportunities, you can search for activities based on your location or interests.  Then you get a listing that includes brief descriptions of the volunteer needs along with corresponding links to  organizations’ website where you can connect directly to coordinate your time and talent.  The site is free and receives volunteer listings from nonprofits and companies that help connect people to service events.  We think this one-stop access to volunteer opportunities is All for Good and good for all!

© YesKidzCan!, 2011

Meet our next Social KidPreneuerz Award winner — Max and company!  Max is 11 years old and loves manatees.  Ever since seeing a manatee at Sea World in San Diego, CA Max has been bound and determined to protect as many as possible.  To achieve this goal, he needed a great team.  His mom, Jenny, along with Calex, age 9; Rex, age 5; Paxton, age 4, Jasmine, age 11; and Jade age 8 came up with a couple of creative ideas to support Save the Manatee Club, a nonprofit that works to protect manatees and get them off the endangered species list.  Team Max decided on two projects:  1)  create kids’ coloring books filled with pictures, riddles, poems and stories based around animal themes, and 2) make handmade soaps in a variety of shapes and scents packaged in plastic bags with signature labels.

Max and his family and friends set up  a stand outside their home in California to sell their special products as well as lemonade.  They got the word out with flyers and posters as well as email blasts to family, friends, neighbors, and the school community. The kids’ mission was to “adopt” as many manatees as possible.  To adopt one manatee costs $25.

The kids had their sights set on adopting 6 manatees — one for each kid involved.  But so far, they have exceeded their goal and raised $225 — enough to adopt 9 manatees!  With the team’s compassion, their super creative fundraising ideas, and the manatees themselves (who could possibly say, “no” to those splendid mammal faces?!), this project is a winner!  Just take a look at some of the fortunate manatee adoptees themselves:  Elaine, Georgia, Lily, Nick, Whiskers, Ariel, Rosie, Ginger, and Vector!

© YesKidzCan!, 2011

Feel like reading something that you will make you stop and think about your life, how you make your living, and how you live?  Then read TOMS Shoes’ Founder’s book, Start Something That Matters.  Many of you may be familiar with Blake Mycoskie’s story of founding TOMS Shoes — an model breaking company which donates a pair of shoes to a needy child every time someone purchases a pair.  TOMS Shoes started off as an operation based out of Mycoskie’s apartment and has become a highly successful company.

Whether you are a business person, work for a cause, are raising a family, or are looking for some inspiration, Mycoskie’s book is a memorable read.  With his fresh way of thinking and off beat business creativity, Mycoskie gives hard-to- ignore examples of how you should not have to choose among earning a living, pursuing your passion, and committing yourself to causes you care about.  And you certainly don’t have to be rich to give back.

Start Something That Matters is full of the kind of information that can make you, your co-workers, or your kids think differently about their place in the world.  Blake Mycoskie skillfully shares the heart and soul behind working hard, dreaming big, and “being the change.”  (And just like TOMS Shoes, when you purchase this book, a new book will be provided to a child in need.)

©YesKidzCan!, 2011

There are actually media outlets that offer inspirational, good news.  Last month, we started a series that we will continue over the next few months where we will highlight these bright spots that help us make a difference in our world.  Here are two more media outlets that use their power for good:

USA Today Kindness provides a welcome place in the media for positive news stories that uplift and inspire.  by sharing unique stories about giving and providing tips and resources for filling your life with acts of kindness.  In addition, USA Today has build a community called the Kindness Forum that lets readers connect with other readers and share ideas and generate discussions around making a difference in the world. The Forum encourages readers to elaborate on how they are making an impact, offer advice, or seek new ways or tools to get involved.

More than a website, Cool People Care encourages a caring way of life in a quirky and fun way without losing the seriousness and importance of many of their features.  For example, the site offers “5 Minutes of Caring” which is actually a 99 word article that shares one thing you can do to make the world a better place.  If you have more time, you can dig into “More Time on Your Hands” which are longer essays on how ordinary individuals made a meaningful difference.

Look for more good news outlets next month!

© YesKidzCan!, 2011

For many of us, most of our exposure to farm animals has been through a school or family trip to the petting zoo or pumpkin/apple picking excursions.  At least in our experience, the animals have seemed well cared for and in tip top shape.  But perhaps you or your kids do not know that there are farm animals that are not kept in great conditions?

Thank goodness for farm sanctuaries that rescue neglected or even abused animals and assist in disasters by securing homes and transportation for animals in need.  Disasters can be natural (such as floods or  hurricanes) or man-made (such as when a factory closes it doors for financial reasons). Many farm sanctuaries invite in the public so they can see cows, pigs, chickens and other animals in healthy surroundings and exhibiting their natural behaviors in order to educate them about the need to treat these animals with dignity and kindness.

To find the farm sanctuary closest to you, you can contact the Humane Society of the United States Farm Animals and Sustainable Agriculture section.  Also the HSUS is coming out with a new Kids’ Activity Book for National Farm Animal Awareness Week that has fun facts and animal survival hero stories as well as puzzles, games, and coloring pages.

So while your kids may not be able to to snuggle up to a chicken, cuddle up to a cow or play fetch with a pig as they might with the family dog, cat, or guinea pig, they can still show farm animals some love by learning about them and helping them roam the fields, dig in the earth, or expand their wings — as nature intended.

© YesKidzCan!, 2011

By Lisa Novick, Co-Founder, YesKidzCan!

I love going to the movies with my family.  I’m a sucker for the outrageously over-sized popcorn and soda.  I actually enjoy the trivia questions that pop up on the movie screen and entertain the crowd before the show starts.  And, I have come to tolerate the seemingly endless line-up of previews.  (No throwing popcorn at me!  I know some of you LOVE the previews!)

What I sometimes have a hard time with, however, is sitting through the movies themselves. Some of the kid-oriented movies are either mind-numbing or include the untimely death of a key family member — requiring extreme parenting skills when bedtime rolls around.

So when I hear about a movie that sounds uplifting, educational, and seems like an all-around-feel-good hour and change, I get excited.  Dolphin Tale (which releases September 23) seems like just the film.  Based on a true story, Dolphin Tale is about a young boy who befriends Winter, an injured bottlenose dolphin who lost her tail in a crab trap and was rescued off the Florida coast.  The boy motivates those around him to save the dolphin by creating a prosthetic appendage to replace the missing tail. Winter not only recovers but learn to swim like all other dolphins.  It’s also nice to know that select premiers of the movie will benefit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium where Winter was cared for as well as the Challenged Athletes Foundation which provides opportunities and support to people with physical disabilities so they can participate in physical fitness and competitive athletics.

Three cheers for a movie with a story and messages that sound inspiring.  Look for me in the ticket…and concession line!

© YesKidzCan!, 2011

Wouldn’t it be great to have our kids chow down on apples or carrots with as much enthusiasm as chocolate and ice cream?  The sad truth is that there are loads of kids who would actually like to crunch into some fresh fruits and vegetables but don’t have access to them — especially in their schools.

Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools is looking to change all this.  It’s no surprise research has shown that school kids eat more fruits and veggies when given choices via a school salad bar.  And the health benefits are well known — setting up a lifetime of better snack and meal choices.  The goal of this grassroots public health effort is to fund and award 6,000 salad bars in schools over the next three years.  The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity has endorsed schools using salad bars and upgrading cafeteria equipment to provide healthier choices for kids.

How can you become involved?  If you are a K-12 school district participating in the National School Lunch Program, you are eligible to fill out an application to add a salad bar to your school lunch line.  Once your application is approved for funding, you get a salad bar webpage for your district or school.  The Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative and your community raise funds for your salad bars.  Once funded, your salad bar equipment is ordered for shipment, and your school kids eat more fruits and vegetables!

Individuals can also make donations via the website to support one of the hundreds of schools listed in need of funds.  Or you can choose to donate to the general fund which will support schools who have approved applications.

As your packing your kids’ lunches, take a minute to think about the children who rely on their school lunch programs for healthy choices.  This is one way you can help other kids get in line for better health and good choices for their future!

© YesKidzCan!, 2011

It is hard to believe that almost 10 years ago, September 11th took on a meaning that remains difficult to absorb.  We learned about unfathomable terrorism and unforgettable heroism — almost during the same breath.  Many choose to commemorate 9/11 by paying tribute to people, organizations, or communities with individual acts of heroism in the form of community service.  Here are a few ideas to consider for you and your family as we all continue to struggle with the loss and rebuilding associated with September 11.

Homefront Hugs:  Soldiers and their families can sign up for support they need and get matched with volunteers who mail them items every month.  Requests have included baby shower items, magazine subscriptions, comic books, or DVDs.  In addition, the organization has expanded to include the Homefront Hugs Kids Club which encourages kids to become involved by wrapping packages, sending cards, and volunteering.

My Good Deed: This group led the movement to have 9/11 designated as a National Day of Service and Remembrance.  The website lists more than 850,000 groups at the local, national, and international levels that need volunteer support.  You can search out the right fit for you by location or area of interest.

These are just a few examples of how 9/11 can be transformed into a day of kindness — opening up the possibility of turning a tragedy of unthinkable proportion into hopefulness.

© YesKidzCan!, 2011

If you’re like us, the back-to-school time of year involves digging into closets, drawers, and sometimes frightening nooks and crannies to see what we don’t need anymore and what we need to replenish.

While you are de-cluttering your life, you can help out someone else’s through The Giving Effect — a free website which lets you browse among 1,300 charities, find out what items are on their wish lists, and complete a simple form to arrange for pick-up, drop-off, or shipment.  You can explore the site by your zip code, items you’re donating, and even special interests to find causes you’d like to support.  Each cause has a webpage that describes who they help and what they needs.  All donations are tax deductible (unless noted otherwise).

Items can include gently-used clothes, books, shoes, toys, nonperishable food, cleaning supplies, medical equipment, and even boats or cars!

So if you have bought too many 32-ounce cans of artichokes from the discount store or your youngest refuses to wear oldest’s hand-me-downs or your brilliant birthday gadget gift was a “miss” and non-returnable to boot, check out The Giving Effect as a great way to make good use of items you don’t need anymore, have outgrown, or have in excess.

© YesKidzCan!, 2011