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October 2020 - Silicon Valley
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Virtual Festival of Giving
Doing Good Together (DGT)
Date/Time: Launching on Saturday, October 24, National Make a Difference Day
Location: Virtual event
Ages: All ages can participate; especially appropriate for children 4 - 10 years and their families
Time Commitment: As little or as much time as you like
Now more than ever, action feels better than anxiety. Fortunately, kindness is something you can spread safely. And not just to those family members right next to you but across your neighborhood, across your city, across your country and across the Earth. Join DGT to celebrate Make a Difference Day on Saturday, October 24 with our FREE virtual Festival of Giving. Sing and dance, try loving-kindness mindfulness, enjoy read-aloud storytime, and give back with creative service projects. Festival activities kick off at 10am and will provide a meaningful day of online inspiration and offline acts of kindness with your family. Learn more here: https://www.doinggoodtogether.org/festival.
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Taylor Street Farms
Date/Time: Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30 - 6:30pm and Saturdays from 10am - noon.
Location: Taylor St Farm is located at 200 West Taylor St. next to Citibank in downtown San Jose. Walk through the Citibank parking lot entrance on West Taylor St. to find the gate to our main entrance.
Ages: There is no minimum age for volunteers but those under the age of 18 need to have their parents sign a waiver.
Time Commitment: Two-hour shifts
Volunteers are needed to help with farm work tasks that vary from day to day. The most common tasks include: planting, harvesting, cultivating, composting and farm maintenance. Prior gardening and farming experience is not required! We will teach you everything you need to know. Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty, appropriate footwear and a hat. And do not forget sunscreen! Check the weather forecast and dress appropriately. Because of COVID-19 safety concerns, we are asking volunteers to bring their own water, snacks, and gloves. Taylor St Farm is an operating farm so there may be tools present, uneven surfaces, and insects.
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Food Donations for JFCS Food Banks
Jewish Family and Children's Services (JFCS)
Date/Time: Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm
Location(s):
- San Mateo - 2001 Winward Way #200
- Palo Alto - 200 Channing Ave
- San Francisco - 2150 Post Street
- San Francisco - 2534 Judah Street
- San Rafael - 600 Fifth Ave
Ages: All ages can participate
Time Commitment: Varies
Our community is facing an unprecedented need for food donations. Help JFCS keep our Food Banks full throughout the Bay Area and ensure we have essential supplies for all those in need. Add extra items to your grocery cart and drop them off in person outside of your local JFCS office. You can also shop on Amazon, or purchase a grocery store gift card. Click here for a full list of items to collect.
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Dune's Beach Clean Up - Join the Plastic Free Movement
Pacific Beach Coalition
Date/Time: Saturday, October 31, 10am - noon
Location: Dunes Beach, Half Moon Bay. Click here for directions. Volunteers should meet at the end of the parking lot. Look for the tent. Dunes Beach is a state park so there is a fee to park.
Ages: All ages are welcome to participate with adult supervision as long as you think your child can actively participate the activities outlined below.
Time Commitment: Two hours
Volunteers will be cleaning up the beach, trail and parking lot areas. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own buckets and reusable gloves. Extra gloves and buckets will be provided while supplies last. Make sure to bring extra layers, a hat, sunblock, water, and snacks. Expect to be picking up cigarette butts, food wrappers, cans, and bottles. There will also be microplastic and styrofoam along the tide line. If you have a shovel or some type of scoping tool, you can help us grab the plastic items.
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Virtual End Childhood Cancer 5K Halloween Edition!
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
Date/Time: Saturday, October 31, anytime. There will be a virtual program at noon EST. Stay tuned for further updates on the virtual program as we draw closer to the event!
Location: Any location of your choice
Ages: Everyone can participate
Time Commitment: Varies
Now, more than ever, kids and families going through cancer treatment need our help. Your participation in this virtual event translates to much-needed funding to help find new and better treatments for kids fighting cancer and to support families going through childhood cancer. Every contribution, no matter how large or small, will make a difference. Walkers and runners from near and far are invited to come together for an inspiring 5K (3.1 mile) walk or run that can be done from any location. With the event falling on Halloween, participants are encouraged to dress up in their costumes for an extra fun and festive event! There will even be a Halloween costume contest where we will recognize and award the top-rated costume with a special prize. Ghost, ghoul or goblin, all participants will receive a link to a downloadable bib that can be printed from home to sport during their 5K. You can register for free, or for $20 you can register with a limited-edition t-shirt that will be sent directly to your home. On the day of the event, inspire others by sharing your photos or videos with us on social media and tag @AlexsLemonade.
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Holiday Stockings for Heroes
Soldiers' Angels
Date/Time: Stockings must be sent to the address provided to you by Soldiers' Angels no later than December 11, 2020.
Location: Soldiers' Angels will send you the shipping address once you sign-up. Please note that participants are responsible for any and all shipping costs.
Ages: Everyone can participate
Time Commitment: Varies
The holiday season can be especially difficult for deployed service members and veterans in VA Hospitals. Nothing can replace the sense of being with loved ones during the holidays, but receiving a stuffed holiday stocking will help to brighten the spirits of deployed service members and veterans. Your family can help by participating in the Holiday Stockings for Heroes program. It's easy to help! Collect items from this list of suggested items, stuff the items into holiday stockings, and send your finished stockings to Soldiers' Angels. Deployed Service Members love to receive homemade cards/drawings/creations from children inside their stuffed stockings! Learn more here.
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Cards for Hospitalized Kids (CFHK)
Date/Time: At your convenience
Location: Mail cards to:
Cards for Hospitalized Kids
7290 W. Devon
Chicago, IL 60631
Ages: Everyone can participate
Time Commitment: Varies
Cards for Hospitalized Kids is an internationally recognized charitable organization that spreads hope, joy & magic to hospitalized kids across America through uplifting, handmade cards. Your family can help by making cards. Here are some guidelines for creating your cards:
- The only supplies you need are paper and a writing utensil, such as crayons, markers etc. You may use other supplies such as stickers and glue-on craft decals but please do not use any supplies, like glitter, that might fall off of your cards.
- Do not address the card to a specific child, as we don't know the name of the child yet. At the request of hospitals, we ask that you do not write "Get well", "Feel Better" or other illness related comments. Include uplifting messages in your cards. Click here for suggestions.
- Don't write any religious comments such as "God Bless" or "I'm praying for you."
- Sign your cards with your first name only.
Contact: info@cardsforhospitalizedkids.com
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Send Kindness to an Elder
Letters of Love - Love for Our Elders
Date/Time: Anytime and as often as you'd like
Location: Mail cards to:
Love for Our Elders
P. O. Box 24248
Cleveland, OH 44124
Ages: Everyone can help
Time Commitment: Varies
Love for Our Elders is committed to fostering a sense of belonging and hope in our older, often vulnerable generation. One way they are doing this is through Letters of Love: collecting cards and mailing these to elders in senior communities across the globe. These include nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospices, and senior centers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it's more important than ever to fight loneliness with love for our elders. Please follow these letter writing guidelines:- Letters must be legible (large print) and handwritten. Avoid religion. Please refrain from including anything religious in your letters, such as religious quotes, words like "God," etc.
- Exclude the date (day, month, and year).
- Embrace creativity! Recipients love it when the letters are personal. We encourage you to make your letters detailed, thoughtful and heartfelt.
- Be kind and thoughtful (more than talking about yourself). This is a one-way letter exchange, meaning you will not receive a letter back, so remember that no reciprocation attached is part of the beauty of your act of kindness, and the recipients don't feel burdened by feeling obligated or being unable to respond.
- Envelope your letters if you can! It's so much nicer to open up an enveloped card, don't you think? If you're sending more than 1 letter, leave your enveloped letters unsealed and unstamped and put them in a larger envelope or box to send.
- Share your act of kindness! Tag @loveforourelders
- Send as many cards as you'd like! Letters are accepted year-round, so there's no deadline for when you must send them by.
Learn more here.
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Furry Friends Rescue
Date/Time: Ongoing need
Location: Foster a pet in your home
Ages: This is a great opportunity for families
Time Commitment: Varies
If you're an animal lover with the time and space to spare, you can look into fostering a new furry friend. Furry Friends Rescue has rescued over 13,000 animals and helped over 6000+ Guardians, Shelters & Rescue Assists since November 1998. They rescue and home foster dogs and cats (all ages, breed types, medical & behavior needs, and sanctuary) from Northern California Shelters. Furry Friends Rescue (FFR) is an all-volunteer non-profit Bay Area companion animal rescue organization. All FFR's rescue dogs and cats live in wonderful foster homes and they are always in need of more foster homes and volunteers. If you are interested, please read more information on their Foster Home Network and Volunteering pages.
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Halloween Candy Give Back
Operation Gratitude
Date/Time: Collect your donations in October
Location: Candy donations should be shipped no later than November 13 to:
OG Candy Processing Center
ATTN: Halloween Candy
8967 Oso Ave - Building D
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Ages: Everyone can participate
Time Commitment: Varies
Operation Gratitude's mission is to lift the spirits and meet the evolving needs of our First Responder, U.S. Military Active Duty, Veteran, and Wounded Hero communities. We also seek to provide volunteer opportunities for all Americans to express their appreciation for these deserving Heroes through hands-on volunteerism, such as collection drives, letter writing campaigns, handcrafted "Made with Love" projects, and care package assembly events. The Operation Gratitude Halloween Candy Give-Back Program has been connecting communities with Military and First Responder Heroes each fall since 2007. While Halloween may look a little different this year, Operation Gratitude and our incredible volunteers are committed to continuing to give back in meaningful ways. You and your family can help by collecting and donating candy. Click here for more information about Candy Give-Back donation guidelines.
Contact: candy@operationgratitude.org. This year, candy donors are asked to sign-up to participate. We will be sharing important information and updates via email that you'll need throughout the candy season. Click here to sign your family up to participate. If you'd like to participate as part of a larger group, sign-up here.
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One Warm Coat
Date/Time: Flexible
Location: Click here for a list of local drop off locations.
Ages: Everyone can help
Time Commitment: Varies
One Warm Coat is the only national non-profit organization focused on coat drives. One Warm Coat supports individuals, groups, companies and organizations across the country by providing the tools and resources needed to hold a successful coat drive. Coats are distributed in the communities where they are collected, to children and adults in need, without charge, discrimination or obligation. This year, the need for coats will be greater than ever before. Your family can help by holding a Warm Coat Drive or a Virtual Coat Drive:- Register to hold a coat drive in the coming weeks or months. While physically holding a coat drive might be different this year, One Warm Coat has provided social distancing tips and tools to help you make the process easy and fun.
- Register to hold a virtual coat drive. Follow the same registration steps for holding a physical coat drive, receive access to all of the great tools, but instead of collecting coats, collect only dollar donations. Every $1 donated warms 1 person through the Coat Drive Program.
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EXPLORE our growing list of at-home projects you can do whenever you're ready, each with conversation starters, book ideas, and more! Follow along on social media as other families tackle this month's projects and share their stories! Simply join our Facebook group or find us on Instagram (@doinggoodtogether and #sharekindness)
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It's never too early (or too late) to start big-hearted conversations with your children about the power of kindness and the importance of upstanding for others. We have tools to help parents engage with children about tough topics, including this eBook with one-of-a-kind worksheets, conversation starters, and a kindness challenge to help your whole family practice being "upstanders." Available for just $4.99 in our online store or free to members in our Membership Circle.
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| This list was compiled by Doing Good Together™ (www.doinggoodtogether.org)
When calling to volunteer for any of the opportunities listed above, please let the coordinator know you found it through this listing. You are encouraged to ask any questions you may have of the sponsoring organization before committing to a project.
Disclaimer: This list is provided as a service to families. Inclusion of organizations in this listing does not imply affiliation, endorsement or quality assurance on the part of Doing Good Together.™ Doing Good Together™ bears no responsibility whatsoever for the activities and actions of the listed organizations.
© 2020 Doing Good Together™
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