Bloggers Day of Silence, For Japan With Love
When I read about For Japan With Love on Diana’s blog, I instantly knew I had to participate.
The earthquake and tsunami on March 10, 2011 has caused so much devastation in Japan — A country I remember being so beautiful and alive when I last visited. Buildings crumbled, entire towns have been wiped out, and too many people have lost their lives.
And the tragedy continues: More bodies are being found all the time, the damage is still being assessed, and it seems like there are daily fires at nuclear reactors. And the effects of this tragedy on the rest of the world are being felt.
And with the resulting tsunami warning here in Hawaii (only minimal damage, thank goodness), this whole thing really hit home.
So it is with a heart full of love that I’m participating in the For Japan with Love Bloggers Day of Silence. If you’re a blogger, I hope you consider participating as well.
If you would like to donate directly to disaster relief, consider supporting Utterly Engaged, Ever Ours and Shelter Box USA or the American Red Cross (after you click the Donate Now button, you can select the option for your donation to go specifically toward Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami relief).
I wanna know, how are you coping with this tragedy? How are you pledging to help?
Me ke aloha,
Tiera
I’m a Love Dropper
I’ve been thinking a lot about getting involved in some sort of charitable or volunteer work lately, something I wanted to do for the new year. The universe must’ve been reading my mind, because a couple of weeks ago I got an e-mail from 20SB about an upcoming project: Love Drop.
Love Drop is a micro-giving network of people who unite as a community to help one person or family a month. By subscribing to the team for as low as $1, they make it easy for their members to change lives in a fun and tangible way. Each month Love Drop delivers a unique combination of unexpected financial gifts, personal encouragement and the support of local and online communities.
Every month the Love Drop community comes together to raise as much support and awareness as we possibly can. It starts on the website, gets spread across our entire network of blogs, continues through the forums where all our members are brainstorming, and finally lands on the front steps of our recipients. Literally.
At the end of every month, Nate and J$ (the co-founders of Love Drop) show up in the town the people live in to deliver this pile of goodness. The money, the gifts, the services, everything! It’s all on film, and it all ends with an amazing outpouring of love. And then it starts all over again the next month.
Well guess what, loves? It works! Last month LD and over 400 participants helped Jill and her family (who were going through a difficult time, having lost their home in a fire), raising over $2,500 and boxes and boxes of goods. Take a look!
And now it starts again. Meet the Rewolinski family — Two of their children, Ethan (7) and Alex (6) have severe Autism. (My Uncle Guy and Aunty Patty have two children with Autism, so this really hits home for me). On top of the Autism, Ethan also has issues with leaving home when unattended, even in the middle of the night :(
Like the video mentions, Love Drop is trying to raise $13,000 this month to help get the Rewolinskis a service dog, and possibly two iPads to help Ethan and Alex communicate with their family.
Here are 3 ways you can help:
Join the team – This is the best way to help out, and all it takes is $1.00.
Join our blogger network – Blog about our Love Drops each month like I am :) It’s easy, it’s rewarding, and it REALLY helps spread the word (which in turn helps our families). Love Drop will give you all the content you need.
Give a gift or provide a service – Gift cards (iTunes would be great!), two iPads (so we can help the boys speak again!), and anything else you think could help out.Thank you guys so much — You rock.
I wanna know, how are you volunteering/giving back this year? What do you think of Love Drop and their mission?
Xoxo,
Tiera
Introducing: Project Love Note
Earlier this year, I had the idea for a new project. (Sidebar: I feel like a lot of what I have to say starts out this way, lol!). One that would allow me, and others who wished to get involved, to make a difference, however small, in the life of someone that deserves and/or needs it.
You see, I am extraordinarily fortunate to have some truly amazing people in my life, and I want to be able to show it — How gracious and inspiring they are and how much they mean to me, in a way that expresses how much they are loved without an extraneous or impersonal gift. Quite simply, I want to write them love notes <3
Then it dawned on me: What about all the people out there who don’t have someone to tell them, remind them, that they are beautiful, lovely, worthy? Shouldn’t they get love notes, too? So I decided I want to write some for them as well.
And this is exactly what Project Love Note is, and will be: Writing love notes to the important people in our lives, and also taking the time to write love notes to others (many who need it most).
You can read all the details on the official Project Love Note homepage!
So here’s where it starts: This holiday season, I’ll be writing love notes to some very special people (my family and close friends) and to others in need (I’ll be coordinating with local shelters and residences for the elderly).
Won’t you join me?
For the holidays, write love notes to your family and friends; Tell them how much you love them and what the mean to you. And for every note you write, write one for a stranger in need. (I’ll personally be working with Honolulu-based organizations that assist the elderly, so let me know if you need help getting your notes/cards distributed). My goal is to personally send out 100 holiday love notes, and have 250 total sent out in the name of PLN — And I hope you can help me meet (or even beat) that goal!
In the coming months, I’ll be sharing updates on PLN’s progress this holiday season. And a little later, I’ll be sharing updates on how Project Love Note will be carried on throughout the year.
Note: I struggled a little in trying to decide to whom to address these additional love notes; It was between the elderly and domestic abuse victims (two groups I felt both were very deserving, and often over-looked during the holidays), and came up with a compromise. Love notes will be distributed to the elderly for the holiday season, and to domestic abuse victims for Valentine’s Day. Pretty sweet <3 More on all of this to come as PLN moves forward.
I am so, so excited about this new project, excited to do my part this holiday season, proud of the difference I can make in the lives of others, and hopeful for what’s in store for the future of PLN. I surely hope you’ll join me in this mission of love.
I wanna know, are you involved with a charity or service project? Will you be participating in Project Love Note?! I hope so :)
Xoxo,
Tiera
PS: Thank you to Katrina at Pugly Pixel for the lovely clipart.
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