Category Archives: Social Action

Shop UNCOMMON GOODS and Help Raise Money for Charity

  By Donna DeForbes | September 10, 2013 - 5:30 am | , ,
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better-to-give

In my blog gift guides, I’ve often featured eco-friendly items from Uncommon Goods (such as their up-cycled sari scarf and this adorable recycled glass sheep night light). Uncommon Goods is an independently-owned company that features handmade products and designs created in harmony with the environment. For fourteen years, they’ve focused on sustainability, animal protection and supporting local artists (with the majority of their merchandise crafted in the USA). Their membership in B Corporation means the company meets a rigorous standard for sustainable businesses, including wage levels, environmental impact and giving back. Recently, the company reached out to me for help with increasing charitable contributions through their Better to Give program. For 12 years, Uncommon Goods has donated $1 from every purchase toward charities around the world. So far, they’ve given $700,000 to vital causes, and they’re aiming to increase their monthly average by 10% in September. The charities they support focus … Continue reading →

What We Learned from a Tour of Our Local Food Bank

  By Donna DeForbes | July 16, 2013 - 5:30 am | , ,
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RI-Food-Bank-rutabaga

Lately, Sofie’s been asking about the homeless guy she sees at a particular intersection we pass. She wants to give him food. This led to discussions about food pantries where people can go to get food. And then we asked our friend Erica, who works at our local food bank, to give us a tour. The RI Community Food Bank is a distribution warehouse that solicits, stores and provides surplus food to 178 member agencies at 238 sites across the state. (Find your nearest RI Food Bank agency here.) They have some pretty cool programs like Neighborhood Pantry Express, a mobile food pantry that provides fresh produce to low-income people, and Community Kitchen, a 14-week culinary job-training program for jobless adults that also provides healthy dinners to hungry kids. The warehouse alone occupies 35,000 square feet and can hold two million pounds of food at one time! Here’s a peek … Continue reading →

Top 5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey

  By Donna DeForbes | May 24, 2013 - 5:30 am | , ,
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About the Yellow-Tailed Woolly Monkey | Eco-Mothering.com

The yellow-tailed woolly monkey was once considered extinct. The species was first discovered in northern Peru in 1820; however, between 1926 and 1973, not a single yellow-tailed woolly monkey was sighted, causing scientists to deem the animal extinct. Then in 1974 primatologist Russ Mittermeier rediscovered small groups of the monkey in the highlands of Peru. Still, the yellow-tailed woolly monkey is still considered one of the rarest mammals in the world. (Eco-Mothering was able to adopt one! See the video at the end of this post.) They are named for a distinct yellow stripe of fur. It runs along the underside of their tails and is what separates them from other species of woolly monkeys. Their fully prehensile tail is used as a fifth limb for climbing, eating and leaping (up to distances of 15 meters). They are a male-dominated society. They usually live in groups of 4 to 30 … Continue reading →

Save The Rainforest with This Reusable Water Bottle

  By Donna DeForbes | May 14, 2013 - 5:30 am | , ,
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rainforest

SIGG and Cuipo (a social enterprise named for an endangered, towering tree) have gotten together to promote rainforest conservation. They recently debuted three new children’s water bottle designs: Tiko the toucan, Peaches the pink dolphin and Cezar the Emperor Tamarin monkey. With each purchase you can save one square meter of Central American rainforest. The SIGG bottles are typically Swiss—designed to be stylish, clean and functional—and made from 100% recyclable aluminum. The liners are BPA- and phthalate-free and have no VOCs (volatile organic compounds). My daughter likes her pink dolphin and doesn’t complain about a metallic taste in her beverage. The cool part is activating your special code to save a section of rainforest. Sign in and redeem your code online with Cuipo. You’re automatically taken to a map that shows the section (latitude and longitude) of rainforest designated in your (or your child’s) name. This makes a pretty cool geography lesson, … Continue reading →

Giving Back: How My Daughter is Saving the Chimps One Friend at a Time

  By Donna DeForbes | March 28, 2013 - 8:00 am | ,
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Kids Giving Back | Eco-Mothering.com

My six-year-old made her first charitable donation this year. She decided to save the endangered chimpanzees. She’s an animal lover so the organization did not surprise me. The giving did. I donate regularly to wildlife organizations. She sees the catalogs, the free gifts. One day an appeal from Save The Chimps arrived in the mail. I did not know them, but asked Sofie—who had recently shown an interest in chimps and monkeys—if she wanted to donate. She immediately said yes. I explained this meant giving some of her money. (I offered to split the $25 donation with her.) We also discussed why the chimps needed saving. She wanted in. She opened up her piggy bank. I wrote the check. I thought that was the end of it. A month later, the mother of one of Sofie’s school friends thanked me for my daughter’s activism. “Huh?” I said. “Yes,” she said … Continue reading →

Top 4 Ways to Celebrate World Water Day

  By Donna DeForbes | March 15, 2013 - 5:00 am |
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World Water Day

Events take place worldwide on March 22. Find something in your area or choose one of the following ideas for celebrating World Water Day (WWD) as a family. Infographic courtesy of: Bathshop321.com Have a family competition to conserve the most water. Conservation is key. One bathroom retailer in the UK launched a Water Usage Survey with their customers and posted the survey results as well as tips for conservation (they also designed the above WWD infographic). Check them out as well as these 100+ household tips for your own family water usage competition. Up the stakes by allowing the winner to choose this year’s family vacation. Get crafty with recycled water bottles. Turn the caps into colorful magnets or pin cushions. Or try one of these craft options for repurposing plastic water bottles. Put on a play. This 10-minute script for a Water Cycle Adventure can be read by a class with parts … Continue reading →

Top 5 Lesser Known Green Charities

  By Donna DeForbes | December 28, 2012 - 7:00 am | ,
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Some people don’t get around to making charitable donations until the end of the year when they’re in the spirit of holiday giving. Others think of it as a write-off during tax season. Whenever you do it, charitable giving is a wonderful habit to adopt. So here are my top 5 organizations that focus on environmental or sustainable work. There are many great charities out there, but I opted for mentioning some of the lesser known ones who could also use some financial support. Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families This coalition of organizations and individuals works to inform and protect families from toxic chemicals. They’re working with legislators to pass the Safe Chemicals Act and create smarter limits on the things that go into the everyday products we use. DONATE. Earth Day Network Developed out of Earth Day, the EDN works with 192 countries to “broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement.” Earning a … Continue reading →

Fight the Dark Arts in the Real World! Kids Create Social Change Through the Harry Potter Alliance

  By Donna DeForbes | November 27, 2012 - 8:30 am | ,
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November reminds me of Harry Potter, as it was often the month to witness another film in theaters. While there are websites like Pottermore to quench my muggle thirst for more magical moments, I want to introduce you to another awesome site— one that engages kids and uses Harry Potter toward social and environmental justice. The HARRY POTTER ALLIANCE (HPA) is a nonprofit whose mission is “to empower [its] members to act like the heroes that they love by acting for a better world.” They do this by partnering with other organizations, raising funds and encouraging everyone to use their magical creativity. I’ve never seen such an awesome idea for connecting pop culture with social change. While adults can also get involved, the Harry Potter angle gears the site toward a younger audience—mainly teens and college kids—opening their eyes to a range of world issues. More importantly, the HPA (a … Continue reading →