TEACHING TOLERANCE

Is it possible to teach tolerance? Yes. Particularly if you start the process early. That's the time-tested conclusion of the experts at the non-profit organization Teaching Tolerance and tens of thousands of teachers, parents, and schoolchildren with whom they have worked. Here's some basic information about this wonderful initiative from its website, www.teachingtolerance.org:

Founded in 1991 by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Teaching Tolerance is dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving intergroup relations and supporting equitable school experiences for our nation's children. To us, tolerance is an ethic. We provide free educational materials to teachers and other school practitioners in the U.S. and abroad. Our self-titled magazine is sent to 400,000 educators twice annually, in September and January, and tens of thousands of educators use our free curricular kits. More than 10,000 schools participate in our annual Mix It Up at Lunch Day program. Web-exclusive offerings include downloadable curricula, other classroom curricula and materials for youth and parents/guardians.

Our teaching materials have won two Oscars, an Emmy and more than 20 honors from the Association of Educational Publishers, including two Golden Lamp Awards, the industry's highest honor. Scientific surveys demonstrate that our programs help students learn respect for differences and bolster teacher practice. The best way to stay in touch with us is by subscribing to our free e-newsletter.

If you are a teacher, parent, student, or have an interest in knowing what you can do to foster tolerance, check out the website. I confess that I am prejudiced. I count SPLC Center founder Morris Dees and Center President Richard Cohen as good friends. Please be tolerant of me. Friendship aside this is a great endeavor.

WE JUST CLICKED

Two friends of The Daily Can-Do---Tom from Wisconsin and Sue from Honduras--have suggested simple ways that you can contribute to eradicating world hunger and rescuing animals respectively. Both means are right at your fingertips.
Some time ago, Tom commended www.freerice.org. Go to this site and you'll find a multiple choice vocabulary test that quickly adapts to your skill level. Based on whether you get the previous question right or wrong, the next question is either easier or harder. For each answer you get right, the non-profit donates 10 grains of rice through the UN World Hunger Program. It adds up. Yesterday visitors to the site helped contribute over 67 million grains of rice. To date the total is over 58 billion! In addition to helping ease world hunger, this is a great way to improve your vocabulary...and a most palatable way to get your kids to work on their vocabulary skills.
Sue directed us to www.theanimalrescuesite.com. Here, there is no test. According to the site:
"The Animal Rescue Site focuses the power of the Internet on a specific need — providing food for some of the 27 million unwanted animals given to shelters in the U.S. every year. Over 10 million animals are put to death every year in the U.S. alone because they are abandoned and unwanted.
"Each click on the purple 'Click Here to Give - it's FREE' button provides food and care for a rescued animal living in a shelter or sanctuary. Funding for food and care is paid by site sponsors and distributed to animals in need at the Fund for Animals' renowned animal sanctuaries....100% of sponsor advertising fees goes to our charitable partners."
Thanks Tom and Sue, these ways of using the computer to deal with big problems sure beat Solitaire.

BILL'S SAVERS

We welcome, nay, need, your suggestions on things we can all do to make the community better. Send them in, and we’ll post them (tho’ we reserve the right to exercise editorial judgment). On just our second day up, we received an email from Bill, who lives in Washington State. He wrote: "There are two ideas that I have had without a forum that might be tossed out there on yours."
Exactly! Consider us that forum. Bill's ideas:

*How about changing the odometers in autos to register dollars-per-mile as opposed to miles-per-gallon? Not that hard to do: just set the price per gallon every time you fill up your tank, and then watch how your speed and driving habits cost you money. Perhaps when we realize how much it actually costs to make that silly trip, we may make each trip count that much more, ie. doing more with each trip.

*Also, when one eats a lot of yogurt or other commodity in disposable containers that are opaque, those containers become unusable and discardable. I wish disposable makers would make clear containers so that they could be used again and again and that the glue that affixes the labels would be removable. I have started using nothing but Mason-type jars because they are so reusable. Standardizing sizes so that lids fit would also be an advantage.

Thanks, Bill. Hope you encourage trends with these ideas and that you have inspired others to send us their ideas.
NOTE: PLEASE SEE THE COMMENT SECTION FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE SCAN GAUGE--A PRODUCT THAT WILL APPARENTLY ACCOMPLISH WHAT BILL SUGGESTS.

DOWNSIZE MATTERS

Some 50, 000 Americans were laid off  just yesterday.  They join hundreds of thousands of others who have lost their jobs in recent months.  They have so much to contribute.  Is there some way to harness their skills--and help them--while they search for new work? I got to thinking about this after reading Margot Pritzker's Huffington Post description of an organization she helped found, WomenOnCall.org.

According to the organization's website, "WomenOnCall.org is Chicago's first online network that matches Chicago-area women who are committed to sharing their professional skills and expertise with non-profit organizations that have specific and immediate volunteer needs."  These good souls are helping non-profits "one hour at a time."  A terrific idea...and we suspect one hour often generously turns into two or five. Visit: http://womenoncall.org/index.cfm

What does this have to do with layoffs?  It occurs to me that those who have been laid off also have skills and expertise that might benefit non-profits...and sadly they may have a little more time for this than expected.  Perhaps on days when they are not fully busy looking for jobs, such men and women might find it rewarding to lend their expertise to non-profits.  Such volunteer work might have the added benefit of networking and helping in the job search.

And so an idea that I hope someone will be interested in following through on: creation of an organization or website that pairs laid off men and women, professional and non-professional, with non-profits that could use their skills.  Possible name: Downsized But Not Out.

A final thought: this is not intended to put the burden of public service on the unemployed.

Those of us who are fortunate enough to be working have an added responsibility in these tough times.

DON'T FILL 'ER UP

According to the EPA, Americans prevent over 60 million tons of garbage from ending up in landfills every year by recycling. Most of us do our share by recycling paper, cans, plastic, etc. But there's a simple way to do a lot more...and even get something in return if you want. If you have something worthwhile that you no longer need and you wish to recycle it rather than throw it into the garbage, consider Freecycle.

As Freecycle's website explains: "The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,661 groups with 6,293,000 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about re-use and keeping good stuff out of landfills."

Membership in Freecycle is...free. Freeycle groups divided by geographic areas use the internet to post lists of items members wish to give away...for free. As members of the chapter in our community, our family has posted and then given away a printer, a sewing machine, and bags of books. We have also accumulated an aquarium, Oxford English Dictionary, a standing mixer, and craft supplies. Volunteer moderators enforce the rules of this not-for-profit organization: "No swaps. No trades. No selling. No strings. Please keep it free, legal, and age appropriate. Freecycle is not a charity, an online shoppig service, or a wish list."

We're guessing there's stuff in your garage or basement that you no longer want, but that somebody else would love to have...and would be happy to come pick up. And maybe there's something you'd like for free that someone nearby is looking to give away. In all likelihood there's a Freecycle chapter in your area. So check out: http://www.freecycle.org/

To recycle an old line: Sounds like this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

YES WE CAN DRIVES

It seems fitting that we inaugurate The Daily Can-Do with ideas for can drives to help the hungry in your community. By all accounts the current recession has dramatically reduced the food supplies at shelters and pantries.

So why not organize a "Can Film Festival." Approach a local movie theatre or theatre chain and ask if, say, over a particular weekend, they'd be willing to give a discount to everyone who brings in a can of food. Volunteer to get a group together to bring all the cans to a previously identified shelter or food bank that has given its blessing to the project.

Not into film? Well, the Super Bowl approaches on February 1. If you're hosting a party, consider making it a truly "Souper Event" by asking guests to bring one or more cans of Progresso, Campbells, or any other brand. Then take the goods to a local shelter or bank. Imagine what would happen if a goodly portion of Super Bowl party attendees did this.

Have any other can drive ideas? Please share them.