Giving is Good for Your Health

Came across this post at Operation Nice, one of my favorite blogs out there.

It's about Cami, the fabulous founder of the 29-Day Giving Challenge. This NY Times article explains how giving is good for your health. Volunteerism, generosity, helping others can all have positive effects on a person's well-being.

> Read More at Operation Nice

Up on the Roof with Carol

Carol Schillios, an all around amazing person I've been lucky enough to meet a few times in credit union land, is doing something very cool. From her site:

Hi, I’m Carol Schillios, founder of the Fabric of Life Foundation. Perhaps you’re wondering why I’m living on a roof.

I’m living in a tent on the roof until 1 million people each send $1 and share how they are making a difference in their world. An angel donor has already pledged to match $1 for every resident in the City of Edmonds, WA.

Why?

1. To inspire action and celebrate what people are doing to make a difference in their world.
2. To create bridges of understanding through learning about our global community.
3. To raise $1 million; $1 at a time from 1 million people for the Fabric of Life Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization supporting cooperative development projects around the world.

Watch a video:

Up On The Roof With Carol from Carol Schillios on Vimeo.

> Visit the "Up on the Roof With Carol" website for the latest news & more

...and more importantly, can you spare a dollar to get her off the roof?

Also, my friend Brent has a great idea to take Carol's goodness and make it ripple across the world via the internet. Check it out.

Chicago 911 Dispatchers Save Christmas

This story was posted in the "odd news" section of United Press International yesterday - It's a great story, but sadly it is "odd" in the sense that it's rare. Don't you wish that helping out those in need wasn't "odd?"

I think this is a beautiful story of some co-workers coming together and transcending their everyday lives - and daily grind - for a greater purpose.

From UPI:

Chicago's 911 dispatchers say they rescued Christmas this year for a family whose distraught grandmother had called for help.

Shirley Bell, 61, called 911 Christmas Eve morning for her very upset 8-year-old grandson, Malik Parish, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Sunday.

"It was something about that grandmother's voice, and that child and his candidness. He said, 'I don't have any toys for Christmas,'" said 911 dispatcher Pamela Jenkins.

Bell, who has custody of five children, said she recently suffered a stroke and a heart attack, and support checks from the state had not arrived.

Jenkins alerted co-workers and dispatched police officers, who found a nice, clean home without a single sign of Christmas, the Sun-Times reported.

Within hours, the 911 dispatchers and their families had gathered $200 for new presents to go with nice toys and clothes donated by their own children, Jenkins said. Malik got a G.I. Joe and a PlayStation 1 and groceries were delivered to his family Christmas Day.

"There are countless times we want to help,'' Jenkins said. "I enjoyed it, and I wished we could help people more than we do.''

Watch a CNN video interview with the dispatchers: