Grandma Gertie always said there's not a savory dish that can't be made tastier by just a touch of tarragon.

Tsunami and Me

Tsunami and Me
too big to escape now....

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Hallelujah! Change...for Good!



During the 2008 Summer Olympics, frequently I tapped my toes to Taylor Swift's "Change," a paean to overcoming obstacles and achieving triumph. That song's message reminded me of my Peace Corps years, when I worked with Volunteers and staff worldwide to try to effect change. 

What was it we wanted to change? Oh, how about saving lives and building futures? Peace Corps Volunteers worked to eliminate infectious disease, to fight human trafficking, to offer educational opportunities, to transfer business and occupational skills, to improve access to safe water and sanitation...in short, to do what some call the impossible, to bring about change for the better in this world. 

The line from Taylor's song that resonated with me: "You can walk away, say we don't need this,
but there's something in your eyes says we can beat this."

In the dozens of countries I worked in and visited while affiliated with Peace Corps, I frequently interacted with United Nations Volunteers and UNICEF. We had common goals. 

I'm going through some changes myself right now, preparing to move back to California, to a tiny apartment in an independent living community not far from my son, from my brother and from friends of decades past. As I sort through everything in this huge old country house, I try to find a place where what I no longer need can find a home. So I take bags of clothes and household goods to Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity. I'm taking books and magazines to the local libraries and to a nursing and rehab facility. Old computers will go to a business in town that bleaches the hard drives, cleans them up and donates them to needy area youngsters. 

For nearly 20 years I've kept a box with coins and bills from countries that I've visited, pocket change that I couldn't get rid of in far flung airports. It's a heavy box, and I can no longer remember where many come from. Some have little on them to identify their country of origin. Tomorrow I'm taking them to the post office. They're going to UNICEF USA's Change for Good program. Their experts will sort them and use them to provide a happier, healthier life for children globally.

Change for Good, established in 1987, the year I first became a Peace Corps Volunteer, is a partnership between UNICEF and the international airline industry. Click here to learn about how the program works: http://www.unicefusa.org/supporters/organizations/businesses/partners/aa

Here's the address where you can mail international coins and bills:

U.S. Fund for UNICEF
ATTN: Change for Good Program
125 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038
As donations of foreign coins are processed in bulk by a third party vendor, please note that the acknowledgment you receive for your donation will not specify the amount of your gift.

When I first joined Peace Corps, many friends reminded me that plenty of children right here in the United States needed assistance with health, education and social needs. I agreed. They do. So I'm not forgetting them. For years as a social worker in Los Angeles County I served in programs addressing the needs of abused, neglected and abandoned children. Many cannot find permanent adoptive homes or adjust to life in foster homes because of a variety of developmental obstacles. One group home that I support is St. Jude's Ranch for Children. They have two programs for those who have little spare cash to contribute.

One is Campbell's Soup Labels program, eLabels for Education. To learn more about this program, click here: https://stjudesranch.org/get-involved/campbells-soup-label-program/

One way to recycle and help is to save greeting cards until there's enough to fill a box. I'd been saving for ten years. St. Jude's seeks cards for all holidays, not just Christmas, through its Recycled Card Program. Right now they particularly want thank you and birthday cards. You can mail them all year long, and don't even have to cut off the fronts.

https://stjudesranch.org/about-us/recycled-card-program/
Yesterday I sent a small USPS Priority box filled with hundreds of greeting card fronts to this address:

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude’s Street
Boulder City, NV 89005 - See more at: https://stjudesranch.org/about-us/recycled-card-program/#sthash.OtFa4efD.dpuf
St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude’s Street
Boulder City, NV 89005 - See more at: https://stjudesranch.org/about-us/recycled-card-program/#sthash.OtFa4efD.dpuf
St. Jude's Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude's Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

It's comforting to know that our discards can help improve the world. It might seem like an insignificant gesture against the Goliath that is neediness. But together, yes, we can bring about change in the world. We can sing along with Taylor, "It’s a revolution, throw your hands up, cause we never gave in, and we sang hallelujah, we sang hallelujah...Hallelujah."






2 comments:

  1. Wonderful message. And what a legacy of service you have! I wish you happiness & joy as you start your new journey in California.. <3

    ReplyDelete
  2. What an honorable thing. Best wishes on your new move.

    ReplyDelete