Growing up in Killarney, Manitoba, surrounded as I was by aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family, was an idyllic setting for a young man with limited means and big dreams. It was an era of little crime (no one locked the door to their house or car) and the price of a quart of milk or loaf of bread changed little from same year to year and inflation had not yet reached public consciousness.
Knowing that not everyone is as creative-capable, it's always good to have option. Just because you can't paint, sew or use a hammer does not mean you can't be part of the solution around the holidays.
It all started early last year when my family came into some common financial issues. Together we decided the most affordable road for the holidays also brought back the soul and meaning.
I started by researching different easy-to-make projects on-line. Scanned through a lot of the ideas at www.etsy.com. Taking into account the different likes and ages.
In a recent e-mail received, after signing a new contract with Telus Mobility, was a promotion for recycling unused and broken cellphones and accessories. For every one returned to Telus, the company plants a tree. The best part is, the phones could have been purchased anywhere - they don't have to be Telus phones!
Letters are a more personal way to connect to your family, friends, and loved ones. It is a great way to let someone know you are thinking about them.
I struggle with the carbon emissions used to deliver letters, so I will be cautious not to go overboard. I keep in touch often via the internet, but I would like my friends, family and loved ones, to have the tactile experience of holding the letter in their hands.
For years the Spirit of Co-operative living has slowly slipped away from the members of my housing co-op. Now, we are wining back the hearts of our members.
Sunset is located in south central Vancouver. It is bounded by 41st to the north, Ontario to the west and Knight Street to the east. The Fraser river is the southern boundary.
Fraser Street is the core shopping district and the 3rd most walked area in the city.
We've figured out where our money goes and now we want to have more control over it. Spend the next 12 months using cash-only spending system (except bills & rent)
Although most families have been lead to believe that childhood vaccines are mandatory in Canada, they are not, and giving a child a shot requires the parents to provide the doctor or nurse with informed consent. Unfortunately, the majority of parents are saying "yes" to vaccines without actually being informed about the real risks and benefits of either the vaccine in question or the associated disease.
My goal in 2009 is to create an information website for parents that will not preach a position either for or against vaccination, as all current vaccine websites do, rather it will provide easy to understand, accurate and complete statistics so parents actually can feel like they are making the best decision for their child.
Please vote for my project "vaccine awareness - donnabarker" to help me win $1000 to get the website developed and online. Thank you!
I'm a borderline ADD kind of guy whose been too busy in recent years to follow up on some of the cool personal projects that keep bubbling up in my mind and in conversations with others. With some space in my schedule this year (read: less paid work), I've got time and energy to work on some things that I'm passionate about.