Monthly Archives: December 2009

Impacting Lives As a Family

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Providing Food and Hope

Over 800 people worked together to provide meals to over nearly 300,000 hungry people in India.

I just left a volunteer event at my church where over 800 people gathered on a rainy day to put together food packets that are being sent to starving families in India.  As a observer of marketing trends and an watcher of philanthropic endeavors, I was extremely impressed by the way that this project was able to serve mankind through its low cost and volunteer interactivity. Yes, it was a bit of an administrative nightmare to put together, but the sponsors, Impact Lives (a division of Converge Worldwide), made the organizing turn-key.  I encourage you to read on.

In a nutshell, my church, Whittier Area Community Church, designated its entire Christmas offering toward this India project.  Basically, we needed to raise $72,000 to purchase the raw ingredients for 285,000 meals to be shipped to India. The $72K benchmark was a high goal for my community church to raise, and due to the economy, we were praying for a miracle.  Well today, WACC Senior Pastor Bill Ankerberg shared the good news with us.  We were able to raise that amount and then some.  The big man upstairs wanted these people to get meals!

This is a wonderful story, however, the point of my blog post today is to share with you the process and how successful it was integrating its purpose and driving home a  message. I hope that this information may inspire you when you are planning your next fund-raising event.

The beauty of this project was that Impact Lives, Inc. understood that the food would not only impact those hungry, but also the process of creating them would be just as impactful for the volunteers.  Brilliant marketing on their behalf.  For it was literally impossible when preparing the bag not to think about how fortunate we are to have food in our cupboards.

The Process

These packages blended together rice, soy protein, 21 essential vitamins and minerals and dehydrated vegetables.  The cost of the meal is a quarter and an entire box (36 packs) will feed an entire family for six months. So you can see that these packages were extremely valuable.

The best way for me to describe this interactive event is through photos (sorry I forgot my video camera.)

Here’s what the finished packages looked like.

Just Add to Boiling Water and Dinner is Ready in 20 minutes - Makes 6 cups

Volunteers were divided in groups of 10. Each group had a table with different tasks.  A person measured the rice, another the soy protein, another the dehydrated vegetables and yet another vitamins.

A Group Effort

After the mixture was in the bag, a person had to weigh each to make sure it was at the proper weight.

If they weighed too much, you'd take some out.

After that, it was time to seal them up – it was fun using the electric sealer as you can tell – Aleta was great at it.

After that, once you had 36 together – it was time to stuff them in a box which was then swiftly carted away.  In addition to the volunteer mixers, others kept us in stock of rice, etc.  Volunteers worked two hours shifts and it was open to everyone, no matter your age. Therefore, families could participate. Also, everyone had to wear those darling hair nets.

The final stop was transporting the cartons to the trailer which was being hauled to the Port of Los Angeles tomorrow for boarding onto a cargo ship.  The shipping container will be on its way to India this week.

Often, when you donate to a charitable cause you never see where your money goes. Well, with this project, you witnessed your work and where it was going.  It was a first class operation from start to finish.  And it was a lot of fun meeting new people.  Also, members of the community joined in as well in addition to those who attend the church.

The food that was prepared is being shipped to India’s eastern port of Vishakhapatnam, (a.k.a. Visag.)  The first cluster of villages that will receive the food is 100 miles north of this spot, the second distribution point will be a refugee camp in the northern state of Assam.

I originally had signed up for one two hour shift, but was enjoying it so much I stayed for another.  At the end of the day, I can say I felt grateful to help those who are starving.  This event has changed my life and hopefully others too.  I pray that I never complain about another meal again.  I must be grateful for whatever I have on my plate.

In this vein, it would be great to hear about a fund-raiser you have been involved with that included many volunteers. I’d love to hear about it….so please comment.

Best,

Cindy

Vision Casting for 2010/Review of 2009

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People are accustom to starting out the new year with resolutions. They are a common happenstance of life. So this year as you contemplate what you would like to achieve in 2010, I’d like you to think a bit deeper and consider making a vision board of what you hope to achieve in the next upcoming 365 day period.

This is my third year making a vision board and each year upon review, I am amazed at how much I have actually achieved.  The way I use the vision board isn’t as a religious experience.  I don’t believe that it has magical powers or anything, but it does help me think in advance of the person I would like to be, if possible through the next year.  It helps me set goals and dream about what I hope for in the coming year and some crazy things have come true such as putting down I’d like to be kissed and having that come true after an incredible dry spell. Or last year putting down that I’d like to make money every month in 2009 even though I was unemployed at the time. That came true. I got a full-time job in January and did make money every month last year.

Here’s a photo of my vision board from 2009.

Just About Everything Came True with my 2009 Vision Board

How did I do?

2009 Vision Board Report Card

Overall theme: Everything Mighty Fine in 2009        Grade: B
Try to Keep Positive    Grade: B
Seek God   Grade: A
Trust God        Grade: B
Head up the office out of the office        Grade: B
Emmys (worked them)    Grade: A
Quality time with Mom    Grade: A
Special someone    Grade: A
Add video    Grade: B
Learning I can love    Grade: A
Create something great        Grade: B
Give the gift of happiness            Grade: C
Reunion    Grade: A
Blogworld Conference    Grade: A
Tennis/Curling    Grade: A
Blogs    Grade: A
Old friends play a major part in my life    Grade: A
Believe in myself and my abilities    Grade: B
Make money every month    Grade: A
Receive an engagement ring                Grade: D
Pamper myself            Grade: C
Moments of fun and flirtiness            Grade: B
Going with the flow        Grade: B+
Find a job    Grade: A
Trip to Italy                Grade: D
Embrace the future        Grade: B
Love more        Grade: B

As my report card reflects, I had a very good year living out my vision for the new year. As I look back at December 29, 2008, I had no idea that I would be employed for 11 months nor that I would have had a relationship with someone I thought was virtually impossible.  I also am surprised that I did grow in my trust in God and that old friends did become a major part of my life.

Although, I do have to admit that some things that didn’t pan out. I didn’t get an engagement ring. That was something way out there I have to admit and I didn’t travel to Italy or anyplace exotic.  But, I did have a trip to see family in Minnesota that was unexpected.  I did have moments to be flirty. I did learn more about technology.  I did learn more about myself in the area of love and being loving.  I did become less controlling of events and learn to go with the flow.

All in all, it was a good year and I can’t wait to start to put together my vision board for next year, hopefully tonight. I will blog about my vision for next year in a subsequent blog. I  can give you a preview though, I will have some similar visions, but there will be a major shift in my wants and desires from some of the maturing process I achieved through last year.

Pretty cool stuff. I do hope you consider making a board for yourself.  Also, if you did make one last year, how did your’s turn out.  Tell us about it, okay.

The next time you see me I’ll be on the floor cutting up every magazine and newspaper in sight.

Until next time,

Cindy

A Sign for All Times

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Life is so random.  Today I was driving down a regular street in my town on the way to the freeway and I had to stop at a light. While there I noticed a handmade sign that was taped onto a post in the middle median. I could barely read it for it was hand-written in crayon no less, but when I got closer here’s what it said.

Do you think this message was for you?

I had to re-fashion the sign in photo shop for there was no way for me to get an actual photo of it without getting run over.  But, whoever thought of this was a brilliant marketer. This sign became a puzzle to me and drove me crazy trying to figure it out.  How does she know. How does she know what? I had to find out what this was about…they couldn’t leave me hanging right?

Well, once I passed through the intersection, I got my answer, well sort of I guess for there was another sign. Here’s what part 2 said.

I love this Message!

You love her?  I didn’t see that coming, did you? But isn’t that an awesome statement.  I have no idea who put up this sign. Is it a local movement from a church? From a mother-in-law signaling her son-in-law to treat his wife better? Is it a sign to remind us to let our family and close friends know that we love them?  Is it a message from God causing us to think about how he cares for us?

Whatever its origin, I think it’s applicable to every demographic.  It’s a brilliant message and a wonderful reminder.  I’m so glad that I stumbled upon it – it will impact me the rest of my life and hopefully cause me to make sure people know that I love them.

What do you think these signs mean? Who do you think put this up and why? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this random posting. It still has me puzzled.

Let’s chat.

Cindy