Do Good

Snapshots from Hurricane Sandy

November 7, 2012 at 1:54 pm , by Amelia Harnish

As the Northeast hunkers down for another difficult storm today, we wanted to share some pictures we snapped this past week during Hurricane Sandy. LHJ staffers were pretty lucky. We’re all safe, back at work and most of us have power (keyword: most). New York City is crawling back toward normal, but we’re not there yet. So many of our neighbors are without electricity and heat. We’re still cleaning up and assessing the damage. Worst of all, lots of people lost their homes and some even lost their lives.

If you’d like to help, check out these great organizations working to restore New York, New Jersey and other places along the East Coast that are still suffering and make a donation if you can. Share your own experiences or ways to help in the comments.

• American Red Cross The Red Cross has 5,400 workers and 250 shelters spread from Virginia to Rhode Island. Donate online or text REDCROSS to 90999.
• Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund Tireless New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his wife Mary Pat established a relief fund of their own to restore the hardest-hit areas in New Jersey.
• United Way Hurricane Sandy Recovery Fund United Way has set up its own fund to help disaster areas with teams of volunteers and lots of supplies all along the Eastern Seaboard.
• The Mayor’s Fund for NYC Hurricane Relief You can donate directly to New York City’s recovery with an online donation or find in-person volunteer opportunities if you’re in the New York-area and want to help out.

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Get-Fit Clicks: Weight-Loss Resolutions Edition

January 3, 2012 at 3:33 pm , by jbrown

* “I’ll get over my carbophobia.” You need carbs, we swear. Add these 6 healthy ones to your diet—they can help you feel full and melt body fat. (Eating Well)

* “I’ll stop using lack of time as an excuse for not exercising.” You don’t have to spend hours at a gym or run marathons to get fit. Here’s 10 (realistic!) ways to work exercise into your schedule. (SparkPeople)

* “I’ll make the most of the time I do have to workout.” Leisurely cardio sessions and too-wimpy strength-training routines are just two ways you may be sabotaging your weight-loss efforts. (FitSugar)

* “I won’t get fooled by misleading food labels.” How natural is “natural”? Does “no trans fat” really mean there isn’t even a drop in there? Learn the truth behind these and 8 other tricky food labels. (HuffPo)

 

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Do Good, Look Good: Second Annual Beauty Bloggers Online Auction

November 28, 2011 at 11:35 am , by Nykia Spradley

Is it just us or do the holidays seem to begin earlier and earlier every year? We’re not complaining, we’ll take any excuse to squeeze in a little shopping–and the ladies behind BeautyBloggers.org have given us even more incentive to open our wallets.

For the next two weeks, as you’re mulling over your gift list,  Karla Sugar and a roster of over 60 other beauty bloggers will be hosting their second annual online beauty auction. Proceeds are going to Doctors Without Borders, an organization that provides medical care to people in crisis, regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation.
These beauty mavens have collectively rounded up a pretty impressive collection of products to auction off: a complete set of Peau Vierge skincare from Le Métier de Beauté (retail: $1,100), a mascara wardrobe from Lancôme, a set of “matched luggage” makeup travel bags from Stephanie Johnson, Armani’s mother-of-pearl holiday eyeshadow palette, and tons of other goodies.
So put your clicking finger to good use, someone on your list will appreciate it. Plus, you’ll feel good knowing that your bucks are going to a good cause. Hey, it is the season of giving after all, right? The auction starts today and ends on December 12th.

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Do Good For Free: Give A $25 Kiva Loan

November 18, 2011 at 9:18 am , by Amanda Wolfe

I’ve always been intrigued by Kiva, the microfinance site that connects you with women entrepreneurs around the world to help them provide for themselves and their families by lending them money. It’s such a great way to make a big impact with at a fairly small cost to you—and your loan will eventually be repaid so you can reinvest in another worthy woman. Win-win! But I never actually took the plunge (I know, shame on me). That’s why I was so excited when our friends at Kiva offered an amazing opportunity: The first 3000 LHJ readers to go to Kiva.org/LHJ and sign up can give a FREE $25 loan. It’s the perfect way to try Kiva at no cost to you.

So I was excited to finally give it a try and let me tell you — it was hard to choose. I wanted to help every woman that I clicked on! When their loans are funded, Ana Cecilia in El Salvador will buy tires for her auto repair shop, Naimajon in Tajikistan will purchase fabrics and gold embroidery thread for her sewing business, and Sama in Togo will buy groceries for her small market. I eventually decided to give my free $25 loan to Flaviana (picture above) to buy supplies for her beauty salon in the Philippines. She has four school-aged children and her goal is to use her income to pay for their education.

It was so rewarding to know who I was helping (and why) that I am definitely going to give another loan — this time on my own dime. What can I say, I’m hooked. So what are you waiting for? It’s free, people! Go to Kiva.org/LHJ now to give your free $25 loan. It only takes a few minutes (unless you just can’t decide like me) and I promise you it’s worth it.

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An Amazing Girl Who Does Good

November 10, 2011 at 10:29 am , by Cassie Tucker

It’s hard to preach positivity when you think about the state of our economy or the rising cost of gas (don’t even get me started)! Yet here at LHJ, we like to spend our time commending people who make a positive impact on the world. I am inspired by fifteen year-old Hannah Taylor from Canada. At age 8, she started the Ladybug Foundation to help the homeless and “connect even more hearts in caring for each other.”  Today, Hannah’s Ladybug Foundation supports over 50 shelters, missions, soup kitchens and food banks across Canada. The most remarkable aspect of Hannah is her humble nature. As she told me, she hopes “to be remembered as an ordinary human being who believes in the power of caring.”

To learn more about this amazing girl—and maybe inspire your own kids to do good—grab your teenage daughters and sons and check out the documentary Hannah’s Story, which airs this Sunday, November 14th at 10:00 p.m. EST on the Documentary Channel. [For more information or to request DOC in your area, you can visit documentarychannel.com]. It is impossible not to be inspired by Hannah. She’s proof of how much impact one little girl can make when she has a big heart.

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LHJ Presents Peace Unveiled and a Special Q&A With Producer Abigail Disney

September 27, 2011 at 2:18 pm , by Sonia Harmon

What if you looked at war as through the eyes of women? That’s the question at the heart of the new five-part PBS series, Women, War & Peace, which focuses on the perspectives of women living in conflict zones around the world. “We have this image of a male hero striking out into war,” says Abigail Disney, an executive producer. “And littering the sidelines, if they’re visible at all, are these women who don’t really matter. But there are no sidelines. Women very much do matter. We need to restore women to a story they’ve never been a part of.”

The series begins airing Tuesday, October 11^th. But this Thursday at 7:30 EST, LHJ will present an exclusive online sneak preview of Peace Unveiled, the third installment in the series, which follows three women in Afghanistan who are fighting for the right to be heard in their country’s political arena. (To see the preview log on to livestream.com/independent lens.) Afterward, stick around for a live online panel discussion with Disney and director Gini Reticker, where you can talk with other viewers about the film and submit questions for the filmmakers.

In the meantime, check out our interview with Disney (yes, that same Disney—Walt Disney was her great-uncle) about the series and what you can do to help.

How difficult was this series to film?

There were incredible difficulties in getting footage and getting the women to feel safe enough to talk to us because they were being threatened every day. Some of them were getting death threats in text messages on their cell phones while we were interviewing them. So it was hard, but we had to find women who were willing to step up and take a chance being on camera. Read more

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Do Good: Yellow Bird Project Charity T-Shirts

September 12, 2011 at 1:48 pm , by Gabrielle Porcaro

I like a good T-shirt almost as much as I like a good pair of heels. A T-shirt with a message, I like even better! I was recently introduced to the Yellow Bird Project. The website teams up bands to design shirts and donate the proceeds to charity. The bands involved are a pretty impressive list of indie rock groups like Wolfmother, The Shins and Bloc Party. The charities include St. Jude’s, Greenpeace and Amnesty International, as well as other lesser known—but just as important—charities.

My favorite tee is designed by the Freelance Whales and supports MarbleRoad, a non-profit organization offering financial assistance and support services for people with complex and rare illnesses. I love the teal color, unique design and the cause happens to be near and dear to my heart. I love this idea—it’s a cool, interesting approach to raising awareness (and money) for a charity. And these tees are a stylish update to those old high school or college T’s you might be rocking way past their prime. Not your style? They also make great gifts (with a great message) for hard-to-shop-for, too-cool school kids.

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