Social Causes

March 8, 2013

Empowering Women Together: A Reason to Shop

Every once in while, a cause comes along that makes you want to shop, and today, on International Women’s Day, I have a great one. Yesterday, Walmart launched Empowering Women Together, a section that offers goods from small businesses owned by women around the world. In other words, each purchase you make helps a woman somewhere in the world feed herself and her family, which in turn helps to uplift her community and empowers her to do everything of which she is capable.

These are women who have faced challenges like poverty, lack of education, domestic abuse and physical limitations. These women come from countries like Rwanda, where economic opportunities are scarce, and who would otherwise never be able to reach American shoppers.

I can get behind that 100%.

Of course, it helps that the products are beautiful, and more than worth buying. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Women’s Tiered Convertible Dress / 2. African Patterned Wristlet / 3. Recycled Rice Bag Quilted iPad Case / 4. Paper Mache 10″ Vase / 5. 18 x 18 Reversible Decorative Pillow / 6. 3-Piece Woven Chevron Bangles Bracelet Set / 7. Fair Trade & Organic Coffee and Chocolate Gift Set / 8. Handpainted Card and Beaded Earring Set (aff)

At the moment, you can purchase more than 200 items from 19 businesses in 9 countries. However, this will eventually be part of a larger project, Store for Good, which will help connect shoppers with products that do good for others, themselves or the environment.

Would you look at me strange if I jump up and say Hallelujah? These are the types of projects I want to see big businesses take on more often. Bringing products like these to consumers who otherwise might never consider buying them is the only way, in my opinion, to demonstrate why these products matter.

DISCLOSURE: As a participant in the Walmart Moms Program, I’ve received compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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January 4, 2013

More than One Way to Be Sustainable with Unilever

I’ve been writing about green living and sustainability for so long that it’s almost second nature now. The conscious actions that my family and I have adopted during the last 5 years or so have become family habits that now feel effortless. I realize, however, that not every family or every company is there yet. While I wish every company would immediately drop potentially toxic ingredients and manufacturing processes from their products, I’m enough of a realist to understand that this isn’t going to happen overnight. And I’m all about small steps toward a larger goal.

Unilever is taking steps toward making not just the company more sustainable, but the lives of the consumers who purchase their products as well.

I wrote a few weeks ago about their Cross Off Hunger program, in conjunction with Feeding America. Unilever is committed to donating more than two million meals to families in need with Feeding America and every item on your shopping list counts. Show your support by adding Unilever brands to your cart next time you shop. Together we can help to Cross Off Hunger.

I purchased a variety of Unilever products on a recent shopping trip, in part because I buy them all the time, but it also felt good to know that my dollars were helping a good cause. I bought Axe deodorant for my stepson, who loves the stuff; Q-Tips, because we always need them and recently ran out; Country Crock Spread with Calcium, which we buy all the time because stick butter is pretty difficult to spread on bread; Ragu & Barilla pasta sauce, both staples in our pantry; Lipton Green Tea, because we love tea; and Breyers ice cream. Do I really need to explain that last one?

However, Unilever is pushing sustainability in many other ways. They are helping to deliver health and hygiene products to more than 1 billion people and delivering clean, safe drinking water to more than 500 million. They’re looking to reduce greenhouse gas production created by their products by 50%, as well as reducing by half the amount of water required by consumers to use their products and the amount of waste created by their products. Finally, they’re looking to work with smaller farms to help deliver a sustainable livelihood to many more people. In essence, their goal is making life better for all of us, one small change at a time.

Is it a perfect plan toward sustainability? In my opinion, no, but they’re working toward the greater good. And I can respect that.

Tonight, I’m just making a great dinner for my family with these products that we always buy. Both Ragu and Barilla pasta sauces went into my famous (well, not really) baked ziti and ground turkey meat sauce. And I’m resting happy in the knowledge that the meal I’m giving my family is helping other families eat, too.

DISCLOSURE: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Unilever #CBias #SocialFabric. As usual, all opinions are my own.

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December 18, 2012

You & I Can Help Unilever Cross Off Hunger

My family is blessed. We’re not always able to buy the things we want, but we’re almost always able to have what we need. There are many, many families and people throughout the nation for whom that is just not the case. Having been in a position to need help in the past, my family and I know what it feels like, and it’s not fun. With the holidays quickly approaching, that feeling is likely to be greatly exaggerated.

These people, in many cases have to rely on nonprofit organizations like churches and food banks just to put food on the table. But of course, food banks don’t just magically appear when there are folks in need. The need help in order to provide for the needs of the people they serve. Food banks always need nonperishable food, but they also need personal care items. While my family is able to be selective and buy only personal care products that are made with organic and largely natural ingredients, when you’re in need, almost any assistance is a good thing.

This is where Unilever comes in.

Unilever is committed to donating more than two million meals to families in need with Feeding America and every item on your shopping list counts. Show your support by adding Unilever brands to your cart next time you shop. Together we can help to Cross Off Hunger. This program is part of Unilever’s overall goal to become a more sustainable company and help one billion people improve their health and well-being.

We can each do our part to help their cause. Visit MakingLifeBetter.com to learn about hunger in our nation, including what food banks really need, how they operate and where you can find banks in your area, so you can offer informed assistance.

You can also simply continue to use your favorite Unilever products, including family favorites like Ragu, Skippy, Lipton, Benn & Jerry’s and Q-Tip. Our family uses Ragu pasta sauce, Breyers ice cream and Country Crock spread pretty regularly, and my stepsons asked for Axe products for Christmas.

In the next few weeks, I will purchase $50 worth of Unilever products to do my part and share with you what I bought and why (or why not). I’ll also learn all I can about what the food banks in my area actually need so that when my family donates, we’ll be fulfilling actual needs rather than perceived ones, and I’ll share ways that I believe all of us, including Unilever, can lead more sustainable lives. Because I believe that we can make things #BetterTogether

What will you do to help fight hunger?

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December 18, 2012

Holiday Giving: A Big Pile of Toys for Tots

As a family, we care deeply about the lives of others. We do our best, throughout the year, to support causes in which we believe with our time, money, voices and in-kind donations. But Christmas time has a special place in my heart, because I truly feel for the families that simply aren’t to provide any holiday magic for their children. For some kids, it’s just a reality that they’ll wake up on Christmas morning with no visit from Santa, no gifts and possibly nothing at all to differentiate it from any other day of the year.

I don’t think the holidays should be all about the gifts, but I do believe that every child should be able to experience a little bit of the excitement and magic that Christmas brings. That’s why each year, we try to make at least a donation to either Toys for Tots or to a specific family in need. This year, a $100 shopping allowance from Walmart has helped our donation go a lot further.

We started off with a box full of toys that we’d collected throughout the year for this purpose:

Some were items received through blogging engagements that were not used, and others were items we’d bought, but never opened. It was a great start, but we always hope that we can do more. Enter the $100 shopping allowance.

Normally when I’m working within a budget, I try to purchase as many gifts as I can for as little money as possible. This year, though, I chose to focus on quality rather than quantity and to focus on gifts for older kids. In years past, organizations have repeatedly asked for gifts for older kids, as they regularly come up short in that area. Let’s face it: Babies, toddlers and younger kids are easier — and less expensive — to shop for. Secondly, while inexpensive gifts are better than none at all, I knew that kids in need would have some of the same items on their wish lists as other kids, including video games, eReaders, etc.

Here’s what we bought to try to help fill those gaps:

VTech V.Reader: $39.96
Loopz memory game: $17 on clearance
Hedbanz game: $8.97
Doctor dress up set: $13.88
Pony Trainer Barbie: $12.88
Skateboard: $14.96

TOTAL: $107.65

I miscalculated as I was adding everything up and didn’t realize I’d gone over budget until it was time to pay at checkout, but I’ve never been so happy to make that mistake. Because of it, and our stockpiling of gifts throughout the year, we were able to help give a wonderful Christmas to kids who otherwise might not have one.

The office of our apartment complex is actually a Toys for Tots donation drop-off site, so we delivered the toys there.

If you are a person in need, please know that there are organizations — and people — more than willing to help you and your family during this time of year. And if you are among those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to provide for our families, please consider giving in some way, whether it’s a donation of toys, money, time or a kind word or help to a stranger.

DISCLOSURE: I am a member of the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with $100 gift card to help with my holiday giving, along with compensation for sharing my efforts with you. Participation is voluntary and, as usual, all opinions are my own.

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November 9, 2012

Say Thanks to Our Service Men & Women

With a husband and brother who served in the military and a sister and brother who still do, supporting those who serve in our nation’s armed forces is extremely important to me. My family and I are forever grateful for servicemen and servicewomen and the commitment they’ve made to keeping this nation free and safe, and I don’t think it will ever be possible to thank them enough.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. With Veteran’s Day approaching, Walmart has devised a special program to show appreciation for all these brave men and women: the Flag of Thanks campaign. Starting next Monday, November 11, the 4′ x 6′ Flags of Thanks, shown above, will be posted in most Walmart stores throughout the nation, allowing customers to write notes of thanks to military personnel for their service to our country. When each flag has been filled with notes, the store manager will arrange to present the Flag of Thanks to the local VA Hospital Center. If there is no VA Hospital nearby, then the flag will be presented to a local VFW or American Legion.

This is such a quick, easy way for any person to contribute to saying a huge thanks to our service members, and I’ll definitely make a point of writing a note at my local store.

However, even if you miss your in-store event, you can show your support via Walmart’s iThanku app on Facebook. You can share photos, videos or messages saying thanks to both active duty troops and veterans. And some of the messages delivered via the app will be shown during the 2012 Carrier Classic on NBC Sports today at 4 p.m. So get your messages in fast! It only takes a second.

Watch the video below or click here to learn more about what Walmart is doing for the military and veterans.

DISCLOSURE: I am a member of the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with compensation for sharing their iThanku and Flag of Thanks campaigns with you. Participation is voluntary and, as usual, all opinions are my own.

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November 7, 2012

Nominate a Nonprofit to Receive Help During 12 Days of Giving

My ultimate goal as a parent is not just to teach my daughter how to be a good person, but how to be a good citizen of our community and of the world. A big part of that is teaching her to care for those who are less fortunate and to be a cheerful giver.

Several times a year, we go through her closet and toy box choosing items that no longer fit or that are no longer used to give to charity. She is actively involved in the process of choosing which items to keep and which to give away, and in addition to the charitable lesson, she also learns about the value of things. Additionally, each year during the holidays, we get a big kick out of purchasing and donating toys to Toys for Tots in hope that we’re putting smiles on the faces of kids who otherwise might not have a Christmas.

We donate to causes in which we believe whenever we can, always explaining to my daughter why we believe those causes are worthy. And finally, my daughter is well accustomed to seeing her mama get all up in arms for causes about which I am passionate. I believe in using my voice and influence for good, and I sincerely hope that the lesson is translating to her.

That heart for giving makes me proud of my association with Walmart. Say what you will about the company, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years working with them, it’s that they know how to give, in the U.S. and elsewhere, all year long. This year, the company is kicking off its 12 Days of Giving Campaign with a Facebook twist.

From now through November 18, you can visit Walmart’s Facebook page to nominate any nonprofit organization for a chance to receive funding. Walmart plans give away a total of $1.5 million through this campaign. To nominate a nonprofit, you’ll be asked to provide basic details like the nonprofit’s name, contact information, website and what the organization does to help people in its community.

Finally, on December 10, Walmart will kick off the 12 Days of Giving and announce which Facebook-nominated companies will receive funding. Check out this video showing how the grant from Walmart helped a senior center last year:

If you know of an organization that could benefit from a Walmart grant, please take a moment to nominate them. It could really change their lives and the lives of all the people they help.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with compensation for sharing their 12 Days of Giving Program with you. Participation is voluntary and as usual, all opinions are my own.

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October 26, 2012

American Girl, Your Slave Doll is a Big, Fat, Offensive FAIL

For about 2 months, my daughter has been begging for an American Girl doll. Knowing that they’re pretty expensive, I pushed the request to the back of my mind, thinking I’d put it under the Christmas tree as her “big” gift. Still, yesterday, I decided to go to the American Girl site to see just how much it would set me back and which doll I might get for my daughter.

I just knew that, in this day and age, there would have to be at least one or two dolls that look like my daughter and other little girls like her: smooth chocolate skin, beautiful features, etc.

So imagine my surprise and disgust when I discover this:

Yes. That is a black American Girl doll. Who is a slave. Wait. An “escaping” slave.

The headline of this post is so obvious that it should go without saying. But apparently, in some circles, it’s not entirely obvious that a slave doll wouldn’t be a good idea. So let me say it, in no uncertain terms.

A slave doll offensive. A slave doll is a bad idea!

Let me give this some context. This doll is part of the company’s historical character collection, which also features “resourceful”, “patriotic” and “optimistic” dolls of other races set in stories from centuries and decades past. And as I recently learned, Abby is not new. In fact, she has been on American Girl’s shelves for many years.

Here’s the problem. Of all the potential situations in which they could have set an African American doll in history, slavery was the best they could come up with? She couldn’t have been the daughter of someone like Elizabeth Jennings Graham, a black teacher in the 1800s who also won a civil rights case after she stood up for herself when being forced off a streetcar? An aspiring artist or poet during the Harlem Renaissance? Or for heavens sake, a child witnessing history being made during the Civil Rights movement? I could think of at least a dozen other possibilities off the top of my head with a more positive tone than the one the company chose.

I would sincerely like an explanation. Were there no objections to this doll throughout the planning and production processes?

Say what you want about the historical reality of slavery, because we all know it happened. However, there are plenty of other ways in which my daughter will learn about the atrocities committed against people who look like her in this nation’s past. She’ll have a lifetime to learn about the prejudice, racism and white privilege that are still present today. I don’t need her learning that lesson from a doll that is supposed to be a treasured toy that teaches her about friendship and resilience. That lesson is tough to swallow when it comes in such a sad package.

In fairness, they do have another black doll. Cecile, from New Orleans, who is not a slave and, from the literature on their website, who tries to help others in need. Because of this other doll, there will be some people who say I shouldn’t be upset when I could just buy that one. Well, simply put, I can’t imagine why I’d want to spend my money with a company that thinks a slave doll is not just OK, but a good enough idea to sell under the guise of a sickly sweet story about how she learned “freedom isn’t always fair.”

You have failed, American Girl, and it will take a hell of a lot more than a half-assed apology via a press release before you’ll ever get me spend my money on any of your dolls.

No matter how long she’s been around, it’s high time you take Addy off the shelves and invest in sensitivity training for your employees and executives. Little black girls deserve better.

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October 2, 2012

Backpack Programs are Fighting Childhood Hunger (+ What You Can Do)

For those of us who are able to provide three meals a day for our families, it may be difficult to imagine that there are millions of children throughout the nation who go to school hungry. They rely on the free or reduced price breakfast and lunch they via the National School Lunch program, but what happens when they go home for the day? For the weekend?

On more than one occasion, I have written about Walmart’s efforts to fight childhood hunger. This is one of those issues that is important enough to require constant focus, because it is an issue that we can all help solve together.

One of the ways Walmart is working to end childhood hunger is the BackPack Program, in partnership with Feeding America:

Maybe you’ve never heard of it, but for more than 15 years, the BackPack Program has provided kids with nutritious, easy-to-prepare food to sustain them for the weekend. Nearly 230,000 children are helped by this program every year.

But this program is just one among a myriad of ways Walmart is working to fight hunger. In addition, the company has committed to donating more than 1.1 billion pounds of food from Walmart stores, distribution centers and Sam’s Club locations and awarding $250 million in grants to support hunger relief organizations. Click here or check out the Live Better Facebook app to learn more about their efforts.

As I mentioned above, there are millions of children who need help, and all of us can pitch in. You can encourage your elected officials to implement nutrition programs, help your child’s school start a garden or donate to or volunteer at a local food bank. Download this PDF for tons of ideas on how you and everyone else in your community can participate.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with compensation for sharing my the BackPack Program and their hunger-fighting efforts with you. Participation is voluntary and as usual, all opinions are my own.

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