Why wait til December? Let's honor Clearsphere with a Community Benefit Project NOW ❤️️❤️️❤️️

[thirry]

Hi folks!  😊

It occurred to me this morning that it might be a good time to honor our friend Clearsphere with a Community Benefit Project now while there are great needs in our local communities that we can address. Conditions may vary where you live, so your creativity will be useful in thinking up a way to help out in your home community, not to mention needs in the larger, state or national community.

With unemployment at record levels, spending money on a project won't be suitable for everyone. Here's an initial list of things I've come up with as a starting point -- or come up with your own plan. Please feel free to add suggestions by posting them in this thread. Efforts small or large can make a difference!

1. Volunteer at a food bank -- hands-on delivery of boxes at a drive-up food bank site

2. Contribute to a food bank -- food items from your pantry or a store, or a monetary donation of even the smallest amount

3. Shop for groceries or drug store items for seniors or disabled neighbors who are unable to go out

4. Offer your services gardening for someone who is unable work in their own yard

5. Give blood -- there's a nationwide shortage

6. If you're musically talented, serenade people who are sheltering in place on their own

7. Get to know your neighbors -- bring your lawn chair and visit from a safe distance

8. Break out the colored chalk and decorate your driveway with art, or with friendly quotes or timeless song lyrics

9. Make and donate face masks

10. Put your thinking cap on and listen to your heart -- there's a world of good things we can accomplish!

A.

[gauntlettgems]

We are making masks!

[1940fc]

All wonderful ideas & tips, Allison! Thanks for thoughtful heads up..I`m sure Clear is smiling right now!

[whering660]

Love it. I’m not responsible for any of this, other than participating...just want to share.

My church has been standing outside the windows at our nursing home and singing to the residents. They love it! 

We have a cruise every Thursday night up and down Main St. We are a town of 2 thousand people, gas is .84 a gallon, so why not?! We honk and wave!

We have also had a parade for our first responders, to just tell them hello and thanks. 😋

The teachers here had a parade and drove every street in the neighborhood to wave to the kids. 

People are just basically good everywhere you go, and I’m proud to be part of this town. We don’t have any incidence of Covid19 here, so we are not locked down as tight as other towns around us. We are being very careful though.

I think Clear would be proud.

Diane

[bat197]

Thanks Allison, I often think of Belinda. She was such a nice person. I'm shopping  and helping my neighbors if they need it and doing what I can. We're pretty much locked down in NY because of so many cases.

[hertzgirlz]

Great ideas Allison--I'm sure Clear would love it.  I bought gift certificates to local restaurants doing takeout and gave them out to grocery store checkers, drug store clerks and postal workers--helps them and the restaurants.

[whering660]

That’s sweet of you. My daughter is a postmaster in a mid-sized PO. It’s very busy. She said a woman brought a big jug of hand sanitizer in a couple of days ago. She said she noticed the jug on the counter was getting low. 

I ❤️ People!

Diane

[theshoppingmom2]

all great ideas!!! thanks for sharing!

[thirry]

You're all wonderfully kind people!

Personally, I've kind of gotten out of the groove over the last couple of weeks. I needed a swift kick in the posterior. Went grocery shopping yesterday and filled my cart for the household and put the bags in the car. Then I went back (stood in a long line again) and filled the cart with non-perishables -- and some leftover Easter candy that was 75% off, for the kids who come through the food give-aways with their parents. Took all those bags to the Second Harvest Food Bank which is conveniently located close to home. The food banks here have been running low on food and they're appealing to the public to contribute.

There are families who go on "bear hunts" with the kids, looking for teddies and other animals in the windows of houses and apartments. I had a teddie taped to the roof of my car but moved it when I had to go out. It's now humanely tied to a tall pole -- former basketball net holder -- in the yard where it can be seen from the street -- decked out with colorful ribbons. The windows in this house are small and I don't think they're very visible.

Love hearing about your activities and projects. Clearsphere would indeed be proud ❤️️

[flipping_treasures]

Great thread and great idea.  I have been giving to the local food bank.  There are so many in need.

[oncoyotemountainart]

I want to live where you live Diane! It sounds lovely. 

[evelyb30]

I'm in the Red Zone in CT, although not in Ground Zero, and I'm in the higher risk categories.  I'm still going grocery shopping and pick up spares for a local food bank.  My church has a donation bin right at the front door.  I'm also making some masks and giving them away.  Giving away some fabric to another church member so she can take up my slack. (LOL)  She was asking on FB for cotton and I'm a quilter/hoarder so....  

I also stuck some a capella recordings on Youtube under OriginalNethead and am going to upload to Facebook sooner or later.  I'm a harmony singer for preference, so singing lead is....weird on a good day.  

[southernmermaid8]

The food banks here are overflowing with food.   My childhood friend ( who calls herself handicapable,  which I LOVE ) picked up Filet mignon,  asparagus,  and baked potatoes last week at the church.   For real!   Also several of our restaurants are cooking food and giving it away free.  The news keeps announcing which ones are participating,  then people just drive through.  It’s very heartwarming. 

Last week I did find some Toilet paper,  Lysol and Clorox wipes that I took to 3 friends that should not leave the house.  

Just wanted to let y’all know,  I reached out to Belinda’s husband again, a follow up to see if we can get some closure.  Haven’t heard back yet,  but will keep y’all posted if I do.  

💙💙💙

Mermaid 🐳

[thirry]

How amazing and wonderful to hear that your food banks are full, Dana. Ours have really been running low, but maybe the population here is larger than in your area. W got a stimulus payment for his late wife, probably because there were odds and ends to straighten out with the IRS from her estate last year. He's holding on to it until the IRS decides what to do with all these payments that shouldn't have been made. There are something like 70,000+ deceased recipients nationwide. We've heard a lot of conflicting information about whether they will or won't ask for return of the money. He and I agreed that if he gets clearance to keep it we're going to donate it. We're thinking Second Harvest again but send them a check. They can buy food from wholesalers at much better prices (or even free) than we can.

I was going to make a big chalk drawing on the driveway but forgot to buy chalk when I was at the store last week.

Carry on with your good deeds, you wonderful people! 🌞🌞🌞

[dream*peddler]

Thanks for reaching out to Belinda's husband, mermaid.  He will feel good to know she hasn't been forgotten.  We're under lockdown here, but I did tip my mail carrier since I've been working from home and also donated to the local animal shelter along with a few other small tokens of appreciation for those who deserve it.  Heartwarming to see the outpouring of care for our fellow human beings.