Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Product Red at Starbucks


This week’s idea does involve money but it’s probably money that you are already spending and it is inspired by World AIDS Day which happens to be tomorrow, December 1. As the holidays draw near we tend to think of what we want to get others for the holidays. It also means colder weather which tends to bring on a plethora of hot drinks being made. With that being said, the next time you visit Starbucks think about getting a (Starbucks)Red gift card. Every time the card is used, through 2011, 5 cents is donated to the global fund to help fight AIDS. In addition, if you register it online, at https://www.starbucks.com/card, you can earn points towards free syrups, refills, and even free drinks while you are also donating money! To find a listing of more companies that sell Product(Red) you can go online to their website, http://www.joinred.com/. I am focusing on the Starbucks(Red) card because it is an easy way to give and something that many people enjoy. Along with the gift card, and other Product(Red) items like mugs, on December 1, .05 cents will be donated to the “Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa” for every hand-crafted drink that is made. So when you are thinking about gifts, or just wanting to get something for yourself, this holiday season think about getting a gift card that gives back. Just remember that this gift card gives both ways! Happy Giving!

Until next week,
Annie

Friday, November 26, 2010

Free Rice


This week’s entry is inspired by the desire to just sit and burn off the big meal many of us had yesterday! The web site for our week is free rice which donates 10 grains of rice every time you answer a question correctly. The goal of the website is to donate food to others while testing those who visit on different subjects, like English vocabulary, art, chemistry, French, Spanish, German, Italian, math, and geography (you can change the subject by clicking on “change subject” in the right corner by the question being asked). It’s a great site and you can donate food to those who most need it rather quickly. So even if you just have a few minutes, go onto the site and answer 10 questions. Happy quizzing!

Until next week,
Annie

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Huddle to Fight Hunger


Right now is the time many people give donated canned goods, turkeys, etc. but that all costs money. A month or so ago I came across this week’s entry organization. I have a feeling I had seen it advertised many times before and just didn’t pay attention. What I’m talking about is “Huddle To Fight Hunger”. Kraft foods has teamed up with Feeding America to donate meals. When you join “the huddle” a meal is donated, when you watch one of their videos on YouTube another meal is donated. On the site there is a tab to “The Playbook” which gives you more ways to donate a meal. It is very easy and a meal can be donated in less than a few minutes just by clicking on the "join" tab and filling out the information. So whether or not you are able to donate canned goods this fall to your local charity by joining the “Huddle To Fight Hunger” you will be doing that without spending any money.

Until next time,
Annie

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Coke Rewards


This week’s entry is inspired by the upcoming holidays and the parties that will be held at your houses or ones that you will be attending. I have a feeling that many of you are unaware that the coke bottle you are drinking or the 12-pack of diet coke you have or the 36-pack of sprite in your pantry has a code on it worth 3, 10, 25 points that can be used as a donation. Coca Cola has come up with mycoke rewards, which is a program that lets its drinkers enter codes online and get things with them. There are many sweepstakes and items that can be “bought” with these points but better yet and to the point of this blog they can also be donated. The places your points can be donated have expanded by quite a bit since I started entering codes. Three years ago when my roommate and I were taking the bottle caps of coke products at basketball games Toys for Tots was the organization where your points were donated. Because of this I have remained loyal to them and save my points throughout the year so that each December I can donate my points to go towards Toys for Tots. You can also donate to a school or other good and worthy causes.
Personally I am not someone who drinks Coca Cola products but right now I have 256 points in my account. Whenever I am in a household that drinks Coke products I ask if I can take their codes, etc. It is very easy to sign up for an account but if you do not want to go through the hassle of signing up and entering every code that you have, etc. then I would encourage you to respond to this post with your codes. I will be more than happy to enter them and you all know that they are getting donated. You are more than welcome to do this throughout the year because I am always entering codes. They are on the bottle cap of any coke product bottle, the flap that you open on your 12-pack, and on the 36-pack there is a dotted box on the bottom which has the code. So this holiday season, and throughout the rest of the year, when you are having a party or attending one don’t forget to save the coke products that have codes, ask your family and friends for them or get them from your work place. Happy drinking!

Until next time,
Annie



Friday, November 5, 2010

The Hunger Site


One of the joys of having the internet is the ability to donate to the causes you like and that do good work without even donating any money. This brings me to my first way to give back, the hunger site. I have been going to this site for over five years each morning and simply click on the button that says “Click Here to Give – Its Free”. I then click on the tabs for Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy, Rainforest, and Animal Rescue and click on those buttons to donate for those causes. It costs you nothing, takes probably a minute out of your day and helps give food, mammograms, health care, books to people who are in need of these and can’t afford them, as well as saves the rainforest and gives food to animals. As you can see they also have a link to “free ways to help” so if you have some time and want to do more, then please visit that page. Until next week, Have Fun and click away!

Sincerely,
Annie