Passing Along Thanks from October recipient of our DeClutter For Good Donation Drive

Passing along kind words of thanks from Cradles to Crayons, a wonderful organization doing so much good for children in need in MA. It will be a pleasure to continue to provide assistance to C2C through future donation drives!  In case you missed it, you may read my post about Cradles to Crayons or visit their site.

 

Hi Nancy,

This email is to thank you one more time for supporting Cradles to Crayons by coordinating a collection drive.  Everything C2C is able to accomplish is the direct result of people like you who dedicate their time so that we have the resources necessary to provide our kids with the everyday essentials.  I have attached a certificate of appreciation.  I hope you will pass on my gratitude to anyone else involved.

 Kindest regards,

Josh

Josh Nespoli

Cradles to Crayons
The Giving Factory

All I can say is, Josh, on behalf of Time Well Spent and those who donated to our drive, the pleasure was ours! Keep up the wonderful work, Nancy

CSRwire.com ~ A Site Worth Checking Out

I’m really buoyed by this recent find on the internet. The site is CSRwire.com with the initials standing for “Corporate Social Responsibility,” a term that is common to me at this point in my pre-launch research. Assuming those reading this entry haven’t necessarily spent the first half of the year researching new trends in all things socially- and environmentally-responsible as part of a triple-bottom-line business start-up, here’s a bit from their About CSRwire page:

CSRwire is the leading source of corporate social responsibility and sustainability news, reports and information. CSRwire members are companies and NGOs, agencies and organizations interested in communicating their corporate citizenship, sustainability, and socially responsible initiatives to a global audience through CSRwire’s syndication network and weekly News Alerts. CSRwire content covers issues of Diversity, Philanthropy, Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) Environment, Human Rights, Workplace Issues, Business Ethics, Community Development and Corporate Governance.

CSR is defined as the integration of business operations and values, whereby the interests of all stakeholders including investors, customers, employees, the community and the environment are reflected in the company’s policies and actions.

So, finding another site referencing “corporate social responsibility” isn’t the source of my excitement.

What then has me so jazzed? I’m glad you asked…

First of all, I find it encouraging to see that the site’s membership list includes literally hundreds and hundreds of companies, many of which are well-known. Some names that caught my eye include Proctor & Gamble, Pepsico, Disney, Gap, American Express, Stop & Shop and Staples, to name just a few.  Check out the membership list for yourself! Each member profile includes contact information, company description and an archive of news releases touting their socially- and environmentally-motivated activities.

My THEORY ~ Doing Good Feels Good and Begets More Doing Good

Whether motivated by the belief that “doing good” makes good business sense or by the values-driven motivation that I’d like to believe a growing number of people genuinely embrace (those organizations which incorporate doing good into their business goals because the people running the company follow a  “being a good human” internal compass), it’s all good if the result is increased awareness and action that is positive in terms of impact on people and planet… What’s more ~ I firmly believe that the “good” feelings generated by doing good will become their own reward, fueling this trend toward purpose-driven living and happier lives. Now that’s exciting!

Measuring Social Return on Investment (SROI) -Another exciting trend…

Read on…

Multi-Tasking at Time Well Spent ~ DeClutter Your Books and Drop In for a Visit

Since I’m going to be at the office all day Sunday anyway, I’d love to show off my temporary space (such as it is!) to folks who have the time and inclination to drop by! The office serves as a mini-prototype of my envisioned Repurpose Collaborative Center. Feel free to stop in, have a light snack and a look around.

 

If you already have some clutter in mind for Time Well Spent from the DeClutter For Good lists and it makes things easier for you, plan to bring it along.  I’ll issue clutter credits for the items you donate as we begin to get that pilot program off the ground. Check the small things and big things if you might want to make the most of your decluttering efforts this week. If so, please be in touch so that we can be sure my space and needs are a match for your decluttering efforts.

 

Too busy? I totally get that! If concentrating on the More Than Words/Time Well Spent BOOK donations is all you can handle this weekend, please focus on that. If you don’t have books to donate or if things are too hectic to participate this time around, that’s okay, too. 

Let’s face it, your clutter will still be waiting for you, tripping you, messing up your house, gently reminding you of its hard-to-forget presence!  No guilt, no stress, deep breaths… There’s always next month… Ever heard the old riddle, “How do you eat an elephant?”  The answer, “One bite at a time!” Reminds me of the challenge of clearing our clutter AND the challenge of starting my mission-driven business ~ One bite at a time, one step at a time, one day at a time…

 

 

 

More Than Words ~ Well-Named Quasi-Social Enterprise Serving Teens

Just as I researched Cradles to Crayons before choosing them for last month’s DeClutter For Good Weekend, I checked out the organization that Time Well Spent will be gathering donations on behalf of this month.  AND, just as I was impressed with the Cradles to Crayons business model and results, so too was I impressed by this month’s organization we will “DeClutter For Good” in support of. The name of the organization is appropriately More Than Words…

The More Than Words name and original logo were created by teens originally involved in the organization. The logo has since been updated to incorporate a greater than symbol, but the name and mission remain the same.

More Than Words is a non-profit but operates as a hybrid of sorts, raising a portion of their operating funding through sales of used books online and at their brick-and-mortar bookstore (and recently-added coffee stop) on Moody Street in Waltham, a large suburb north of Boston. The selling of used books is the means to the end. The true purpose lies in empowering at-risk teens with business and life skills and, I would add, in gaining a level of self-respect and self-confidence that the teens achieve through their experience at More Than Words.

I visited More Than Words last week and am so glad I did. It was certainly time well spent! Read on for all the details…

DeClutter For Good – October Drive – BOOKS – 10/19

Books, books, books… I think Jerry Seinfeld did a comedy bit pondering the age-old question of what makes books so special that we cling to them even after having read them, including those we never intend to read again, or those we never did read (or likely ever will)… As usual, I am GUILTY, GUILTY GUILTY! I’m not casting stones, I assure you, from the vantage of my glass house! I often reference the thirty-something gardening titles I accumulated as I took up gardening (this in response to reaching my 40th birthday!).

I am so excited about my solution to our book overload… With an older, wiser, more frugal and more environmentally-aware mind-set, no longer will taking on a new hobby cause an online book-shopping spree. You need only drop by Time Well Spent and peruse books to your heart and mind’s content…  How so? At Time Well Spent, we have a Shared Resource space, where folks can flip through a book on a new area of interest or check out the latest magazines (freeing yourself up to cancel subscriptions at home!). You can read more about my vision for the Shared Resource/Learning & Sharing Space by clicking on this link. What’s more, this growing collection of books does not exist merely in my imagination. It is a growing space at my temporary/prototype space in Ipswich.

I encourage those of you with extra books cluttering the bookcases, basements and corners of your homes to start sorting through those books with our DeClutter For Good Weekend in mind. October’s DeClutter For Good Donation Focus is BOOKS. So, roll up those sleeves (put on a dust mask if you are allergic to dust ~ I know of what I speak) and start to go through your books in anticipation of the third weekend of the month, our standard donation weekend, always with a shifting focus. As we declutter our homes one topic at a time, so will we be helping others and the environment through our collective efforts to DeClutter For Good. The Weekend Drive will be held on Sunday, October 19th from 10am-4pm at my temporary/prototype space in Ipswich.

This month, your donated books will serve one of two purposes.  The majority of the books donated will be happily delivered to More Than Words to support their efforts to make a difference in the lives of teens they serve as well as the attitudes of the community that learns through the examples set by More Than Words, an organization that is more than worthy.  For all the details, read my post about More Than Words. Time Well Spent will add those donated books to our own growing library that represent topics of interest (self-help, hobbies, business, inspirational biography).

Win- Win – Win!!! Helping at-risk youth by donating to More Than Words, growing the Time Well Spent collection of self-help books, and reducing the number of books cluttering your home, while still able to visit some favorite titles at Time Well Spent…

Actually WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN with the fourth win being the environment as we reduce books being added to landfills by reusing old books and reducing future purchases by sharing books at Time Well Spent.

Really old books? We can use them in mixed media art and altered book art, but that is a post for another day! Until then, N.

Senior Scrapbooking Info Night

As you may or may not realize, I intend to use my business as a multi-purpose space for, among other things, workshops of interest to those in the community. Though still in my pre-launch phase, I’d like to take the opportunity to share some great information and a great offer from my dear friend, Carol LeBlanc. Carol is a Creative Memories Consultant and has worked with me on projects before, including the 10th year anniversary albums for the Irish dance school with which my girls and I spent so many years.

My eldest, who just turned 18 (how’d that happen?), is a senior this year and Carol and I have tossed around the idea of using a group setting to get the rather daunting task of creating an album under control. No scrapbooking experience is needed as Carol is great at talking folks through the process, hand-holding included if necessary! There is no obligation to participate if you attend the info session so please consider a short hour or two out. I’d love the opportunity to share my space with folks, so attending the info session would fulfill that intent as well. Multi-tasking! Further along the lines of multi-tasking, you may bring donations of craft materials, books or other items on my DeClutter for Good List (http://twsblog.wordpress.com/declutter-for-good-the-list/), but don’t feel obligated. Arriving empty handed is more than okay. It will mean a great deal to me just to have you check the space out and hear about the scrapbooking opportunity!

Here are more details from Carol:

Graduation is fast-approaching for your teen and you may be starting to think about a special gift to give from the heart. Here’s the perfect solution! A scrapbook filled with memories of your child’s life! Unlike the baby books that many of us started and never quite finished, this scrapbook will document milestones, special events and everyday moments and you will finish it!!!

Love the idea, but don’t know where to begin? Come to a free informational session to find out more. Learn how easy it is to get started. If you decide to sign-up, there will be a six-month session with one 2 hour session each month. No experience is required. You’ll learn everything you need to know and get all the guidance you need to succeed in creating your scrapbook.

Thursday, October 16 at 7pm

@ Time Well Spent pre-launch office

89 Turnpike Road, Suite 208/209

Feel free to RSVP by commenting below or emailing me at nancy.gallantATcomcastDOTnet .

Questions/Comments, just ASK!!

Cradles to Crayons DeClutter For Good Wrap-Up ~ Time Well Spent!

In response to my first monthly donation drive, several local friends did some DeCluttering For Good to benefit Cradles to Crayons. Pam T donated all kinds of pre-teen purses and bags along with some great pre-teen girls clothing.  Girls of all ages always love a new bag! Eileen K’s donations included a like-new classic red tricycle that I can certainly envision bringing great joy to a pre-schooler who might not otherwise experience this very innocent and classic rite of passage. Carol L donated books and some beautiful never-used baby boy outfits that some new mother will lovingly dress her baby in. Debbie F cleaned out her attics of several pieces of baby equipment, a category of items in great demand at Cradles to Crayons.  When all was said and done, the contributors had some cleaned out corners and happy smiles to show for their time spent.

A Teen Volunteer at Cradles to Crayons

For all the details of my tour of Cradles to Crayons and their wonderful set-up, read on…