Blog Action Day ~ CARE Guest Post @ Time Well Spent

By Simon Owens, CARE

Climate change is not only about melting ice caps and polar bears. Climate change is about people.  

Swinging weather patterns are creating disasters on a scale that human civilization has never before witnessed. For the world’s poorest people – the ones least equipped to deal with its effects – climate change is devastating their crops, livelihoods and communities. 

“Climate change is worsening the plight of those hundreds of millions of men, women and children who already live in extreme poverty – and it threatens to push hundreds of millions more people into similar destitution,” says CARE International’s Secretary General Robert Glasser. “A concerted international response to this unprecedented challenge is required if we are to avoid catastrophic human suffering.” 
 

Read on for the rest of Simon’s guest post…

 

Blog Action Day ~ Time Well Spent Helps Suburbanites Reduce Their Carbon Footprint

In case you didn’t know, it’s Blog Action Day 2009 ~ an empowering day where bloggers of all sorts blog about a common topic…This year’s topic is Global Warming…

Blog Action Day is particularly important for changebloggers – those using their blogs as an impetus for positive change. I’m a bit of a changeblogger, but within the context of being a changemaker ~ walking the walk, while talking the talk (or more aptly put, blogging the talk)!  I’m a social entrepreneur in the pre-launch stages of my new business, an innovative model I’ve created in service to my values-driven mission.  If blog action day brings you to my blog for the first time ~ Welcome!  You can see the mission and method in the right-hand column (just a little lower —->).

My work on getting Time Well Spent launched is recorded here on my personal weblog,  the temporary home of my triple-bottom-line enterprise ~ Time Well Spent, An Eco-Arts & Creative Repurposing, Community Enrichment Center on Boston’s North Shore (say that three times fast!).

I invite any new visitors to check out the Welcome page or the Physical Space Form and Function to get a good look at what Time Well Spent is all about… It’s a comprehensive concept… So, a great deal to take in at once, my biggest challenge… But SO worth the extra effort! And, I think readers will find it Time Well Spent as well!

Now, how does Time Well Spent relate to the Blog Action Day topic??!! Read on to find out and see lots of great pics…

Shop Local and Outdoors this Weekend on the North Shore (and Beyond)

SALEM

I am going to visit the Biz Baz in Salem, a weekend-long artisans fair with a witch-y edge in the heart of Salem:

Salem Haunted Happenings So much going on this weekend! Haunted Biz Baz on Essex Street, Wharf Knots on Pickering Wharf, Children’s Day on the Common – and that’s just during the day!

Here’s a link to the official site with the entire calendar of events.

And, here’s a link to the blog.

Read on for more about Salem & details of a great event in Boston & some products you are going to like a “hole” lot…

September DeClutter For Good Results – Mission Accomplished – Business Attire Donated to People Working Hard to Secure a Solid Job

It was so nice to be able to help folks in the suburbs help others who are trying hard to work their way into a better situation…  Use the search tool in the right-hand column to learn more about our recipient organizations – Solutions At Work and Wellspring House.

Accompanied by my parents, I journeyed into Cambridge and, after some interesting twists and turns, found my way to Solutions At Work, where I have been before! Something about Cambridge and me that doesn’t mix! I can handle Boston pretty well, but I always seem to come at Cambridge from a different direction everytime and can’t make heads or tails of where I am… 

Of course, it was worth it ultimately as I was able to deliver the following donations to Solutions At Work where Tracy and a volunteer were hard at work sorting donations and very appreciative of the beautiful items we brought, commenting on the many people who would benefit from them…

Here’s the list of donations brought to Solutions At Work:

14 suits

21 pair of pants

42 shirts

jackets

2 overcoats

1 raincoat

2 business dresses

27 neckties

23 pair of socks

3 belts

6 pair of shoes

I’ll update this post with the total donations made to Wellspring House in Gloucester once I make the delivery! One DeClutter For Good event seems to be running into another ~ I’ll have to work on my time management! The DeClutter For Good donation drives are an extremely rewarding part of the Time Well Spent plan… And, it means I am helping others even as I continue to work on the business launch. Now, I better get back to that business plan…

Thanks again to all who donated! And, to those who didn’t, dont fret! There’s always next time to DeClutter For Good…

Focusing on one topic at a time ~ collectively clearing the clutter to improve the quality of our own daily lives ~ while helping those in need and minimizing our impact on the environment…

Two Chances to See Some Eco-Arts in Person

Open House & Eco-Arts Beginner Project at Time Well Spent

Our DeClutter For Good Drop-Off Day on Saturday, October 17th from 10-4, will include an Open House – Check out the prototype of our Re-Work-Shop and S.O.S. (Sharing Our Stuff) Resource Library, borrow a book and try your hand at a beginner eco-art project if you like!

 Visit Me @ The Essex Clamfest 

 I’ll be enjoying the fall weather with hundreds and hundreds of others at the Essex Clamfest on Saturday, October 24th (Rain date: Sunday, October 25th). I’m going to have an eco-arts table set up with a hands-on project and some eco-bling for sale as I bootstrap my way through the pre-launch and spread my message of mindful awareness of our daily lifestyle and consumer choices as I go… That’s mission-driven business!

Click here to go to my post with examples of eco-arts made by me!

Business Development Manager Position Opened at More Than Words, a Wonderful, Non-Profit, Social Enterprise

More Than Words is one of the organizations I’ve been donating books to from early on in my pre-launch. They are fantastic… And, rather than spend time writing all about them again, may I suggest you put “More Than Words” in the search tool on the right and you can read all about my experiences with this wonderful social enterprise…

Here’s a job opening at More Than Words that I am happy to pass along…

Business Development Manager

Are you ready to apply your business savvy and entrepreneurial spirit to a social enterprise?

Do you love talking on the phone, meeting new people and building partnerships?

Are you excited to teach youth the art of sales, growing a business, & hitting benchmarks?

You may be More Than Words!!

read on for the entire job description…

A Well-Spent Minute ~ Vote for Stay Vocal ~ Quick!

A business doing good on Boston’s South Shore and beyond: Stay Vocal is hip and young and values-driven, trying to make a positive impact on the world, and having a good time doing it! Kinda like Time Well Spent… except the young part… and though I’d like to think I’m hip, my teens might disagree…

Anyway, Green America’s Award would mean a great deal in terms of gaining a broader audience for their STAY VOCAL message.

From Alex, the CEO/Founder of STAY VOCAL:

Some people have asked me what this contest means. I usually say that it’s the equivalent of the Academy Awards in the world of green businesses. Green America’s People’s Choice Award is a contest where we’re trying to get STAY VOCAL recognized as a prominent Green business to enable us to bring our ReUse concept to the masses.

Here’s a link to the STAY VOCAL webpage on the topic, and may I suggest you surf around the site if you have a few extra minutes.

Here’s the link to the voting page at Green America, another site worth spending some time on!

Spread the word and vote for this Massachusetts-based business that is helping to spread the word of REUSE and other positive steps toward raising the collective voice of a progressive, positive, reusing world. Click here to go to their mission page.

Thanks! N.

Time Well Spent in September

I thought I’d provide a few highlights from my month of September, including links to my relevant weblog posts and websites for those who want to learn more:blogged all about it and invite like-minded business people and non-profit professionals to join the LinkedIn group. Just a look at the members’ websites provides a dose of inspiration and humility.

 An inspiring start to the month, I attended a Massachusetts Social Enterprise Networking Group event at Brandeis. I

 Taking my own advice from last month’s e-newsletter, I spent one lovely Sunday afternoon at the Newburyport Farmer’s Market where I had a nice chat with the good folks at Transition Newburyport, talked upcycled jewelry with Eco-Artist Pam Farren
and bought some delicious loose-leaf Irish tea from fair-trade tea purveyors at White Heron Tea. (Fair trade is another great topic for Time Well Spent…Don’t get me started!)

Forcing myself out one weeknight, when I thought I didn’t have any more time to give, I took a short drive to the Hamilton-Wenham library and watched GARBAGE! The Revolution Starts at Home with folks from Hamilton-Wenham Green . I enjoyed it so much that I even found the energy to blog about it!

Racking up the miles, I headed back to Brandeis to hear speaker Jeffrey Hollender, a co-founder of Seventh Generation, who gave all plenty to think about on the merits and challenges of sustainable business models. The event was hosted by the Net Impact Brandeis Chapter graduate students, led by an impressive bunch of inspiring young ladies.  

To wrap up the month, I attended a Speed Networking Event hosted by Net Impact Boston and held at Microsoft’s LEED-Gold Certified offices in Cambridge. Nice digs, to put it mildly! Microsoft is certainly a good neighbor to area service organizations and supporter of sustainable building practices . 

WOW! No wonder September flew by!! And that was just the highlights ~ I can honestly say that it was all Time Well Spent and fuels my drive, determination and enthusiasm for a well-spent October!

Announcing October’s DeClutter For Good Donation Drive ~ Clothes for Kids, newborn to size 20

Focusing your de-cluttering efforts on one topic and contributing toward a drive is manageable, empowering and rewarding… Please join us as we strive to reach our goal of 200 children’s items donated…

  

~ Kids’ Stuff ~

   ~ For Boys & Girls, size newborn to 20 ~

     ~Warm Clothes, Pants, Tops, Sweaters, Sweatshirts ~

  ~ Shoes, Boots, Hats, Mittens, Coats ~

 ~ Summer Clothes Accepted Also ~ 

 ~ Critical Need ~ baby sizes and teen sizes ~

   ~Donations will be given to Cradles to Crayons ~

  ~  C2C Standard: “Good enough for your own child” ~ 

   ~ Drop-Off Day @ Time Well Spent ~

  ~ Saturday Oct. 17, 10-4~  

       

Reply to this post to schedule

alternative drop-off arrangements.

 

Forward this post to local service organizations that might benefit from some of the donations and encourage them to get in touch with Time Well Spent.

  

Some DeClutter For Good links to more details: 

Learn more About Cradles to Crayons by visiting their site or reading my original post about this wonderful organization.  

Learn more about volunteer opportunities for adults and community service opportunities teens.

Learn all about the DeCluttering For Good concept. 

Mark your calendar for November’s DeClutter For Good topic. We’ll be collecting books for More Than Words and other local service organizations.

Volunteer to Help with the DeClutter For Good Drive

~ Volunteer to Help ~

 

Those interested in volunteering to help with this month’s DeClutter For Good drive can email me or comment on this post. It’s a great opportunity to check out the pre-launch office in person for those willing to cover some of the drop-off hours on Saturday, October 17th.  It’s also worthwhile community service for teens looking for meaningful ways to meet their service requirements, add to their resume, and learn about the Time Well Spent model.

 

Adult volunteers can help out by driving the donations, at a time convenient to their schedule, to the Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory in Quincy. You are sure to get a tour of the space and learn more about the wonderful, and wonderfully efficient, system they have in place that helps put “good enough for your own child” clothes and equipment in the hands of children in need.  My original post about Cradles provides a good overview of the important work they are doing and the terrible level of need that exists.

 

Thanks for taking the time ~ N.