Archive for September 4, 2017

A Day for Our Spouse

September 4, 2017 Comments Off on A Day for Our Spouse

Today is Labor Day.  We might have relaxation and a BBQ with friends in mind.  Maybe we’ll  even give a passing thought to all the workers we meet daily where we work or eat lunch.  But what about those closer to home?  Do we show appreciation for the work our spouse does around the house or for our family? Who labors over the gardening, laundry, cooking, planning, driving, finances, or myriad other tasks that keep a family running smoothly?  Probably us or our spouse.  Take a moment today—and often—to say “thank you” for something he or she does on a regular basis.  Simple words of gratitude, especially when spoken frequently, remind people that what they do is noticed and drives off that slithering snake of resentment, whose bite poisons relationships.

 

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Clothing Out of Waste

September 2, 2017 Comments Off on Clothing Out of Waste

Meet Zero Waste Daniel.  He makes clothing…and helps the Earth.  He’s part of the Zeo Waste Movement.  In his case, he collects the tons of textiles that clothing manufacturers toss into the landfill and makes unique wearable items.  See how he does it:

https://www.facebook.com/NowThisNews/videos/1545674968855955/

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Helping Flood Victims–Don’t Do This

September 1, 2017 Comments Off on Helping Flood Victims–Don’t Do This

There are tragedies and suffering from catastrophes in various parts of the world, including floods in our own country.  You probably want to help somehow. For most of us, all we can do is to donate to charities that are on the scene helping the victims.  Go ahead.  But be sure those donations do some real good for real people rather than enriching scam artists or CEOs.  Clark Howard offers some tips:

  • Don’t give cash. Legitimate charities will take a check.
  • Don’t give out your credit card, bank account or personal information to telemarketers. If you want to donate, initiate the call yourself.
  • Don’t fall for Internet appeals if the cause does not look legitimate and doesn’t check out. Make sure to do your research!
  • Expect specific information. Ask what kind of relief this organization is going to provide. Don’t accept vague explanations.
  • Check out the charity with national, state, and local authorities. Established charities register with the Internal Revenue Service. You can search for specific non-profit organizations on the IRS website: irs.gov.
  • Beware of newly formed organizations. If the charity is new, you may have to rely on your relationship with the company or sponsor of the organization to determine whether you trust the group.
  • Report abuses to the nearest Better Business Bureau and the State Attorney General’s office. Both are listed in local telephone directories. You can also report abuses to the National Fraud Information Center at (800) 876-7060. NFIC also has a web-based complaint form at www.fraud.org.

And here’s one of my own:  Check to see how much of your donation will go to charitable work as compared to administrative costs (including CEOs) and fundraising costs.  Look them up at www.CharityNavigator.org or the Better Business Bureau site www.BBB.give.org.

For more tips on donating, check out Clark’s Donation Guide.

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