Kindness Begins With Me

If you've found yourself wishing you could afford to donate food to those who are hungry, but there isn't as much money in your budget to allow you to do what you'd like, you might try this solution.

As you may know, I'm a Mormon. On the first Sunday of each month, Mormons go without food or drink--even water--for twenty-four hours. Timed correctly, this is only two meals. (Eat a good lunch, skip dinner and breakfast, and eat lunch the next day exactly 24 hours later.) Then they donate the money they would have spent on those meals to the church to take care of the poor.

You don't have to be a Mormon to do this and you don't have to give the money to the Mormons. Just calculate what you'd spend on two very nice meals and snacks during that time. Donate the money or the equivent food to a food bank, shelter, or other place that cares for the poor.

You spend nothing extra this way, and being hungry for twenty-four hours somehow makes it easier to help those who are hungry on a regular basis. It's not the same to go without food for a short time by choice as it is to be hungry because you can't afford food, but it's a starting place for empathy.

Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081117/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/hunger

Fifty percent more American kids went hungry in 2007 at least some of the year. This is despite food stamp programs, despite food banks, despite school lunches. There is more than enough food, but it's not getting to everyone who needs it all the time.

Note the article is about 2007--before the economy fell apart. How many kids will be hungry this year? What can you do to help? Do you have a few extra cans of food to donate? Does your church have a program you can volunteer in? Do you have a neighbor who would benefit from finding a bag of groceries on her doorstep, or be thrilled to hear, "These apples were a great deal at the warehouse store, but my family will only eat half of them. Would you like the other half?"

FreeRice.com is an easy and educational way to help fight hunger when you don't have money to donate. You learn new things, and every time you get an answer right, twenty grains of rice are donated to the UN's hunger program. Twenty grains of rice isn't a lot, but combined with all the other grains of rice donated, it adds up to plenty.They've donated enough rice to feed two million people so far.

I'm currently working on the vocabulary program. Here's how it works:

A vocabulary word is shown, along with an option to hear it pronounced. I choose from one of four choices for the definition. If I'm right, twenty grains of rice are donated. If I'm wrong, nothing happens, but the word will reappear soon after, so I have a chance to practice it. You start out at a basic level of twenty, as I recall. After a few words, you're bounced up or down to a higher or lower level. The first words are simple enough to help those learning English as a second language. The harder words are the types found on SAT tests. I tend to hover around forty so far, out of sixty. The levels constantly adjust based on the accuracy of your answers. I'm often able to figure out the answer by taking apart the word and looking at the part of speech it is. You're shown a running total of everything you've donated so far--but if you're cookies get deleted, your totals will start over. Check the settings area to see how you want the game to function for you.

There are other subjects being added--multiplication tables, foreign languages, chemistry, and geography, for instance. I haven't tried those yet, being determined to learn every word in the vocabulary game. This can make it a profitable way for homeschoolers to drill while serving, or for public school kids to study.

Everyone benefits from this game. You learn new skills and hungry people get fed. With my limited funds, I am happy to have a way to help beyond my budget.

Be sure to add a banner to your websites to tell others about it.

Hardly a day goes by when I don't read or hear a rude comment about people in this country needing to learn English.

I teach English as a second language at my church. I donate my time and most of the materials, and the class is offered free to anyone, regardless of religion. My students work very hard to learn English.

I am trying to learn to speak Brazilian Portuguese and this has given me great respect for my students. Languages don't come easily to me. They never did, and at almost fifty, I'm past the prime learning stage. I found a few places that offer free courses online because I don't have the time or money to take a class. I have friends from Brazil and most of my students are Brazilians, so I have someplace to go when I have questions. But it's hard. I've been studying faithfully for a long time, and I can't hold a conversation. Since I haven't learned any food words but candy, if I moved to Brazil, and had to ask for my food, I would starve. I can, however, tell you there is a man on the table or that there is a boy in the box. I can tell you what time it is and what clothing I'm wearing. But I can't survive in Brazil, should I move there.

The average three-year-old in a professional family has a 1000 word vocabulary, all based on the words he or she needs to function in everyday life. Do you know how long it takes to learn 1000 words, and even then, the words you learn in a formal class may not be the ones you really need. And then, of course, there is the grammar. The class I'm taking online does not offer grammar. You're supposed to learn it as children do, from the context, which is thoroughly confusing me.

Remember when you took high school Spanish? After two years, you encountered a native speaker and discovered, to your dismay, you didn't have the words to communicate, and they didn't understand your accent anyway.

Keep all this in mind when you are unhappy that someone doesn't speak English, or speak it to your satisfaction. They may well be in the process, but not yet comfortable trying to speak it, just as I am reluctant to speak Portuguese to my friends, knowing my accent and grammar are poor, and I won't know most of the words I need. They may be older or just not skilled at learning a language. It's harder than you think it is going to be when you're just starting out.

My students are learning English far faster than I am learning Portuguese. It was scary for them to start taking this class, but once started, they've put their hearts into it.

Another issue to keep in mind is that not everyone can learn online or alone. Throughout the country, there are shortages of ESL programs, and volunteers, and many who are here are unable to take the classes that are available.

If you're an immigrant and don't speak English, you don't have many jobs to choose from and can be easily exploited because you don't know employment law. They can't tell their bosses they can't work on Wednesdays because they have English class. If they learn English, their boss might not be able to continue exploiting them or they can get a better job. Therefore,their bosses are not motivated to let them have the time off. I've had students who were consistently made to work late on class night, or whose bosses called them on their cell phones repeatedly during classes.

This is one reason small, personalized, and free classes like mine are so critical. My students come when they can. The class isn't intimidating, because there are no grades or tests. We review often and catch up those who miss class.

So, instead of complaining, why not go out and offer to teach a small, impersonal class at a community center or church? Why not volunteer with an organization that provides ESL classes? Do something, rather than just complaining.

Link: http://serviceafol.blogspot.com/

This is an amazing blog on service. Every day you are given a simple challenge that allows you to go out and serve someone. It's a great way to remember service doesn't have to be hard, expensive, or even involve a long-term commitment.

With Christian commentary and scripture stories blended into the articles, you remember why it matters that you do something outside yourself every day.

The challenges are easy--offer an encouraging word, send a thank you note...one challenge involves buying an extra hat or pair of gloves and giving it to someone in need.

This is a blog you can't live without if you want to live the way the Savior lived. Check it out--and follow the blogger on Twitter to help you remember the daily challenge.

http://serviceafol.blogspot.com/