Today is World Humanitarian Day, as declared by the UN. Despite the global scale and lofty goals (plus a song from Beyonce, making it all official) this truly begins at home.
Who, me? What can I do? You may ask.
Start small. Spend an electronics free day. Unplug appliances not in use. Participate in meatless Monday. Use a permanent water bottle or coffee mug. Bring your lunch in a reusable bag.
Plant a tree or two.
Adopt a shelter pet.
Use non toxic cleaning products.
Recycle.
Donate unwanted items to churches, community centers or organizations or post on free cycle to keep out of the landfill.
Support an organization like the Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, WWF or other group that supports conservation of our natural resources.
Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Donate to a food pantry. Buy local when you can. Grow your own.
Use a low flow shower head. When replacing appliances look for energy star. Do things to reduce your carbon footprint.
Pick an organization to support. My choice is Episcopal Relief and Development (www.er-d.org). They have initiatives worldwide providing mosquito nets, sustainable farming and sell fair trade products. I'm also an advocate for 10,000 Villages which is a store that sells fair trade products.
There are a thousand little things to show we are all human.
Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity. Margaret D. Nadauld
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