Activistas

World's Biggest Baby Shower: You Bring the Gifts!

I've been to a baby shower or two in my day.  I like them.  Celebrating pregnant mamas and babies just feels good to me.  So if a bunch of 10 friends and grandma warms my heart, get a load of this: for two solid weeks this month (April 12-27) you can donate baby items that will be distributed to families in need.  A community baby shower!  An excellent opportunity to welcome all babies into our village.  Genious. 

How It Works: It couldn't be simpler. You donate and/or collect needed baby items for Northwest Children's Outreach and the agencies they serve in the Portland and Vancouver areas.  You've probably heard of some: Good Neighbor Center, Albina Head Start, LifeWorks NW, and Virginia Garcia Healthy Start, to name a few. 

What to Donate? Just check the web site for a comprehensive list.  Some items I noticed are: car seats, pacifiers, receiving blankets, bouncy seats and wipes.  All new, of course, and no gift wrap.

Where to Take It All?  Four options, mamas: April 12th Portland Trail Blazers game, Lloyd Center Mall, Westfield Vancouver Mall, and any Mattress World.

Host a shower!  Go ahead, mamas, kick it up a notch.  A fun way to bolster donations and encourage friends to get involved is to host a baby shower at your house, only there's no specific baby, it's all to be donated!  Good excuse for a get together with some mama friends and the host delivers the donations afterwards.  Love that.  If you want to use Activistas to organize a 'shower,' e-mail us, we're game.  Remember our holiday Adopt-A-Family effort?  This could be like Christmas in April!

The Season of Giving: Adopt-A-Family Update

We did it!  We collected a LOT of food and gifts from 13 uM families on Sunday at Urban Grind NE (what a great spot) and delivered it to the Salvation Army today (thanks, Olivia!).  They, in turn, will pass it along to 'our family' on the 20th.  This was a true collective effort, bringing together uM families from all over Portland to give this mama and her three kids a little lift for the holidays.  We provided all the required food (and then some) and came through on even the hard-to-find gifts (4 stores for the v-smile!). Plus... the very generous gift certificates that readers and the blog gave for Old Navy, Freddie's, and Bed, Bath & Beyond.  And, of course, we met new friends.  Always a plus.

I give, You give, We all give...on i.Give?

I've heard of iGive.com, I've visited the web site, I've even considered using it to raise funds for our kids' school.  But somewhere in the back of my head I am hearing phrases like: it's too good to be true & there's no such thing as a free lunch.  Is it too good to be true?  Or is it, in fact, a free lunch?  As they describe it: You shop, they win!  Help your favorite cause for free.  Doesn't that sound too good to be true, mamas?  Much as I oppose most advertising, I do understand its role in all this, so maybe that's the deal here?  Buyers forced to see a few ads, money flows to charity.  Now that kind of advertising I can take.  Like the vocabulary & rice game we shared recently.

Anyone have experience with iGive?   How, exactly, did it work?  From what I can tell, the only minor hassle is that you have to shop through the iGive website (an extra step), and you have to confirm that the store you're purchasing from is participating.  And, of course, someone's got to set up the charity as a recipient.  Are there other online giving sites like this that might be better?  Do tell!

Adopt-A-Family with Activistas: Join Us 12.16.07

Details at long last.  We are really excited about this!  I, for one, have wanted to "adopt" a family at the holidays for years, and finally just decided that 2007 was the year.  I have always participated in a holiday "store" through work, but this is different.  For me, this is a more personal connection to a very real local mama who needs a little help making the holidays great for her three kids.  Read on, mamas, and join us on the 16th.  It'll be fun to connect, chat, and  - most importantly - share any extra that we might have.  If there are anough of us (my hope!), we can add another family.  How great would that be?

Our Family: A single mama with three kids: 2 girls (6 & 7) and a 9-month old baby boy.

The Salvation Army's Adopt-A-Family Program - in case you're the type who needs info straight from the horse's mouth or, better yet, you want to adopt your own family this year!  They usually have more families than sponsors, so jump in.

You In?  Perfect.  We'll be at Urban Grind East from 3 to 5 on Sunday the 16th - bring the kids, natch.  R.S.V.P. & let us know what you'll bring in the comments section - but please but don't forget to read what others have already signed up for (we're updating the list to note what is already taken care of, too).  Once you commit you can un-commit (we know how that can be!), but PLEASE let us know in advance so we can fill in the gaps.  While our events are usually show-up-if-you-can style, this one is a little different by necessity.  Also, we need a sleigh: gifts must be delivered to The Salvation Army  on Tuesday, 12/18 - you free? 

Can't Make It?  Don't worry, you can still donate!  Let us know what you'll be bringing in the comments section and we'll let you know where our drop spot is.

To see what you can bring - for the table and under the tree, read on!

Vocabulary & Rice: Odd Bedfellows?

It's true that tetrus almost prevented me from completing my senior thesis in college.  And it's possible that this little game could prevent me from earning a paycheck.  Forewarned is fairwarned, mamas.  So you can test your vocabulary, learn more vocabulary, and feed the world (albeit slowly) all at once.  Too good to be true?  Nope.  That's the beauty of advertising.  They pay for everything.  You look, they pay.  Simple as that. 

But it's fun...and more than a little addictive.  Got 30 minutes...or more?  Check it out.  Free Rice.  Here's how they describe this, uh, game:

Trick or Treat with a Purpose ~ 10.31.07

• Unicef is good.  Standard, but very good.  Got your box already?  If not, there's still time!  You can easily do a zip code search and find the nearest pick-up location (think: your kids' schools).  You can also download tons of great Unicef stuff to make your own collection system, stickers, posters, you name it.  Ever wondered where all the money goes?  Or how much money trick or treaters collect every October ($4.5 million in '06!)?  What Unicef stands for (think United Nations) or how long this trick-or-treating thing has been going on (57 years!!)?? 

Not the Unicef Type?  Prefer to Make a More Local Impact?  Good news!  Here are two local events on the 31st that your family can join up with:

1. Canvass for Kids Health Care in SE!  Ever gotten out the vote in costume?  Never say never, mamas.  Canvass for Measure 50, the Healthy Kids Initiative, while your kids trick-or-treat.  Get yer costumes on and meet up at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Portland office at 3536 SE 26th Avenue (just S of Powell).  Tricks & treats for canvassers of all ages from 4:30-6:30, with the neighborhood canvass launching at 5:30. 

Think you might go?  RSVP by e-mail or call (503) 239-8800.  The tobacco companies are spending BIG to defeat this measure, mamas.  If we don't step it up in the next 10 days, well, I don't want to think about it.  Don't forget to check out our earlier post on this Measure and the importance of voting early.

2. Help Stop Global Warming in St. John's! Sierra Club's Scare Away Global Warming - trade CFLs for treats!  RSVP by e-mail or call (503) 243-6656 x 302.

Know of any other do-good trick-or-treating activities for kids around town?  In other neighborhoods?  Do tell.  And eat some candy while you're at it, wouldya???