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Barbara Scoville, LCSW

~ Pioneers of Peace™

Barbara Scoville, LCSW

Tag Archives: Charitable Giving

Ripples on the Ocean of Kindness

03 Sunday Jan 2021

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Ripples on the Ocean of Kindness

Tags

Charitable Giving, Pioneers of Peace

Photo by Emre Kuzu on Pexels.com

If you google the “Starfish Story”, multiple curated images will appear with the beloved story of the old man who came upon a boy throwing starfish back into the ocean. Confused, the old man asked the boy what he was doing. The boy explained the surf was up and the tide was going out. If he didn’t help the starfish, they would die. The old man said, “But son, there are miles and miles of beach and thousands of starfish. You can’t possibly make a difference.” After listening politely, the boy smiled, bent down and picked up another starfish throwing it into the water and said, “I made a difference to that one.” 

As a compassionate knitter, otherwise known as a charity knitter, I have often wondered if the hours of time and money I put into creating hats, mittens, blankets, and booties ever make a difference.

Just last week I was listening to a podcast on “Effective Altruism”. According to the Effective Altruism model, it would appear my time and money could be better spent. In fact, according to that model I should do research on what saves the most lives and currently, that is donating money for mosquito netting to prevent malaria. The model encourages us to donate money to organizations who make it their business to identify the most effective NGO’s and then to just write out a check knowing we have done our part; similar to making contributions to a church’s humanitarian aid fund. 

As a side note in the same podcast, they talked about the guilty pleasure of donating to organizations that are meaningful to us rather than the identified most effective, as if it could be likened to spending money on getting your nails done instead of buying groceries.

A couple of weeks ago I had one of those “I’ll never forget it experiences,” that cracked my heart open. As some of you know in late September I was diagnosed with a low-grade breast cancer that required surgery and subsequent radiation therapy…

One day as I was waiting for my radiation treatment, I saw 2 large white garbage bags filled with knit hats and a basket sitting on the counter overflowing with loomed knitted hats. In my mind I wondered, do people really use those hats. I remember one summer my knitting group made several baby hats and I actually had a hard time finding a hospital that would take them. When I finally found one willing to accept them, I was taken to a room filled with handmade donations. I was then asked to sign a paper saying it was okay if they donated the handknit items to other organizations if they couldn’t use them. I have also heard stories of people finding their donated handiwork at local thrift shops such as Deseret Industries or the Salvation Army. 

So, on a whim as I was walking out I asked the receptionist if they are able to use all of the hats that get donated to them. Frankly, I also wondered about the scratchy yarn that made up most of the hats. How comfortable could that be on a bald head? 

“Just out of curiosity,” I said, “Do people really take those hats? I saw those white bags full and wonder what you do with them all.” I explained that I’m part of a charity knitting group and we wonder if we are doing any good or if we are just filling hospital storage space.

Her reply stunned me.

“Oh yes” she said. “I was worried we wouldn’t get any hats this year due to Covid.” She went on to say, “You have to understand, every 15 minutes we are treating multiple people with radiation and that doesn’t even count everyone who is receiving Chemotherapy.”

And then this…

“You also need to understand we treat people across all incomes; from homeless people to billionaires.”

“Let me tell you a story,” she said.

“Last Christmas we were treating a woman who was homeless. One day after her daily treatment, she was getting ready to leave and she saw the basket of knitted hats. She asked if she could take one.  We said of course, and then she said, “Would you mind if I took a bunch of them? You see all of my friends are homeless too. I would love to give them all a hat for Christmas.”

The receptionist who was telling me the story didn’t have to say another word. We looked at each other in silence, both of us with tears in our eyes. 

We have no idea when we act on an impression of kindness where it will land. My compassionate knitting group meets once a month. We think we are knitting hats for cancer patients, or for elders in indigeneous communities, but once we make our offering it is a mystery as to who will receive it. Someone once shared with me a situation in which a hand-quilted baby blanket was donated to our local children’s hospital. Instead of it being placed in the closet with the other donated blankets, a staff member took it for herself. When I first heard that story, I was disappointed. But now I ask myself, “What is the rest of the story?” 

This year I hope to remember that giving is an act of unconditional love. It is a reminder that we are all connected, whether we know each other or not. I hope to let go of needing to know the end of the story because sometimes the end of the story is much grander than I could’ve ever imagined.

Happy New Year Everyone!

May you be filled with loving kindness. May you be safe from inner and outer harm. May you be happy. May you know you make a difference in this world with every act of kindness you offer.

Blessing,

Barbara

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Synergy and Resilience

11 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in homeless youth, Homelessness, Pioneers of Peace, VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center

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Tags

altruism, Charitable Giving, Charity, Compassion, Energy

PIONEERS OF PEACE LOGO BUSINESS CARD 3inch size

Hello Friends,

If you haven’t checked out the humanitarian arm of Barbara Scoville LCSW, take a  peek at the website www. pioneersofpeace.org. This site, created by myself is designed to cultivate compassion and provide opportunities to give back to your community and the world. There is a wonderful synergy that takes place in the space between giver and receiver. I hope you are making room for it in your life because it is the energy that gives rise to resilience and wisdom.

Currently we are hosting a project called “Operation Love Bundles.” If you have been following this blog, you may recall we did the same thing last February for Valentine’s Day. lovebundlesOct

Essentially we are collecting needed items for our homeless youth to brave the impending cold weather. In Salt Lake City alone, there are over 500 homeless youth, many who are sleeping on the streets and in the canyons.

Our goal is to assemble 200 “Love Bundles” and donate them to VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center by Oct 22.

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Each bundle consists of

  • fleece scarf (Check out the scarf making tutorial at www.pioneersofpeace.org)
  • protein bar
  • pair of new socks
  • handwarmers
  • lip balm
  • paper crane with a inspirational quote written on it

We are asking for donations of hand warmers, new socks, protein bars and handmade fleece scarfs.

While you are out shopping this weekend please remember our homeless youth and throw a package of one of these items in your cart.

Contact me at barbarascoville@pioneersofpeace. org for drop off locations.

Hugs,

Barbara

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The Thanks “giving” Cup Campaign

13 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Pioneers of Peace, Resilience, The Power to Do

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Charitable Giving, Charity, Hunger, loose change, Malnutrition, spare change, Stunted growth syndrome, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, The School Feeding Program, The Thanks"giving" Cup Campaign, United Nation, World Food Programme, World Hunger

This is the reason. It's called stunted growth syndrome and it is irreversible. Can you imagine your child having a brain like the one on the right because you didn't have enough food to feed him or her?

This is the reason. It’s called stunted growth syndrome and it is irreversible. Can you imagine your child having a brain like the one on the right because you didn’t have enough food to feed him or her?

Join me and many others in fighting world hunger this Thanksgiving by saving your spare change between now and Thanksgiving Day and donating it to The School Feeding Program, which is a division of the United Nation‘s World Food Program

Begin by choosing a meaningful cup and start emptying your jingling pockets and bulging wallets into it.

Search under your couch cushions for all of the spare change you can find and send your little children on a quest to find every lost coin hiding in your home and car.

Dig out your old purses and rescue the loose change that is waiting patiently at the bottom to be used for a wise purpose.

The change I found at the bottom of all of my purses. Translation: 23 school meals

The change I found at the bottom of all of my purses. Translation: 23 school meals

What might be clutter to you, could be a meal for a starving child.

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Participating Cups

On Thanksgiving Day add up your change, go to http://www.wfp.org and press the red cup donation button in the top right hand corner of the screen.

This will pull up the donation page. Be sure to click on the school feeding program button.

Last night I made a $10.00 donation to see how it works. I am happy to report it was as easy as pie 🙂 And my $10.00 donation will provide 40 school meals!

That is the best bang for any buck I have ever spent! On top of that I got an oxytocin rush that just keeps coming every time I think about how happy I am that I donated $10.00 instead of spending it at McDonald’s.

The School Feeding Program feeds over 20 million children each day, which is only a fraction of the vast need. Each nutritionally balanced meal is only 25 cents. That means when you spent $20.00 on sushi you could have fed 80 children. Shocking huh!

Hunger Facts

1.    870 million people do not have enough food to eat

2.    98% of the worlds undernourished people live in developing countries

3.    Asia and the Pacific have the highest number of hungry comprising 578 million people, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa with 239 million people, and then Latin America and the Caribbean with 53 million people

4.    Malnutrition is the key factor contributing to one-third of all global deaths (2.6 million per year)

5.    Every 10 seconds, a child dies from hunger related diseases

images6.  There is enough food in the world today for everyone to have the nourishment necessary for a healthy and productive life

PIONEERS OF PEACE WALK NOT JUST TALK

Walk with me. Please

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Spread the word that we can make a difference this Thanksgiving; a holiday in which we celebrate abundance and gratitude. How can we not share?

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Educate yourself by spending just 20 minutes watching the Ted Talk below 

Related articles
  • Make a Difference This Thanksgiving (barbarascovillelcsw.com)
  • EXTRA!!! EXTRA!!! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!! The Answer to The Red Cup Post and Why You Should Care (barbarascovillelcsw.com)

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Make a Difference This Thanksgiving

06 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Pioneers of Peace

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Abundance, Charitable Giving, Gratitude, Pioneer of Peace, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, world, World Food Program, World Food Programme, World Hunger

Image 3

Greetings Friends,

Ok, I know I’m going out on a limb here, but I am going to have courage and share something that is very special to me.

As many of you know, the cause of fighting world hunger is very close to my heart. One of the primary reasons I began this blog almost 1 year ago, was to eventually launch a charitable foundation called, “Pioneers of Peace.” In the past year I have secured the copyright to that title. I have also applied for the copyright to “Pioneers of Peace Walk, Not Just Talk.”

It was my hope that I would spend a year gathering a following, and then launch my foundation. Sadly I have not gained the following I would’ve liked, and so when I ask you to be a part of this I am taking a leap of faith.

I was going to wait until January, but Friday morning something happened. I know now is the time; though the response might be small.

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This is what happened…I was catching up on Facebook when I saw The World Food Program‘s latest plea for help. It was a picture much like all of the others; a little girl holding an iconic green cup (I like the red ones better) advertising the school feeding program which is so near and dear to my heart.

Then it happened…I saw the gruel inside of the green cup transform into coins. Tears came to my eyes and I decided in that moment I was personally going to get an appropriate cup and fill it with all of my spare change between now and Thanksgiving.

On Thanksgiving Day as an expression of gratitude for my abundance I will donate the change to The World Food Program’s School Feeding Program.

children

The thought didn’t stop there. I saw not only one cup brimming with coins, but many. That’s when I knew it was time to ask others to join me, knowing that together we could make a significant contribution.

Everyone has a change jar. As my son has reminded me, those jars are often people’s Disneyland Fund. That may be true, but really? Can’t we donate our change to children who are starving and under the threat of stunted growth syndrome for approximately two months starting today. What better way is there to teach your children about gratitude and charity?

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It only takes 25 cents to provide all of the necessary nutritional requirements for one child per day. How many meals can you provide?

Mother Theresa said, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”

So I am asking you. Please join me in being a Pioneer of Peace by finding a cup worthy of such a collection, and begin saving your spare change. Let us Walk Not Just Talk and share our abundance with those less fortunate on Thanksgiving.  I will be providing more details shortly, but for now please pass the word along.

My cup

My cup

Send me a picture of your cup  ( barbarascovillelcsw@gmail.com) and I will post it for all to see. LET’S DO IT because PIONEERS OF PEACE WALK NOT JUST TALK

Thanks everyone 🙂

Love,

Barbara (The Blog Whisperer)

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