What to do with those old cellphones? Donate them to battered women shelters.

Recently, when I was cleaning out my basement closets, I came across three old cell-phones.  I haven't used these phones in years.  Once the brief walk down memory lane was over, I found myself wondering what to do with the phones.  As noted in prior posts, it is not a sound environmental practice to simply throw these phones away.  So I considered recycling them.  But as I thought more and more, I wondered if there was any way in which these old phones could be put to good use.  So I pulled up the ever-so-trusty Google search page and away I went.

I was surprised by what I found.  The most consistent advice that came of my google search was to donate these old phones to battered women shelters.  It is difficult to ever understand the experiences that these women go through.  Often, in their efforts to get away from the abuser, they are forced to leave with little notice and with little in the way of resources.  Donating your old cellphones to shelters is just one of the many ways in which you can help these women rebuild their lives.

EHow.com explains:

"Landfills in the United States accumulate 65,000 tons of cell phones each year. Such waste pollutes waterways and soil, and the incineration of cell phones creates air pollution. Companies and organizations have begun offering solutions to this problem that help people in need at the same time. Women's shelters across the country accept cell phone donations, with accompanying batteries and chargers, for their victims to make 911 calls in emergency situations. Such calls can be made on any cell phone, regardless of whether service is activated.

Preparation

1. It is important to delete all your personal information if you're planning to donate your cell phone. This includes stored phone numbers, call history and text messages. Make sure that the service is disconnected to avoid any fees. Also be sure that the phone works and that the battery stays charged. A working charger must accompany the cell phone donation. If the phone doesn't work or you don't have the charger, you should recycle the phone.

Where to Donate

2. Shelters for battered women are not easy to find because the victims need to be protected from their abusers. Some shelters list donation information online, but they are not likely to list any direct contact information. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence offers a nationwide mailing service for donated cell phones; they will even provide a shipping label for a box or padded envelope so you won't have to pay for postage (see Resources section). In addition, the NCADV offers a tax-deduction receipt. If you're purchasing a new cell phone, ask if your service provider takes donations for shelters. Some provide this service locally by partnering with a specific shelter. In such cases, a representative from the shelter picks up the donated phones."

CPR: A Simple Skill Can Save A Life

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which is a combination of "rescue breathing" and chest compressions. Learning CPR requires little effort at all and is a relatively simple skill to learn. Knowing how to perform it is a tremendous service as you may find yourself in the position some day of saving another's life, possibly a family member, close friend, a child or even a complete stranger.

The University of Washington reports that "sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in adults. Most arrests occur in persons with underlying heart disease. CPR doubles a person's chance of survival from sudden cardiac arrest." Additionaly, they note that "75% of all cardiac arrests happen in people's homes."

Kidshealth.org simplifies the process, explaining:

The three basic parts of CPR are easily remembered as "ABC": A for airway, B for breathing, and C for circulation.

"A is for airway. The victim's airway must be open for breathing to be restored. The airway may be blocked when a child loses consciousness or may be obstructed by food or some other foreign object. In a CPR course, participants learn how to open the airway and position the child so the airway is ready for rescue breathing. The course will include what to do to clear the airway if you believe an infant or child has choked and the airway is blocked.
B is for breathing. Rescue breathing is begun when a child isn't breathing. Someone performing rescue breathing essentially breathes for the victim by forcing air into the lungs. This procedure includes breathing into the victim's mouth at correct intervals and checking for signs of life. A CPR course will review correct techniques and procedures for rescuers to position themselves to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to infants, children, and adults.
C is for circulation. Chest compressions can sometimes restore circulation. Two rescue breaths should be provided and followed immediately by cycles of 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths. It is not necessary to check for signs of circulation to perform this technique. This procedure involves pushing on the chest to help circulate blood and maintain blood flow to major organs. A CPR course will teach you how to perform chest compressions in infants, children, and adults and how to coordinate the compressions with rescue breathing."

The University of Washington has put together a wonderful site designed to education the public about CPR. That website can be found here.

The Environmentally-Friendly Car Wash Method

It is officially summertime. With the nice weather kicking in, the number of car washes drastically increases. Across the country, people park their cars in their driveway or street and drag out the hose and soap. But these methods can have detrimental impacts on our environment. Fortunately, there are easy ways to accomplish your goals of achieving a shiny, clean car while avoiding the harmful effects on the environment and, hence, the community.

The primary, harmful effects of traditional home car washes are two-fold. First, the use of hoses significantly increases the amount of water that is used during the car wash, which leads to an unnecessary waste of our water supply. According to the EPA, using a hose for home car washes results in the use of approximately ten gallons per minute, compared to the few total gallons used with two buckets.

Not only does this waste a valuable natural resource, but it also increase your costs. Water bills around the country go up in the summer time as a result of home car washes.

The second harmful effect of the traditional home car wash has to do with run-off. Run-off from home car washes includes soap, detergents, mud, rubber, and grease. This run-off enters the storm-drains, which emtpy out into lakes, rivers, harbors and oceans.

The EPA recommends using a commercial car wash or, if trying to save money, use buckets without soap at home. If washing at home, the EPA recommends doing it in a grassy area or a driveway that empties into the grass or garden. If neither of these exist, consider asking friends to wash your car at their home, where more suitable conditions might exist.

I have adopted a method over the years that accomplishes these goals. I use two buckets of water and a sponge. I have found that soap is unnecessary. With a sponge, water and a few towels, you can make your car look just as shiny and clean as with soap or detergents.

By making a small change in how you wash your car at home, you can have a tremendous, positive impact on your community by helping preserve the precious water supply and keeping the waterways clean. But if that's not enough, consider the selfish benefit of this approach. The bucket method of water only saves you a tremendous amount of money on your water bills as well as soap/detergent supplies.

For more information and recommendations, check out the following website, which discusses EPA data and recommendations.

Host A Neighborhood Barbeque

Alright.  So you may be asking yourself how hosting a neighborhood barbeque provides a service to the community?  The answer is actually quite simple:  A neighborhood barbeque builds community relationships.  Even if it just involves the neighbors on your immediate block, that's a great start.   Getting to know your neighbors helps keep you informed about what's going on in your area.  Strong neighborhood relationships improve the quality of life for the entire block.  They can lead to formal or informal neighborhood watches.  Sometimes neighbors work together to improve the overall appearance of the block whether that involves picking up litter, improving the landscaping, etc.  Knowing what is going on in the lives of your neighbors can help you become a more supportive neighbor that will likely be reciprocated by your other neighbors.  For example, you might decide to take dinner to a neighbor who has just given birth to a child.  You know they probably have their hands full those first few days home from the hospital.  Making them a warm dinner can often be an amazing gift.  The same goes for elderly neighbors, who might just enjoy your company from time to time.  The bottom line is that community betterment starts with relationships.  So why not take the easy route and start with a barbeque.  The foundation for the above can start with something as simple, easy, and enjoyable as a few beers, some great barbeque and a game or two of horseshoes.

Community Safety: Starting a Neighborhood Watch

Everybody wants to live in a safe neighborhood. Unfortunately, crime knows no boundaries and can strike anywhere and anytime. One simple and great way to help reduce the risk of crime in your neighborhood is to start a neighborhood watch. Neighborhoood Watches can help raise awareness of potential crime problems or opportunties for crime, which you and you neighbors can act on to make your community safer. It helps reduce the risk of crime and may help give you and your family a greater sense of safety where you live.

Starting a neighborhood watch is relatively simple. First, visit the USA On Watch Program at www.usaonwatch.org. This is a program started by the National Sheriffs' Association. Here, you can find out if your neighborhood already has a watch program and, if not, you can create a new program.

USA on Watch explains more about how to start a watch program:

"To begin a NW, merely form a small planning committee of neighbors to discuss the needs of your community, gage the level of interest and potential problems, decide on a date and place for an initial Neighborhood Watch meeting, and contact your local police department or sheriff's office, and notify them of your interest to start a NW. You will then be assigned a crime prevention officer who will attend your first meeting. It's that simple. For more information and educational materials related to starting a Neighborhood Watch or to register your Neighborhood Watch in the National Neighborhood Watch Database, click onto the Register / Start Watch on this website."

Neighborhood Watches are easy to start and have a tremendous benefit to the community that you and your family also benefit from.

Here is what USA on Watch has to say about neighborhood watch programs in general:

"Neighborhood Watch is undoubtedly one of the oldest and most well-known crime prevention programs in history. While the modern day concept of program rose to prominence in the late 1960s in response to an increasing burglary rate, the roots of Neighborhood Watch can actually be traced all the way back to the days of Colonial settlements, when night watchmen patrolled the streets.

The modern version of the Neighborhood Watch Program was developed as a result of the multiple requests from sheriffs and police chiefs around the country who were looking for a crime prevention program that would incorporate citizen involvement and address the increasing number of burglaries taking place, especially in rural and suburban areas. In 1972, the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) took the concept a step further by seeking funding to make the program a national initiative. Thanks to a grant from the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, the National Neighborhood Watch Program was started.

For the first two years, the program was devoted primarily to disseminating information on the nature and volume of burglary and securing residential property and making it less vulnerable to break-ins. From there, it evolved into a program that promoted the establishment of ongoing local neighborhood watch groups that encouraged citizens to partner with their law enforcement agencies in an effort to reduce various types of "neighborhood crime."

Since its beginnings, Neighborhood Watch has grown from an "extra eyes and ears" approach to crime prevention to a much more proactive, community-oriented endeavor providing a unique infrastructure that brings together local officials, law enforcement, and citizens for the protection of their communities. Today's Neighborhood Watch programs incorporate activities that not only address crime prevention issues, but also restore pride and unity to a neighborhood. It is not uncommon to see members of Neighborhood Watch groups participating in community cleanups and other activities that strive to improve the quality of life for community residents.

In addition, the adoption of community policing by local law enforcement agencies has contributed to a resurgence in Watch groups over the years. Neighborhood Watch fits nicely into the framework of law enforcement/community partnerships, and Neighborhood Watch meetings provide a useful forum for airing neighborhood problems and practicing problem-solving techniques.

Furthermore, Neighborhood Watch has become especially practical in our current society, in which two-income families are the norm and many neighborhoods are deserted during the day. While criminals have attempted to use this statistic to their advantage, law enforcement has uncovered an important reality: the communities in which citizens have observed and reported suspicious activity have enjoyed lower crime rates.

As communities throughout the country have adopted the program and reported success, the popularity of the Neighborhood Watch Program has grown, and it continues to still."

Cleaning for a Cause: Donate Clothes to a Battered Women's Shelter

It can be a hard habit to get into, especially if you tend to be a pack-rat like myself, but you should get in the habit of cleaning out your closet and drawers and least once a year, if not every six months. It can be a great feeling to get your closet cleaned out and finally in order. Typically, people think of the Goodwill when it comes to getting rid of those old clothes. But consider another, lesser known option. Donate any women's or children's clothes to your local battered women's shelter.

Local battered women's shelters are run by a variety of organizations, ranging from local churches to hospitals to county government. Sometimes these shelters can be difficult to find since they often kept secret to protect those under their protection. Contact your Department of Health Services to find a shelter in your area.

Battered women shelters give women and children an opportunity to get away from abusive situations, but often struggle for resources, given that they are not as well known as other charities.

There is nothing more tragic that a woman and/or a child being stuck in an abusive situation. These shelters give women and children a way out. Associated Content asks you to consider the following.

"When donating clothes to the women's shelter, remember to include clean, neat bras and underwear. This is something people often overlook, both when donating clothes and when packing in a hurry to escape their circumstances. As long as they are clean and minimal signs of wear (no holes, minimal fray, the elastic still in tact) these are great things to donate to victims of domestic violence."

These shelters often help battered women find employment, so remember to include any dressy clothes that you no longer wear, which can help these women in job interviews.

Donating your clothes to a battered women's shelter takes just one, simple extra step and can have a tremendous and direct impact on the members of your own community who need it most.

Community News: It's All About the Blog

As a resident of West Seattle, I have become a fan of the West Seattle Blog. Whenever I want to know something about what's going on in my part of town, I go to this blog. If I'm driving down the street and traffic is slow with several police cars stopped at an intersection, I can go to the West Seattle Blog and find out what is going on. I can quickly find out about crime in my area and what particular problems are arising.

The neighborhood blog is a great contribution to the community. Much like neighborhood barbeques, it helps build a stronger community by keeping neighbors in the know. It is a relatively easy service to offer as there are numerous providers on the internet that provide free blog services.

The following was taken from the November 2008 issue of Seattle Magazine where the West Seattle Blog was chosen as the best new News Agent:

"BIO: A West Seattle resident since 1991, Record, 49, is a former executive producer of new media at KOMO and assistant news director at KCPQ-TV. She started work on the West Seattle Blog (westseattleblog.com) while still at Channel 13 and quickly learned it would be a full-time job. Her co-publisher and spouse, Patrick Sand, is the chief salesman.
WHY SHE'S ON THE LIST: In the year of the neighborhood blog, with many newspapers in dire financial straits, the West Seattle Blog, started in 2005, is bucking the trend--reaching financial sustainability this year, and inspiring similar models around the city (including the Rainer Valley Post and MyBallard). Record's formula is steeped in her news roots: Whereas ma ny neighborhood blogs devolve into little more than neighborhood chitchat, WSB plays the editorial content right down the middle. News reports are written or reviewed by Record, and she updates the site with breaking news, day or night. The windstorm of December 2006 helped put the blog on the radar of many locals. Record posted usable, up-to-the-minute information on how the windstorm affected her neighborhood (aided by serendipity, as she had the week off from KCPQ). Page views increased. And ever since, WSB had a dedicated audience. 'We can't take a day off or those people will go somewhere else,' she says."