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."

Check out our new public service announcement for the State of Washington

Check out our new public service announcement for the State of Washington promoting community service. Justice begins with you. Even the smallest acts make a big difference!

Two Birds With One Stone: Race For The Cure

Read about a great recommendation for helping others while getting some great exercise here.

Circle of Friends: Ways to Enjoy Community Service

Last week, I had a great community service experience with an organization that I have recently joined.  This organization is involved with a variety of community service projects.  One way in which it gives back to the community involves a quarterly get-together down at the local shelter to serve food to the homeless.

Now I have to admit that I have often been the type of person who thinks about and wants to do more community service, but when it gets down to actually doing it, the plan fizzles out.  With how busy life can be these days, it can get very easy to keep putting community service off.  

One way around this is to make it a more fun experience, just as my organization did.  Each quarter, about six to eight members of the organization meet around 4:15 p.m. on a weekday and go down to shelter, where they serve food to homeless people.  The cafeteria provides food from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., so it is a small time commitment with a big impact.  Essentially, you are either serving food by scooping it onto the trays of those in line, re-filling pots of food, or cleaning dishes for those still coming in.  Each is a surprisingly simple task that, despite how simple, is still one that requires volunteers.  I said to the kitchen manager while I was down there, "I'm sorry I don't volunteer more often because I really need to."  He said "even if you come one night a year, it's one less night we need to find volunteers to serve this food.  If everybody volunteered once a year, we would be in great shape."

To make it fun each month, our group goes out for drinks afterwards to catch up, which makes it a great social event.  For me, the beer always tastes great because I feel like I have earned it by doing something good for someone else.  This quarterly community service happy hour has become a tradition that I look forward to.  

If you're not a drinker, no big deal.  Maybe you can organize it with your friends and all go out afterwards and enjoy a nice dinner while you catch up with each other.  The point is to find a way to make it an enjoyable experience you can look forward to.  Making it a tradition with a close group of friends accomplishes just that.  At the end of the day, you have had a positive impact on the community and a fun night with your friends.

Donate or Recycle Your Old Electronics: One Step Helps Many

Recycling your electronics takes little to no effort if, for no other reason, it is not an every day or every week activity.  It's not a commitment that requires a significant lifestyle change.  It only requires a little effort every six months or so when you find yourself getting rid of that old cellphone, television, computer, etc.  

And the benefits are numerous.  Your donated electronics may benefit school programs that are facing massive budget crunches and help reduce the amount of garbage in our local landfills.  

Here is a link that will help you find places to recycle or donate your electronics.   The following was taken from the EPA website:

"Preventing waste in the first place is preferable to any waste management option...including recycling. Donating used (but still operating) electronics for reuse extends the lives of valuable products and keeps them out of the waste stream for a longer period of time. Reuse, in addition to being an environmentally preferable alternative, also benefits society. By donating your used electronics, you allow schools, nonprofit organizations, and lower-income families to obtain equipment that they otherwise could not afford. Where Can I Donate or Recycle My Old Computer and Other Electronic Products? lists organizations with information about donating electronic equipment.

Before donating your computer or other electronics, make sure the equipment is reusable. Donation organizations have limited or in many cases no resources and employees to diagnose and repair hardware. A functional, working system—especially with monitor, wiring, and software licenses—is a lot more useful and requires less upgrading than a nonworking, incomplete computer. Check to see what the donation organization's minimum computer requirements are (e.g., Pentium processor, Windows 95). Donation organizations might not accept (or might charge a fee for) older, less useful equipment (e.g., 386 processors, dot matrix printers, less than 14 inch color monitors).

As a business, you might be able to take advantage of tax incentives for computer equipment donations. The 21st Century Classrooms Act encourages large companies to donate computer equipment to public and private schools. When donating equipment to a nonprofit organization, inquire about documentation that can be applied toward your income tax return.

The most appropriate donation organization for computers can vary from area to area. In some cases, the most viable donation organization might be a charity, but in other areas, the appropriate donation organization might be the local school district or materials exchange. Visit Ten Tips for Donating a Computer to learn more.

If donation for reuse or repair is not a viable option, households and businesses can send their used electronics for recycling. Recyclers recover more than 100 million pounds of materials from electronics each year. Recycling electronics helps reduce pollution that would be generated while manufacturing a new product and the need to extract valuable and limited virgin resources. It also reduces the energy used in new product manufacturing.

One thousand or more municipalities offer computer and electronics collections as part of household hazardous waste collections, special events, or other arrangements. In addition, public and private organizations have emerged that accept computers and other electronics for recycling. Depending on where you live and the amount of equipment you have, the best recycling option might be a county recycling drop-off center, TV repair shop, charitable organization, electronics recycling company, or even your local electronics retailer, which might collect used products and send them to a recycler. You can learn more about local electronics recyclers and collection events at EIA Environment - Consumer Education Initiativeand at My Green Electronics .

Many electronics manufacturers are accepting used household electronics for recycling. In some cases, these services are provided free-of-charge. Asset management and recovery programs have been available to major corporations and large purchasers of electronic equipment for quite some time. Now, electronics manufacturers are beginning to offer similar services for households and small businesses. The consumer pays to mail the product back. Fees keep changing, but generally range from seven dollars up. Some manufacturers and retailers are offering free or for-a-fee events in communities.

Environmentally responsible electronics use involves not only proper end-of-life disposition of obsolete equipment, but also purchasing new equipment that has been designed with environmentally preferable attributes. Think about this when purchasing new equipment, and ask your retailer or electronics supplier about environmentally preferable electronics. Households, companies, and governmental organizations can encourage electronics manufacturers to design greener electronics by purchasing computers and other electronics with environmentally preferable attributes and by requesting takeback options at the time of purchase. Look for electronics that:

• Contain fewer toxic constituents.
  
• Use recycled materials in the new product.
  
• Are energy efficient (e.g., showing the Energy Star label).
  
• Are designed for easy upgrading or disassembly.
  
• Use minimal packaging.
  
• Offer leasing or takeback options.
  
• Meet performance criteria showing they are environmentally preferable.
  • Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is a procurement tool to help institutional purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based on their environmental attributes. EPEAT also provides a clear and consistent set of performance criteria for the design of products, and provides an opportunity for manufacturers to secure market recognition for efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its products."

Think Globally, Buy Locally

One of the easiest ways to help your community requires very little effort at all:  Support your local businesses.  When choosing between goliath chains such as Walmart or Target and your local mom and pop store, go with the latter.  I say this not because I have anything against Walmart or Target.  The New Rules Project (www.newrules.org), an organization devoted to community focus, outlines ten benefits of supporting local business.

1. Local character and prosperity:  In an increasingly homogenized world, communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character have an economic advantage.

2. Community well-being:  Locally owned businesses build strong communities by sustaining vibrant town centers, linking neighbors in a web of economic and social relationships, and contributing to local causes.

3.  Local decision-making:  Local ownership ensures that important decisions are made locally by people who live in the community and who will feel the impacts of those decisions.

4.  Keeping dollars in the local economy:  Compared to chain stores, locally owned businesses recycle a much larger share of their revenue back into the local economy, enriching the whole community.

5.  Job and wages:  Locally owned businesses create more jobs locally and, in some sectors, provide better wages and benefits than chains do.

6.  Entrepreneurship:  Entrepreneurship fuels America's economic innovation and prosperity, and serves as a key means for families to move out of low-wage jobs and into the middle class.

7.  Public benefits and costs:  Local stores in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure and make more efficient use of public services relative to big box stores and strip shopping malls.

8.  Environmental sustainability:  Local stores help to sustain vibrant, compact, walkable town centers, which in turn are essential to reducing sprawl, automobile use, habitat loss, and air and water pollution.

9.  Competition:  A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term.

10.  Product diversity:  A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based, not on a national sales plan, but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

The bottom line is, when you buy locally, you are directly supporting your neighborhood.  Local businesses can sometimes be a bit more expensive than chains such as Walmart and Target, which get discounts for buying bulk, but if you can expand your thought process beyond the initial price, you'll quickly realize that the benefits (many of which are economic) of buying locally far outweigh the small price difference that sometimes comes with shopping locally.