What Inspires You To Do Good?

In the end, Ignite Charity was a call to action. Almost every speaker challenged us, every speaker moved us and every speaker gave us insight into the kind of leaders they are, will become and who we should aspire to be.

Jim Moss challenged us to smile more. To appreciate all the small things that life has to offer.

Maddie Cranston challenged us to do more for the environment, even if it is as simple as becoming better friends with our blue bins.

Phil Noelting challenged us to become better leaders by contributing to another person's 1 minute education.

Mayor Brenda Halloran challenged us to get our hands dirty. Don't just talk... DO.

Sara Casselman challenged to be more proactive and look for the source of issues rather than just treating the aftereffects.

Carson Kolberg challenged us to be role models at all stages of life, whether we are teenage camp counsellors or business leaders.

Brendan Sheehan challenged us to step back, look at our priorities and say no sometimes.

Carlos Benevides challenged us to volunteer. To give 1 hour of every week over to someone else.

TK Azaglo challenged us to make change at home, regardless of how far away our home may be.

Kelly-Sue Labus challenged us to value the children in Waterloo Region and fight for a nutrition program that will leave none of our kids hungry.

Madi MacIntyre challenged us to think of someone else and to make small changes that collectively, can turn into really big changes.

Mac Graham challenged us to contribute financially instead of just emotionally or physically.

Alicia Raimundo challenged us to end the stigma of mental illness and to help young people help themselves.

Debb  Bodkin challenged us to be grateful for what we have in our beautiful country and to be a part of making change for others who weren't born in prosperity.

It's a big list. It's also a do-able list.

Robb Farago and Popy Dimoulas-Graham were the amazing co-leaders of the Ignite Charity team. From conception, they have been leading a team of more than 20 volunteers to bring their vision to life. Robb told me that initially the idea for Ignite Charity was just a pipe dream but "We felt confident that this event would be a success. Especially if launched in Waterloo Region."

Oh Waterloo Region, how I love you. From small ideas to big dreams, to pulling together like a small town in times of crisis, you are truly unique. I asked both Robb and Popy why they felt Waterloo Region is such a great place for new ideas and what makes our community spirit so strong.


Creativity and innovation is in the air. It's a part of life and encouraged in our community. - Popy

We live in a very inclusive community where new ideas are embraced, where people can share and develop without fear of rejection. The amount of innovation that is bred in this community certainly helps foster this attitude, to the point where we all feel that anything is truly possible. - Robb

If you're interested in any of the speakers from Ignite Charity, getting involved in any of their programs or finding out other great places you can lend your expertise to in Waterloo Region you can find Ignite Charity on twitter, facebook and the web. The team there will be happy to point you in the right direction.

The next Ignite Charity in Waterloo Region won't be until Fall of 2013 but don't despair, Robb and Popy are in talks with other communities to host their own Ignite Charity events. Road trip, anyone?

Want more? The Ignite Charity videos are now online, check them out here.

*This is part 15 in a series of 15 blogs detailing the amazing projects presented in the world's first ever Ignite Charity: Waterloo. Amazing job, Robb and Popy and the rest of the Ignite Charity team. It was truly a fantastic event!

Mac Graham - Live To Give

PHOTO CREDIT: Mac's LinkedIn profile, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mac-graham/53/90b/231

Mac Graham has taken pages from my two favourite books and put them together to teach people about saving for themselves and saving the world.

First off, Mac subscribes to the wildly famous (and smart) principles of The Wealthy Barber...

PAY YOURSELF FIRST.

When learning to manage your money this is one of the key elements we often have trouble learning. Paying yourself first means you take the top 10% of your income and put it into savings. How often do we wait until all of the bills are paid before deciding how much to save? The problem is, there often isn't any left if we choose this method. Paying yourself first means that you have a nest egg, which of course leads to security and that leads to a mindset that allows you to give more freely.

Secondly, Mac is a tither.

tithe  \tīth\

1. a tenth part of something paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax especially for the support of a religious establishment

The law came through Moses from God, in Leviticus 27:30 we read "A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord". Tithing in biblical ages was not money and in fact, although "tithe" is used 13 times in the Bible (and "tithes", 21 times), money is never associated with it. The system of tithing with money came long after biblical times.

2 Chronicles 31:4-5 reads:  “Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.”

So back to the beginning we see that tithing is a biblical principle and that Merriam-Webster defines it as a support for religious establishments. I can see how the word "tithe" can scare some people off. Searching atheist and agnostic websites I see that MANY MANY MANY of them support what they call either "secular tithing" or "secular giving". Because here's the catch...

We all know, regardless of what we believe, giving to others is incredibly important.

I wrote earlier on how volunteering often gives us more than what we put out when we volunteer. Giving our time, our support and our money are all very important ways of making communities grow and our world a better place.

Christians, Mormons, Catholics et al tithe because they believe it is biblical law. They also tithe because they want to. Not believing in the Bible doesn't mean others don't give, they may just call it something other than "tithe".

So Mac tells us to tithe (or GIVE) the second 10% of our income. You can give it to the church, you can give it to one social agency or 10. The principle is, people who tithe know the benefits. First of all, there are the tax breaks, the Canadian government gives us back close to 36% of what we give. Secondly there are the the goodwill benefits. If you volunteer and realize you get back more than you give wouldn't the same principle apply to monetary giving?

When considering tithing as a teenager someone gave me this illustration:

A man wanted to tithe but he always felt guilty that his tithes were so low, around $10/month. But he faithfully gave 1/10 of his income every month to his church. As time went on, the man became wildly successful in business and eventually he was giving his church $1000/month and then $10,000/month. Unsettled, he went to see his pastor. "Pastor" he said, "I am quite uncomfortable giving such a sheer amount of money to the church every month, it seems so much more than is necessary." And the pastor said to him, "If you feel that giving $10,000, only 1/10 of your income is too much, surely we can ask God to put you back in that place where you were only giving $10."

TIPS FOR GIVING:

1. Make it a priority. Giving before you pay your bills can be intimidating at first. Trust that your good works will come back to you (because they will).

2. Focus your giving on charities and causes that you believe in.

3. Don't feel guilty about saying NO when the grocery store clerk asks you to donate $2 to a charitable organization. Those $2 donations add up and could add quite an increase to your regular charitable giving.

4. Make it automatic. Some charities can direct debit your paycheque or bank account (with your authorization, of course) and your bank is usually willing to set up an automatic monthly withdrawl to support charitable causes. Make it easier on yourself when the work is done for you.

5. Make it REGULAR. Charities plan budgets and count on regular giving. Make a pledge to your charity of choice so they can count on your $10, $20 or $1000/month. This allows your charity to make a bigger impact.

6. Small gifts can make a big impact, too. Each week I donate 1 dozen cookies to the café at my place of worship. The cost of 1 dozen cookies doesn't seem like much, in fact it's only about $2.50/week. Added up, that's 130 extra dollars each year that can be set aside for missions. Don't feel that your small donation isn't worth as much as a big one, it adds up over time.

Live to give. It's just one more way we can make a big impact on our world.

**If you've never read The Wealthy Barber, RUN to get it from your local used bookstore, library or a friend. Or check out The Wealthy Barber returns. The books, and their principles, will change the way you look at money. Should be required reading for every person, period.**

*This is part 11 in a series of 15 blogs detailing the amazing projects presented in the world's first ever Ignite Charity: Waterloo. For more info on Ignite Charity visit www.ignitecharity.ca and follow the conversation on twitter @IgniteCharity.

Madi MacIntyre - Take a Leap

Madi MacIntyre took the stage at Ignite Charity and acted like a stereotypical teenager. IT'S ALL ABOUT ME! ME, ME, ME!!!!!!!

It was near the end of January 2012 and she was contemplating the special thing that was about to happen... Leap Day. The thing that happens every 4 years and we get an extra day on our calendar.

But how to celebrate? She wanted to make it special, something unique. And then something hit her.

AN EXTRA DAY ISN'T SPECIAL FOR EVERYONE.

For some, an extra day means an extra day hungry. It means that some have to put off paying their rent in order to fund an extra bus trip. It's an extra day of depression. An extra night sleeping in the cold.

In 3 days, 29 Leaps was born. YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, website.

29Leaps is about celebrating life and happiness for everyone. Let's show people that an extra day is something for EVERYONE to celebrate. Through the good and the bad, it always helps to know that someone cares about you. That's why we want to take the opportunity to use the number 29 as a benchmark for spreading the good. - 29 Leaps

Madi had a goal. She wanted 29 people to participate in 29 Leaps with her. As of this writing: 

That's a lot more than 29 participants.

Whether you prefer a simple or creative approach… donate 29 cents or dollars to a cause, spend 29 minutes with someone, send 29 care packages, donate 2.9% or 29% of your profits for the month or on the 29th… even if you want to do 29Leaps 29 times for all 29 days, we simply ask you to get involved and spread the message. Each time you do your 29Leaps, come back to the website and click the button on the right to add your 29 to the grande total! - 29 Leaps

Following 29 Leaps on Twitter I saw people donating 29 lbs of potatoes to the food bank, $2.90 daily to charity, playing music in public square for 29 minutes... and a lot of people went above and beyond the number 29.

29 things that one person can do to make a really big difference. - Madi MacIntyre

290,000 good things happened because of one 17 year old girl who wanted to make a difference. Madi is truly an inspiration to all of us, but especially for young adults who think that they can't create change. Madi proved it... you can.

*This is part 10 in a series of 15 blogs detailing the amazing projects presented in the world's first ever Ignite Charity: Waterloo. For more info on Ignite Charity visit www.ignitecharity.ca and follow the conversation on twitter @IgniteCharity.

A Theme and A Purpose

All my life I have been an activist, a volunteer, a community supporter. Throughout elementary school I was a tutor, a reading buddy, a dog walker at the Humane Society and a letter writer for Amnesty International. In high school I was on school council, I organized coffee houses, I organized volunteers to "green" our school and build a rock garden and each year I was a driving force behind the 30-hour famine. As I've grown into adulthood I've been a church volunteer, a "listener" at a battered women's shelter, an advocate for special needs children, part of a team that feeds the homeless in our area and the girl who gives out cookies in exchange for smiles.

I'm not telling you this because I'm looking for attention or accolades. I'm telling you this because I've finally realized what my life (and subsequently, this blog) is all about.

My life's purpose is to bless and serve other people.

When I started this blog, I had a few things I wanted to write down but I had no idea if my blog would have a theme or if it would just be insane ramblings of me. It's natural that people would think I would write a food blog but I'm not organized enough for that. I forget to take pictures of some of the most incredible cakes I've ever made, I'll never remember to take pics during the cooking process. So where does that leave a girl who wants to blog but who often proclaims that the only thing she knows is food?

She searches herself and gains enough confidence to realize that she knows MUCH MUCH more than food. She knows people, she's got a soft heart that cries whenever she reads the news and she has a determination to make her world a better place.

So from this moment on, although I'm sure there will be the odd random post, this blog will become my way to help others, help others. You will read stories about amazing people doing amazing things. You will read stories about folks who need a hand up and most importantly, I will help you find a way to make your own contribution to causes that are important to you. If you have money to give, I'll help you get it there. If you have spare blankets I'll collect them and personally hand them out to the homeless on the street. If you always happen to bake 2 dozen cookies too many, I will help you hand them out to people who really need a smile in their day.

So if you know an amazing community builder, if you know a story that needs a voice, if you know a person that needs help finding their smile again, let me know. I am here to serve.