1 Month [24, 25, 26, 27]

If I were caught up here on the blog with my world-betterment acts, there would be an act for every day. How cool is that?! When I started this project I knew that there could be no way for me to stay caught up with one act per day, but to be 30 days in and still on track feels amazing. I know some are smaller acts than others, but it all adds up, which is a beautiful thing. I can't stress enough how important it has been for me to just keep my eyes and ears open for opportunities. I've found inspiration on other blogs, in magazines, even just sitting in class. There's been some nights when I literally couldn't fall asleep because my mind was going a mile a minute thinking up new and exciting ideas. My goal this year is to hit on causes from all around the world and of all kinds. As a poor college student I understand the frustration of being presented only with options that involve donating money, so I am also searching for ideas that involve donations of time and (wo)man power, resources I can actually give of freely. Today I've got a nice little mix of acts to introduce to the blogging world. We've got some money donating, random acts of kindness, and even a band to highlight.

First up, the tiny acts. Although they may seem nearly useless or completely unnoticed, I can tell you from experience, those tiny little acts of kindness matter. One little act that isn't usually an act, rather luck, is finding a lucky penny. It's one of those bright spots in my mom's day whenever it happens. I've never really hopped on the bandwagon (it probably has to do with the fact that I hate the smell of coins, especially when it gets on my hands) but the other day I got to class to find a lucky penny placed in the top corner of my desk. Thanks mystery person, it made my day! The second little thing also involves money, this time in the form of one dollar bills. I donated another two dollars, two very crisp new bills, to my church. That makes my attempt to tithe regularly quite a success: 2 for 2!


Now, for the big news. I'd like to introduce you to Hope into Humanity. I was introduced to this by my friend who posted the original video on facebook. What I absolutely love about this initiative is that they are "going back to the basics." Although they specifically mean the basic needs of any human (food, water, shelter), the idea in general is the same as mine. For them 2012 is the year to change the world, just like it is for me! Their current campaign is a 90 day fundraising drive to raise $20,000 for Charity:Water. With that money 1,000 people can get access to clean, safe water. Check out their water cause video HERE and consider donating to their cause! They're already 30 days into the challenge so you still have 2-ish months to donate!

Staying on the theme of other groups doing good, there's this band, the Giving Tree Band, that basically is amazing. Sorry for the lack of originality in that assessment, just believe me, they're awesome. The basics on this group are that the band was started by brothers Todd and Eric Fink in 2004, it is a seven-piece band that plays bluegrass-y tunes with a classic rock touch, they are all "eco-ruffians" who went plant-based (aka vegan) due to appreciation of its health and energy benefits. Ever since I started seeking out information about a plant-based diet and the community that surrounds this lifestyle, I've heard about this group, but I never actually searched for their songs on youtube or spent some quality time researching their mission. Then my mom sent me the best care package in the world: a simple card and the newest issue of VegNews. You may laugh at me, but seeing this (→) is all I needed to make my day that much better! It's so colorful (and if you know me at all you know how easily amused by color I truly am...) and it all looks so yummy! So, back on topic, there was an article about the Giving Tree Band towards the end of the magazine (which I stumbled upon right away because I started reading the magazine back to front) that highlighted some of their dedication to being environmentally friendly: solar-panel energy for producing their albums, playing on reclaimed-wood instruments, biodiesel-fueled tours, biodegradable CD packaging, and of course their vegan diet. So, if you're looking for some super good music and a great cause to support, mosey on over to amazon.com, the iTunes store, or even your local music store and buy one (or all) of the Giving Tree Band's CDs! I might give in and buy one of their CDs soon, or I might hold out a bit so I can buy Home on the Range when it is released. What is that you ask? It's a a joint project of the Giving Tree Band and a whole assortment of other veg and vegan artists that will donate all proceeds to support farm-animal rescues like Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, Happy Trails, Farm Animal Sanctuary Inc., and Catskill Animal Sanctuary. Not only that, but the CD packaging will be eco-friendly and it'll include a "Compassion 101" guide booklet to animal welfare (um, hello there future!).
If you're still on the fence about whether you want to support them, here's just a taste to get you interested: Giving Tree Band Video #1

But in all seriousness, they're really good: Giving Tree Band Video #2

I don't know how many different ways I can say it, they're just plain awesome: