Archive for the ‘Philanthropy’ Category

What are the things we really need?

Thursday, December 29th, 2016

Your children need your presence more than your presents. Jesse Jackson

When answering questions on the TV show Jeopardy, you must phrase your answers in the form of a question.

Assume the category was, “Things that matter,” the answer properly phrased would be “What are the things we really need.”

Our needs are simple. Our wants are much greater. I love to subscribe to this philosophy for buying gifts for children:

  1. Something to wear
  2. Something to read
  3. Something they want
  4. Something they need

Plus one more gift; something to give. As we celebrating our grandson’s first Christmas, we bought him:

  1. A Santa outfit which you will see in the video
  2. The classic Polar Express book
  3. A toy selected by his parents
  4. Money for his college fund

We made a donation to Doctors Without Borders in his name. As he gets older and understands more, we will let him select the charity of his choosing. I personally don’t know any needy children, but if we buy them too much, we will raise greedy children.

Now that my children are adults, I realize we could have bought them less. The children won’t remember all the gifts they opened on Christmas morning, but they will remember the things they need; the time you spend with them and traditions and memories you shared on this and every holiday.

Enjoy the fun we had and memories we are building.

Have a happy and healthy New Year!

Tina Nocera, Founder

Parental Wisdom®

Random Acts of Kindness 2013

Sunday, December 1st, 2013

The countdown begins!

December 1 is day one as little children open Advent Calendars eager to find a surprise each day until December 24th.

The holiday season is our time to build family memories.  

Some families cut down their own tree; others watch classic holiday movies, some bake cookies, while others write an annual holiday letter.  The common thread is just that – a thread, and threads are like habits.

Habits are like a cable. We weave a strand of it everyday and soon it cannot be broken.

-Horace Mann

It’s never too late to start new traditions. I’m going to start a new tradition this year which is to perform a random act of kindness each day until December 24th.

Please follow me on twitter #randomactsofkindness2013.

Traditions matter more than the gifts and more than you realize. Ask your children about their favorite holiday traditions. Guarantee this will make you smile.

Have a great week!

Tina Nocera, Founder
Parental Wisdom®

Do we really need another bake sale?

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

“May you live in interesting times.” Chinese Blessing

With shrinking education budgets and cuts in sports, arts and afterschool programs; we need to get creative with fundraising.  Well, here’s a unique product that is relevant for parents and kids!

Consider a fundraiser that provides security, safety and peace of mind in a……

TRAVEL STIX®

MEDICAL AND TRAVEL INFORMATION FLASH DRIVE

The unique digital device to ensure safe travel and proper medical treatment for teen athletes’

Sport Teams, Schools and Sport Associations

________________________________________________________________________

2010 SCHOOL & TEEN SPORT CATALOG

for a complete tour, visit us at http://www.mytravelstix.com

Be sure to use Coupon Code PW2010 for FREE SHIPPING!

NEW FROM TRAVEL STIX®

CUSTOMIZED CREDIT CARD FLASH DRIVE WITH 2GB OR 4GB WITH YOUR LOGO ON BOTH THE FACE AND THE EMBEDDED TRAVEL FORMS

MULTIPLE LANGUAGES: ENGLISH – SPANISH – FRENCH

TEEN SPORT TRAVEL STIX®

Unique storage device for your important travel & medical information.  This state-of-the-art credit card shaped flash drive may be used in every computer, net book or iPad’s USB port.  With two versions providing either 2GB or 4GB of memory, this is the digital device to keep what you need accessible and not reliant on the Internet when you are on the go!

Price of 1 to 5,000 is $14.50 for 2GB; $22.50 for 4GB which your organization can sell for the suggested retail price of $19.95 for 2GB & $29.95 for 4GB.

You can also include your school or team’s logo right on the Travel Stix® as well as encourage local businesses to donate funds to support your event and pay for the customized Travel Stix®.  Your logo is free when using coupon code PW2010, provided your order is a minimum of 100 Travel Stix®.  You can allow contributing local businesses to include coupons and web site links that we can pre-embed on your customized version.  This is another way that the Teen Sport Travel Stix® enable you to maximize your fundraising efforts.

TRAVEL STIX® was created by an attorney who is also a mother of two active teens.

Visit  http://www.mytravelstix.com and be sure to use the coupon code PW2010 for free shipping.

If you have any questions, you can also contact me.

Tina Nocera, Founder

Parental Wisdom®

When you don’t know what to get someone

Monday, December 17th, 2007

gifts.png

When you don’t know what to get someone, they probably don’t need anything. But there are people that do need things, some very badly.

Case in point:

Read All She Wants for Christmas is a New Jaw — ArchWired.com and The Braces Cookbook Try to Help

You can help to make a difference in the life of 19-year-old Jalyn Jones. It will give her something that each of us simply takes for granted.

Before you buy one more gift to put under the tree, perhaps you and even the recipient of your gift, will feel better about giving to someone else.

One of the most beautiful compensations of this life is that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Merry Christmas!

So You Want to Save the World?

Wednesday, October 24th, 2007

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One of the most beautiful compensations of this life is that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

There’s a story you may have heard about David & Goliath. In case you’re unfamiliar, the story is set in biblical times where a giant one eyed-giant Cyclops named Goliath terrorizes a small town. All the warriors in the town tried to fight him and were quickly defeated. A young boy named David, armed only with a slingshot, volunteered to fight the giant. The townspeople looked at the brave young boy and said, “Look at the size of the giant and look at you, how could you possibly win?” David had a very different point of view. He said, “Yes, look at him. How could I possibly miss?”

That story is a myth. A myth by definition is an invented story, idea, or concept. But in reality mythical situations happen all the time. A single person can make a significant difference. What a wonderful lesson for our children, and a great time to discuss it.

Saturday, October 27, 2007 is Make a Difference Day, the largest national day of helping others – a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Everyone can participate in this USA Today sponsored event.

The good news is that our kids want to help. Toddlers, according to Psychology researcher Felix Warneken proved the capacity for altruism emerges as early as 18 months of age with a simple experiment. 61% of 13- to 25-year-olds feel personally responsible for making a difference in the world suggests a survey of 1,800 young people. It says 81% have volunteered in the past year; 69% consider a company’s social and environmental commitment when deciding where to shop, and 83% will trust a company more if it is socially/environmentally responsible. The online study — by two Boston-based companies, Cone Inc. and AMP Insights — suggests these millennials are “the most socially conscious consumers to date.”

What great news. Need an idea?

Here are two:

The Idea Generator

The Future of Life Organzation

Talk about family fun!

Teachers’ Wish List

Sunday, September 9th, 2007

school-supplies.png

I just visited Staples today, completely forgetting about the frenzy of back to school shoppers. Lines snaking down the aisles, parents holding baskets filled with notebooks, loose leaf paper, pencils, pens and other assorted paraphernalia that speaks to the promise of the start of a new school year.

But missing were the teachers who dutifully shopped early and mid August, no doubt spend hundreds and sometimes thousands of their own dollars on preparing classrooms for their students. The first three years, a teacher spends a lot of money building their libraries and supplies.

As you attend your school’s open house, look around at the eye catching laminated art and rest assured the teacher paid for it. Thinking ahead to Christmas, resist the urge to buy yet another apple anything, and consider some of the websites that help teachers with the expense of supplies and classroom decorations. Teachers can even create wish lists.

Check out these sites:

adoptaclassroom.org
classroomwishlist.org
www.donorschoose.org

Waiting on the World to Change

Saturday, January 27th, 2007

I imagine many of us have a vision of a perfect world.

In my vision, everyone would take care of their own families, and then do a little bit more to help someone else. In this perfect world there would be a series of concentric circles where the whole world would be covered by a caring, concerned community.

What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.
Mother Teresa

Having grown up in Brooklyn, New York I know a little bit about diversity. The life lessons I learned there could never be duplicated by a corporate diversity training program. Since my children were growing up in a nice little safe New Jersey town, I couldn’t help but wonder if they would be ready for the real world? Will they understand that everyone doesn’t look like them and doesn’t have the same opportunities they do?

The decisive point came a few years ago while attending a local school meeting. A Board of Education election was coming up, and those running for office talked about how we need to be careful that the money earmarked for education be spent in our town and not in the neighboring poor community. That told me all I needed to know. I realized they were asking the wrong question. The right series of questions might have been:

1. Do all children deserve a good education?
2. If a child has a good education does that offer that child a brighter future?
3. Would a brighter future provide greater opportunity and a potentially better life?
4. Is it possible that a child with a bright future and better life will contribute to society, rather than be a drain on society?
5. Will a child with such a future less likely to be led astray and commit a crime? A crime that could affect your child?

When I heard the approach taken by leaders in this nice little community, I realized that my children were going to school with the children of parents who saw nothing wrong with that question. At that point, my husband and I joined the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization for two reasons. One, so our children could better understand that everyone doesn’t have the same opportunities, and secondly, so that in some small way we could help and mentor children who were not living in a nice little safe town.

But something wonderful happened along the way; we met an amazing family, and two children and their mom became part of our family. So although our intention was to give, we ended up getting a lot more than we expected.

Last night ABC aired Diane Sawyer’s program Waiting on the World to Change could only be described as haunting. I would hope that everyone has a chance to view and understand that there are things we can do now to impact the life of a single child. We often wonder how we can change the world; one person can – you can.

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
Buddha

Oprah’s Dreamgirls

Saturday, January 6th, 2007

It’s absurd that an incredible act of generosity must be defended, as in the case of the Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy for Girls. People are asking why $40 million dollars was spent in Africa, and not on urban schools in America.

Bravo Oprah for making a dramatic and significant change to the lives of 150 young girls who could not possibly have a chance to make anything out of their lives.

If the critics feel so strongly about caring for children in the U.S. here is a way they can help. The Warren Featherbone Foundation has conceived the 401P or Personal Philanthropy Accounts. Much like a 401K which is a pre-tax, employer matched retirement savings program, the 401P is a pre-tax, employer matched method of Democratizing Philanthropy.

Your family gets to choose which non-profit organizations will get your donation. Congress is now considering legislation to amend the tax code to allow the creation of Personal Philanthropy Accounts. Learn more about bill HR 2534 introduced by Congressman Nathan Deal of Georgia, and encourage your elected officials to pass this important legislation.

More importantly, think how beneficial this could be to your family. No longer are foundations, and charitable giving tax deductions limited to the wealthy. Your children can learn how to give to charities, causes and non-profit organizations that you and your family believe in, where ever they are.

Congratulations – Person of the Year!

Saturday, December 30th, 2006

Congratulations! You are the Time Magazine Person of the Year 2006

Why you? According to Time Magazine, you now control the information age. To show you how important you are a mirror graces the cover of Time, December 25, 2006.

We could change the nature of the question to be more (pardon the pun) reflective. What have you done to become the Person of the Year?
The start of the New Year is often about looking back, while at the same time, looking ahead. One might ask, are you proud of your accomplishments? Have you made a difference?

This poem might help us to think about the opinion that counts more than others.

The Guy in the Glass By: Dale Wimbrow
When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.
For it isn’t your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.
He’s the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear up to the end,
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum,
And think you’re a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you’ve cheated the guy in the glass

In the end, your life is about the dash which separates the beginning and end of your life. What you do in the time the dash spans is entirely up to you.