Over the past week, most of my blog efforts have been going to launching projectwarm.us. It might be crazy to try an collect 5,723 coats and blankets for the homeless by Thanksgiving, but that’s not going to stop us from trying! I started this with my friend Lin, and since then, my friends Amy and Elizabeth have come on board as major players in this effort.
We have collected 61 coats and blankets so far. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but we’re still setting up the drop points and getting the word out. We do not count a coat or a blanket into our total until it’s in our hands. We have lots of pledges though! Would you like to help? Although there’s a comprehensive list of ways to help on the projectwarm.us website, I would like to share 3 of my favorites with you.
Trick-or-treat, help our feat!
An idea on collecting coats and blankets on Halloween night! If you have a wagon or a bin with wheels, follow your kids with it. After they ‘trick or treat’, go behind them and give out one of these little mini-flyers…
Once you hand it to them, ask for and old coat or blanket. They’re already standing next to their coat closet! They might actually give you one right then and there! If not, now they have the little flyer. Let them know you can come back by and pick them up at a later time or where they can find the drop points. Not only is this a good way to get people involved, but it also gets your kids involved and you get to meet some more of your neighbors.
Waste time for a good purpose.
Utilize social media to spread the word. We hear “Facebook is a time waster” or “Social media takes too much time”. If you’re on there at all, blast out the projectwarm.us website and ask your friends to participate. So blast this out on your selected social media sites… Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Friend Feed, Readit, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, Google… Tell your friends you are collecting coats and blankets for the homeless. Contact us when you have your stash and we’ll come pick them up!
Involve your kids.
This is a great teaching opportunity to teach your kids the value of helping others. Some Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops can get credit (badges) for this type of thing. The world will be a better place for our kids if they understand the value of giving.
Thanks for your help!!!!!!!!