Monday, January 12, 2009

Okay Seriously isn't always just about Okay Seriously all the time

To Clevelanders:

So I don't know if you've heard of this National Day of Service, but Obama is asking Americans to take part in it this weekend. Basically it's a call to all of us to make a difference in the lives of those who need it. No matter what your politics are, I think we can all get behind helping those less fortunate than us, and if you can't then you are a horrible person. Not that I am prone to snap judgements or anything, but why is your heart made of stone?

To coincide with the National Day of Service, Steph has put together an event. Obviously. Because she can't just take part in an existing one. She has to go set up her own. Whereas I just show up and give money, Steph feels an inherent need to go one (or twelve) steps further. It's awesome. Anyway, the West Side Catholic Center on the near westside, a nonprofit homeless resource, is short on men's coats this winter. Steph managed to team up with Bier Markt and Bar Cento for a coat drive. From 4:30-8:30pm, she'll be on hand with a few friends to collect coat donations on Sunday, January 18. If you have any coats, particularly men's coats, please find it in your heart to stop by and drop them off. If you don't have any coats, you can still participate because 15% of all sales all day and evening will be donated directly to the Center. All you have to do is mention the WSCC to your server or bartender. Again, this event isn't sponsored by a group or by Bier Markt. Steph just came up with it and recruited some friends to help. She did the hard part. The rest is up to us.
P.S. For those of you that don't know, Bier Markt and Bar Cento are connected and are on W. 25th St. in Ohio City-right across from the West Side Market.

P.P.S. To those not in Cleveland: Find out what's going on around you and how you can help: USAservice.org

P.P.P.S. Here is another cool way to help kids: St. Jude's Recycled Card Program. It's a chance for you to do something nice for those kids from the St. Jude's commercials that you always watch because you feel guilty changing the channel, and then you end up blubbering into your Lean Cuisine because some 4 year old has lost all his hair from his third round of chemo treatments but he's still smiling and happy and fighting hard and you can't even walk up a set of stairs without complaining about how your knee is clicking so then you go into a guilt spiral and eat a half gallon of ice cream. Now you can actually DO something for that kid and assuage some of the guilt. Plus you get to unload all your old Christmas cards or extra Christmas cards from this year that you can't send for a minimum of 2 years because you can't be the person who sent the same card 2 years in a row.

2 comments:

Fizzgig said...

wow so all i have to do is donate a coat i dont want anyway and I am part of national service day? that seems pretty easy to me! I may have actually been inspired.

I'm going to donate some food and blankets to the animal shelter.

Animals need lovin too!

Jesslyn said...

I was going to write that it's a hell of a drive from California, but you addressed that- so thanks for the link!

Good luck with the event!