Do you put your beliefs/things you are passionate about....

[Jill in Chicago]

into action? I have read many posts where people are passionate about a topic, and have a very firm position/opinion. They want to share their opinions, and why they believe what they believe, but I rarely hear about action.

When you see something that bothers you, do you turn it around and figure out something that you can do to help make it right? (I'm not talking about confronting someone verbally.) I hate to bring up any one example, because that tends to get answers only about whatever the example is.

Instead, I would like to challenge folks to DO something about your passion. Take something that makes you angry that you wish would stop, or something that makes you sad and breaks your heart, and DO something.
You could be that one person that makes a difference.

 

[Handbag Lady]

into action? I have read many posts where people are passionate about a topic, and have a very firm position/opinion. They want to share their opinions, and why they believe what they believe, but I rarely hear about action.

When you see something that bothers you, do you turn it around and figure out something that you can do to help make it right? (I'm not talking about confronting someone verbally.) I hate to bring up any one example, because that tends to get answers only about whatever the example is.

Instead, I would like to challenge folks to DO something about your passion. Take something that makes you angry that you wish would stop, or something that makes you sad and breaks your heart, and DO something.
You could be that one person that makes a difference.

I do. I support children's charities and CHOC in particular. I am doing the CHOC Walk at Disneyland this Sunday if anyone wishes to donate. Just PM me and I'll send you my link.

I hate that families with sick children have such huge bills. CHOC helps families with this and even though I raise very little, it all helps. Plus, they are just stellar in childcare. I love reading the success stories; if they don't lift your spirits, I don't know what will.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Yes. I donate money to the causes I believe the most strongly in. I also take the time to really look at who i vote for and how they feel about these causes and I take the time to write my elected officials about issues relating to the causes.

I also do more personal things, depending on the issue. For example--with environmental concerns our family only has on (very fuel efficient) car and I and the kids get around mostly on public transit (we are lucky to live where it is an option--though we specifically chose an apartment near the tram lines for this reason) and we recycle and compost as much as possible (our trash can goes out only once a month, sometimes every 6 weeks). Or, on gay rights--we are not part of boyscouts for this issue, we have photos up of our family with my best friend and his husband and with another gay couple we are friends with (I had no idea that WAS taking action when we put them up--they are "family" to us and I put out photos, but they have sparked many discussions--especially with the kids' friends and with two of my friends from primarily Muslim countries), and I will go out of my way to be sure a gay couple who is being made to feel unwelcome in a public place (like on a Disney bus when someone else is not speaking to the gay couple but about them, loudly, to their kids) is welcomed and treated nicely be myself and my family (like getting up and moving to the part of the bus the gay couple is in and introducing myself and starting a friendly conversation while ignoring the bigotry being spewed elsewhere).
Little stuff like the above--which is really just living your beliefs--both when it is easy and when it is not.

 

[DawnM]

Yes, I became a teacher and then a school counselor and have always worked in the inner-city by choice.

I believe in helping the poor and I also believe that education is a definite way out of poverty. My entire career is based on my passion.

Dawn

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Sometimes. I was active in the One Campaign for a few years, but I've got very distracted with work and my kid's extra curricular activities.

I still teach at church, though, and donate food to the food pantry. But politically, I'm not as active as I used to be. I also used to have an automatic monthly donation to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, but to be honest I'm not sure if that's still coming out.

 

[C.Ann]

The one thing that I am the most passionate about is drinking and driving - so I don't serve alcohol in my home - not even for parties.. If someone is on my property (here at the lake, down at my DD & her DH's travel trailer) and they have been drinking, my DD or her DH have to drive them home.. I've lost too many family members due to the actions of people drinking and driving.. My tolerance is ZERO..

There are other things I feel passionate about - that I also act on - but I'm sure there are some that would cause this thread to get heated, so I'll pass on discussing them..

And you're right - people should do something about the things they're passionate about.. As they say, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.."

 

[Minniemouse07]

Yup

I did a ton of research when dd was born to choose and use car seats correctly...then looked around and saw how much misuse was out there.

Just before dd's 2nd birthday I took the four day class to become a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. I am the only volunteer CPST in our area (all others do so as part of their job). Generally I am only able to make car seat check events on weekends...but that is at least once a month...sometime 2-3!

I've been an active technician for over 7 years and serve as the car seat resource for a large mother's group (over 100 families) in my area.

 

[mamacatnv]

Yup

I did a ton of research when dd was born to choose and use car seats correctly...then looked around and saw how much misuse was out there.

Just before dd's 2nd birthday I took the four day class to become a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. I am the only volunteer CPST in our area (all others do so as part of their job). Generally I am only able to make car seat check events on weekends...but that is at least once a month...sometime 2-3!

I've been an active technician for over 7 years and serve as the car seat resource for a large mother's group (over 100 families) in my area.

This is something I too feel very strongly about and like you I got involved in the checkpoints after being so frustrated in trying to figure out if we were keeping DD as safe as we could and then seeing how many improperly installed seats had precious cargo in them.

I also believe strongly in youth sports. I feel so often some (not all) parents are there for the better of their own child, not the better of the community as a whole. I feel youth sports are good for our community and spent many years active on several local leagues governing boards even tho my kid had outgrown the league. We paid for kids to play and bought more cleats and gloves than I can count.

We are partners in Hope with St. Judes and have been now for about 12 years. Every time we get a raise we raise the amount we pledge on a monthlky basis. My DH is very politically opinionated and gets involved with local elections as well as being active in the community emergency response team.

We also give time to our kids school on a regular basis.

We are really big on the concept that if you don't like something do something to change it, don't just sit anc criticise and complain

 

[C.Ann]

We are partners in Hope with St. Judes and have been now for about 12 years.

My number 1 charity!! Always has been, always will..

 

[Jill in Chicago]

Thank you all so much for sharing!!

 

[postage stamp]

I sure do.

We don't have a whole lot of disposable income, but I do things when and where I can.

I knit and crochet hats, blankets, scarves, etc. for a hospice and a women's shelter near my home. I bake for a homeless shelter once or twice a month.

Please realize that even if you aren't in a situation where you can cut a fat check there are still 1000's of ways you can really make a difference.

 

[FireDancer]

Yes. I get involved with cancer charities and have been either a team member or committee chair for our local relay for Life every year since 2005. I also run about 25 - 30 races a year and every one supports some charity.

 

[disney_mommy]

I volunteer with my local Human Society weekly, participate in weekend rescue related events and transport animals in my car on weekends. I also donate to 4 animal related charities monthly.

 

[minniebeth]

I'm passionate about teaching children~ I'm a SAHM right now, but still have the itch to teach and be with children. I volunteer in my kids' schools, tutor for a local inner-city after school program and I'm a Girl Scout Leader for both of my DD's troops. I especially love being a GS leader for the younger girls, I get to plan creative fun things and see the girls benefit and grow right before my eyes. Plus, through GS we get to do service I'm passionate about with such organizations as The Ronald McDonald House, service to troops and others.

 

[mamacatnv]

I sure do.

We don't have a whole lot of disposable income, but I do things when and where I can.

I knit and crochet hats, blankets, scarves, etc. for a hospice and a women's shelter near my home. I bake for a homeless shelter once or twice a month.

Please realize that even if you aren't in a situation where you can cut a fat check there are still 1000's of ways you can really make a difference.

In many ways I think a lot of organizations need your time more than they want a check. I had a friend also active in youth sports in a fairly affluent community. They always had funds but never enough coaches, volunteers, ref's etc. We were in a less affluent community and had the opposite problem, lots of people willing to coach but no $$$$$ in the long run we were better off, our league was larger and less "elite".

The only people I write a check to is my St. Judes committment and the occassional fundraiser or sponsorship but we give a lot of our time and services like cooking a meal, baking a cake, building a shelf etc etc etc.

When son was in highschool his football coach was concerned that the players were not eating breakfast. Some because they were lazy and many because there was no food in the house. Our highschool covered a large rural area with a very mixed demographic. I asked the coach what we might do to help and he suggested that if the kids had a PB&J every morning after weights/conditioning it would make a huge difference. For 3 years during football season, I organized a daily delivery of 120 PB&J sandwiches to the highschool. I had some families who could afford to buy the supplies and others who if I provided the supplies were glad to make the sandwiches. This was something I was very proud of and was glad to see continue after my son graduated. It has been a few years and the other night a friend called me and asked if perhaps I could whip up a batch of PB&J's for the boys. Absolutely.......

Sometimes its money and sometimes its time but whatever it is that you can give it is usually appreciated.

 

[WDSearcher]

into action? I have read many posts where people are passionate about a topic, and have a very firm position/opinion. They want to share their opinions, and why they believe what they believe, but I rarely hear about action.

When you see something that bothers you, do you turn it around and figure out something that you can do to help make it right? (I'm not talking about confronting someone verbally.) I hate to bring up any one example, because that tends to get answers only about whatever the example is.

Instead, I would like to challenge folks to DO something about your passion. Take something that makes you angry that you wish would stop, or something that makes you sad and breaks your heart, and DO something.
You could be that one person that makes a difference.

I spend a lot of time volunteering for animal welfare causes (feral cats, homeless pets, etc), and I spend a fair sum of money getting stray cats spayed & neutered and providing vet care for abandonded pets. So yes ... I DO something about my passion.

I'm wondering though ... what do YOU do? Usually, when someone gets on the soap box to demand others do something, they at least include an example of what they, themselves, do. So ... what is the "something" that YOU do?

 

[Jill in Chicago]

True I am on a soapbox.

My point is that it is so easy to sit on the sidelines and come up ideas, or verbalize complaints. It is hard to get up and take a leadership role, or to find out exactly what you could do to make a change. (I do realize that with some groups you cannot facilitate change.)

For my volunteer work I recently finished a book to celebrate our church's 100 year history. I put in about 300 (maybe more) hours (research, interviews, photo research, meetings, writing and editing....)

Next I'm going to work with children who struggle in reading, and school in general. I am very excited about that!

 

[Colleen27]

Not as much as I should, honestly. I let having a toddler at home hold me back a lot more than it needs to because I'm so weird about finding a good sitter, so I don't volunteer nearly as much as I used to. I still give of my things and my cash but that's not really the same. The animal shelter needs blankets and pet food, but they need volunteers more, as does the local helping hands.

I am, however, getting steadily better at managing my home life in a way that more fully meshes with my passions and causes, in terms of recycling more, composting, growing our food, cooking from scratch (food additives and GMOs are one of my "things"), walking instead of driving, and "greening" our household as much as possible.

 

[bettymae1121]

Probably the biggest thing I do is try to be green around the house. I can hardly complain that we use too much engergy and resources in this country and not try to reduce my own consuption where possible.

I've stoped using paper towels and instead use reusable wash cloths for cleaning. I've also stoped using toxic cleaning chemicals and use vinager, baking soda, and lemon juice for just about everything. I've stoped using Swifter products (use once and toss!) and now use a Rubermaid spray mop (washable pads and I can refill the spray bottle with my vinager/water mix) for floor cleaning. I use cloth bags when I shop, buy local and organic foods as much as possible. And of course, I make sure to recycle, my recycle bin is usuall fuller than my trash bin most weeks! While renovating our home, we've put in energy efficiant items as well as low flow water fixtures and have donated items to our local Restore (run by Habitat for Hummanity) rather than putting them in landfills.

At some point we'd also like to install both a home windmill and solar panals so we can produce much of our own engery. Our real dream is when we are ready to retire, to move to a more rual area and have the ability to be "off the grid", including raising much of our own food, but meanwhile we'd like to do what we can in the home we have now.

 

[cm8]

into action? I have read many posts where people are passionate about a topic, and have a very firm position/opinion. They want to share their opinions, and why they believe what they believe, but I rarely hear about action.

When you see something that bothers you, do you turn it around and figure out something that you can do to help make it right? (I'm not talking about confronting someone verbally.) I hate to bring up any one example, because that tends to get answers only about whatever the example is.

Instead, I would like to challenge folks to DO something about your passion. Take something that makes you angry that you wish would stop, or something that makes you sad and breaks your heart, and DO something.
You could be that one person that makes a difference.

Yes, I volunteer on the weekends (when not sick, or on call ) at a free clinic that provides care to those w/o insurance, we also give them prescriptions or the actual medication if we have it in our possession.

I send my congressman and senators letters when ever something comes up to vote for debate and they are voting the opposite way I want them too. I usually ask them to please explain why they are voting the exact opposite of what they promised and how important it is for them to keep their word.

My husband and the rest of the Voluntolds ( they are forced to volunteer, so we refer to it as being voluntolds)
Are required to go to the missions and help serve lunch and also help out in the local schools.

Before I went into medicine, I became a GAL (guardian ad-litem) to help protect other children from abuse. I was abused as a child myself, and I know what I went through, so I wanted to be an advocate for someone else.

Used to be a foster parent before I got sick (auto immune disease with lung involvement) and had to stop working for a period of time which is why I only work part time at this time. Being a foster parent is hard, the feelings you develop for the children in your care is just hard to describe. The hurt that some of the children have been through is just horrible. I could no longer provide the amount of time that is needed to being a foster parent so I stopped doing it. I am still a GAL when the time permits.

My husband and I always try to help out a family in need if it is possible. We have taken multiple children out on outings that have never been able to go due to their family situation.

If I suspect any type of abuse, I report it, first it is my duty as a parent, but also required of me as an MD and GAL. I just could not sleep at night knowing something happened to someone and I was in the position to have reported it and didn't

At one point I wanted to changed to politics because I felt so much passion for some of what is going on in the world. I still would love to hold office one day and be what I say I stand for and what I represent. Since time is limited for me, I know that if I want anything to change, it has to first begin with me and then it has to flow into the community as a whole, who then can branch off and bless someone else because they are in the position to do it.

I think that's all for now, sorry if it was too long