Reader Forum | 12/23/2008 7:40 am

The Daily Deed

Small deeds become large actions. Maybe it’s not enough to just give to your favorite charity. Introducing the wOw community forum for helping others in economic distress

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

Times are tough, and they’re going to get tougher.

A year ago few people saw this coming, but from the beginning, we were determined that an important part of wowOwow would be helping others.

The time has come. We women have more optimism and energy at times like these; for some reason, we are less afraid than men.

That’s why we are starting The Daily Deed — a forum where the wOw community can share their own random acts of kindness and giving and personal activism so that others may find inspiration to do the same.

Small deeds become large actions. Maybe it’s not enough to give to your favorite charity. Maybe it’s time to look at your friends, your neighbors, your neighborhood, your city, your district, your state — and see what you could do to help.

Is it serving at a soup kitchen, or cooking extra food for someone who might be out of a job?

Is it offering to watch children when home help is no longer an option for a working mother?

Is it organizing a swap meet?

Is it trading books and DVDs, or is it starting a local radio show to share advice and opinions?

The world has never needed you so much. If we all think from our heads and give from our hearts, we can come up with solutions to reverse the consequences of the downward economic spiral.

Please answer these two questions, and send us your ideas. We’re mobilizing the forces of wOw for change.

1: What is most distressing to you in what’s happening today?

2: What are you doing — what could you do — to change it?

125 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Tina, Bless you for helping someone you know. So often people won’t help family,friends and next door neighbors in need but search for far away charities - is it easier to give to those you don’t know and can’t see and therefore have no judgment about?

By Kay Sara on 01/01/2009 8:16 am

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Zen Moments is a wonderful site, Merrell. Thank you so much for this. And after the last year of bickering amongst us at wow, I feel like we’re washing all the ire off with this particular forum. Do you feel like we’re finally starting to lock our toxic politics away? Good riddance! (At least for now!)

By Susan B on 12/24/2008 3:17 pm

This post has been deleted as it violated the Ten Commandments of Posting on our website.

By Jim Henley on 12/27/2008 2:29 am

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Go away, Jim.

By Mugsy Peabody on 12/28/2008 6:24 am

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Mugsy, ROTFLMAO

By Ann Coulter Crazy, Souless, Evil B*tch on 01/01/2009 5:57 pm

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Giving Kilowatt card to people help with their heating costs (www.kilowattcards.com) and can be purchased for a pittance. I’ve always been concerned about protecting others, and that includes housing, and health care - and health care includes food, clothing, safety, and medical care - housing is the umbrella. Poeple cannot be self-actualizing (ala Maslow) without the “basic necessities of life”. Other than that, I’m loath to publicize what I do, much less hope to do. I do wish I had the largess available once again to do more, but at the same time, I’m more than ready to “move over” to give others safe haven. That is the gap I see most serious - I cannot convince people to take others in during times of loss, and crisis. It’s not that difficult and there are plenty of credible support systems to qualify need.

By C jay on 12/23/2008 4:15 pm

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There is a woman on the corner everyday that I go to work. She sells a weekly newspaper to make enough money for food for the day for her and her son. I give her money through out the year and a bigger sum over the holidays. I feel she earns it as I receive a great smile from her every work day and even if I didn’t get the smile I would still help out. My children and husband all were raised with the idea that we can always give something. Socks in the winter time to shelters, you can get 12 pairs of socks at Costco for 14.99 not a bad deal and a great present for someone with cold wet feet. I am so heartened to hear all of the stories written on this blog…that is my greatest gift from all of you….Many many thanks.

By Eve Fulton on 12/23/2008 7:06 pm

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Life in general is so distressing with all the homeless, people losing their jobs, their homes, bankrupty on the rise, stores closing, the economic situation in the nation, the never-ending war and on and on and on. I wish I were able to help more, but I do volunteer two afternoons a week at a hospital and feel that the help I give there is beneficial in some small way. I deal with the public in what I do, and some of the people I see are so sadly in need that I’m glad I can help them just a bitl

By Lizzie R. on 12/23/2008 11:37 pm

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In 1993 I started a not for profit organization where I photograph people with life challenging illnesses. Needing a positive self image is a difficult thing when you are struggling with an illness. I have photographed homeless that were given new clothes so they could give pictures of themselves a Christmas presents. I have created images of children with cancer, brain tumors, alopecia, people in hospice and many more situations that are very challenging. It has been extremely rewarding to let people experience how beautiful they really are.

By Peggy Sue on 12/24/2008 5:16 pm

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This is so great, Peggy. It reminds me of my friend Tess who went to photograph guys on a local disadvantaged school’s football team. It turned out that hers were the very first photographs some of these kids had ever had of themselves, so she started making a point of it. With digital, it is an inexpensive thing for her, and priceless for them. May the light flow through your lens!

By Mugsy Peabody on 12/28/2008 9:49 pm

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“May the light flow through your lens!” That is a wonderful comment - thanks. I must admit that the cost of the pro equipment for the digital age is not cheap. And the time spent on the computer is huge. My lab costs to print have not gone down in the last 15 years. All that being the case of taking pictures, the meaning is far more important than the costs. Listen to people when they say what they would take out of their home should they go up in a blaze, (of course with all living creatures safe) it is often their photographs. Memories!

By Peggy Sue on 12/29/2008 10:26 am

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It’s Christmas Eve. I sit here thinking of the blessings in my life. And thinking of the “acts of kindness” that my hubby and I do. Nothing on a large scale-not financially able to. It’s amazing what you can do to bring a smile to someone’s face. We delivered the Christmas presents these past few days that were given by members of our church to children of parents in prison. When we delivered the gifts, we told the mothers of the Angel Food Ministeries program. Their smiles got even bigger! It will help stretch their food budget. If you know of someone who needs to stretch their food dollars please tell them to go to www.angelfoodministeries.com and check it out. If they put in their zip code they’ll find out if a distribution site is in their area. It is a non-profit organization. Every chance we have, each of us should help someone. It doesn’t have to be on a large scale. Those that can do it that way it is very much needed. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all the readers here!

By Jessie Bowdoin on 12/24/2008 5:49 pm

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You mentioned Angelfood ministries. What I would give to be rich enough to buy their food. I live in a group that is either forgotten or so despised that the public gladly kicks us while we are down and then blames us for kicking us. My granddaughter and I had popcorn for Christmas dinner and we were lucky to have that. Come January my food stamps will drop from $6.00 aday to $5.50 a day for the both of us. Meanwhile my SSI will raise by about $40.00 and my rent will raise by $61.00. So for the holidays I got the good news of knowing that I will lose money come the new year. Of course I am use to that. It happens every year.

By Christine Cline on 12/27/2008 8:28 pm

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The gifts my husband ordered for me didn’t arrive in time for Christmas. But instead of missing the presents under my tree, I’m thinking of the little 6 year old who is having a Merry Christmas this year because we “adopted” her and her Mom. And I’m smiling - because I know that Mom is smiling, too. I also knit for charity all year long. Leftover yarn from my projects is saved until I have enough to make a hat, scarf, mittens, or baby items. I generally donate to them homeless shelters since many charities won’t take items from homes with pets or smokers - no matter how they’re washed.

By Cheryl P on 12/25/2008 2:43 pm

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Good morning, dears. Mommy donates to “Dress for Success,” and is a seminar leader for information on appropriate make-up, hair and interview skills. “Give a woman a fish, she eats for a day. Teach her to fish, and …”, you know the rest. Pardon the slight adaptation on the Chinese proverb.

By Mommy Dearest on 12/26/2008 9:41 am