Communication: Speak Up for Service

by Mom It Forward on April 25th, 2011 | 1 Comment »

This week's Season of Service challenge involves serving through speaking up, through communicating. This is inspired by sponsor cisco-umi and their efforts to improve communications with technology. There is a Chinese proverb that states: "a single conversation with a wise man is better than ten years of study." Use your voice, either literally or on paper, to better other people's lives. Here are 10 bite-size ideas:

10 Ideas For Speaking Up

Organize a progressive or potluck dinner at which crackers are served as hors d'euvres, cheese sandwiches are served as entrees, and popsicles as desserts, but do it all with fancy napkins and dinnerware. At the end, tell everyone the purpose of the dinner was to bring attention to what a dinner might be like for a family in poverty, and ask them to support their local food bank or national hunger nonprofit.
Start a conversation IRL with other moms at the park or at Meetup.com, ConversationCafe.org, or TheWorldCafe.com about a cause that interests you.
Plant a geocache containing items with an environmental conservation theme. Write simple ideas for treating one's environment gently in the description of the geocache you create on Geocaching.com.
Post a story on your blog of someone being served at a local charity, like this story at my favorite charity The Children's Center.
Bake a few dozen Duncan Hines' mix cupcakes for your children to sell at a "bake sale stand." Make a sign that says "a portion of the proceeds to be donated to Great American Bake Sale to end childhood hunger," and go to their Million Cupcake Challenge site to learn how they'll match whatever you contribute.
Take your children with you as you go to greet the newest person in your neighborhood. Encourage your children to be the first to speak to a new student at their school, maybe telling them about Friends of Rachel as an example.
Call a mentor to say thank you.
Learn a statement of gratitude in another language, perhaps using Google Translate (is there any service that Google does not provide?) and share it.
Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about an issue you feel passionately about.
Develop a message to deliver to your local librarian if there are inadequate resources for teenagers there. This document might help.

How Will You Give to Others This Week?

What other ideas do you have for giving to others by speaking up?
How has speaking up made a meaningful difference for you this week?
How have others spoken up for you this week and what difference has that made in your life?

How Else Can You Make a Difference This Season?

Make a meaningful difference this season by taking the Season of Service (SOS) Challenge. Here's how you can participate:

Commit to do one act of kindness/service based on the week's challenge.
Leave a comment with ideas relating to the week's challenge as well as your experience(s) performing it.
Enter to win each week's giveaway. Check out this week's prizes from Cisco ūmi by clicking here.
Join #gno this Tuesday on Twitter to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge.