Category Archives: Resources

Ethical Gifts for Last-Minute Shoppers

Fair Trade, Family, gift giving, Resources, ,

I feel like a broken record repeating this over and over, but it’s simply the truth: the only meaningful and permanent solution to poverty and hunger is the opportunity for fair and meaningful work. If workers are paid a fair living wage, products will cost what they should (which is more than we’re used to paying for the kind of fast-fashion that uses child labor and unsafe conditions). If products cost what they should, we’ll do less impulse buying and be less wasteful, which is better for the environment. It would also make us more particular about quality, and more likely to maintain the things we have rather than throwing them out and replacing them.

So let’s say that you’ve committed to do your part and buy things that were created by workers in safe conditions who were paid a fair wage. *Taps microphone* Um, ladies and gentlemen? We’re down to just ten shopping days before Christmas…

A lot of ethical brands are online, and unless we’re talking about Amazon, which owns the American package delivery industry, you might not be able to get online orders in time for Christmas. So what is the last-minute ethical shopper to do?

  • Gift Cards – the obvious first idea is gift cards. They’re probably the most popular gift to give over the holiday season, and many retailers let you buy them online, some even offering e-delivery.
  • Chocolate and Coffee – Chocolate and coffee are products that make great gifts and which are widely available. Even your local grocery store probably has Endangered SpeciesEndangered Species chocolate and a number of fair trade coffee brands. Look for the fair trade logo on the packaging. Similarly, if your favorite local coffee shop uses fair trade beans (and Rainforest Alliance certification DOES include fair trade in their requirements!), a gift card to their location is another great option.
  • Search up a brick and mortar store near you – There are physical shops that specialize in fair trade merchandise. Search the internet, or check out this list.
  • Buy American – Items made in the United States have to adhere to American labor laws, so those products are made by employees who meet American safety, child labor, and minimum wage standards. Whether those things are enough is a different debate, but at least you know your American-made products weren’t created by children in a sweatshop.
  • Buy Homemade – Your friend who knits, the lady who sells jewelry at the craft fair, and your neighbor who makes her own soap are all retailers who set their own prices and pay themselves what they think is a fair wage for their materials and time. Supporting hand crafters and local small businesses keeps money in the community and helps them build their business. Don’t forget to leave reviews and comments on social media, too.
  • Don’t throw out the big box – There are fair trade options at big box retailers. Amazon can ship Prime products up to the last minute, and they do carry fair trade items. Just search the site for “fair trade” and be sure you check estimated delivery dates.

Wishing you the best of luck on your last-minute shopping. Merry Christmas!

Responding to Disaster

Charity Review, Disaster Relief, Resources, Service Projects, , , ,

The last couple weeks have been heavy, with constant news stories of hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires ravaging parts of the world. Countless lives have been altered by these natural disasters, and millions are in need of emergency aid. So for those of us not directly affected by the crises, what can we do to help?

Of course, the first thing I’m going to suggest is prayer. We serve an all-powerful God. He is not surprised by these disasters. He cares deeply, and his heart is broken for those who are suffering. He welcomes a dialog with us about our needs and our feelings. Prayer changes things, and it changes us. Spend some time talking to God about these crises and the many people who are in need of a miracle right now.

Secondly, don’t start sending boxes of junk to the disaster areas. Every time a catastrophe like this happens, people gather boxes of useless junk and ship them off to the disaster area. Their hearts are in the right place, but overwhelmed locals end up with warehouses full of stuff that needs to be sorted and cleaned before it can be distributed, and they have to dispose of landfills full of stuff that no one needs. You would be better off holding a garage sale and sending your profits to a reputable non-profit organization.

The best thing you can do (other than praying), is to give to a reputable non-profit organization providing disaster relief in the area. They have trained, dedicated staff who deliver things like clean water, medical supplies, and food where it’s needed most. Be careful when you select your non-profit. Some of the big guys that get a lot of publicity have tremendously high overhead, and only a fraction of your donation ever makes it to the disaster victims. Use a website like Charity Navigator or GuideStar to help you find an organization that keeps their overhead low and uses best practices of accountability.

Finally, think local. If you have friends or family members dealing with the tragedy, ask them what they need. I was surprised last week to find out that in the wake of Hurricane Harvey there is a need for bug spray in parts of Texas. I never would have thought of that. They are far enough into the cleanup effort that most of them are getting mail service again, so Amazon can get supplies to your loved ones in just a couple days.

And on the topic of thinking locally, don’t forget the small charities and churches local to the area in crisis. Donating funds to local churches or local food banks will put your dollars to work in the local community quickly.

Some links:

GuideStar

Charity Navigator

Convoy of Hope – Convoy is my charity of choice for giving to the hurricane relief effort. I’ve blogged about them before. Check out my previous posts here and here.

Food Bank Locator

10 Blogs I Follow

Blogs, Resources

Are you looking for more information, stories from the field, or news about the battle against hunger? Do you want to save money on the things you buy for your family? Would you like to encourage your faith? Here are some of the blogs I read – maybe you’ll find something to love!

10. Pocket Your Dollars – This is the first blog I ever followed, and I didn’t realize it was a blog because back then I thought blogs were a big ego thing where people post pictures and talk about what their kids have been up to – like some kind of published diary. But I followed PYD, because Carrie is literally handing out useful information. This site lists the sale prices at grocery stores (specifically she covers the Minneapolis-St Paul metro area, but many of the stores are national chains), and which recent coupons (from newspaper inserts and online sources) can be combined with the sales to get rock bottom prices on groceries, personal hygiene items, and school supplies. She also has a weekly list of freebies and other great deals you don’t want to miss!

9. Living Well, Spending Less – Staying in the money-saving theme, LWSL is a blog I mostly follow via Facebook. They offer great organization and money-managing strategies, and practical advice. They also sell super cute organization items like planners, desk sets, etc., but the sales portion is not overwhelming at all.

8. Kiva blog – I’ve blogged about Kiva before – they’re the site I use to make microfinance loans. Well recently I found out that their organization also has a blog. On their blog they have reports from the field, news about the microfinance niche of the global economy, and follow-up stories about the change that microfinance is making in lives around the world.

7. Compassion blog – Compassion is another organization that I have blogged about before. I sponsor a little boy in Burkina Faso, so I get the organization’s emails and follow them on Facebook. That’s how I became familiar with their blog. To be honest, I don’t read it all the time. But once a year, Compassion takes a group of bloggers on a missions trip somewhere in the world, and I read those faithfully! The Compassion bloggers visit the homes and families of children in the program, and they visit the Compassion centers where those kids are educated, fed, and cared for. If the bloggers on the trip are sponsors in the country, Compassion arranges for them to meet their sponsored child in person. How cool is that?!

(Side note: Compassion will help you arrange a meeting with your sponsored child if you’re traveling to their area. It’s on my bucket list, and I’m super excited for a friend of mine who will be meeting two of her Compassion kids this fall!)

6. The Feed (Feed My Starving Children) – Unless you’re new to Food Shelf Friday, you know I LOVE Feed My Starving Children. I have blogged about it, attended their events, and I participate in their book club. I also subscribe to their blog, The Feed. They share stories from the field, highlight inspiring donor/volunteer stories, share resources, and keep you up to date about FMSC events.

5. Bridging the Gap – OK, full disclosure warning. FSF isn’t my only blogging outlet. I’m also a contributor at Bridging the Gap, the Minnesota Assemblies of God women’s ministry blog. But this isn’t about my occasional contributions. My fellow contributors are amazing writers. Some of them are (or soon will be!) published authors. They are godly ladies of all ages and life stages who want to share with you the wisdom they glean along the way. Topics range from humor to the heavy stuff, all wrapped up in the faith we share.

4. Sherburne History Center – While I’m doing shameless plugs… Of course, I also read the blog of the history museum where I work. My boss writes our blog, and it’s full of fun little things our volunteers find in old newspapers, great stories of local interest, and broader historical coverage.

3. No Kid Hungry – Share our Strength/No Kid Hungry is an advocacy group that helps connect hungry kids with resources as well as offering hunger education to the public. They are a great resource for information on legislation, school lunch programs, etc. I follow their blog because I love their summer Youth Ambassador program. In the program they put teenagers to work in the field, then the teens blog about their experiences. It’s really interesting, and their enthusiasm is contagious!

2. All Your Heart Ministries – A few years ago, my friends Kelli and Tracy founded an organization called All Your Heart Ministries. Since then a few more friends have joined their effort, and they have a great organization! Their website, Facebook, and blog are soothing, encouraging, and do a great job walking the line between being gritty-real and maintaining a hopeful and faith-filled mindset. Also, they talk about Bible journaling, which I love!

1. We Are THAT Family – This is another blog I follow mainly through Facebook. Kristen Welch and her family are dedicated to making the world a better place, and they invite us all along on their adventures. The Welch family founded Mercy House Global, and it’s offshoot, Fair Trade Friday. I am a monthly subscription box member at Fair Trade Friday, and I LOVE getting my monthly box of fair trade goodies and learning about new retailers I can support. Kristen’s blog is inspirational, encouraging, and really beautiful.

So those are ten of the blogs I read! There are others, this could have been a MUCH bigger list, but I thought I’d pick some favorites and some variety, and give you some new things to check out.

Do you blog? Do you have a favorite blog you like to read? Share in the comments so we can check it out!

Cheap Summer Recipes

Resources, Saving money,

Summer is just around the corner, yay! On the upside, fresh produce is abundant and lower in price. On the downside, it gets too hot to cook! So today I’m bringing you a few of my favorite summer-friendly cheap recipes.

Alternative pizza nights
Grabbing a pizza is a reasonably-priced way to feed a family or group of friends, but it’s hard to accommodate everyone’s tastes, and you pay a delivery fee to wait 45 minutes for a pie! We have two alternatives to pizza night that are fun for the family and pretty economical. The first is a simple idea called “pizzadillas,” and the second is a make-your-own pizza night on the grill. All it takes is a pizza stone or one of those grill mats so your pizza won’t fall through.

Pizzadillas:
Shredded mozzarella
Pizza sauce
Tortillas
Pizza toppings of your choice

Put a little mozzarella and the toppings of your choice between two tortillas, and heat on the stovetop until the cheese melts and the outside is browned. Cut the pizzadilla with a pizza cutter and dip into pizza sauce.

Make-Your-Own Pizza Night: Crust recipe originally found on Food.com

2 1⁄4 teaspoons yeast
1⁄4 teaspoon sugar
3⁄4 cup hot water
1 3⁄4 cups flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
Pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice

Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let sit 5-10 minutes until the yeast mixture becomes frothy. Add the flour and salt, and mix well. This makes one pizza for 2-4 people, or you can divide the dough in half (or thirds – I have a teenager and a husband who runs distances, so they eat bigger than your young kids will) and let each person make their own. I usually double the recipe and make four individual pizzas. Roll out the dough and top with sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice. Cook on a hot grill until the cheese is melted and the crust begins to brown.

Quiche
Eggs are an economical source of protein, and quiche is a great way to turn leftover meat, cheeses, and veggies into a brunch or dinner for the whole family. Quiche consists of two parts: the crust and the egg filling. You can buy a pie crust to save time and effort, but making pie crust is really not that hard. Here is my go-to pie crust recipe; I got it years ago from my friend’s aunt who is a terrific cook!

3 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
1 cup cold butter (cut in small chunks)
1 egg
1 tsp. vinegar
cold water

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter chunks and mix until it resembles pea-sized chunks. Add the egg and vinegar and mix. Add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together. Remove from the mixer and divide in two. Roll out the dough and place in pie pan. (makes 2 pie crusts or one double crust for fruit pies)

Filling:
5 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup of cream or milk
cheeses, meats, and veggies of your choice

Mix the eggs and milk. Pour into pie crust. Add cheeses, meats, and veggies of your choice. I’m a big fan of cheddar, onion, and leftover ham. Sometimes I throw in some spinach if I have it on hand. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Top with cheese and bake for another 20-25 minutes. Quiche is done when the filling is firm and the top starts to brown.

Stretching seasonal produce
Summer is the ideal time for the freshest produce at the best prices. And if you’re gardening or subscribing to a CSA box, you might have produce coming out of your ears! Don’t let it go to waste, learn some basics of freezing and preserving produce.

My excess usually comes in the form of raspberries and zucchini, which both freeze well (shred the zucchini, squeeze out some of the liquid, and put in a plastic freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible and freeze). There’s nothing like fresh sweet corn in season, and it’s possible to preserve that flavor for winter too.

Summer Sweet Corn: From on a post on Little Dairy on the Prairie
15 cups raw corn kernels (shuck the corn and cut off the kernels. I like to use a Bundt pan. The little center part makes a great stand for the corn, and the kernels can fall into the round pan in any direction)
1/8 cup salt (I know. 1/8 of a cup. I just half fill a ¼ cup measuring cup. It works out)
½ cup sugar
4 cups hot water
¼ cup butter

Put all ingredients in a large pot. Heat slowly to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into freezer bags and seal. Lay bags flat and freeze.

 

I hope this gives you some new ideas for affordable, summer-friendly recipes. Share some of your favorites in the comments!

 

Volunteer Resource List

Resources, Service Projects,

Like a lot of couples, my husband and I get in date ruts. We always seem to watch the same movies, eat at the same restaurants, and either go bowling or shoot pool when we want to go out and do something. There is a whole big world out there, but at the end of the day it’s hard to think of something original to do. So this year for Valentines, I made my husband a list of all the ideas we’ve talked about but never think of spur of the moment, complete with websites and phone numbers. Now when one of us starts the “what should we do tonight” conversation, we’ve got all the ideas and info right at our fingertips. This week I’m going to do the same for you – a list of non-profits you can volunteer with, including web links. Click on any blue link to go right to the volunteer signup page for that organization. “I didn’t know where to start” is history!
Amazon Smile: Set up your Amazon account so a portion of your spending goes to the non-profit of your choice.

Compassion: Sponsor a child  or volunteer with Compassion at an event near you .

County agencies: Your county probably has many volunteer needs. Check their website for listings. Here is the listing of volunteer needs in Anoka County, Minnesota, where I live.

Dress for Success: Find out how to donate clothing or funds, or consider a hands-on volunteer job. Dress for Success needs people to sort donations and help clients with clothing as well as mentors who can work with clients on job and interview skills.

Feeding America’s Food Bank Finder is intended to help the hungry find a food shelf, but it can also lead you to local donation and/or volunteer opportunities.

Feed My Starving Children: FMSC has permanent packing sites in Minnesota, Arizona, and Illinois, as well as mobile packing events around the country.

Homeless Shelter Directory: Find a homeless shelter near you. Volunteers are always needed!

International Justice Mission: IJM needs interns and lawyers, as well as everyday volunteers.

Meals on Wheels: Drivers and volunteers are always needed!

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits: Job listings including paid work, executive boards, and volunteer jobs at nonprofits in Minnesota.

RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program): Connecting people ages 55+ to local volunteer needs – I work with RSVP at my museum job. They are a huge blessing and make my job much easier!

Second Harvest Heartland: Second Harvest is a network of food banks in Minnesota. They have two locations in the Twin Cities metro area, and they support many other community food shelves.

Venture: Run or bicycle while raising money to fight hunger and human trafficking.

Volunteer Match: Helps volunteers find opportunities in their neighborhoods.

 

That should be enough to keep us all busy for a while! Don’t forget your church is a great resource for volunteer opportunities as well, and feel free to leave more volunteer opportunities in the comments!