Live On, Give On: 5 Ways You Can Give Back | $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway
Thanks to Medtronic for sponsoring today’s discussion.
Runners are inspiring.
It’s not cliche to say it: it’s fact.
I’ve met so many people with amazing stories behind why they run.? I’m sure you have seen them too.
How many times have you seen the purple Team in Training jerseys on the course with SURVIVOR printed on the back?
Or hear about the parent who started running to be an inspiration to their children?
Or those folks who had true medical obstacles that might have stopped some people from moving forward, but they chose to run on and change their lives?
They run because they CAN.? And often they use their sport and their passion to give back to others.
When I was given this opportunity to talk about Medtronic and the Bakken Invitation it reminded me that change doesn’t have to be some grand movement.? Small acts of giving can make a huge impact.
Looking locally I see a lot that I can do (and you can too!) to help change the world.? I’ll get to that in a moment.
But first let’s check out what these 10 amazing folks are doing around the world to change their communities.
Medtronic chose 10 Honorees this year.? Each has a specific lesson they learned through their health scares.
You’ll want to go read all of them as each is as inspiring as the next.
These people experienced life-altering medical conditions that might have been their excuse to give up.? Instead, they took their passions to a whole new level.
They chose to #LiveOnGiveOn.
David Watkins’ story spoke to me.
After a series of heart surgeries and even a stroke, David began working on the Ironheart Foundation.
The Ironheart Foundation is his legacy: using the power of sport to help others live their dreams.
Runners are often seen as selfish people who spend time & financial resources solely on themselves in pursuit of our sport.? Runners are so much more than that as David proves.? We are a community that gives back to others.
How can you give back?
Here’s 5 Easy Ways to Make a Difference In Your Community.
- Clean Out Your Closets & Pantries.
Those old blankets could be donated to a homeless shelter.? Shoes your kids outgrew in 2 months?? Plenty of life left in those: see if a women’s shelter can make use of them for families that arrive with little possessions in crisis.? Old dishes and plates?? Donate before you dump.? Here’s a small list of places to consider for your household goods donations:? Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, Goodwill Industries, Union Rescue Mission, Waterfront Rescue Mission - Don’t Forget the Animals!
Animal shelters are always in need.? Donate food, kitty litter, blankets, pet toys, and of course, money.
- ?Share the Lovies.
We go a bit overboard with anything that’s soft and fluffy.?? We have Lovies to spare.? Consider giving? some away to help children who find themselves in confusing and stressful situations.? Many law enforcement locations will accept your gently used donations of stuffed animals.? They keep them in their cruisers and hand out to the little guys they meet at scenes who might need something to hug. - ?Spare Change.
My family was hosted by the Ronald Mc Donald House in Nashville, Tennessee, when my son was sick.? While he was in the hospital, we needed to stay close.? The Ronald Mc Donald House was free.? And it was welcoming.? And it was home.
Next time you go through the drive thru, consider slipping your change into the collection box outside the window.? It makes a huge difference for families with sick children.? HUGE. - Involve Your Family
As a young girl I remember my mom taking us to senior homes and animal shelters.? Often we went to the animal shelter first, picked up some frisky friends, and took them over to the senior homes.? We let them pet and hold the animals.? For people who do not get a lot of visitors seeing a bunch of young, active, and vibrant kids simply made their day.? Children and puppies:? a magical combination every time.? I wasn’t always happy about going, but I was always so glad I went!
Now I want to hear from you.
What ideas do you have to #LiveOnGiveOn this year??
Medatronic is offering $100 Visa gift card to hear your ideas on how to improve your community.? The winner can use the gift card in whatever way they think will help their community!
Participants must be 18 years or older and be US based.
Be sure to enter via the Rafflecopter below and comment on this post for entry.
Patty Holliday is the owner and creator of all things No-Guilt Universe. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.
Our local food bank does so much wonderful work, it would be great to purchase some food for them to distribute to those in need.
I would buy gift cards to give to the preschool – They have the Head Start program and are acutely aware of families in need.
Haruko Sato inspires me the most with her determination of getting better and helping others . I am going to donate to local food shelves and shelters.
Lucilla Bossi’s story of how she started with small daily successes and is now helping others live full and satisfying lives no matter the struggle.
One idea to #LiveOnGiveOn is that whenever there is a sale I buy extras, especially when it’s 2 for 1, etc. and I then package them up along with samples of shampoos, deodorants, toothpaste and donate to local groups. I also love to participate in the potluck dinners at our church.
I love the animal shelter idea. Both of our pets are rescues, and my children immediately decided they didn’t just want to give items to the shelter….but they also wanted to give their time. A couple times a year, they go to our no-kill shelter and walk the dogs, clean the cages and the floors, and do whatever is asked. Last Christmas, we took decorations over since we felt it was sparse. The decorations are still up! And we don’t just do it at Christmas, shelters need help all year, as well.
There is a local mission in my area that helps provide sack lunches for school aged children to take home over the weekend. Ones who might not get food otherwise. I would donate the funds to them to use for wherever their need is greatest.
I’d donate food for our local backpack program. There is a church that fills back packs for weekends for kids who might otherwise not get a decent meal at home. So many struggle with food these days and it blows my mind that in this country, we have children who go hungry.
They are all really inspiring stories, but Lucilla Bossi stuck with me the most, I love how she doesn’t let anything hold her back even when helping others through her own struggle. I would love to use this gift card to buy some canned and box food goods to donate to our local shelter.
Wow, all of these amazing people inspire me to go after my goals and do good for others. I like David Watkin’s determination to overcome his obstacles and start running again. I love to do things for people who are least expecting it. I would like to make care packages for people in my grandma’s nursing home. I would include a nice card, a treat, and maybe a picture drawn by my sons. I know it would brighten their day.
I make fabric flower accessories for disadvantaged girls, teens, homeless women and homebound seniors. In the winter I sew fleece mittens. I could do more if I had more supplies, and do a few other things such as I’ve made cute decorated pillows for boys and girls.
I’m inspired by Samantha Petersen. I can’t imagine having to go through everything she has and embracing it, it is food for thought. I appreciate her spirit, it makes you want to conquer whatever holds you back from being your best.
Krystal Boyea’s story strikes a chord with me; one ripple can change an ocean. If I were to win the $100 VISA card, I would gift it to the autism school that my son attended. We’ve just opened a second location and $100 would purchase new software for SMART Boards. More ripples!
I would buy dog and cat food and would donate it to our local pet shelter. I read the stories and find Samantha Petersen’s story very inspirational
elena150980 at yahoo dot com
Samantha Petersen’s story inspires me the most she is so brave. If I won this one I would help out a local charity and/or pet shelter in my area.
I give back by buying cat food and treats to help feed the neighborhood cats in need. Samantha Petersen’s story inspires me.
I would use it to buy extra items for our church pantry and baby corner. We already donate items monthly and it would be great to do a little more! I love Gretchen’s story, even though they are all amazing!
i would give to my local food bank or donate to charities that care for the elderly in hospices in our area.
Haruko Sato would be my favorite story; she braved surgery to help to lessen the effects of her condition and keeps a very positive attitude.
David Watkins’ story inspires me and I’d use the money to buy items to donate to a local shelter like hats and gloves for the winter.
I gave to the Food bank during the big Food drive campaign. I bought a nice gift for a needy child for out tree of sharing, and I will be helping and donating to the Homeless shelter by my home! Samantha Peterson inspired me the most because she Embracing what is difficult and that is what I do in life. I have had a lot of obstacles to overcome but she inspires me to never give up when things become hard in life!
I’m inspired by Krystal’s story and how she is a voice for diabetes. I would donate additional food to a local charity.
Oh I would love to help out our local animal rescue! I have adopted my dogs from there and they do such a wonderful thing! My dog is an elderly dog that they rescued from Iowa after he had been looking for a new forever for over 6 months. They rescued him and I fell in love with him. Even though he is an elderly dog, he deserves a wonderful life for how ever long that maybe. We are so happy together and I would love to donate food to the shelter!
I was very inspired by Gretchen Merritt’s story from Minnesota. My little brother was also diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at a young age and has the insulin pump like she does. I love how she does not let it slow her down.
i would buy food to donate
I would donate the money to my local shelter. David Watkins inspires me.
I would use it to buy canned goods or hot foods ; Krystal Boyea’s story inspires me.
I’d buy toiletries for our local women’s shelter. Loved reading bout Clint Benson as my daughter has a similar cardiac problem, thank goodness not as bad as his.
Lucilla Bossi’s story inspires me..they all do..they go out there and do something to change things!! I would use it to help save a rescued pets life. I am so passionate about so many unwanted pets not finding homes. We only adopt rescued animals to give them a second chance. I would use the money to feed and save one ..give it a chance at a new life
We have a local foster/rescue animal group in our area. I’d love to get some puppy and kitty goodies for them!
I would use the $100 to purchase food items and donate them to a local food pantry.
I’d use this money to get some items from the wishlist of my local Ronald McDonald House.
Gretchen’s story inspires me.
I would use it to donate to the animal rescue group I volunteer for. I like Samantha Petersen’s story.
I would donate food to the food pantry. I like David Watkin’s story!
Lucilla Bossi is so inspiring to me. I have been horrified by Parkinsons Disease since I was a child. I applaud her for overcoming her symptoms and reminding the rest of us how lucky we are to have a busy day.
I would donate $100 to a food pantry in my city. I just listened to a story on the radio this morning about the large percentage of children in my local school district that are homeless. I’d like to do something to help those kids and I know food pantries feed many homeless children.
We give back to our community in several different ways.. we volunteer at a food giveaway site and help serve meals. I am an avid gardener and give some of what was bessed to me back to the food bank. We also love giving to Toys for Tots . Theres a long story involved there but years ago when I was a child our family got toys and I will never forget them.
I also do TNR and socialize kittens out of pocket and maintain a feral cat colony (TNR is trap nueter release) I have done that well over 20 years .
We do quite a but, and try to do more. So many people are hurting, and although we have little it is a pleasure to do what we can. I would use the extra money to buy more seeds for the garden so we can give more of the bounty of the earth.
i really loved david’s story and what he was able to overcome. I know that all the candidates faced obstacles but his one was that was really moving to me.
Gretchen Merritt’s story inspires me. she has her own health issues buy is fighting for girls that dont have a voice. I would love to have the visa gc to help small businesses in our area
I would donate books to the schools
I would use it to cook some dinners for the homeless i see all the time up the street.
I would use this money to buy dog food and dog toys for our local animal shelter! Lucilla Bossi’s story inspires me the most!
I love looking out for those in need who have just move to the community from overseas. I liked Ed Levien’s story!
The story of Krystal Boyea inspires me. If I won, I would buy food for our local food pantry.
I would support the local ronald mcdonald house by purchasing items on their wish list. I like Gretchen Merritt’s story
I loved Igors story about educating people about heart disease. I think I might use the money to help with that cause here at home in the states.
I would love to donate it to the school or a local shelter. (for supplies or food)
Who won? 🙂
The winner has been contacted already! Thanks for participating!