The Spirit of Giving

Looking for something festive to do with your kids this weekend? How about giving them a one of a kind experience where they get to help other children AND charity support charities? Well look no further! Jake's Gigantic Give is happening this weekend (November 27th & 28th) - an event that will turn your whole family into a group of giving santas!

It all starts with a group of volunteers have transformed a massive warehouse into a magical toy shop, where your kids can roam about and find the perfect toy to give away. Once selected, the toy is taken to the gift wrapping centre to be wrapped JUST right. Then - and possibly the most magical part of the give, your kids get to take their gift directly to a representative of the charity they choose to support (among some of the charities at the event are Children’s Aid, Jewish Family and Child Services, Chum City Xmas Wish, Starlight/Starbright, Jean Tweed Centre and Chai Lifeline) - so they get to see the immediate response to giving.

And Jacob's Gigantic Give has pretty much thought of everything to make this experience easy, fun and festive. Adults can either join their children in the store or kick back in Jake’s Lounge where entertainment, food, drinks, giveaways, gifts, surprise guests and much more will be happening throughout each day - while their kids are taken on the giving journey with "kids-at-heart" volunteers.

To learn more please head to the Jacob's Gigantic Give and get into the amazing spirit of giving!

What's Not to LOVE about Ted Talks?

Ted Talk's tagline ran continually through my head as I sat listening yesterday at Tedx Toronto - "ideas worth sharing"......which definitely are the perfect words to encompass all that Ted is about. Because that's what it is - ideas. Ideas from innovators, authors, poets, creators, buisnessmen - all coming together over a love of knowledge.

Speakers are given 20 minutes, just 20 minutes, to inspire you, challenge you and teach you...or sometimes, even turn your world upsidedown.

As I sat in a conference room at MaRS, full of people drinking cans of pop and clutching their Tim Hortons, frantically typing into their blackberries and ipads (yes, this is the universe of nerdom, but cool nerds), trying to keep in touch with the offices they have left for the day to spend at TED. I thought to myself, that this sight proves that knowledge is power. Not in the traditional sense, but that knowledge has power. It has the power to make you think for days, the power to start conversation, the power to change your views, the power to bring people together, and possibly the power to create peace.

Okay, okay, I've gotten a little hyperbolic, but if you've seen a TED talk that's stuck with you, then you know what I am talking about. If you haven't, then see one NOW, at the very least, it will give you something to talk about at your next cocktail party.

Become a Hero for your charity, your community or just yourself!

Ever sold magazines, girl guide cookies, or coupon books to help raise money for the charity you love and support? Ever done it in the rain, or the snow, or the blistering cold? What if you could fundraise and raise awareness right from your computer?

Well that's exactly what actor Edward Norton decided needed to be done. He created Crowdrise, a hot new site that's already raised over $250,000 for organizations all over the world - and it was only launched in May! Crowdrise is hip, sassy and fun - and what would you expect from a site that's tagline is "if you don't give back no one will like you". Ed has even recruited some of his famous friends to join the site, so Crowdrise becomes a place where stars and volunteers alike can mingle and shmooze over the causes they love!

The best part is it's easy to raise money, give money, or even just learn about different organizations and causes. You can support Sophia Bush's and her Run for the Gulf, or you can learn all about Alzheimer's with Seth Rogen, or even give puppies a great big hug with Kristen Bell.

It's got a competitive aspect as well, so Get Involved would recommend checking out this list of organizations to support and start fundraising for them on Crowdrise, because "volunteering and raising money for charity is the most fun in the world!"

Calling all Young Filmmakers!

HEY YOU! Interested in getting involved with the filmmaking biz? Presenting Our Vision (POV) is a registered charity, located in Toronto, dedicated to assisting economically disadvantaged youth gain the skills and experience needed to secure employment in film, television, and commercial production.

POV provides youth with three different programs to get involved in the biz; the Filmmaking Program, the Internship Program, and the Alumni Working Group. The Internship program provides students who have completed the Filmmaking Program with a 4 month PAID internship and the Alumni Workshop provides a youth-mentoring-youth experience for POV students who want to work on their own film projects.

In addition to learning business and technical skills, students also learn invaluable social skills: the teamwork required to be part of a crew, the importance of clear communication and reliability.

And POV has a brand new project in the works! Alongside Schools Without Borders and Manifesto Community Projects, this year's students are creating a documentary on Manifesto's live (and free!) hip-hop concert happening this September! Not only will this project support and help promote the POV's program itself but it hopes to inspire youth culture and showcase urban living.

The heart of the film will celebrate the power of youth culture and the endless potential young people have when they collaborate. The doc will mix behind-the-scenes footage of Manifesto's incredible undertaking of the festival, with footage of the festival itself - including its national breakdance competition, massive art exhibition, and free outdoor concert. The energy and the creativity of the arts events will be used to underscore these characteristics in the individuals who put this festival together and the youth movement at large.

But of course - doing all these amazing things could never be FREE - so the POV organization has enter into the Pepsi Refresh Project, in hopes of receiving a grant of $100,000 to help fund the project. They are currently in 24th place SO VOTE NOW and support the youth filmmaking movement!

Pepsi Refresh Project - Giving Away Millions to Canadians!

Got a great idea? Want to support the things you care about? Check out the Pepsi Refresh Project, Pepsi's new campaign to provide funding to individuals and organizations that want to make positive change in their community.

Interested in supporting a cause/idea? Head HERE to vote for your favorite submission that you think should get the grant!

Have an idea of your own - OR want to get funding for the organization you support? With 6 different communities like "arts and culture", "health" and "education"there's room for any kind of idea/organization! Put in your application NOW and do it fast, because the submissions deadline is August 31st.

Finalist will be announced the day after voted has been completed on September 1st. The top 4 fabulous individuals will receive $5,000 to help get an idea off the ground, 3 small groups will be awarded $10,000 to begin their organization/idea, 2 companies or grass-roots organizations will be given $25,000 to help their ideas come to light AND 1 $100,000 will be given to an organization that can dedicate lots of time and resources to their plans.

Become a mentor with Kids.now!

If you knew that donating just 1.5 hours of the 168 hours you have available per week, could change 10 kids' lives forever, would you do it?

Kids.now is Canada's national charity for youth development, that provides programs for children in grade 7 and 8. This is a time when children are turning into teenagers, and experiencing many new and difficult challenges, which means it's a very important time for growth development.

Kids.now programs build life-success skills that: improve family and peer relationships; provide youth with tools to make positive choices and turn away from risky behaviour; enhance self-esteem and encourage healthy thinking, leading to a more productive and rewarding life. These after-school programs are provided to the children free of charge, so kids.now is always looking for new volunteer mentors.

When you volunteer your time as a kids.now coach-mentor, you become a positive influence during a critical developmental period in a child's life - grades seven and eight. It's a time when kids make choices that can change the course of their lives forever. Mentors help kids make positive choices.What's Involved?

One six-hour training session with other coach-mentors (The six-hour training session takes place on a Saturday, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., generally a couple of weeks before the start of the program.)

Weekly 1.5 hour program sessions for 12 weeks (fall or spring programs)

Half-hour prep time each week for 12 weeks

The kids.now program takes place in school, afterschool and runs between 3:30 and 5:00 p.m. on one weekday evening for 12 weeks during either the fall or spring.

Kids are self-selected - they choose to sign up — so they're in the program because they want to be there, which enhances the experience for both kids and coaches. This program attracts kids from all walks of life, which adds diversity and value to the program, as each participant shares his or her own life experiences and perspectives.

Fill out your application to be a part of this life-changing (for both you and the children) volunteer opportunity NOW!

We Make a Living by What We Get, We Make a Life By What We Give - Churchill

If you've been caught up in the Oscar buzz and after-math, you've seen a glowing Sandra Bullock accept the award for the critically acclaimed film "The Blind Side". "The Blind Side" is a beautiful and uplifting story about a woman who takes in an under-privileged child, and helps him realize his dreams. When Bullock's character is told that she is changing this child's life, she replies with a shake of her head that he changing hers. And that's what mentoring a child is really all about. Together you grow and lean new things about yourself. While helping a child find his/her confidence and footing, you find your own. And this is exactly what happened to mentor superstar Donna Dow at the KidStart Program.

The KidStart Program provides trained and screened adult mentors for children 6 through 18. Refereed to as a prevention program for youth, KidStart aims to develop positive mentoring relationships, with kids who have had difficulties in their lives. They may be doing poorly in school, or come from an impoverished family. Mentors engage their mentees in activities that promote learning, and encourages success, positive feedback and achievement.

Donna Dow is a one to one mentor with an 11 year old girl. Most mentors spend roughly 3 hours a week with their mentees, but Donna's charge has become an important part of her life. Together they do all sorts of exciting activities - activities they decide on together, picking activities that both will be able to learn from and be inspired by. Donna even encourages the young girl in her future, as she collects money that her mentee has made doing odd jobs for Donna and her friends - saving the funds for the girl's dream - to own a horse.

Donna's "little buddy's" improvement in her social life can be seen quite clearly. When Donna and her mentee first met, the girl had few opportunities available to her. Her step-mom is diagnosed with MS and her father is frequently out of town She struggled in school both socially and academically. But to Donna's utter delight, her little buddy has made some remarkable strides, becoming more confident and independent - Donna even finds herself re-scheduling her appointments with her little buddy to make room for birthday parties and sleep-overs (and Donna couldn't be happier!) “I had a wonderful time with (my mentee) as usual and my spirits were uplifted in a way only a child can do. I look forward to our next week of card making. Such a simple act that brings so much happiness into the life of a child, wonderful”!

Learn more - or become a mentor at KidStart!

Profile provided by: Volunteer BC

"While There's Tea There's Hope"

For generations, tea has made a difference in people's lives by providing warmth and inspiration. In fact, Arthur W. Pinero, a famous British dramatist once said, "While there's tea, there's hope."

Now, Red Rose tea is bringing some of that hope to children in Canada and around the world through the Reach Out With Red Rose program – an active sponsorship that includes a $250,000 contribution to ONEXONE and the chance for Canadians to win a volunteer experience with a ONEXONE partner.

ONEXONE’s partnership with Red Rose is unique and extraordinary. Not only are they helping the cause with their donation, but they are also providing fantastic and inspiring “volunteer vacation” opportunities for Canadians.

"The Reach Out with Red Rose program will help spread the word about the important work we and our charity partners are doing to support, preserve and improve the lives of children in Canada and around the world," said Joey Adler, ONEXONE founder and president of Diesel Canada. "ONEXONE focuses on five pillars– clean water, hunger, education, health care and play – and sponsors like Red Rose help ONEXONE continue to make projects like wells for clean water in Ethiopia and breakfast programs for Canadian kids a reality."

The Contest

The third contest of this year is launching April 5th.

To enter, submit a short 200-word essay and photo that shows what you are doing to change the world.

Then invite your friends, family, neighbours, colleagues, dentist, and so forth to vote for you so that you can make it into our top 10. Round one of voting will begin after the submission deadline. If you make it into the top 10, you will have one last chance to rally your community - and all of Canada – to vote for you as you compete to get into our top three.

From there, our judging panel will select one lucky person, who will win a once-in-a-lifetime volunteer vacation: a seven-day, all expenses-paid trip for two to live and work in Africa on a ONEXONE partner project! Footage from these once-in-a-lifetime trips may be used to create a compelling documentary that is currently scheduled to be shown at the ONEXONE Gala during the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival!

Read Rebecca Tremblay's story - Reach Out with Red Rose's first contest winner! She wrote a beautiful blog about her experiences - get inspired and watch her video!

Teens Becoming the Generation of Social Change

Mackenzie Investments is looking for Canada’s Top Teen Philanthropist!

The Mackenzie awards celebrate an entire generation of youth that are giving back, donating their time and money, and inspiring others to create change - not just change in a few years - change NOW!

Mackenzie Investments realized Canadian teens were a powerhouse of giving, after they commissoned a 2007 philanthropy survey (check it out) of Canadians aged 13-19 to measure their giving and volunteering beliefs, actions and trends.

The astounding key findings include:

1) 93% of Canadian teens have been involved in philanthropic activity

2) With their own money (ie from part time jobs or allowance) the 3 million teens in Canada donate an average of $293 a year, just below the $400 Canadian adults donate

3) On average teens raise $516 per year through fundraising efforts

4) 84% of teens donate at least 5 hours a year to charitable causes

THE AWARDS:

-The winner receives a prize of $5,000 to go to their charity of choice and $1,000 in cash for themselves, to help invest into their future.

-The five runners-ups receive $500 each for their charity of choice.

-The deadline for entries is in November, 2010.

Are you active in your community and interested in applying?! Celebrate all the great things you do - and help out your favorite charity at the same time! Check out guidelines and the application for the awards HERE

Check out the Winner and Runner-Up's Profiles!

Get Your Children Engaged in Volunteering

Check out TVO's fantastic article on how to teach your kids to contribute to society and donate to a worthy cause! You will be surprised by how passionate kids can become when they get involved. There's lots of fun opportunities too, volunteering is no longer about simply stuffing envelopes. It's a great way to give back this holiday season and an even better bonding experience for you and you family.

TVO Parents: Engaged Philanthropy and Power of the Hour.

Need extra help getting your family inspired? Check out this great video on Ryan Hreljac, the seventeen year old creator of the Ryan's Well Foundation - which has provided clean water to over 580 000 people around the world. CLICK HERE

Check out our other videos on superstar volunteer teens: Quinn Runkle, Bilaal Rajan, Amanda Belzowski and Abbey Simbrow.

Mitch Joel's Tips on Managing Social Media

Digital marketing guru Mitch Joel sat down with Digital U to discuss his take on social media trends. A committed blogger, entrepreneur and heavy metal music lover, the president of digital marketing firm Twist Image lives and breathes social media. To him it’s effortless, and he controls it, not the other way around.

Having just published his first book, Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone, he continues to promote the marketing tome, while doing everything he's always done - blogging, public speaking, a weekly podcast, and work with clients in Twist Image offices in Toronto and Montreal.

Joel's book is a primer for every business on how it needs to strategize to be successful in the digital age. According to Joel: "The truth is, we no longer live in a world of six degrees of separation. In fact, we're now down to only six pixels of separation, which changes everything we know about doing business."

Among the themes Joel discusses with Digital U is transparency - to him transparency is easy, credibility is hard. And being a marketer, Joel gives insight on the conversation between consumers and brands. Joel notes consumers don't have control, but they do have volume.

View the podcast in full.

TVO Launches podcasts and shorts for new series Digital U

Do you want to know more about RSS feeds but are afraid to ask? Are you on Facebook, but balk at the idea of twittering? Getinvolved.ca is launching a new series – Digital U – and it’s aimed at helping people navigate and understand the latest trends and concepts in social media.

Beginning in December, TVO will be rolling out eight different three-minute shorts, the first one is Micromessaging and Twitter, click here for a sneak preview. The pieces involve interviews with over 20 social media experts including: Mitch Joel, Twist Image, Jason Mogus, Communicopia, Meghan Warby, Hill & Knowlton Canada, Beka Economopoulos, Fission Strategy, Craig Heintzman, World Wide Web Foundation, Christopher Berry, Critical Mass, and Sacha Chua, IBM.

Topics covered range from explaining the phenomenon known as crowdsourcing and how to create an effective online persona, to online activism and how consumers are being empowered through social technology. You’ll also hear about people’s favourite tools and how not to be overwhelmed by information, but instead how to manage its flow.

Digital U has made learning easy, and if you want to find out even more about social media, full audio and video podcasts of each interview subject will be available online at Digital U, airing once a week, starting in December.

Social Media Revolution

"The ultimate brain spa" Tedx TO 2009

How do you cram Canada's up and coming world thinkers, doers, creators and innovators all in room? Hold a TED! TED is an annual event where great minds come together to speak about what they are most passionate about. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design - all 3 subjects which are constantly evolving and advancing as we move into our future.

TEDx TO is occurring here in Toronto, tomorrow afternoon (Thursday, September 10th). This year's theme challenges both audience members and keynote speakers as they look at "What's Next?" in our world. What new ideas, projects, technologies, and people are shaping our tomorrow? Speakers are challenged to bring only new ideas to the stage; that means no pitches and no familiar speeches.

The event itself occurs in the small Theatre Passe Muraille, but because the space is limited, inquiring minds themselves had to be innovative; they created a way to share the conference's events - live webcasts airing in spaces around the city.

With 13 keynote speakers, ranging from playwrights (Waawaate Fobister - a recipient of six Dora awards) to architects (Michael McClelland - the lead architect for the AGO, ROM and Distillery District) there is something to nurture and inspire every mind! Click here to learn more about TED or check out a live webcast tommorrow and get creative!

View YouTube's highlights of TEDGlobal 09 here

Drop us a line at info@getinvolved.ca - blog about your experience watching the event, comment on some of the ideas or propose concepts of your own and we will pick the most creative and innovative blog to posted publicly right here next week!

Donate a car - make a wish come true!

When it gets warm enough to walk (and the air quality is smoggy enough to start thinking about the environment without trying to think about the environment!) it starts feeling like a better and better idea to get rid of your gas guzzler and find a better way to get around. How about a better way to get rid of that gas-guzzler?

The Toronto & Central Ontario Make-A-Wish organization wants you to know that if you or someone you know has a car that is no longer safe to drive, or the vehicle repairs are too expensive, you could choose to donate your old clunker hassle-free to Make-A-Wish® Toronto & Central Ontario through 1877 End of Life Vehicles.

By donating your old car through 1877 End of Life Vehicles you will be helping a child with a life-threatening illness have their wish come true. For more than 10 years now, Make-A-Wish has been granting personalized and unique wish experiences to kids living with life-threatening medical conditions. 100% of the car’s value will be donated to Make-A-Wish ®.

Donating is easy, there is an online form that you fill out and 1877 End of Life Vehicles or Charity Cars will even come and pick up the vehicle for free. 1877 End of Life Vehicles and Charity Cars practice “Green Vehicle Recycling” meaning any salvageable parts will be kept and the rest of your car will go to a steel mill to be recycled.

For more information on donating your car for Make-A-Wish® please visit End of Life Vehicles’ website.

Boys and Girls Clubs want to help your kids get active!

Did you know that many Canadian kids’ after-school programs are at serious risk? According to studies, some 250,000 children are excluded from after-school activities because of low incomes or lack of access.

One of the results is a growing concern about our children’s health; without programs that would address the growing problem of inactivity and the resultant issues of poor nutrition and obesity, children – particularly those in disadvantaged communities – need our support.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada is working with Today’s Parent Magazine to highlight the problem and raise awareness with our legislators that parents want more healthy, active, after-school programs for kids.

Want to help? Send a letter to your MP! Click here to cut and paste a letter directly into an email to your own MP (or compose one of your own) and let your feelings be known!

Get Involved is getting involved by making this a featured challenge this month. Click here to sign-up on-site.

And check out the Boys and Girls Club website to find out all about childrens programs now available in your community. There are so many opportunities and so much fun to be had. Boys and Girls Clubs offer programs that support healthy physical, educational and social development programs to 200,000 children and youth annually, after-school and at other times when children are not in school. Sign up for the newsletter to receive regular updates on club activities and how you can help!

Save the day: May 3 - Walk for Kids Help Phone!

Sunday May 3rd is the annual Walk for Kids Help Phone (check out their profile here on Get Involved) Canada’s only toll free, 24 hour bilingual and anonymous phone counseling and internet service for youth and children. Every single day, professional counselors provide immediate, caring support to young people in urban and rural communities across the country.
But times are tough and Kid’s Help Phone is a charity – and there have been times when some web posts aren’t answered because there simply aren’t enough counselors available to answer. Please help out – and help us make sure the web never has to be closed again!

There are many ways to help with the Walk – you can…
1. Raise pledges and walk with your friends. There are walks in over 55 cities in Canada. Click here to find out more…
2. Click here to volunteer to help with the walk in your community…
3. If there’s no walk in your community, you can pledge the counselors walk by clicking here.
Kid’s Help Phone has more than 10,000 volunteers across the country, including about 1,700 youth volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering, contact your local kids Help Phone Chapter. Check here for details.

Join the Walk for Kids Help Phone. C'mon - Get Involved!