A bank has found a unique way to help their customers create more wealth financially and socially, thus creating more money for customers to invest in houses, finance new business, and more. An ingenious ‘love story’ idea mix where both business and customer are enriched.
Lender retains customers by finding them jobs and life partners
The Good News Network was started by Geri Weis-Corbley in 1997, and I’ve enjoyed the little encouraging stories sent to my email inbox for many years. Recently the Good News Network went through a transformation, and is now a free and easily navigated news service. The insight and direction of Geri’s work and attitude are cutting edge cultural creative. Check out more information about what she’s doing, why, the history, how you can get involved by sending in your own stories, and more here. Now you can start and end your day with GOOD news from the Good News Network – rated #1 on Google.
Posted in Business, Heroes, Media, Stewardship
Tagged Community, Free, News, Spirituality, Sustainable
Wanna start a free pop-up store for the homeless? Check out this video, which gives how-to information including downloadable posters!
Introducing The Street Store. The world’s first rent-free, premises-free, free ‘pop-up clothing store’ for the homeless, found entirely on the street and curated by you.
Download open-source files and host your own Street Store on www.thestreetstore.org
Follow on Twitter @TheStreetStore and on Facebook.com/thestreetstoreorg
Posted in Business, Fashion, Health, Heroes, Media, Stewardship
Tagged Accessories, Community, Do-it-yourself, Economics, Family, Free, Frugal, health, Love, New idea, Sustainable
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Sharing Ideas events raise awareness of local grassroots efforts throughout Portland Oregon that strengthen community. Project presenters share the inspiration that launched their idea, how it moved into action, where they are today, and their hope for the future. Everyone is invited. RSVP suggested online or by phone at 503.546.7499. Refreshments will be provided. Childcare (9 and under), transportation, and interpretation are provided upon request, with 48 hours advanced notice. When: Saturday, April 26th, from 11 AM to 1 PM Where: Central Library, 801 SW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97205. Who: You! Bring your friends and family to this free event and discover pathways to new possibilities! |
Posted in Health, Heroes, Stewardship, Tech
Tagged Community, Do-it-yourself, Economics, Free, health, Sustainable
What do you do if you’re a small tree chipping company and you don’t want to spend your money on dumping fees? What do you do if you’re a city planner trying to keep your landfills from filling up so fast? What do you do if you’re a homeowner who wants to do some sustainable and frugal landscaping pathways?
A new website in Portland Oregon solves this three way problem with chipdrop. You open an account and give your address, and whatever local tree chipping company has a load of chips they need to dump, they drive it to your house and dump it free in whatever location you mention. It helps the tree chipping companies because otherwise they’d have to pay dump fees. It helps the homeowner because you get free wood chips delivered to your door. It helps the city because it doesn’t get it’s landfills full of woodchips. Everybody wins.
We took advantage of this new service and created front and backyard pathways! Our load, we were told, was mostly douglas fir, so the whole yard smells wonderful, and it’s safe for our backyard free range chickens.
Posted in Business, Health, Stewardship
Tagged Community, Do-it-yourself, Economics, Free, Frugal, Garden, health, New idea, Sustainable
FallingFruit.org is an an urban harvesting map that brings together community and city data bases from all over the internet/world. Find, add, and edit information on the wild edibles growing in your neighborhood. Check out http://www.fallingfruit.org/ to find and share free urban fruit that otherwise would go to waste.Posted in Health, Stewardship
Tagged Community, Do-it-yourself, Economics, Food, Free, Frugal, Garden, health, Sustainable
This video shows the history and science of how tapping certain acupressure points can help heal painful emotions – and bring about positive change – on a cellular level.
Another thing I like about this, is you can access these videos free online – free health care!
Tagged Community, Do-it-yourself, Free, health, New idea, Science, Spirituality
UPDATE 2020 I NO LONGER OWN THE OVER 40 FASHIONS WEBSITE OR DOMAIN NAME. I finally did it! Finally was able to change over the old Over 40 Fashions iweb site to a modern site with a lot more functionality and ease of use! You can now search for styles by category (tops, bottoms, accessories etc.) and also by tag (body shape and possibly other tags in the future). Thank you for being so encouraging of my little volunteer experiment since 2009, allowing women of all sizes to show off fashions they like from their own closets. Women 40+ get to play dress-up, share what works for them, educate women of all ages on what stands the test of time, as well as encourage each other. Instead of trying to fit into styles/shapes/sizes/trends that aren’t flattering anymore (and were they even flattering back then anyway?), we are showing what DOES look flattering now, what we enjoy, and telling why we enjoy it. If you have arthritic feet and can’t wear high heels anymore..what cute shoes CAN you wear?
On Over 40 Fashions, we share what we like and give our opinions so we can get great new ideas on where to shop to find styles, colors, sizes, and fashions that work for us. I’m also hoping the fashion industry and advertisers catch on and start using real women 40+ of all shapes and sizes as their models. This is why I say “If you don’t see someone who looks like you as a model, then we need YOU to contribute!” Plus, tell your friends you’re an international (internet) fashion model – how fun is THAT?
I’m looking for clothing advertisers who want to reach the 40+ female to sponsor/advertise. I’ve been hosting and honing Over 40 Fashions since 2009 as a hobby and feel it’s to the place where it can make a larger impact. On another note, I’ve had people asking where they could donate, so I’ve included a donation entry on the paypal button under the sponsor link. If you feel you’ve learned something new from this site, or want to say ‘thank you’ for the opportunity for women of all shapes and sizes to be seen and heard, feel free to donate a few bucks if you feel so inclined.
I’m so happy for those excited to share this journey. Please subscribe using the subscribe button on the Over 40 Fashions website so you can get all posts immediately and you don’t miss anything. Tell your friends. And please, be a model!
Sincerely,
Barb Hughes, founder and instigator of Over 40 Fashions
via Over 40 Fashions | women 40+ wearing/sharing clothes we like.
P.S. this may mean some of the fashion ideas that I previously blogged about will only be seen on the Over 40 Fashions site in the future.
The library is one of my hero organizations, and here’s yet another reason to love it: Free online tutoring. That’s what the Multnomah County Library in Portland Oregon is offering to it’s library card holders.
Get free online homework help from Tutor.com — all you need is your library card. Live one-to-one help is available from 2-10 pm daily in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. This service offers writing help and academic support in math, science, English and social studies. It also provides resume review, certified career tips, college prep, GED and Citizenship test help. So now all those questions your kids ask you that you don’t know, you can have them call the library. Or you can call the library yourself.
Now, back to reading my latest book…:)
With electricity becoming more expensive, here’s a way to save resources and get free lighting. The Moser Lamp, invented by Alfredo Moser, is simply a clean empty plastic bottle filled with water and a little bleach. Using the natural science of refraction, the lamp puts out the energy of a 40-60 watt bulb depending on how strong the sun is. In areas where power outages are common and in areas of poverty, Moser Lamps are becoming a great way to provide light to homes cheaply and efficiently.
How much energy do Moser Lamps save? Since plastic bottles are recycled/up-cycled from local communities, there’s no energy needed to gather, manufacture, or ship new bottles, whereas it takes 0.45 kg of CO2 to manufacture one incandescent bulb. Plus, a 50-watt light bulb running for 14 yours a day for a year has a carbon footprint of nearly 200kg of CO2…whereas Moser lamps emit no CO2 at all! Even in first world countries, this would be a fun idea for playhouses, garden sheds, pump houses, etc.
To learn more and to see a Moser Lamp in action, check out this article from the BBC.
Posted in Health, Stewardship, Tech
Tagged Community, Do-it-yourself, Free, Frugal, health, Science, Sustainable
If you’ve never heard of Upworthy, I’d like to introduce you. This site is so encouraging/inspiring that I’ve subscribed to. It’s an example of where media is going – a POSITIVE direction that’s interactive, caring, and human. Here’s the latest details about how Upworthy is expanding their amazing business, and how you can get involved:
We Had A Kinda Crazy Idea. You Made It Real. Thank You.
Hey all,
We launched Upworthy 18 months ago based on a pretty crazy idea: that if you can catch people’s attention, they actually care more about the most important topics in the world than they do about celebrity sideboobs or iPhone rumors or weird old tips about belly fat.
The thing was: We had no idea if it was true.
We certainly wanted to believe that we could help Continue reading
Having your own website, analytics, social media, etc. is a great resource if you’re looking to start your own business. With wordpress.org, not only can you get a website free, but the e-commerce plug in is free, so you can make money off your site immediately as well.
If you’ve got more time than money at the moment, why not download a few free themes and play around with them? There’s plenty of youtube videos on how to create your own customized website with these free tools. This is a great resource not only for current business owners looking to upgrade their sites, but also a resource for hard working people who just happen to be at the moment unemployed or underemployed. This free technology helps level the playing field by bringing more people back into the game.
This creative community created instruments out of garbage found in their landfill…and created an orchestra called the LandFillHarmonic. Give a listen.
What kinds of creative ideas can we generate from what our society deems as garbage? Can this same loving creativity help us see people in a more valuable light as well?
Posted in Heroes, Stewardship, Tech
Tagged Community, Do-it-yourself, Free, Frugal, Music, Sustainable
Here’s a great Labor Day story: Pat McConlogue, a NYC programmer and entrepreneur, offered Leo, a homeless man, either $100 or the chance to learn how to code. Leo chose learning to code. After only a few days of tutoring, Leo now has a facebook page and wants to design a website or an app featuring social environmental change so others can make small changes for the greater good. Leo is concerned about greenhouse gases and deforestation, and wants the U.S. to lead by example to create a better world – and Leo wants to play a part.
Pat has gotten a lot of flack for offering to help a homeless man. I think a lot of people with new ideas get flack (to start with), and I’m happy to say that Pat went through with his idea, even though naysayers were trashing him.
Pat and Leo’s story encourages me not to give up on my ideas, even if others say they won’t work or aren’t good enough. Because how do you know it won’t work until you give it a go?
How might your small ideas and what you have to offer help give someone a leg up or begin positive change in the world?
Thanks to the Good News Network for this story on Patrick and Leo.
Posted in Heroes, Stewardship, Tech
Tagged Community, Do-it-yourself, Economics, Free, Love, New idea, News, Spirituality
Ever wanted to see what a Free Gift Swap or Free Stuff Swap looks like in action? Here’s a video my daughter, then 16 years old, created to show how a Free Gift Swap works:
My daughter Aubrey is now a junior at university majoring in Environmental Science. Yeah, I’m pretty proud of her:) She’s always been very concerned about helping people and the environment (she is a big supporter and helper at the free swaps she’s able to attend), and her university experience has given her a new and exciting window on the world. If you want to help support Aubrey’s education, check out her photography prints for sale here. For more about Free Swaps, and how you can start one in your area, click here.
Posted in Heroes, Media, Opinion, Stewardship
Tagged Community, Do-it-yourself, Family, Free, Frugal, Sustainable
I like learning new things, especially for free. I was researching online about how to repair jewelry and came across a website by Esslinger, a company that sells watchmaker and jewelry supplies, explaining how-to tips for beading, identifying your birthstone, do-it-yourself jewelry, watch repair and more. This site is full of tips about gems and jewelry for the curious and frugal.
For example, here’s a video that shows how to change a watch battery:
According to the website, Esslinger has been around 90 years, which is pretty darn impressive. You can learn more from their ‘about us’ page.
Posted in Business, Media, Stewardship
Tagged Accessories, Do-it-yourself, Economics, Free, Frugal, Sustainable
Why have brown grass when you can be feeding people? This gentleman planted a food forest in the parking strip in front of his house. Neighbors come by to walk the paths. What a great community builder, sharing food, peace, and care. Here’s Ron Finley talking about the Food Forest in his yard:
Thanks to Upworthy for this story.
Posted in Health, Heroes, Media, Stewardship
Tagged Community, Do-it-yourself, Economics, Family, Food, Free, Frugal, Garden, health, Relax, Sustainable
The Community Legacy Program of Our United Villages believes that every person can make a positive difference for the benefit of all. They celebrate and support everyday people who in small ways are making a positive difference in their communities. To celebrate, they have monthly free Sharing Ideas meetings that give individuals a chance to tell how they got involved/created their community strengthening idea, and how others can duplicate their template, allowing individual passions to encourage and inspire others. To support, they provide free tools and resources on their Continue reading
A new business model – Beast Fit Nation – offers free grueling workouts with one catch – you have to promise you’ll do three random acts of kindness after you leave. Local sponsors pay for the gym. If you’re not from Portland, they’ve got free workout videos on their web site, music playlists, sports news, and more for you to enjoy.
Thanks to the Good News Network for this story.
International Happiness Day is TODAY March 20th! Find out more about it, and ideas on how to celebrate, here.
Posted in Media, Stewardship
Tagged Community, Do-it-yourself, Economics, Family, Free, Frugal, health, Love, Science, Spirituality, Sustainable
Be blown away by youth that demonstrate a passion for restoring the health of the environment! The April 26th Sharing Ideas event, features the Roosevelt High School Science Club, a group of students determined to counteract pollution in Portland, Oregon. These local youth are experimenting with planters that recycle polluted air into clean air and testing of air quality surrounding Roosevelt High School. They have been invited to Washington, D.C. later this year to present their findings.
Better Ideas Now 