Showing posts with label Community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Community. Show all posts

Sunday, January 17, 2010

The people of Haiti need our help!

We are all saddened by the devastating affects of the earthquake in Haiti this past week. We have also been amazed by how so many people have come together already to help in any way they can. There has been a huge outpour of love, support and donations to help provide food, shelter, medical care, water, and other necessities to the people of Haiti. Unfortunately, they still desperately need our help.

We’ve gathered information to share several ways that you can help with the Haiti relief:

Send a Text Message.
Texting seems to be the most immediate way to help. Send a quick text to the numbers below and a small donation will appear on your next phone bill (about $5-$6). This donation will go towards helping the earthquake victims in Haiti. It’s easy, fast and convenient!
Red Cross – text ‘Haiti’ to #90999
Yele Haiti – text ‘YELE’ to #501501
**T Mobile, AT&T and Verizon have all waived their text messaging fees for Haitian relief.
**Texted donations can usually take approximately 90 days to get to their destinations. But all parties involved in this effort are working extremely hard to get the money to the charities as quickly as possible.


Donate to a cause that is specifically fundraising for the Haiti relief.
Doctors Without Borders
Unicef.org
Friends of the World Food Program
International Rescue Committee
Partners in Health
Clintonfoundation.org/haitiearthquake
OxFamAmerica
United Nations World Food Program
YƩle Haiti
**If you donate by credit card, Visa, Master Card and American Express have all agreed to waive donation percentage points they would normally get off of your charge. Good for them!

If you can contribute to help fund these emergency efforts, please do.

Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with everyone!
~Lovebug

Monday, September 28, 2009

Person to person advocacy

Put that compassion into action for the animals! By spending just a few hours handing out literature and talking with people one-on-one, you can educate countless people about the exploitation of animals. The Animal Rights Foundation of FL (ARFF) needs your help to leaflet at the following events:

• Maitland Art Festival, October 2-3.
• Winter Park Autumn Art Festival, October 10-11.

If you can help please contact: ArffCentralFl@arff.org

Help needed at ARFF Information tables

Information tables are a great way to educate the public and provide them with literature and information they need to be informed about animal exploitation and abuse.

Animal Rights Foundation of Florida will have a booth at the Central Florida VegFest on Saturday, October 24 in Orlando's Loch Haven Park.

If you would like to sign up for a shift for one of the following events, please contact: ArffCentralFl@arff.org.

Ask IHOP To Let Hens Out of Their Cages

When IHOP serves its pancakes and eggs, you can be sure the eggs come from hens crammed into wire cages so small the animals can barely move for their entire lives. The restaurant chain most known for its breakfasts refuses to take make a change and buy their eggs from cage-free farms that don't cruelly confine hens in barren battery cages. Major restaurant chains such as Denny's, Burger King, Wendy's, etc. got on board earlier this year…. Why can’t a restaurant as large as IHOP make the same changes?

IHOP's refusal took on new urgency this week with the release of this undercover video that reveals shocking abuses at IHOP's primary egg supplier. As you can see, the footage reveals filthy conditions, sick and injured hens, and birds forced to live in cages with the decomposing corpses of dead birds.

You can help to move IHOP away from this cruelty. Please urge IHOP to follow its competitors' lead and start switching away from battery cage eggs. Here's how:

TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief, polite phone call to Argonne, a company that owns hundreds of IHOP restaurants, at 404-364-2984 (if voicemail picks up, press '1' for Argonne President Michael Klump). You can say something like this:

"Hello, my name is [your name] and I am calling to ask IHOP to start using eggs that don't come from hens crammed into cages. I just watched the undercover video of your egg supplier, and the images of animal cruelty are appalling. Please start switching to cage-free eggs. Thank you."

After you make your call, please follow up with an email to IHOP headquarters to let them know that customers care about animal welfare.

Friday, August 21, 2009

End Dogfighting Program

The End Dogfighting program through The Humane Society of the United States focuses on young men on the streets who have been involved in fighting dogs. This program gives these dogs the opportunity for a new and better life that is free from animal cruelty. They offer free pitbull training classes to these young men who can not control their lunging, snarling animals. They have the opportunity to gain pride their dog's performance and experience positive competition, which makes dogfighting much less tempting. The men begin to see their dogs as friends, not fighters -- and with these new feelings and beliefs, they realize it is no longer the way they want to treat their pets. Some men even become community representatives and help pull others out of the quicksand that is urban dogfighting.

Over the last year alone, the End Dogfighting programs have reached hundreds of at-risk youth and dogs with constructive alternatives and a message of compassion. So many cities across America are desperate for The HSUS's innovative community-based outreach programs.

This program is about change -- the kind of change that inspires. Both people and pups can make astonishing progress through The HSUS' End Dogfighting program. But they can’t continue to make a difference without our help.

If you would like to contribute to this wonderful program, Click Here to make a special gift today . This is an opportunity to reduce dogfighting on the streets and protect dogs from this horrible lifestyle and brutality.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Big Hearts for Small Bottoms - Diaper Drive

Times are tough and money is short.
Please help Orlando families cover tiny bottoms!!!!

Diapers of all sizes (sizes 2 and up are needed the most!) are
urgently needed to help struggling Orlando families who are
unable to meet this expense. Your generous donations can
be dropped off Monday through Friday, between the hours
of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm at the offices of:

A Chosen Child, Inc.,
Suite 200, 1516 East Colonial Drive,
Orlando, Florida, 32803
(407) 894-1599

Feed Hope Now - Portraits of Hunger Showcase




Portraits of Hunger Showcase: Enzian's Eden Bar
Wednesday, September 30, 2009.

Join us in viewing photo submissions from this year's Portraits of Hunger Photography Contest. Winner will be announced at this event. Bring a food donation (non-perishable) and receive one ticket for a Free bottle of Peroni.

Photographs will be voted online by the public. Voting will start on Tuesday, September 1, 2009. Chosen photos will be displayed at the event and some will be picked to be made into larger than life size banners to be hung at the food bank’s warehouses. Winning photo will be put in our Gatherer Newsletter - 10,000 distributed.

If you would like to participate in the contest go to www.FeedHopeNow.org. Deadline to submit photos: Monday, August 24, 2009

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Healthy school lunch options for our children

Congress will shortly be considering revising what children are fed in schools, as part of the Child Nutrition Act reauthorization. As this occurs, the meat, dairy, and junk-food lobbies push hard to keep their products front and center in schools. As it stands, children are eating more of these unhealthy products than ever before, and childhood obesity is at its worst levels ever.

ARFF (Animal Rights Foundation of FL) are now pushing Congress to mandate vegetarian (vegan) options in schools. Currently, most schools do not offer anything along these lines.

Add your name on a petition to Congress

Remember to also spread the word to others so that they also have the opportunity to be a part of this important change for our children. The more names on the petition, the batter chance we have to win this battle.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Help to stop Puppy Mills!

Many of you are probably aware of the investigations linking Petland to Puppy Mills. Well, on January 10, 2009 a bunch of people came together for a demonstration and crowded the sidewalks in front of 22 different Petland store locations to tell the company to stop supporting puppy mills. What an amazing experience this must have been! Hopefully the word is getting out to more and more animal lovers and will encourage them join this effort to protect our animals from this cruel treatment.

Are you interested in attending or helping to organize future demonstrations at a Petland near you??? Please email the Humane Society at stop-puppy-mills@hsus.org with the following information:

1. Your name, email address, phone number and closest Petland: Go Here for a list of locations (just scroll down to the bottom of the page to do a simple search)
2. Whether you would like to be an attendee or organize and lead a demonstration.
3. Whether you would like to take photos at a demonstration.
4. Whether you would like to accept pet supplies (including towels and blankets) at a demonstration and take them to local shelters.

We can make a difference if we put our hearts out there....

Peace and God Bless!
~Lovebug

Friday, November 14, 2008

Picnic in the Park! Langford Park, Tomorrow!

We hope to see you at this year's Picnic in the Park, as the Revitalize Family continues to grow and grow! The weather should be marvelous and the friends bountiful! Plus it's also another opportunity to give donations to our brave soldiers oversees!

If you need donation ideas, check out our blog.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Care Packages for our Troops - We need your help!

Revitalize has been in contact with several units of brave soldiers that really need our help. We will be shipping care packages to them as often as possible. We would love for you to be a part of this wonderful cause and community movement. Any contribution you can offer sends a message of love and hope to these incredible courageous men and women who will not be returning home for several months. These care packages mean more to them then we could ever imagine.

One unit consists of about 70 men in the Navy that are stationed in Iraq for 8 months and have been there since April 2008.

In addition, we have connected with several units that are also stationed in Iraq, consisting of about 800 Marines (male and female). Wow! They will be on temporary camp for the next 3 months. This means sleeping in tents, no air conditioning, no showers, very limited phones access, no internet access and more.

Once again, they are extremely grateful for anything you can do - even down to the smallest gestures - writing a letter, sending positive thoughts their way or putting out a collection box at your work. If you would like their address to send them a letter directly, please let us know!

We will be organizing several upcoming events where you can join us for some fun filled times and also gives you the opportunity to drop off your donated items to include in Revitalize’s shipments.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. We are happy to hear from you!

A customized donation guide is below with a list of specific items they currently need.

With thoughts of peace,
Jess and Ami

CARE PACKAGES - DONATION GUIDE
If you would like to give a donation, please feel free to contact us at:
revitalizeorlando@gmail.com • http://www.myspace.com/revitalizeorlando
Jessica 407.399.7589 • Ami 407.694.1467

Food and Beverage:
•Lots of Snacks (crucial) – no chocolate (this will melt in the mail)
•Instant Coffee / Automatic Drip Coffee
•Creamer
•Sugar
•Energy Bars (very useful when walking all night)
•Sunflower seeds
•Beef Jerky
•Canned soups and stews (starting to get cold at night)
•Any non-perishable food items
•Powered drink mix (Propel, Crystal light, Red Bull, etc.)

Clothing:
•Socks (wool only in black or green) – you can purchase these at any military store

Toiletries:
•Baby Wipes are extremely important! Some of our troops do not have access to showers.
**Please note that the unscented are much better. Scented wipes can attract a lot of mosquitoes and bugs
•Soap
•Liquid Soap
•Hand sanitizer
•Q Tips
•Shampoo
•Deodorant
•Tampons
•Female hygiene products
•Male hygiene products

Misc. and More:
•Chap Stick
•Fly swatters
•Bug Spray
•Dryer Sheets – These are very helpful to keep clothes fresh when they can’t be washed
•Pipe Cleaners (To clean equipment)
•Batteries (AAA, AA, and D cell )
•Silly String (use to detect trip wire and also for fun  )
•Hand and Boot warmers for the cold nights
•Back Scratches
•Letters can be written for encouragement, to thank them, etc.
•Cards can be sent from you and your family for the holidays, etc.
•Pens (the locals feel that pens represent education and constantly ask the soldiers for them).

Entertainment
•Magazines – all kinds
•Movies – all kinds
•Music – all kinds
•Board games
•DVDs of recorded TV shows, any prime time sitcom, TV series, and shows from the Discovery channel, the History channel, and the Military channel are also great.
•Books – all kinds

We thank all the men and women overseas for the sacrifices that they make everyday. We're so excited to help in any way we can!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Register to Vote - Last day to register via mail

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to send out a quick reminder that election day is around the corner. We encourage you to be a part of this very important decision for our country.

Today is the last day to register to vote through the mail. Go to www.voteforchange.com to register today. It is extremely simple and takes only 5 minutes to complete.

If you drop it in the mail today, it will still arrive by the October 6th deadline.

Have a beautiful day!
~Ami

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

ATTENTION all animal lovers!

Disaster relief teams from The Humane Society have begun search-and-rescue operations in Texas. They desperately need our help to save animals stranded by Hurricane Ike.

Be a part of saving animals stranded by the storm and reunite them with their families.....There are many pets and other animals that are still waiting to be rescued.

The Humane Society is currently collecting emergency contributions that can help them respond to this and future crises.

Just go to this link for more information on sending a donation:
https://secure.hsus.org/01/disaster_relief_fund_2008/nYdNYr61qfJxA?source=gabhdg



From one animal lover to the next!
~Lovebug

Monday, September 15, 2008

Upcoming Revitalize Events!




Come join the Revitalize family!!!
Love, love, love,
Jess & Ami!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Revitalize is BACK!

....We've missed you and the entire community! Ami & Jess have returned to spread love and joy!!

We are so happy to say that our adopted platoon from Afghanistan has returned to the USA. They are grateful for the love and support that Orlando gave them!! Recently, we have hooked up with another group of soldiers in the Navy and they are in need of all of our help! Look out for donation events and drop off locations (info to be posted soon!).

In the meanwhile, check out this site to donate your old cell phones to the troops: www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.

In local community news, be on the lookout for our future events and charity projects...Picnic in the Park part 2 and our next gleaning adventure (what will it be this time...corn, fruit...???)!

We cannot wait to reconnect with everyone (and anyone)!
Much love,
Ami & Jess

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Supporting our soldiers...

Revitalize has adopted three Platoons consisting of about 100 soldiers. They are currently stationed in Afghanistan and Revitalize will be shipping care packages to them as often as possible. We would love for you to be a part of this wonderful cause and community movement. Any contribution you can offer sends a message of love and hope to these brave men who will not be returning home for several months. These care packages mean more to them then we could ever imagine.

With thoughts of peace,
Jess and Ami
myspace.com/revitalizeorlando

Pictures and Donation details are below....
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Drop off Locations for January 2008 TBA:
If you would like to give a donation, please feel free to contact us at revitalizeorlando@gmail.com or 407.399.7589

Donation Guide (a list of items recently requested):

Food and Beverage:

Lots of Snacks (crucial) – no chocolate (this will melt in the mail)

Instant Coffee (Automatic Drip)

Creamer

Sugar

Energy Bars (come in useful when walking all night)

Beef Jerky

Canned soups and stews (starting to get really cold)

Powered drink mix (Propel, Crystal light, Red Bull, etc.)

Clothing:

Socks (wool only in black or green) – Army Navy Store

Toiletries:

Soap

Liquid Soap

Baby Wipes (they use these a lot)

Hand sanitizer

Q Tips

Shampoo

Deodorant

Hygiene products (all kinds)

Misc. and More:

Chap Stick

Fly swatters

Pipe Cleaners (To clean equipment)

Batteries (AAA, AA, and D cell )

Silly String (use to detect trip wire and also for fun J )

Hand and Boot warmers (Winters in Afghanistan are very cold)

Back Scratches

Letters can be written for encouragement, to thank them, etc.

Cards can be sent from you and your family for the holidays, etc.

Pens (the locals feel that pens represent education and constantly ask the soldiers for them)

Entertainment

Magazines – all kinds

Movies – all kinds

Music – all kinds

Board games

DVDs of recorded TV shows (haven't seen a T.V show in 8 months) – any prime time sitcom, especially "Lost" and shows from the Discovery channel, History channel and the Military channel are also great.

Books - all kinds

Monday, October 22, 2007

Our first volunteering experience - It warmed our hearts!!!

This past Saturday, Ami and I had the opportunity to take part in a Second Harvest Food Bank event - Corn Gleaning in Zellwood. Gleaning was a new term to us so we weren't quite sure what to expect! It turned out to be an amazing way to help the homeless.

We arrived to the farm early that morning. Armed in our overalls, bandana and straw cap, we grabbed two buckets and jumped in the back of a pick up. From there we were driven through the muddy terrain and into the corn field. Eagerly we jumped off the back and went into the field. Basically, we were picking after the machines had already gone through the field. These "leftovers" are then taken to different homeless shelters within Central Florida.

Ami with her first pick of the day:


Some of the other volunteers. According to Amy (one of the head volunteers from Society of St. Andrew) we picked 12,000 lbs that day!!!:


It was so amazing to see all of the kids that were involved!!! It was very empowering. Lugging those buckets full of corn wasn't an easy task, but anytime the going got tough, we smiled and laughed, knowing what we were doing was so important and helpful.

Me with my bucket:


Working together to help the community is one of the things we are all about. It felt so amazing to be up at such an early hour on a Saturday to help. We left feeling accomplished that by giving our time, we are adding hope to someone's life.

Be on the lookout for our next opportunity to help make our world a better place! Next time we hope to see you there. You'll definately get a big high five from us!



With lots of love,
Jess

Picnic in the Park!

Picnic for our troops

With the season changing and the weather becoming much more bearable, we figured it was time for a picnic party!! We hope you can join us for our first Picnic in the Park!!

And this isn't just any old picnic -- it's a picnic with a purpose! Revitalize has adopted three Platoons stationed in Afghanistan and we are collecting items to send them! They've requested some specific items: energy bars, toiletries, videos of recent TV shows, board games and beef jerky to name a few. For more details and to view a list of items you can donate as well as photos of the soldiers, click here.

As the date gets closer, we'll update with more info about our exact location within this beautiful park! We hope to see you there!

2PM - Dark
Langford Park
1808 East Central Blvd.

Click here to view the Evite and RSVP!