Choose Joy

Pacific Wildlife Care

Written by: Shannon Fissori
San Luis Obispo County, CA

As someone who grew up by the ocean and continues to marvel in the wildlife around it, I have a great fondness for those who dedicate their lives to preserve it.

Pacific Wildlife Care is facility in San Luis Obispo County whose mission is to rehabilitate and return injured or orphaned wildlife to their natural habitat. Going beyond this commitment, they also work to educate the public to value and respect wildlife and the environment we share with them.

Like many non-profit organizations, PWC relies heavily on donations and volunteers. They offer a wide variety of volunteer opportunities ranging from office help, phone hotline support and center cleaning to animal care and transport. There’s something for everyone!

Please consider making a contribution today.

Go Team Davis!

 

Written by: Allison Olson
Davis, CA

In 2008, my life changed in ways I couldn’t possibly imagine. I got involved with my local Special Olympics team, Team Davis. What I didn’t know then was that Team Davis offered so much more than athletics to their participants and their volunteers.
Team Davis is a non-profit based in Davis, California that provides athletic, social, nutritional, and community outlets for people with disabilities.

There are many Special Olympics teams participating in many different sports throughout California. But Team Davis goes above and beyond the call of service for this often over-looked community.
 

I began my involvement by coaching track and field, preparing our athletes for the Special Olympics Summer Games. My involvement grew from there, as I began coaching everything I could, from soccer to golf to cross country to basketball. The more I was around our Team Davis members, the happier I was. I realized that I was getting more out of my camaraderie and friendship with the Team Davis athletes than they could possibly be getting from my coaching abilities. But my lack of coaching skills did not matter. Team Davis and their participants are the happiest, most capable, most caring, and most upbeat people in spite of their special needs. As the Team Davis motto states, “Seeing the ABILITY in disability.”

As I mentioned, Team Davis also offers more than just athletics. They have a quarterly dance and numerous other social opportunities. They have a team garden where they learn about nutrition and healthy eating. They participate in many community events and even partner with UC Davis on occasion.

Team Davis is such a huge part of me now, I can’t imagine life without it. I would encourage everyone to find their own “Team Davis.”

Start by looking up the local Special Olympics team or your city’s Alternative Recreation department. It will change your life and will mean the world to those participating.

Audrey Advice

Hi friends! Will be taking a week away from the interwebs to move from the CA Bay Area to the Central Coast. Could not be more excited to live near family and start a new adventure. Make it a wonderful week. Christy 

Zealous Good - helping your goods do great

Meet Brittany Martin Graunke, Founder & CEO of Zealous Good.

While working at United Way of Metropolitan Chicago she discovered a vexing issue - many people want to be charitable but money is tight.

Her solution? Donate items people no longer need to groups that do. Items include furniture, electronic equiptment, clothes and more.

How? By creating a website connecting donors to local non-profits with matching needs. In under 2 years Zealous Good has connected donors with over 150 non-profits, enabling $468,540 in contributions.

Get a jump start on your spring cleaning! Consider quality items you no longer use then hop online to be linked with deserving organizations serving others. Check out the easy to follow guide. Are you affiliated with a non-profit that could use donations? Start linking with donors now.

While Zealous Good is based in Chicago, anyone anywhere can donate gift cards or ship items their way. Inspired? Organize a donation drive where YOU live or become an online advocate. Simply support Zealous Good on Facebook and share this post with friends, family and co-workers. It's easy and cost only your time...maybe 5 minutes.

Brittany's courage and creativity turned an idea into action. The greater Chicago area is a better place to live and serve others thanks to her dedicated team.

Be Brave

Spotlight on...Half the Sky

Written by: Shannon Fissori 

Arroyo Grande, CA 

While women make up half the world’s population, they comprise 70 percent of the world’s poorest people.  As a woman not a part of that figure, this is heartbreaking to me.  To think simply being born a girl increases your chances of being targeted for violence or exploited for sex trafficking is just as sad.

This can change.  There are many ways to shift the tide of oppression against women around the globe.

Education has proven to be one of the most effective ways to lift women out of poverty.  Investing in a girl’s education has a ripple effect over the entire community.  An increase in education typically leads to greater job opportunities, higher wages and a general tendency to marry later and have fewer children.  Income equality for women often lifts whole families out of poverty due to the fact that women are more likely to spend money on nutrition, medicine and housing - thus resulting in healthier children.

Gender equality has come a long way but much work remains to be done.  Our mothers, daughters and sisters around the world continue to need our help. 

To learn more about issues impacting women today, organizations working to improve their lives and ways you can help, please check out the Half the Sky movement here.