2011 Stream Clean Up

Have you ever stopped to think where that cigarette butt, empty soda can or trash that some people throw out of their vehicles end up? Most of the time it will end up blowing around on the side of the road but with a good, heavy rain the chance of that trash ending up in our waterways is quite high even despite environmental regulations. Trash that ends up in our waterways, whether intentionally or unintentionally, not only ruins the aesthetics of our beautiful waterscapes but also poses a real threat to the various forms of wildlife that inhabit these areas such as fish, snakes, toads, beavers and multiple water fowl.

Common household trash is one of the main sources of trash that fills our lakes and streams. Plastic products such as cups, bags, wrappers, bottles and other plastic containers are especially hazardous to the wildlife often causing slow strangulation or internal damage if swallowed by an animal.

In April, we participated in the Annual Overland Park Stream Clean and picked up trash bag after trash bag of discarded debris and materials along Indian Creek from 103rd Street to 106th Street. Pop and beer cans and bottles, golf balls, clothing, plastic bags, broken CDs were just a few of the items that filled our bags. The Stream Clean Up did not only just involve adults picking up trash. Many children and young adults joined in on the activities and were exposed to the carelessness of individuals as they helped in the clean-up efforts. Lessons were learned by all that day.

As long as there are careless people in this world, there will always be trash that ends up on our roadways and waterways. It is up to us to take care of our environment and our wildlife so that future generations can enjoy them. It cost nothing to volunteer for the Stream Clean Up, just a few hours on a Saturday morning. What it provided for the community and the environment was priceless.

What are you going to do to ensure that our future generations can enjoy the beauty we see today?

The Gift of Hair?

Hair- we use it as fashion, protection and warmth but have you had to face the thought of losing your hair? Perhaps if your aging you've dealt with the comb full of hairs or have noticed some thinning in areas. Most of us will be faced with some loss sooner or later.
Patients undergoing chemo know the trauma of losing their hair oh so well. It's a trauma for many because we generally wrap our identity around our hair. We cut, color, and style in an attempt to look and feel our best and create that appearance of being well kept. With our dad having to battle cancer twice we know how even at 80 years old it can be hard when the inevitable happens.

This blog is about a 10 year old girl who decided to give her hair to Locks of Love, http://www.locksoflove.org/, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. Her name is Meredith and had been growing her hair for around three years when she decided she wanted to do something for someone else
by giving 10 inches of her hair. Many hair dressers offer to cut hair free if donating it to one of the various hair donation organizations- as did Lori Greenberg from LA Cuts. She feels it's an honor to help someone in this selfless act and welcomes those interested.

After getting her hair cut, Meredith experienced the unusual difference in the weight of her hair but after getting over the initial loss I couldn't keep her away from the mirror. Before we left the shop she told me she didn't want to get it cut again until the next time she can donate. A giver in the making!

What are you doing to extend your hand to others?
Each of us have the power to change someones life regardless of our age, abilities or income. All that is needed is the desire! Send us your stories so that we can post them to encourage others.

(Various hair donation organizations have different stipulations for hair donations so please research the different sites that best suit your needs.)

Trash Talk

• The Missouri Department of Transportation spends $5.8 million annually to clean litter from Missouri highways, money that would be better spent improving Missouri roads.

• Adopt-A-Highway volunteers provide another $1 million worth of litter pickup every year

This past Saturday of group of volunteers from Ryan Lawn and Tree did their quarterly task of ridding a mile stretch of 152 highway near the Hampton exit of trash deposited by passersby. The job which generally took 2 hours to do was spread out to 4 hours due to the sheer volume of trash found during the first pick up of the year.

It was an eye opening and back breaking event. We found humor yet concern regarding some of the items we found. We couldn't help but notice an unbelievable amount of liquor bottles of all types and sizes along the on and off ramps of Hampton. This caused concern in regards of the number of drivers entering or getting off the highway while consuming alcohol. Among the trash we found a common item or two that happens to make up 33% of highway trash according to MODOT. Fast food waste--especially Quik Trip. We also found our share of dead carcasses, packaging material, chewing tobacco cans, car parts and even bank and gift cards. (By the way we didn't touch the carcasses.) When all was done it was estimated that we picked up nearly 50 bags of trash.

While picking up the trash we couldn't help but feel resentment towards the inconsiderate and careless behavior of those who contributed to the mess. Adopt a highway is nationwide and depends on individuals like you and me to do our part.

Start small. Take an empty bag with you when you go for a walk or ride the trails. Volunteer for a stream clean team. Events are held nationwide throughout many metro areas which support creek and river bank clean up.


The bottom line is: what are you doing to keep our world beautiful?

Two Cups of Kindness and a Pinch of Caring

We all know someone who is in their "golden years". It may be a neighbor ... a member of our church ... a friend ... a relative. Perhaps it is someone you don't know very well but know they don't get out much or have very many visitors. How many times do you think ... I should stop by to see how they are doing or just to say "hello"? If you are like most people, it happens alot but usually no time is taken to actually put the thought into action. We all have busy lives ... getting the kids off to school or to soccer practice ... fixing that leaking gutter on the house ... meeting up with friends for a bite to eat at the local restaurant. We accomplish many things on a daily basis in our lives at a fast pace yet sometimes we forget to slow down and look at the people who surround us who might not be as mobile as we are and would very much enjoy a kind word, a thoughtful wave, a caring gesture or a short visit. So, it was with this in mind that Therese and I put our baking abilities to work and made up a few muffin and brownie plates to take to some of her elderly neighbors.

Oddly, Therese and I did not plan to engage in this kind of activity this month for our blog. Instead, we had scheduled to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and "deconstruct" the Tomahawk Hills Country Club and salvage usable items for their ReStore store (http://www.restorekc.org/portal/page/portal/ReStore). Unfortunately, by the time it came around for us to go, they had enough volunteers to complete the task in a shorter time than expected. Because of this, we had Plan B, to volunteer in the Kansas City WildLands Ecological Restoration Workday through Bridging the Gap (http://www.bridgingthegap.org/). But, due to the snow we received during the week, this project fell through as well. So, perhaps it was meant to be that we ended up baking goodies for some elderly people who do not get out very much and do not have very many visitors.

We started out baking some delicious brownies that were cut into bite-size pieces. Then, it was on to the muffins ... Cranberry-Orange Nut muffins and Banana muffins. Needless to say, we "sampled" the muffins so that we would make sure that they were tasty enough for them to eat.


The time it took to make the muffins was minimal yet the rewards of making them and the reason for making them were far greater. Today, some unsuspecting elderly people were shown through a simple plate of brownies and muffins that someone was thinking about them and cared. We will probably never really know the impact it had on these individuals but we do have some idea even as we delivered the goodies to them in the pouring rain.

 

If you can read a book, you can read a recipe. If you can sit down to watch a half hour of tv, you can spend the time to sit down with an elderly person and have a thoughtful conversation with them. If you can pick up your newspaper in your driveway in the morning, perhaps you have time to pick up your elderly neighbors and place it on their porch. It is the little things that we can do that will make big differences in other people's lives.

So, what will you do this week? this weekend? this month? Why not stop by one of your elderly neighbors or relatives some time and show them that you care and are thinking of them?

And, for those of you who did not catch our posting at the beginning of the month, be sure to read "Warming the Hearts" our plea for collecting homemade hats, mittens, scarves and lap quilts to be given to organizations that provide the outreach to those in need.

What is your recipe for kindness and giving of your time?

Warming the Hearts

Shoveling the snow that has fallen this winter has made us even more aware of the gifts that we have to share with those who are not able to manage the piles of snow on their own. Many hours were spent clearing off drives and walks for our elderly neighbors this last month. It's fun to be outside in the cold crisp air getting our exercise while pushing the shovel! Right? Well I have to admit that much of it was done with the blower but none the less given the number of homes to take care of it was quite a chore. Even though some of the days were bitter cold we were able to deal with it by having the proper outside gear and a home to warm up in when it's too cold to bear.

Many are not as lucky to have the home or the proper gear and spend their days and nights outside. Imagine spending the night out in the weather we've had in the last month. That is why we are going to do a special drive this year to collect handmade items to be given to those in most need.

Here's how it will work. We are making a plea to be passed around the nation to knitting guilds, sewing circles and crochet enthusiasts. We are collecting homemade hats, mittens, scarves, and lap quilts to be given to organizations that provide the outreach to those in need. OK for you over achievers that might possibly have some afghans laying around because you've already given one to family and friends, feel free to pass them on as well.

I had someone from work on medical leave and she came back with a bag of scarves and hats she made during her recoup time. That was just through a casual conversation. Just think what you could do when you invite someone to participate.

Feel free to pass on this blog site to others to explain this drive or people can email Therese directly at n2nature@everestkc.net with the Warming the Hearts in the subject line. We would also love to hear your stories so pass them on.

Are you ready to warm the hearts of others?

The Gift of Food

How easy it is to take our lives for granted. We count on the luxuries in our lives; being able to drive a car, use a computer, call or text from a cell phone. Could we survive without those things? Sure, perhaps with a few withdrawal symptoms for some, but all in all we don't have to have those things to survive. What about food? Luxury? Most of us are able to go to our cabinet and have a choice of what we are going to fix for dinner each night. If nothing looks good how easy it is just to run to the store and pick something up that is more appealing for the night.

This year our extended family tried something new for Christmas. With the news of bare shelves at so many food pantries in the area being broadcast, we decided to give the gift of food. It was simple. Instead of buying that pair of socks for Uncle Jim or that gift card for the nephew who has everything we proposed the idea of giving the gift of food to each other instead. There was some resistance by those who really wanted to mark the event by purchasing a personalized gift but was surprisingly well received by most.












The plan was that all the food would be brought Christmas day and those interested would build something out of the food. Do you know it's not easy to balance cans on a macaroni box? Just ask Austin he tried. After the holidays were over, the food was donated to Catholic Charities. A great place to drop off just about anything.

We've all seen the Harvesters barrels in the stores and the opportunities to donate at the register in different denominations. What stops us from taking that step in making that much needed donation?

This year we will continue to blog our journey and hope each of you search for opportunities to lift each other up through volunteerism. Make it your gift this year!