Posts Tagged ‘volunteer’

Jared’s story is a great one! It’s about passion, purpose and “living the life.” I hope you find it inspirational and uplifting. I also hope you take a few minutes to help his non-profit, A Good Idea, win $1 million! A Good Idea connects people in need with people who want to help — but it’s actually much more than that.You’ll learn all about it below.

Right now, you can take action. Vote for A Good Idea in the Chase Community Giving contest between January 15 to January 22 by clicking here. Please send the link – http://tinyurl.com/ydm6d3o – to your friends and family as well!

ATG: Tell me about yourself.

JP: My name is Jared Paul, I am 33 years old, and I’m the founder of the San Francisco nonprofit, A Good Idea. 

ATG: Tell me about significant things in your life that have let up to A Good Idea.

JP: About two years ago, I went through a major life transformation. I like to call it a “1/3 life crisis.” It happened after a break-up with a girl that I lived with at the time. I had been so stuck living by societal standards and making decisions for so long that would make other people happy. After my break-up, I started digging deeper into my spiritual self and realized that I wanted to take my natural skills — which I had been using for almost eight years in business development and sales — to start helping those in need.

Since surrendering to and accepting what “was” and most importantly, what “is” in the present moment, the most incredible synchronicities — or as some people call them coincidences — have occurred. Once you stop trying to control your destiny and just live your life, amazing things will happen.

ATG: What is A Good Idea? 

JP: A Good Idea, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a vehicle for positive social change ideas that connect people in need with people who want to help. We have been fully volunteer-driven since our formation and have served thousands of people in need with virtually zero funding.  A Good Idea is in the process of bringing a first-of-its-kind, fully accredited residential high school for homeless teens to San Francisco.

ATG: What was the motivation behind it?

JP: The motivation behind A Good Idea was to get people together who were going through a similar life transformation that I was going through, to better ourselves as human beings so that we could ultimately provide a higher level of service to those in need.

ATG: What do you envision for A Good Idea?

JP: My long-term vision for A Good Idea is to have a few different divisions of the organization that focus on different social issues. Some of those might be homelessness and poverty, the environment and people in need (for example, cancer patients, the deaf and blind communities, personal growth). We’d have people come to us with their “good ideas” and we’ll help them bring them to fruition. Then, we’ll truly live up to our mission of being a vehicle for people’s positive social change ideas!

ATG: How has A Good Idea made a difference for people? 

JP: A Good Idea has made a huge difference in both the lives of the people we serve, predominantly the homeless, and in the lives of the people that are serving those in need. At all times we are trying to strengthen and connect our society through service, which ultimately builds compassion and empathy. 

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It’s a sad time for the people of Haiti. A tragedy like this reminds us that life is precious and short and that we must live life for others … not forgetting about those around us. If you can, do your part to help. 

It’s easy:

• To donate $10, text “HAITI” to “90999″ and your donation (charged to your cell phone bill) will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts. 
• To donate $5, text “Yele” to “501501” and your donation (charged to your cell phone bill) will be given automatically to Yele Haiti, Wyclef Jean’s grassroots org. For more information, call 212.352.0552
• Monday, January 18 is Martin Luther King Jr’s National Day of Service. Find a local volunteer opportunity!

As Dr. King once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: what are you doing for others?”

Photo by mutasim.billah.pritam.

How well do you know yourself? How well do people know you? What are you passionate about?

Below are some questions. Just some things to think about … Feel free to leave a comment and share a little bit about yourself!

• Describe yourself – using five adjectives only. How would others describe you?
• What do you do “for a living?”
• Describe your idea of a “perfect” day.
• What’s your favorite childhood memory?
• What “small” things make you happy?
• What does “family” mean to you?
• Have you ever been discriminated against or treated poorly for being who you are? How has that affected you?
• What’s your biggest challenge right now? What are you doing to make change?
• What was your biggest challenge in the past? How did you overcome it?

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It’s the perfect time to do something different …

1. Start a family tradition. We all have favorite childhood memories. Fun stuff like pizza on Fridays, bagels and donuts on Saturdays, ice cream after each winning soccer game … and even $5 for every “A” on the report card. This year, start some new, creative traditions. Remember, they don’t always have to include “junk” food and sweets treats. For example, call grandparents or family members on speaker phone once a week. Or, hang a dry erase board in the kitchen and write special family accomplishments.

2. Challenge yourself. Do you have a bucket list? You know, things you want to accomplish in this lifetime? If you haven’t done so already, write it down and make it happen. There are a lot of interesting things to try — like a yoga or pottery. Check your town’s recreational department for upcoming classes.

3. Set a new goal each month. This year, pick 12 things and stick to them. Your goals may include cleaning the garage; trying new recipes; using coupons whenever shopping or saving extra money for a family vacation. Whatever your goal, write it down, and stick to it. It may be helpful to do some online research to help you get organized or get started.

4. Organize your pictures. Whether you have a stack of printed pictures — or a ton saved to your computer — get organized! With online resources like Snapfish, you can create flipbooks with captions or print out pictures. Prices vary, but are affordable.

5. Make health and fitness a regular thing. Most people are great at making New Year’s resolutions, but have a hard time sticking to them. If you’ve always wanted to get back into shape, do it! One of the biggest things to remember is that results won’t come quickly — and it’s going to be hard work. Start off with small, manageable goals. For example, workout every Monday to get your week and routine off to a good start. Then, add more challenging activities and additional goals. It may help to work out with a partner.

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