DO GOOD

Ad has secret message only for children…

by aileen on May 13, 2013

anti-abuse-ad-This takes targeted advertising to a whole new level. The Aid to Children and Adolescents at Risk (ANAR) Foundation in Spain have created an innovative ad campaign which speaks directly to children in at-risk situations. Adults that walk past the outdoor poster will see a basic child abuse prevention message with an unharmed child on it. Children who view the ad will see a child with a bruised face, along with the message, “If somebody hurts you, phone us and we’ll help you” This is using technology at it’s best. I’m completely in awe. The  ad uses lenticular printing technology which allows two different images to be shown on the same poster – what you see depends on your height (they based it on the average height for a child and an adult) Watch the video of how it works below. (via inhabitors)

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Thank you for the superb service…

by aileen on May 7, 2013

thankyouI love having a little note on me to say thank you in the most unusual places. One of my business cards simply says ‘thank you’ and I use it a lot. These little “Thank you for the superb service” cards are perfect. Good service needs to be mentioned – those doing it right deserve a little credit. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to keep a couple of these in your handbag. From Fifi Du Vie

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I didn’t know this…

by aileen on April 30, 2013

mailboxI didn’t know this – what a simple and clever thing. (via good.tumblr)

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Camper Obscura…

by aileen on April 26, 2013

camper obscura
So very cool – a VW camper van converted into a a giant (and mobile) camera obscura by Jonathan Blyth and Matthew Pontin of UK photography non-profit FOTONOW. Since its launch, the van has traveled around the UK educating the public about the fundamentals of photography. What a wonderful idea, and great project. Watch the video below. It will make you smile.

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Boxes that move lives…

by aileen on April 24, 2013

mid_box_1_1024x1024 big_box_2_grandeThe Depaul Box company in the UK are all about helping people move, both onwards and upwards.

“The Depaul Box Company was started by a youth homeless charity called Depaul UK. Instead of just relying on donations, we wanted to broaden our horizons and act like a business to raise money, rather than a charity.

So we thought out of the box. Everyone associates the homeless with sleeping on boxes, so why not sell boxes to help the homeless?”

What a beautifully simple idea. You buy your boxes from Depaul and they use some of the proceeds to help move young people on the street.

Their website has stories of those helped: “When Anthony was 16 his mum kicked him out of the house. Staying with his girlfriend’s family didn’t work out, so he found himself sleeping rough in parks and doorways. When Depaul UK found Anthony, he was depressed and drinking heavily. They helped him find a hostel and the support he needed. Recently Anthony sent a message to Depaul UK saying he’d found a job, patched things up with his girlfriend, and had just got his own flat. The only thing he needs a cardboard box for now is moving in.”

This made me smile. Thank you Depaul company. I will be recommending you to the whole of the UK. Go and visit them here. (via notcot)

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The good virus…

by aileen on April 15, 2013

kindnessThe good virus is a project to spread kindness. As David Gaz explains:

“I’m not talking about jumping out of a helicopter into shark-infested water to rescue someone and swimming 250 miles to safety. I’m talking about tiny acts of kindness. Helping someone whose car broke down on the side of the road or throwing a surprise birthday party for your mother-in-law.

Tiny acts of kindness that anyone can do, because maybe a million tiny acts of kindness will have more impact than a few great big ones.

To visualize how much of an impact this could have, think about how small a virus is: 5 to 300 nanometers across. 10,000 viruses end to end equal the width of a human hair. Yet, the mass of all microbes on this planet is 25 times more than the mass of all other animals combined. Now imagine if we were able to harness this power for good. Imagine if we were to infect the entire human race with this good virus!

The premise of this project is that many small acts of kindness may make more of a difference than a few big ones. We began by asking people one surprisingly difficult question: What is the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for you?”

Watch the video below and go and sign up… Let’s start spreading kindness. That would be clever… (click here to find out more)

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Gamers can save the world… (for real)

by aileen on April 11, 2013

Dana Klisanin

Dana Klisanin is out to save the world – and she has created a game that can help do just that. “In 2012, psychologist, Dana, introduced the scientific community to the “cyberhero” a new archetype that stands in stark contrast to the “cyberbully”.  Rather than seeking to harm others, the cyberhero seeks to help other people, animals, and the environment. For her research, Dr. Klisanin received the Early Career Award for Scientific Contribution to Media Psychology from the American Psychological Association. Now, she’s bringing her research out of academic journals to the global community in the form of an award-winning interactive game designed to encourage the rise of cyberhero behavior.”

You get to play a game, on screen AND in real life, and help non-profits at the same time. What an amazing idea. Take a couple of minutes to click on the link below, watch the video and do your part: (and yes, everybody can help, even if it’s just sharing this project)

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Mailbooks for good…

by aileen on March 28, 2013

mailbookmailbook2 mailbook3mailbook4Wonderful idea from Random House (Australia)and design agency BMF to produce books with covers that turn into mailing envelopes. They are prepaid and pre-addressed and get sent to those in need, who don’t have access to the same books. So simple, and yes, so clever. Watch the video below and find out more at Mailbooks for Good (via design taxi) – What could you or your company help pass on when you’ve finished with it?

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Hope matters…

by aileen on March 19, 2013

Making Hope HappenI often wear a little necklace that is a heart with one word written on it – that word is hope. It has always reminded me that I have the power to make things better. (That made me sound a lot sweeter than I am – I also wear it because it’s pretty cool)

When I heard (from a friend) about a book on the subject of Hope,  you know I had to read it. I was a little skeptical – but was soon proved wrong, Making Hope Happen is a wonderful combination of logic, science, and emotion – Not just why, but how, and what next. Dr Shane Lopez is a rare creature, a scientist who understands people and how they think, not just in academia but in the real word and the real life we all live. This isn’t just a book that explains and defines hope in one of the clearest ways I’ve ever encountered but a workbook for change that can be used by parents, communities, and educators, – or as I call them – People. (It’s always about the people, people.I was lucky enough to sit down with Dr Shane and talk to him a bit this week – he’s originally a local boy (from New Iberia, LA) and in real life he is exactly the man you meet in the book (maybe a little cooler – by the way he dresses you’d think he was a graphic designer.) I got to spend the rest of the day casually mentioning that I’d just had coffee with the world’s preeminent expert on hope. I asked him why he’d written the book, and he smiled as though it was obvious “To spread hope”- after 18 years of practical research he felt like he finally had enough data to make a difference. As he writes in the book:

My message seems simple to me now, but it took me more than a decade to figure it out:

Hope Matters.

Hope is a Choice.

Hope can be learned.

Hope can be shared with others.

For those of you in the area he is having a book signing this Saturday at The Lab – so you can grab a copy and meet Shane yourself. I have a feeling there will also be some great discussions had and a few interesting comments made (yes, I will be there). If you care about your future or the future of your community you should probably be there. If you don’t then the coffee is great, and you get to hang out with some cool people. As Shane would say – here’s an amazon link to the book, but buy it from a local bookstore if you can. I hope to see you on Saturday (see what I did there?) – sign up here

“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” ― Robert F. Kennedy

 

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A day on… not a day off.

by aileen on January 21, 2013

martin-luther-king-jr-day-L-xGOagMGreat article from Ryan Scott on  Martin Luther King Jnr day. It’s about a day on, not a day off. Take some time to read it.

“Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed that acts of service were the great equalizer.  “Everybody can be great,” he noted, “because everybody can serve.”  That’s why Dr. King’s wife, Coretta Scott King, once said that “the greatest birthday gift my husband could receive is if people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds celebrated the day by performing individual acts of kindness through service to others.”  Read more… (Thanks for writing this Ryan)

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The do-gooder trash bag…

by aileen on January 15, 2013

goedzak2 goedzak1The goedzak (Dutch for do-gooder) is a bag designed for those things you don’t want anymore but that someone else might. An easy way to donate small items to charity stores you just leave it out with your normal trash (or rubbish as I would call it). The bag is a result of  Simon Akkaya’s graduation project, “Design for Altruism”. Designers Waarmakers hope to partner with a chain of second-hand shops in Amsterdam to make it reality. This idea makes me smile, and I hope it catches on there and everywhere. (via inhabit)

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They did good…

by aileen on January 8, 2013

Last month I wrote about one of our sponsors, Classic Auto Spa raising money for Faith House (a safe haven for women and children who have fallen victim to domestic violence) and they did good. Very good. Yesterday they handed over a check for $20, 068 and loaded up the last of the 75 plus boxes of donated items. What an amazing result for one business. Yes, this is a local business with one location, not a chain, just a business driven with the intention to both succeed in and give back to, their community. To Mark, Derek and the rest of the gang, I’d like to say thank you. You did a great job. I know they would look at me and tell me it was all because they have such wonderful customers, and they do.

This is business doing it right and doing the right thing. Classic Auto Spa Facebook page. More about Faith House.

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What good shall I do this day…

by aileen on January 2, 2013

Imagine getting up and seeing this every morning. Would be a great sign for next to your bathroom mirror or next to where you collect your keys. What good shall I do this day? From Best Made Company

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The unknitting machine…

by aileen on December 20, 2012

This made me smile this morning – The unknitting machine. A simple way to recycle wool from old clothes so it can be reused. London based designer Imogen Hedges used an old bicycle frame -  the user sits on a chair to pedal the machine, which causes the wool to pass through steam coming out of a kettle before it gets collected on a spindle. I’m not sure how far anyone in England would get without first using the kettle to make a nice cup of tea, but then I’d be happy to sit down and get some gentle exercise while unknitting.  (via design taxi) Watch the video below…

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Wish for the future…

by aileen on December 11, 2012

You know those great ideas that you hear about after they are finished and think ‘I would have liked to be a part of that’ – well good news, you are still in time to take part in a very cool project  – “Wish For The Future is a creative platform to empower everyone to shape the world around them and create a better future now.

What would you say to your great-great grandchild? To future generations?

Together, let’s create a story world that envisions a better world. Today begins a two-month activation that begins with one simple request: Make a wish, a Wish for the Future.

Here’s how you can participate:

1.     Make a wish for the future in 140 characters or less.

2.     “Grant” a wish by choosing someone else’s wish and expanding on it in an idea, story or action. Granted wishes can be shared by posting a link/photo/video/audio clip on Good.is or on Twitter @GOOD using #W4tF.

3.     We place your wishes and granted wishes into a time capsule for 100 years.

That’s right, a time capsule, one that 100 hundred ninth-graders from NYC’s Quest to Learn will design…with you. During the next two months, we as a community will think about what the time capsule should look like, where it should be buried and what should be put inside.

Ok time to stop reading and start wishing…. please share this with all the good people you know. (thank you good.is and all the people behind Wish for the Future)

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This is important…

by aileen on December 1, 2012

While most of us are worrying about gifts, decorations, parties and food in December there are others that are concerned with simply keeping themselves and their children safe. December is one of the busiest months for those who help survivors of domestic violence and their children. This year Classic Auto Spa (who also sponsor this blog) are helping in a number of ways – they will donate a portion of every car wash, and every gift-card sold to Faith House, and they will act as a drop-off point for supplies that are always needed (there is a list in the .pdf). One easy way to help is to grab an extra gift card from Target or Walmart (or any grocery store) and drop that off at Classic Auto Spa while you get your car cleaned. If you are not in Lafayette, Louisiana (and I know most of you aren’t) You can help your local Program for survivors of domestic violence (I’m sure they all need the same stuff) and go and say thank you to Classic Auto Spa on their facebook page and let them know their action has spread.

Download the .pdf to learn more and see what supplies are needed. Thank you in advance, your action has helped – and what can be a better gift than that.

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Now that’s customer service….

by aileen on November 19, 2012

Sometimes customer service has nothing to do with what you are selling. Let me tell you a story…

On Saturday morning my husband and I popped over to our local Fresh Market to grab a few things, a quick trip. As we walked across the parking lot my husband dropped the car keys (and house keys) and as we both watched they fell into a large (and deep) storm drain. It was one of those moments where you don’t quite believe what just happened. I laughed (after all it was my husband that dropped the keys, not me) and then it dawned on me that we were stuck. Of course there were people we knew around – we all looked in the drain and heads were shaken. I, of course, tweeted for help and many suggestions came flooding (pun intended) in. I didn’t know the number for Public Works so I texted the Mayor* (yes I’m embarrassed).

Seven minutes later we came to a new realization. It didn’t really matter. We could call a friend to get us, break into our house and grab spare keys and come back and get the car. No big deal at all. Inconvenient but not the end of the world. And remember here (the most important thing) It wasn’t MY fault :)

I called a good friend (thanks Silvia) and we went into the store. It just so happened that the Store Manager (a dashing plain clothes superhero called Lucien) passed us and asked if we were having a good day. I was probably still grinning. In my usual English way I nearly replied “Yes, thank you” but instead I said (through my smile) “Actually we just dropped our car keys in the drain outside”.

Lucien swung into action. Long wires appeared with hooks on the end and the keys were swiftly located and retrieved. He was humble and sweet the whole time.

Now this is customer service. It’s not about selling, or teaching your staff to ask ‘if you need help finding anything’ – it’s about going the extra mile. Even if that mile involves drains and 6ft hooks. Thank you Lucien, and The Fresh Market – you guys rock!

*and thank you to our Mayor for texting me back a number of times and not teasing me about this in the future.

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Clever (& clean) fundraising…

by aileen on October 23, 2012

Does your fundraising need a spruce up? Are you looking for a clean way to make some money for your favorite cause? If you are in Lafayette** then Classic Auto Spa have a great way for you to wash those doubts away and raise some funds… (yes, they are a sponsor of this blog and so when I hear of clever stuff they are doing I can’t wait to share it with the world).

Classic Auto Spa like to give back -  it’s one of the reasons they do what they do, and so they came up with an easy way to help anyone that wants to help themselves. It’s a very simple system. You get cards for their top exterior wash package* for only $7.50 instead of the usual $15.00 and you can sell them for any amount between $7.50 and the $15 and keep the difference…. so you could sell the cards for $12 each and keep $4.50 profit for each card and your buyers still get the $15 package. Everybody wins. You raise money, people get clean cars and an entrepreneurial spirit is born. Find out more here

*(includes Pre-Soak, Body Foamer, Wheel Foamer, High Pressure Wheel Blaster, Underbody Rinse, Triple Coat Wax, Rain-X Complete Surface Protectant, Rain-X for Wheels, Sealer Wax, Drying Agent, Spot Free Rinse, Black Magic Tire Shine, High Velocity Dryers and our powerful self-serve vacuums)

**If you are not in Lafayette, LA then why not approach a local business with this idea yourself – you can show them what Classic Auto Spa are doing and see if their hearts are big enough to do the same.

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YES

by aileen on September 21, 2012

This simple print from LoveToBe on Etsy would make smile – it comes ready framed – and it gets better “Every frame in our store is assembled by boys from the most socioeconomically-challenged and toughest areas of Miami-Dade, Florida. Join us in our efforts to INSPIRE THEIR HEARTS -when you buy any product are not only transforming your life, but the lives of inner-city, at-risk youth.”

YES.

They produce the “In This Place” print below as well. Go and check out the Etsy store – it’s a great time to be thinking about gifts that change the world.

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Cancer – cure or creativity needed.

by aileen on September 11, 2012

This is the most amazing thing I have heard of in a while, and I wanted to share it because the more people that know about it, the more hope there is; the more minds that think about this (in any way) the more something beautiful can result:

From the TED blog: ”

“I have a brain cancer.”

Data artist and TED Fellow Salvatore Iaconesi posted these words this morning, along with a video of himself speaking. With his long ponytail reduced to a scruffy mohawk, he shares this story:

Yesterday I went to get my digital medical records: I have to show them to many doctors.

Sadly they were in a closed, proprietary format and, thus, I could not open them using my computer, or send them in this format to all the people who could have saved my life.

I cracked them.

I opened them and converted the contents into open formats, so that I could share them with everyone”

Salvatore is sharing his medical records hoping to inspire you, in his words:

“There are cures for the body, for spirit, for communication.

Grab the information about my disease, if you want, and give me a CURE: create a video, an artwork, a map, a text, a poem, a game, or try to find a solution for my health problem.

Artists, designers, hackers, scientists, doctors, photographers, videomakers, musicians, writers. Anyone can give me a CURE.”

Let’s do this – Let’s send him art and love and cures – I’m in.

Find out more on his website – and please don’t just read this, and think it’s cool. Help – in any way you can.

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