How can I help?
Since we are part of a global community we understand that every child, woman and man needs our collective support to raise the wellbeing of the planet. We care about the poor, healthcare, endangered animals and habitat, disadvantaged women, indigenous minorities, victims of war and the malaise of modern life. As evolved beings we want to do our part to help. But first we must inquire what are the best, most practical, creative ways to pitch in. Fortunately many compassionate, intelligent people have been working on a comprehending the problems and figuring out solutions. Here is our recommended list of organizations leading the way.
Each group offers opportunities to target contributions or for you to personally serve. Some organizations work in neighborhoods, some are national, some international. Please send us your suggestions and stories to share with the Inspired Planet community.
Ancient Values- The Love of Mankind
Beyond the glory and power of the Egyptian pharoah, if you read through this papyrus, the ancient virtue of philanthropy is what makes him great.
“Being from the beginning born of god and goddess, like Horus son of Isis and Osiris, who came to the help of his father Osiris, in his benevolent disposition toward the gods has consecrated to the temples revenues of silver and corn, and has undergone many expenses in order to lead Egypt into the sunlight and give peace to the temples, and has with all his powers shown love of mankind.”
Praise for Pharaoh Ptolemaios Epiphanes, 196 BC.
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Volunteering for Special Olympics
For almost 50 years, the Special Olympics have been providing athletic programs and sports to athletes with intellectual disabilities. In June of 1962, Eunice Kennedy Shriver planted the seed for this nonprofit organization by opening a summer sports camp for those with intellectual disabilities in her back yard. Today, that seed has blossomed into a worldwide organization with hundreds of thousands of athletes participating and competing in a variety of sports.
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Cory Brandon's Personal Experience Volunteering
I first got involved with the Special Olympics five years ago when I was asked to provide medical support at the summer games on Kadena Air Force base in Okinawa, Japan. On arrival, I was hesitant, along with others, because I wasn’t sure how to interact with the athletes. Then, a young girl approached me and introduced herself as Natsumi and asked what my name was. She was far from shy and kept conversing with me about the sports that she participated in, school, family, and her plans for the summer. Something within me triggered during our conversation and all hesitation went away. I felt very involved.
Fast forward almost 3 years later, I moved to Southern California and became an assistant coach for the north county swim team. Practice was from 9-11 on Saturday Mornings at CSU Palomar along with 3 swim meets during the season. The first hour of practice was for the lower skill level athletes and we would work with them in the shallow end of the pool. The last hour was for the higher skill level athletes and we would critique their stroke and work on endurance and speed. At the end of practice we would do relay races with a mix of coaches and athletes. We had some really fast swimmers on our team.
When it came time for the competitions, we would all pile in minivans and drive to the meets. The female swimmers always wanted to ride with me and we would sing the entire way to the competition. I would get in the water with the lower level swimmers and assist them with events such as the kickboard race, assisted swim, and walk. The higher level events were the same that are found at any swim meet including all strokes and relays. I always made sure that our swimmers got to their race on time. At the end of every race, everyone won a gold, silver or bronze medal or ribbon along with a picture.
Coaching Hockey
After swimming, I started Floor hockey. I didn’t know the first thing about hockey when I volunteered to coach, all I knew is that they needed a coach. Therefore, I had to crack open the books and learn. We had 4 coaches and a team of about 15 athletes including the lower and higher levels combined. Practice was a blast! We would always start with group stretches, calisthenics, and a run. After that, we did several drills in groups and skill improvement exercises. The last 20 minutes of practice the athletes would divide into 2 teams and play against each other. Occasionally, we played the coaches, and a couple parents and siblings, against the athletes…and the athletes always kicked our butts!! Some of those athletes are very competitive and are great hockey players.
At the Winter Games, our team played 3 matches daily. The first day, we played so the judges could rank the overall team by skill level. The second day, we played other teams with similar skill levels for the competition. All of the sweat and hard work was worth it when we placed first and everyone earned a gold medal. The smile on the athletes’ faces, along with the coaches and parents, was indescribable.
Along with the hard work playing hockey, we had to have some fun. The Special Olympics organization arranged a dinner and dance at one of the hotels all the athletes were staying at. Therefore, after everyone showered and changed, the parents went out for the night together and the athletes went with the coaches to the party. Everyone ate lots of spaghetti, salad, and bread, and then danced until midnight. There was a DJ making great dance beats and keeping the party exciting. The Anaheim Ducks sponsored the event and free team merchandise was being thrown out into the crowd of dancing people. After the dance was over, we met up with the parents then went back to our rooms to sleep after a fun but exhausting day.
The following summer came Soccer season. We had enough athletes for an upper level and lower level team. They were fierce with that soccer ball and could maneuver it through so many obstacles to make the goal. Most of the athletes who played Floor Hockey also played Soccer, and they were great at both sports. At the Fall Games, each team played 2 games, one to rank and one to compete. Our Upper level team won silver and our lower level team won gold.
Fund Raising for a Great Cause
Besides coaching, I have helped with numerous fund raisers since the Special Olympics provides cost free programs to athletes. I have participated as a “guest celebrity waitress”, in uniform, at events held at several restaurants called Tip A Cop. The purpose of this event is for law enforcement to assist the waiter/waitress that you are working with and talk to the guests about Special Olympics in efforts to get a donation. After attending several events, and bringing my Navy friends, the fund raiser was eventually changed to Tip A Cop and Sailor since we knew how to get large donations from the restaurant customers and became a vital asset to the fund raiser.
Another fund raising event, which is worldwide during the winter, is called the Polar Bear Plunge. During this event, people jump into the freezing water in efforts to raise money. The first year I participated, I created a team of 14 plungers and we raised over $1,000. We called ourselves the Green Machines and dressed in crazy green clothing and ran into the freezing cold water together. In February of this year, I was able to create a team of 26 plungers and we raised about $2,500. We all dressed up as superheroes this time around and even won the prize for the best costume and largest team.
Throughout my experience with the Special Olympics I have met several great people; athletes, coaches, parents, volunteers, and program directors. My involvement has been life changing. I am constantly encouraging friends and coworkers to volunteer and thus far I have had over 50 people do so. I feel privileged to be able to work so closely with such great people. I love doing what I’m doing because I have so much fun. I highly encourage everyone to find their local Special Olympics office and get involved.
“God is the helping of man by man; and that is the way to eternal glory.”
-Pliny the Elder
“One should conceive the gods as like men who feel themselves born for the work of helping, defending, and saving humanity.”
-Cicero
In the honorific inscriptions and in the writings of the learned, philan-thropy is by far the most prominent characteristic of the God upon earth.
-Gilbert Murray |
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