Day 5

Today was just a great day!
It was my best friend Morgan's birthday today and every year for both of our birthdays we have this tradition of hanging out with each other the entire day. So today we decided to get our nails done, we left the car in the parking lot and decided to take a walk on the beach which ended up taking us to Venice Beach. We walked around, shopped a little, and got some matching henna tattoos. We came across fun quotes, saw beautiful art and walked. I love just walking, I find it refreshing, maybe thats why I love NYC so much. It doesnt matter where you walk, but walk. Your body needs it and so does Mr.Earth.

While we were there I got a call back from the Ronald McDonald House on the volunteering position. I was so excited and happy! I scheduled to come next Wednesday for training. After training I can come in and volunteer when ever I want! She said that most volunteers greet the new families in and help show them around. I asked about activities like reading to the children and playing with them and she said it was all up to me as what I wanted to do, it can be spontaneous or a big planned event like a Bingo night. I CANT WAIT! I have some serious fun ideas! I'm gonna be the next PATCH ADAMS!!! ;) She told me that these are the illest children in the world and that right across the RMH they have a hospital for emergencies or for daily treatments =( I strongly believe that through joy and laughter you can extend a person's life.
Morgan and I watched the beautiful sunset.

After dropping her off, I went to my interview for the ocean pollution project, which I need to come back to tomorrow morning.
On my way back, I decided to get gas from the Eco-Friendly ARCO gas station on 8770 W. Olympic Blvd. For those of you who have never been there or seen it, it's actually really beautiful! It's all made out of recycled material, it has a futuristic design that's all sliver, rainbow and funky. It's super cute! While your pumping gas, there is a tv screen attached to each station with little facts on how to save gas, energy and more. I actually read about this yesterday in my environmental book that if you cleaned out your car with all the things you have in the trunk or backseat, you can actually save 1-2 gallons each time! Now I dont know about you, but I keep an actual closet in my backseat haha, so let's save $ and gas, and clean out our cars.
Also they had little postcards, that were of course made out of recycled paper, it was actually funny feeling paper, but I loved the idea.
One of the postcard said "Activating the sleep mode on your computer uses up to 70% less electricity than using a screen saver." lol I actually read that too in my book yesterday haha. Let's save energy people and our computer's life line!
Another fun fact "Switch to cleaning products that are biodegradable and non toxic. 62% of cleaning products found in the average American home equal 10 gallons of harmful chemicals."

So that was my good deed of the day for our beautiful world!
My best friend and I came up with the idea today of going to P.A.T.H. the homeless shelter and getting some business cards from them and actually passing them around to homeless people!!! I think its a genius idea! PATH actually picks up homeless people off the streets that actually want help. I really need to do this. Especially right now with the economic crisis more people are homeless then ever and its been a cold winter at night this year, so I really want to help as many people as I can.

"Live poor so you can die rich." -Source Unknown

Day 2

Last night I had planned to wake up early like at 11am and call one of my all time favorite Homeless Shelters, P.A.T.H. (People assisting the homeless). I had volunteered there a few times.
They have a great program for the homeless. They put them on a 6months program to get there live together. They give them all a little private room, feed them, clean clothes, and help them with job placements. They give them responsibilities such as curfew and other rules. The shelter is divided into 3 floors: Men, Women, Women & Children. On another side of the shelter they have a section called "The Mall" where they have different things like a salon, they have a courtroom, they even have classes to teach them things like typing, how to use a computer, and more skills. I really adore this place and this project. I actually once in High School suggested to my amazing English teacher to have us all go there as a classroom and we did!!! It was great! All the times I went there I helped cook and serve lunch.
The homeless were so grateful and kept thanking us all for being there =D
Well this morning I wanted to do it but I had woken up at almost 3pm because I went to sleep at 7am writing my blogs and reading my 10 pages. I made a goal and I cant stop not for a single day.
Well I ended up calling and they never picked up, I tried calling both shelters, there is one in Santa Monica and another in Los Angeles. None picked up! Boooo that sucks! I was looking forward to it. Maybe next weekend or tomorrow.

I went to have dinner with a friend today and realized that I had to go to the H&M at the mall to pick up clothes for a photoshoot I have tomorrow. I was trying to figure out what time they closed, so I went on there website on my phone and saw a section on the website that was to help a non-profit organization called "UNICEF all for children".
I think one of the world's greatest gifts are children. I LOVE LOVE LOVE KIDS! Everything about them! I love how excited a child gets when you tell them a story. That the simplest things like bubbles, rainbows, and butterflies make them so happy! I love how curious they are! Their just so excited and augured to learning new things! and of course they are big BIG dreamers!!! They believe they can do anything!...Kinda like ME! haha If I was to open a non-profit it would have to be for children!
Wellllll back to what I was saying lol. So I went to www.hm.com/allforchildren to learn more about this organization and they are actually one of the biggest, if not the biggest children's non-profit organizations! They help children from allll over the world in almost every country! You can actually go on their website and select a country and then read the time line of what they have done for that country! It's wonderful! Of course I looked up Israel ;) and then Italy and Iraq because they were all near eachother. It was actually pretty amazing to see how they helped for example Israel way back in 1948, they provided food, blankets, and other essentials for 18 months when Israel first became a country! Later on in 1989 Israel issued a postage stamp and memento page in honor of UNICEF.
What a great cause! LOVE IT!
I ended up reading more interesting facts for about an hour and then donated $5 to Israel. You can do it, to whatever country you want and you can pick for what cause. I choose "Whatever is most needed".
Yesterday as I read my 10 pages a day, I learned that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic waste in every square mile of the world's ocean! That's sad!!! Please pick up your trash and keep the ocean clean! It's one of G*d most beautiful creation! 40% of all sea life has been destroyed over the last 25 years as a result of human pollution =( thats terriblllleee!!!
I used to have a saltwater fish tank for a few years and know how hard it is to maintain marine life and no matter how much work I had to put into it, like making sure the water was warm enough, salty enough, and clean, it was soooo worth it and rewarding each and everyday to see my beautiful exotic fish happy and healthy! 75% of earth is the ocean! Keep our planet clean. There is trash cans all over beaches, please don't leave things in the sand. At night the tide gets high and the water raises and everything goes straight into the ocean =( It's very simple to grab your trash as you are grabbing the rest of your belongings. THANK YOU!!!!
Good night!!! =D

“In a world of unbelievable affluence, millions flounder and struggle for survival, as they suffer indescribable need. The child, the most vulnerable of human beings and the least able to fend for itself, surely agitates the conscience of a world that acknowledges the right of every human being to equal consideration and prospects.”
- Zena Harman, Chairman of the UNICEF Executive Board


P.A.T.H = epath.org
All for Children= unicef.com