Dad of Divas' Reviews: giving back
Showing posts with label giving back. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giving back. Show all posts

Friday, January 13, 2012

Tips on Giving Back & Scholarship Opportunity

With Martin Luther King Day around the corner and a new year upon us, it’s the perfect time to share ideas for teaching kids the important lessons of giving back. And who better to offer advice than the parents of young leaders who are committed to giving back? The following tips are from the moms of Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes, who are young people providing extraordinary service to their communities and/or around the world:


  • Walk the walk. Get involved yourself; participate in charitable events on behalf of causes you believe in.
  • Include children in volunteer efforts. Provide opportunities for children to see and act on the needs of others so they learn first-hand how they can make a positive difference.
  • Start small. Do little projects to help others and begin at an early age.
  • Consider a charity allowance. Set aside a percentage of each child’s monthly allowance for charity and let them decide where to donate the money at the end of six months.
  • Support them. Allow their ideas to flourish and help their dreams become reality whether that means lending moral support, providing necessary transportation and equipment, or giving them a pat on the back to keep them going.
  • Remember: Encouraging your children to participate in charitable endeavors is a gift to them, as well as to the people whose lives they touch


The Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes program was created to encourage and empower kids to be leaders and award them for their dedication and accomplishments. From January 12 through February 27, 2012, your readers can nominate their kids, family members, siblings or anyone ages eight to 18 who have made an impact in their communities and beyond by picking up a nomination form at participating Build-A-Bear Workshop stores or by entering online. The 10 selected Huggable Heroes will receive an educational scholarship ($7,500), a donation ($2,500) to the 501 (c)(3) charity of their choice plus a trip to St. Louis to engage in a community service project together and celebrate their accomplishments. To learn more, visit buildabear.com/huggableheroes.


All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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Wednesday, October 5, 2011

An Act of Kindness Can Help Create Bully Free Schools

Over the years, school districts have made attempts to implement acts of kindness programs and teach kindness lessons in an effort to alleviate the problem of bullying in schools. Bullying is a long-standing, all too common form of intimidation and stress for children. The constant alarm and anxiety felt can make it difficult for targeted children to focus or engage in a classroom, which can cause learning to become arduous and frustrating.

Boom Boom! Revolution is optimistic that with teamwork and dedication an end can be brought to this unfortunate occurrence. As part of Boom Boom! Revolution’s continuing desire to bring forth an uprising of guerilla goodness,Boom! developed acts of kindness cards that not only offer educators an exciting method for teaching kindness, but also encourage kids to perform kind acts intentionally, and regularly!

Most people are aware of the typical forms of bullying – after school playground conflicts and lunch money theft – often made light of in films or on TV. Yet, bullying comes in many forms of physical maltreatment, and more often as psychological abuse. Having an entire school community stand united against bullying is likely to be the best deterrent, but with the right tools, one brave individual can also make a lasting difference.

Boom Boom! Cards’ Teen Deck is one such tool. For those ready to take a stand against bullying, Card #26 provides a great start, “The next time it’s necessary, stand up for someone who is being made fun of.” Yet, cracking jokes at someone else’s expense isn’t the only type of bullying found in schools. Social isolation and peer pressure are also prevalent. These types of group bullying can be confronted by a simple act of kindness like the one on Teen Deck Card #18, “Ask someone who is alone at lunch or break to join you.”

To extend the efforts against bullying, professional staff in the school community can take a vested interest in making a positive impact on students’ behavior by teaching kindness lessonsvia acts of kindness performed on a regular basis. These acts should showcase peer consideration and emphasize teamwork among one another. In addition, trained staff should be accessible to students in need of assistance, to include bullies, as they often struggle with confidence issues or challenges in their personal lives.

The Teen Edition of Boom Boom! Cards can also help to reinforce a school’s effort at home. For example, Teen Deck Card #6 aids in communication, “When your parents or guardians ask, ‘How was your day?’ actually tell them,” however, parents need to make time to ask the question and to listen very closely, as a child may try to express trouble in school in an indirect, discreet manner.

Boom Boom! Revolution is proud to work with educators and parents to give kids the knowledge and courage they need to not only stop bullying, but to prevent them from becoming a bully themselves. With proper guidance and support, students of all ages can become Boom Boom! Revolution Agents of Altruism, intentionally performing acts of kindness wherever they go!

Boom Boom! Revolution (BBR) is a social innovation company, founded in 2008. They create positive consumer products with the intention of inspiring an uprising of guerilla goodness. Boom! Cards are the flagship product; they showcase a combined real world and online social network linking players globally through random acts of kindness that are paid forward.BBR is a 4th Sector Corporation, For Profit For Good. Boom! Cards are made from 30-100% post consumer recyclable materials. Ten percent of the purchase price is donated directly to the charity of the purchaser’s choice. The BBR community can be found at www.boomboomcards.com.


Connect with Boom! Revolution on Twitter, http://twitter.com/#!/boomboomcards
and Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/boomboomcards.


My take on the Cards
These cards were very cool! I am constantly trying to instill in my daughters the importance of giving back to others and this system does just that. I was able to try out the Teen Deck and the activities and actions that each card represents and encourages are just amazing. Each activity was easy to do but the impact was great for the person receiving the card itself as well as the for the person doing the action on the card itself. This is an amazing idea and an amazing movement that I hope all families will become a part of!



All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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