Throw a birthday party - invite your friends

I was honored to receive an invitation in my email inbox for a friend's 40th birthday party. Then when I got there, it was the best experience ever. Friend said in lieu of gifts for the birthday, donate to a run team he was participating in to raise money for charity.

He invited all sorts of friends from different part of his life, brought them together for an evening of fun, and asked them to contribute to his team. Plus, did I mention that on top of quality company... look at the food!

It was the best idea ever. Throw a party, invite your friends, give to charity, and eat good food. Amazing.

Plate of delicious Lebanese food!

An amazing dessert table. YUM!

End Child Hunger

Check out this website to end child hunger. Click here.

Zero Waste Farmers' Market

Zero waste farmers' market. Zero. Zilch.

100%. 100% Environmentally friendly.

All vendors at this local Santa Monica Farmers' Market serve and pack their goods in biodegradable or recycleable packaging. Corn based forks, sugar cane cup, soy lined coffee cup, and more!

Consumers participate by separating their "waste" into 2 containers: biodegradable and recyclable. Biodegradable items become compost, recycleables are made into future recycle-content products. Anything brought into the market that doesn't fit into these categories? Pack it out, my friend!

Success takes the support of everyone: vendors, consumers, and Sustainable Works volunteers. Through this effort, Santa Monica reports that three cubic yards of waste are kept from landfills each day of the market!

Support your local Farmers' Market

Every Wednesday, this is the street view outside my office. An amazing Farmers' Market, every Wednesday.

Why support your local farmers' market?

• Fresh produce: Farmers can wait until produce is tree-ripened. No need to account for shipping, storage, and shelf time!
• Support your local economy: Money spent on reasonably priced produce goes directly into your local community.
• Support the environment: No need for shipping produce around - and everything that entails! Energy is saved in the packaging, shipping, and storage of goods!
• Variety of produce: Farmers provide new and old-fashioned varieties of fruits and vegetables that aren't sold in stores.
• Seasonal produce!
• Knowledgeable farmers!
• Delicious produce!
• Flowers!
• Open-air shopping!
• Diversity of produce and people!

Juice Box Wallet

About a month ago Kimmy Lamborn, 365 Days of Service Florida Chapter representative, visited the west coast. In addition to bringing much laughter and love, Kimmy also brought an incredible discovery from the east region - a juice box wallet.

Everytime she took out her wallet during her 3 day stay, local Californians were in awe. Speechless. Mezmerized by the ingenuity of such a creation.

Two weeks later, Bryan, one of Kimmy and Kimmy's wallets biggest fans, checked his mail. A package from the Florida Chapter. Contents: 1 juice box wallet.

For all those who know Kimmy this was yet another to add to the list of incredible Kimmy deliveries. For Bryan, it was a delivery of happiness via the USPS.

365 Days of Service is proud to recognize regional member, Kimmy Lamborn, for her thoughtfulness, kindness, service, and good cheer!

Learn how to make a juice box wallet here!

Trader Joes

Picture reads the truth: "Trader Joes: Where quality and price intersect giving you top value and unique products with a FUN shopping experience."

Trader Joes is really the best.

I've always thought it and after hundreds of times shopping at my local Trader Joes, I have yet to be proven wrong. Low prices, quality products, and a fun shopping experience.

Take this Monday, April 25th experience and see why I'm a full believer in the TJ experience:

• 8:36 pm: Shopper is sent to Trader Joes with a list of very specific items. Not for personal shopping, but shopping for loved ones. All items on said list are not in shoppers routine TJ purchases.
• 8:39 pm: First item on said list: GUMMY PENGUINS. Gummi Penguins??? Yes. Gummi Penguins with bellies full of fruit juice. Shopper cruises the only likely aisle known to her. No luck. Shopper turns a corner sees one TJ customer service person walking by. Says, "Excuse me" to ask for assistance. TWO TJ people respond. Shopper did not see both! Both respond to help. All laugh for a second at the service. TJ person tells shopper where to find such penguins then walks her there. Says that he thinks there are penguins but these gummies are seasonal - so there's likely bunnies but he's pretty sure penguins are still present. Bingo! Penguins. Bunnies. And bears.
• 8:41 pm: Second on list: butter cookies. TJ person stocking the frozen items sees shopper picking up butter cookies and says, "Do you eat those plain?" Shopper surprised by conversation starter of employee. Two quickly chat about the many ways to enjoy a butter cookie.
• 8:46 pm: Third on list: trail mix. Now which trail mix is the best? Looking for the one with chocolate. Trail mix with chocolate was description given on list. Yet another TJ person suggests which ones have chocolate and which ones are the most popular. Thank you!
• 9:53 pm: Shopper proceeds to check out line. When checking out, friendly greeting from the cashier and bagger. As cashier rings up the purchase bagger says, "Someone is making a care package." "How do you know?" shopper responds. "Look at these items. They have care package written all over it." Cashier joins in, asks where care package is going. "Hawai'i," shopper responds, "no Trader Joes there." "They should build one," cashier says, "you think they would, look at our store and shirts!"

Trader Joes, always the most FUN grocery shopping experience. Nothing overly extravagant, but EVERYONE is friendly.

Remember one truth: "Trader Joes: Where quality and price intersect giving you top value and unique products with a FUN shopping experience."

30 Reasons Why I Have the Best Friends

AMAZING.

The amazing, most thoughtful list of 30.


I've recently received the nicest and most thoughtful gift ever from two of my best friends, Daeni and Lynn.

In their honor, here is my list on why they are the best friends around.

1. Daeni and Lynn have been my best friends since our elementary school days. To this day, we are still the best of friends.
2. On my birthday they handmade a wonderful card for me and sent it to me, with love.
3. When I live an ocean apart from family and friends, gifts like these are priceless. 
4. This wonderful, handmade card included 30 of the nicest things anyone has ever told me.
5. Plus, a select handful were the most funniest things too. And we shared them together. 
6. Everytime I'm home for a visit we always make it a point to have dinner together. And we all cook and share dinner together. And it's really fun, a highlight of my trip, and makes time at home so special. 
7. Lynn and Daeni are talented, beautiful, fun, funny, warm-hearted, kind, caring, generous, giving, and loving. I'm honored to be their friend.
8. They got together one Friday evening with making this card in mind. They had a lot of fun making the card and recalling memories and wonderful things for the kindness list. Friends who get together to celebrate friends - a powerful combination purely driven by love.
9. When we were little, we were Dandy Bears.
10. They have nearly 1-year-old (!) baby girls who SHARE a BIRTHDAY. They were hospital roomies (babies and mommies). And, I got to visit them on this special day. Now that's a once in a lifetime experience.
11. They have equally wonderful husbands who are supportive of our girl-friendship!
12.  We were in band for a lot of years together and proud of it! Lynn and I sat next to one another playing the oboe for years. Daen and I tried to play our instruments 10 years after our band days. Needless to say, we lost our magical musical touch but not our enthusiasm! 
13. After sleepovers with these girls, I'd secretly cry a little in my bedroom because it was so much fun and I was so sad sleepovers didn't last forever.
14. Daeni and Lynn are in service oriented professions. Daen is a nurse and Lynn a high school science teacher. I couldn't be prouder. They are giving women who impact lives on a daily basis.
15. For some of the most difficult times of my life, Daeni and Lynn were always there for me. They are included in the few that were not only by my side but were those that I felt comfortable to share with.
16. In life's toughest times, we're there for each other.
17. They're extraordinary.
18. Whenever we have in-person time together, you'd never be able to tell that we're ever apart.
19. We laugh. A lot.
20. They encourage me. They challenge me. They shape me into my best self.
21. We share a very funny symbolic chair. When I think back to that chair I can't even believe us but I do think it's one of the funniest things we've ever shared.
22. I love their hugs!
23. I consider myself the luckiest girl for having such wonderful friends. I'm sure that if everyone had friends like Daeni and Lynn, every person on this planet will lead fulfilling lives and will know they are loved.
24. We took summer sewing lessons together. Yup, sewing lessons. They helped ease my daily sewing lesson anxiety and understood my developing allergies to it.
25. They have the highest morals and values. I respect who they are and the way they choose to live their life everyday.
26. Lynn and Daeni teach me new things all the time. Stand up paddling, a new recipe, they show me a lot of new things!
27. They love me so much they even sometimes strategize to help me find a boyfriend! ;-)
28. We share a ton of memories. We will always have them together.
29. Their parents were my parents, their family - my family.
30. Lynn and Daeni are forever.

They sent me the document so it could be shared with readers of 365. Thank you, dear friends, for this incredible gift.

1. She cares about everyone else... often forgetting about herself.
2. She looks for the good in everyone & everything.
3. She is an awesome athlete. She walked on to Pepperdine's soccer team... and made it! she also ran a marathon.
4. She gets so excited for things that are great.
5. She loves what she does & does it with such passion, motivation & drive; therefore always does a great bjo.
6. She has helped, inspired & loved many deserving kids out in this world.
7. She is always such a positive person
8. She doesn't care if she were the poorest person alive as long as she was the happiest at what she was doing.
9. She remembers the little details and memories that most often forget
10. She is always in a great mood, I don't think this girl has PMS
11. She's a great aunty!
12. She still goes by Ape, now Aunty Ape.
13. She's so smart and knowledgeable
14. She is dedicated and a hard worker that just cannot be taught these days.
15. She is so well loved and has so much love to give
16. When she smiles it makes her nose crinkle
17. When i played tennis she was the only one that knew how to braid my hair "Chinese" as we would call it.
18. She has the most random ideas but they turn out good... sometimes ex: road trip around America, outdoor shower in Kula, yogurt facials.
19. She secretly loves Garrett and sent him love letters in college.
20. Is the best Dandy Bears President we ever had.
21. Reserved for best friends.
22. She could rollerblade for hours up and down the hill!
23. She loves the color purple, even had a purple carpet!
24. She loves to drink milk with ice
25. She was a Science Bowl nerd for 4 years!
26. Claims she can't cook/bake but was in 4-H and part of demonstration day for years! (dirt cups...?)
27. She's great for your self-esteem. She always makes you feel like the best person in the world.
28. She is always willing to try new things.
29. She came home especially to meet our little birthday girls last April
30. She's the definition of a true friend.

The Riverside School and "I Can"

Please take 9 minutes to watch this inspiring story of the Riverside School in India.

Riverside School founder, Kiran Sethi, has build a curriculum where children say "I Can" to take on local issues, to lead their peers, and to even teach their parents.

Please watch. Be inspired.

365 Days of Service thanks Kristin for sharing this link!

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day 2011!

Today, the goal was one billion acts of green. Learn more about what you can do - or pledge your act here!

Presidential Motorcade

I saw President Obama today. He was in his car.

It's not often that the famous Santa Monica Boulevard, the original Route 66, closes with no cars to be found. Today was the day, the President was in town!

I wasn't intentionally planning to wave the President hello (or give him a shaka to represent all the islanders!). But when the four cars in front of me were stopped on an off-ramp of the 405 and police lined the street, I knew it meant one thing... the Presidential motorcade was to pass by. Quite the timing. For those who had plans to meet others or the UPS man who was still "working" this could have been seen as unfortunate timing. If only they took one exit before or one exit after, if they reached this exact spot 30 seconds earlier, they wouldn't literally be stopped with no where to go and at the mercy of a motorcade. For me, the timing was impeccable! A perfect time to get stopped with only the President to see!

And the service was abundant. The Secret Service, that is. 

The police men and women on our block were friendly. They were chatting with by-standers (or stuck-standers) giving them updates on when the roads would open and when the motorcade would pass. They said that we'd see 2 cars come down the street at 60 miles per hour and that was that. It wasn't quite the Presidential Parade I'd anticipated in my head but I knew it'd be great!

So time passes by, 30 minutes, an hour...

At one point, 5 policemen on motorcycles passed by and one officer joked to the crowd, "That was it. All done. Did you guys see it? Obama was on that motorcycle with a helment on. You guys must missed it!" It was funny, I admit. It took me a second to ensure she was joking but it was fun to see her good spirit about everything. 

Over the police radio a call came in, "We're rolling. We're rolling..." This was the moment we (or just me!) were waiting for.

Then, the President.

It was everything I'd hoped for. Police, a motorcade, the President rolling down my street.

Thanks to the hundreds of men and women that served the President today. The police from South Central Los Angeles who made their way to the Westside to provide extra support. Thanks to the President for his service to our country everyday. Today, I salute you. (Literally!)

Santa Monica Blvd. awaits the President

Car-less SM Blvd.

The policemen on our block.

The funny officer that told us we missed the moment.

LAPD tape. Do not cross.

If my home video wasn't enough, watch more here.

Dream Center

Tonight I was introduced to the Dream Center.

As I was walking back to my car after a run along the beach, I was drawn to a long line of people - and a table with 4 individuals passing out food.

I circled the area because I was so interested. Who is this? How often do they come out? I had to know.

I stayed close by to observe for a minute... one volunteer served soup into bowls and 2 other individuals delivered the bowls to those waiting in the line. Time after time they returned for 2 more bowls of soup to share. One man offered those around him, "Want some hot chocolate?" he asked.

I, along with at least a hundred other individuals, came upon the Dream Center Food Truck outreach tonight. Lucky for us all.  

Every Wednesday night, 8 pm at the Santa Monica Pier. Staffed by volunteers who come out week after week to serve food to those who will partake.

The best part, as I continued on my way to my car, I hear one man telling another, "Hey Danny, they got food over there..."

In-N-Out Burger Foundation Supports National Child Abuse Prevention Month

"April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and In-N-Out Burger dedicates this month to a company-wide fundraising effort.  It's our way of giving something back to the communities where we live and do business.  100% of what you give goes directly toward local organizations that provide residential treatment, emergency shelter, foster care and early intervention for children in need."

For every dollar donated, In-N-Out will match it with $3 of their own. Donate today.

National Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is National Child Abuse Awareness Month, raising awareness of child abuse and neglect. Throughout the entire month, Child Abuse and Neglect awareness activities are used to enhance child abuse and neglect prevention as well as to build stronger families and communities to keep children safe.

5 protective factors to prevent child abuse and neglect:

• Nurturing and Attachment
• Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development
• Parental Resilience
• Social Connections
• Concrete support for parents

Learn more about child abuse and neglect prevention and National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Sig-Alert

Sig-Alerts make LA traffic a bit more bearable. I wish every big city had such a Sig-Alert.

From the California Department of Transportation website:
"Sig-Alerts" are unique to Southern California. They came about in the 1940s when the LAPD got in the habit of alerting a local radio reporter, Loyd Sigmon, of bad car wrecks on city streets. These notifications became known as "Sig-Alerts." Later Mr. Sigmon developed an electronic device that authorities could use to alert the media of disasters. Caltrans latched on to the term "Sig-Alert" and it has come to be known as any traffic incident that will tie up two or more lanes of a freeway for two or more hours.

Check out how wonderful Sig-Alerts are to people of Southern California.

Doctors without Borders

Needs no introduction. You must check it out. Incredible!

Visit the Doctors without Borders website.

Best Buddies

"Best Buddies is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)."

Learn more about Best Buddies. An incredible organization!

Hold the Elevator Door

Hi, Kristin!

This is Kristin. Last night we were leaving our office building to the parking lot. Originally we separated ways early, on different floors, she wanted the elevator and I took the stairs. She has a hurting ankle.

Then I arrive at level 3. As a start walking to my car I see dear friend Kristin exit the elevator as a young woman on crutches (moving pretty slowly) moves into the elevator. Kristin noticed this woman was not going to make it into the elevator before the doors would start to shut. So picture this, Kristin is simultaneously dropping her computer roller bag, trying to keep her shoulder bag on her shoulder, holding on to her flowers AND reaching back for the elevator door at the same time. And as she did all of this it was clear that she was most concerned about the elevator door - not her computer, her flowers, or even her sore ankle. And the woman was most thankful for her assistance.

I tried to capture the moment via phone camera (as in I didn't jump in to help! Sorry!) but I missed it. Alas, we have the trophy moment from the aftershot of our unsung hero who selflessly puts others before herself everyday!

Letter from Fukushima

If you'd like a heart-filled story on service and sacrifice, please read this article of a 9-year-old boy in Fukushima, Japan.

Posted to New American Media on March 19th. Read this story.

Locks of Love

"11 inches gone! Locks of Love gets another donation!" cheers Alycia Anderson, 365 Days of Service, Kailua Chapter representative.

The mission of Locks of Love is to "return a sense of self, confidence, and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children." Locks of Love donates hairpieces to youth and young adults under the age of 21 across the US and Canada who suffer from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. Alopecia, an auto-immune disorder causing hair follicles to shut down, and cancer, are the top two diagnoses of children who receive Locks of Love hairpieces.

Know a child who might receive a hairpiece? Or interested in donating your hair? Visit the Locks of Love website for more information.

Guidelines for donating your hair:

• Acceptable hair: cut hair stored in a ponytail or braid; colored or permed; cut years ago and is usable in a stored ponytail or braid.
• Unusable hair: hair that has been bleached; swept off the floor; shaved off and not in a ponytail or braid; dreadlocks.
• 10 inches minimum, tip to tip
• Layered hair is acceptable if longest layer is 10 inches long
• Curly hair may be pulled straight to measure 10 inches long 

CicLAvia

Yesterday, CicLAvia made LA streets safe for 130,000 walkers, skaters, bike-riders, and strollers. Removing cars from 7.5 miles of busy Los Angeles streets from 10 am - 3 pm, CicLAvia acts as a means of social integration, encouraging individuals and families to enjoy the outdoors of LA in a much different way - an open space in our city streets!

Modeled after the Bogotá, Colombia's 30+ year old Ciclovías, a weekly street closure started as a way to fight traffic congestion and pollution, similar Ciclovías events have started across Latin America and the United States.

Did you know LA is considered one of the most "park-poor" cities of all major cities in the US?CicLAvia aims to turn the streets of LA into a "park." Events are posted throughout the streets, street-side stores are encouraged to open their doors to participants,

From the CicLAvia website:
CicLAvia will work to address five core pressing issues present throughout all of Los Angeles: Public Space, Public Health, Community and Economic Development, and Pedestrian and Bicycle Advocacy.  As a recurring free event, set for the same day/time every week or month, CicLAvía will allow for the temporary closure of interconnected routes throughout the region, creating a web of public space on which residents of Los Angeles will be able to walk, bike, socialize, celebrate, and learn about new cultures and neighborhoods. 

Lance Armstrong joined 130,000 others at CicLAvia... next time, you should too! Check back to the CicLAvia webiste for the next day to take to the streets!

Kokua for Japan

Today the state of Hawai'i launched a massive Hawai'i based radio, television, and internet fundraising event, "Kokua for Japan." 
An amazing list of entertainers gathered together for the benefit concert for a live audience and that was broadcast across the state on every major news channel and radio station, streamlined live on the internet - and broadcast across 6 major Japan stations too! Among the list of stars performing for this cause: Willie Nelson, Henry Kapono, The Brothers Cazimero, Cecilio & Kapono, Kalapana,  Amy Hanaialii, Na Leo, John Cruz, Natural Vibrations, ManoaDNA, Robi Kahakalau, Mailani, Taimane, Go Jimmy Go, Jerry Santos, Gregg Hammer Band, Kenny Endo Taiko, and Jake Shimabukuro. If you're a fan of Hawaiian music, you know this is an all-star line-up!

A number of corporations donated in-kind gifts, entertainers, on-air personalities, and event producers all donated their time and expertise.

Going on now! Check out Kokua for Japan!

CoachArt

CoachArt is an organization that "offers free lessons in the arts and athletics to patients with a chronic, physical illness and their siblings, ages 6 – 18." With the support of talented volunteers, CoactArt partners students with coaches who provide them 10 weekly lessons in art, athletics, music, dance, acting, photography, cooking, and more! Children may receive their lessons through outpatient coaching or in-hospital workshops. And, after completing their first set of lessons, children may choose to continue in the same area - or choose something new!  All services are provided free of charge to participants and volunteers. CoachArt covers the cost of supplies needed for both child and coach!

If you're local to the LA area and are interested in helping further a child's participation in the arts, check out CoachArt! Volunteer today! 

Do you need a stamp?

Today I visited the post office, one of my favorite places.

As usual, there was a line. Not a favorite part about it. But because I was mailing a special package Overnight Express Mail, I wanted to be sure I did everything correctly and chose to stand in the line rather hope it works via automated machine. 

Glad I waited in the 20-minute line. Witness to this...

The woman two people in front of me noticed that the man in front of her was solely waiting in line for a single stamp to mail a letter. "Do you need a stamp?" she asked. "Yes," he responded. "Well here you go," she said and handed him a stamp right out of her purse. He reached for his pocket to repay her and she said, "don't worry about it." He thanked her, left the line, placed his letter in the outgoing mail box and continued on with his day. 

A kind stranger in line freed this man from the line and helped us all get one person closer to the front. 

Then, as she was mailing her package, I heard her say this to the postal worker, "Tomorrow is my son's birthday. I'm overnighting him cookies. Last year I made him these cookies and he said, 'mom, these would be better with butterscotch in them.' So this year he's getting butterscotch scotties." 

Sa-weet! Not only is she a sweet woman who was so kind to offer the man in front of her a stamp and line freedom, but she's also a mother who overnight mails her son his favorite cookies!

The Loft - Good Food, Great Cause

$11,343.31, now that's some fundraising.

Thank you to The Loft, a restaurant that "takes the spirit of Hawai'i and brings it right to your table" in Southern California. For 3 days, The Loft donated 30% of all of their proceeds to the Red Cross for to aid in the Japan earthquake and tsunami recovery.

Thanks to The Loft, and all those who enjoyed their ono food, over $11,000 was donated. Wow.

Central Avenue Boutique!

Local to the LA area and going to be around town on Saturday, April 9th? Please, stop by the Central Avenue Boutique!

The wonderful Emily VanVoorhis, medical and camp program volunteer extraodinaire at The Painted Turtle, has organized 30 vendors who will sell a variety of products - jewelry, clothing, original artwork, children's accessories, cookware, food products. Best part, each vendor will donate 5-10% of their proceeds to The Painted Turtle! It's an event you won't want to miss - quality boutique products sold to support local vendors and a good cause!

On top of the fine products, there will also be on-site adoptions for a dog rescue, Dogs without Borders.

Please stop by (and bring your friends!) to support these wonderful vendors, Dogs without Borders, and The Painted Turtle!

Central Avenue Boutique

Saturday, April 9th, 2011

10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Central Avenue Church

725 N. Central Ave.

Glendale, CA  91203

http://www.centralavechurch.com/

365 Days of Service salues Emily and her team for organizing this wonderful event!

Thank you, Emily!

TOMS Shoes

"With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One."

In 2006, after seeing Argentine children had no shoes to protect their feet, Blake Mycoskie founded TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every purchased pair of shoes with a pair for a child in need. Later that same year, Blake returned to Argentina with over 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by Toms customers.

Why shoes? Children in develolping countries grow up barefoot and are at risk. Here's what TOMS says:

• A leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes can help prevent these diesases, and the long-term physical and congnitive harm they cause.
• Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected.
• Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.

As of August 2010, TOMS Shoes has given over 1 million pairs of shoes to children in need around the world.

In honor of the children around the world, join in One Day without Shoes Today.

One Day Without Shoes

Tomorrow is One Day Without Shoes

Facts from the One Day Without Shoes website:

• In developing countries, children must walk barefoot for miles to school, clean water, and medical help.
• Hundreds of millions of children are at risk of injury, infection & soil-transmitted diseases that most can't afford to prevent and treat.
• Healthy, educated children have a better chance of improving the future of their entire community.

In honor of these children, consider a day without shoes tomorrow.

Messages from Japan

Here is a collection of messages from Japan following the devastating earthquake and tsunami which have been extrapolated and translated. Followers of 365 Days of Service, read and be uplifted!

Thanks to my Dad, 365 Days of Service, Pukalani Chapter, for sharing this with us!

It's so dark that I can see stars that I've never seen and it's so beautiful. People of Sendai, look up!

At Disneyland, the sweets in the gift shop had just been replenished, when I saw a group of gaudily dressed high school girls start hoarding all the boxes. For a second, I thought, "What's up with that?" Then I saw the girls go over and make arrangements for all the boxes to be delivered to the children in the evacuation centers. And that moved me. It was a beautiful example of kindness towards others, especially for those with children who literally can go no where.

People are picking up scattered things at stores and putting them back on shelves, then standing in line silently to wait to pay. When the trains started running, despite the crowded conditions, elderly people were giving up their seats to pregnant women. Foreigners seeing this behavior are getting all choked up. It's all true, all of those stories! Japan truly is an amazing place.

A Message from the United Nations, "Japan has always been there to assist other nations in their time of need. This time, the United Nations will do everything it can to help Japan."

Though it is common to see green traffic lights where only one car could get through, it is heartening to see this warm give-and-take among the drivers. There are scenes in congested intersections where nothing moves for five full minutes, but in ten hours, I never heard any honking and nothing beyond words of appreciation. I am loving Japan more and more as I spend time that is simultaneously frightening yet deeply warming.

Last night, as I made my way home from the university on foot, I saw an elderly woman out in front of a closed bread shop, giving away free bread to people. It is moving to see people who have found what little they can do to help in the middle of this clamorous situation. It warms my heart. Tokyo is not lost!

This came in from a Korean friend. "The sole victim of the atomic bomb. The loser to the Great War. Typhoons come every year. So do earthquakes. So do tsunami. It's a small country, but Japan stands tall. Keep going! Please keep going!" For what it's worth, I'm in tears now.

I was worn out, waiting on the platform for the train, when some homeless people came by distributing boxes because it was cold. And this is despite the fact that we always glance at them out of the corner of our eyes. I'm all warm now.

Suntory made all its vending machines work for free and Softbank unlocked all of its Wi-Fi spots. Lots of people are putting their all into their efforts and the world is moved by those efforts and looking to help as well. Compared to a country that Japan was during the great Hanshin earthquake, which hesitated to accept foreign assistance and was late in dispatching its Self Defense Forces, Japan truly has become a strong nation.

I quipped to the train conductor "Things sure are tough" regarding the decision to run the trains all night. He smiled and said, "The times call for it." Nothing lost here! How moving is that?!

I had a four hour walk home from the city today where I lots of time to think. The streets are overflowing with walkers, but everyone is orderly and remains silent during their walk. The convenience stores and various other shops are doing their business without fanfare. The net infrastructure withstood the trembles, various facilities to take in those who cannot return home have opened up in several regions, the trains are back and running, and they say they will be running all night now. This is an incredible country, and it has nothing to do with what rank we are in GDP.

My two-year-old son put on his shoes by himself and started to head out the door. "I'm going to go arrest the earthquake!" he told me. Let's all take strength from the courage and sense of justice coming out of such a small body. Everyone, let's all pluck up and get through this!

During my four-hour walk home today, I saw a young lady holding a sketch pad with the words "Restroom Available!" scrawled on it; here she was opening the restroom to her own home! Japan truly is the warmest country in the world. I was moved to tears seeing that.

When the power goes out, there is someone to fix that. When the water goes out, there is someone to fix that. And when there is a nuclear accident, there is someone who goes to fix that as well. Things don't just restore themselves by themselves. When we are sitting in our homes, complaining about when things will be fixed, there are people working as if their lives depended on it in the frigid cold trying to do just that.

One of the male announcers on NHK started to describe the situation with the calamity and how things were going presently, "New mothers who have stopped lactating due to the stress were finally able to get a hold of some milk after lining up all night at a roadside supermarket," he said. Then silence... As if there were some technical difficulties. He straightened himself out and continued the broadcast, but it was clear that he had been crying. Tears welled up in my eyes as well.

This anecdote comes from a friend in Chiba (outside Tokyo).  At one of the evacuation centers, an old man sat crying, "What's going to happen in the future?" Beside him, a high-school boy rubbed the man's shoulder, saying, "Everything will be fine. After we become adults, we'll put back everything the way it was."    It looks like the future will be all right.

After 42 hours of being trapped, an elderly man is captured on video. Smiling for the camera, he says, "I experienced the tsunami in Chile as well. Everything's going to be fine. We'll just rebuild." It is really important what we do, moving forward.

I saw some small children speaking to the train conductor. They said, "Thank you for working so hard yesterday to keep the trains running." The conductor started to cry. I did, too.

Orange Leaf

Orange Leaf, a franchise frozen yogurt shop, has this mission: "to promote community and family by providing a great tasting, sensible frozen dessert made just for you, by you, in an environment that is as visually uplifting as it is welcoming."

The mission of the Orange Leaf, Maui location has another mission: to be a "for-profit charity." Yes, this location in particular opened with all the goals of every Orange Leaf, to provide a healthier dessert option, with superior taste and texture, in a warm, uplifting, family-oriented environment. And, another goal on top of this - to use the profits from this franchise to benefit the local charities of Maui county.

Orange Leaf Maui, a business that donates 100% of profits to local charities with similar visions. 

Congratulations, Orange Leaf Maui. You took a fantastic product and made it immeasurably better. 365 Days of Service sautes you!

Thanks to Jill Orikasa, 365 Days of Service, Maui Chapter, for sharing this great company!

500 places where you can make a difference

This is perfection.

Today I was gifted with this Frommer's Guide: 500 places where you can make a difference.

Says Frommers, "This guidebook leads you to places around the globe where you can serve communities while exploring them in a unique, connected way."

480 pages of inspiration, 1 goal: Make a difference in five of these over the next year.

I'll keep you posted.