Animals, Superfoods and Great Schools

If you aren’t familiar with Take Part, you should check them out. It’s an awesome organization that promotes original stories, movies, books and photographs that inspire people to get involved. TakePart is the digital division of Participant Media, whose slate of films includes An Inconvenient Truth, The Cove, Food, Inc., Waiting for Superman, and Page One: Inside the New York Times. Together, we can change the world.

Here are the latest 30 Ways in 30 Days actions that I’ve done through Take Part, as my last 30 Day project:

Take a Photo of a Shelter Dog & Share It

There are so many dogs that need homes. If you aren’t able to adopt, you can make a difference by taking a photo of a dog living at a shelter and sharing it with your communities. Chances are someone out there is looking for a new pup. Here is the shelter dog I shared:

A people puppy. That’s Jennifer. On a scale of 1 to 10, when describing an outgoing, friendly personality, Jennifer’s rank would fall somewhere around a 12. And that’s on a quiet day. On an active day, it would peak at 20. To this girl, every person who comes by is a potential friend. When first meeting her big sibling, Jennifer was immediately loving, so loving, in fact, that it was hard for her sibling to leave. Later she gave the same warm welcome to her big sibling’s friends. When approached, this sweetheart will jump up and cross her paws on her hand. In return, all she asks is for some warm hugs and petting.

Tell the USDA to Save the Bees!

Can you imagine a life without strawberries or blackberries? How about tomatoes or cucumbers? These fruits and vegetables, as well as many others, need bees. The problem is our bee population is decreasing at an alarming rate. You can help by urging the USDA to address this growing threat.

Give Your Day a Boost With a Superfood

Superfoods have amazing health benefits, from lowering blood pressure to preventing cancer.

Try one of these superfoods today and during the holiday season. I chose pumpkin seeds – a great source of protein and zinc, especially when eaten raw. They contain anti-diabetic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This superfood also lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and contains magnesium, phosphorus, and as much tryptophan as a full glass of milk, helping with the creation of serotonin.

Demand Great Schools: Write Your Elected Officials

Twenty-five percent of students in America do not graduate on time, and that problem is even worse for 2,000 of our lowest performing schools. You can make an impact by telling elected officials what you think about our education system. Use the Waiting for “Superman” sample letter as a guide. I wrote to my senators and representatives: Lloyd Doggett, John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchinson.

Human Rights Day: Write a Letter. Save a Life.

Are you tired of people being stripped of their human rights?

We are.

You can make an impact on December 10—Human Rights Day—by taking part in Amnesty International’s Write for Rights Global Write-a-thon. Click on the Take Action button to send a letter and ignite hope for a forgotten political prisoner.

This is important stuff; we often take for granted our freedoms, when plenty of people suffer around the world to fight for them – and not just in armed services.

Thanks, TakePart.com!