If you are like the rest of us, you’ve probably gained a few pounds, hopefully got to sleep a few extra rounds, and might have caught a movie or dug some new sounds…
Now many of us get back to the routinization of life with both its promises and perils.
In 2015 are you ready for WE not Me?
If it is to be, it is up to WE!
What’s YOUR Social Mission?
As Social Mission is important both to my organization and to me personally, I am honored to invest my energy in advancing the mission of the non-profit community, and serve on the Board of the San Diego Non Profits Association (SDNA) and other local organizations. Here are some factoids about the local social sector that might surprise you…
Local Non Profits:
In San Diego there are:
9,364 Nonprofits of which 3,700 account for $19.77B in total assets and 2,140 have paid employees that generated $5.2B in wages- making the social sector a large contributor to the local economy.
Volunteerism:
Even though strategic volunteering is valued nationally at over $1B per year, more San Diegans donate their treasure rather than their time or talent. Volunteering locally ranges from a high of 37% to an all-time low of 30% in Q4 of 2013. What is up with that?
Over the past three years, every year I have invested 450 hours a year in strategic volunteering and social mission, with a strong ROSI (return on Social investment) both for the stakeholder groups and for myself.
Please don’t underestimate the impact of your time and talent! You can transform lives, so get out there and get re-engaged in 2015!
Public Confidence:
Has remained stable in San Diego over the past 3 years with 85% to 89% expressing confidence in San Diego’s Non Profit Community.
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Put Your Money Where Other People’s Mouths Are:
In the first full week of 2015 our Membership & Marketing team kept the holiday spirit alive, and started the year right by volunteering our time at the San Diego Food Bank.
Hunger remains a big issue in our community and every bit helps.
Hunger and Poverty Right Here In San Diego County:
Of San Diego County’s 3.1 million residents, did you know that 462,269 people live in poverty – that’s 15.1% of the population of San Diego County.
To make matters worse, 137,084 are children.
Our neighbors face “food insecurity” which means that little or no food is available at home and often they will not know how they will get their next meal.
The SD Food Bank feeds 320,000 people per month in partnership with 330 nonprofit community partners including: food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, low-income daycare centers, senior centers, churches, schools, and day centers for the elderly and disabled.
The Food Bank’s nonprofit partners collect food from its 72,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Miramar and distribute the food directly to people in need in their local communities. By acting as a central distribution point and through its own direct distributions the Food Bank and its nonprofit partners provide food to communities throughout the county’s 4,200 square mile radius.
In the fiscal year 2012 – 2013, the Food Bank distributed nearly 20 million pounds of food – the equivalent of 16.6 million meals.
As a barometer of the county’s economic health, Food Bank’s distribution increases illustrate the impact of the economy on local families.
In 2008 the Food Bank provided food to more than 200,000 people per month. This year the Food Bank is feeding 320,000 people every month.
How you can help:
There are many ways you can help the Food Bank.
- Donate food – Host a food drive at your school, business or religious organization. (We do several times a year)
- Donate time – The Food Bank relies on volunteers to sort and package tons of food every day. Visit our website and sign up to volunteer using our online registration system: http://sandiegofoodbank.org/volunteer-2/ (Take your kids and spend an hour. It will give them perspective)
- Donate money – Monetary donations help supplement the “lottery” of food drive donations. For every $1 donated, the Food Bank can provide five meals. $1 = 5 meals.
Visit http://sandiegofoodbank.org/donate/
20 Tips for a Positive New Year:
- Stay Positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can trust that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.
- Take a morning walk of gratitude. I call it a “Thank You Walk.” It will create a fertile mind ready for success.
- Make your first meal the biggest and your last meal the smallest. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
- Zoom Focus. Each day when you wake up in the morning ask: “What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?” Then tune out all the distractions and focus on these actions.
- Talk to yourself instead of listen to yourself. Instead of listening to your complaints, fears and doubts, talk to yourself and feed your mind with the words and encouragement you need to keep moving forward.
- Choose faith instead of fear. Faith turns adversities and dead-ends into detours to a better outcome than you thought possible.
- Don’t chase dollars or success. Decide to make a difference and build meaningful relationships and success will find you.
- Get more sleep. You can’t replace sleep with a double latte.
- Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in your purpose, people and the positive present moment.
- Build your life and career with the 3 greatest success strategies of all. Love, Serve and Care.
- Every day focus on your purpose. Remember why you do what you do. We don’t get burned out because of what we do. We get burned out because we forget why we do it.
- Remember there’s no such thing as an overnight success. There’s no substitute for hard work.
- Believe that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.
- Implement the No Complaining Rule. If you are complaining, you’re not leading.
- Read more books than you did in 2014. I happen to know of a few good ones. : )
- Don’t seek happiness. Instead decide to live with passion and purpose and happiness will find you.
- Focus on “Get to” vs “Have to.” Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.
- Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________.
Today I accomplished____________.
- Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.
- Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.
The Power of Music:
A kid got bored while his parents shopped in Costco until he found this piano.
http://1funny.com/costco-piano-whiz-kid/
This week got you “DOG TIRED”?
Join these guys…
Thanks this week go to, Sue S and the SDN Board, Larry H, the SD Food Bank, the Mission Fed Volunteer Team, and those that invest their time, treasure and talent in the greater good.
Happy 2015!
Pay it Forward
Love,
Neville
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Happy Soul Food Friday! 