Ring A Bell

During this time of the year it seems that everywhere you go there is some one ringing a bell for the Salvation Army. My brother and his family were bell ringers this week outside of a grocery store. So go to www.salvationarmy.com to find out how you can become a bell ringer to Help Others and Make A Difference.

Free Restaurant $$

A friend sent me an email today with free money in it. You can go to www.restaurant.com and send your friends free money! We could all use a little help these days. Enjoy!

Donate

The rule that I like to use is, if you haven't worn it in a year, donate it. If we are talking items that aren't clothing, if it doesn't have sentimental value and is cluttering up your home, donate it. You can find a Good Will store, an orphanage, or a Salvation Army closer than you think. One man's used items is another man's treasure.

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Tell someone you love them. So mant times we take each other for granted. It is so easy to just turn to a family member or a friend and say, "I love you!". Make A Difference in someone elses day.

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Donate your old cell phones. Schools can take them sometimes or churches. Even national sporting events are collecting them. By donating them you can help battered women, abused children and more. Make A Difference and Help Others for FREE!

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Send Holiday Cards to Soldiers

In this season of hope and giving the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, Inc. have joined forces to invite Americans to “send a touch of home” to United States service members and veterans across the country and abroad. In its third year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program is an opportunity to share joy and thanks with our service members throughout the holiday season by way of a greeting card.

Today over 1.4 million men and women serve in the U.S. armed forces and over 24 million veterans have served in the past. The holiday season is the perfect time to honor and extend a warm holiday greeting to those who’ve served and continue to do so.

How Holiday Mail works

We have established an extensive process to ensure all cards sent to our service members are safe and arrive in time for the holidays. Holiday cards will be collected through a unique P.O. Box address from Monday, November 2 through Monday, December 7*.

First, cards from across the nation must be sent to this address:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and distributed to participating Red Cross chapters nationwide. Once the cards arrive at the Red Cross chapters, they are sorted and reviewed by volunteers who then distribute them to service members, their families and veterans in communities across the country.

Please don’t forget to follow these guidelines while preparing your holiday greetings!

Do...

• Sign all cards
• Entitle cards “Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran”
• Limit cards to 15 per person or 50 for school class or business group
• Bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes (there is no need to include individual envelopes and postage for cards)

Don’t...

• Send letters
• Include personal information such as home or email addresses
• Use glitter – excessive amounts can aggravate health issues of wounded recipients
• Include inserts of any kind as they must be removed in the screening process

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Be Positive

Again, my apologies for being out for a few days. Sometimes when I get sick, I just can't do anything else. I am back and ready to go.

Lately I have been going into work and there are a few people who just don't love their job and they show it! I am not saying that you have to love your job to to work there but why ruin it for everyone else. It's easy to complain about what is wrong. This person doesn't do this. That person doesn't do that. Why not turn our negatives into positives? Help to teach those that aren't doing something right, how to. If there isn't something to teach them and you are just venting, vent in private or to yourself. Just as positive attitude is contagious, so is negative attitude. Work goes much easier if we are all in a positive mood.

Make A Difference and Help Others to be positive.

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

SMILE! :)

So I have been M.I.A. for the last few days. With the holidays approaching I am getting busy as I am sure that most of you are as well. Over the next month or so we are going to do the easiest things ever to Make A Difference. Today all I want you to do is SMILE :). More often than not I will wake up, get ready, have breakfast, and leave the house in an awesome mood! Then I get to work or the store and someone there is in a bad mood and it rubs off onto me. That is so bad when all it takes is a SMILE :) to brighten up someone else's day. So SMILE :) and Make A Difference to someone else's day.

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Hotel Shampoo, Conditioner & Soap

It always seems that besides the summer time, the holidays are the busiest travel time of the year. Sometimes we stay with family, sometimes in a hotel. Sometimes we fly, sometimes we drive. Whatever you do during the holidays or any time you travel and stay at a hotel, gather up the FREE little bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and soap. Then when you are passing by the Salvation Army, and orphanage, the YMCA, or even a church, drop them off. A church is a great convenient place to drop off needed items. Churches distribute items to people who could use them. Help Others and Make A Difference!

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Today is Make A Difference for yourself. Set aside some time for you. Before the hustle and bustle of the holidays start, take a little time for you. Read a book, bake some cookies or go to the movies. You deserve it!

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Serve Food On Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is soon approaching. Many places will be serving meals to the homeless. Churches, YMCA's, orphanages, and including The Salvation Army. Each year many of The Cheesecake Factory's team up with The Salvation Army to help set up, serve, cook, etc for homeless.

Call your local establishment and see if they need help. Maybe you only have 2 hours because you have to set your dining room table and decorate it with squash bowls for soup, fold the napkins and put place tags in the little pilgrim holders. Then it is time to baste the turkey, season the stuffing, plate the cranberry sauce, and whip the mashed potatoes. Now think about not only doing those things for you and your family, but for those who have no home and no consistent meals on their "table" every day.

I hope that you feel inspired by what is written above. It is only meant to get your mind thinking about what you do every day, that can Help Others and help to Make A Difference.

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Tennis Balls for Walkers

Man am I busy! I have been working on 3 wedding albums, bartending, working out, running my usual errands, keeping in touch with friends, and getting ready for the holidays. As always, there is more to get done and it seems that the list never ends. Last night I didn't go to bed till 1 in the morning and was up at 6 am so I can start work again and get ready for my kick boxing class. Now I can't continue to get only 5 hours of sleep a night or I will be completely useless and it is bad for my body.

With all that being said, I am on a mission and today, my mission continues. Have you ever played tennis and still have all your tennis balls tucked back in a closet somewhere? Maybe you play tennis now and while you are out on the courts practicing you grab a ball out of your 75 count hopper only to find that when you bounce it, it is flat. If you are like me and play in a park that is near the woods, you take your flat tennis ball and chuck it in the woods. Well, not anymore!

Yesterday I was talking with my friend Amanda and she was telling me about how she is going to take all of her old tennis balls to a retirement home so that they can use them on the bottom of their walkers. How simple was her idea? It just goes to show that we don't have to search hard for ideas or take a lot of time Help Others and Make A Difference.

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Share Your Services

I got a call a few days ago and a company wanted to know if I would be willing to set up a time and take some photos. They were thinking that maybe we could set up a day where multiple families could come in and get some photos taken for the holidays. I thought that this would be a great opportunity to help out. I agreed to help out. I love taking photos and as you know, I love to Help Others. So what I am doing is donating the sitting fee to a charity. It is just a little way that I can Help Others and do what I love at the same time.

What can you do? If you have a special talent that can Help Others and Make A Difference put it to good use. You can be a coach to a kids sports team, tutor studies, teach someone to paint or draw, teach someone to play piano or cook. Whatever your special talent is, Make A Difference in someone else's life and bring something new to them.

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Donate Books

I was talking to a friend of mine today and she is going to let me borrow a book from her. I really nor a big reader but there are many who are. Today your way to Make A Difference is to gather the books, magazines, newspapers, etc in hour house or office and donate them to a local school, YMCA, orphanage, or retirement home. Help Others to learn and get their imagination going.

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Write A Letter

When I was growing up I was taught a valuable lesson from my Great Aunt Pat. She was the little amazing woman who was so giving, loving, and honorable. I remember going to her home and when you walked in the door there was a little table with a guest book on it. As a guest, I would sign that book every single time I went to her house. Aunt Pat was proud of the people she had in her life and she wanted to document them.

One way that she showed she cared was to send birthday notes, thank you notes, etc. She did this for everyone and everything. A lot of time people will go to the store, pick out a card, sign it and send it off. While it is great that we remember birthdays and anniversaries, it seems so much more personal and important if there were note cards with a hand written message in it. It is a little extra step to show someone that you took extra time to think about them and show them how much you care. This will help to Make A Difference in their life.

In 2001 at the age of 94 my Great Aunt Pat passed away. One thing that I will always remember about her is how she made others feel. How she made them feel that they were important to her, by doing something simple. So leave the email for work or everyday conversation, leave the comic cards at Target or Walmart. Grab a blank note card and handwrite a message to someone just to say hi and you are thinking of them.

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Get Others To Join

Todays way to Make A Difference is to get others to join this blog. The more people that read this blog, the more people that are out there wanting to Make A Difference. It is so important to spread the word about this blog. Helping Others for FREE and still being to live our lives day to day.

Have a great weekend!

Thanks for listening!

Click on a Website and Feed for FREE

Anyone who knows me knows that I have such a HUGE heart for animals. I just love them and they give complete and unconditional love. Sometimes I feel that I need to do more for them as well. Click on www.theanimalrescuesite.com and click on the big purple button. It is FREE for you and what happens is that sponsors give money for all the clicks. Add this link to your toolbar and click on it as much as possible. Animals make our world a better place. If for some reason you are not an animal lover, someone you know and love it. Do it for them. Make A Difference for not only yourself but for others as well.

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Donate to Vietnam Veterans

Today is Veterans Day! Thank you to all of the service men and women of yesterday and today for all you do. It comes to my mind, since you have done so much for us what can we do for you? Well, we can call 800.775.8387 or go to www.vva.org and schedule and appointment for the Vietman Veterans to come by your house and pick up any and all household goods, clothing & shoes, bedding, jewelry, toys, games, small furniture, small appliances, housewares & glassware, tools, and more!

Now for my update. As you know I have made a commitment to ride 150 miles for Bike MS. I took yesterday off from working out, as we should all take a day off every now and then. Today I doubled up. I didn't just go to kick boxing today... I went twice!

I hope you all are doing well with your Helping Others. Please keep me informed on what you are doing to Make A Difference.

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Help A Food Bank

The holidays are coming up a lot sooner than you think. Believe it or not there is only 45 days left till Christmas! The holidays are the busiest time of year for Food Banks. Call your local Food Bank or go to www.feedingamerica.org to find one and donate some of your time. You can help to sort out food, put bags together for families, or help stock the shelves.

What kind of people use the Food Banks? Believe it or not, you don't have to be homeless or jobless to get the support of a Food Bank. It might be the person sitting next to you at work or the person who lives next door to you.

Food Banks need help all year round but especially during the holidays. All it takes is a few hours to help out. If you feel that you don't have a few hours to give, grab a couple of extra things at the grocery store and drop them off. Every little bit helps.

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Cook A Meal

Hey all! I know it is late today and technically it is tomorrow but what a busy day! I started the day off with a great breakfast full of protein. I need lots of protein these days as I prepare for my 150 miles bike ride for Bike MS. Yes, I am still excited about it!

So let's see... today Cook A Meal to Make A Difference for someone. Maybe there is a neighbor that you would like to introduce yourself to or a single parent who has to work several jobs just to put food on the table for his/her kids. Three could be many reasons to Cook A Meal for someone but the biggest reason is to Make A Difference. Below I have listed some scenarios in which it would be awesome to Cook A Meal for someone.

* A family/person with someone in the hospital

* A family/person with one of the parents out of town

* A family/person that just had a death in the family

* A neighbor that you would like to introduce yourself to

* A single parent who had to work several jobs just to put food on the table

* Someone who did a favor for you

* Someone you want to spend time with

* Someone who achieved something great

* Someone who needs a little pick-me-up

Again, these are just a few reasons to Cook A Meal for someone and you can Make A Difference in someone today.

Have a clothes swap!

Today's Make A Difference is to have a clothes swap. What is it you ask? Easy, invite a bunch of people over to your house. Ask them to go through their closets and bring clothes that they do not wear anymore. When everyone gets to your house, separate the clothes into sizes and start "shopping"! You can also bring kids clothes, hubby clothes, etc. Free clothes and a great time! Now I know, generally when people come over you may feel that you need to entertain and have goodies out to nibble on. Ask your guests to bring an item as well.

Now to update you on my training for the Bike MS. I am starting to get back in my workout routine. Yesterday I played a little golf, yes I said golf. Believe it or not, it does work out your muscles. For future notice to all of you, stretch before you play golf. Today Matt (my husband) and I played some tennis. It was such a beautiful day and so I wanted to do something outside. Tomorrow will be kick boxing.

Have a great clothes swap and thanks for listening!

Sheryl

Make a Difference

Last night was a big night for me. I decided to start this blog and I am so excited! I have so many ideas. So many ideas to help get people (YOU) involved in Helping Others and to Make A Difference.

There are several things that I am hoping will happen with this blog.

1. To get a lot of followers and inspire people (YOU) to Make A Difference

2. To do research for you and help to educate you on ways that you can Make A Difference without money and still being able to live your normal day-to-day lives.

3. I keep you up-to-date on my training and goal for Helping Others with my 150 mile bike ride for Multiple Sclerosis.

What can you do today to help others? Super easy! Go to your linen closet. Get out a bunch of old towels and sheets. Drop them off at a local veterinary office, animal shelter, or humane society. The use for these items is to make a bed for animals, to clean up after them, and bathe them.

Thanks for listening!

Sheryl

The Decision to Help Others

I am sitting on an airplane on my way home to Atlanta from Chicago. For the last three days I have been doing a photo shoot for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This is my third year shooting their annual conference for them. Each year as I listen to the speakers, the award winners and the doctors talk about MS and their fight to have "A World Free of MS" I become a little more inspired.

Let's start a little farther back in time. I have been wanting to do something to help others for quite a while now. I have been feeling like there is something missing in my life. Apparently this is usual for people no matter what age they are. I have been using my Facebook status updates lately asking my friends for suggestions. I have had some great ones and will share with you in the days, weeks, and months to come.

I have my photo business since it is more of a hobby for me and not 'work' I have been trying to think of something to do in that area. Not really finding anything that I feel would reach enough people, I kept on the mission. It isn't that I feel that I need to reach millions to help others, I just didn't get that it was the right thing to do. After all, if I get one person to help another I am on the right track.

I work at Cheesecake Factory part-time and love it! I have some great friends and I love to bartend and meet new people. Business travelers, families, groups of friends and even the ever-so-often ladies in their 60's or 70's who haven't seen each other since college. I am not kidding, it happens more than you would think! Back in September The Cheesecake Factory as a company teamed up with Feeding America. I instantly went to the management staff and told them that I wanted to head up a team to help raise money. And that is what I did. In less than a month we raised $600 and were able to purchase 2,300 cans of food for our local food bank in Atlanta. I was so pleased. But what was I going to do when September ended?

My thoughts started going again. My husband and I moved to Atlanta from Chicago we decided to live in an apartment since we still had a house in Chicago. Going from a full house to an 1100 sq. ft. apartment is a big change and we didn't have the room for all of our stuff. A lot of it went into a storage unit. So with the wheels turning, I decided to clean out the storage closet and donate stuff. That I did. I gave boxes and boxes of clothing, kitchen stuff, electronics, etc. to Goodwill. Of course it was a great satisfaction to get the storage unit clean, but it felt even better to be able to donate items that others could benefit from. We weren't using the items and there are others who could use my items to help them in life.

So that was October. It is now November and we are back to the three days that I just spent at the annual conference for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Phil Koeghan was a speaker this year. He talked very little about his book "No Opportunity Wasted" and about his life list. I had one of those once. I do know where it is but haven't pulled it out in a a few years. If I brought it out I could probably cross one or two items off but I would also add a lot of things as well. Another speaker talked about how to reach out to others to help raise money for MS. Naturally she suggested Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. I was starting to get the wheels turning. As I shoot this conference each year I have the pleasure not only learning about MS and how to help but also talk to hundreds of people who are affected by it directly or indirectly. There is Walk MS and Bike MS that thousands of people each year all over the world participate in. 2-Day walks and 150 mile bike rides to raise money and help to support MS. Here is where it gets good! I have decided that I... yes I... am going to participate in a 150 mile bike ride in 2010 to help create "A World Free Of MS"!

I feel that this is what I am supposed to be doing. I am supposed to be helping others and raising awareness. Over the next days, weeks, and months I will be raising awareness not only of MS but Helping Others in general. Each day I will update you on my training for the bike ride and will also give you suggestions on how you can help others. You won't even need any money.

It is tough times right now and a little help goes a long way. If I have inspired you please keep up with my blog and hopefully something will get your wheels turning. Then you can help turn other wheels.

Let's Help Others!