Here's the Deal: According to the EPA, a person can save approximately 8 gallons of water each day if they shut the faucet off while brushing their teeth morning and night.
So...
We are asking you to commit to shutting the faucet off each time you brush your teeth from Monday, January 31st - Friday, February 4th.
How will we calculate it, you ask?
Each day, click LIKE on our : Facebook Page's daily updates, to let us know that you've succeeded!
We'll calculate our totals each day to let everyone know how we're doing.
Join us as we act to save 1,000 gallons of water!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Mention in Better Homes and Gardens
Pick up your copy of the January 2011 Better Homes and Gardens. Look at us in Print!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Our First Facebook "Like" Campaign
When Jessica and Alicia and I talk about our hopes for What You Can Do, one of the things that Jess always mentions is the chain reaction effect. That one person's one-minute action, connected to everyone else's is what ignites change. Indeed, even in her last blog, she writes:
I've been thinking a lot about that since we started our first "Like" campaign to save 1,000 gallons of water by shutting the faucet off while brushing your teeth. Since it was the first of it's kind for us, Jess, Alicia and myself were all worried about how many people would sign up. What if nobody wanted to do it? What if people wouldn't want to worry about saving water? What if it ended up being only the three of us committed to that 1,000 gallon goal? It was like worrying that nobody would come to your party and you'd be left eating 100 mini quiches all by your lonesome. But that's not what happened. Quickly, within hours in fact, people jumped on bored. We had 30 and then 50 and then over 100 people who had committed to shutting the water off. It was amazing. It brought Jess's idea of the chain reaction to the forefront. During the week of January 31st, I'll know that, as I shut the water off while brushing my teeth, throughout the world over 100 people will be doing the same. It'll be like Hands Across America faucet-style.
So, in the spirit of this "What You Can Do" chain reaction, if you're reading this blog and you haven't signed up yet, please do so. Just click here to become a fan of "What You Can Do" on Facebook and click LIKE on the water challenge wall posting. The challenge begins on Monday, January 31st and runs through the week. You too can be a part of saving 1,000 gallons of H2O.
Julie, Writer: What You Can Do
But maybe my one-minute action paired with a million other one-minute actions could pull all of us collectively out of ISD and help us land on that elusive “Respite of Hope”.
I've been thinking a lot about that since we started our first "Like" campaign to save 1,000 gallons of water by shutting the faucet off while brushing your teeth. Since it was the first of it's kind for us, Jess, Alicia and myself were all worried about how many people would sign up. What if nobody wanted to do it? What if people wouldn't want to worry about saving water? What if it ended up being only the three of us committed to that 1,000 gallon goal? It was like worrying that nobody would come to your party and you'd be left eating 100 mini quiches all by your lonesome. But that's not what happened. Quickly, within hours in fact, people jumped on bored. We had 30 and then 50 and then over 100 people who had committed to shutting the water off. It was amazing. It brought Jess's idea of the chain reaction to the forefront. During the week of January 31st, I'll know that, as I shut the water off while brushing my teeth, throughout the world over 100 people will be doing the same. It'll be like Hands Across America faucet-style.
So, in the spirit of this "What You Can Do" chain reaction, if you're reading this blog and you haven't signed up yet, please do so. Just click here to become a fan of "What You Can Do" on Facebook and click LIKE on the water challenge wall posting. The challenge begins on Monday, January 31st and runs through the week. You too can be a part of saving 1,000 gallons of H2O.
Julie, Writer: What You Can Do
Friday, January 14, 2011
Update on Recovery in Haiti: An Interview with Action Against Hunger
We've all heard that even one-year after the earthquake, the situation in Haiti has remained dire and a lot of progress still has to be made. To get more specific information on the recovery efforts, we thought we'd ask our friends at Action Against Hunger. Check out the interview below.
What is your assessment of the state of Haiti one-year after the earthquake?
Despite the magnitude of the damage caused by the earthquake, progress has been made. Humanitarian organizations like Action Against Hunger have helped provide over a million people with food, clean water, education and shelter during the first year of recovery. They have repaired water infrastructure, built thousands of latrines and transitional shelters for families, provided access to basic health care, and helped families generate income through shelter construction and rubble removal projects. They have also managed to limit the spread of cholera in camps through large-scale information campaigns and the distribution of basic hygiene materials.
However, the effects of the earthquake—both physical and psychological—are still profound. Despite enormous progress, Port-au-Prince still lies in ruins, and its inhabitants still bear the scars and trauma of a devastating disaster. The government estimates that to date only 5% of the debris has been removed from the streets of the capital, and more than a million people continue to live in make-shift tents while awaiting adequate shelter.
The challenges of rebuilding Haiti remain immense. Sustainable infrastructure programs and opportunities to generate income are urgently needed to give people the means to provide their families with adequate food, shelter, and clean drinking water on a long-term basis.
What is the most important thing people should know about the recovery effort?
NGOs are working closely with the Haitian authorities, who are responsible for leading recovery and reconstruction efforts. Action Against Hunger and other humanitarian organizations are working to build the government’s capacity to provide basic services and are collaborating on hundreds of projects across Haiti.
The government lost key employees after the earthquake, and many others chose to leave the country. In addition, buildings and institutions were destroyed and records lost. While the government gets stronger, humanitarian organizations are helping to fill gaps from providing access to clean drinking water to getting anti-retroviral drugs to HIV/AIDS patients. There are many more needs that must be addressed in the long-term reconstruction process, such as improving the provision of water and sewage treatment, which would help prevent water-borne diseases such as cholera.
If someone wants to help or get involved, what can (should) they do?
Support an organization involved in long-term recovery efforts in Haiti that has a proven track record of success. For example, Action Against Hunger is continuing to provide hundreds of thousands of Haitians with nutritional care, access to clean water and sanitation, opportunities to generate income, and psychosocial support. We’re also working to reduce the risks associated with future natural disasters, promote long-term food security, encourage sustainable agricultural and water management practices, and strengthen the capacity of local institutions to deliver basic health services. Visit www.actionagainsthunger.org/haiti to learn more.
What is your assessment of the state of Haiti one-year after the earthquake?
Despite the magnitude of the damage caused by the earthquake, progress has been made. Humanitarian organizations like Action Against Hunger have helped provide over a million people with food, clean water, education and shelter during the first year of recovery. They have repaired water infrastructure, built thousands of latrines and transitional shelters for families, provided access to basic health care, and helped families generate income through shelter construction and rubble removal projects. They have also managed to limit the spread of cholera in camps through large-scale information campaigns and the distribution of basic hygiene materials.
However, the effects of the earthquake—both physical and psychological—are still profound. Despite enormous progress, Port-au-Prince still lies in ruins, and its inhabitants still bear the scars and trauma of a devastating disaster. The government estimates that to date only 5% of the debris has been removed from the streets of the capital, and more than a million people continue to live in make-shift tents while awaiting adequate shelter.
The challenges of rebuilding Haiti remain immense. Sustainable infrastructure programs and opportunities to generate income are urgently needed to give people the means to provide their families with adequate food, shelter, and clean drinking water on a long-term basis.
What is the most important thing people should know about the recovery effort?
NGOs are working closely with the Haitian authorities, who are responsible for leading recovery and reconstruction efforts. Action Against Hunger and other humanitarian organizations are working to build the government’s capacity to provide basic services and are collaborating on hundreds of projects across Haiti.
The government lost key employees after the earthquake, and many others chose to leave the country. In addition, buildings and institutions were destroyed and records lost. While the government gets stronger, humanitarian organizations are helping to fill gaps from providing access to clean drinking water to getting anti-retroviral drugs to HIV/AIDS patients. There are many more needs that must be addressed in the long-term reconstruction process, such as improving the provision of water and sewage treatment, which would help prevent water-borne diseases such as cholera.
If someone wants to help or get involved, what can (should) they do?
Support an organization involved in long-term recovery efforts in Haiti that has a proven track record of success. For example, Action Against Hunger is continuing to provide hundreds of thousands of Haitians with nutritional care, access to clean water and sanitation, opportunities to generate income, and psychosocial support. We’re also working to reduce the risks associated with future natural disasters, promote long-term food security, encourage sustainable agricultural and water management practices, and strengthen the capacity of local institutions to deliver basic health services. Visit www.actionagainsthunger.org/haiti to learn more.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
What's Next? Help Make A Difference
So What’s Next?
We did it! We completed what seemed impossible - a full year of What You Can Do. 261 videos, 261 one-minute ideas to help change the world. Over 70 organizations including Mercy Corps, Action Against Hunger, The National Domestic Violence Hotline, The Breast Cancer Site, Defenders of Wildlife and The Petfinder.com Foundation all lent their programs, expertise and ideas. Countless numbers of people gave us their time and energy to help produce an entire year dedicated to warding off my inner demon: Impending Sense of Doom (ISD). Now that the exhilaration has subsided and my ISD is, for now, wrangled and contained, all that remains is… what’s next.
Which begs the question, what is next?
We recently heard from a truly amazing woman. She commented on one of our blog entries about how she moved passed her own ISD and found a ”Respite of Hope.” That hit me in the best way possible. She’s right, I thought. That’s exactly what we’re aiming for.
I know that my one-minute action can’t cool down the planet or stop wildlife extinction. But maybe my one-minute action paired with a million other one-minute actions could pull all of us collectively out of ISD and help us land on that elusive “Respite of Hope”.
So that is the goal this year. To build and grow this amazing community, to expand our reach to as many people as possible and get as many of us involved as we can.
We will of course be running new videos as the need arises. As I type this we are working on a video to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. We’re also planning a new week dedicated to fighting hate and bullying. We promise that more video content will be added. There will be more interviews from the experts, more blogs and more updates. All that’s left is you.
Won’t you join us? Together, maybe we can all locate our own respite of hope, even if for only one-minute at a time.
Here’s to 2011!
Jessica, Creator of “What You Can Do”
To join the discussion or become a fan: www.facebook.com/whatyoucando
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Help for Haiti
Think you can't Help Haiti in 1 Minute? Watch this.
Starring - Alicia Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Written by - Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission
Statistical Information provided by: Mercy Corps, www.mercycorps.org
Special Thanks: Lindsay Murphy and everyone at Mercy Corps, and Dennis Arinella
For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com
Starring - Alicia Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Written by - Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission
Statistical Information provided by: Mercy Corps, www.mercycorps.org
Special Thanks: Lindsay Murphy and everyone at Mercy Corps, and Dennis Arinella
For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com
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