Category: doing good

A month or so ago, Jenny told you about our involvement with American Standard’s Flush for Good campaign. (Perhaps you remember the vlog, live from her toilet? I, for one, haven’t been able to forget. I’ve tried.) From her post, we learned that around the world 3 children die every minute as a result of dirty water and poor sanitation. Three children every minute. It’s crazy to think about.

What you may not know is that Tuesday, November 19th was World Toilet Day. I bet you didn’t even know that Toilet Day was a thing, did you? It is, and it’s been around since 2001. The idea is to raise awareness about facts like this (found on worldtoiletday.org):

2.5 billion people do not have a clean toilet.

Why does that matter? I mean, beyond just being a very basic necessity?

Because a toilet can be a stepping stone to a healthy life, greater human dignity, freedom, equality between women, men, girls and boys, and finally, a catalyst to the development of communities and countries.

Because illnesses that are a direct result of bad sanitation affect the quality of life of millions of people around the world, especially children. Diarrhoeal diseases are the second most common cause of death of young children in developing countries, killing more than HIV/AIDS, malaria and measles combined, and resulting in 1 death every 20 seconds.

Because there is a strong link between the absence of good sanitation and poverty.

Because sanitation is a Human Right. In 2010, the UN General Assembly recognized sanitation and water as a human right, essential to the full enjoyment of life and all other human rights.

Because safe toilet facilities keep girls in school. Especially for adolescent girls, clean and private toilet facilities at school strongly influence their performance, and increase the chance to complete their education.

The good thing is – we can do something about this. This month, American Standard will donate a sanitary toilet system to a developing country for each Champion Toilet purchased. Additionally, for every 100 likes or shares they get on Facebook, they’ll donate an additional pan.

So instead of sharing yet another cat video, do us all a favor a share the Flush for Good campaign instead! You can also show your support by taking a pledge to do small things like turn off the water while you brush your teeth or to take shorter showers. Easy enough, right?

If I haven’t convinced you yet, take a look at the little faces in this video.

Now, go forth and share this on Facebook! It’s the easiest important thing you’ll do all day.

Last year I wrote about my volunteer work with a local non-profit called Shoes 4 the Shoeless. I know it’s been awhile since I’ve written about “Shoes” as I like to call it, but I hope you haven’t forgotten about it. I certainly haven’t. Unfortunately, all the school shoe deliveries where we fit kiddos in need with new shoes and socks have been on Tuesday/Thursday this year, and those are the days that Jonah has speech. BUT!!! When Jonah goes to preschool in January, I’ll be back in action with Shoes, and I can’t wait!

In the meantime, I’ve been running my mouth (mostly on Facebook) to make sure people know about Shoes, their mission, and their volunteer opportunities. If you’re not familiar, I’ll break it down for ya REAL quick-like. The mission of Shoes 4 the Shoeless is to provide new, properly fitting gym shoes and socks to local children in need. In our city of Dayton, Ohio, the city where I live, 40.9% of children live in poverty. The need is great, and there are currently a couple of thousand kids on Shoes’ waiting list. These kids are poor through no fault of their own; when we are out volunteering we see kids whose parents struggle and strive and cannot provide for their kids basic needs, and we see kids whose parents or caregivers simply will not provide for their basic needs. Both situations are heartbreaking. These kiddos need to have their basic footwear needs met, they need love, and they need kindness – and that is something we can provide. But we need help! And that is where you come in!

If you are local, you have the opportunity to get involved in a small yet monumental way, and a FUN way to boot (see what I did there?) I am excited to invite you to the first ever Shoeless Walk for Kids to benefit Shoes 4 the Shoeless. It’s a walk for all ages and it’s indoors at the Dayton Mall on Saturday, November 23rd. Registration at 8, and Santa will lead the walk starting at 9. Registration is FREE if you bring a new pair of gym shoes and socks, or you can pay $15 if you don’t want to bring shoes. (I myself am bringing shoes and a goal of 65 pairs of socks to celebrate my friend Jill’s mom’s 65th birthday!) I will be there with my family, and Emily will be there with her family, and we want to see YOU there with yours! It’s a SHOELESS walk – because we’re going to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. (Ok, not literally, but you guys? The shoes we take off these kids – they might as well not be wearing any.)

This walk is going to be a GREAT event, and a FUN time for your family. There will be all sorts of activities and entertainment, but most importantly – there will be all kind of opportunities for you to talk to your kids about giving back to their community – and to show them that you mean what you’re saying!

Friends, I’ve been there. I’ve taken off messed-up, ripped-up, too-small, too-big, barely-held-together shoes off of these kids’ feet. Their need is real, their need is great, their relief when those needs are met is palpable. I’ve seen their caring teachers and principals shed tears of joy over seeing their kids taken care of.  This mission changes lives! Please, please, please, join us to walk on the 23rd to put new, properly-fitting shoes and socks on the feet of kids in our community. It’s going to be a great time, and it’s going to make a HUGE difference.

Kindness matters, and this mission matters. Please join us November 23rd for the Shoeless Walk 4 Kids. Register online here and just show up with your new shoes & socks to donate on walk day! I can’t wait to see you there! If you register, let me know so we can plan a Mommin’ It Up meet-up!!!!!

Got questions? Leave them in the comments or email me!

See you on the 23rd!

Can’t make it but want to get involved? Sign up to volunteer to deliver shoes or donate so Shoes 4 the Shoeless can purchase shoes and socks!

I’ve just got to dive right in here: this is a very multi-faceted post. Try to keep up! You see, this post is about toilets. But(t) it’s also about doing good and saving lives through American Standard’s Flush For Good ™ campaign, which is an effort Emily and I can really get behind. (Plus, we get to make potty jokes. See what I did there?) And lastly, this post is also a GIVEAWAY post! To get you excited about helping us spread the word about Flush For Good™, we are offering the chance to win a $200 gift card to Home Depot!! Are you interested now? It gets even better! Because this is such an important effort, I  was inspired to make a video for you, while sitting on the crapper, to give you the (poop) scoop on what Flush For Good ™ is all about and why it’s so very needed. So check this out:

All joking aside, the sanitation issue is an epidemic in developing countries. As you heard me say, around the world 3 children die every minute as a result of dirty water and poor sanitation. It’s sobering and humbling to think of all the comforts our children enjoy that also keep them healthy that all of us take for granted. There are many mothers around the world who are not so fortunate and bear unspeakable losses brought by unsanitary toileting and water supply contamination. So, how can we help from our corner of the world?

Well, you guys are helping just by reading this post! The toilet geniuses (really, they are!!) at American Standard developed a sanitary toileting system that can be installed over the unsanitary latrine pits that most undeveloped communities use when nature calls. These pits are open and so insects get in and out, spreading disease. The sanitary pans designed by American Standard close off the pits while still allowing waste to go into it, so that waste and only waste goes in the pit and nothing comes back out. In honor of Mommin’ It Up, American Standard is donating TWENTY of these systems to communities in need around the world! And in honor of YOU, our readers, they are donating TWENTY MORE! That’s 40 communities who will now have access to sanitary toileting because you are reading this! That’s huge, you guys.

We can also help by spreading the word about Flush for Good™ to all of our friends and family! It is really, really, really, important to get the word out about this campaign. American Standard has made this very simple through their Facebook page. For every 100 likes or shares, American Standard will donate a sanitary pan system to a community in a developing country. If you’re in the market for a new toilet, you can also help by purchasing an American Standard Champion Toilet. This high-efficiency toilet uses only 1.28 gallons of water per flush instead of the usual 1.6, so it conserves water – which is great for our environment and your water bill. In addition, for every Champion Toilet purchased, American Standard will also donate a sanitary pan system to a community in a developing country (so you can save lives by buying a new john! Rock on!)

Another way we can help? Taking a pledge to conserve water. Maybe you’ll pledge to remember to turn the water off while you’re brushing your teeth, or to only run your dishwasher when it’s full. Flush For Good’s Facebook page has all kinds of great pledge ideas, and again, if you pledge and share, you are doing your part to help bring a sanitary toilet pan system to a community in need.

As you can see, American Standard makes it really easy to support the Flush For Good™ program, but in case you need a little incentive, they are also letting us give away a $200 Home Depot gift card!! WOOOHOOO!! (By the way, if you’re at a Home Depot anytime soon, make sure to stop and check out the high-efficiency Champion line of American Standard toilets!!) Here’s how to enter to win 200 big ones to Home Depot (three ways to enter!!):

1) Entry #1: Go to Flush for Good™ and take a pledge & share it! Then come back to this post and leave a comment telling us what your pledge is.

2) Optional 2nd entry: Tweet about this giveaway (you can copy & paste this): “Help save lives! Enter to win a $200 Home Depot gift card from @momminitup @jennyitup #FlushforGood @AMStandard” and leave a comment on this post with your tweet URL.

3)  Optional 3rd entry: Click to re-pin our pin of this post! Then come back here and leave a comment on this post with the URL of your pin.

ONE winner will be chosen at random on Monday October 7, 2013 at 6pm EST. GOOD LUCK, and have fun spreading the word about Flush For Good™! To see more about what wonders a sanitary toilet can do, please watch this short video about Flush For Good’s sanitary toileting pans on YouTube.

Thanks, American Standard for letting us be a part of #FlushForGood!