bigger and better arbor of trees

Happy Arbor Day 2021...

and happy birthday63 to me!

Thanks to an anonymous benefactor, the 60-tree grove planned for my gift to mother Earth this year is now going to be doubled!

That means 120 homes for birds and wildlife...

and 120 sources of food and shelter for animals...

and 120 shaded areas for lower vegetation...

and 120 oxygen-supplying and carbon dioxide-using life-forms for the planet.

What a blessing for all!

I do so love trees!

(smile!)

pantiliners for change

Yes, I know, it doesn't seem like such a big deal.

I mean, really... pantiliners that make a difference?

But these do.

I was shopping for a bargain and found one that was beyond my expectations.

How so?

The company that makes these, this is L, have a policy that specifically benefits women and menstruating girls.

Here it is, in their own words.

"L. IS FOR LENDING A HAND
We see access to clean and simple period care as a fundamental
right for every body and an opportunity for change.
That’s why our solidarity program is a one-for-one model that gives back to communities with every purchase; every time you buy L. one period care product is made accessible to someone around the world who needs it.
Our holistic approach is to provide monetary grants to non-profit organizations that share our model of giving. Through these partnerships we prioritize projects in high-impact communities, increasing long-lasting access to period care products with the distribution of: pad-making machines, reusable pads and period education. The ultimate goal is to help ensure that communities in need maintain access to clean and sustainable period care products for years to come."

My simple act of purchasing a package of their feminine hygiene products not only benefits their company, but has farther-reaching ripples of change as it supplies a woman in need, somewhere else in the world, with a free package of the same.

Wow.

Thanks, y'all, for letting me lend a hand, too.

a mom with good credit

Today is International Women's Day and kiva has lenders eager to match all contributions to those seeking these loans.

I chose Rusi as the benefactress of my largesse, small though it is.

Partly I chose her because of how she was described: "a mom with good credit history" - I can relate to that.

Partly I chose her because she lives in Kenya, a country I have not yet supported with my funds.

The deciding factor, though, was the wording used for the summation of her background and purpose for the loan.

 

"Rusi is a 57 year old mother living in Litein, a land of seemingly never ending beauty. She is a mixed dairy and crop farmer who has farmed for the past many years. Through farming she has given her family a solid reputation.
Rusi is seeking this loan to buy farming inputs which she plans to use to improve her production and earn more income to support her family.
Rusi is looking forward to your warm response to her loan request. Your loan will enable her to make the upcoming season good for her family."

 

Her town is "a land of seemingly never ending beauty"?

Mine, too.

She seems to have such a positive outlook on life!

I wish her much continued success, for herself and for her family.

I am grateful to have been able to lend her $25 and to have that sum matched by others.

Maybe someone else would like to help her, or another woman?

This is the link to do so.

Tell them a Nerdfighter sent you, to help fight suck in this world.

bosco for sbhf32!

For Black History Month, Kiva had several sources who agreed to match the loans to black-owned businesses in the United States.

The deal was for one day only - this day - and, even though I had a post-it on my kitchen cabinet, the opportunity nearly escaped me.

It was after 11 PM when I found my way onto the site and the pickings were slim.

Most of the businesses were car-rental establishments...

nah, that did not appeal to me.

However, one featured an invention - that's more my speed!

Moreover, it involved making music - oh, yeah, sounds good!

(Get the little pun? Yes, that was intended!)

(smile!)

So, the winner of my money is: Electrospit!

Here's a little bit about this woman-owned and black-owned business.

 

 

"A loan of $15,000 helps a black & women-owned business retain employees and build an award winning musical instrument.
 

Bosco's story

I was born in Ghana, West Africa, and raised in Portland, Oregon to a family of engineers and musicians.
At family gatherings, my grandma played the trumpet and my mom taught us math games.
I've been producing music since winning some music equipment in a breakdancing contest at 10 yrs old.
The journey's led me to Tonight Show appearances, #1 billboard hits, and Grammy nominations.
I fell in love, got married, had a kid, and moved from LA to Oakland.
I've experienced first hand the challenges and instability of a career in music, but I was determined to stick with my passion.
While searching for a new way for myself and other artists to make a sustainable living from music, I discovered the Zoo Labs Music Residency Program and Music Tech Incubator.
With some key mentorship from Zoo Labs (and a Kiva loan we repaid in full), I leveraged my USC Mechanical Engineering degree and Music Production experience to invent a new musical instrument and co-found the World's 1st Black and Women-Owned Music Tech Hardware company: ElectroSpit Inc.
This loan is special because:
It helps a repeat Kiva borrower continue to grow their business."
 

Very nice demonstrations of the instrument, too, on their website.

There was one snag, though.

The money I put forward was to have been matched, but it was not.

Still, I did my part, in honor of the 32nd Annual Savannah Black Heritage Festival.

I think Sam Johnson would most definitely approve of my choice.

This one's for you, kid!

(smile!)

8 people in 8 countries

I had not realized just how many charitable loans I made to strangers this year until I received my annual report from Kiva.

Amazing... and heartening, too.

***   ***   ***

"Kiva<contactus@kiva.org>
12:02 PM
27 December 2020
To  Faustina

It's here, Faustina: your Kiva Round Up for 2020

Faustina! Let's see how many lives you changed, how much money you moved, and how the Kiva community measured up.
 
Your impact this year:

Dollars that do good.

$200
This year you lent $200 to borrowers around the world.

8
Loans you made this year

(Just $25, given each time, letting my little bit help a lot.)

8
Countries you reached

(Jordan and Vietnam; Kyrgyztan, Ghana, and Samoa; Timor-Leste, Palestine, and Tonga)

8
Borrowers you supported

(Each borrower has been paying back on the loans, allowing me to re-lend the money to help other borrowers.)

* - * - *
 
Our impact this year:

We did this together.

It's true, we got through 2020 together.

Faustina, in a year filled with so many challenges, you changed lives and made a difference.

$140 million
Together, the Kiva community lent over $140,000,000 dollars. That's a lot of zeros.

67 countries
We came together to support 67 countries across the world. It's a big planet and that's big change.

375,000
In just 366 days (it was an especially long leap year) we joined forces to support over 375,000 borrowers.

 
Your impact this year.

Feels good to do good.

 You did good this year, thank you Faustina."

 

 ***   ***   ***

I am so blessed to be a Nerdfighter, combating the sadness of the world.

i thank You, God, for helping me to help others.

matching my record from 2018!

Just what record might that be?

Number of pints of whole blood donated, that's which one!

I am so thrilled!

So were Tanya and Whitney and all who were there to hear me gaily joking around!

Perhaps this jolly snowman at the American Red Cross helped liven their mood, too.

For me, it's my promise of a grand luncheon at Carrabbas that makes me feel extra festive!

(smile!)

three percent, that's all

Yesterday, I donated blood.

That was the fourth time this year that I've done so.

I already have an appointment to do so one more time, in December, before year's end.

To me, this is the absolute best use of my time and limited resources.

After all, my body will replenish that pint of life-giving fluid in a very timely fashion, especially as I am mindful to provide plenty of protein and vitamins to allow it that capability.

As easy, and inexpensive personally, as this simple act of kindness is, I would think more people would be forthcoming.

No, as it turns out.

Only three percent of the population does so during their life.

That means that here in the United States of America, which has a population of more than 328 million, the number of people who have donated blood just once is not even 10 million.

To me, that is appallingly low.

That means that the number of people in this country who have experienced COVID after infection by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is almost as many as the folks who have given blood to save lives.

Please, I encourage you to give, dear reader.

Just once.

The life you save may well be that of someone you love.