Showing posts with label Giving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Giving. Show all posts

Sunday, August 10, 2025

A Rising Tide of Kindness: Why Service Is Life’s Greatest Work


To Enhance the Lives of Those We Touch by Helping People Reach Their Goals.

“A rising tide lifts all boats.”

It’s a proverb meaning that when conditions improve—such as economic growth, community well-being, or shared opportunity—everyone benefits, not just a select few.

LEARN one way to serve others here.

It’s often used in economics and politics, but it also works beautifully as a philosophy for service: if you focus on lifting the whole, everyone—including you—rises together.





Service to others is often described as the highest calling because it shifts the center of life away from self-absorption and toward contribution. When you focus on service, you align with something larger than yourself—whether that’s community, humanity, or even the well-being of future generations.



Here’s why it’s so powerful:

  1. It gives meaning beyond personal gain. Material success and personal achievements can bring joy, but their satisfaction often fades. Acts of service create enduring fulfillment because they’re rooted in purpose, compassion, and shared human connection.

  2. It builds deeper relationships. Service fosters trust, gratitude, and reciprocity. People naturally gravitate toward those who uplift and support them, which strengthens both personal and communal bonds.

  3. It expands empathy and perspective. Helping others pulls you out of the narrow lens of your own challenges. It opens your eyes to diverse realities and teaches humility, resilience, and understanding.

  4. It creates a legacy. What you do for yourself often ends with you, but what you do for others ripples outward—affecting families, communities, and sometimes entire generations.

  5. It transforms you. Service shapes character. It replaces ego with humility, fear with courage, and isolation with connection. Many people discover their truest selves not when they’re striving for their own gain, but when they’re working to improve someone else’s life.







It’s not about grand gestures. Service can be as simple as kindness in conversation, sharing knowledge freely, or helping a neighbor. Over time, these acts accumulate into a life of richness and significance.

If you live in service, you don’t just leave the world better than you found it—you also live better while you’re here.




Service is the quiet art of living for more than yourself.

It is the steady turning outward—toward the needs, hopes, and burdens of others—like a flower bending toward the sun.

When you give of your time, your attention, your hands, or your heart, you enter into an ancient rhythm: the same one that’s kept villages alive, healed strangers, and carried humanity through its darkest winters. Service makes you part of something infinite.

It dissolves the walls of “me” and “mine,” letting you see the great weaving we’re all caught in. Every thread you lift strengthens the fabric for someone else, and in doing so, your own strand grows brighter, stronger, more unbreakable.

A life spent in service is not a smaller life—it is the largest one possible. For when you give, you do not lose; you multiply. Every kindness sows seeds in soil you may never walk upon, yet the flowers will bloom, and their scent will carry your name long after you are gone.

Serve not for recognition, but for the quiet knowing that you have been a light in the lives of others. For in the end, all we leave behind is the love we gave away.



“Live to lift. Give to grow. Love to last.”

Service to Others.

Ditch & Switch:  Is one way to help others. Show them how easy it is to ditch the toxic products they have in their homes and switch to cleaner, greener, safer products from The Wellness Club. 

You will be serving families as they improve their overall well-being and income too. Learn more here.  



COPYRIGHT 2007-2025 Patti Friday b.1959.

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

8 Reasons for Businesses to Give All Year Long and on Giving Tuesday


Giving Tuesday is the world’s largest generosity movement. 


Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a stranger, or giving to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts, and everyone has something to give.



In Canada, giving to charities and volunteering as a business owner offers significant advantages from both a business and ethical perspective. Here's why it's beneficial:

1. Builds Community Connections

  • Stronger Local Ties: Supporting local causes helps businesses connect with the community and build strong relationships with potential customers.
  • Networking Opportunities: Volunteering or partnering with charitable organizations often brings businesses into contact with other professionals, fostering valuable collaborations.

2. Enhances Brand Reputation

  • Positive Image: Supporting charities signals to customers that your business cares about more than just profits. This can improve public perception and foster customer loyalty.
  • Differentiation: In competitive markets, being known for social responsibility can set your business apart from competitors.

3. Attracts and Retains Employees

  • Employee Engagement: Employees often take pride in working for a socially responsible company, leading to higher job satisfaction and retention.
  • Team Building: Volunteering events provide opportunities for team bonding and boost morale.

4. Tax Benefits

  • Charitable Tax Credits: Donations to registered charities in Canada are eligible for tax credits. For businesses, these can reduce taxable income, benefiting the bottom line.

5. Increases Customer Loyalty

  • Consumer Preferences: Many Canadian consumers prefer to support businesses that demonstrate social responsibility. Publicizing your charitable efforts can help attract and retain customers.
  • Shared Values: Aligning your charitable activities with causes your target audience cares about can deepen connections.

6. Personal Fulfillment and Corporate Culture

  • Giving Back: For many business owners, the intrinsic satisfaction of contributing to a good cause aligns with personal values.
  • Cultural Development: Encouraging a giving spirit can establish a corporate culture of compassion and purpose, benefiting employees and the broader community.

7. Public Relations and Marketing Opportunities

  • Media Coverage: Charitable involvement often attracts positive media attention, enhancing visibility for your business.
  • Content Creation: Sharing stories about your charitable efforts through social media and other channels can engage your audience and build goodwill.

8. Strengthens Local Economy

  • Community Investment: By supporting local charities or initiatives, you contribute to a thriving local economy, which ultimately benefits your business.

Overall, engaging in charitable giving and volunteering is a strategic way to align business operations with social responsibility, benefiting both the community and your bottom line.





COPYRIGHT 2007-2024 Patti Friday b.1959.

Thursday, April 4, 2024

Give to World Central Kitchen and Jacob Flickinger's Family


"World Central Kitchen is based on the simple belief that food is a universal human right. It is not conditional on being good or bad, rich or poor, left or right. We do not ask what religion you belong to. We just ask how many meals you need." - José Andrés, Founder of World Central Kitchen

Go Fund Me for Canadian / American Jacob Flickinger's Family & Young Children Here

Photo credit to World Central Kitchen/WCK.org

COPYRIGHT 2007-2024 Patti Friday b.1959.

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Go Fund Me for Studio House Barrie


The funds raised through this Go Fund Me will go towards finding our new place to call home, and to help keep Studio House Barrie running.


Learn more about Studio House here: Patti Friday: Studio House Barrie Dance Centre 

COPYRIGHT 2007-2024 Patti Friday b.1959.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Here’s how to HELP victims of the Morocco earthquake DONATE 2023

Moroccan Red Crescent Society rescue teams were on the ground with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to support search and rescue operations and provide medical and transportation. You can donate to their Disaster Response Emergency Fund here.

Global Giving, which helps local nonprofit agencies, is collecting donations to help provide survivors with food, fuel, clean water, medicine and shelter. As needs evolve, the fund will then transition to focus on recovery and rebuilding efforts, the organization said.

The United Nations Children’s Fund, better known as UNICEF, said it is ready to help the Moroccan government with immediate needs. UNICEF is accepting donations.

Doctors Without Borders, which responds to medical emergencies around the world, said it is sending teams to Morocco to assess local needs and provide support if necessary. It is collecting donations here.

CARE, an organization that works with impoverished communities, is accepting donations to support its teams on the ground that are helping provide emergency water, food, shelter, and medical support.


WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN


DONATE HERE

The earthquake is the hardest to hit Morocco in over a century, sending people all across the country’s central region running for safety. Striking late at night as many families were already asleep, the quake killed more than 2,000 people and injured countless more.

The epicenter of the temblor was in an area dotted with villages spread across the Atlas Mountains, about 50 miles south of the historic city of Marrakech. Rescue crews are working nonstop to locate survivors. Their efforts are complicated by challenging terrain and large distances between heavily impacted communities where most homes were not built to withstand an earthquake.

First arriving in Marrakech, our Relief Team is using helicopters and 4x4 vehicles to identify hard-hit communities spread across the region. We are providing sandwiches, fruit, and water to offer immediate support and our team in Spain is on its way with multiple food trucks and kitchen equipment to begin cooking fresh meals as soon as possible. This is a quickly evolving situation and we continue to traverse the impacted region to find pockets of need.


Photo:  Fadel Senna


COPYRIGHT 2007-2023 Patti Friday b.1959.

Sunday, February 27, 2022

How can I help Ukraine? Resources and tips for Canadians



Humanitarian Coalition:  Donating to help many organizations in one place.

The Humanitarian Coalition brings together leading aid organizations to provide Canadians with a simple and effective way to help during international humanitarian disasters. Member agencies join forces to raise funds by mobilizing media, businesses and individual Canadians. Together, we are saving more lives.

Here are some resources Canadian and Ukrainian organizations are sharing:


"C'mon! One person?
One person is creating mayhem!
We are 9 billion people on planet Earth and
we're gonna let ONE person destroy what we are trying to build?"

- Jose Andres, World Central Kitchen
(Feeding Ukraine)



(Sean Penn)

"It was clear I was in the presence of something -- and again, I think reflective of so many Ukrainians -- that was new, that was new to the modern world in terms of courage and dignity"
- , actor and co-founder of ,
on meeting Ukrainian President Zelensky.

"Already a brutal mistake of lives taken and hearts broken, and if he doesn’t relent, I believe Mr. Putin will have made a most horrible mistake for all of humankind. President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have risen as historic symbols of courage and principle. Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost."
- Sean Penn


Our organization has years of experience in providing charitable aid in both Canada and Ukraine. Based in Toronto, our team is ready to answer any questions and inquiries you may have, both locally and remotely. To learn more about how The Canada-Ukraine Foundation conducts its work, or what we’re working on now, contact us today by email at info[at]cufoundation.ca, by calling (416) 966-9700, or using our form below.



COPYRIGHT 2007-2022 Patti Friday b.1959. All photographs, works of art and words are original content, unless specified otherwise. All rights reserved. Patti Friday: Reporting from inside 'The Art Dept.' at the international 'Embassy of Ideas' I am an Artist who carries a paintbrush, camera and notebook. Instagram: @pattifriday

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Buy a Meal. Share a Meal—10 meals donated for every Epicure order on Giving Tuesday! Food Banks Canada and Feeding America



Buy a Meal. Share a Meal—10 meals donated for every Epicure order on Giving Tuesday!
.
We want to GIVE BIG on Giving Tuesday and we need your help to reach our goal of donating 1 million meal donations in 2021. We are well on our way at 600,000 meals donated so far this year. To help reach our goal, we will be donating 10 MEALS for every ONE order placed on November 30th!
.
Plus—We’ll be giving FREE SHIPPING
on all orders over $100 for Giving Tuesday only!
.
.

COPYRIGHT 2007-2021 Patti Friday All photographs, works of art and words are original content, unless specified otherwise. All rights reserved. Patti Friday: Reporting from inside 'The Art Dept.' at the international 'Embassy of Ideas' I am an Artist who carries a paintbrush, camera and notebook. Instagram: @pattifriday

Saturday, February 13, 2021

Snapdragon Educational Busy Bags for Home School and Fun Learning Gifts COUPON CODE


Snapdragon Educational Busy Bags 
are simple, easy, 
no mess activities to help your little one learn and 
work on fine motor skills all while having fun.

GREAT NEWS
I have a Coupon Code for you!
Good until Feb 28, 2021

Spend $20 min and get the
Build Your Own Sandwich FREE !!!



I have been hoping to tell everyone about
Snapdragon Busy Bags
for literally a year!

This Canadian company is such
a success story!

I was lucky enough to meet the Founder
and not only is she so sweet and kind,
she is a business genius!

She created a product that children love
and parents adore!


Three of my grandchildren were beyond excited to open 
the busy bags! 



Snapdragon Busy Bags 
Offers so many items
across so many categories
such as
Food (as shown here)
Sports
Music
School Curriculum items
Time
Art
and several collections and subscriptions!





Build Your Own Ice Cream was a hit!

Children can follow the image cards or use their imagination to build either an ice cream cone or sundae.

Includes 8 image cards 9 scoops of ice cream, whipped cream with sprinkles & cherry, banana, sundae dish, ice cream cone.

At checkout use:  FRIDAY
Good until Feb 28, 2021

Spend $20 min and get the
Build Your Own Sandwich FREE !!!








Make Your Meal

A fun create your own meal activity. Children can choose from a selection from 82 different healthy and snack foods/drinks to create a meal. This product helps with learning about nutrition, how to make healthy food choices, the names of each food, the various food groups, and could be used as a communication aid for mealtime. In addition, children can use the food to practice their sorting skills by sorting the food/snacks into different categories (i.e. food types, colors, etc.) or practice counting by counting the items in each food group. This busy bag is one of the free placing products so there are no velcro. Contains small pieces so not recommended for children under 4 years of age. 

NOTE:  The toddler twins were 100% fully supervised by their Mom and they were so engaged and happy playing safely!

Targeted Skills:  nutrition, healthy food choices, sorting, counting

https://snapdragonbusybags.com/

Good until Feb 28, 2021

Spend $20 min and get the
Build Your Own Sandwich FREE !!!





















Build your own Sandwich!  

This busy bag is fun for children (and adults) of all ages to play and build your own sandwich.  Children can follow the Sandwich order forms or use their imagination and create their own.

Included White bread, brown bread, Beef, Turkey, ham, Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, tomato, lettuce, onions.

Good until Feb 28, 2021

Spend $20 min and get the
Build Your Own Sandwich FREE !!!









Snapdragon Busy Bags Facebook:

Snapdragon Busy Bags Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/snapdragonbusybags/

Website:

Snapdragon Busy Bags is a fully registered business in the Heart of Dundas, Ontario. Ships to anywhere in North America.
To place an order please visit: www.snapdragonbusybags.com

Good until Feb 28, 2021

Spend $20 min and get the
Build Your Own Sandwich FREE !!!

I am an Artist who carries a paintbrush, camera and notebook. Instagram: @pattifriday