Best wishes, my friends!
Unemployment and hunger in America are high.
One out of six including children are living in poverty, going to bed hungry or homeless. Volunteers are needed.

You haven't lived until you plant peaches.
Give and it shall be given to you ... giving will enrich your life.

Please help raise awareness by sharing free Postcard images from
"End Homelessness and Hunger" https://pbase.com/bluebirdstar/homelessness
"100 Free Ways to Help" https://pbase.com/bluebirdstar/gallery/100_ways
"Peaches" https://pbase.com/bluebirdstar/peaches


Thank you for sharing your artistry and generosity and votes with me.

- Planting Peaches
- Giving is Planting Seeds in the Field of your life - giving is life changing...
-- End Homelessness and Hunger
-- When you give, you enrich your life.
-- You are the one who benefits most.
-- The life you change will be yours.
-- Plant seeds every day - for fruit in your future to benefit your life.
-- You are planting the seeds of your future.
-- Your life is a field and you are planting you future.
-- You are sowing seeds into your life all day long.
-- In other words - what goes around, comes around.
-- If you are not giving, you are the one who most needs to give.
-- There is a special reward for those who feed the hungry and clothe the naked.

-- "Giving" is "Sowing" and is most productive when it is given without expectation of receiving.
-- Giving is almost always thankless, but the rewards will be more than you can ask or think.
-- You are called to be a force for good.
-- Accomplish great things through giving and serving - you will enlarge your borders.
-- There is a richer reward for those who choose the greater good of mankind before personal prestige.

- Many people who are living in poverty or are homeless have jobs but don't make enough to pay for the basic necessities of life.

- What can you give?
-- Time.....Treasure.....Talent.....Expertise.....Ideas
-- kindness - words of encouragement - listening
-- acceptance - prayer
-- clothes - shoes

-- plant a vegetable garden to give away
-- food and water - shelter - transportation

-- negotiate - unfair practices - service - advice
-- take a stand for those who can't
-- write letters to the editor of newspapers, magazines, congress
-- donate your art/photography/scultptures/paintings for charity sales
-- training - mentoring
-- hire someone to work odd jobs

-- collect coins in a jar every day and donate monthly
-- skip the donut and donate the money
-- on e less fountain soda = $45 a month for charity (buy soda in 2 litre bottles)
-- on e less latte = $100+ a month for charity (drink instant coffee)
-- water bottles, refill with tap water (flouride helps prevents cavities) = $100+ a month for charity
-- teach someone to read - teach "budgeting" - tutor your specialty

-- trouble-shoot computer problems for neighbors
-- teach computer skills to neighbors - teach internet skills
-- teach basic skills in your area of expertise at a homeless shelter to assist the residents in acquiring employment
-- income tax assistance

-- write resumes for the unemployed
-- write fund raising letters to large corporations for nonprofits
-- take a stand for somethng you believe in even if it is unpopular
-- share what you have learned in life
-- teach the power of commitment
-- teach young people to "show up" even when they are under pressure - showing up is 80% of life
-- teach young people to be silent when they are under pressure and to speak softly
-- teach young people the importance of anger management

-- weatherproof your home and your neighbor's home
-- teach weatherproofing to others
-- paint and/or spackle the house of a needy person
-- repair a car

-- give blood - candy striper in a hospital - reading to the sick
-- volunteer in a local animal shelter

-- man a voting booth
-- sort clothes at a "Good Will" store
-- hand made "get well" cards
-- ask friends and family to give a donation instead of a giving you a holiday or birthday card or gift
-- ask friends to sponsor you in a race, walk-a-thon, running, biking
-- vacation at home and donate the savings

-- give away all your shoes and coats except for one
-- give away clothes you have not worn for a year - they are out of style or don't fit any more
-- send "thank you" notes to people around you

-- become a "big brother" to a lonely child
-- organize a field trip to the zoo
-- lead a scout troop
-- teach kids softball, soccer, football, basketball, tennis, swimming, bowling

-- teach scrapbooking, stamping, crafts, art, sketching, painting, photography
-- teach how to sell arts and crafts

-- serve and/or donate food in a soup kitchen
-- stack and/or distribute food in a food bank
-- contact your local organization to combat homelessness and hunger to find out what they need
-- organize your friends and neighbors to provide sandwiches or hot meals weekly or monthly for the homeless
-- organize donations of bottled drinks for the homeless each week
-- claim food that will be thrown away in restaurants, grocery stores, businesses
-- ask local business owners to provide or sponsor a dozen meals once a month at a homeless shelter
-- ask local business owners to provide a volunteer position to a homeless individual to learn a trade to transition them to self-sufficiency
-- call local businesses and ask them to donate some of their products or services for an auction or drawing and advertise in newspapers and radio stations which give free public service announcements
-- sponsor a food drive at church every Sunday to drop off at a food bank
-- ask your neighbors to drop off a can, nonperishable item, toiletries, extra unused clothing and blankets in your driveway every Friday to - give to a needy family or homeless shelter
-- use your neighborhood website to request specific donations of items for a local family you have adopted
-- start a website or a blog on a social media site to coordinate requests and donations of food or necessary items
-- call local churches to ask for a list of requested items for their needy members
-- needy families are often looking for items you have in multiples
-- contact local department and clothing stores for donations of hats, scarves, socks, shoes and gloves for the poor
-- visit your local "dollar store" for seasonal items you can donate to the poor - they sell gloves, scarves, socks and kitchen utensils
ask the manager in every store you shop in for items not selling that they can donate to the needy
-- collect shoes, socks, clothes and coats from your neighbors

-- teach kids to love and respect nature
-- teach how to feed and provide water for the birds
-- teach how to build a nesting birdhouse for bluebirds
-- teach how to raise mealworms to feed bluebirds
-- teach how to create a bluebird trail of bluebird houses
-- teach the different habits, nesting and feeding habits of birds
-- cleaning birdhouses

-- take out trash and recycling - housework - wash dishes
-- grocery shopping - pick up prescriptions - pick up newspapers and mail
-- babysit - dogwalking
-- visit elderly residents in a nursing home, read, sing, play music tapes, musical instruments

-- donate unused home items (good, but not needed anymore)
-- donate furniture - books - items in basement, garage, attic - donate your old car
-- help with yard work, gardening, raking and bagging leaves, bush trimming
-- cleanup - snow removal -help clean up a local park
-- get your hands dirty doing work nobody else wants to do

-- photography
-- paint a mural on a wall in a disadvantaged school or neighborhood

-- alleviate suffering when you see it
-- build a house with Habitat for Humanity
-- fill a need
-- give service where needed
-- give your testimony
-- give without publicity

-- disaster relief or homelessness - fund raising assistance
-- toiletries - clothes - shoes - blankets - bottled water - canned foods - diapers
-- baby bottles, formula - flashlights - batteries - tools

-- fund raisers - cash
-- sell lemonade on the corner for charity - bake sale - car wash - pot luck dinner
-- prize raffle - auction
-- ask newspapers and tv stations for publicity
-- hand out and post flyers

-- coupons
-- clip coupons and rebates from newspapers, websites, box tops and soup cans to give to a local school program, needy family or homeless shelter.
-- deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, and many more items can be obtained for free or very low cost.
-- expired coupons can be used by military personnel, who have very low incomes, on base.

Click for Free Donation
-- read the ads to donate for free.
-- charityclickdonation.com/bulk.html
-- environment
-- medical
-- poverty
-- animal
-- education
-- clear landmines
-- arts
-- and more

- Find a charity or volunteer:
-- charitynavigator.org
-- volunteermatch.org
-- idealist.org
-- give.org (Better Business Bureau)
-- Meals on Wheels, mowaa.org
-- America's Second Harvest (Feeding America)
-- Greenpeace
-- Peace Corps
-- Habitat for Humanity
-- World Wildlife Fund
-- Local Zoo

- What do you have to give?
-- Give friendship.
-- Give forgiveness.

- What can you do?
- Who can you help?

The person you think is least deserving of your help may be someone very special who could change the world.