It can be easy to want to help others, but then not because you’re busy.  But just because it can seem like a lot of work to lend a helping hand sometimes, it can also be really easy.  One example is donating blood.  After my wife gave birth to our daughter, she wasn’t doing too well.  The doctors gave her a blood transfusion which helped her system recover more quickly.  And it was all because someone took a little time out of their day to sit down and give blood, probably while reading a book.  Many blood banks are running into shortages, but if you’d like to help by giving blood, visit this website, enter zip code, and schedule an appointment.

Posted: August 14th, 2009 under Helping Others, Show Notes.
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Sometimes, volunteering your time can be pretty thankless.  That’s why I want to take this opportunity to pat you on the back and say “Good work!”  I know you’ve been working hard, because I read an article in Courier today that pointed out that Iowa City, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, and Cedar Rapids all rank in the top 20 cities of their size for volunteerism.  I think that’s something to be proud of.  I also want to encourage you to keep it up.  If you’re looking for more volunteer opportunities, check out our home page for more information about Habitat for Humanity, the Back to School Project, and the Ministry of the Month.

Posted: July 29th, 2009 under Helping Others, Show Notes.
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As recovery from last years floods continue, the Salvation Army in Cedar Rapids is working to make a difference again this summer.  Right now they’re working to increase access for their food pantry as well as the meals they serve.  If you’d like to help the Salvation Army in Cedar Rapids, they’re working to make it easier for you.  They’ll be placing smaller versions of their red kettles in businesses around town, so if you see a red kettle you can make a contribution there.  If you’d like more information, you can stop by the Salvation Army (directions here) or give them call at 319-364-9131.

Posted: June 29th, 2009 under Helping Others, Show Notes.
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We enjoyed the lower prices of gas over the winter, and now as we watch them shoot up again, you can’t help but be at least a little frustrated.  I want to help you save money on gas, so I did a little digging and found some tips. These are my 3 favorites:

1. Keep your car in good shape.  Keeping up with regular maintenance like oil and fluid changes as well as keeping your tires well inflated will help you get better gas mileage.  Better gas mileage=filling less often=saving money

2.Declutter your car.  While you can’t unload the weight of your kids from the back, you can get rid of those extra lawn chairs you never use or that bag of mulch you haven’t gotten around to putting in back garden.

3. Don’t overuse the A/C.  Just like at home, it’s not always necessary to run the Air Conditioner non-stop.  Once the cars reached a comfortable spot, flip to just the fan to keep the air circulating.  Running the A/C uses extra gas.  Or if it’s not too warm, join the Mike club and just drive with the windows down and radio up.

Posted: June 25th, 2009 under Helping Others, Saving Money, Show Notes.
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Kurt Warner was in Cedar Rapids today as Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity kicked off their Build-a-thon, starting on 20 houses to be built this year in Cedar Rapids.  It’s always fun to see Kurt returning to Iowa, and it’s more fun to see him working hard to help out others.  However, the 20 houses that are started this week won’t be finished this week;  later on this week, we want to help you find some ways to help out at those build sites.  For now, you can learn more at the Habitat website.

Posted: June 15th, 2009 under Helping Others, Show Notes.
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