How To Help

Here are some simple tips to help the victims of Superstorm Sandy:

Please check out this website: http://www.njstrong.net/about-us/
Whether you are in NJ or not, this website is a great place to find out resources for helping those affected by the storm. If you are in NJ, there also is a Facebook page for this group: http://www.facebook.com/JerseyShoreStrong where you can find events going on that you may be able to help with. There also are ideas for fundraising, which you can do no matter how far or near you are to NJ.

NYC Marathon RUN WHEREVER YOU ARE:
For all those who were going to run in the NYC Marathon and are in unaffected cities, states or other countries around the world, please consider running the marathon where you are and raising funds to donate to the disaster relief throughout the Northeast. With the GPS on most smartphones, you can keep track of how far you have run. It honestly is easier than ever to run a marathon wherever you are.

For those who run, bike or walk:
There are a few applications that you can download to your smartphone for free to raise money for charities. The one I am most familiar with and I use all the time is Charity Miles. Right now, they have about 10 charities. I am currently training for a half marathon and every day when I train, I raise money for these charities. Charity Miles keeps track of how many miles you run and donates to these charities. These charities include organizations that provide meals for hungry people in the US and worldwide.

Consider donating blood:
I donated blood for the first time a few weeks ago. Since it was my first time, I was a bit worried about how my body would react. I have to say it was one of the easiest things I have ever done. When you donate blood, you can possibly save up to 3 lives.

Shop at stores across the country that are donating money to the relief:
I shopped at my local grocery store this morning and at the checkout line, I noticed that they are donating money to the hurricane relief. I have seen that stores around the country are raising money for the relief.

MY GROCERY STORE CHALLENGE:
Look at your food budget and set a limit for the week, say $100. Then go through your refrigerator and see what you need and what you don't need. Sometimes I plan out what meals I am going to have for the week, so I know exactly how much food I need to buy. Once you have a list of grocery items, go on your computer and look at the Weekly Ad for the store. See what is on sale. Getting different food on sale lets you try new things as well. Once you have decided on a list of items that are on sale and you need, go to the grocery store.

My challenge is that however much money you save this week on groceries OR however much money your food bill is below your chosen budget limit for the week, consider donating that money to the disaster relief. For example, if your budget was $100 and your bill was $70, then consider donating the extra $30. This is just a simple way of taking what you have and using it to help others. You don't have to go out of your way to help.