Looking for the perfect gift for that special someone?  Get them a Valentine’s Day Card from Charity Water.  Each $20 card will give a person clean water for 20 years.  The $100 card will provide water for a family of 5.  100% of your money goes to freshwater projects in developing nations.  Share the love by visiting http://www.charitywater.org/store

The administration’s freshly launched website USA service helps people plan service events to coincide with MLK day. According to the site:

In 1994, Congress transformed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday into a national day of community service to further commemorate a man who lived his life in service to others. As a tribute to that legacy and the very real needs of our nation, the President-elect and Vice President-elect have launched a national organizing effort on the eve of their Inauguration to engage Americans in service. This national day of service will fall on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 19, 2009 and, unlike past calls to service, President-elect Obama is calling on all Americans to do more than just offer a single day of service to their cities, towns and neighborhoods.  He is asking all of us to make an ongoing commitment to our communities. Never has it been more important to come together in shared purpose to tackle the common challenges we face.

More than just a call to action, the site utilizes the best of the web to encourage action, including an easy search for volunteer opportunities near you, sound bites from callers telling their stories of service, and an mobile map that shows what people are doing via SMS.  We’ve come a long way but the message is the same. Happy MLK Day.

Our friends at the Social Design Network: Design 21 are running a contest with The Nature Conservancy.

They are all asking all creative professionals to create elements of a consumer call-to-action campaign to buy FSC-certified products as a means of protecting forests around the world.

Forests nurture and sustain life on Earth. They give us fiber, food, fuel and fresh water. In fact, about two-thirds of people worldwide depend on forests to supply all or some portion of their fresh water. And more than 1 billion people living in extreme poverty depend on forests for their livelihoods and subsistence. Furthermore, forests harbor more than two-thirds of known terrestrial species. They renew the air we breathe and moderate our global climate by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it over the long term. They also play a major role in recycling atmospheric moisture and stabilizing soils.

We are all consumers of forests. From paper and magazines to building products and furniture, we are surrounded with the fiber of forests from around the world. But few of us know the origin of these forest products, much less if they were responsibly managed and legally harvested before making their way into our homes and offices.

They are asking for entries creates awareness of FSC and shows people that by buying FSC, they can play an active role in protecting forests; and drives people to a consumer-searchable website where they can locate FSC products to buy.

Top prize money of $10,000 will be allocated to the winners!  So, if you’re looking to use your skills for good, enter the Design 21 contest!

Tomorrow at 2pm is the last day to bid on one of the awesome decks from the Good Wood Show.  If you haven’t already, check ‘em out at here. Decks by everyone from Leo Espinosa to Don Kilpatrick and Fernanda Cohen are going to benefit Stoked Mentoring a non profit action sports mentoring organization.

Their amazing programs reach at risk teens (you know, the ones with life stories that make your jaw drop) with the mission to develop a successful teen who

• Is happy & healthy in their life
• Has positive relationships with others
• Can achieve what he/she sets their mind to
• Gives back to their community
• Is a model for others to follow

Not convinced? Check out Stoked’s testimonials with street artists, athletes and the heads of your favorite action sport brands on why they’re Stoked. So buy a board, donate your times, and even mentor and skate your way to a better world.

On behalf of all of us at ADB, Aww Sweet and Stokes, much thanks to everyone out there that supported Good Wood and helped make this such a successful show.

Would you sell your house and move to a smaller house?
And donate half of the proceeds from your sale to charity?
Not that many people would but a family in Atlanta, Georgia decided to put their money where it counts most – helping others.

“I said to my dad, ‘If that guy didn’t have such a nice car, then that guy could have a nice meal,’ ” the 15-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia, recalled.

“We stopped and paused and thought about what are the things in the world that could really make a difference, a little bit of difference in the world,” he said.

They talked about selling their cars or other things, but it was Hannah’s mother, Joan, who came up with selling their 6,500-square-foot house, donating half the proceeds and then moving into a house half the size.”

Once they sell their house, the Salwen family will be donating $800,000 to The Hunger Project, an organization dedicated to helping end world hunger through people helping themselves.

Very inspiring story. Think about the things you need versus the things you want. Rather than thinking in incremental benefits i.e. it’s only a couple dollars extra to get that sushi roll, happy hour prices for drinks so let’s grab another one, or that shirt is on sale so i’ll have to buy two; start thinking about things that you can cut in half. Do you really need that extra drink? Do you really need to own 12 pairs of jeans? Do you really need it?

If you start thinking about things that you can cut out, you can start thinking funneling that energy (and funds) to how you can help. For me, I’ve decided to cut out alcohol!

Check out the rest of the article by visiting CNN.

Good Wood Give Back is tomorrow night and it’s Good in every sense of the word: Good art, Good party, Good charity, and Good peeps.

We’ve teamed up with Aww Sweet to turn the amazing show into an auction to benefit Stoked Mentoring, an organization that mentors teens through action sports. The night, of course, will be filled with good old fashioned 3rd Ward partying.  With everything from decks by Matt Doyle, and Ezpinoza, vinyl by Brion ISAACS of 33Hz and ShindigNYC, shorts by Josh Stewart, and even a photo booth and hot dog stand if you’re hungry for some homemade fun, all for the sake of a good cause, how could you say no?

So stop by tomorrow night, party hearty and buy a deck (you can check ‘em out on our behance page or on flickr)

The details:
Saturday, July 26, 2008, 7 pm – 12 am | RSVP: gallery@3rdward.com
The Gallery at 3rd Ward
195 Morgan Avenue, at the corner of Stagg St., in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn

And if you want to learn a little more about the behind the scenes inspiration, check out the heart felt hello from two ADBers who came out of the woodwork (pun intended) to help out with the show. We’re excited to say that this show is touching more people than we could have imagined:

Damien Basile:
Growing up where I lived there weren’t many kids skateboarding, let alone older ones to look up to and show you what to do. Skateparks, if there were any, weren’t common knowledge. I did at one point try skateboarding for a little bit but considering none of my peers were doing it there was little to no incentive for me to follow through.  Nowadays I love skating with my friends wherever and whenever I want and can.

That’s what’s so great about Stoked. They provide a widespread support network for kids into skateboarding that I only wish I had access to when I was younger. Lack of access has lead many a kid to dalliances with alcohol, smoking, drugs and general mischief and miscreance. It’s so important that we support and nurture the youth of today because they’re going to grow up to be our tomorrow. That’s why I’m such an advocate of Stoked and Good Wood.

Most other major sports have established channels for kids to congregate and participate fairly easily. Unless your town has a skatepark where you can go to be with other like minds, skating can be an uphill challenge. People think kids are just up to no good and chase them off of property, where in fact the sport is keeping them out of trouble. If none of your friends are interested in it then you have to be pretty motivated to keep going solo.  All of this is for those kids who don’t have a voice, who can’t speak up for themselves; this is for those kids who want to but don’t know how, who deserve a chance and an equal oppotunity; this is for those kids that don’t have the support but will now thanks to Stoked and Good Wood.

I am extremely grateful that I’m a part of an event that is bringing together so many amazingly talented artists to bring together kids from all backgrounds for one reason and one reason only- Skateboarding.

Tyler Harte:
Being involved with Stoked mentoring is my way of giving back to the skateboard community.  Stoked gives me a direct connection with the future generation of tomorrows skateboarders.  The biggest satisfaction i get from stoked is giving the kids encouragement and a sense of pride when they might not be getting it from anywhere else.  To give kids who share a common interest in skateboarding a place to connect is very important and dear to me.  With my involvement with stoked i aim to keep kids out of trouble, gangs, drugs, violence and sometimes abusive households and introduce them to positive lifestyles.  My personal goal for stoked is to pass on the happiness and joy that skateboarding has brought me over the years, hoping that someday the kids will be able to do the same.

Good Wood will be on view:

Saturday, July 26 – Sunday, August 10, 2008

What if someone told you you could change the world by skateboarding? Would you be Stoked? That’s the idea behind stoked Mentoring, a non-profit action sports organization with the mission of developing Successful Teens with Opportunity, Knowledge, Experience, and Determination. Steve Larosiliere, Founder and Executive Director of Stoked, created the organization to benefit at risk youth through mentoring, coaching, and action sports. Paired with positive role models, teens learn life skills such as communication, responsibility, how to overcome their fears through sports like skate boarding, snowboarding, and surfing.

The idea started in 2004 on a snowboarding trip to British Coumbia while Steve was working at another mentoring program. “A thought came to mind, ‘I should take the kids I mentor here. If they saw how beautiful these mountains are they would lose their mind.’”

From that thought, Steve started making his vision a reality by penning down his ideas and sharing it with people–”putting it out into the universe. I almost feel like any dream needs to start with a name, a logo, and a one sheet. You also need people to believe in you. So as you’re talking to everyone and showing them your one sheet and logo, they can figure out ways to help out.” Two of the most important pieces of advice; a book and a name. “One of our early supporters gave me a book, “How to Run a Non-profit  in the 21st Century” and she put me in touch with a non-profit mentor, Lou Lagatta. Lou gave me all the necessary information to get my program off the ground. He gave me the confidence I needed to succeed.”

The organization has since grown to help hundreds of kids from New York and now Los Angeles and grown into collaborations with everyone from Zoo York to ESPN. And it’s no wonder, with Stoked’s creative take on the concepts of both mentoring (menor/mentee studying and going to get pizza once a month) and counterculture (that thing your mother always told you to stay away from).  The unique questions that emerge from the new model — “What if you take a mentoring relationship out of their environment, teach them a challenging, non traditional sport and relate it to their life?” What would happen to that relationship? What would happen if you have 30 people cheering for you as you ride your first wave? What if you knew that no matter how many times you fall, you would always get back up to succeed?

The answer is a unique opportunity to do a ton of good through a nontraditional (not to mention rad) way to give back. But at its base, the need is still for adults stepping up and wanting to get involved long term in the development of talent within our young people. “The kids today simply need more adults in their life who care.” And for Steve it’s the  desire to create a safe and positive environment for all kids that keeps him going. “The kids we work with are amazing. They want more out of life. They’re daring, courageous, trusting and outspoken. They certainly do not carry these qualities when they first come to us, so to see them evolve physically, mentally, and emotionally right before your eyes is such a wonderful feeling.”

Four years in, and in a business of “heart work”, staying motivated is something Steve has to work at. But inspiration comes from everything from articles, to people, to simply having fun skateboarding through NY or LA. “I learned that people don’t always do things for money. They do things because it makes them feel good. People want to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves as well. They want to be around a safe, healthy, positive community of like-minded people.”

“My advice to someone who aspires to change the world is… just start.”

Alldaybuffet’s stoked to be teaming up with Aww Sweet to bring you Good Wood 2008 “Give Back” an auction-cum-party to benefit Stoked mentoring.  3rd Ward art gallery will be hosting Saturday, July 26th. So stop by, party, buy a sweet deck or bid online (site coming soon). 50% of all proceeds will be going toward this amazing nonprofit. Check here for details or the facebook and going event.

Really you shouldn’t have, but we’re glad you did, because we raised hundres of dollars across the country for some great nonprofits (not to mention partied it up on a hot summer night.. hot)

And we’re sorry if you couldn’t make it out. But you can check out the nonprofits we supported below and make a donation (like one of those virtual facebook drinks or something).

Thanks again!

The Food Project

Amara

Rocket Dog Rescue

Green Guerillas

Rebuilding Together New Orleans

Women for Women International
JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes

Darryl Penrice is the Executive Director of Poverty’s Demise.  We caught up with him to talk about the ways he’s trying to eradicate poverty…

In your own words, what is the idea behind Poverty’s Demise?

Back in late 2006, because of identity theft and social ignorance, I could not find employment. I was living in Ann Arbor, MI, surrounded by wealth, I had a BA in Chinese and Minor in Computer Science from the University of Michigan, and years of international business experience, but no one would hire me because of a faulty background check. I sought assistance from the government, but only to learn that I was not qualified for one reason or another. At one point, I snapped. But when I snapped, I realized that I am not the only person in the US caught in this situation. There are millions of people out there just like me; even worse, millions of children.

Despite being the wealthiest country in the world, the US is ranked dead last by UNICEF for child welfare and poverty as of 2007. The essential core of this is because our country lacks any efficient social welfare system. Despite the fact that the natural rate of unemployment is taught in every economics class in the world, our social welfare system does not account for the structurally unemployed. It assumes there are always jobs available which is in direct contrast to the very concept of the Natural Rate of Unemployment (NRU). The NRU says up to 15% of the population must be unemployed, thus there is a need for a social welfare system to support that 15%. Looking at our national budget, it is obvious that we do not spend enough money to support 15 % of the population; hence the reason violent crime is at a five-year high, there are homeless people all over our streets, and the exploitation of women in the porn industry is booming. All are indicators that poverty is spreading. This is where Poverty’s Demise .Org (PDO) comes in. PDO targets the children of the hardcore poor who are counted as not existing by the US government unemployment statistics.

What has been your biggest success with the site so far?

PDO is still in its incubation phase. The live website is still a prototype without a functional backend database. In terms of my successes so far, I have managed to secure a fair amount of letters of interest and endorsements from several organizations and companies – including Craigslist Foundation, Riverside Church of New York, and others. I have also appeared on two different television shows (Bronxnet). I have done interviews with the New York Times and Black Enterprise Magazine about the website; however, I am still waiting for them to run the articles.

Where do you see it evolving in the future?

PDO, though it is still a prototype, is based solely on existing technology that every country in the world already has. As the system becomes more well-known, we will see millions of people rising out of poverty at a pace faster than most people would expect. This creates a paradox of consumption versus natural resources. In PDO’s evolution, I have planned to give some pretty unique answers to solve this seemingly unsolvable paradox. In the open source’s initiative section of the website, you will see that the current public functionality of PDO is only 40% of Stage One planning. There is another 60% that is not yet public knowledge. In addition, I have three further stages of development: education, homelessness, and environmental initiatives. All stages were designed to work together to achieve a pretty cool goal.

Tell us about your mission, what motivates you, and what are you trying to accomplish?

PDO’s mission is simple: feed, clothe, and house everyone. The motivation is straight forward. I’ve personally spent bouts in poverty, I have family living in poverty, and nothing motivates a person more than the people closest to you. As for what I am trying to accomplish, while it may seem to be a gigantic task to end poverty, I have a website that does exactly that. From the donor point-of-view, I am trying remove guilt from the concept of charity. We all know that poverty is wrong. That is why I created the donor portal to be hip, cool and attractive. As from the recipient portal, poor people should not have to run around to five or six different social welfare offices looking for benefits. PDO allows them to access everything from one website, enabling them to spend time with their children and look for work. Simple goals, simple plans.

We’re suckers for pups and Rocket Dog Rescue’s got us up to our ears in them.

A volunteer based organization serving the greater Bay Area, Rocket Dog Rescue is dedicated to saving homeless and abandoned dogs from over crowded animal shelters.

Non-aggressive dogs are place into temporary foster homes where they are socialized, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and treated for any medical or behavioral conditions limiting their adoptability. RDR then actively seek out permanent quality homes for these deserving animals through its volunteer network, online adoption page, weekend adoption fairs, and neighborhood poster campaigns.

The inspiration for the organization: the founder’s dog Leadbelly.

Pali Boucher, a San Francisco native and recipient of a 2001 Points of Light Award for outstanding volunteerism, was once once homeless and facing problems with addiction until the fateful hound dog came into her life.

“I narrowly dodged the bullet of losing my dog so many times that it just stressed me out too much, man. I had to make some changes. So I went into a drug program. While I was in recovery, Leadbelly stayed with a friend of mine. More than a year later, my subsidized housing came through, I was clean and sober and I got him back…

A year ago—just after Leadbelly died—I wanted to go the next step and create my own nonprofit. My core group of about 10 friends became my board of directors and volunteers. RocketDog Rescue is a tribute to Leadbelly. He helped me learn how to take care of myself by taking care of him.“

They’ve already saved over 150 dogs this year–how?

“none of us are ever paid. . . . We pay for spaying and neutering, vaccinations. Usually we do a lot more medically, or for dental work, than we should. I just had a dog come out of ear surgery. I took another dog to an eye specialist yesterday. What I do is sit out with a jar in the Castro or Noe Valley and collect money. I’m proud to do that.”

We’re pumped to be supporting Rocket Dogs through our San Fran Cause For Drinks on July 16th. We’ll be teaming up with Good Magazine and Planning for Good on the event. So if you’re in the bay area, stop by, grab a drink, and help support a great cause and some great dogs.

Check out CFD cities and times here, or RSVP for the San Fran event here.