Today is National Day of Service. I’m feeling a little guilty that I didn’t  something significantly philanthropic with my day like serve food to the homeless or build a playground or clean up the beach...especially since it’s 75 degrees and sunny in Los Angeles. 

I have to be careful that I don’t use my daily giving as an excuse not to volunteer in person. As gratifying as I’m finding Causes & Effects —already more so than I ever imagined—it’s doing good from a remove, from a distance.  I don’t have to talk to anyone or clean up anything or pretend to gleefully do a task that I don’t want to. All I have to do is sit on my sofa and click a few buttons. Something for me to think about...

So today, I’m saluting the teens who are doing something through Do Something. Do Something is a 20-year old national non-profit co-founded by Andrew Shue (yes, Billy from “Melrose Place”) that motivates kids to get involved in national campaigns to do good. It’s the perfect gateway drug, so to speak, for learning about giving back and can introduce kids to a lifetime of philanthropy. 

According to Do Something’s website, right now the organization is running a Teens for Jeans campaign because the No. 1 item requested from shelters is a pair of jeans.  Kids can sign up to run a drive at their school or donate individually. Folks can drop jeans off at Aeropostale clothing stores until Feb. 10 and get 25% off a new pair of jeans. Chloe Moretz is one of the campaign’s supporters, which helps bring in some star value and attention.

The site is full of great campaigns that require minimal effort. Plus, there are scholarships and grants. I spent a little time on the site and was blown away by how many projects they have going on, fighting everything from animal cruelty to bullying to human rights. If I had a teenager, I would definitely be encouraging him or her to check it out. The website was one of the easiest to navigate and find information that I’ve come across. 

Go, Billy!  I mean Andrew....

Jan. 19: Do Something http://www.dosomething.org/

Why I started this blog.