A Writer With a Story

If you have read my book, The Difference a Day Makes, or pursued the suggestions I used to post at BenevolentPlanet.com, you know that I advocate personal action over cash donations. But today, a writing colleague is in dire need, and I'd like you to consider helping in any way you can. Lori Hall Steele is a prolific, talented writer and single mom who, just this past June, published an essay in the Washington Post that poignantly explored her young son's questions about death and separation. A few months later, Lori began having troubling symptoms that included a growing paralysis. She is now confined to a hospital bed and breathing support, diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Unable to work, she is in danger of losing the home she provides for 7-year-old Jack, and her mounting medical bills are staggering.

I've never met Lori, but I "know" her through the online writers' group I belong to. I have often marveled at the generosity of this group of virtual friends, and they are now mounting an extraordinary effort on behalf of Lori and her son. It is a testament to what we can do when we join forces with a shared purpose. Please read Lori's essay, visit her Web site, follow the blog, then find out what you can do to help -- from writing to her Michigan state representatives, to joining the effort's Facebook group, to passing the word to the other Everyday Altruists you know.

It's not often that we get to connect a face, and a very personal story, with a charitable act. Lori's story may be one among many, but it's one we can all sign our names to, as collaborators in compassion and faith.

How to Remember September 11

This Thursday is the seventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Honor those who died, those who survived and those who still struggle to recover with a compassionate act:

Create a special envelope for the Remember September mail art project originated by Gail Ellspermann. Learn about it here. (Sample at left by Marney Makridakis of Artellaland.com.)

Do a kindness for another as part of a growing movement to make September 11 a national day of service. Learn more at mygooddeed.org.

Watch the PBS "Frontline" film, "Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero." (Ask your library if it has a copy to lend, or order it here.) Gather family and friends to watch with you.

Find out how others around the country are commemorating the events of seven years ago at the Families of September 11 site.

Multiply the effect by paying it forward: share these suggestions with 5 friends.

Paper With Your Plastic

I don't know what it's like where you live, but here in southcentral Pennsylvania, grocery stores make it tough to be earth-friendly. I'm lucky to have bought my own reusable bags years ago, when the supermarket I frequented wasn't afraid to sell practical, large-size bags. Those tiny totes I see in the stores now seem designed more for multiple bag sales than typical grocery hauls. If consumers have to buy 8 bags to carry a routine load, they'll probably just stick with the free plastic option.

Even though I provide my own 18 x 16 x 7-inch, breathable, moisture-proof bags, I still have to insist that store checkout clerks not ply me with plastic -- for frozen foods, produce, salad bar containers and any number of other items they deem "separate" or special. I also have to ask that they fill the bags completely; for some reason, they tend to fill them half-full, then reach again for the plastic. They have actually argued with me when I say that I prefer full bags, everything together. If this is the response we earth-conscious types get, how many patrons are going to adopt mindful habits?

My latest beef with grocers is paper-wasting receipts. Last week I bought three items from a local supermarket; my receipt was 30 inches long. I bought one item last night and got a 20-inch receipt. I'm not interested in the flower department's sale, the sandwich club or the "Golden Awards" program. I don't need to know that the pharmacy is now open. The logo alone takes up 2.5 inches. This isn't even a national chain, but a locally owned store. You would think that, whether or not they are eco-minded, they would embrace ways to reduce operating costs, and clearly they are using two-thirds more paper than necessary.

One UK grocer is doing its part: it prints receipts on both sides of the paper. Some advocate electronic receipts. Others suggest declining receipts when possible. For my part, I think I'll start with a letter to the local grocery store manager, asking for larger bring-your-own bags, a bit of education or training for employees and consideration of shorter receipts. If you have other suggestions, please share them.