Charity Banners

What could be more fulfilling than quality family time together while volunteering? There are so many things you could do together for a charity as a family. You could plant trees, volunteer at the local food bank and so much more. Doing what you can together as a family only makes the contribution even more meaningful and will also draw you closer to each other. Here are a few good reasons as to why you should volunteer along with your family:

1. You do not have to worry about a baby sitter or leaving the kids at home. If you volunteer as a family, then everyone is together, in the same place.
2. The whole family shares the accomplishment of having done something useful for the community.
3. Gives the entire family some quality time together.
4. By volunteering constantly for various charity projects, children are motivated to carry on the tradition. This also sets a great example for them.
5. Helps instil a sense of responsibility and self confidence in your children.
6. Volunteering as a family also helps build up a great family tradition and memories as well.
7. Your family will meet people from varied economic and cultural backgrounds.

Finding ways to volunteer as a family

The first thing you should do is consult your family. Ask each member of the family how they would like to volunteer, if there are any charities they prefer or know of. There might be particular issues some of them are passionate about. Ensure that everyone single member in the family gets an equal say in the matter and then take into consideration everyone’s work and school schedules.

Find out how to control and reduce stress symptoms through various relaxation techniques and enjoy a happier, better life.
Relaxation methods are an important part of stress management and should be incorporated into your daily routine. Whether it means listening to Osho meditation music while driving your car, doing yoga in your living room or getting a massage at a day spa, it is important to find a relaxation technique that works for you and reduces the damage on your mind and body caused by stress.

Learning how to control and reduce stress symptoms through various relaxation techniques has incredible health benefits. According to the Mayo Clinic, practicing relaxation techniques (whether Osho Dynamic Meditation or another technique) can reduce stress symptoms by slowing your heart rate, lowering your blood pressure and slowing your breathing rate.

Relaxation techniques are also beneficial for people with muscle tension or chronic pain. Practicing yoga or listening to a soothing Osho discourse CD can reduce muscle tension and eliminate chronic pain. Practicing relaxation techniques can also benefit athletes or people recovering from injury because it increases blood flow to your major muscles.

As you reduce daily stress and find inner peace, you will find that relationships and daily struggles are much easier to handle. For example, practicing relaxation techniques improves overall work or school performance. This is because it improves concentration and boosts your ability to handle complex problems. Practicing relaxation techniques -whether watching Tantra DVDs, meditating or doing Tai Chi — also helps reduce anger and frustration.

While it doesn’t matter which type of relaxation method you choose to practice, it is important to focus your attention on something soothing and increase awareness of your body. Common relaxation techniques include yoga, Tai chi, listening to music, exercising, meditation, hypnosis and massage. For more information on popular relaxation techniques practiced by Osho Sannyasins, please visit Oshoviha.org.

Sometimes you start going through your bookshelves and realize you have a fair amount of old books you do not want anymore. However, being the booklover you are, you just cannot imagine how you can dispose of them. How about donating them, or even sending them in for recycling?
Trade or Donate Books

You will find many websites online that will let you trade your old books for books you really want. Some of these websites are Paper Back Swap and ReadItSwapIt – which will let you trade specified titles with each other. Bookmooch is another similar website which gives you points for your books. Here, you can list the books you no longer need, and other users will request them, and every time you honour a request, you gain a point.

If the pile of books is large, you might also consider donating it to the local library or charity. You might even be able to obtain a tax receipt when donating your books, so that it can be claimed when processing your taxes. Once place that will give you a tax receipt is, the Used Book Superstore.
Organizations like Operation Paperback and Got Books? collect books and send them across to soldiers stationed at various places around the world. Books Beyond Borders on the other hand sends books and related educational resources to developing countries.

Recycling Your Books

Sometimes you might come across old books which are beyond repair, and cannot be read and will ultimately have no use for them. However, it can be heartbreaking to have to just throw it in the trash. Instead, give to your local recycling plant. This way, you know your old book is making a contribution towards the printing of a brand new book.

Contributing to charity is a very noble thing to do. However, you should always find out exactly where your money goes. After all, if the hundred dollars you contributed to feed a starving child in Africa goes instead to some guy’s iPhone buying fund, you are being fleeced.

Sometimes charities will approach to obtain your services as a volunteer or ask you to serve on the board or sometimes even ask if they can use your name or your business’s name in their promotions. This is where you have to be extra careful, because this involves your reputation. Losing $100 is nothing compared to losing your reputation.

First of all, you have to find information about the organization and find out exactly where the money is going. Review past projects if you can and if possible, contact the recipients of those projects to ascertain if everything was done as it was supposed to be. Once you’re satisfied with what you’ve found, you should check with the other members of the board. Experienced scammers are prepared to lie in wait for a long time before they collect on their investment. You should also consider the charities future plans and how it ties in with you or your business.

Protecting your interests should be your first priority. Honorable intentions are good, but if the charity you are involved in gets into trouble, those intentions will do nothing to save you. It is a sad fact that unscrupulous characters use charities to further their needs. So for further safety, contact your local law enforcement authorities as well as your lawyer before you engage in any activity.