Guests:

Jodi Nelson is here from Play it Forward Adventures.  Her company organizes great adventure vacations combined with volunteer work to give back to the communities you are visiting.  Build homes or energy efficient stoves in Guatemala, improve the quality of life for AIDS orphans in Tanzania or implement sanitation systems in Peru's jungle.  You also get to hike, kayak, bike and enjoy the exotic places you have traveled to.  What an amazing way to travel to far off places and still give back!

Christopher Bineham is here to talk about Hour Car a car-sharing opportunity in the Twin Cities! Car-sharing gives you access to cars on a per-trip basis. HOURCAR gives you the freedom to use a car when you need it, and you only pay for what you use. Car-sharing works for people and businesses. HOURCAR buys, insures, and maintains a fleet of member-shared cars. HOURCAR takes on all the responsibilities of owning the vehicles, including paying for fuel. HOURCARs are parked in hubs near members’ homes and workplaces. Members make HOURCAR reservations online or by phone, and pay monthly dues and car usage fees. You pay only for what you use!

Research shows that many car owners use their vehicles only a few hours a day. Why not eliminate an underused car and begin car-sharing? Car-sharing spreads the fixed costs of car ownership among several people. You still have access to a car when you need it, but you don't pay for it around the clock!

Green Tips and Ideas:

Dark Green Tip #333.42 - Donate Your Used Mattress Instead of Trashing It.

Used mattresses are one of the hardest household items to get rid of... in most communities there are pick up services or drop off sites that will dispose of your mattress, but finding it a home besides the landfill or garbage burner is monumentally difficult!  The answer is to find an organization that will be able to help donate it to a family in need... like Bridging. (Visit http://bridging.org) Bridging extends community resources by receiving furniture and household goods donated from a variety of donors: residential, corporate, retail, and the hospitality industry. Through this network of donors, we are able to provide families the necessities of setting up a home.

Bridging is environmentally friendly, recycling over 100,000 items annually.

In order to adequately meet the needs of 130 families each week, we need your help to stock the shelves.  By extending the use of donated items, we address the environmental and social concerns of donors through the distribution of these goods free of charge to families.

To maintain the quality of our service to the people we serve, Bridging asks that all donations be free of rips, stains, pet hair, and in good working condition.

Print and share the complete list of Items to Donate (PDF) with family and friends.