MKOTBlog

Snow continues to fall in Vancouver today, and it seems that we Vancouverites and the rest of Canada are getting an endless supply of it this holiday season, setting up what should be Canada’s first coast-to-coast White Christmas since 1971. While the idea of a White Christmas sure does provide some holiday spirit, trying to catch a delayed bus — overloaded with passengers who decided not to drive in the snow, struggling to drive up and down slippery roads — that eventually broke down on Granville Street Bridge reminded me of some of the inconveniences of snow…

View from the bus on Seymour Street.

Of course, these sentiments of annoyance toward the weather must pale in comparison to what travelers trying to get in and out of Vancouver by air must be feeling at the moment. Numerous airlines have canceled their flights going to and from Vancouver International Airport on Christmas eve (with plans for more delays on Christmas day itself), leaving people stranded just hours before the holidays.

Anyway, back to the bus.  Read the rest of this entry »

My friend QD, whom you have already met in this post, just guided me to an astonishingly simple and powerful Web site called Stop Poverty Now. Through this interactive donation site, The Grameen Foundation, which supports microfinance programs that enable the poor to lift themselves out of poverty and make better lives for their families, is truly putting the “social” in social giving.

When you visit Stop Poverty Now, you’ll see a gridded picture of two young women holding a baby. Each pixel equates to $10 in donation, and donors get to choose the location and area of their square(s) to show off their contribution (or remain anonymous), along with an uploaded picture and a personal message.

For example, see QD’s pixel here, and mine below:

I’ll tell you why I say this particular initiative puts the “social” in social giving. You’re seeing an example right here, right now.

How many times have I seen or heard about a good cause and failed to follow through on it? Too many times.

So what stopped me from doing the same here?

Because I saw QD’s picture of herself and her mother bubbling out of that tiny square, along with this poignant message of hope and encouragement: “We are put on this earth to see each other through. Poverty takes many forms & everyone is fighting a battle. Love your neighbor.” Seeing such an intimate visualization of QD’s good deed compelled me to give, too.

And love the neighbor, I did. I claimed the pixel immediately to the right of hers.

So go get your own pixel and help stop poverty now. It’s one of the best pieces of real estate – virtual or real – you’ll ever invest in.