Last week we had the incredible experience of speaking at Google.  We were a part of their lunchtime speaker’s series.  What an amazing company.  Unbelievable. 

After 45 minutes of speaking, and a bit of Q&A, we asked the group in the room what they thought our next EMM Campaign should be.  One of the Googlers quickly jumped in to share how much she appreciated our Thank-A-Firefighter letter campaign.  She felt that we could do a similar campaign, but have it focus on a different group of people.  Not bad for someone who hadn’t read the book yet, since the book also includes groups like the disabled, the elderly, law enforcement officers, teachers, etc.

So we asked her what group she had in mind.

She then went on to share with us an amazing story about a friendship she forged with an elderly woman.  It kind of reminded us of the amazing book ”Tuesdays With Morrie.”  They weren’t family, they weren’t neighbors.  Rather our Googler felt that she needed to get more involved in the community and started visiting an elderly home because she wanted to “serve” them.  Well, this is where the irony kicks in.

Our Googler visited the elderly woman until the day she died.  You could see the emotion in her eyes as she talked about it.  And then she said, “She gave me more than I could have ever given her.”  That’s the irony.  That’s the beauty.  But that’s just how it works when people reach out to make a difference.  The lines between the giver and the receiver become very blurry.  Everyone wins.  That’s EMM.

So, we are officially launching the “Appreciate An Elderly Person” campaign.  Here are a few simple ways you can get involved:

1.  Post a letter to an elderly person on our site.  They can be a family member, friend, neighbor, or even a total stranger that you’ve never met.

2.  Post a story about something you have learned from an elderly person.  Their life stories need to be heard by the world.

3.  Volunteer to be one of the delivery people.  Email us at movement [@] everymondaymatters [.com].  Once we gather a good amount of letters, we will have you and your friends or family handwrite them out and deliver them to an elderly facility near you.

Thank you to our Googler for sharing.  And thanks in advance for getting involved.  You Matter.

FACTS

In the world:

• 8.4 million adults are victims of identity fraud annually.
• Over $50 billion is stolen from victims of identity theft every year.
• $5,720 is the average fraud amount per victim.
• 25 hours per victim is the average time required to resolve identity theft and its consequences.
• $6,270 is the average amount lost by people aged 25–34, the group that experiences the highest rate of identity fraud at 5.4%.
• 63% of identity information is obtained through traditional methods, such as lost or stolen wallets; misappropriation by family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors; and stolen mail or trash.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

• Use a paper shredder for important documents like credit applications, credit offers, insurance forms, physician statements, bank statements, and expired charge cards.
• Deposit outgoing mail in collection boxes located inside the post office.
• Promptly remove mail from your home or business mailbox.
• Don’t carry your Social Security card with you.
• Keep personal information in a safe and secure location at home.
• Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or on the Internet unless you’ve initiated the contact or are sure you know with whom you are dealing.
• Create passwords that are random combinations of numbers, symbols, and both upper- and lowercase letters.
• Quiz your knowledge about identity theft.
• Order a free copy of your credit report every 12 months. Only access your report online via your own computer.
• Check your online bank statement on a regular basis.

YOU MATTER

When someone steals your name, social security number, and credit, they steal YOU. Victims of identity theft may lose job opportunities, be refused loans for housing, cars, and education, and even get arrested for crimes they didn’t commit. Taking simple measures to protect yourself could save you time, money, credit damage, frustration, anger, and possibly humiliation. You protect your personal belongings. Why not protect your identity?

FACTS

In the world:

• Every 3.5 seconds someone dies of hunger.
• Every 11 seconds someone dies of AIDS.
• Every 15 seconds a child dies from a waterborne illness.
• 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS.
• 1 billion have no access to clean water.
• 2.6 billion live without basic sanitation.
• 5 million live in refugee camps.
• 1.08 billion live on $1 or less per day.
• 2 million children die each year from diseases that inexpensive vaccines could have prevented.
• 11 million children worldwide die before they reach their 5th birthday. That’s as if every child under 5 living in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany were to die in a single year. 
• The world produces enough food to feed everyone.
• Every year more than 16 million people—the equivalent of one hundred 747 jets crashing every day of the year—die from:
• Hunger  9,125,000
• HIV/AIDS  2,900,000
• Pneumonia  2,000,000
• Diarrhea 1,600,000
• Malaria  1,000,000
• Poverty is the common denominator

TAKE ACTION TODAY

• Pick a global organization that interests you. The needs are many and obvious.

YOU MATTER

The numbers are unbelievable, but they reflect a truth we cannot ignore. This is OUR world. You, your friends, your family, your co-workers ALL matter when it comes to changing the statistics.  Each one of you can make a huge difference. Every day we put off helping our world, we lose tens of thousands of people … many of whom died while you were reading this page.

FACTS

• 1 acre of trees produces enough oxygen for 18 people every day.
• Planting trees remains one of the most cost-effective means of drawing excess CO2 from the atmosphere—1 acre of trees can absorb the same amount of CO2 produced by a car driven 26,000 miles. 
• 3 trees planted strategically around a house can reduce energy use by up to 50%.
• Trees add beauty, increase property values, and reduce stress.
• 1 tree planted by every family would reduce 1 billion pounds of CO2 annually from our atmosphere.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

• Find a list of trees that grow best in your area; then determine the type of tree you would like to plant.
• To plant the tree:
  • Identify the proper location.
  • Dig a hole at least twice as big as the root ball of the tree.
  • Place several inches of good soil mix at the bottom of the hole before inserting the tree.
  • Place the tree in the hole. If your tree comes in a plastic pot, burlap, or a wire basket, remove it from the container without disturbing the root system.
  • Fill the hole with good soil and pack firmly.
  • Anchor your tree using a tree stake or a length of wood. Use wire and a length of old hose to secure tree to the stake—the hose will keep the wire from cutting through the trunk. The anchor can be removed after two years.
  • Water thoroughly and fertilize as directed.
• Have a tree planted in the National forest as a gift or in memory to honor friends and loved ones.

YOU MATTER

Trees improve our air quality, save energy, reduce pollutants, provide homes for wildlife, and add brilliant colors to landscapes. Planting 100 million trees can reduce the amount of carbon by an estimated 18 million tons per year and, at the same time, save consumers $4 billion each year on utility bills. 100 million trees—that’s the goal. So get out your shovel! 

So Ms. Lieber and her students invited Raul, the school’s head janitor into class for a day of “getting to know you.”  The students spent over an hour asking Raul questions.  “Where are you from?”  “How did you get such a great job?”  “How can we make your job easier?”  According to Ms. Lieber, “it was something really magical.  Everyone was really moved by the experience.”  But it doesn’t stop there.

In the weeks following their day in the classroom, Ms. Lieber has seen changes in both Raul and her students.  According to her, Raul comes to work with a bigger smile on his face now and seems to enjoy his job more.  And, probably more amazing, she now sees her students helping him during their recess and telling other kids to make sure they don’t litter because they don’t want to make Raul’s job any more difficult.

Lastly, the students then wrote thank you notes to Raul and we are lucky enough to be able to share a few of them with you. 

Thank you Ms. Lieber for being such an inspiration to your students, your co-workers, and Raul.  You are making a big difference.  You Matter.

FACTS

• Noise is among the most pervasive pollutants today.
• 28 million people have impaired hearing caused by noise. 
• Hearing loss is occurring in people at younger and younger ages.  
• Overexposure to noise can cause increased heart rate, respiration, sweating, headaches, stress, blood pressure, and sleep loss.
• The law states that a driver of a motor vehicle, when reasonably necessary to ensure safe operation, shall give audible warning with the horn. The law prohibits the use of horns for any other reason, except as part of an alarm system.
• Sound is measured by decibals (dBA). Common sounds include normal conversation (60 dBA), a noisy restaurant (85 dBA), a car horn (110 dBA), and a jackhammer (130 dBA).
• At 110 dBA, the maximum exposure time is 1 minute and 29 seconds before hearing damage can occur.
• Noise-induced hearing loss, though preventable, is permanent.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

• Only use your horn when it is reasonably necessary to ensure the safe operation of your vehicle.
• Don’t use your horn to let someone know you’re angry, to tell people you’re waiting outside to pick them up, to say good-bye, and/or as a way of protesting.
• Be aware of other loud sounds to which you may be exposed.  Either change your exposure or buy earplugs.
• Take a quick hearing test.
• Find a hearing healthcare provider and get your hearing checked.

YOU MATTER

You can be both the cause and the victim of noise. Noise-induced hearing loss is cumulative over one’s lifespan. To avoid noise-induced hearing loss, pay attention to the noises around you, turn down the volume whenever possible, and don’t honk your horn unnecessarily. Often, by the time you realize you are losing your hearing, it’s too late…What? 

FACTS

• The U.S. has the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the industrialized world, with over 65 million people infected.
• 19 million new cases of STDs are diagnosed every year.
• 1 in 4 teens contracts an STD each year. 
• 1 in 2 sexually active persons under the age of 25 will contract an STD. 
• Over $14 billion is spent each year to diagnose and treat STDs, excluding HIV.
• Nearly 1 million people are estimated to have HIV, and 25% are unaware of their infection.
• 50% of the population will likely have an STD at some point in their lifetime.
• STDs and HIV are preventable.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

• Call your physician or locate a testing facility near you and make an appointment to get tested for STDs and HIV. Testing is anonymous and can be free of charge.
• Get the information you need before getting tested. Counseling and support is available to help assess your risks and understand your results.
• If your test results are negative and you are sexually active, take appropriate precautions. Abstinence is always the safest policy.
• If you test positive, be responsible: get treated and tell your intimate partner. Be honest and give full disclosure.
• Don’t use drugs. If you do, don’t share the needle.

YOU MATTER

We need to take responsibility for transmitting infections and diseases to others. Save lives, money, heartache, and emotional burden by getting tested. If you could prevent yourself from passing along a life-threatening infection, disease, or inconvenience to someone, wouldn’t you?”   

Anyways, once again, we chose to do the “Create, Appreciate and Support Art” day from our book.  Throughout the day we had over 200 kids come and paint their hearts away.  Decker Maltonian, one of the parents, said “I had no idea my son was such a talented artist.  I am going to hang the painting in my office.  Such a great thing to have.”  We hope that everyone has had much fun as we did.  And hope that they all treasure their new pieces of art for many years to come.

Thank you to Los Angeles Magazine, Barnes & Noble, The Grove and all the parents and kids for making it such a great day.  You all matter.

FACTS

• There are over 1,100,000 firefighters.
• 73% of firefighters are volunteers, with 66% or more of fire departments staffed 100% by volunteers.
• More than 100 firefighters die in the line of duty each year.
• 1.5 million or more fires are reported annually.
• Fire kills more Americans than all natural disasters combined—over 4,000 deaths annually.
• The U.S. has one of the highest rates of death due to fire in the industrialized world.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

• When you see firefighters in uniform, walk up and thank them for keeping you and your community safe.
• Get out of the way: pull your car to the right when you hear a siren or see a fire truck with its lights on.
• Organize your friends, co-workers, neighborhood, or child’s class to create and deliver thank-you cards to your local fire station.
• Become a Jr. Fire Marshall (for kids).
• Develop a fire escape plan for your home.
• Donate to firefighter benefits and causes.
• Minimize your risk of fires — install smoke detectors, keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, don’t overload power plugs, clear brush from around your house, and don’t flick your cigarette butts.

YOU MATTER

Every day firefighters put their lives on the line to save people and property. Many of these firefighters are volunteers, so let’s “pay” them by showing our appreciation, thanking them for the valuable service they provide, and letting them know that we are very aware of the significant positive impact they have on our communities. Firefighters, whether paid or not, make an incredible difference in our lives—so let’s make a difference in theirs.

FACTS

• Cardiac arrest may be caused by drowning, drug overdoses, poisoning, electrocution, and many other conditions.
• 95% of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital.
• 75 to 80% of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home.
• 4 to 6 minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest, brain death starts to occur.
• CPR helps maintain vital blood flow to the heart and brain and increases the amount of time that an electric shock from a defibrillator can be effective.
• CPR can double a victim’s chance of survival.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

• Learn the basics of CPR.
• Find a place near you that teaches CPR or arrange for a certified CPR instructor to come to your school or workplace.
• Sign up for a class with a family member, a friend, or even your kids.
• Learn CPR. It only takes a few hours.
• Post CPR guidelines in a kitchen cupboard, your office, your car, and anywhere else you frequent. These guidelines may come in handy during emergency situations. Tell people around you that the guidelines are there in case they need to perform CPR.

YOU MATTER

What if you could have saved a life had you known CPR? What if you needed help and no one around you could help you? Take a few hours today to learn this life-saving skill. It can change your life—and someone else’s life—forever.