Boobs4Food in Hawaii Aug2009

As Boobs4Food embarks on a mid-year vacation to Hawaii, our favorite detox’n'grub locale for rest and relaxation, we’re honoring volunteerism as our mid-year passion in progress theme. In honor of last month, April, being National Volunteer Month, and our return to Hawaii to vacation and to volunteer again, our upcoming trip this week is a reminder on the importance of helping out communities in small ways that matter.

Passion in Progress is big on many things: food, music, art and travel, but one of our biggest passions in volunteering. We are constantly reminded of the words one of our nation’s leaders shared, “Loving your country shouldn’t just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July”. We started Boobs4Food a little less than a year ago and traveled to Hawaii then for vacation but to also volunteer while on our break because we felt grateful for the lives we are able to live and we had a strong desire to pay it forward.

Boobs4Food participated in Kidney Walk SF 2010 in May. Photo courtesy of Miguel Escobedo

What drives us to volunteer is the feeling of fulfillment and empowerment in knowing we can help our communities in small ways. We’ve realized that those in our generation aren’t held back from volunteering or from giving back not because they aren’t willing, but that they haven’t had the access to opportunities to do so or they don’t want to do it all alone.  Whether it’s pitching in to fight hunger through giving your time or supporting a Kidney or Cancer Walk or even mentoring an neighborhood adolescent – all of these efforts are wanted, needed and appreciated to build better and stronger communities on a local and global level.

Dinner service @ The Midnight Mission in LA's Skid Row

On our upcoming trip to Hawaii in a couple days, we’ll be meeting up with our new friends at non-profit organization, Hands In Helping Out, to learn more about how they’ve successfully built an organization promoting the importance of volunteering in local communities because they realized there was a societal and personal need and desire to take on something they were passionate about: volunteering. We’ll also be meeting up with Hawaii Charity, a philanthropic social concierge serving results-oriented organizations, to learn more about how local communities in Hawaii are helping each other throughout the island.

This summer, whether you’re on summer break, on vacation or on a weekend, think about finding a cause or organization to donate your time to in building a better and stronger community as a gesture of loving your country and community beyond watching fireworks on the the Fourth of July.

-Jess

Follow HawaiiCharity on Twitter here: http://www.twitter.com/hawaiicharity

Follow HIHO on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/hihovolunteer

Read more about HIHO.org : Hands In Helping feature in the Honolulu Examiner

Volunteer at Hawaii Food Bank: www.hawaiifoodbank.org

Please join Team Boobs4Food as we support one of our founding members Cassandra Gee at the National Kidney Foundation Walk SF on Saturday May 8, 2010 10:00am – 12:30pm. Dogs, Kids, Strollers, Friends of Friends are all welcome!

National Kidney Foundation

The National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Walk is a non-competitive, fundraising walk focusing on education and prevention of kidney and urinary tract diseases, and highlighting the need for organ donation. The Kidney Walk presents an occasion for dialysis patients, organ transplant recipients, donor families, living donors, the medical and business communities, and the general public to celebrate life and create lasting community advocacy and long-term support for the Foundation’s mission.

Fight Kidney Disease

The NKF’s Kidney Walks are designed to help people understand the need for early detection of kidney disease. Over 355,000 Americans rely on a dialysis machine to keep them alive, and nearly 82,000 are on the waiting list for a lifesaving kidney transplant. Recent studies indicate that kidney disease is on the rise and as many as 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease (CKD). Because symptoms may not appear until the kidneys are actually failing, many people do not take steps to protect the health of their kidneys.

FAST FACTS

• Chronic kidney disease affects 26 million Americans and millions more are at risk

• Kidney disease is common, harmful and treatable

• Risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes and family history

• Early detection can slow the progression of kidney disease

• Once kidneys fail, patients need dialysis or a transplant to survive

• over 104,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant

Support Team Mama Says!

Follow @CassandraGee on Twitter

This is an exciting opportunity for us to work together to help people understand the need for early detection of kidney disease. In addition to raising funds for research and help for patients and their families, the Kidney Walk is a great way to bring the community together!

Please consider walking with us too! With your help, we will be able to make a difference in chronic kidney disease!

To join our team, please visit:

Team Mama Says! Facebook Event Page

The Official National Kidney Foundation Walk Team Mama Says! Page

Thank you from both of my kidneys and the bottom of my heart.

-Cassie & Ace