Disclosure: I participated in an Influence Activation for State Farm Neighborhood Assist. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
In previous posts on my site, I’ve shared with all of you how important it is to my husband and I to give back to our community and pay good deeds forward. We were taught by our parents to always help others when we can, and that is something we are also trying to teach our children, as well with the hope they will teach their future offspring.
One way that I love to help out in our community is to volunteer at my son’s elementary school. Most recently I helped out in the library three different days during the Scholastic Book Fair. It made me feel good to think that I could help a child find a book that opened their hearts and eyes to the joys of reading. I’m an avid reader…a certified word nerd…and I love to help others feed their love of books.
I also regularly volunteer to take photographs at our kids’ tae kwon do school. I don’t accept any form of payment for what I do. I show up and take photos and share them with the school and parents, if asked. And I enjoy it.
In fact, the last few months has shown me just how much I love taking photographs. And the more I do it the better I get at it.
This is one of the photographs I took at a TKD tournament recently that I LOVE! It’s simple but beautiful, in my opinion.
As for my husband, he loves to help out at tae kwon do also. At the tournament I mentioned above, he volunteered to be a coach and help out the school’s students by holding boards during the breaking portion of the tournament and to offer words of encouragement and advice during the sparring portion. Here’s a pic of him giving his stepson (my son) a little peptalk after his first round of sparring.
Because I love to give back to my community and make a difference in other people’s lives, I was honored when chosen to participate in this campaign from Influence Central and State Farm because it allows me to introduce it to others in my community and around the U.S. who would like to help a cause in their area.
Forty causes will each be awarded a $25,000 grant. Winners are chosen based on a set of rules set forth by the State Farm Youth Advisory Board.
Since I want to help the area I live in, I voted for the NH Belknap House. If they are awarded $25,000, it will go towards opening a cold weather shelter to help house homeless families during the cold winter months.
Those of us from this area know how important a shelter like this is because winters like the last one are brutal and long. And without the proper shelter, lives could be lost. So if my vote can help build a place to saves lives, I’m all for it. Together with State Farm we can help make a positive impact on our communities…and potentially save lives.
If you’d like to vote for a cause in your area, please visit the State Farm Neighborhood Assist Facebook page and enter the required information to vote. (You can vote TEN times per day!)
What is State Farm Neighborhood Assist?
A neighborhood assist helps people recognize problem areas in their communities that could use assistance and then helps them connect with non-profit organizations that can help improve the problem and receive funding to help make a positive impact on their community.
How to get youth involved
Youth between the ages of 17-20 and can apply to become a board member of the State Farm Youth Advisory Board. New applications can be submitted starting August 2015, so mark your calendars!
The Youth Advisory Board is made up of a diverse group of full-time students from high school and universities, and they work together to help causes/issues important to State Farm and the students’ communities. Each student serves a two-year term once chosen.The projects funded by the group are selected by the board.
State Farm provides the board with $5 million each year to fund causes that impact youth and their communities. (To learn more about how the board scores cause entrants, please visit their rules page.)
- For youth between the ages of 17-20
- Made up of full-time high school and university students
- Each board member serves a two-year term and donates about 15 hours of time per month to the board
- Members come from all around the country
- Have funded over $28.6 million to youth-led service-learning projects
- Projects funded have affected an estimated 16.1 million people