This year has been one for the books. Between Covid-19 and a historic storm and wildfire season, people are banding together in new ways to help one another.
Pajamas for Peace, a woman-of-color and mom-owned company has set out to help families in need. With a purpose to outfit kids everywhere in soft, eco-friendly and sustainably-produced pajamas, Pajamas for Peace wants to make sure every child is settling in for a night of sweet dreams.
To start, they’ve just released a new fall collection of 100% GOTS organic cotton pajamas for the entire family. Whether your fave season is autumn or you love a good scare, the new Autumn Peace and glow-in-the-dark Halloween are beyond adorable.
As a commitment to helping others, Pajamas for Peace has created a buy one, give one, empower one program. In addition to donating a set of PJ’s to a partner shelter for every set purchased, the company is also donating funds to shelters to help during the COVID pandemic.
Is your four-legged friend a. fan of Dunkin? The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation announced a collaboration with BARK, the dog company behind BarkBox, to create these new Dunkin’ themed dog toys, modeled after Dunkin’s iconic Munchkins donut hole treats box and hot coffee cup. The dog toys will roll out beginning in August and will be available at participating Dunkin’ restaurants nationwide, while supplies last.
Dunkin’ guests who make a donation to the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation at a participating Dunkin’ location will receive a Dunkin’-ized dog toy as a thank you, while supplies last. For a $12 donation, guests will receive the squeaky, crinkly, full-of-fluff hot coffee dog toy, and for $15, guests will receive a multipart box of Munchkins donut hole treats dog toy, lined with felt and complete with three plush, squeaky Munchkins donut hole treat toys inside. Like all BARK toys, these Dunkin’ toys are bright, durable, and perfect for dogs of all ages and sizes.
Funds raised will benefit the Foundation programs that provide joy to kids battling hunger or illness, including the Dogs for Joy program, introduced in 2018 to bring full-time service dogs to children’s hospitals. The dogs bring joy, ease anxiety, and reduce stress for kids battling illness and their families. To date, the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation has funded 15 service dogs across 12 hospitals, impacting hundreds of thousands of young patients.
Dunkin’s Joy In Childhood Foundation’s Chief Joy Officer and Dogs for Joy ambassador, Cooper Dunkin’, a lovable Black Lab and Golden Retriever mix, personally tested and approved the BARK Dunkin’ inspired dog toy designs.
“Through our Dogs for Joy program, amazing service dogs like Cooper Dunkin’, have the opportunity to spread joy to children who are battling illness,” said Kari McHugh, Executive Director of the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation. “These lovable toys will make dogs almost as happy as they make us, while also helping support Foundation programming to bring joy to children facing hunger and illness.”
Dog owners looking for more ways to give back and get their four-legged friends involved can join the Dunkin’ JOY Run, a virtual race challenge inviting Dunkin’ fans across the country to run or walk throughout August for a good cause. The first 1,000 race registrants will receive a virtual swag bag, including a BARK discount code, among other perks. All funds raised for the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation through the Dunkin’ JOY Run will be directed to health and hunger organizations supporting children in underserved communities.
The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation’s mission is to provide the simple joys of childhood to kids battling hunger or illness. It has granted more than $26 million since its inception in 2006 and will grant $5 million this year. Part of 2020’s giving was centered around COVID-19 relief for families affected by the crisis. Since March, the Foundation has provided $1.25 million in emergency grants to hunger relief and health organizations, given free coffee and breakfast treats to 20,000 healthcare workers, started a first-of-its-kind healthcare worker trauma relief program, Hero Recharge, with First Descents, and more.
Summertime means lemonade. Unfortunately due to social distancing guidelines, lemonade stands across the country are closed. To help the smallest of small businesses, kids’ lemonade stands, Country Time is launching the Littlest Bailout Relief Fund, a fund to send stimulus checks to kids who had to close their lemonade stands due to COVID-19.
“The small business government bailouts helped some not-so-small companies and Country Time hopes to help a real small business near and dear to us – lemonade stands”
The Country Time Bailout Relief Fund will send stimulus checks to help kids preserve the values of lemonade stands, honest work and entrepreneurship, while putting a little juice back into the economy. For a chance to receive Country Time Bailout Relief funds, simply visit www.countrytimebailout.com and apply for a bailout check. Check your email to find out if you have been randomly selected to receive a bailout, which will come in the form of a commemorative check in the mail and a prepaid gift card by email.
country-time-giving-money-kids-lemonade-stands-closedand can be saved, or better yet, spent to help invest in the local economy.
“The small business government bailouts helped some not-so-small companies and Country Time hopes to help a real small business near and dear to us – lemonade stands,” says Andrew Deckert of Country Time, “Country Time has a history of helping lemonade stands when they are in trouble, like stepping in to pay for permit fees and fines, and this year is no different. Due to social distancing guidelines, lemonade stands aren’t what they used to be, and we want to help kids foster their entrepreneurial spirit by offering a small relief to those who can’t operate their lemonade stands this summer.”
The Littlest Bailout comes after Country Time launched Legal-Ade in 2018, which helped kids across the country pay permit fees and fines on their lemonade stands due to outdated permit laws. Legal-Ade prompted legislation in several states across the country, including Colorado and Texas, to legalize lemonade stands by excluding them from businesses that need a permit to operate. This year, Country Time will continue helping kids and their lemonade stands to ensure even the smallest of businesses can keep their entrepreneurial dreams alive. So, when life gives you social distancing, make lemonade.
Girls Scouts is so much more than selling cookies.The organization equips girls with the knowledge they need to take action on issues they believe in. Girl Scouts of the USA has just announced 24 new badges designed to help girls practice leadership skills in civics, entrepreneurship, STEM career exploration and automotive engineering.
Civics (Grades K-12)
The Civics badges help girls gain an in-depth understanding of how local, state and federal government works. (Funded by the Citi Foundation).
Entrepreneurship (Grades K-12)
Girls will create and pitch a product or service that solves a real-life problem and build a business plan that explores about topics like production, cost, profit, marketing, and competition. (Funded by Susan Bulkeley Butler and designed in collaboration with VentureLab).
STEM Career Exploration (Grades 2-8)
Explore computer science, nature/environmental science, engineering, design, health, and agriculture. (Funded by IF/THEN, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies).
Automotive Engineering (Grades K-5)
Girls will learn all about designing, engineering, and manufacturing vehicles, as well as the future of mobility. (Funded by General Motors).
“The world has changed drastically this year, and now more than ever, it’s imperative to have strong leaders who can make informed decisions,” said GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo. Our new badges will continue to build the world-changing female leaders of today and the future, particularly in key industries that propel our country forward: automotive engineering, entrepreneurship, civics, and STEM.”
Also beginning this summer, all councils will also have the opportunity to host their own Girl Scout Cyber Challenge sponsored by Raytheon Technologies. Middle and high school girls will learn cybersecurity skills as they compete in challenges such as running traceroutes and identifying phishing schemes. The Cyber Challenge prepares girls to pursue careers in computer science and cybersecurity.
When you welcome a new baby into your family, you are equipped with a car seat, a stroller and a crib but have you given any thought to how you are going to prepare to send your little one off to college. Acorns Financial will provide Acorns Early free to babies born in 2020. Now it is even easier to invest in your child’s future.
With an Early, a UGMA/UTMA account parents have the tools to save and invest beginning at any age. Early funds can be used for anything that benefits the child, and custodians may see tax advantages while they invest, before easily transferring the account when the child is an adult. Acorns Early features automated Recurring Investments, an interactive Potential graph to view the power of compounding, exclusive Found Money offers, and custom financial literacy content, developed in partnership with CNBC. As part of the release, Acorns has introduced a $5 monthly tier, Acorns Family. Customers in this tier get Acorns Early, plus all-in-one investing, retirement, and checking accounts, Smart Deposit, personalized insurance options, and tools to earn more money. To support as many families as possible, Acorns will allow multiple children per Family account, at no added cost.
“We have always been guided by our mission to look after the financial best interests of the up-and-coming,” said Acorns CEO, Noah Kerner. “If we begin as early as birth, we have the opportunity to change the financial outcomes of an entire generation.”
To support its goal of 1 million Acorns children in one year, and boost customers on their family’s financial wellness journey, the company is kicking off a referral campaign today. Any new Early customers will receive a $50 bonus investment for every friend they refer, and each friend will receive a $10 bonus.
“Early is special for me as a mom, but it feels even more important this year,” said Kennedy Reynolds, mother of three, author of the children’s book, “Grow Your Oak,” and Acorns Chief Brand Officer. “Alongside our customers, we can level the playing field, and get our kids financially ready for whatever comes their way.”
Acorns is accessed simply and easily via the app for iPhone, Android or desktop. Visit Acorns.com for more.
GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers has launched GiGi’s Step to Accept Challenge, a virtual run-walk-ride designed to send a message of acceptance across the world. On Sat., Jun. 6, teams from 60 GiGi’s Playhouse locations and startups nationwide will take to the streets, parks, bike trails and basement treadmills, set on amassing 7 million “steps to accept,” enough steps to span the entire United States.
The challenge invites supporters of acceptance, in all its forms, to join the effort by signing up online to begin logging their steps.
“This goes beyond individuals with Down syndrome,” said Nancy Gianni, founder and Chief Belief Officer of GiGi’s. “We’ve been fighting for acceptance since we first conceived GiGi’s Playhouse in 2002 and we aren’t alone in that struggle. Every step matters because every life matters, which is why our initial goal is 7 million steps, but we would love to hit 50 million steps which is the amount of steps to walk around the world spreading our message of acceptance.”
Funds raised through GiGi’s Step to Accept Challenge will enable the not-for-profit to continue its mission of providing free life-changing therapeutic and educational programming, including GiGi’s at Home Virtual Programming, for more than 25,000 individuals with Down syndrome. Launched within days of the devastating closure of 48 GiGi’s Playhouse locations nationwide, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, GiGi’s at Home, an essential service for families at home dealing with a 24/7 diagnosis, currently offers 28 national and more than 100 local chapter live programs every week, along with more than 150 On Demand videos.
GiGi’s at Home content is targeted for ages infant through adult, addressing everything from one-on-one math and literacy tutoring to fitness (GiGiFIT), art, music, dance, cooking and social skills. In just five weeks, there’ve been more than 150,000 visits to the GiGi’s at Home website, with more than 300 new families signing up to participate in GiGi’s programming.
The culmination event of GiGi’s Step to Accept Challenge is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT on Sat., Jun. 6. Following warm-ups and inspirational remarks, step-off will take place at 11:15 a.m. Those interested in registering for the Step to Accept Challenge or making a donation, can visit StepToAccept.org. Teams and individual participants are welcome. Registration is $21 per adult and $10 for children 12 and under. Free access to Virtual Coaching and the Strava fitness tracking app for monitoring and recording steps is available through the website.
Ask any mom across the country and she’ll quickly tell you two top trends: houseplants and science experiments for kids. One of our favorite plant delivery services just announced special edition Grow-How Kits for kids (and their grown-ups) and we’re loving everything about them.
Designed for both kids and adults, each grow kit contains a small Bloomscape Philodendron Heartleaf plant, a Speckl propagation kit, downloadable plant coloring cards, and an exclusive plant care workshop led by Plant Mom Joyce Mast and her grandchildren.
Kids can learn the basics of botany and learn how to propagate a plant, while also beautifying their own homes. Plus, for every kit sold, Bloomscape is donating $20 to Detroit Prep, a free, public elementary school located in Detroit’s East Side. The funds will be used to provide students with at-home school supplies so they can successfully continue their studies during these uncertain times.
Learn more and get your Grow-How Kit at bloomscape.com, $75
The arts community has been hit hard due to the coronavirus pandemic. Like other performing groups, ballet companies depend on ticket sales to stay in operation, but selling tickets is virtually impossible when all venues are closed for the foreseeable future. American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland and her former colleague, Joseph Phillips, launched Swans for Relief, a special video performance featuring dancers from ballet companies around the world.
Copeland and Phillips organized the event with help from the Entertainment Industry Foundation and seed funding provided by K Period Media. It is their hope that they will be able to raise money to assist ballet dancers struggling to pay rent and other living expenses while they are without a paycheck.
The 32 ballerinas featured in this special video performance represent ballet companies from around the world, including the US, Australia, the UK, South Africa, Norway, Russia, Cuba, France, the Philippines, Canada, Austria, Mexico, Denmark, and China.
A message from Copeland and Phillips reads, “We know that everyone’s circumstances are different, especially in these precarious times, but we would be so grateful to those who are able to donate, no matter the amount. If you are not able to donate, please consider sharing the link to this fundraiser so that it might reach more people who are able to give and share in turn. The arts are vital in bringing people together and helping us process the human condition, and in these very unusual times it is dancers who can truly use the support.”
While the video performance is free to watch, the campaign asks that supporters donate whatever they can on Swans for Relief’s GoFundMe page. Copeland and Phillips hope to raise $500,000, and those proceeds will be distributed to the relief funds of the participating dancers’ companies.
As the organizers explained on the GoFundMe page, “Art brings people together to provide a beautiful escape, and ballet in particular is a very unifying experience both on and off the stage, filled with history and imagination.”
Celebrities all over the world are reaching out in any way they can to help during the coronavirus pandemic. Some are live streaming free concerts while others are reading bedtime stories to entertain kids stuck at home while schools are closed. Celebrities are also making charitable donations to those in need.
Country music star, Brad Paisley and his wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley own a free grocery store in Nashville, Tennessee. Currently, they are utilizing their volunteer delivery service to deliver a week’s worth of groceries to elderly residents in specific neighborhoods.
Singer, Ciara and her husband, NFL star, Russell Wilson have donated $1 million to Food Lifeline, a food bank in their community in Seattle Washington.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are donating $1 million to be split between Feeding America and Food Banks Canada. On Twitter, Reynolds said, “Take care of your bodies and hearts. Leave room for joy. Call someone who’s isolated and might need connection.”
Lady Gaga’s beauty brand, Haus Laboratories is supporting the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and the Food Bank for New York City. In a statement on Twitter they said, ” We believe this is a time to choose compassion over fear. Just like our fearless leader, Lady Gaga, we know we will get through this together if we remember to continue to lead with kindness.”
Actors Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams partnered to launch Save With Stories. This organization asks for donations to raise money for Save the Children and No Kid Hungry. On Instagram Garner wrote, “These funds will help us make sure that families know how to find meals when schools are closed, support mobile meal trucks, food banks and other community feeding programs, provide educational toys, books and worksheets, and support out-of-school-time programs to help kids make up for lost time in the classroom.”
Jusitn Timberlake is donating to Mid-South Food Bank in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. This organizations helping people assemble and deliver nonperishable food in the Mid-South.
Country singer, Dierks Bentley announced he will be temporarily closing his Nashville bar, Whiskey Row Nashville along with his plans to give each of his 90 hourly employees $1000 to help in the short run. He encouraged other business owners to help out their employees as well during this time of uncertainty.
On Instagram, Kristen Bell shared that her family recently contributed a total of $150,007.96 to No Kid Hungry. In her post she explained, “The reason the number is odd, is because when my kids overheard me making the donation, they asked if they could also donate the money from their piggy bank,” she explained. “I couldn’t have been prouder to add that extra, and important 7 dollars and 96 cents.”
On Tuesday morning, a devastating tornado ripped through middle Tennessee that caused in a 165-mile-per-hour winds and resulted in many losses to the beloved city of Nashville. The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. has released a statement that addresses how you can come alongside Music City, U.S.A. in their recovery efforts.
“We are grateful that even with all the devastation, the majority of the city and the downtown entertainment district was spared. As we support those in need and focus on their immediate concerns, we are encouraged that Nashville’s music will keep playing,” Butch Spyridon, president and CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.
“For those who have asked, we are accepting donations through our Music City Inc. Foundation, and those funds will be immediately distributed directly to families significantly impacted. The NCVC has made an initial donation of $10,000 to start the fund…The Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium and others are open, and many will be collecting donations from audience members. Our industry has come together to focus on helping our neighbors while also serving our visitors.”
If you would like to help, you can make a donation to Music City Inc., the 501c(3) charitable foundation of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.