Show the Love: MonkeyDo and some favorite bloggers

Today, I’m playing along with Blogger Idol’s Play at Home prompt. The assignment is to pass the love around. First, we are to highlight a cause or organization that is important to us. Secondly, we are to highlight two blogs that have inspired or helped us. Choosing which group and which blogs to highlight was a no-brainer.

I have never had to worry about whether or not I’d have enough money for food. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have that fear. But, in my area of the world, there are multiple families who worry on a daily basis about where their next meal might come from.

I live in North Carolina, and the western part of my state is in Appalachia — an area of our country that also touches other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and all of West Virginia. That means that Appalachia is home to 25 million people.

This area of our country is considered to be the poorest region. 42% of Appalachia is rural (the US has 20% rural areas total). And in some parts of the Appalachian regions, the poverty rate is 150% higher than the average American poverty rate.

While I’m all about helping third world countries who need medicine, water, and food, it’s also important to me that we help here in the United States.

The MonkeyDo Project works directly with the Appalachian region to supply needed items. This could be in the form of blankets, food for a food pantry, or even book bags to support a children’s health fair.

In October, the MonkeyDo Project has been sponsoring a simple and easy donation drive. It’s called MONKEYtober. The point of MONKEYtober is to bring the awesome work of the MonkeyDo Project to everyone’s attention and to encourage a simple $5 (or more) donation to help with stocking an empty food pantry.

You can help, too. Too many people are unaware that we have such impoverished areas in our country. You can join in the conversation on Twitter by using #monkeydo. You can follow the MonkeyDo project both on Twitter and Facebook. And if you feel so inclined, you can support the cause by donating today.

MonkeyDo Project is amazing, and they do such a great thing in helping people. One of my other favorite parts of the MonkeyDo Project is the ability to ask for prayer and to offer prayer for others in need.

While I may never have had to worry about where I may find my next meal, that doesn’t mean I’ve never needed help.

Recently, I’ve been struggling with the entire mom-of-three-yet-working-at-home situation I’m in. It’s not easy when you’re used to having time to get your work done and now must wrangle two small boys and one gorgeous girl before sitting down to work.

In the last few months, I’ve found help from two really awesome bloggers.

First, Lindsey from Essential Perspectives is not only a great friend and co-worker from my online school, but she’s also an awesome resource in all things related to natural health.

Most recently, Lindsey has been helping me think through how to use essential oils to solve some of my health problems. Peppermint, lavender, frankincense and bergamot have taken on new meaning for me. And boy am I smelling and feeling good.

She’s also in the midst of convincing me to work on fermenting vegetables. She swears they taste good, and the probiotic benefits are a great lure. We’ll see how it turns out.

 

My other blog friend who has been instrumental to me for almost six months now is Dee from Lumpy to Lean. We both applied to be Mamavation Moms, and even though she was not chosen, she was an amazing Fit Friend for me. This meant that she was willing to check in with me daily and encourage me through all of the sweat, tears, and pain.

Once the campaign was over, Dee continued to inspire me. She has coordinated challenges like the RockHard30 ab challenge and the Buns and Guns challenge. She pushes me daily to not stop. I value her friendship more than I think she realizes.

Be sure to visit both of these amazingly wonderful ladies and show them some love.

Who inspires you? What are some of your favorite causes and organizations?

Please leave me a comment so I can visit and help spread the love.

Tags: bloggeridol, blogging, monkeydo