Great Results!

This weekend Try Change held it's first ever Charity Yard Sale and we are pleased to announce it was a great success on many levels. We raised over $400.00 from the Charity Yard Sale which will be directly donated to Volunteers of America Chesapeake! So many friend and family members donated so many items that we were able to donate over 100 items to the shelter as well as save some of the items for our next yard sale. We also met several interesting people from all walks of life. One couple actually are founders of Harvest of Excellence, a local non-profit organization founded in 2006 that is involved in several community partnerships including public school district, local shelters, and leadership seminars. They are also involved with a local youth out reach program and are interested in having Try Change come speak at one of their next events. Many people inquired about Try Change and asked when our next event will be, we also gave a couple of Try Change t-shirts to some of the yard sale buyers as a token of our appreciation.

None of this would have been possible without the support of friends and family. Special thanks to Rose, David, Audrey, Danita, Leah and Kia for donating their time and items for our sale. As you may know at Try Change our mission is to promote, peace, hope, faith, diversity and positive change through local activities, online t-shirt sales and our blog. You can support Try Change by continuing to read our blog, join one of our blog communities, visit our website, purchase a Try Change t-shirt or simply pass on the Try Change information to others. As always we appreciate your support and the time you take to read our blog. You can also find us at idealist.org by searching Try Change.

And in keeping with our theme for the weekend, we helped out at the Give-a-way Day at the local shelter. Families in need are able to come by and pick up donated items included clothes, shoes, household items, and food. It's like a free yard sale. The families have to sign up through the shelter and be willing to "give back" to the community. It's a very good way to get people involved in their own community and shows how even if you have challenges or don't have the money to spare to donate you can still share your time.

Together we can make a difference!

Vince & Chrissie

Charity Yard Sale

Several months ago I had a blog entry titled "Stuff". In the post I mentioned how it seem we are constantly purchasing stuff that more often than not we either do not use, store in closets or in many cases accumulate so much stuff that we have to rent storage space just to hold it in. Well this coming Saturday Chrissie and I, with the help of several donors, are getting rid of some our stuff. This Saturday Try Change will host it's first Charity Yard Sale. All proceeds from the yard sale will be donated to Volunteers of America Chesapeake. We have everything from paintings to roller blades and all at a very reasonable price. It is our hope that we raise some money for Volunteers of America as well as educate people on all the good work that this organizations does year in and year out. We also look forward to sharing the Try Change story with anyone that is interested.

The sale will take place in the Beau Ridge Neighborhood here in Woodbridge VA. We would love to have you come out and see us!

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A great new find

I recently came across a fantastic website called idealist.org. At Idealist.org they match up people who have a causes with jobs, volunteers and resources to make their cause a reality. You can also receive emails on events in your area that you find interesting by filling out a quick survey on their site. Currently there are over 185,000 people signed up on Idealist and it's my guess many more will follow. As they state on their website:

"Idealist is a project of Action Without Borders, a
nonprofit organization founded in 1995 with offices in the United States and Argentina. Idealist is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives."

Here's their Mission Statement:

Our Mission
Action Without Borders connects people, organizations, and resources to help build a world where all people can live free and dignified lives.
AWB is independent of any government, political ideology, or religious creed. Our work is guided by the common desire of our members and supporters to find practical solutions to social and environmental problems, in a spirit of generosity and mutual respect.

There's much more on their website than what I can blog about tonight so check them out out idealist.org.

As always , thank you for visiting Try Change! If you find our information helpful or inspiring please feel free to join our expanding community. (Razoo, MyBlogLog, BlogCatalog)

Vince

Something Different

One of the challenges I've encountered since founding Try Change is getting people to give us a look , buy a t-shirt or share their story with us. So much so that when I see someone out there striving to make their dreams come true I jump at the chance to to lend my support. Try Change is not a religious or political site but we do enjoy sharing different view points and celebrate individuals and groups that are spreading hope, faith, peace, diversity and positive change with others. With this in mind this week's feature story is about a local musical artist named CHIEEF.

I met CHIEEF one Saturday afternoon as I left the local supermarket. We had brief discussion on musical taste, then she asked me if I would be so kind as to listen to her new CD, 2nd Chance. I did and I liked it very much. The CD is a mixture of R&B and Rap, the lyrics are clean and the message is something I feel would be welcomed by many people who are tired of the over sexed , thugged out music that seems to saturate our airwaves these days. As her website states:

"It's not about bling, it's not about hoes, murder, drugs or
colors. It's about life---it's about knowing that God is real and knowing
that the days that we have on this earth are valuable. Cause when it is
time to go--it aint
no turning back."

I happened to run into CHIEEF once again so I asked her if I could place her information on the Try Change Blog and list her as one of my feature story on the Try Change Website. She agreed so here she is. I wish CHIEEF all the best and celebrate her as she strives to make her dreams come true while also sharing her message with others. Read, hear and see more about Chieef at: http://www.doubleechieef.com/

Hey, sometimes we need a 2nd Chance,

Vince

Harlem Children's Zone Project

Some time ago I was watching 60 minutes when I became intrigued by a segment on Geoffrey Canada CEO of the Harlem's Children's Zone Project. I witnessed a man who challenged people in their communities to do better, to take it upon themselves to look for solutions and to not embrace the "Stop Snitchin" campaign. I will speak more on the "Stop Snitchin" program at a later date but tonight I want to focus on the Harlem Children's Zone Project. As stated on there website

"The Harlem Children's Zone Project is a multi-year comprehensive community
building initiative of the Harlem Children's Zone. The HCZ Project's mission is
to create significant, positive opportunities for all children living in a
100-block area of Central Harlem by helping parents, residents, teachers and
other stakeholders create a safe learning environment for youth. We aim to
improve outcomes for poor children and families in devastated communities,
starting in Central Harlem."



Mr. Canada has successfully guided the program into a $55 million multi
service program. Activities include everything from job skill courses to
parenting classes. Currently the program has 7,400 students enrolled with a goal
of having 10,000 by 2011."

This is just one of the thousands of people that are making difference in their communities. Whether your part of a small operation or part of a larger one like The Harlem Children's Zone Project we at Try Change thank you for your efforts and encourage you to keep pushing.

In closing I'd like to restate our goal at Try Change is to promote, Hope, Peace, Faith , Diversity and Positive Change through our Blog, website and line of Try Change T-shirts with which a portion of the profits goes to Volunteers of America Chesapeake.

How can you help Try Change?

• Share your stories with us


• Keep reading our blog


• Vote for our blog (click on the buttons on the right side of our blog)


• Join one of our communities (MyBlogLog, BlogCatalog, Razoo.com)


• or buy a Try Change shirt

Also if you have a cause that is in need of support contact us at Try Change ; we would love to be help!

Vince

Changing the World Together at Razoo.com

We were first introduced to Razoo.com by Roger at Everyday Giving. Razoo is a social networking site where people come together to share ways to improve our world and help others in need. It allows you to really do things that make a difference and connect with other people that are interested in making changes. If you are looking for inspiration or a way to help out this is an amazing resource. The "Razoo Change Your World" contest is still going on until October 1st so if you have a cause you are passionate about get on in there and support them or you can even create your own cause or group! We just created our own Try Change cause so please come join us in Changing the World Together!

Thanks for stopping by!

Chrissie

Friends4Michael

Since starting Try Change; I've been introduced to many people and programs in and outside our community that give of themselves for many worthwhile causes. Friends4Michael is one of these causes. I heard of Friend4Michael from my good friend Krissy who is participating in the 30th annual Marine Corps Marathon with the Friends4Michael Running Team . Started in 2002 in appreciation for Michael who passed away at 14 years of age from a brain tumor, the Friends4Michael Team can now boast of members from across the county. Last year they raised over $40,000 with 53 runners on the team. Let's help them exceed that amount this year. All funds raised from the team goes directly to the Friends4Michael Foundation's efforts to improve the lives of tumor patients and their families.

On the back of their brochure they share these facts:

• Brain tumors are the leading cause of solid tumor cancer death in children under 20


• More than 2,200 children in the United States are diagnosed with a primary or metastatic brain tumor every year


• Brain tumor research is under funded


• There are over 120 different types of brain tumors


• There is no known cause for brain tumors

Please contact Mick Schaller at meschaller@comcast.net for more information on how to join the Friends4Michael Running Team or go online to support the F4M MCM at: http://www.friends4michael.org/

Thanks to Krissy for sharing the Friend4Michael story with me and thanks to everyone who took the time to stop by Try Change.

Vince

Be3

Hi there! It’s Chrissie taking over again to introduce this weeks Featured Story. This week we are showcasing Be3. Be3 is an exciting new website and email newsletter that just officially launched last week. I’ve been enjoying exploring the site for the past couple of weeks though and it’s got a ton of interesting and useful information. They promote products, services and ideas that help us to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. Be3 is run by Lindsay Yaw and Lauren Cook and supported by numerous “scribes” and their “inner circle”. We wish them the best of luck with their new website and I will surely be following along and checking out all of the cool goodies!

Here’s a description of what they are all about from their website:

“Welcome to BeThree! We are a free daily email newsletter for all things fresh,
hip and hot for your body, mind, and soul. Short, sweet and to the point, we’re
all about giving you the latest on health and wellness in savvy, entertaining
reads to help you Be Your Three.
This We BElieve: We believe we’re human
BEings, not human doings. We believe the time is now because that’s all we have.
We believe in spicy modern living and embracing all of its quirky nuances. We
know eating well and living actively are essential, but understand that
sometimes chilling out and letting ourselves detox just to retox is equally as
important (see The Happiest Hour where dishy treats are delivered every Friday
afternoon). We believe in gurus, mantras, advice, friends, and anything that
will help open our eyes and our hearts. We think community is Queen. We believe
that change must come from within because, really, it’s up to you. (Change
builds character we like to say). We think tiny nods of philanthropy create
universal change. We know that your version of your body, mind, and soul is the
coolest version. We think that six-pack abs are genetic and perfection is a
state of mind.
And, most of all, we are downright positive we’ve created the
hippest daily email newsletter out there that will help nudge you along this
path to becoming the most extraordinary version of You the world has ever seen.
So, take a sec. Sign Up. Read. Play. Enjoy. And Be Your Three.”

So grab a cup of tea and go exploring! I just know you’ll love it!

Chrissie
(Oh, and don’t forget to sign up for their newsletter)

We've Been Peopleized!

Great News! Try Change has been Peopleized! Thanks to Roger at Everyday Giving for interviewing me & Try Change! Peopleized is a online community where you can request to interview people and be interviewed. Roger's blog & website, Everyday Giving, shares links, stories, and resources about charities, volunteerism and how each one of us can make a difference. We are members of Roger's Blog Community and enjoy reading his blog. He always provides interesting topics and helpful links and, like Try Change, he is out there trying to prove that each of us can make a difference. I hope you'll check out his blog & website and find it as inspirational as we do.

Also today I took part in Springfield Adopt a Highway Program. Partnered with VDOT, this consists of residents, businesses and community leaders who go out to preselected locations and conduct quarterly clean up days for a period of two years or more. Today's event was a great success; we had over 11 volunteers and collected several bags of trash. Is there a street or intersection that you would like to adopt? If so just contact your local Department of Transportation who should have information on how to proceed.

We can all make a difference. Once again thank you to Roger for the interview and support. Also thank you to everyone who takes the time out of their busy day to visit us at Try Change. If your not a current member of our blog community, I invite you to do so. And if you feel inclined, visit our website and purchase a Try Change t-shirt to help spread the word. Remember a portion of all profits are donated to Volunteers of America or you can make a direct donation to on our donation link on the right hand side of our blog.

Together we can make a difference.

Vince

My Good Deed-9/11

www.mygooddeed.org

Hello,

In remembrance of 9/11, I thought I'd share an inspirational story of someone who decided to turn the anniversary of this tragic event into a day of sharing and caring with and for others. I came across this story at Yahoo News. Here's Yahoos brief introduction to myGoodDeed.org story provided by Yahoo News, please follow the link above to read more!

The idea of turning 9/11 into a day of service, charity, and good deeds came from the family and friends of one man: Glenn Winuk, a volunteer fireman and lawyer who worked a block and a half from the World Trade Center. After he helped evacuate his Broadway law offices, he grabbed a medic's bag and ran toward the smoke pouring from the South Tower. That's where his remains were found after the towers fell. Mr. Paine and Glenn's brother Jay had been friends for years. They decided that turning 9/11 into a day of service was best way to memorialize Glenn.
"It completely reflects the way my brother lived his life, and it also specifically reflects how he died," says Mr. Winuk, myGoodDeed.org cofounder. "He laid his life on the line for other people that day."

Please visit this fantastic site and share your good deeds or read about others...

Vince

Persistence

Friday I stopped by the 2Excess store to pick up some shirts to keep in my car just in case I every ran into someone that I could promote Try Change to. When I arrived at the store I asked the manager how the first set of designs were doing. Unfortunately they were not drawing a tremendous amount of interest from the buyers in the mall. He felt that I would do better if I contacted the local designer that caters to the younger market in Northern Virginia. He did commit to placing the new designs back in his store once they were completed. As I walked out of the mall with my shirts I kept telling myself "Do not let this get you down, there is a reason this is happening today and matter of fact there is a good reason this is happening to you today". Well it would so happen that this particular night Chrissie and I were invited to the one year anniversary of Good Magazine. Good Magazine is filled with positive stories , resources and examples of volunteer groups doing fantastic things throughout the world. In fact they are a source of inspiration for us here at Try Change.


Chrissie and I got to the event at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in DC at about 8:30pm and were pleasantly surprise to see hundreds of liked mind individuals and groups attending this event. I thought to myself "I should go put one of my Try Change shirts that I took from the mall on". So off I went to the car leaving Chrissie by herself to view the art work and listen to the music. Upon my return we decided to walk around some more when we came across a gentleman being interviewed by a reporter along with a photographer. I thought to myself this must be someone important and odd as it may seem I'm just going to wait here and tell him about Try Change. Once he finished the interview I walked over to him and asked him if he was affiliated with Good Magazine, low and behold he was actually Ben Goldhirsh, the owner/founder of Good Magazine!

I have to tell you Mr. Goldhirsh could not have been nicer . We told him how Good Magazine is part of our inspiration to develop Try Change. As one of the first subscribers we truly believe in his publication and judging by the hundreds in attendance so do many others. We stood there and chatted about Good Magazine, Try Change and he said it was great to hear how his magazine actually inspires subscribers like us to go out and make a difference. We told him how we sent out our Press Release to many newspapers and magazine and would be very interested in telling our story in Good Magazine. He gave us his email address and would like us to send him some information on Try Change.

Over the coarse of time I've learned not to dwell on things when they don't go my way. For us to meet the Founder of Good Magazine amongst hundreds of people spread out at the Hirshhorn Museum is incredible. But it would not have happened if the manager of the 2Excess store had not have given the first set of Try Change shirts back to me. It would certainly not have happened if I took the shirts and went home and sulked about it.

This is my Inspirational story for you today. If your developing a business, non profit or charity and somethings does not go your way keep moving forward. When one door closes one will open.

Vince

I just wanted to drop in and invite everyone to drop by our website. We did a re-vamp over the weekend and I would love to hear how you like it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Chrissie

Talent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opME6ckBDkA



In an age where we glorify people with no talent other than appearing on reality TV and home made movies; I thought I'd share this video of two very talent legends.

RIP Luciano Pavarotti, RIP James Brown.

What if?

Tonight I want share my thoughts on not so much as a inspiring story but a What if Ive held on for more many years . My What if is What if we actually had some tougher laws on gun control in this country. During the last several weeks we have been reminded by the upcoming college football season of the Virginia Tech shootings as well as the story of the three promising college students that were gunned down in Newark NJ. Just in case if you did not hear about the Newark shootings here's a brief description via the New York Times of what took place:

The shooting took place on Saturday about 11:30 p.m. as Natasha Aeriel, 19, her brother Terrance, 18, Iofemi Hightower, 20, and Dashon Harvey, 20, were listening to music and chatting in the school playground. When they noticed a group of young men assembling nearby, the police say, Ms. Aeriel and her friends sensed trouble and began sending text messages to each other suggesting that they leave.
But before they could go, the four students were confronted by the men, who shot Ms. Aeriel, then marched the other three to a concrete wall, lined them up and killed them. Ms. Aeriel suffered a bullet wound to the back of her ear but survived.

I make it a point to read the paper, watch the news and search the Internet each night to look for interesting stories and subject matter not just for my blog and the Try Change website but just because I'm curious. One of the subjects that has peaked my interest over the years is our country's debate over gun control. I understand the gun lobbyist's view that it's our right to bear arms and guns don't kill people but people kill people. However; how many people must die before we do something and I mean really do something to change the current gun laws. Have we really come to the point where we are more concerned with the winner of American Idol, which latest celebrity was arrested for drunk driving and which professional athlete is on steroids?

I must say I am biased in this debate; 23 years ago my best friend (Steven) walked into a bar to play pool while he waited for his bus. Unbenost to him a fight just finished taking a place between one man (we'll call him Bill) and another group of men. The group of men leave the bar and Bill goes home to get his gun , comes back and mistakes my friend (Steven) for one of his attackers, shoots and kills Steven even though his hands are raised and tells Bill he just walked in the bar. For 23 years I've wondered What If he had lived and had a chance to enjoy life like many of us do today? While I'm at it let me say that I always have to shake my head when I hear people talk about closure for families. I think people say that to make themselves feel a little more comfortable when relating to the victims families. There is no closure. For the lucky one's, you go out and try to make a difference in someone else's life and enjoy your life to the fullest realizing not everyone gets the opportunity to do so.

Yeah, as Americans you could say that we have a right to bear arms but I feel the right to live trumps that.

Join us at Try Change and help spread the message of positive change.

Vince

For more on gun control please visit: http://www.bradycampaign.org/

BE PART OF...

One of the great things that have come out of starting Try Change is learning about all of the different organizations dedicated to improving the lives of others that are sprouting up all over the country. In my last Blog I stated that I would share some ideas and new organizations that I came across during my trip to Arizona and Minneapolis . Here's one that I came across during my week out in Arizona - It Magazine.

(it) magazine provides informative, community building content that spotlights social causes, charities, innovations, and people making a difference in our local communities and around the world. Their feature stories are formatted to be told across multiple media and allow their audience to experience personal profiles of passion and purpose.

Currently (it) can be seen in Charter Digital Cable homes in Los Angeles, and available to 3.5 million upscale guests per week in luxury hotels across the top 40 U.S. markets and two countries.

Check it out!

Vince

Change

Oh well another summer is close to coming to an end. Soon the leaves will start to fall, the temperature will start to drop and the kids will be back in school. For us at Try Change the end of summer is also bringing changes as well. While we will continue to provide T-shirts via online through CafePress we will also soon begin to expand the marketing of our Try Change shirts directly with local stores such as the 2 Excess store in the Springfield Mall. I feel the Try Change shirts are a good idea and I should take advantage of the good will provided by the owner of 2Excess. This will require that I meet with a new designer, purchase more t-shirts and continue marketing the shirts via the local newspapers, magazines and possible radio. This is a little bit of a departure from our original plan of just selling the shirts through CafePress but I really feel I should take the chance (and make a small investment) to market the shirts directly to the consumer. I know this is a little riskier but in order to make great success you must be able to take great risk's. As stated in yesterday's blog one of the things I learned from my seminars last week was if your going to dream , dream big :-)

Don't stand there with your board in your hand. Jump in and ride the wave!

Vince

Back Home

It's good to be back home. I was away attending a two day sales seminar in Arizona then I went to a hospitality conference in Minneapolis. The two events had me away from home and work for two weeks. Thanks to Chrissie for updating the blog and attending the Springfield Bridge Walk. I met several interesting people during my travels. I was able to speak to a man who started with nothing and is now a Billionaire to a waiter in Minneapolis who truly is a great ambassador for the city. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprise by the nightlife in Minneapolis, from the very nice restaurants to the variety of musical entertainment this city has it all. What was really great was the ability to walk to the different venues from my room at the Minneapolis Hilton. Everything was just blocks away, I will definitely return there next Spring. Over the next several days and weeks I will share with you some of the ideas I gained from the two events and how I will implement them into Try Change. Two items that really hit home with me was that you must visualize where you want to be and to not dream small. You must see your success in the minds eye and If you have a dream make it the biggest most audacious dream possible. Hey shoot for the moon and if you end up a little short at least you'll land on the stars!

Vince