A Portuguese Love

Hello friends and Zazzlers! Today when I accessed Wikipedia I found the fundraising yellow banner. I donated a few euros to Wikipedia because I think it's money well spent. In fact, how many times a year have I turned to Wikipedia for information? After I made my donation I got this email and I am sharing it in order to encourage you to donate to Wikipedia too! Dear Maria, Thank you for donating to the Wikimedia Foundation. You are wonderful! It's easy to ignore our fundraising banners, and I'm really glad you didn't. This is how Wikipedia pays its bills --- people like you giving us money, so we can keep the site freely available for everyone around the world. People tell me they donate to Wikipedia because they find it useful, and they trust it because even though it's not perfect, they know it's written for them. Wikipedia isn't meant to advance somebody's PR agenda or push a particular ideology, or persuade you to believe something that's ...

Better late than never! Do you know MOVEMBER? During the month of November each year, Movember asks men across the world to grow a mustache with the aim of raising vital funds and awareness for men’s health issues. Movember mustaches were first grown in Australia back in 2003 and since that time word of Movember and its men’s health messages have spread across the globe. Movember currently runs official campaigns in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, South Africa, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Spain, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and Austria. In addition, Movember is aware of supportive Mo Bros and Mo Sistas dotted around the world; all of whom have played an important role in growing Movember into what it is today. Registering at movember.com , guys then start Movember 1st with a clean-shaven face and for the remainder of the month dedicate themselves to growing a fine mustache. Support...

Video ! "For this last Saturday, December 1st, World AIDS Day, an incredible group of people have shared the reason why they're in the fight against AIDS with ONE. These are their stories. Watch one. Share one. Join ONE. On World AIDS Day, Saturday 1 December, we should all pledge to speak out,  sign and share the petition , share one film, and tell one friend that the world must get back on track towards the beginning of the end of AIDS: it starts with you .T his year also marks thirty years in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and One's latest report shows that global progress is way off track – at this rate, we won’t see the beginning of the end of AIDS until 2022. That’s not for the lack of thousands of activists trying, tirelessly, in the face of prejudice, discrimination, ignorance, and often a lack of political will. " The evolution of AIDS epidemic in Portugal. The first case was detected in 1983, a man, Hospital Curry Cabral, Lisbon. Source:...

Photo of one of the bags ready to be delivered! Today I learned that two young American teen children (13 and 16 years old) from Florida are working to help the homeless in their residence area with small gift bags filled with necessities they want to deliver the weekend before Christmas. Their mother is a fellow Zazzler. As I opened my Facebook today I was appalled by what I read. The kid's mother sent a message to a local online newspaper and asked if they'd be interested in running a story on her 2 boys. They need a little exposure to their cause, of course. The message must go out as far as possible. It's not just about asking for money. It's about putting together concrete actions to help people have a better Christmas. The online newspaper guy just wasn't interested. First, because kids are just using Facebook and somehow Facebook must be an instrument of the devil, it seems the online newspaper guy disapproves of its use to do good. Then he considere...

Hello friends and Zazzlers! I'm with a big cold and no patience for Zazzle or anything. But I just came across this fresh campaign and felt like showing it here. A bit shocking, it really makes you stop to think about it. It reads: Until death does us part. On November 25th International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is celebrated so Portuguese APAV - The Portuguese Association for Victim Support marked the anniversary by launching this tremendous awareness campaign on violence against women. What do you think about it? How do you imagine domestic violence across Europe? - 98% of people are now aware of domestic violence across the EU compared to 94% in the previous survey. - Awareness of domestic violence against women is very high across the EU, thanks to media such as television (92%), newspapers, and magazines (59%) informing the vast majority of EU citizens about the problem. - Domestic violence remains very common: one respondent in four across t...

http://www.vamosajudarodavis.blogspot.pt Subscription ended.  Davis is my nephew's dog . He's a sharpei dog and he is very sick. He takes pills every day to manage pain and he will stop walking as the illness progresses. We're asking for help to pay for the surgery's high price. Click on the link to go to Davis's blog and learn all about it! Three ways to help Davis! - Sharing Davi's situation! Use the power of the internet! - Donating some money! Every amount counts! - Offering the profit from a sale if you are an artist or a crafter and have a blog/store - you pick an item and we'll link to your blog/store and help to promote it. Please note that if you live outside Portugal the sale must be open to those who live in your country only because mailing expenses to Portugal might be discouraging. - Other ideas! --- How to make a donation: via PAYPAL ou BANK TRANSFER For your name to be on the Donations list, after making your donation via ATM or bank...

Newspaper cover Correio da Manhã watch it here . Television cover RTP1 watch it here . People call her Mother Theresa of the Dogs but her name is Maria José. This lady is 67 years old and she is retired now. She lives in Pinhal Novo and she keeps 80 dogs and 20 cats. Some can be adopted, but others do not because they are sick or too old for that. The lady and the animals are facing eviction from the house they inhabit, for nonpayment of rent. The landlord threatened to pull the gates of the land where they are and cut water and electricity to Maria José. She feared that if things come to her animals will escape and eventually die or be injured. No one wants these animals in the streets again or dead by city hall services. A group was born on Facebook to help the lady and the animals. She has already a place for herself. The group focus is on the animals she has been helping for some years now.  How can you help? PROMOTING this postage to your Facebook, Twitter, and ema...

That's right! My Irish friend Rosetta Jallow just posted an appeal on Facebook for Inter Care Medical Aid initiative of collecting stamps. These are then used to help African people. It was the first time I heard about the reused stamps used for this purpose. Hence most people probably got at least some Christmas and New Year's greeting cards I think it's the ideal time to promote this idea! Inter Care collects used stamps which are then sold online to stamp collectors around the world. All you need to do is to cut stamps out from the envelopes you receive. Let some paper around the stamp, at least 1cm ( 0.3937 inches). Then, when you have a few, send them to the address below. It's an inexpensive way to help AFRICA. I will send some Portuguese stamps. Go to INTER CARE MEDICAL AID to know this organization and its awesome work against poverty in Africa. Inter Care 46 The Halfcroft Syston Leicester LE7 1LD

REFOOD ORG Today I bring to my blog a social issue. I worked as a social worker for several years so I am sensitive to these kinds of actions. Harold Hunter is an American and he lives in Lisbon. Watch him collecting food from restaurants and riding his bike on Lisbon streets. He and all volunteers use a bike to deliver food. Yes, as he says, hunger on the streets of Lisbon, unlike Africa's hunger, hurts the spirit more than the belly. He has sixty volunteers. The man in the white shirt was homeless so he knows where the needy people live and has an important role in the project. The woman with a fur coat once had a good life but before this help arrived she and her kids were eating just rice and pasta for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They adequate food for each person's type, food for the young is different from food for the old people. If people don't want to give their name because they are ashamed of their condition they respect that.Lots of dignity and solid...

Hello! It has been a while since my last post. I have been dealing with some situations that have kept me away from the internet and creative work too! Today I want to share with you something a bit different. See, I like to work with real ink too. A Portuguese Love blog is full of vectorial drawings but today I posted two canvases I created with collage and ink. To work with collage, well, it takes more patience and time than to work with Illustrator or Freehand. It's messier as I always get a lot of cut paper on the floor and I have to deal with glue and varnish. But it's a lot of fun too. Plus you get very original work. I am donating these two canvas collages to an exhibition that will take place in Ireland next November. I met this Irish painter Rosetta Jallow online a few months ago and she was organizing it. It's called Faces of Africa. All the money from Faces of Africa Exhibit sales will go to several African charities. I would like to invite you to read the p...

From Zazzle, you, and me, to Japan: some money and emotional support! Just read this on Zazzle blog: "The accountants did the final tally and the check is ready. Thanks to the efforts of everyone in the Zazzle Community that helped build the Support Earthquake Relief in Japan Store , we all donated $12,507.34 to the Japanese Red Cross to aid recovery efforts following the terrible earthquake and tsunami. It was a truly worldwide effort. Zazzle created the store and an official shirt, Sellers created their own special products and donated royalties, and customers donated by purchasing all of these items. We at Zazzle would just like to say thank you to everyone! It was great to see folks from every corner of the globe helping those suffering in Japan, and we are proud that the power of the Zazzle platform was able to make it possible. Of course, recovery efforts in Japan are not over. For those wishing to continue to assist in the ongoing recovery efforts, we encourage you to ...

Harold's book! My nephew reading Harold's book! The mail package image! Article from Herald on Sunday-NZ One month ago New Zealand suffered one of its worst natural disasters when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck second-biggest city called Christchurch on 22th February. Maybe you have already forgotten about it. 17 days after Earth rocked again, in Japan. Horrendous consequences are known from all of us. News from Japan engulfed all media as much as the tsunami has made for the shaken land. I am saddened for both countries. Today I am again writing about New Zealand for different reasons. After Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday – I got mail, real mail in my postal box, not in my email box. That is quite a happening by itself! I got a parcel from New Zealand, another one from the UK and another one from Taiwan, via Oporto. Today I will show you what the postman brought me from New Zealand: a beautiful book about Harold, one of two hedgehogs that Ross gave shelter. I me...

I have created a PicBadge for Facebook Profile. Let's turn Facebook red and white for Japan. Go to PicBadge and adopt my badge, pick another one or create a new one. If you like my badge, you can use the widget on your right to get one. My badge has the word HOPE written in several languages, the date of the disaster and an origami swallow. I picked a swallow because it's a bird that announces Spring. Japan will be reborn and from misfortune will come a new Spring. That our thoughts be with Japanese in this grim hour of their History.

It's unbelievable that within one month I have designed two t-shirts to help countries that have suffered earthquakes, one for New Zealand and now again for Japan. New Zealand´s t-shirt idea was not mine. I had just begun to make contact with a person from this country and when I visited his Zazzle Store I saw he had created T-shirts to raise funds. So I decided to offer him a drawing he could use, I thought it made more sense than creating a product for this purpose in my shop. Now I begin to think that I should have created a line of products entitled Causes. The initiative for Japan's T-shirt came from Zazzle. The Zazzle team created a T-shirt and suggested the Zazzle community donate drawings. So check the Japan Relief Store and look for Community Donated drawings. Many Zazzlers are donating drawings. I am very sad about what happened to both countries. I did not expect to see images of destruction similar to the ones of 2004 again in my lifetime. I spent a reasonable...

EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUND http://www.zazzle.com/rossheywood/gifts?cg=196306623959773530?rf=238721890077113262 UPDATE! I heard on the radio this morning (March 2nd) that it could take 15 years to rebuild Christchurch and the bill could be over $10 Billion. My account has $3.81 in it now from sales. I thank those people. Every bit counts. Ross All earnings from this Ross Heywood's Zazzle Store section will be donated to the Earthquake Relief Fund in New Zealand. New Zealand suffered one of its worst natural disasters when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the second-biggest city called Christchurch on 22nd February. A 7.1 magnitude shake also struck Christchurch on September 4, 2010, causing damage but no deaths. This time the shallow quake, just two miles below the surface, caused several office blocks to collapse as well as destroyed a 110-year-old Anglican cathedral. I know a little about New Zealand. I saw An angel at my table, The Piano and Whale Rider. So, that ...

Author All earnings from this sale will be donated to the Earthquake relief fun in New Zealand. Check if Ross has listed your country. If not, you can ask him to do it. Remember that you can buy this t-shirt in other colors or models because Zazzle makes it customizable. Spread the word. 150 people dead, at least 50 still missing, and a devastated city. It's on the other side of the world but it's your World too. My design (Product is not available anymore.)

Please take some time to get to know The Fresh Air Fund Project ! What do Fresh Air children enjoy? •Playing in the backyard •Laughing in the sunshine •Catching fireflies •Riding bicycles •Learning to swim •Running barefoot through the grass •Gazing at the stars on moonlit nights •Building sandcastles •Making new friends •Simple pleasures of life away from the inner-city Summer may seem far away, but NYC children are currently participating in Fresh Air programs, from weekly tutoring sessions to job shadowings to weekend retreats at Fund camps in upstate New York! FAF Career Awareness Program serves more than 300 youngsters in middle and high school. It also has new leadership programs for young women to develop their “can-do” attitudes! No matter the season, Fresh Air children remain involved, excited, and forward-thinking. The Fresh Air Found needs loyal friends like you to continue serving thousands of New York City children throughout the year. Every...

Visit the site! Note to my readers! I am making this post because I believe in The Fresh Air Fund value. This is not a paid ad or anything like that. Please take some time to know this agency and its work with children. Thank you! THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually. In 2008, close to 5,000 children visited volunteer host families in suburbs and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada. 3,000 children also attended five Fresh Air camps on a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill, New York. The Fund’s year-round camping program serves an additional 2,000 young people each year. In 2009, The Fresh Air Fund 's Volunteer Host Family program , called Friendly Town , gave close to 5,000 New York City boys and girls, ages six to 18, f...