Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

I've started to talk about this new endeavor in relatively vague terms.  "I'm starting a new diet" or "I have to eat all I can before next Thursday."  I haven't delved too much into the inspiration and motivation I'm hoping to drum up so that I'll have something to keep stoking the fires on the days when it's not just tough but downright unbearable.

I gave some thought to the types of organizations I would like to support.  I wanted organizations that didn't just stand for something I believe in, but that are also run effectively.  I scoured.  I searched.  I asked around.  In the end, I've decided on three local Boston charities that I'll be lending support to during this journey.

In no particular order...

To promote the end of hunger in Massachusetts, Project Bread.  This is a well-known and respected organization that works tirelessly to provide meals and food support to other organizations, schools, summer programs and elder care facilities throughout the state.  If you're going to have a strong body, you need excellent nutrition and access to healthy options.  This is not about giving any food, but about giving the right food.


I have found, through my volunteer efforts with the Boston Food Bank, that many times the items that are donated are not that healthy.  It goes back to the old 'beggars can't be choosers.'  Well, yes and no.  A large part of the reason we've become so overweight is because we've allowed convenience to overpower old-fashioned common sense.  I'm the first to raise my hand and say 'guilty as charged.'  But that doesn't mean we can't provide those in need with healthy options.  Project Bread fills this gap.


Next, I wanted to focus on organizations that promote physical activity, particularly for children during the critical time when habits are easier to form.  I played sports as a child, but I was never 'thin' for my age, and I wasn't consistent with it.  I never found that thing that made me truly excited enough to stick with it.  Since moving to Boston and watching the shells glide along the Charles River, I've become interested in rowing.  I haven't done it myself, but it's on my life-long list of 'to do's'.


Because of this, G-ROW Boston seemed like the perfect fit for this initiative.  G-ROW provides girls throughout Boston with the opportunity to not just learn rowing, but to compete and ultimately to train others to do the same.  Empowering girls to grow beyond their current physical state and develop strong relationships, self-confidence and develop skills, is certainly something I can feel comfortable supporting.


Along this vein, another organization that caught my attention is CycleKids.  This Cambridge-based charity provides riding lessons, safety skills, science and healthy nutrition.  By engaging schools and community centers, CycleKids provides urban children with opportunities to enjoy physical activity and learn why a healthy lifestyle is so important.


I have already found that I am no longer worried about the things I will have to give up in order to lose weight and reach my personal goals, but am energized and excited by having the opportunity to provide some tangible improvement in the lives of those around me at the same time.