Thursday, May 19, 2011

Little Miracle Mission (and a $50 AmEx Gift Card)

As I’ve mentioned, I recently took a trip up to Canada to visit with my parents following my mom’s surgery.  She’s been in the hospital coming on three weeks now – hopefully going home soon!  (You might recognize Winter the dolphin – he’s Esmé’s contribution to Grandma’s comfort… Smile)
P1030680 (2)

One corporate initiative I’ve admired recently is Pampers’ Miracles Missions in celebration of its 50th birthday.  It’s a “pay-it-forward program designed to deliver acts of kindness to little miracles while challenging the public – like you – to support others within their very own communities."

If you haven’t already, I strongly encourage you to check out Pampers’ facebook page, where you can pledge to join a miracle mission yourself!  If enough people pledge on Miracle Mission #2, Pampers will throw Father’s Day cook-outs for dads and babies across the country…  (And a side note:  You are entered to win a year’s supply of Pampers diapers and wipes when you pledge.)

Back to that trip up north.  Pampers had sent me a $50 American Express gift card that arrived just in time to take with me for a pay-it-forward mission. 

While “living” in the hospital much of the week, I realized there weren’t a whole lot of entertainment options.  At the end of the hall on my mom’s floor was a sitting room of sorts – a bunch of scattered REALLY outdated magazines haphazardly spread around.  So I decided to “pretty-fy” one of the tables with a silk plant and a basket with a few magazines (including a children’s mag), puzzle books, pencils, etc.  A simple thing that hopefully made at least one person’s life a little more interesting and/or bearable during a stressful life period.

What would YOU do with $50?

Pampers - 50 gift card AMEX (2)
Pampers wants to send YOU a $50 American Express gift card, too!  For a chance to pay it forward:
  • Leave a comment below sharing how you’d use the $50 American Express gift card to pay-it-forward within your community.

You’ve got until May 23rd to comment.  I’ll pick one winner of an idea.  Be sure to leave an email address or some way to contact you.

85 comments:

Mami2jcn said...

In our town there's a home that houses pregnant teens who have been kicked out by their parents. I would buy diapers to donate to them. They really could use the help!

I hope your mom has a speedy recovery!

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Kay said...

I would donate the card to the IS Foundation, they support many worthwhile projects kgkiml at yahoo.com
Sending your Mom prayers for a fast recovery

mar said...

I would give the 50.00 gift card to Harvest House in our community. It is a re-hab center for males.

LWons@HotMail.com

Mysharona said...

Donate it to a local shelter.

Amber said...

I would pay it forward by buying seeds to plant in our community garden or gardening tools! The community garden really brings people together, especially moms and kids to teach healthy eating and connect people with their food in a meaningful way.

Thank you for the giveaway :)
hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com

Julie said...

I would give it to a young mom of a 2 year old boy who works where my husband does....her husband has been unemployed for 6 months...they are really,really struggling...I would give it to her....I know what's it like to be in her situation because I was once there/there were people who so generously helped me
thanks
aunteegem@yahoo.com

Miss Manda said...

I would give it to my friend who is pregnant currently who has a 2 year old as well.. she cannot work due to health issues and it would help her out.

thanks


ahellen@gmail.com

bayctygrl said...

I would surprise my niece with it, she is expecting and having a hard time

hippopurplemonkey at yahoo dot com

David said...

I would buy a little girl at my daughters school uniforms next year.

mckenziesmom1(at)hotmail(dot)com

dawns41 said...

I would use it to add to our home garden so I can give away fresh fruit to moms in need year after year.
dawns_horizen@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

i would buy diapers for my friends son he is 5 months old. She is 30 years old and has been diagnosed with liver caner- she needs all the help and prayers she can get. please add her to your fb
fb-benefit for tiffany blair

here is her story:
Tiffany was diagnosed in August 2009 with a rare form of cancer called Ocular Melanoma. This is a very rare type of cancer of the eye. Doctors told her at the time that due to the size of the tumor the best course of action was enucleation, or removal of the eye. Tiffany handled all of this with amazing grace and strength. She had a prosthetic eye made and adapted amazingly quickly. Her insurance would not cover the cost of the eye, as it was deemed to be “cosmetic”, and she had to pay out-of-pocket for this. However, scans revealed no signs of cancer anywhere else in her body and she was deemed to be “cancer free”, and was told she just needed follow-up CAT scans every 6 months for the first 3 years.

She had a beautiful baby boy Dylan in January 2011. During her pregnancy she was unable to have the CT scans completed. She had her most recent scan March 2011. It showed the cancer had returned to her liver and spleen. To make matters worse, she lost her health insurance the day after she learned of this diagnosis. Thankfully, Tiffany has been able to secure insurance from the “high risk pool” in Texas, and her coverage will be effective as of May 1st. However, the premiums and deductible are extremely high. In addition, treatment options are very limited. We are in the process of trying to research the best options quickly. It appears very likely that she will have to travel out-of-state to receive at least some of her treatments. There is a doctor in Pennsylvania that has some potentially promising treatments. We are not sure at this time what all treatment is going to consist of, it is constantly evolving.

thank you so much
tcogbill at live dot com

slb3334 said...

I would donate it to the local food bank.

slb3334@gmail.com

Joy Tamsin David said...

I would buy tickets to the local movie theater and donate them to our local Ronald McDonald House for families with children in the hospital.

I stayed at a Ronald McDonald House a few years ago when my son had open heart surgery in another city. It's nice for the parents of a sick child to be able to take a night and relax, esp. if their child has been in the hospital for a long time.

Joy Tamsin David said...

I would buy tickets to the local movie theater and donate them to our local Ronald McDonald House for families with children in the hospital.

I stayed at a Ronald McDonald House a few years ago when my son had open heart surgery in another city. It's nice for the parents of a sick child to be able to take a night and relax, esp. if their child has been in the hospital for a long time.

Kia89 said...

I would give it to my friend who is pregnant.
austma7@aol.com

BethElderton said...

I have a single mom neighbor whose oldest, a 6 year old, is at my door frequently to borrow. I think a large bag of cooking staples--flour, sugar, oil, etc--and some diapers would be a huge help for that family.
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

I would give it to my great niece for her baby.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

coliebear said...

I would use it to buy baby clothes for our church's clothes closet.
lenz.nicole(at)gmail(dot)com

Cathy W said...

I'd buy diapers and donate to the church's food/clothing store/pantry.
cjwallace43 at gmail dot com

Julieanne said...

With this $50 card, I'd give it to a friend of mine who has adopted 10 children in the last 8 years. As you could imagine, their entertainment/fun budget is really low, especially since her husband lost his job due to having a seizure while driving due to a drop in blood sugar levels. He is now attending school full time, so money is extremely tight for them. I'd surprise them with something that they could really enjoy as a family!

Julieanne
http://www.JoyInOurJourney.com

Julieanne said...

Oops - forgot to leave you with my email address!

Julieanne
ejm (at) truevine (dot) net
http://www.JoyInOurJourney.com

debbie said...

I used to teach teen parenting classes. They would also help the teens with things they needed, like diapers, dial-a-ride (our local city bus)tickets, or whatever they needed. I would donate it to them.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

hale2005 said...

I would fill a random person's gas tank up at a local station.

hellrzr(at)juno(dot)com

5webs said...

I have a friend who is pregnant with her first child (after 10 years of trying). Her husband is unemployed and she earns little at her job, so I'd like to help her out by getting them some diapers, wipes, and baby food.
Alicia Webster
5webs@comcast.net

kyl neusch said...

donate to a women's shelter

Denise S. said...

I would use it to buy things for the community center that my church operates to provide for those having hard times.
lazybones344 at gmail dot com

Cindy said...

I'd use the card to purchase baby items and donate them to the local womens shelter.
Dove056 at aol dot com

JC said...

I recently heard from a church friend that one of our members suffers from cancer. She is a single mom with one toddler and a 7 yr old. I'd like to give her, hopefully with coupons help to stretch $50, several gift baskets with all necessities and groceries. Thank you for giving the chance to help someone in need of our community.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com

AubreyLaine said...

I would use it purchase items for the Sunday School at my church.
littlegray88 at yahoo dot com

Sharon Harmon said...

I would buy $50 worth of baby food and donate it to our local food pantry. ;)
Clownscrytoo@gmail.com

Erica C. said...

I'd love to buy my coworkers dinner during one of our night shifts so save them all a little bit of money.

Anonymous said...

I would donate toiletries to the Ronald McDonald House.

hebert024 at aoldot com

Tabathia B said...

I would donate to the shelter for abused and battered women to help those with young children or babies
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

Patrice said...

I would use the csrd to buy clothing and supplies for the women and children at the women's shelter.

amp said...

I would use it to get supplies for the local feral cat program


apoalillo [AT] hotmail (dot) com

Chip said...

My moms group at church is throwing a baby shower for a local pregnancy crisis center. I would love to buy a pack n play for it.
chipdip2010(at)hotmail(dot)com

Barbara Montag said...

I would be so happy to donate this gift card to the Food Shelf where I volunteer!
Higher grocery prices - more needs.
Thank you.
barbara dot montyj at gmail dot com

Deborah Wellenstein said...

I will donate this card to the local children's home-they take in children who have been abused, and are awaiting placement in foster homes.

dwellenstein at cox dot net

Anash said...

I would buy 50 dollars worth, sugar, flour, etc everything needed to make cakes that can be frozen, thawed and eaten..a good pick me up when going gets tough for new mama...and give it to a friend who is a new mom and single!! Thanks for the chance to win!! What a lovely giveaway
anashct [at] yahoo [dot] com

Anonymous said...

Some friends of ours just had a child and they already have a 2 year old. The mother has had to take off work so this would really be great to help them out!

jmcharries@cox.net

Daniel M said...

my sis just had a babe and could use supplies - regnod(at)yahoo(d0t)com

Annie1 said...

I would donate this to PEERS which is a charity helping females and males to get out of the sex trade. Their services are greatly needed and appreciated. I'd be so proud to donate this to them!

thanks

nancyrobster at gmail dot com
in canada

llinda29 said...

I will buy supplies for our dv shelter

sodahoney said...

I would give this to a mom of 6 kids including a 10 mo old.

Cindy M said...

Somebody broke into my neighbor's house while we were at church together and stole nearly everything she had- and this poor woman is 90 years old!!! $50 woould at least pay for a few locks and maybe a few outdoor solar night lights.
writer61@yahoo.com

Linda said...

I would buy diapers for our local crises nursery.
mintstatesportswear(at)juno(dot)com

Debbie C said...

I would use the gift card to send groceries to our local Ronald McDonald house. They give free lodging with a homelike environment to families of hospitalized children.

dchrisg3 @ gmail . com

Pauline MIlner said...

My dog, Bullitt, and I visit a local nursing home twice weekly. The residents love it when they come. There is nothing like the friendliness of a dog to make someone's day.
We are planning a picnic for them on June 25th. I have recruited some friends to help make it a great success. We have a rain date of the next Saturday. It is going to be wonderful. We have told the residents and they are so looking forward to it. We have hired a magician and a balloon tying guy to add to the festivities. Also, a local band is going to provide the musical entertainment. I would put the gift card towards supplies since we are all using our own money. Any contribution would be greatly appreciated.

I hope your Mum is home and feeling well soon.

Thanks for the awesome giveaway. ~Pauline

dod@rogers.com

Brittney said...

I would give the card to my friends who had a baby 3 weeks ago.
brittneydejajason at gmail dot com

Kristen said...

I would donate the card to my church. They have a needy family program and i'm sure they could always use some extra help!
aeris321 at gmail dot com

ckfrrt said...

I would donate this to my church they have a baby shower for needy moms that is coming up in June.
carolkfoster at comcast dot net

Godzilla's Mom said...

I'd donate the gift card to our local library. They're struggling to stay open and its sad for all the kids who can't go there any more.

Julieh said...

I'd donate baby items to a shelter for women and children. honeypie411 at yahoo dot com

Deb said...

If I won, I would donate it to the Best Buddies chapter at the school that I work at which pairs students with disabilities with buddies. They don't have enough money right now for a year end party for the buddy partners and this will really help them out. Thanks for the chance to help out this great organization.

mogrill said...

I would use coupons and get diapers for pregnancy aid.
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill12@yahoo.com

Kitty Cardero said...

I'd use it to buy groceries for a family I know who is struggling.

Melanie Montgomery said...

I'd take my best friends little girls shopping, they could use the help withBTS shopping.

clarkmurdock@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I have a friend who is single and pregnant. I am going to offer to do her laundry for a month because laundry can pile up so bad with a newborn. And I'll throw in a package of Pampers as well as using the card for laundry products.
Digicat {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net

Misty said...

I would donate more baby items to recent tornado victims in our state. I may not be rich, but oh boy, I feel so sad/bad for people who were affected by the recent natural disasters. Our local supermarket chain is doing a relief program, which I can round up to the nearest dollar so the money can be given to tornado victims. I've done it every time I shop. I pray for speedy recovery and restoration of the affected areas.

nicolesender said...

pay-it-forward ideas; I would purchase some new puzzles for our local library. The library system in our city is in a financial mess and the play area in my neighborhood library has well worn puzzles.
nicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com

Anonymous said...

As diapers are the baby essential, I would use it for diapers for the local low income community center.
spiersrp at gmail dot com

EmmaPeel said...

I'd help a particular old widow who takes in all kinds of stray cats

Kathy P said...

i would buy canned goods for our local food shelf

kathypease(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

The Girl Scouts in our town are always collecting gift cards for various charities. I would love to be able to give them this.

katfam95 at aim dot com

Tracey said...

I'd donate diapers to my local women's shelter.
traymona[at]aol.com

Missybeez said...

I would donate food to my area food bank.

honeybeez80@yahoo.com

Melanie said...

I would buy feminine hygiene products and take to the women's homeless center. It's an expense that people don't always think of them donating to food banks and such. With my coupons and a gift card, I could get a lot for them.

Unknown said...

I would donate to Cure for Colby (can be found on facebook). Colby is my great-nephew who needs a special surgery to be able to see. trinitygsd at yahoo dot ocm

kolpin said...

my postal carrier's a single mom with a bad back and young kids. i'd buy groceries for her, come over so she could rest in bed, and spend the day with the kids cooking casseroles together to stock up her freezer.

kolpin4680 at gmail dot com

Hotsnotty2 said...

I would give this to my friend who just had a baby last month to help with the cost of formula and diapers, thanks!

Hotsnotty2@hotmail.com

Barbarawr said...

I would buy baby pajamas for a Women's Shelter. It's been 25 years since I worked at a battered women's shelter, but I will NEVER forget the look of desperation and desolation in ALL of their faces when they showed up, tired and hungry, and the first thing they needed to do was look through the shelter's disgusting thrift shop reject clothes to find something to put their babies in.

Email address is in blogger profile

lyndseyluvsjj said...

I would give this to one of my bestfriends. Her daughter was diagnosed with eye cancer about a month ago. She has now lost her job from missing so many days due to doctor appointments. She could really use this!

lyndsey.rullman at hotmail dot com

Anonymous said...

I would donate it to the women's shelter.
wonitoo@hotmail.com

Mel said...

I would give it to a couple in our church that just found out they're adoptiong a baby in 2 weeks....talk about short notice :)

mjf926 at gmail dot com

Denise Donaldson (MistySunrise) said...

I would give it to my nephew to buy diapers for his little ones

itsjustme62613 at gmail.com

susansmoaks said...

i would use the card to buy diapers and wipes for a needy family at church, i will use coupons and stretch the money as far as i can
susansmoaks at gmail dot com

Charity S said...

I would buy food for a needy family.


charisscharity at yahoo dot com

susan1215 said...

I'd buy diapers for a local womens shelter

s2s2 at comcast dot net

jlafount said...

Give something to the local food bank

Breanne said...

I would donate it to the Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children

Storm Safety Blog said...

My heart is breaking. Two area animal shelters are closing, and where will the animals go? I can't take in any more pets; we have 9 cats already and several of them have chronic medical conditions. If I could give the $50 gift card to the shelters, maybe they could use it as an incentive for someone who adopts a pet. I just wish I could do something.

Bakersdozen said...

My church's food bank runs out of food each week as there are so many families to serve. I would probably donate food. vidomich(at)yahoo(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I would pay it forward by buying flowers from the local florist to give to elderly residents in nursing homes. This would brighten their day

ardy22 at earthlink dot net

cman said...

I'd buy as many diapers as I could to share.

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