Saturday April 23rd is Earth Day. Have you ever thought to yourself, what can I do to preserve the Earth? Afterall, it’s up to each of us to keep it clean. My friend and co-worker, Cindy Carusone is today’s guest blogger. Cindy reminds us today that everyone must do their part to preserve our planet and how Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley is doing its part.
Shari
Over the last century, the human race has increasingly dominated the earth, expanding, developing, growing, but also polluting and depleting our resources, creating irreversible losses. The health of our planet and our health are strongly connected. This has become abundantly clear from the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of the coronavirus, more than a third of the planet was on lock down. This caused the world to stop and send an eerie quietness across the nation. Even the Goodwill Stores were shut down for over 4 months.
Despite all the gloomy news, the planet now has a chance to reboot. There are other ways we can live more sustainable lives. Let’s adjust our lifestyle and make a real effort towards recycling initiatives.
Just about everyone I know is, in some way, striving to become more eco-conscious. But at times the whole process can seem overwhelming. Don’t let yourself feel too bogged down, follow the 3 R’s. Look for ways you can Reduce, Reuse and Recycle throughout your home.
- Reduce the amount of trash we generate
- Reuse things that otherwise would have been thrown out
- Recycle something old and useless into something new and useful.
Sustainability has always been at the heart of Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley’s work and mission. Rev. Edgar J. Helms, once said, “Goodwill saves the waste in men and things.” Sustainability is not just about the health of the planet, but also the health of the community. And in times like these, community has never been so important. There are probably items right now in your closets, cabinets, and garage that could be donated to the Goodwill Store, saving tons of pounds from going to the landfill. Not only are you helping the Earth but helping your community. Did you know for every revenue dollar from our Goodwill Stores, On-line Auction, and Auto Auction, 87 cents goes back to the Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley Programs? These programs help many individuals that need just a hand up to become more independent and self-sufficient.
In order to keep as much material out of the landfill as possible, it’s important for of us to do our part.
In the mid-80’s my late sister, who was a 40 year Biology Teacher would tell the tellers at the store: “I’m Pre-Recycling. Anything she felt was not large enough for bag, she would not take one. Then she put the whole family on Pre-Recycling. We were told that if we didn’t need a bag, don’t take one.