There are many ways to use social media. You can use it to get your view’s across to others. You can use it to meet people and make new friends. You can use it to promote products. You can use it to tell other’s how to get great deals, or teach them about how to save money. You can use it to make money. You can use it as therapy as an outlet to help you get through hard times. There are many many ways to use it. Social media can be a wonderful thing when used in certain ways.

One way I love using social media is to help other’s and for charities. I love to give. There is nothing more rewarding to me than to see a smile on a person’s face. Whether it be a child, a grandmother, a teen, my husband, or anyone. To give without expecting anything in return and to give surprisingly to other’s is the BEST part about social media to me.

I love to be able to make a difference in people’s worlds, even if the difference is small. Change can be good and to help other’s through a change is so rewarding.

I can remember when my family was down and out. We had to use food stamps and stand in the dreaded lines at food banks. My kids hated it, and so did I. But it was the only way to provide for my family at the time. My husband had lost his job due to a grant not being renewed (he worked in research). And, I wasn’t able to work at the time.
It was rough. It was painful. And at the time, I didn’t have social media, or I wasn’t aware of it.
But I can tell you all of the people who knew of our dire situation and who knocked at out door and made us a meal, or sent us a gift card. Or those who brought toys to my kids at Christmas time. Those people I honestly will never forget.
Those people gave without expecting anything back from me. And those are the people I hope to become.

With that in mind, it is back to school time. Many American’s all over the USA are out of work. But school will come no matter what for the children of those people who are out of work. And nothing builds self confidence in children like new back to school supplies. – Remember how you used to feel getting brightly colored tablets, folders, new pencils, and pens, and crayons ? Remember the smell of them (esp. the crayons?) I can still to this day remember my mom buying me a new coloring book and crayons when I was sick. I would have to stay home from school and she would bring me those to lay on the couch to keep me busy. It made it all better to me back then. Remember how it feel’s to get a new dress, or new jeans or shoes? Remember how confident it makes you feel. Shoot, even today it makes me feel good to buy some new clothes.
It helps to build confident, self -esteemed people.

But these parents may not or can not afford even a 25cent box of crayons. Some of them scrape to get by daily. Some people cannot afford all the supplies that are needed to help their children academically survive. And the teachers try and help sometimes, but they cannot afford to supply every child with supplies either. Some schools do provide, some don’t.

So, this is where social media comes in. Remember the saying, “It takes a village” ? Well, I say it also takes a “Social Media Village”.

A few weeks back I was asked to participate in a project with Elmer’s and Collective Bias. (You know the glue company?, which by the way makes soooooooo much more than glue). They asked that I do a project where I buy 2 reusable shopping bags from Walmart and fill them with some back to school supplies. Three of the products in each bag had to be Elmer’s.
Then, I would keep 1 bag for my kids and donate 1 bag to a child in need.

Which got me thinking. I am not rich, but I am not poor. There are sooooo many kids who are in need this school year, that I wanted to try and rally my troops (anyone I knew from Pittsburgh and nearby) and see if we collectively could do more. You see, I am not looking for anything in return. I just want to help some kids in or near “My Village”. So, I got in touch with this guy named - Bryan Douglas, he to me, is the king of helping charities and people. I asked him if he could help me on this project. And within days, we had posts up online and we were talking to people. Family members, member’s of People Helping People and meetup, etc.

Within days later he got back to me and said, People love this idea and are going to help. I was excited. He asked me what my goal was. I told him, well, this is the first year, so we will have to see how it goes. But that I would love to see 50 children ages 5-17 get a backpack filled with school supplies.
His response, oh this should be no problem.

About a week went by, supplies started to trickle in. I shopped and got $100 in supplies. But everywhere we asked to donate backpacks, we heard no responses.

I asked a few more people to help and asked them if they could volunteer at an event planned at Panera Bread. Some could, some couldn’t, which is fine. People are busy, and I totally understand.
Then the media contacted me. Said they would like to hear this story. They said they needed some “good news” to put on (which I totally agreed) so I gave them the time and date at Panera Bread, and they said they would send someone to cover the event on the news.

More supplies trickled in and I went and bought some more as well. Bryan started getting items in the mail. Another friend of mine – Alaina, asked a movie store to help out, to “host” a collection box so people in her area could make drop off donations.

Things were falling into place.

I started to get a little discouraged when I saw we were getting an awesome amount of school supplies but only had about 30 backpacks.

Until TODAY.

Today, Bryan contacted me via Facebook and asked if I had gotten his message (which I didn’t) a man named Joe Deible and EF Tours sent Bryan 120 brand spankin new back packs for the kids !!!!!!

Praise the Lord, Praise the People. I was so touched that I not only doubled my goal of 50 backpacks, I tripled it!

By using social media and outlets like Twitter, Facebook, and Skype I have been able to participate and put together an awesome project benefitting 150 children in the Pittsburgh area!

When I heard the news I was shaking, crying, and so filled with joy. There is nothing like this feeling in the world.

To do good and great things, to “Pay It Forward” and for this project to “Bag It Forward”. Without wanting anything back but to see that smile on those children’s faces as they get their self-esteem boosted, and their confidence boosted and to know that people in THIS VILLAGE care. We want them to learn and not have to worry about adult issues.

This my friends, THIS IS HOW I LOVE TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA.

“Even on my worst day, there are people who have it much worse than me, and if given the chance, I am certain they would love to trade places with me … I think about the poor people that would love to have my problems.” — Ed Buettner

You can see what other’s are doing to #BagItForward by visiting http://www.bagitforward.org

You can also send your own “virtual bag of school supplies” to a friend and help to raise $10K for Adopt-A-Classroom by posting this info. to your site, read more HERE.

The Plus Size Mommy

*Disclosure- I am being compensated for working on this project. Part of it I am donating back to the project.

As you all may have read, or can read if you scroll further down in my blog. I have been asked to be an Ambassador of a very special project. One that is near and dear to my heart. I am an Elmer’s Ambassador. Elmer’s is helping me with my #BagItForward Pittsburgh Project. This project hits so close to home for me because when I was growing up there were times when money was very tight and it was very hard for my parents to buy me and my sister anything for back to school.

There are many MANY children whose parent’s just don’t have the money. Especially with so many people out of work.

Well, as part of my Ambassadorship, I am helping spread the word to others that Elmer’s is helping with Adopt-A-Classroom as well as the Elmer’s Bag It Forward program, that I am also part of (with my #BagItForward Pittsburgh project I am working on).

Here is how you can help us with the project as well.

1. Write a post on your blog about this charity and Elmer’s raising the money, to help spread the word.

2. Send a virtual bag of school supplies to another blogger and challenge them to join the #bagitforward movement.

3. Link your post to www.bagitforward.org

4. DONE! For doing the above 3 steps, Elmer’s will donate $10 for each post to Adopt-A-Classroom !!!

So Please join in and help me help Elmer’s to donate to Adopt-A-Classroom!

The Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward is charity blog meme, bloggers are able to raise $10 per blog post for Adopt-A-Classroom by writing a blog post and donating a virtual bag of school supplies . Elmer’s will donate $10 per each post written to Adopt-A-Classroom, up to $10,000.

HOW CAN YOU JOIN? It’s easy.

• Participate in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward and by giving away a virtual bag of school supplies and creating a blog post with specific rules described below.
• Elmer’s will donate up to $10,000 to Adopt-A-Classroom.
• You can give as many virtual bags as you want.
• The Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward will officially begin at 12 AM EST on July 22, 2010 and end at 12 PM EST on August 12, 2010. Blog posts submitted to us before or after that time period will not be counted.
• The blog post link has to be submitted in the comment section below for your participation to be counted.
• In addition copy and paste the following text into your blog post:

ELMER’S VIRTUAL BAG IT FORWARD RULES

• Copy and paste these rules into your blog post.
• Create a blog post giving a “virtual bag of school supplies” to other bloggers or write about your Back to School shopping trip at Walmart.
• Link back to the person who gave you a bag of school supplies.
• Let each person you are giving a virtual bag of school supplies know you have given them a bag.
• Leave your link in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward comment section. You can also find the official rules of this virtual #bagitforward program there.
• Elmer’s is donating $10 for each blog participating in the Virtual Bag It Forward Donation to Adopt-A-Classroom (up to total of $10,000 for blog posts written by August 12, 2010).
• Please note that only one blog post per blog url will count towards the donation.

****I’m sending my Virtual Bag to Adrienne of Adrienne’s House and challenging her to #bagitforward with Elmer’s****

The Plus Size Mommy

*Disclosure – I am being compensated for this shop. Part of the Money I will be donating back for supplies for the children I am helping in this project.

On Aug. 15th, 2010 at 2PM a group of people will be getting together to assemble backpacks for kids who live in and around the Pittsburgh area. We are going to take the backpacks to a few area’s are distribute them to kids ages 5 -17 who need school supplies to start the school year off.

Here is a Whrrl of a shop I did for some supplies that are going to be donated for this project.

To help, donate and for more info. about the #BagItForward Pittsburgh Project, you can learn more by visiting :
http://www.meetup.com/thepeoplehelpers/calendar/14215487/#initialized

This is the People Helping People group where you can RSVP to join us to help make this event successful!
Our goal is 50 backpacks filled with anything related for Back To School. The age group we are helping is 5-17. You can also contact me at : plussizemommy@gmail.com for more info. please put “Bag It Forward” in the subject line!
If you are a company who would like to help donate school supplies and can get them to me by the 13th please also email me. In return for donations I will add your company or sites 125×125 button on my blog sidebar for 3 months (until Nov.) with a link to your site.

Thank you in advance for helping make this event a successful one for these children! Please keep following for more to come on this wonderful project ! You can also follow www.bagitforward.org to see what other’s are doing in their communities. Also you can goto www.meetup.com to follow and RSVP where and when we will be getting together. And you can also follow the #BagItForward hashtag on Twitter to follow the stories as well We are also donating to Adopt a Classroom. Help raise money for @adopt_classroom http://ow.ly/2gX3O #bagitforward

The Plus Size Mommy

*Disclosure – I am being compensated for this shop. Part of the Money I will be donating back for supplies for the children I am helping in this project.

I have been touched directly in my heart by the “Bag It Forward” Project that I am working on with Elmers.  I am collecting school supplies and backpacks to pass out to at least 50 kids (my goal) around the Pittsburgh area the 2nd week in Aug.

I have a wonderful crew lined up to help me and I already started getting donations in from people to help out.

I bought some 25 cent boxes of crayola crayons today too to put in younger kids backpacks.

I am so excited. And heart touched by the out pouring of love from people willing to help.

This being said, I was driving today and thinking about the whole project. And, I was thinking about stories I have seen on television or read on blogs or in newspapers that have impacted me. After all, I am bagging forward 50 backpacks but I am praying it doesn’t stop with me. I want this project to touch others and to spread like wildfire all over the USA. If everyone who was able could donate even 1 backpack of school supplies to 1 child, it would make a world of difference. So I was thinking to myself, and  I thought, Self ; (lol) what would Anderson Cooper do to get the point across. What would he do to show people that a small help can make a huge difference ?

Well, I thought about Haiti and how he went out into the field, as reporters do, He went directly to the people,  and he showed you the children and the people, and told the peoples life stories.

THAT MAKES AN IMPACT.

So, I was going to go through some agencies to make this handing out of backpacks work, but after deep thoughts today, I have decided to choose 4 Housing Projects in and around Pittsburgh to go directly to, I know children will be playing outside, and hand out some backpacks to them. Housing Projects are where people in need live. It is Public housing for people in need, so these are the families who are struggling for various reasons and need help.

I want to ask some people for their stories, whether on camera or not, I want (with parent permission) to show you the smiles on the kids as they get their back packs. I want to show them that people DO care and are here to help.

I think it will be a more random act of kindness by doing it this way as well.

I want to tell the stories about mom or dad who lost their income/job. I want to tell the stories of single moms who need help, and I want to show people that it isn’t that these people don’t want to buy school supplies for their kids, they just CAN’T.

I also have a friend, who is a police officer in one of the towns where there are 2 sets of housing projects I will be travelling to, and I am going to ask him if he can maybe go with me. Not for my protection, heck, I used to hang out in projects when I was a teen, but to let parents and kids know we are legit/safe and not there to scare the kids, or trying to lure them with our backpacks, lol  (people can misconceive things at time, esp. when they get something free that maybe too good to be true).

So, I love that I am going to be going directly to these children and families and bringing the stories to you.  I am very excited. I love giving things away, which is one favorite thing about my blog (holding giveaways) too. I love making a difference and I love helping people and “Paying It Forward” – and in this case, “Bagging It Forward”.

Keep watching my blog to see these stories come to life. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

The Plus Size Mommy

*Disclosure – I am being  compensated for my participation in this campaign . Views expressed here are my own. Some of my compensation WILL be given back to make a difference in 50 children’s lives.