Good Deeds: Leftover Gift Cards

by Greta on February 16, 2012


When I saw the trailer for Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds, which releases on February 24th, I could tell it was a nice “warm fuzzy” story. From time to time we all need a wake up reminder how wonderful life is and how important it is to give back. I was contacted by their PR company asking if I would be interested in writing and sharing about the campaign that was created to go along with the movie. Learning that the Covenant House, a safe place for homeless children, were the recipients of this campaign, I was in. With locations all over the country, including New Orleans, many of the kids they service have been in the Foster Care system (something near and dear to my heart) at one point in their lives.

The campaign is called Good Deeds: Great Needs. Essentially,Good Deeds: Great Needs is an initiative to provide support for Covenant House, a non-profit organization that provides hearty meals, warm beds, and safe shelter to homeless youth. We are partnering with Gift Card Giver, an Atlanta-based organization that collects unused gift cards and distributes remaining balances to non-profit organizations, will be donating all gift cards collected through Good Deeds: Great Needs to Covenant House. Also, in support of the initiative, Lionsgate has agreed to make a financial donation in support of Covenant House each time the Good Deeds: Great Needs video is shared through www.gooddeedsgreatneeds.com.

How you can help?
1. Send any unused or partially unused gift cards: Take your gift card and write on the back how much is left on it. Put your card in an envelope with a note that say “Good Deeds: Great Needs” and then send to:
Gift Card Giver
PO Box 17920
Atlanta, Georgia 30316

2. Share the video from this website on your social networks as Lionsgate will contribute to the Covenant House for shares.

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Getting Ready for Mardi Gras

by Greta on January 27, 2012

I can’t believe this is going to be my 6th Mardi Gras season here. We just re-financed out home, and “permanent resident of the greater New Orleans area” has a nice ring to it! Coming out of my fog from my dad passing, I realize I have so much to do to get ready for Mardi Gras and the kids’ Mardi Gras school vacation (yep – they get that week off). My cousin asked me if we decorate for Mardi Gras – yep sure do. I have a few things outside – totally bush league – but am trying. Inside I display all the cool throws and doubloons we have collected so far (still need to do that).

Now for the checklist

* Weight to lose before parades and balls begin – check (phew). I tend to gain more weight than the holidays during these festivities due to good food, adult beverages and my love for King Cake.

* Gowns – check – (got 2 consignment shop steals I adore).I think we are only planning on one ball this year and that works for me.

* Spanx – check

* Ball tickets – check

* Wagon to haul stuff to parades – shoot – ours broke last year and was shot out at the firing range. Gotta get a new one!

* Make plans to hit parades with friends and their families…must get on that.

Yes, folks…my kids will be at all the parades with me – it is very family oriented! Not all the 3 kids love parades equally, but all have a great time once they are there. As for hubby…he would skip parades, except the one he rides in if I let him. Nope -he never gets off the hook and always has a wonderful time!

Laissez les bon temps rouler! (Let the good times roll).

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Caregiver Void

January 20, 2012

Caregiver: a person who provides direct care (as for children, elderly people, or the chronically ill) Void: an empty space; emptiness My father passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 8th, 2012 as a direct result of Alzheimer’s Disease. For the 6 months leading up to his death, we took him into our home [...]

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Mensch

January 13, 2012

Not sure how it happened, but somehow my entire life I have been blessed to be in the presence of many men who could unequivocally be called a “Mensch.” So…what is a Mensch you might ask? Jewish Healing pretty much sums it up by saying: A mensch literally means “a person” in Yiddish, but figuratively [...]

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Memories Linger On Forever

January 9, 2012

For the past 6 months, I, along with my loving husband and 3 wonderful children, had the honor of caring for my father, Sherman Marcus on the final leg of his life journey. Alzheimer’s Disease is difficult, but we all made the best of it each and every day, spending quality time with him, smiling [...]

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Hospice, Dying and Smiles

January 5, 2012

We are all going to die – how, where, why and when are the unknown we live with from day to day. Dying naturally does not have to be depressing, sad maybe (if you choose to see it that way)…but not depressing. This is why we are reminded over and over throughout our life to [...]

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Alzheimer’s and Houdini Magic

January 2, 2012

This is Dad’s new addition to his face, compliments of his Houdini abilities! Alzheimer’s Disease is by far the most unpredictable thing I have ever encountered (besides my mood off my hormones LOL). I look at all the stages that have been studied and seem to have created some new classifications via Dad – Zaydeh [...]

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The Zaydeh Zone

December 29, 2011

My Dad, known as Zeydeh to everyone (Jewish Grandfather for you slow kids), has happily entered in his Alzheimer’s Disease, what we now refer to as the “Zaydeh Zone.” In a previous post I wrote about his end of life “working.” The “working” post was referring to him overriding all his sleep medications and staying [...]

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10 Things I Have Learned About Hospice

December 23, 2011

Yep, we are in full-swing with the “H” word and things are running as smoothly as possible. My previous post on hospice (a damn good post if I must say so myself – so go read it!) talked about how I would embrace it and not fear it when it came. Dad turned 83 on [...]

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Singing Ay-oh, Spin the Dreidel

December 20, 2011

From my house to yours – Happy Hannukah! Thanks to Barbara Miller for this one:)

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