Tweet Up 4 Good (#FW4Good)

 

Last year, a group of non-profit professionals organized the first Tweet Up for Good in Fort Wayne. It was hosted at Cancer Services in April and featured 4 non profits (Parkview Foundation, PBS, NeighborLink and Cancer Services) that spoke briefly about their missions. We enjoyed great company and great food.

Taking a cue from Impact 52, we wanted to kick it up a notch this year, so when Heather, Andrew, Aaron and I (Amber) sat down to plan the 2nd Annual Tweet Up for Good, we knew we needed a strong call to action. After some brainstorming and a lot of leg work, we are proud to announce plans for the next Tweet Up for Good, which will take place on April 19 at Vince’s.

But wait, it’s not that easy. This isn’t simply a “sign up, show up, eat and drink beer” kind of Tweet Up. No, we want to mobilize our social media community and make a positive impact right here, right now. So here’s what we are asking: We’d like all Tweet Up attendees to choose a volunteer activity, listed on our site, to participate in between now and April 19. We encourage you to take pictures of your experience and tweet about it a long the way, using the official hashtag #FW4Good. Our hope is this will inspire others to join in, thereby increasing our impact exponentially.

Here’s the organizations we are partnering with this year: NeighborLink, Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana, Community Harvest Food Bank, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana and Saints on the Street.

The goal is to mobilize at least 52 people between now and April 19. Will you be one of them? RSVP at www.fortwaynetweetup.com.

End of Summer Service

Recently, I heard two radio DJs talking about how the end of Summer weather is nearing and if you had plans to enjoy the warm outdoors, you should plan to do so soon. That made me think about what the warm weather allows us to do as far as service and community involvement. What are those outdoor ideas you have that would be all the more pleasant if you could do them in warm weather.

Here are a few ideas for serving and being engaged in community as Summer ends.

   

Farmer’s markets. While this doesn’t fall under the area of service, by attending you are getting involved in your local community. It’s double-duty because you are also supporting your local growers and producers by giving them patronage. Some local markets are year-round, but others like Barr Street Market are seasonal. So, get ’em while the gettin’ is good.

Outdoor service projects – I am sure there are plenty of service projects that would love to have your help. An easy place to get started is NeighborLink who has projects for the novice to the expert.

Outdoor fundraisers – What a better time than now to look at your favorite non-profits and see how they could be supported. Many  have outdoor fundraisers or walks that take place in the next few months. Don’t wait. Sign-up now. If I can make a suggestion, definitely check out Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. It’s a fun event and the cause is great – in spirit and scale. And, if you find the non-profit you’re interested in doesn’t have a current opportunity, look into an event like Fort4Fitness. Many non-profits would love for you to ‘join their team’ and raise money for them with your miles. I know there are already people running in support of NeighborLink and She Has A Name.

Fall fundraisers – Don’t just save the date, but put it into your budget NOW to attend an event this fall. I support both Erin’s House and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Indiana and both have fundraisers coming up this fall. Maybe Wine for the Spirit or the Rhinestone Rodeo is where you’ll choose to invest.

How do you plan to take advantage of the warm weather while it lasts?