I'm Giving My Birthday Away!
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Most kids hate having a birthday near Christmas. If your birthday is in December, you've probably heard "Here's your birthday-slash-Christmas present!" at least once. But I grew up differently. My parents spent their lives giving of themselves for others and taught me early on that Christmas is about giving, not getting. As are all other holidays and special occasions, including birthdays, in my home. It's amazing how great giving can make you feel! So a long time ago I decided to GIVE MY BIRTHDAY AWAY each year. Having grown up in countries like Ecuador and Bolivia you see a lot of poverty. You also become way more conscious of the environment and how the negative effects of pollution and excessive consumption affect the Earth. I live in the tropics, near the Amazon so I see the destruction of the Amazon forest first hand! And I can experience how it's contributing to ill health, how large industries slash-and-burn the forest to clear it for agriculture, and how hard it is to convince poverty-stricken families to plan for the future when they live at a subsistence level and can barely plan for tomorrow. Each year I plan something different, but I never celebrate for myself anymore. Sharing it just feels too good! I usually decorate my home for Christmas during the Thanksgiving weekend. I then usually have a party and invite a lot of people and ask them each to bring a present for a child. Over the years this has really caught on here in Santa Cruz and now we receive boxes and boxes of clothing, gifts, sweets, and all kinds of food and other things children need - and it all goes to a children's home here in Santa Cruz. This year I'm asking EVERYONE to give of themselves during the Christmas season by giving ME a little FREE Birthday present!
Give Bella a Birthday Present!
I'm not into asking for stuff, but when it means contributing to a cause I believe in, I'm not shy. So this year I'm taking advantage of the fact that I own a website that gets thousands of visitors a month to ask you all to do something for me. There are several ways you can give me a little "birthday present" this year - do it by doing something for others! If you're not usually "into" doing this stuff, please DO IT FOR ME! Keyword: Do!
Thanks to everyone who sent in their photos!
Nearly 16,000 people participated!
Send a photo of your eyes to help fight climate change!
When my friends at the WWF here in Santa Cruz Bolivia sent me their newsletter a few days ago I jumped at the chance to participate in this and I hope you'll consider it too:This year, the United Nations Climate Change Conference is taking place in Poznan, Poland 1-12 December 2008. Let climate decision makers know that the world is watching what happens in Poznan and that it can't be "just another meeting". Join activists from around the world and submit photos featuring your eyes. The WWF will bring your photos to the meeting to tell decision makers that we are all watching. Poznan must result in a commitment to a fair and ambitious climate deal at next year's UN climate talks in Copenhagen. It took me under 10 seconds of my time to do this. December 12th is my birthday. Would you do this for me and for our Earth? Do it!
Submit your photo here!
Vote for the United Volunteerism Initiative!
United Volunteerism (UVOL) is an idea for a free website in which all the world's volunteer organizations, project coordinators, and would-be participants will be able to gather in order to find, connect and help each other. UVOL will be an easily searchable database of projects and volunteers around the world. By quickly and easily linking people with projects and vice versa, UVOL will be the place on the internet where people will go if they are looking for a place to give of their time and love or if they need to fill positions. Click this link to read a detailed outline of
what UVOL will be and what it will do for you
and others interested in giving freely around the world. In short, it's a contest to find and implement the best ideas that will help positively change people's lives as voted on by you, the general public, beginning January 27th, 2009.
Google is going to donate $10 million dollars and will select up to 5 projects! Do it!
Honour our Earth this Christmas!
 Treegivers.com will plant a tree in any state or province - even in countries that participate internationally - just click here to see their page! It's a great idea for people who are difficult to shop for, people who are far away, and people who care about our Earth... Treegivers has planted hundreds of thousands of young trees on public lands in all 50 states of the United States and in the International Tree Planting countries as part of their reforestation programs. I live in the Amazon region. I see the destruction and damage! It matters to me! I'm not asking you to plant a tree for me! Just consider giving this as a present to someone you care about this year and you'll have made ME very happy! And even if you don't celebrate Christmas, you can give tree gifts all year for any occasion!
Visit my Earth-Gentle Christmas Shop
There are tons of ideas for great environmentally, socially and economically conscious gifts you can give your friends and family this holiday season in my Earth-Gentle Christmas Shop. I set this up because I'm on a mission this year for our Earth! I spent days and days enveloped in smoke from the slash-and-burn clearing in the Amazon a couple of months ago and you cannot imagine how heartsick I was! (Not to mention how unhealthy it is for our city's population each year). But that's not all! I live in one of the most poverty-stricken countries in the world and what I wish for more than anything is that people would really feel what the spirit of Christmas is - giving from your heart! Not the trampling-doors-down-at-shopping-malls kind of Christmas! REAL, USELFUL, HEALTHY, CONSCIOUS, AWARE gift-giving! So this year, please consider "giving" me one of these birthday presents - heck, you can even tell me "Here's your birthday-slash-Christmas present" and I'll be THANKFUL! Hugs and health! Bella.
Return from my Birthday page to Home Page
Help me celebrate my birthday by giving it away!
Help me celebrate my birthday by doing something for someone else! Know any other ways we can all give of ourselves this year? Add your comments or suggestions below. Did you participate in any of the above? Let me know.
If you need help, click on the blue question marks for instructions.
Si necesitas ayuda, haz click en los signos de interrogación azules.
Read what others have said here.
Lée aquí los mensajes de los demás.
Click on the links below to see comments and discussions by others...or respond by leaving a comment of your own!
Haz clic en los enlaces a continuación para leer comentarios de otras personas...incluso puedes participar y responderles!
Giving
I am 12 and was looking for something to do for my birthday. I am from Colorado ,but now live in Costa Rica so I know of a lot of ways to help my third ...
FELICIDADES BOLIVIABELLA
Su espiritu de generosidad es contagiosa. Ojala muchos reaccionen y participen. Realmente me sorprendio esta pagina y me gusto mucho. Que bueno que Bolivia ...
very good website
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Your site very special and informtive. In Iceland we get not much news from Bolivia. We will vote for Volunteerism project to thanks for the information....
from miami to bolivia
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Greetings from Miami to Boliviabella. My entire family sent in photos of their eyes after reading your page. Kudos to Bella for this initiative. We love ...
what a GREAT idea
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Your idea is great! I wish more people would "give away" instead of expecting to receive. I sent in a photo of my eyes. Happy Birthday and thanks for being ...
   
   
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