#22 Days To FASDay - What One Person Can Do?

What can Only One person do?

From Deb Fjeld - a mom of four children with multiple complex issues and webweaver of www.toolboxparent.com

I was feeling frustrated the other day when I was listening to myself complain about the recent funding cuts going through our state. I realized that I have become so obsessed with trying to find grant moneys for programs that I have lost my focus like I had lost my paying job.

I had the "I'm Only One Person" Syndrome.
I felt that if I don't find grant money for programs, that nothing good can happen and I can't make a difference.

Then, I re-framed my thoughts. (My favorite thing to do next rationalization)

What can one person do to help a family who is struggling?

One person can (without a lot of money or no money which we sometime have):

• be a mentor for a child
• offer support to another parent who is struggling
• create a blog to support other parents
• phone a friend who has tough kids and say I appreciate what you do
• operate a web site to help others
• bring a meal to a sick friend
• offer respite for a family who needs a break (even an hour makes a difference!)
• pray for another who needs help
• join a list serve and share ideas
• call a church, school, government center to ring some bells on 09.09
• get a little assembly together on your county courthouse on 09.09 to talk about FASD
• hold a pregnant pause event at a local restaurant, hotel or bar
• send an encouraging email to one, or all on your email list
• write a book!
• invite a few girlfriends out for coffee and relax!
• read our articles on http://www.toolboxparent.com/
• join a disccussion, ask a question, post a great idea to help professionals and parents of complex kids and intense adults at http://toolboxparent.ning.com/
• write a review for an author who raises tough kids - your input really counts
• HAVE FUN FUN FUN - pay attention to the little miracles every day
• start a 501c3 (then you add a few board members and maybe get a grant)

These are things that don't need a grant.
These are things that make an actual difference in another's life, without costing any money.

I have noticed, though, that I receive much more in return than the effort I gave out.

What else can one person do to help another?? Any ideas we would love your comments.

Deb Fjeld and Jodee Kulp

Look what three parents with a single idea pulled off ten years ag0 and it is still continuing to ring our warnings.

FASDay 1999 began in Auckland, New Zealand, where "Minute of Reflection" bells rang at 9:09 a.m., at Mt. Albert Methodist church. Then it moved to Adelaide, Australia, and then to South Africa, where at 9:09 a.m., Cape Town volunteers gathered to hear the War Memorial Carillon that rang when Nelson Mandela was released from prison. Volunteers in Italy, Germany and Sweden held events -- and then FAS Day crossed the Atlantic. Volunteers staged events and bells and carillons rang across Canada and the U.S. The westernmost activity was the community breakfast on the tiny island of Kitkatla, B.C., near the Queen Charlotte Islands, where the village bell rang at 9:09 a.m. followed by prayers in the native tongue by village elders. We missed a few international time zones.

We did it all on $100 in donations, plus thousands of hours of volunteer labor.

It was a labor of love and passionate commitment. We generated as much media attention as a million-dollar public relations campaign, and we made many new friends and supporters in the process. Many women of childbearing age learned for the first time that no amount of alcohol in pregnancy is safe.

All of us knew that in one magic minute, we really did begin to change the world.

Yeah, but...
What can one person do to fight FASD?"

You'd be surprised -- if he or she is working with a world community of people equally committed to eliminating this tragic and totally preventable disorder!