Helen Deffenbacher is a volunteer for the Green Omaha Coalition and a founding member of the Omaha chapter of Slow Food USA. She and her husband Ken, a retired professor, enjoy their roles as ecostewards in their local community and opportunities to work with people of all ages, including their older grandkids Justin and Alexis with whom Helen has co-authored Green Philanthropy For Families. A number of their gifts, projects and actions are contained in the book. Helen has a master's degree in education.

Justin Deffenbacher received the youth social justice service award in his church's eight-state region for co-founding an ecology club run by and for youth. When he was a member of a community service group in his school called Project Citizen, his idea of providing healthier foods in the schools was chosen by club members and his group was among several that presented their projects to Governor Dave Heineman. He enjoys volunteering for service projects, especially prairie restoration and preservation. Currently he's collecting used books for a local Reach Out and Read program.

Alexis Deffenbacher joined the youth ecology club in her church when it was first formed and signed up for various projects including selling Fair Trade chocolates, making posters to educate church members about Fair Trade, and volunteering for the club's "Adopt-a-Trail" cleanup at Standing Bear Lake. She has volun-teered for the Omaha Humane Society and for the Henry Doorley Zoo's project of creating a butterfly garden on the zoo's grounds. She is presently collecting eyeglasses for Lions' Recycle for Sight program.

"Seeing philanthropy as something for everyone, rather than just wealthy folk, is inspired."
-James Greyson, Fixing Systems Not Symptoms, Wiser Earth

"Wow! I am very impressed by the wealth of resources and guidance on learning to live greener lives. The book provides very practical advice for ways to ensure that sustainability is woven into our very busy daily lives. I plan to sit down with my husband and two kids, open the book to any page, and pick out random acts of kindness we can share in together. Well done!"
-Kristi Wamstad-Evans, Sustainability Coordinator for Omaha, Nebraska

"Green Philanthropy For Families has redefined the concept of philanthropy from a contribution by the wealthy to an everyday, satisfying, participatory contribution by anyone interested in feeling good from doing good! It outlines how parents, and others, can teach our children well!"
-Don Preister, Nebraska State Senator, Green Bellevue Chairman, Co-Founder of the Nebraska Wind Working Group, Gardener

"Wonderful book and website!"
-Tonya Ward, Founder and CEO of Energy Rescue, Inc., President, Grameen Rosenblatt Women's Association

"I was reading through all the suggestions and getting inspired!"
-Kerry Vineberg, Activist, Writer

"What a great idea you have there in green philanthropy. I like the sharing aspect of it and the sense of abundance in community."
-Sally Lever, Coach, Writer, and Educator specializing in sustainable living and sustainable small business, U.K.

"Green Philanthropy reminds us that environmentalism is not about valuing nature over people; it is about valuing nature and people. The book and website are excellent resources for families who want to live "green."
-Ariana Miller, Environmental Educator

"The authors provide a rich and varied cache of ideas and resources for anyone who chooses-with family members, friends and neighbors-to create a better world. They invite us to become sustainability leaders, and make it easy for us to get started.
-Mary A Ferdig, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Sustainability Leadership Institute

"Presented in an easy-to-read format and without any preaching, this guide offers scores of ideas for simple, concrete, and inexpensive ways to help the Earth-at home, in your community, and around the world. Every parent who wants to raise a nature-loving child should keep a copy of this book on their kitchen counter!"
-Ken Finch, President, Green Hearts Institute for Nature in Childhood Green Hearts Inc.Org

by Helen Deffenbacher

Many kids may not know the word "philanthropy'," but most would know that it is good to give to the less fortunate. This applies to people and also to the environment around us, and kids can learn that even small and simple acts can make a difference. In large and small ways people of all ages in every part of the world are engaged in green philanthropy.

Five things kids can learn from green philanthropy:

Respect for the Earth and all life on it.
Research shows that direct experience with nature while growing up is the one factor people most often credit for having had the greatest influence on their attitude toward the environment and conservation. Many of the projects and gifts in our book provide kids (and their parents and grandparents) opportunities for direct experience with nature. A desired goal for all 160 random acts of kindness included in the book is to nurture respect and care for all life on Earth.

Green philanthropy doesn't have to be complicated or difficult.
In fact, kids as young as three can be involved in many of the projects, gifts, and actions in our book. You and your family can choose to start in your own home or in your own back yard. For example, you can:

• Set aside several rows in your garden for a local food bank.
• Have a family Reduce, Reuse & Recycle Scavenger Hunt and donate your extra stuff to organizations listed in our book.
• Give one or more native plants to a new Habitat for Humanity homeowner in your community as a housewarming gift.
• Make green philanthropy wish lists for birthdays and holidays.
• Begin creating a wildlife habitat in your backyard with the eventual goal of getting it certified.
• Collect loose change in a Green Philanthropy Bank for a local green organization. Recycle an empty jar; make your own label for it or print one of ours, preferably on scrap or recycled paper. Click here!

"Small" acts of green philanthropy matter.
Each gift, project, or action creates a better community or a better world for all. In our book we wrote that:

"A single random act of green philanthropy may not seem significant alone, but when it's multiplied tens of thousands or a million times over it brings big results, saving: small farms, urban habitats, parks and refuges, organic foods, community gardens, native and heirloom seeds, wild places, wildlife, the ancient mountains of Appalachia, forests and rainforests, river, lakes, and streams and more."

Green philanthropy doesn't require a lot of money.
All but two of the gifts and projects in our book require only a small amount of money or, for a number of them, none at all. Signing up for a crop share from a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm may seem expensive at first, but it only amounts to about $15 to $20 a week over the growing season. In some states the fee for the Master Naturalist Program may be expensive, but, again, over the course of the program the weekly cost is not great. All the other projects, gifts, and actions in our book that require money can be funded by collecting loose change in a Green Philanthropy Bank.

Some "small" acts of green philanthropy, especially when multiplied by others all around the world, can help solve big problems like poverty and hunger.

Examples of green philanthropy ideas in our book that help accomplish this goal include:

• Donate fruit trees to individuals and families in developing countries.?o Provide seeds to people who can't afford to buy them.?
• Give a starter flock of chicks, ducks, or geese or a "share" of another farm animal to a family in a developing country.?
• Provide a micro agricultural loan to an individual, family, or group that will enable them to support themselves and to benefit their local communities.

When we learn that half the world's population live on less than $2.50 a day and at least 80% subsist on less than $10 a day, we become aware of the significance of our "small" acts of green philanthropy. For more information on "Poverty Facts and Stats," compiled by Anup Shaw, visit: www.globalissues.org.

This article was written for YourKidsEd.Com