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Powerful Clean

Sprucing up your community doesn't have to be complicated. Try these simple tips.

Sprucing up your community doesn't have to be complicated. Try these simple tips.
True
Clorox

We all want to live in clean, well-kept communities—but sometimes humans make that difficult.

Garbage happens when we're not careful. The wind knocks over someone's unsecured trash bin and the contents blow all over. Someone pulls keys out of their pocket and a gum wrapper falls out. Litterbugs toss fast food wrappers out of their car windows. Whether intentional or not, trash makes its way into gutters, bushes and waterways every day.

No one likes to walk down the street and see garbage littering the ground or graffiti covering buildings. But it's not just unsightly. According to Keeping America Beautiful, the largest litter study conducted in the U.S., litter abatement costs more than $11 billion dollars per year.


[rebelmouse-image 19398294 dam="1" original_size="700x525" caption="Photo by Dustan Woodhouse/Unsplash." expand=1]Photo by Dustan Woodhouse/Unsplash.

A dirty neighborhood also lowers perceived home values, affects quality of life and can even impact our health. However, something as simple as a community garden can totally revitalize a neighborhood. We all do better when our communities are taken care of.

While municipalities are usually responsible for trash pickup and maintenance, we can all make a difference when it comes to keeping our communities clean. All it takes is a little cooperation, creativity and commitment.

Organizing a community cleanup can be super simple, but also loads of fun.

As a parent with three kids of drastically different ages, it's often been a challenge to find volunteer work that we can do as a family. But the beautiful thing about a community cleanup is that people of all ages can participate and do a great job in the process.

A cleanup can be as simple as going for a family walk through your neighborhood, and bringing a glove and a trash bag along with you. But if you want to go bigger, you can plan ahead and invite others to join you in an area of your town that needs some extra attention.

[rebelmouse-image 19398295 dam="1" original_size="500x276" caption="Photo via Frank Boston/Flickr." expand=1]Photo via Frank Boston/Flickr.

With community email lists such as NextDoor, putting out a cleanup call to your neighbors is easy. You can also make it a friends and family affair by combining a service project with a social gathering, like going out to dinner as a group to celebrate a job well done.

1. Start with an organized plan of attack.

To organize a trash pick-up, choose an area to tackle. Look around for areas where the wind blows garbage into bushes or ditches or along fence lines. Then, make sure everyone knows the who, what, where, when and how, which should include:

  • The date and possible rain date
  • Meeting location
  • Number of volunteers needed
  • Outline of the work you plan to complete by the end of the day
  • List of supplies you need people to bring
  • List of required permits or licenses you need to secure ahead of time
  • Post-event steps.

Have everyone bring gloves (gardening or work gloves are more comfortable and less sweaty than plastic gloves) and two bags—one for trash, and one for recyclables. Once you've gathered at the agreed upon central location, make a plan of attack, sending teams of two or three to cover specific areas.

2. Add an extra dose of fun by making your cleanup into a scavenger hunt.

[rebelmouse-image 19398296 dam="1" original_size="700x467" caption="Photo by Vova Drozdey/Unsplash" expand=1]Photo by Vova Drozdey/Unsplash

Giveeach team a checklist and see who can find all of the items. There are common types of garbage you'll find in almost any city or town. Include those things in your list, but add some unique trash items as well. A sample scavenger hunt list might look like this:

  • 10 Soda cans
  • 10 Glass bottles
  • Straw
  • Fast food bag
  • 5 Cigarette butts
  • Plastic lid
  • Candy wrapper
  • Plastic utensil
  • Something metal
  • Something purple
  • Something square, etc.

3. Think beyond the trash can and look for other ways to beautify your community.

While picking up garbage is a simple, straightforward way to make a difference, there are other methods of sprucing up a community that you can factor into your cleanup day.

Take a look around your area. Are there abandoned buildings or lots that could be revitalized? Could they be used for something like a community playground or garden? Maybe you can approach your town officials about organizing a volunteer painting party for that run-down community center. What if you and your neighbors offered to pressure wash the graffiti off of walls? Is there a public space that could use some TLC?

[rebelmouse-image 19398297 dam="1" original_size="640x424" caption="Photo by Max Pixel." expand=1]Photo by Max Pixel.

The revitalization options in your neighborhood are only limited by your imagination.

4. Have a plan for Debris Removal

This is something you don't want to have to figure out after the fact: you will need a way to get rid of the waste you collect at your community cleanup. Whether your volunteers are picking up debris, painting over graffiti or planting new flowers, you will have trash at the end of the day. Call your city government at least a month in advance and ask about options for scheduling a trash and recycling pickup. If you're going for a waste cleanup record, consider renting a dumpster.

Some dumpsters offer their services free of charge to qualifying events around the country. If you would like your community cleanup to be considered for a dumpster donation, fill out this request form.

5. Keeping our communities clean is an ongoing effort.

Photo by USAG- Humphreys/Flickr.

Anyone who has engaged in a community cleanup project knows the joy of seeing an area looking pristine—as well as the disappointment in realizing that pristine doesn't last. But that's simply the nature of cleaning. Just as you have to clean your house regularly to keep it fresh and tidy, a neighborhood or town requires ongoing effort to keep it looking and feeling good.

Everyone can participate by being helpful stewards of our public spaces. And when we rally others to join in these efforts, we can all share the satisfaction that comes with caring for our communities and seeing them at their best.

Clorox is committed to providing a gentle yet powerful clean, which is why they've partnered with Upworthy to promote those same traits in people, actions and ideas. Cleaning up and strength are important aspects of many of our social good stories. Check out the rest in the campaign to read more.

Identity

Celebrate International Women's Day with these stunning photos of female leaders changing the world

The portraits, taken by acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, are part of CARE's "She Leads the World" campaign.

Images provided by CARE

Kadiatu (left), Zainab (right)

True

Women are breaking down barriers every day. They are transforming the world into a more equitable place with every scientific discovery, athletic feat, social justice reform, artistic endeavor, leadership role, and community outreach project.

And while these breakthroughs are happening all the time, International Women’s Day (Mar 8) is when we can all take time to acknowledge the collective progress, and celebrate how “She Leads the World.

This year, CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, is celebrating International Women’s Day through the power of portraiture. CARE partnered with high-profile photographer Nigel Barker, best known for his work on “America’s Next Top Model,” to capture breathtaking images of seven remarkable women who have prevailed over countless obstacles to become leaders within their communities.

“Mabinty, Isatu, Adama, and Kadiatu represent so many women around the world overcoming incredible obstacles to lead their communities,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA.

Barker’s bold portraits, as part of CARE’s “She Leads The World” campaign, not only elevate each woman’s story, but also shine a spotlight on how CARE programs helped them get to where they are today.

About the women:

Mabinty

international womens day, care.org

Mabinty is a businesswoman and a member of a CARE savings circle along with a group of other women. She buys and sells groundnuts, rice, and fuel. She and her husband have created such a successful enterprise that Mabinty volunteers her time as a teacher in the local school. She was the first woman to teach there, prompting a second woman to do so. Her fellow teachers and students look up to Mabinty as the leader and educator she is.

Kadiatu

international womens day, care.org

Kadiatu supports herself through a small business selling food. She also volunteers at a health clinic in the neighboring village where she is a nursing student. She tests for malaria, works with infants, and joins her fellow staff in dancing and singing with the women who visit the clinic. She aspires to become a full-time nurse so she can treat and cure people. Today, she leads by example and with ambition.

Isatu

international womens day, care.org

When Isatu was three months pregnant, her husband left her, seeking his fortune in the gold mines. Now Isatu makes her own way, buying and selling food to support her four children. It is a struggle, but Isatu is determined to be a part of her community and a provider for her kids. A single mother of four is nothing if not a leader.

Zainab

international womens day, care.org

Zainab is the Nurse in Charge at the Maternal Child Health Outpost in her community. She is the only nurse in the surrounding area, and so she is responsible for the pre-natal health of the community’s mothers-to-be and for the safe delivery of their babies. In a country with one of the world’s worst maternal death rates, Zainab has not lost a single mother. The community rallies around Zainab and the work she does. She describes the women who visit the clinic as sisters. That feeling is clearly mutual.

Adama

international womens day, care.org

Adama is something few women are - a kehkeh driver. A kehkeh is a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi, known elsewhere as a tuktuk. Working in the Kissy neighborhood of Freetown, Adama is the primary breadwinner for her family, including her son. She keeps her riders safe in other ways, too, by selling condoms. With HIV threatening to increase its spread, this is a vital service to the community.

Ya Yaebo

international womens day, care.org

“Ya” is a term of respect for older, accomplished women. Ya Yaebo has earned that title as head of her local farmers group. But there is much more than that. She started as a Village Savings and Loan Association member and began putting money into her business. There is the groundnut farm, her team buys and sells rice, and own their own oil processing machine. They even supply seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture. She has used her success to the benefit of people in need in her community and is a vocal advocate for educating girls, not having gone beyond grade seven herself.

On Monday, March 4, CARE will host an exhibition of photography in New York City featuring these portraits, kicking off the multi-day “She Leads the World Campaign.

Learn more, view the portraits, and join CARE’s International Women's Day "She Leads the World" celebration at CARE.org/sheleads.


Health

Over or under? Surprisingly, there actually is a 'correct' way to hang a toilet paper roll.

Let's settle this silly-but-surprisingly-heated debate once and for all.

Elya/Wikimedia Commons

Should you hang the toilet paper roll over or under?

Humans have debated things large and small over the millennia, from the democracy to breastfeeding in public to how often people ought to wash their sheets.

But perhaps the most silly-yet-surprisingly-heated household debate is the one in which we argue over which way to hang the toilet paper roll.

The "over or under" question has plagued marriages and casual acquaintances alike for over 100 years, with both sides convinced they have the soundest reasoning for putting their toilet paper loose end out or loose end under. Some people feel so strongly about right vs. wrong TP hanging that they will even flip the roll over when they go to the bathroom in the homes of strangers.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not merely an inconsequential preference. There is actually a "correct" way to hang toilet paper, according to health experts as well as the man who invented the toilet paper roll in the first place.

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When the Philadelphia Eagles' season came to an unceremonious end last weekend, many fans were, understandably, more than a little pissed.

Take the rest of the night off to sleep in your shame, boys. Photo by Elsa/Getty Images.

After the final game, one fan allegedly commented on Facebook that the team had "played like they were wearing tutus!!!"

Photo by David R. Tribble/Wikimedia Commons.

...according to the Pennsylvania Ballet, which reported encountering the post on the social media site.

The Pennsylvania Ballet, whose company members regularly wear tutus, had a few choice words for anyone who thinks their light, frequently pink costumes mean they're not "tough."

Commence epic reply...


(full text transcribed under the post).

A Facebook user recently commented that the Eagles had "played like they were wearing tutus!!!"

Our response:

"With all due respect to the Eagles, let's take a minute to look at what our tutu wearing women have done this month:

By tomorrow afternoon, the ballerinas that wear tutus at Pennsylvania Ballet will have performed The Nutcracker 27 times in 21 days. Some of those women have performed the Snow scene and the Waltz of the Flowers without an understudy or second cast. No 'second string' to come in and spell them when they needed a break. When they have been sick they have come to the theater, put on make up and costume, smiled and performed. When they have felt an injury in the middle of a show there have been no injury timeouts. They have kept smiling, finished their job, bowed, left the stage, and then dealt with what hurts. Some of these tutu wearers have been tossed into a new position with only a moments notice. That's like a cornerback being told at halftime that they're going to play wide receiver for the second half, but they need to make sure that no one can tell they've never played wide receiver before. They have done all of this with such artistry and grace that audience after audience has clapped and cheered (no Boo Birds at the Academy) and the Philadelphia Inquirer has said this production looks "better than ever".

So no, the Eagles have not played like they were wearing tutus. If they had, Chip Kelly would still be a head coach and we'd all be looking forward to the playoffs."

Happy New Year!

In case it wasn't obvious, toughness has nothing to do with your gender.

Gendered and homophobic insults in sports have been around basically forever — how many boys are called a "pansy" on the football field or told they "throw like a girl" in Little League?

"They played like they were wearing tutus" is the same deal. It's shorthand for "You're kinda ladylike, which means you're not tough enough."

Pure intimidation.

Photo by Ralph Daily/Flickr.

Toughness, however, has a funny way of not being pinned to one particular gender. It's not just ballerinas, either. NFL cheerleaders? They get paid next to nothing to dance in bikini tops and short-shorts in all kinds of weather — and wear only ever-so-slightly heavier outfits when the thermometer drops below freezing. And don't even get me started on how mind-bogglingly badass the Rockettes are.

Toughness also has nothing to do with what kind of clothes you wear.

As my colleague Parker Molloy astutely points out, the kinds of clothes assigned to people of different genders are, and have always been, basically completely arbitrary. Pink has been both a "boys color" and a "girls color" at different points throughout history. President Franklin D. Roosevelt — longtime survivor of polio, Depression vanquisher, wartime leader, and no one's idea of a wimp — was photographed in his childhood sporting a long blonde hairstyle and wearing a dress.

Many of us are conditioned to see a frilly pink dance costume and think "delicate," and to look at a football helmet and pads and think "big and strong." But scratch the surface a little bit, and you'll meet tutu-wearing ballerinas who that are among toughest people on the planet and cleat-and-helmet-wearing football players who are ... well. The 2015 Eagles.

You just can't tell from their outerwear.

Ballerinas wear tutus for the same reason football players wear uniforms and pads:

Photo by zaimoku_woodpile/Flickr.


To get the job done.


This article originally appeared on 01.05.16

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