My Volunteer Journal: Episode 68 – People with Allergies to Cats Shouldn’t Volunteer with Them

Mercedes & Kitty Kat Don’t volunteer with cats if you’re allergic. I repeat, differently: If you are allergic to cats do not volunteer with them. En espanol: No voluntario con los gatos si usted alergico a ellos. Obvious?  You’d think so, but I had occasion to test this.  Here’s what happened… I set up a volunteer activity... [Read more]

UPDATE! My Volunteer Journal: Episode 38 – Kiva – Last One Promise

The Ladies Payne Repaid Again! Re-loaned again. And just in time for Christmas. I would never suggest that Kiva is more fun as a competition. Especially not a competition between family members. That would be tacky and defeat the purpose of being generous out of the goodness of your heart. But… if, lets say, my family members and... [Read more]

My Volunteer Journal: Episode 67 – I Take a Shower with PETA

Freezing for Furry Friends Ladies and Gentleman, the following is an account of my weirdest volunteer activity as TheGoodMuse- yet. I had never volunteered with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), but then I got this email, which said something like… Come take a shower in the middle of the LA Convention Center to promote... [Read more]

TheGoodMuse Explains: What’s The Lamest Thing About Volunteering?

TheGoodMuse Thinks After an in-depth investigation of male hostility towards Jane Austen and adoration of  all things thong we return this week to the focus of this blog and answer… What is the lamest thing about volunteering? And how do we fix it. Shockingly, the answer isn’t waking up early on a Saturday or Sunday, which is... [Read more]

My Volunteer Journal: Episode 66 – AIDS Walk LA! Don’t Hate ‘Cause We’re Fierce!

WeHo Cheer - the official Good Will Ambassadors of West Hollywood If AIDS Walk LA (which raised over 3 million dollars to benefit people living with HIV) was a video game it would go something like this: Your car zooms through the back street of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills avoiding the mass of traffic trying to get into free parking at... [Read more]

My Volunteer Journal: Episode 65 – The Trevor Project

Sara and I with Trevor Project Survival Kits “Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds.” Downer opening but, let’s face it, 15-24 is rough. For many of us it’s the worse time of our life.  Almost impossible. You get raging hormones, a new body, acne, and hair in random places. You want to experiment... [Read more]

UPDATE! My Volunteer Journal: Episode 64 – Angels from Heaven Save a Muse & a Kitten

Dirty Kitty From Episode 64 Grows Up & Becomes "Chrissy" Back in April, I had a dirty, starving kitten in a Frito Lays box shoved into my arms.  I didn’t really have a clue how I was going to find it a home. I didn’t have the time or resources. I just knew kitten rehab was required. As usual the person who dropped the baby... [Read more]

TheGoodMuse Explains: Why Jury Service is Not Volunteering

Welcome to the first in a new series of blogs I would like to call TheGoodMuse Explains.  We will cover Volunteering Questions as well as Life Mess… My friends found out (because I complained loudly to everyone) that I had jury service and so the question this week is: Q: Why not write the jury service up as a Volunteer Journal? A: Any... [Read more]

UPDATE! My Volunteer Journal: Episode 38 – My 4th KIVA Loan! Better than the Stock Market

I’ve made my fourth Kiva loan! Miraculous. This means I have been reimbursed in full three times by third world farmers, and people who don’t own shoes, while receiving not one (NOT ONE) piece of junk mail from Kiva or an affiliate. I’m so pleased I’m damn near speechless (as demonstrated by pic). Luckily I can still type. To put... [Read more]

My Volunteer Journal: Episode 64 – Kitten Rehab

Dirty, Tiny Kitten There are advantages and disadvantages to being thegoodmuse. Advantage – people come and ask you to help them like you are a superhero. Disadvantage – people come and ask you to help them like you are a superhero. Couple thegoodmuse reputation with the fact that I’ve gained a certain notoriety, in my circle of friends,... [Read more]

UPDATE! My Volunteer Journal: Episode 38 – KIVA.org Now On My 3rd Loan

I love Kiva.org. I do! It’s the gift that keeps on giving.  Over a year ago, for Episode 38, I loaned $25 through Kiva to help a group of women in Uganda who wanted to start a used clothing business.  They paid me back in a matter of months.  Then I loaned to a young woman in Lebanon who owned a farm and wanted to improve her crops.... [Read more]

My Volunteer Journal: Episode 63 – Calling All Vendors: Hold A Raffle for Japan!

Here is a simple way to help Japan for shop owners across the US. Whether you sell services (like a spa) or goods (like a bakery or a toy store) you can donate a service or item for raffle, charge your patrons $1 to enter, set up a box at checkout in which to collect all the tickets (tickets can be purchased at office supply stores), donate... [Read more]

My Volunteer Journal: Episode 62 – Organizing a Canned Food Drive

Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay.  I can admit when things don’t go according to plan. I organized a Food Drive in Beverly Hills. We did get donations, don’t get me wrong, but for Beverly Hills… the turnout was lackluster.  Here’s what went right and wrong. Location, Location, Uggg Cliched Location Throwing the Food Drive... [Read more]

My Volunteer Journal: Episode 61 – Slavery Still Exists – The Somaly Mam Foundation

Somaly Mam The following conversation actually occurred.  It happened because I told a friend that approximately 27 million people live in slavery today – more than during the entire history of the transatlantic slave trade. Friend: So you’re saying the African slave trade was not as bad as slave trade today. Me: I actually wasn’t... [Read more]

My Volunteer Journal: Episode 60 – What I Do Best – Writing Coach

I love that number 60 was in my wheelhouse. Teaching a writing workshop. That’s it. Pretty simple. Class – 6 High school kids. Who should be worried about going to college and picking up classmates. Unfortunately these kids, as KIDSAVE ambassadors, had to worry about finding families and convincing others to look beyond blood and... [Read more]

My Volunteer Journal: Episode 59 – Yum. Sugar Shock for Share Our Strength

No Kid Hungry I got the call from Share Our Strength on Friday requesting volunteer help on Sunday for the LA Times Celebration of Food and Wine benefit at Paramount. Regardless of the late notice, I got butterflies. Maybe even a bit lightheaded. Some people go weak over movie stars – I lose my mind over gourmet-handcrafted food. To prep... [Read more]

My Volunteer Journal: Episode 58 – The Midnight Mission & The Story of How TheGoodMuse Started

I lived in a loft above Skid Row when I first moved to LA. I always say it was a green loft because the building housed an electric company before me; the heater didn’t work so it was very energy efficient, and I was so poor I couldn’t buy anything new. But I was comfortable compared to my homeless neighbors who I watched mill about on... [Read more]

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