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Greetings!
Peace on Earth - Goodwill to Men (and women and children) Don't worry. I have not come undone and I know that it's not holiday time. Green holiday giving tips will be here soon enough. This is about Goodwill and true sustainability and the real deal on the circle of life. is the newest organization to become a supporter of Mrs. Green's mission and vision through their sponsorship. For that, we are all grateful. After spending an afternoon with some of their team, I decided to dedicate this newsletter to the work of Goodwill. I honestly had no clue just how much they do beyond the great resale shops that I have haunted since I was young - with my mom, and now that I am "older", with my husband. Hopefully, some of this information will knock your organic cotton socks off like it did mine.
Goodwill is the epitome of sustainability, goodwill, circle of life, making a difference. No matter where you live, you have seen a Goodwill Store, gone shopping at a Goodwill store, hopefully made numerous donations to Goodwill (Mr. Green says "they make it so easy!") or at the very least HEARD of Goodwill. But did you ever stop and think what they do with the money they make? Maybe I did - a little. Okay - so here goes. Did you know that Goodwill's mission is to provide training, services and jobs for people with barriers to employment? (Translation: sustainability for the ENTIRE community!) Did you know that they offer FREE one-on-one job search assistance to ANYONE in the community looking for a job? (Much needed in our world right now?) Did you know that Goodwill of Southern Arizona also provides FREE computer/customer service training to people and assists them in finding jobs after graduation? Did you know that they have a partnership with Tucson Rotary Club's Reading Seed (one of my FAVORITE mentoring programs on the planet) to provide FREE children's books to low-income children? Stay with me - it's worth it. Did you know that Goodwill offers PAID and sheltered employment services for adults with SEVERE disabilities? (Creating a better, more sustainable world for everyone AND saving taxpayers money?) Did you know that you can help them so much by donating books which they sell on EBay AND Amazon.com to raise more money for their great programs? Did you know their Goodwill Guides needs YOU to be a mentor to at-risk youth to keep them from going into the juvenile justice system? (I already am a mentor or I would sign up - most rewarding experience of my life after motherhood!) And lastly, did you know that Goodwill Industries in Tucson (and I am certain other places throughout the country) is a MAJOR employer, employing over 230 people? Fact: In 2009, Goodwill kept over 16,000,000 lbs of goods out of Arizona landfills! So what is JUST ONE THING you can do? Donate your household goods, your clothing, your time, your books, and/or your business as a collection site for books - YOUR goodwill to an agency that is quietly, steadily, wonderfully making our world a better place! Peace on earth indeed. The Mrs. Green team is proud to have them as part of the Mrs. Green community! Bookmans Entertainment ExchangeI can't write, blog, Facebook or tweet enough about Bookmans. There are lots of reasons for that and they all come from within my head and heart - Bookmans just makes sense. You can trade or sell your books, cds, DVDs, books on tape, magazines and other odds and ends at Bookmans AND find just about anything you are looking for at one of their locations, and very soon online. Or you can just go there and hang out (great for people watching). So I am beyond Thunderdome excited that they are now in the "Major Sponsor" category of Mrs. Green's World. It's a perfect fit all around. And, yes, Bob Oldfather is committed to branding Tucson as The Solar City. Stay tuned for updates on that. And thanks to all of the wonderful, fun people at Bookmans for your support and advice on a myriad of topics! More on Reverse OsmosisI had no idea one single sentence in my last newsletter would result in such thoughtful, informative, passionate responses about reverse osmosis. I am actually thrilled because it's very important to me to create a space for intelligent conversation and diverse opinions to take place. At press time, I have not received any "counter point" to my blog or Facebook posts about the problems with RO. Again, I invite it and look forward to the continuing education. Just a Quick Note on a Green Giant (not the Jolly one)I have met so many wonderful people along the Mrs. Green journey that I have lost count. One of them is Tom Doucette. I love it when other people agree with me. As a builder, Tom Doucette does the right thing simply because it's the right thing to do. I hope you will take the time to read this article about him because it will clearly articulate why I am such a fan. Way to go, Mr. Doucette! You ARE making the world a better place. Tucson Residents: Take Note & Hopefully - Take Action!
If you live in Tucson, we have an easy way for you to support the mission of Mrs. Green AND support a wonderful Mrs. Green partner. During the month of July, if you make a purchase at any one of Cartridge World Tucson's 3 locations, Cartridge World will designate 5% directly back to Mrs. Green's EVER EXPANDING world. Big box store or small business owners like Kathy & Chuck Sawyer? You decide.
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Did You Know?
I think I may have worn out my "did you knows" with my excitement about Goodwill but I have to add just another quick one because it is so reflective of the quality of people and organizations committed to sustainability. Did you know that the Habistore donates to Goodwill when they get something more suited to the Goodwill resale customers? And that Habistore refers people to Goodwill Industries when they receive calls about donations that really should go to Goodwill? It gets better...vice versa from the Goodwill side. They work together for the common good. What a concept!
And in the next edition, I promise a great did you know about one of our very first supporters - Garment Graphics! |
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Upcoming Shows
 7/10
Wells Fargo - Larry Finuf, Regional President for Southern Arizona. Finally, Mrs. Green will get to share with listeners the cutting edge sustainable practices solidly in place at Wells Fargo. In September of 2009, Newsweek magazine ranked them #13 overall and #1 bank in the magazine's inaugural Green Rankings of the country's 500-largest companies. I will ask Larry to share with us how they did it, what's new with Wells Fargo in southern Arizona and around the country, and what their sustainability and environmental stewardship practices look like for the future. As a proud customer of Wells Fargo for over 35 years, I have been looking forward to this interview and hope you will tune in and get your questions ready.!
 7/17Defenders of Wildlife - M. Scott Johnson, Arizona Senior Outreach Representative. This group is one of the country's leaders in science-based, results-oriented wildlife conservation. They stand out in their commitment to saving "at-risk" wildlife and championing the Endangered Species Act. They are truly dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. They also work to resolve conflicts, crossing international borders and educating the public. Hopefully, Scott will be able to give us some insights on the true impact of one of the most damaging oil spills in history - still pouring out in the Gulf at press time. This will be a good one!  7/24Organic Gardening - Holly Hutchinson & Rich Johnson. The popularity and growth of organic gardening is unprecedented in the United States. Holly and Rich are in the thick of things and I doubt there will be a question I ask about organic gardening that they can't answer. How they compost, how they control pests, why having chickens helps, what some of the challenges are, and maybe even what you need to know to get started. These are some of the things I hope to cover with them as time flies while we are having fun. They may make a composter out of me yet - stranger things have happened to me along this journey. Please plan to join us.  7/31
UniSource and Tucson Electric Power - Paul Bonavia, CEO. There were two things that struck me about this man when I first heard him speak: his intelligence and his honesty. Paul Bonavia is a visionary and a realist when it comes to energy and energy solutions for our future - quite a combination. Since he assumed his new role in January of 2009, Paul has worked to expand the company's leadership role in renewable energy while maintaining safe, reliable service to over 600,000 customers across Arizona. Join me in learning about Paul's vision for the company, his thoughts on where we are going as a country in terms of solar, wind, and nuclear power. We'll also hear about his insights as to the challenges we face in moving forward. You will enjoy this informative, content rich show. 8/7 - TBA 8/14
Eco-Healthy Design - Robin Wilson. Robin is the author of The Kennedy Green House which just reached #1 on Amazon.com's Best Home Makeover list. Robin Wilson is a nationally known eco-friendly and healthy home interior designer focused on sustainable, reusable, recyclable and non-toxic options from the 'foundation to the furniture'. Robin will share with us how she worked to transform the Kennedy home working with a team of people from the architectural plans to the selection of eco-friendly building materials and power sources to the retooling of the house with health promoting EVERYTHING! Robin will also give us some information and tips on how these changes can be implemented by any homeowner - from a complete renovation to simple, affordable replacements of common household items. We will all learn something to help us in our going green journey. .And did I mention that she has been regularly featured in the news (CBS, ABC, PBS, NBC) and NOW on Mrs. Green?  8/21Robert Glennon, author of Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What To Do About It. I have heard Robert speak on two different occasions and have read his book. After you listen to what he has to say, the research he has done and the facts he presents us with, I doubt you will ever feel the same about water again. Robert's official title is Morris K. Udall Professor of Law & Public Policy. It sounds impressive and Robert will impress you even more. His book really is both frightening and wickedly funny. Be ready to hear some of Robert's shocking stories of extravagance and waste that are sucking the nation dry. Get ready with your questions. Robert has the answers.  8/28
Lon Huber & Mark Sholin - University of Arizona: Spotlight on Sustainability. This show will be a hoot! Mark and Lon are two young men that give me hope for the future and I guarantee you will feel the same way. They don't see problems, they don't see us "running out" - they see innovation, creativity and change. They invent "things" and solutions. They want to solve our nation's dependency on foreign oil. They are smart, intelligent and fun to be around. At this point I am not even sure everything we will talk about but I promise you a fun, action packed, thought provoking show covering topics we all care about! |
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Mrs. Green Goes Mainstream's All Green Talk Radio Show
Please remember to tune in to Mrs. Green Goes Mainstream every Saturday at 12:05 p.m. PST on NEWSTALK 790 KNST AM or live, streaming on the internet at www.790knst.com.
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