Author: lovebigger

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

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LOVE BIGGER SUPPORTS IMPROVED MENTAL HEALTH

As this week kicks off Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted to send out an email with some helpful tips to help improve awareness of this important topic. Many of you who know me may be aware that I suffered from severe anxiety for most of my 20’s and well into my 30’s, so this theme is something I know just a little bit about. Thankfully, I had family who helped me to survive the ups, downs and incessant panic attacks that were often triggered when I least expected it.

As I got older, I learned a lot of cognitive-behavioral methods that helped, determined my food sensitivities (I’ll bet you didn’t know bananas or milk can trigger a panic attack) and arranged my diet accordingly, I got new glasses to help my visual issues that apparently could trigger the attacks, and at one point I even tried meds for about 4 months, but they weren’t for me. The more I learned, the stronger my inclination became to create order for myself, to have simple systems to prevent overwhelm, and to own less, to decrease stress and decision-fatigue. I studied psychology at the master’s level to obtain theoretical perspective and to read studies accounting for current practice in the field. I even became a professional organizer and decluttering expert so that I can help people every day to live with less and have better mental health.

All this to say that there are many wonderful charities all around Michigan that I am meeting and learning about through this Love Bigger Community development I am doing, who help support mental health, not the least of which is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. If you or anyone you love is suffering from anxiety, depression or overwhelm, please recommend they speak with someone. Many people with suicidal ideation feel isolated and do not feel they have someone they can talk to in their immediate family or circle of friends. AFSP can help! The number to call is 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or you can now text TALK to 741741 to text a trained counselor on the Crisis Text Line 24/7. To find a mental health provider, go to mentalhealthamerica.net/finding-help or findtreatment.samhsa.gov.

Today I visited Goodwill of Metro Detroit for a tour of their work skills training facilities as well as to meet their leadership. This team is committed to improving the social determinants of health for all those they serve. From their occupational training programs, life skills training for the mentally ill, work coaching and mentoring programs, to the Flip the Script program for those headed for or leaving incarceration to get jobs and degrees and live the lives they were born to live, Goodwill exists to serve and help improve overall mental health and wellbeing. If you area part of a group who would like to help serve Goodwill, they have First Fridays Group Volunteer opportunities available., and their tours are very eye-opening as to all of the good they are doing around our city and country.

Another wonderful charity I met this month is called Trinity Community Care and they provide medical and dental mission care to local Detroit area communities. The ability to smile and feel confident can greatly affect our mental health. Dental infections, left unchecked, can also wreak havoc on our mental wellbeing, causing brainfog and depression. Those who do not think they can afford the help, or who do not have the resources to pay for the extensive dental work they may need, may find themselves depressed and in constant pain, which is NOT a good combination. This charity can bring the services to them! If you know of someone 19-64 who needs medical care, or someone over 19 years old who needs dental care, please let them know to contact 586-649-3014 to learn more. If you are a medical or dental professional who wants to support providing care to those in need, please contact trinitycommunitycare.org to submit a volunteer application or call the number above.

Thanks for reading and caring about supporting better mental health in our local communities around Michigan.

LOVE BIGGER NEWS FOR JOYFUL GIVERS

Just a quick update on the progress of the Love Bigger app. We are live and working to get more charities added, but we are also working on some improvements to the SHARING ENGINE! We have surpassed 200 donors in our “Community of Joyful Givers, “and now we are working to improve interactions between donors and charities. We are also busy networking on the sustainability side to gain access to more retail partners who can offer new and intact returned merchandise to the pipeline for our charities to choose instead of the material shipping offshore or going into a landfill. So, in addition to used items, we hope to create a funnel of new items for sharing as well. We are working to improve our interactions with our charities so that we can get needs updated regularly and keep their sites interactive daily. Please reach out to kayla@lovebigger.com or jen@lovebigger.com if you have any questions.

IMPORTANT CHARITY EVENTS AT OUR MEMBER CHARITIES…

SAVE THE DATES FOR:

Neighborhood House – Join Neighborhood house for their Top Golf Fundraiser tonight, May 9 from 6 – 9 pm in Auburn Hills. Tickets available here: https://www.ranh.org/events

Gifts for All God’s Children – Christmas in July Fundraiser Event will be held at the San Marino Club in Troy on July 16 at 6:30 pm. Tickets may be purchased here: https://giftsforallgodschildren.org/christmas-in-july/

LEARN MORE!!

Jen’s Monthly Lunch & Learn Event

Thursday, May 23 at 12:30 pm is Jen’s Monthly Lunch & Learn class called “Getting Started with Minimalism”. Please sign up at this link to attend or to receive a link to the recording that will be posted to the Love Bigger You Tube Channel.

Also, visit our channel to watch past presentations/discussions about spring cleaning, decluttering with kids, decluttering 101 and more! Like and follow our channel to receive the lastest content for your viewing pleasure!

Thanks for reading and let us know how we can serve your local charity organization request the items you need from people who are ready to share. We are here to help everyone get what they need and to make sure Downsizing is NOT a Downer!

XO Jen and the Love Bigger Team

Sharing the Love this Spring at Love Bigger!

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Jen at the Velocity Kick-off Event

Hello all!

So many exciting updates this week and be sure to read on for upcoming charity updates and events near you. Make it a plan to attend at least one to support a cause in your community. It’s good for the heart and it opens us up to see those near us who may need our help.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

This spring sure has started out exciting with Love Bigger Charities receiving funds, celebrating groundbreaking events and preparing for so many exciting fundraisers and fun during the outdoor entertainment season!  Read on to learn more.

Love Bigger has joined the Velocity Accelerator and MEDC Support Hub Grant community in Sterling Heights, Michigan. We had our kickoff event last week and many dignitaries were in attendance. Can’t wait to share all the BIG news about our new relationship and where it can take Love Bigger!

 

Exciting News for the DRE Project!! Funds raised at the 2023 SAY Detroit Radiothon were distributed to local charities on Tuesday, April 4, 2024. SAY Detroit annually distributes a percentage of donations from its fundraiser to partner organizations and charities that share the nonprofit’s mission to provide pathways to success for Detroiters in need.

Hosted by SAY Detroit founder Mitch Albom and featuring SAY Detroit’s program leaders, the presentation and networking opportunity welcomed representatives from twenty-seven charities, including first-time recipients The DRE Project and Wings of Love Missionary Baptist Church. The DRE Project was awarded $10,000 to be used for meals for 100 families. These funds move the needle 20% of the way to the goal of feeding 600 families in 2024. Congratulations to Jennifer Jackson and her amazing volunteers!

 

Micah 6 Community Celebrates a Groundbreaking in Pontiac!!

I had the chilly pleasure of attending the close-of-financing and groundbreaking event for the Webster Community Center on April 3. The construction project that will renovate this defunct Pontiac school into a community beacon is expected to take 14 months plus another 2 months of inspections and permitting. It should be opening around late summer 2025 for use by the neighboring community in Pontiac! We cannot wait to see all the good that will be accomplished by providing a safe and inviting place for kids and families to gather.

 

EVENTS TO ATTEND: CHARITY FUNDRAISERS!!

 **If you are looking to uplift your heart and your social calendar this season, join some of our awesome charities for events for a cause. Add these awesome events to your social calendar! **

 Micah 6 Community – Garden of Cocktails Annual Fundraiser from 7 – 9 pm on April 26 at the beautiful Goldner Walsh Nursery in Pontiac. Proceeds support their community work such as gardens, community outreach and support and other community-building efforts. Tickets are $60 per person and can be purchased at: https://micah6community.networkforgood.com/events/68710-garden-of-cocktails-2024

Their volunteer opportunities may be found at: https://www.micah6community.com/events

Community Housing Network – Bring it Home Event Thursday April 26 at 6 pm at the Community House in Birmingham.  Tickets may be purchased here. https://communityhousingnetwork.org/bring-it-home/

 Neighborhood House – Join Neighborhood house for their Top Golf Fundraiser coming up on May 9 from 6 – 9 pm in Auburn Hills. Tickets available here: https://www.ranh.org/events

Gifts for All God’s Children – Christmas in July Fundraiser Event will be held at the San Marino Club in Troy on July 16 at 6:30 pm. Tickets may be purchased here: https://giftsforallgodschildren.org/christmas-in-july/

 

LEARN MORE!!

Jen’s Monthly Lunch & Learn Event

Thursday, May 23 is Jen’s next Lunch & Learn Event titled “Getting Started on your Minimalism Journey”. Please sign up at this link to attend or to receive a link to the recording that will be posted to the Love Bigger You Tube Channel.

Also, visit our channel to watch past presentations/discussions about spring cleaning, decluttering with kids and more!

DONATE

The Community Housing Network is actively seeking donations of new or gently used air mattresses for their clients who need them upon move-in to their new housing. If you have one to donate, please drop it off to their location in Troy or reach out to jen@lovebigger.com and she can pick up when she is in your area if you are local to her.

DOWNLOAD LOVE BIGGER TODAY!

Download the Love Bigger app to locate charities near you and see their wish lists, post your items offered and match with local charities where you can drop off or who can pick up the items from your doorstep. Donate your items and mark them as donated in the app to track your annual donations for taxes. Love Bigger keeps track of your donations for you!

Thanks for reading and letting us know how we can support your local charity in need. We are here to help and spread the word on how our growing community of joyful givers can support local community improvement efforts all over Michigan, and soon, beyond!

Thanks for reading!

XO Jen and the Love Bigger Team

Spring has Sprung at Love Bigger!

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Hi there Love Bigger Community!

Happy Spring 2024! Can’t believe we are past St. Patrick’s Day already and well on our way to the Spring flowers blooming.  ICYMI, the big news earlier this month was that we decided to make Love Bigger free to ALL charities, no matter the level of membership, for the upcoming spring months. We are pursuing exciting avenues, like corporate social responsibility and sustainability partners, in-app and in-newsletter sponsorships, to fund our future development.

If you have a business that would benefit from promotion to our growing audience of charities, joyful givers, downsizers, realtors, professional organizers, people who are moving to smaller spaces and those becoming minimalists, please talk to jen@lovebigger.com. We would love to promote your business and enable Love Bigger to remain free to all charities for the foreseeable future.

And finally, we would love to welcome our NEW ADDITIONS – Neighborhood House in Rochester, Michigan and the Alger Marquette Community Action Board in Marquette, Michigan, expanding our reach to Northern Michigan! Both organizations support families and children, and we are so excited to have them join our growing online community.

We would love nothing more than to be able to serve your organization, or one that has served your family in the past, so please pass along our website at www.lovebigger.com to those decisionmakers you know who would like a pipeline of new and used (but in good condition) goods, free promotion, a place to tell their stories to their community and to be promoted by a team who wants to help them serve as many people as possible in 2024.

ANNOUNCEMENT!!  Love Bigger has been selected to participate in the Shop313 Initiative through Comerica Bank and the Detroit Pistons this Wednesday night March 20! If you are at the game, please stop by to meet us in person, and drop your name in the drawing for fun prizes and meals donated by Breadless, a terrific new healthy eating restaurant with locations in Detroit and Rochester!

Any charity who is live on the Love Bigger app right now will be able to provide materials to me to place at our table at the March 20 game. We will be happy to represent your charity to guests at the event, and we have opportunities to provide in-game promotions and giveaways as well. Our team is excited to share your opportunities to serve with the greater Detroit community via this exciting event.

LET’S TALK SPRING DECLUTTERING THIS THURSDAY AT LUNCH! Jen’s Next Charitable Downsizing and Spring Cleaning-themed Lunch & Learn call will take place on March 21 at 12:30 pm. Visit www.lovebigger.com to sign up.

Please feel free to send us your feedback on the app, and how we can make it better, to jen@lovebigger.com.  Thanks so much for being one of our first Community Members!!

We appreciate you!

XO Jen and the Love Bigger Team

Two exciting Love Bigger digital events coming up in February!

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Hi There Love Bigger Community!

I hope this post finds you well and thriving in the spirit of giving and community. As always, I am incredibly grateful for the unwavering support you have shown to the Love Bigger movement. Your commitment to spreading kindness and generosity is the heartbeat of our mission. Today, I am reaching out with some exciting opportunities to deepen our impact and support local nonprofits in a meaningful way. Here’s how you can be a part of this journey:

  • Download the Love Bigger App!
    • If you haven’t already, please download our app. It’s a fantastic tool to stay connected and updated with our initiatives.
  • Use the App! Share Your Items to Donate:
    • Use the app to share items you wish to donate. Your generosity can make a significant difference in someone’s life.
  • Follow Us on Social Media:
  • Stay in the loop with our latest news and community stories by following us on Facebook and Instagram.

Upcoming Events!

For our wonderful parents in the community, I have something special for you. Join me on February 13 for “Teaching Kids to DeClutter with a Purpose,” a unique event designed to teach your children the joy of giving. It’s a perfect opportunity to help your little ones part with the toys and items they no longer need, and in doing so, help others in need. Register Here!

And then, mark your calendars for February 22! I’ll be hosting our monthly roundtable to share more “DeClutter with a Purpose” tips and insights about the Love Bigger movement. This event is also for any Charity interested in becoming a partner and letting us help you connect with donors! Register Here!

These events are not to be missed and are a great way to connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about making a difference.

Your participation in these events and initiatives is more than just an action; it’s a declaration of love and support for those in need. Let’s continue to spread the message of Love Bigger and create ripples of positive change in our communities.

Thank you once again for being a part of this incredible journey. Together, we can make a bigger difference.

DOWNLOAD THE LOVE BIGGER APP HERE:


Love Bigger App Update 1/7/24

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Greetings Love Bigger Community!

We wanted to let you know that a new release is going live on the App Store and Google Play. You will want to update your version on your phone as soon as possible so that you can take advantage of the new attributes. Here are just a few of the goodies we have added now with this update, and there are still more to come:

  • Charities can now have an “Owner” and as many “Members” as they would like under the same account for each location at no additional charge. Owners can control members joining and can remove members of their team if necessary.
  • Ability to upgrade memberships in the app at any time.
  • Notifications have been improved to keep you updated about things happening in the app when you are not checked in, so you can respond when you return.
  • Enhancements to pick-up and drop-off scheduling to improve clarity and ease of use.
  • Ability to add more than one story or photo so that you can stream new information into the app as it happens. These posts can be made by the Owner as well as Members, but the Owner has final say as to whether the content plays or not.

We are sending out surveys this week to our Charities and our Donors, and we would love to hear from you about any issues you are encountering and any feedback you would like to give us about what we should improve, add or enhance within the app or on the website. We will be adding reporting functionality to the website release very soon, and would love to hear about reports that would make a difference to you as well. So watch for that message later this week, collect your thoughts and send us all your feedback. We are here for it, as we want this app to become an invaluable resource for you on both the Donor and the Charity side.

Thank you, again, for being an early adopter of the Love Bigger app!  We appreciate you and all you do to make this world a better place for all of us in it!

DOWNLOAD THE LOVE BIGGER APP HERE:


What are you most thankful for this year?

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This Thanksgiving, we are especially thankful for the opportunity to nurture this incredible community and for the chance to make a meaningful impact through our partnerships with local charities. Your involvement has been the heartbeat of Love Bigger, and it’s something we deeply cherish.

Share Your Gratitude and Help Us Grow Love Bigger This Thanksgiving!

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As we approach this Thanksgiving weekend, we are filled with immense gratitude for each one of you. Your presence and support have been pivotal in growing our Love Bigger family. In the spirit of giving thanks, we’re eager to hear from you.