If you are fortunate enough to have a good job, a roof over your head,  health insurance, and plenty of food in your pantry – you CAN do something. With so many folks falling on hard times it is our responsibility as world citizens to take care of each other. Even by doing small things, we can make a difference. We cannot rely on ‘someone else’ to do these things. So what are you waiting for?

Here are some ideas:

• Donate to Modest Needs
• Support the Capital Area Food Bank (or a food bank in your area)
• Adopt a family in Fairfax County Virginia (use google to find a reputable organization in your area)
• Help an elderly person by spending time or helping them with errands
• Participate in the help the homeless walkathon

There are so many creative ways to help. If you have ideas – let me know! I will write about them here and post them in other places as well.

Stop thinking about yourself and just do it!

• Do you give money to support or further a cause?
• Do you donate your time, skills or expertise?
• Do you pay it forward and share your good fortune with others so that they can get ahead?
• Do you connect and engage with others through conversation and understanding in order to create a movement for change?
• Do you spend time with those who have no one?
• Do you turn your cause in to your life’s work?
• Do you randomly give kindness to others?

Amidst the flurry of Harry Potter madness — including anti-Christian controversies and debates on whether or not the series is appropriate for children — it seems that a clear, positive global impact has been made on our youth. Check out Amy Jussel’s blog post “Harry Potter Alliance Tackles the Darkness of Darfur” on her Shaping Youth Blog where she discusses this topic in the context of how media and marketing influences kids.

Here are just a few examples of how the Harry Potter fandom uses the Internet to make a difference:

Wizard Rock — musical fan-fiction with a cause – raises more than $10,000 for First Book in 2007

Harry potter fans are extremely creative – so much so that they started an entire genre of music all their own called Wizard Rock. This genre of music has grown on me over the past few months - as some of it is really great and some is simply entertaining! Out of the Wizard Rock movement came the Wizard Rock Club - where fans subscribe online to receive monthly cds, and artists have a way to easily distribute their music. Fans can visit the Wizard Rock websiteto get a sampling of upcoming releases and discuss related topics. Subscription fees are used to cover all costs associated with producing and distributing the CDs to members. After that, all remaining proceeds are donated to First Book, a non-profit organization that gives children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. I am, of course, a proud subscriber.

The Harry Potter Alliance: The politics of Harry Potter & grassroots advocacy at its best

Couching themselves as the real ‘Dumbledores Army’ (only true Harry Potter fans know what this means), the Harry Potter alliance leverages the power of the Harry Potter community to make real change happen in our world through using online community outlets such as Myspace and Facebook, as well as producing events, podcasts and other multimedia messages with a cause. My favorite effort is the HP Alliance House Parties with a Cause, where there is an online toolkit you can download to help you plan a socially concious house party. You gotta love it!

Other HP Alliance efforts include:

• WaldeMart Watch (part of WalMart watch -you have GOT to watch the video)
• Stop Big Media (stop big media consolidation)
• DarfurFast ( to benefit STAND and the Genocide Intervention Network)

The HP Alliance is growing in numbers and has created an energized movement that raises funds, awareness, and engagement by youth around the globe. They have implemented incredibly sophisticated and effective grassroots advocacy efforts through using community outlets, websites, videos, podcasts, events and more – all made possible by the power of community.

What strikes me most about all of this is that they did not need to hire ‘high-dollar’ Internet strategy experts to strategize and figure this all out. They had no boundaries, just conviction, compassion, creativity – and the Internet. Most of them started out using free tools to get the job done. All of us could stand to learn from this – it is genius.

There are other great examples of how this fandom uses the Internet to make change, but I will leave those for another post. I think you get the point.