N. A HELPFUL OPINION; A SHARED BIT OF WISDOM; MUCH-NEEDED GUIDANCE
They're the teachers, services, and experts who turned your baby steps into big kids' leaps.
Amanda Hirshberg Longmeadow Rescue Ranch
Do-gooder Amanda Hirshberg spends her days tending to farm animals in need at the Longmeadow Rescue Ranch. Hundreds of abused and neglected horses, cows, goats, pigs, and ducks are rehabilitated on 165 acres near Union, Missouri, and adopted to loving homes when possible. Read more
Buddy System
Longmeadow Rescue Ranch
Here’s the thing about f*** buddies: They’re great for one thing but really lacking in the love department.
Fill that dearth of affection with a Barn Buddy from the Longmeadow Rescue Ranch. A 165-acre haven in Union, Missouri, Longmeadow takes in abused and neglected farm animals, rehabilitates them, and finds them new loving homes.
For people who have the time and space, there are horses, goats, rabbits, and even a chicken up for adoption. But living in a shoebox doesn’t preclude you from helping out — just sponsor a fella who is waiting for a home or resides permanently on the premises, like Amigo, a mini horse who travels to local schools to educate kids on animal care. Or if you live nearby, you can volunteer to feed animals, clean stalls, and administer medicine.
The experience is so fulfilling, you’ll feel your heart fill up with love.
So go ahead and tell your other buddy to f*** off.
Available online at longmeadowrescueranch.org.
Jenny Rask The Good Envelope Party
Los Angeles-based Jenny Rask founded women's collective The Good Envelope Party to make recycled paper stationery that's good for the earth and earthlings, too. Read more
As Good As It Gets
The Good Envelope Party Stationery
They say a good man is hard to find.
But a good woman? It’s a cinch. Look no further than The Good Envelope Party, a group of Los Angeles ladies who get together bimonthly to make recycled stationery.
The Party people take pages from salvaged books and magazines and fold them into beautiful sets of correspondence coordinated into themes such as animals, famous peeps, retro, booze, and sports.
Plus, 100 percent of proceeds goes to nonprofit organizations and community outreach. Whom does the money aid, you ask? Underfunded schools and families struggling to fulfill basic needs. Yes, that’s right. The stationery is made out of love with the sole purpose of helping others and the earth.
See? No good deed goes unpublished.
Available online at thegoodenvelopeparty.com.
Amy Steel Red Swan
What to do with that engagement ring after the wedding's called off? Red Swan to the Rescue. Rather than hocking it on eBay or hitting a pawn shop, you can discreetly rid yourself of the thing via mail in exchange for cold, hard cash. Read more
Hock and Roll
Red Swan Jewelry Appraisers
They say preworn gems tell stories all their own.
Your engagement ring, for example, says, “Dude proposed, we sent 250 wedding invites, then turned out he was gay.”
Screw misty water-colored memories and let Red Swan take the offending jewel off your hands. The new Pennsylvania-based company trades old diamonds for cash. (You deserve.)
Much less demoralizing than being seen in public at a pawnshop, the process is simple and discreet. Slip old baubles into the postage-paid envelope, let the appraisers do their thing, and look for a check in the mail (usually within 48 hours of receipt) — or have it sent straight to charity.
You have ten days to decide whether to accept Red Swan’s price.
Then you can finally say, “I do.”
Available online at redswan.com.
