Upstander and Junk Mail

As I prepared to help my students end their Social Issue Book Club Unit with a TAKE ACTION project, I looked around my world, noticing issues that need action. I spent the week looking for ways to be an upstander.

Getting my mail is one of my daily routines. I lift the lid of my red mailbox, grab all the envelops, magaxzines and catologs and bring it into the house.  I sort through it on my office table, placing bills in a pile to hold onto. I open any letters or cards, yet these only seem to be in the pile during the month of Decemeber and close to family birthdays. Much of the mail is junk and I toss it in the recycling bin underneath the office table.

Today, I noticed something. I had mail this week from:

• The Heart Association
• WAMU – local NPR station
• Alhzeimer Association
• United Way
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
• Doctor’s Without Borders

Today I viewed this mail in a new way. I realized that these organizations were not sending me “junk” mail. Instead, I noticed they each have an issue they care about. They each hope I care about it too. They all need financial support to continue to do good work. They all hope I will be an UPSTANDER and support their social issue.

I gathered all this mail to show my students. If they are stuck on a social issue to pick for their Take Action Project, maybe my mail will inspire them to act. This isn’t juke mail. It is an opportunity to stand up!