How can I help?

Join in the effort. Beyond Today projects are all volunteer run. You are invited to join us. You can start your own project, help with one underway, or start by emailing to talk it. It's all up to you. Here's a list of some ways people are already getting involved.

On the Native Gardening Project

• We'v already been gathering nativee seeds and sprouting them in flats so that we can share them, but we need many more people to volunteers especially to keep a few flats of seeds in their backyard to help with the riverbank, Water's garden, and to help more neighbors have native plants in their yard. This is important because they don't need watering or pesticide, they attract and feed birds and butterflies, and they are part of our ancient Chicago ecosystem which has almost disappeared. Email us if you would enjoy joining this project.
• We have some neighbors who observe birds, but we need more experienced birders to take data about what birds appear each month to help us prove that the riverbank needs to be protected and to help us understand how successful our efforts are to provide habitat. Email if you'd like to learn how to do this.
• Research energy efficient appliances and home improvements. Contact us before your start because some are already working on this and you can coordinate.
• We welcome new neighbors to join our workdays at the riverbank and in the Water's Garden. Wednesdays in the garden at Campbell and Sunnyside. Email for riverbank workdays.
• Edit this website for tpyos. We are bad spellrs and have bad links. Email corrections thanks.
• Help invite more people to build our strength as an environmental community. This could take less than 5 minutes, but make a huge difference.
• Organize a new event by inviting people to an event on the calendar. Let us know if you'd like to open up your event to the group and we'll put it in an email.
• Gather contact information for local churches to help us to reach out to coordinate with them in our efforts.
• Research the different types and brands of energy efficient light bulbs. Some give better light than others. Maybe consumer reports compared the quality? We'd like to order them in bulk and need to make sure we get something good.
• Help us make signs for the native gardens, organic gardens, pesticide free-lawns, and explaining our work in the garden. We need to hand make some and have some printed.
• Research the different types of plastic and what is truly recyclable. If we can tell people which types of plastic are not recyclable, then they can change their buying habits.
• Make a list of the local gas stations and whether they have free or pay air pumps. How much does it cost? Is it in a good location for bicyclists to use? We'd like to encourage gas stations to maintain them, but need this information first.
• Offer to do a quick check of people's bike's. Many people need bike repair and with a few minutes of advice about where to go and how much it should cost (or how to do it themselves) they could be up and running. We'd like to have a series of bike repair workshops too.
• There's a group applying for grants. If you'd like to help, you are welcome.
• Email beyondtoday@BeyondToday.com if you are interested. Check back for more new ideas!

Donations: a short list of things we could use.

• For our website etc: A digital camera (ours just broke on 8/27- still don't have one on 9/29.. no new pictures
• For Water's Garden: gardening tools and gloves- especially hatchets/small axes for Water's garden composting: "chop chop!"
• a laptop or computer that isn't too old.
• SD memory chip for the Water's School video camera
• CTA cards for interns and volunteers
• We need some really cool restaurant menus for a project. We'll adapt them so that you can "order" environmental items. If you know someone who might be able to find us some cool restaurant menus, we'll put them to good use. Fun project.
• Surprise!!! Here's your reward for reading this far..Until November 1 Conscious Choice is giving away thousands of free subscriptions. No matter where you live, we’ll send you a copy. Go here: http://www.consciouschoice.com/info/request2.html Compliments of the magazine and Charles Shaw, the new editor. Conscious Choice has lots of great articles about health and the environment.

Financial support: donations, recycling fundraisers, earth flags

Ways to support us, which are free:
Let us recycle your ink cartridges and cell phones as a fund raiser. You can leave them on the porch of 4511 N. Campbell.
Also, if you happen to shop online, if you sign up with iGive, many common online stores will give a donation to Beyond Today for each purchase.
Great gifts!

Earth flags for sale:

We are selling earth flags. They make great gifts! email us if you'd like one. $15 3x5 ft Interns will deliver it in the neighborhood.

Financial Support

Donations: Credit Card:: or check: payable to Beyond Today 4511 N. Campbell Chicago IL 60625

We are very careful with our funds and stretch any donated money very far. Email if you'd like to know more.

Thank you.