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Made you look. (But why did you look?)

I send mass e-mails to friends every now and then with Good deed of the day in the subject line. The good deeds are usually things I’ve blogged about in my Bite-sized Activism category. Things that even people who are really, really busy getting their cars and legs waxed should be able to squeeze into their schedules. The e-mails are rarely acknowledged.

Maybe these people think I’m a pain in the ass (or, as Vincent suggested the other day, maybe my friends just think I’m “an entertaining oddity”). But the thing is, nothing feels as good as doing something good for someone who needs help. Nothing is more enriching.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed these days, with the machine falling apart at the seams. When I send these e-mails, when I bother to collect easy activism options in a category on my blog, I figure I’m doing people a favor. I’m giving them something that will make them feel good (if they do it…).

I read an article called Four things you should do right now on HuffPo today. One of them was perfect for Bite-sized Activism.

Working Assets is a company that has been around for over 20 years. They offer cell phone services, long distance services, and credit cards. A chunk of the money you pay them goes to a number of nonprofit organizations working for peace, human rights, the environment, education, freedom of speech, social justice, and all kinds of good stuff. It comes out of their pockets, not yours.

Here’s their mission statement:

Working Assets was established in 1985 to help busy people make a difference in the world through everyday activities like talking on the phone. Every time a customer uses one of Working Assets’ donation-linked services (Long Distance, Wireless and Credit Card), the company donates a portion of the charges to nonprofit groups working to build a world that is more just, humane, and environmentally sustainable. To date, over $50 million has been raised for progressive causes.

The company also serves as a strong political force, dedicated to giving its customers the opportunity to speak out on critical public issues through its Web site and monthly phone bill.

How hard is it, really, to switch cell phone companies? Long-distance services? To transfer a balance to a new credit card? We’ve all done it. So you have to go online and make a few changes to things like your Amazon profile. Big deal. In the last two and a half years I transferred a credit card balance, moved three times, and changed my name. Trust me, I know exactly what’s involved. It’s doable.