Located in New Jersey, the no-kill rescue is home to pit-bulls in need of loving homes.

Aladdin’s owner and Lilo’s Promise Community Outreach Coordinator, Michele Schaffer-Stevens says the soft items are a source of comfort for dogs in need.

“Having something like a homemade blanket makes a world of difference verses a concrete floor,” said Stevens. “It’s a touch of home for a dog who is waiting for its forever home.”

Aladdin knows what that’s like. In 2013, weighing just 18 pounds and missing teeth…he came into Michele’s life.

“He’d been treated so poorly by a human being. A pit-bull of his size should be about 48 pounds,” Stevens explained. “I took him in and cared for him. Today, Aladdin is a healthy, happy therapy dog who works in schools, with disaster victims, and hospice patients.”

The six-year-old pit-bull is also an ambassador for dog safety programs – and has worked with State Farm to promote responsible pet ownership.

“These are amazing, resilient animals,” said Stevens. “We love to pay it forward in the community, and working with State Farm amplifies our ability to create good in this world.”

The fleece blankets made for dogs in need are part of the State Farm Neighborhood of Good®. The initiative, focused on the power of volunteering, encourages people to donate their time and talent to make a difference in their local communities.

To promote animal welfare, special volunteer events took place across the country. People were encouraged to visit a local State Farm Neighborhood of Good tent to make a fleece blanket for a rescue dog.

In New York City, the creative opportunity caught the attention of many passing by.

“It felt so good to be part of this effort,” said Kionna McClary. “It doesn’t matter who you are, you are creating a positive impact. Just five minutes can make a difference for an animal in need.”

McClary worked at the tent in New York City – assisting people as they created the soft blankets.

“This was a great learning opportunity for children and adults alike, said McClary. “Many asked how they can continue to stay involved. That’s when I told them about the Neighborhood of Good website.”

The website, www.NeighborhoodofGood.com® connects people to local causes in their community. By typing in their zip code and selecting their interest from a drop down menu, visitors can find a volunteer opportunity close to home.

“There’s something out there for everyone,” said McClary. “Whether that’s pets or music or the environment – it’s about discovering your passion and giving back.”

Interests on the Neighborhood of Good website include, (but aren’t limited to) education, arts and culture, technology, disaster and community services, animals and family services. For people with multiple interests - there’s an “All” category too.

“Many remarked how good it felt to volunteer,” said McClary. “Knowing they were making an impact for an animal in need was the highlight of their day. I’m excited to for more people to visit Neighborhood of Good to continue turning the power of caring into the act of doing.”

And for the dogs at Lilo’s Promise – Stevens says, the gift of a soft blanket, as they wait to find a loving home…is priceless.

“We are truly grateful for the kindness of volunteers. We couldn’t do it without them. A little love, goes a long way.”

• To view dogs available for adoption at Lilo’s Promise, visit: www.lilospromise.com
• To find volunteer opportunities in your neighborhood visit: www.NeighborhoodofGood.com

The High School for the Recording Arts (HSRA) aka “Hip Hop High School” in St. Paul, Minnesota lives and breathes this concept. With financial help from State Farm, they know how to motivate students through music. They use music to teach the basics - reading, writing and math - allowing kids to better understand.

It all starts like any other classroom, textbooks and studying. But instead of a test, students take the lessons and write music about it. Students get studio time in the school’s state of the art facility keeping them focused on learning.

HRSA students recently took courses about budgets, credit cards and how to save for the future from the nonprofit, Make a Difference.

The HRSA youth took what they learned and created music to share their knowledge with their peers. The songs not only shared important financial tips, but are a fun, unique way to learn.

Challenging students to channel their passions into something positive can lead to amazing results. Listening to the songs, you wouldn’t guess kids ages 17-21, were the writers, talent and producers. Click here to listen to their tracks.

Make a Difference Wisconsin and Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest plan to weave these songs into their classrooms. These songs will bring new energy to financial literacy classes and events.

“As an organization that teaches kids financial literacy, the songs created by these talented young people bring a freshness and relevancy to this important topic that will help us educate and inspire the next generation,” Ryan Stauff, Vice President of Corporate development from Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest shared.

These students are using their passions to learn important concepts. And their songs are inspiring and engaging other teens with their messages too.

When it came to credit cards, Shanice was like a lot of high school juniors: “scared.”

“I didn’t know anything about credit cards. Money in general wasn’t something we talked a lot about at home, or even at school,” said Shanice, a student at Milwaukee’s Washington High School.

A new financial literacy program called Money Coach introduced at the school not only gave Shanice peace of mind when it came to money, but also gave her resume tools which she was able to share with her mother in what turned out to be a successful job search.

Money Coach is administered by volunteers with a financial background – for Shanice’s class, it was run by a Washington H.S. alum – and centers on real-world instances of budgets, credit, bank accounts and financial best practices. Nonprofit financial literacy organization Make A Difference – Wisconsin operates the Money Coach program, which is supported in part by generous funding from State Farm.

Make A Difference programs like Money Coach aim to fill gaps in education and personal backgrounds when it comes to a healthy relationship with expenses and income. Make A Difference – Wisconsin has reached thousands of high school students during its decade of service, though financial realities have pushed the nonprofit to evolve its lessons and outreach into new programs like Money Coach.

Investing in Your Alma Mater

Ranell Washington is now in his second year as a “Coach” for the Money Coach Program at Washington High School, from where he graduated 15 years ago. Ranell went on to college and a successful career at a large international bank. Looking back at his teenage years, Ranell said he realized he was tasked with finding out information and resources on finances, something made more difficult by the range of advice and the lure of dicey money outlets like check cashing stores.

Make A Difference – Wisconsin connected with Ranell and put him in classrooms he knows quite well at his alma mater, where he’s in been a money mentor for Shanice and her peers.

“These are life lessons, stuff the kids will need as they become adults,” said Ranell, who regularly shares an anecdote with students on his eye-opening first experience with buying a car. “It was important for me to give back what I’ve learned as a professional in a way that really benefits our entire community.”

In its second year, the program has reached 100 kids. The results from the one-on-one guidance from Money Coach? Nearly all students who participated now have a bank account (up from 55%), four-times as many begun to track their expenses, and 80% have crafted a budget (up from 10%). And you can count Shanice among those who have increased their cash consciousness.

An additional bonus of the program comes from a scholarship Money Coach students earn by hitting benchmarks on savings, investment and budgeting. In turn, that scholarship money goes to the student at the end of the program for college or career spending after completion.

“We showed the kids the power of saving and interest, and made it clear they were accountable for this cash. Immediately, things became real for them,” he said.

It was also real fun, Shanice said.

A Decade of Difference

Money Coach is an extension of Make A Difference – Wisconsin’s core classroom program, called Money Sense. Money Coach takes some of the financial fundamentals from the Money Sense program and dives deeper into a long-range plan for savings, with volunteers dedicated to instruction and advice in small groups and one-on-one. Bringing financial experts from the community into Wisconsin classrooms was the brainchild of Lloyd Levin, a financial and real estate executive who was inspired by a close friend’s public plea to contribute to the education of the state’s students. Since 2006, with generous backing from State Farm and others, Make A Difference – Wisconsin has established core financial lessons as well as emerging programs like Money Coach to reach thousands of students annually in school districts which may not have the drive or resources to offer fiscal fundamentals.