Doctor Who Giveback Countdown

Thursday

Ep. 1 The Eleventh Hour

This kicks off our introduction to the new Doctor (Matt Smith), the new companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), and the sometimes companion Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill). This episode encompasses quite a few themes, and I decided since it's the first one of the Countdown, I'd give two easier suggestions for Givebacks.

So, one of the first things the newly regenerated Doctor does is eat. Little Amelia Pond lets him into her home and they humorously cycle through tons of food options trying to discover what he likes--eventually settling on fish sticks and custard. A curious combination to say the least. But many people in the world don't have access to food--even food they don't particularly like. Worldwide hunger is a huge problem that affects not just people's stomachs, but more importantly their mental capacities and labor capacities. Food helps nourish the body, including the brain, and when the body is starved, it conserves energy by slowing down physical and mental processes. Which means brain functionality and growth is stunted.

There are lots of ways to help financially on a global level, but I thought for the first Giveback we should keep it local. Most cities/towns have a food bank (or more than one) as well as soup kitchens. Consider donating to the food banks or helping out the soup kitchens to serve up hot meals. Also, sometimes there are community food drives going on, which makes it even easier to donate. Check your local news stations or papers to see if there are any happening right now. One thing to remember when donating food is to call up the food bank and see what they need and what they will accept. In fact, Feeding America explains that donating money can be more beneficial to a food bank than actual food. They state that the money can help them to buy and ship healthier foods at much cheaper rates than through food donations¹. But make sure to call to find out, all communities have different needs.

While the Doctor and Amy squabble by the duck pond with no ducks, the Doctor suddenly notices that Rory is taking photos of a Prisoner Zero in human form, not the giant bubble over the earth that is going to contain the heat and boil the planet in 20 minutes. This simple photo taking, with Rory's cell phone, leads to the eventual climax of how the Doctor has Prison Zero located via the pictures on Rory's phone (I know that made no sense, but just watch the episode!)

Did you just say "Recycle me"??

Even from the original air date of this episode, cell phones have come a ways. Which means many people have gotten a new phone in the last year. So what happens to the unused phones? Every year some 125 million phones are thrown away ending up in dumps where they seep 65,000 tons of hazardous materials into the ground, polluting our water with toxic materials like cadmium, arsenic, brominated flame retardants, and mercury². Yikes! There's an easy way to not just eliminate this environmental problem, but also help others in the process: Donate and Recycle your old cell phones!

Plenty of programs exist that gladly and easily take your cell phones. Donated cell phones can be used as an emergency line by victims of domestic violence, senior citizens, or other at risk people with a pre-programmed automatic 911 dial button. That way they can get the emergency help they need at the touch of a button--it can be the difference between life and death. Other programs donate the phones to those serving in the military with prepaid minutes so that they can call home for free while on duty. If your phone is too old to reuse (like mine), recycling centers will be able to safely recycle your phone and its battery. While you're recycling your phone--don't forget your old batteries as well!

Before you donate your phone, be sure to remove all personal information from all phone memory and removable memory including but not limited to, phonebook entries, personal codes, e-mail addresses, personal addresses, IM addresses, photos, and downloaded files. Many phones have an "auto reset" function that will effectively do all of this at once. Also make sure that your current provider plan isn't still linked to your old phone.

I've provided links to find recycling drop-off locations below, but stores such as Radio Shack, Best Buy, Office Depot and Staples take old phones and you can also call 877-2-RECYCLE to find out Call2Recycle's public donation locations near you.

Helpful Links

Help Combat Hunger:

Find a local food bank by zip code: http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx
List of 80 food banks and soup kitchens: http://opendata.socrata.com/Personal/How-to-Volunteer-at-a-Soup-Kitchen/fw6u-sgth?
Love couponing? Give more for less: http://www.pennyexperiment.com/

Learn more about hunger in America:

Donate or Recycle Your Cell Phone:

Call2Recycle drop-off locator: http://www.call2recycle.org/drop-off-your-old-batteries.php?c=1&d=513&w=9200&r=Y
ReCelluar drop-off locator: http://www.recellular.com/recycling/donatePhones.asp
911 Cell Phone Bank drop-off locator: http://www.911cellphonebank.org/drop-off-locations.asp
Cell Phones for Soldiers drop-off locator: http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/locateDropoff.asp
American Cell Phone Drive drop-off locator: http://www.americancellphonedrive.org/

Learn more about cell phone and battery recycling and donation programs:

http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/about.html
http://www.911cellphonebank.org/about.asp
General info on donating: http://volunteerguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/cell-phone-recycling.htm
Different types of recycling: http://www.call2recycle.org/where-do-i-recycle-.php?c=1&d=322&e=505&w=2&r=Y
How are phones recycled?: http://www.call2recycle.org/program-physical-flow-chart.php?c=1&d=366&e=493&w=2&r=Y

DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with any of these organizations nor can I attest for their accreditation. The photos I have used are not mine and I assume are licensed to the BBC. I am not profiting in any way from this blog, and all photos are used to solely to make the pages more visually exciting while reading. If you are a photo owner or part of these organizations and wish for me to take down photos or links, just let me know and I will do so promptly.

Wednesday

Ep. 2 The Beast Below

Amy's first trip in the TARDIS and they land smack in the middle of London -- make that London, Starship UK. It's in the future and the Earth's begun to burn as it starts to orbit into the sun, so the humans have left. This is UK's ship. But something is not quite right. The water doesn't vibrate, which leads the Doctor to wonder if there's an engine at all--and if there's not, how is the ship moving through space?

In this whale of a tale (sorry, had to), Amy and the Doctor are chased by the creepy Smileys, befriended by the bloody queen Liz 10, vomited by a whale, and end up at the heart of the ship--which is consequently the bottom of the story. Once they realize that the ship is powered by a star whale, which happens to be the last of its kind known to exist, the Doctor is appalled. The crew is torturing the creature in order to make it keep going. Anyone who protests is fed to the whale.

Star Whale's pain center being
tortured to make it go faster.

After this revelation the Doctor is forced to put the whale out of its misery by putting it into a coma, but just before he does that Amy realizes that the whale is there out of choice, not out of force, and she's able to save the whale and the Doctor's soul.

Amy and the Doctor couldn't stand by and let the star whale suffer, nor did they want it to go extinct. Thousands of animal species today are on the endangered or threatened species lists. Millions of animals are neglected and abused every day. But there are simple ways to help.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), with its cute little panda logo, has been at it for nearly half a century. While most of their needs are financial, there are easy ways to contribute that might already be a part of your daily life. WWF offers products you use (greeting cards, water bottles) that are recycled, recyclable, and 20% of the purchase goes to conservation funds. Their website offers many benefits/gifts to your donations, including super adorable "adopt a species" stuffed animals--perfect for any kid (or adult).

Want to make a difference for free? Write politicians and companies urging them to make better policies and procedures on environmental and animal protection--or thanking them for doing so. See Helpful Links for more info.

The Beast Below ends with a child saying the revised rhyme:

"In bed above we're deep asleep,
While greater love lies further deep.
This dream must end, this world must know,
We all depend on the beast below."

Now that's a bee I'm not a afraid of!

In our world, this is quite true. While the cute animals like polar bears and pandas are often the more talked about endangered animals, the real laborers in the animal kingdom are right under our feet. Insects are the largest section of the animal kingdom and generally the least liked. But these little guys do a whole lot of work. In Season 4 of Doctor Who, companion Donna Noble continuously comments about the bees disappearing. The Doctor later realizes that some of the bees are aliens who fled Earth when they sensed the pending danger of the Dalek invasion. Perhaps that's where they've really gone, but the point is, they've gone. It's a serious issue. Bee population is in a major decline and very little action or awareness has happened.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm just as afraid of bees as anyone else who has been stung in the past, but I know what these little guys do for us. They pollinate. You can't have new plants without pollination, which means no crops and no carbon dioxide conversion to oxygen. Sort of a problem if you need to eat and breathe to live.

The recently produced documentary, Vanishing of the Bees, dives into this problem. On its website, they offer ideas of what to do to help out. The main bee killer is conventional pesticides, so they highly suggest buying organic food, growing some of your own food, or buying local at farmer's markets (if they don't use pesticides, of course). A holistic approach to gardening and planting bee-friendly plants can go a long way in helping the bee population bolster itself back up.

The Doctor loves cuddling cats!

As far as animal cruelty goes, volunteering at your local shelter can make a huge difference for both the animals and the community. Even if you don't particularly want to walk a dog or cuddle a cat, there are a lot of other opportunities with shelters including office work, creating a website or facebook page for them, stuffing envelopes, and other simple things. Give your local shelter(s) a call to see what they need help with. There are links to shelter directories at the bottom of the page.

A simple way you can help prevent animal cruelty is to buy organic meats, dairy, and free range chicken, cage-free eggs, and sustainable seafood¹. These items cost hardly any more money, taste better, have more nutrients, no added hormones or antibiotics, and are better for the environment. A good rule of thumb for buying organic is that if it's not stamped USDA Organic, then it's not organic.

You can also make the decision to buy goods and clothes from companies who do not support animal testing or use animal products. Check out the links for lists of these companies.

Helpful Links:

Find a Shelter to volunteer at:

Help out WWF, Humane Society, and the Bees:

http://www.worldwildlife.org/how/index.html
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/
http://www.vanishingbees.com/buy-organic/ (Click on Take Action for more ways to help)
http://wwf.worldwildlife.org/site/PageServer?pagename=can_home (Write to politicians and companies)

Help stop animal cruelty:

Fashion companies that are either vegan or else sell leather and fur alternatives: http://www.peta.org/living/fashion/cruelty-free-clothing-guide-search-product.aspx
Database for animal cruelty-free companies: http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/default.aspx
Charities that do and don't fund animal testing: http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/naughty-nice-charities.aspx

Tuesday

Ep. 3 Victory of the Daleks

For Amy's first trip back in time she and the Doctor are greeted by a chaotic world in the midst of WWII. The TARDIS lands in the Cabinet War Rooms during the London Blitz and Winston Churchill is there ready and waiting for the Doctor's help.

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
--Winston Churchill

The Doctor quickly notices that the highly acclaimed new "Ironsides" are not of this world--in fact, they're Daleks. As the story unfolds, the best pilots are sent into space to destroy the Dalek ship, London is lit up like a Christmas tree and the Germans begin their attack, and the Doctor is forced to let the Daleks go in order to save the Earth.

As companions often do in Doctor Who, Amy carries the emotional and human thread of the plot. She connects to both the office girl whose boyfriend dies during the German attack as well as Professor Bracewell, who turns out to be an android created from a human by the Daleks. Amy is able to save Bracewell's life by connecting to his raw emotion of love and hope, enabling him to regain his humanity.

Imagine Bracewell's pain when he realized he was no longer a human being. At the end of the episode he's certain that the Doctor will "deactivate" him, and he even offers to kill himself, believing that his humanity has been stripped from him and therefore he is a risk to others. The Doctor and Amy stop him and offer the emotional support he needs to encourage him to go seek out the woman he loved and left behind, Dorabella, and to live out his life as a human as peacefully as he can.

Today the U.S. has an active military fighting in several operations overseas. Families are separated for months and years and suffer losses and sacrifices of all types. But that's not the only heartbreaking part. Soldiers may experience post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, various paralysis or damaged nerves, loss of limb, and other injuries during duty. When they reenter their civilian lives the readjustment is difficult and many veterans develop mental health problems.


"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." --Winston Churchill

There are plenty of programs and organizations to help military personnel and their families struggling with their new realities, but many are severely underfunded. As a Giveback, consider making a monetary donation to your local VA hospital, American Legion, National Military Family Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, or The Soldier Project, which provides free private mental health care to soldiers and their families before, during, and after service. Volunteering at a local VA hospital can also be a very meaningful Giveback. The Dept. of Veteran Affairs suggests contacting your VA hospital directly to learn about their current needs.

What? No, Team River Runner doesn't kayak on this River.

Team River Runner is a growing non-profit organization that offers adaptive kayaking to active military and veterans who have been injured. It offers a fun, unique way to improve health and strength while enjoying nature and possibly a little friendly competition. They are always looking for donations and volunteers--and not just kayakers!

Some ways to help soldiers on active duty include donating your cell phone to Cellphones for Soldiers and sending books through Books for Soldiers. Operation Shoebox is an organization that sends care packages to troops and wounded soldiers as well as toys and games for the troops to connect with and help the children in the regions they're on duty.

Helpful Links:

Donate Money:

Volunteer:

Donate Goods:

Team River Runner:

http://www.teamriverrunner.org/

Saturday

Ep. 4 Time of Angels

River's Back! I just love River Song! And to honor her awesomeness, this episode's Givebacks will focus on prisoners and correctional facilities. This is an uncomfortable topic for me, but there's a growing awareness of the prison systems in the U.S. and a push for prison reform, so I think there is a need to look at the Giveback potential regarding these things.

You, me, handcuffs. Must it always end this way?

We spend most of this episode (and the second half of the two-parter) not really knowing if River is a prisoner or not. In the course of it all, we learn that she’s working for her pardon, was in a Storm Cage (which is explained at some point in time as the highest level of security prison available…the Azkaban of Doctor Who), and is imprisoned for killing a man—a great man. This, combined with the curiosity of whether or not she and the Doctor are married in the future, lead some viewers to wonder if she IS the Doctor in the future. Who knows, well I suppose Steven Moffat knows, but we don’t.

Now when I said this is uncomfortable for me, I meant it in the sense of mindset. I always think of prisoners as people in jail who have been convicted of a crime. I suppose that’s a fair enough definition at a basic level. But I fail to remember they are people. The nice thing with River’s character is how likeable and sassy she is, very personable. So, she doesn’t seem like a prisoner, she seems like a person…if that makes sense.

So, the Giveback Countdown is all about helping people, and so I took to the internet (per usual) to find out about how to volunteer within the prison system.

Well, it’s easy and not so easy. The prison system is complex and each county and state has their own policies and websites, all of which I’m not going to list, but can easily be found by searching for “prison volunteer” with the name of your state or county. The Federal prison system does have a central website (listed at the bottom) that explains what they do and how you can help. Prisoner rehabilitation programs can be found easily by searching “prisoner rehabilitation volunteer” and your state or community. Many prison volunteer programs are religious in base, but some are more skill based, such as addiction counseling or teaching literacy courses. Note that volunteering at a prison also requires background and security checks.

My guess is hallucinogenic lipstick
is not on the approved donations list.

There are programs out there that involve donation not volunteering. One of the main things they are looking for are books. There are tons of book donation programs throughout the country. The main types of books they are looking for are training books, Spanish to English dictionaries, GED study guides, and other educational types of books. All books must be paper back/soft cover. Each organization’s site gives the specifics on what their needs are, so make sure to read or to call. These programs are looking for monetary donations as well to cover costs of postage and basic office costs (lights, computers, envelopes etc.).

Other donations sought after include blankets, pillows, clothing, toiletries, and cosmetics. Not every correctional facility has a need for these items, so make sure to ask what you can and cannot donate when you contact the facilities. Job training and skills as well as humane treatment can go a long way in getting an inmate readjusted into society upon release.

Useful Links:

Federal prison volunteering: http://www.bop.gov/jobs/volunteer.jsp
Book donation programs: http://www.prisonbookprogram.org/otherprograms.php

Ep. 5 Flesh and Stone

In work!

Ep. 6 Vampires of Venice

In an effort to bridge the gap in Amy and Rory’s relationship, the Doctor takes him along with them in the TARDIS for an early wedding present in the form of a date to Venice—16^th century Venice that is. This proves to work, of course, but before that can happen we are introduced to the Calvierri family—aka the vampires aka the Saturnyne fish from space.

The UN reports that an estimated 27 million people worldwide are currently being trafficked.

The opening scene is Isabella, a seventeen year old girl, and her father, Guido, trying to get her accepted into the ‘elite’ Calvierri school in order to give her a better, brighter future. This was pretty common then, especially if you didn’t get a husband right away, but a similar concept is common today. And not the implied concept of moving house in order to land in a better school district that the Doctor mentions.

After her acceptance in the “school”, Isabella is immediately parted from her father, which is fairly traumatic in itself, but then the real trauma begins—her changeover into a space fish. When Amy infiltrates the House of Calvierri, we finally find out that they are changing the girls in order to provide compatible mates for the 10,000 husbands waiting in the water.

Over 100,000 children in the U.S. are victims of commercial sex trafficking.

Just like Rosanna and Francesco Calvierri, many people today prey on those who seek a promised better life. They then use their victims for their own horrific needs--it is known as human trafficking. It is a very real problem that isn’t just happening in other countries like Thailand and India, but right here in the United States… probably right in your area and possibly to someone whom you encountered today.

Human trafficking victims are forced into unpaid labor (aka slavery) or into commercial sex (sex slavery). Most labor victims are immigrants--both illegal AND legal--and most sex trafficking victims are U.S. domestics, mainly females, and oftentimes minors and even children as young as five years old. Trafficking victims aren't just found on farms or working the streets, they can be in restaurants, nail salons, hotels, construction sites...

Human Trafficking cannot be stopped
without YOUR voice.

So speak up!

The main way to help combat human trafficking is by being an advocate and spreading awareness. This can be much easier than you think, mostly because the majority of the population has no idea that it even exists in the United States. Many organizations provide materials to help you learn how to identify a potential victim and what to do if you identify one. They also provide materials on how to educate others on what it is and how to prevent it. They also educate students in the school system on human/sex trafficking and how to avoid becoming a victim.

Organizations also offer emotional and psychological support, reintegration into their families (especially for child victims, who are usually runaways), and a safe haven for the victims. But they are underfunded, understaffed, and oftentimes under-supported by governmental officials and law enforcement.

Financial donations can go a long way in helping organizations establish shelters, which are a major resource in helping the victims recover. Many victims are under such coercion they only seek help in extreme emergencies because they fear arrest, deportation, or physical harm to themselves or their family. Their pimps/managers usually know where they live and can easily find them again and force them back into slavery. Thus the desperate need for safe, secure shelters.

All victims are physically and emotionally abused.

After finding your local or state anti-trafficking organization(s), contact them to see what exact and immediate needs they have, including volunteering opportunities. There are plenty of national and international organizations that you can support as well.

Helping out can come in all forms including easy-to-do things like 5k walks/runs or hosting an awareness dinner party for your friends. You can also take action through negative action—such as not buying goods produced by victims of child or forced labor (see list of goods in links section).

If you suspect someone is a victim or perpetrator of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline at 1-888-3737-888. They are available 24/7 and all calls are confidential.

Do not try to rescue a victim yourself as it may put both you and the victim at further risk from the trafficker.

Useful Links:

Volunteer Opportunities:

Locate an organization in your area: http://www.polarisproject.org/state-map
Locate an international organization: http://www.polarisproject.org/state-map/international-locations
End Slavery Now, the new underground railroad: http://www.endslaverynow.com/?goto=underground&section=take_action

Learn More:

Recognizing a victim or trafficker: http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/recognizing-the-signs
Recognizing and helping a victim: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/id/index.htm
List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor: http://www.dol.gov/ilab/programs/ocft/PDF/2010TVPRA.pdf
Help Sheet for Schools/Parents/Students: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/factsheet.pdf
FAQs about the NHTRC hotline: http://www.polarisproject.org/what-we-do/national-human-trafficking-hotline/the-nhtrc/hotline-faqs#confidential
20 Ways to Help Fight Human Trafficking: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/id/help/index.htm
The Polaris Project (National Human Trafficking Resource Center): http://www.polarisproject.org/index.php
U.S. Dept of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/
United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/index.html

Who to call if you identify a potential victim:

911 Emergency
For urgent situations, notify local law enforcement immediately by calling 911. You may also want to alert the National Human Trafficking Resource Center described below so that they can ensure response by law enforcement officials knowledgeable about human trafficking.

1-888-3737-888
National Human Trafficking Resource Center
Call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, a national 24-hour, toll-free, multilingual anti-trafficking hotline. Call 1-888-3737-888 to report a tip; connect with anti-trafficking services in your area; or request training and technical assistance, general information, or specific anti-trafficking resources. The Center is equipped to handle calls from all regions of the United States from a wide range of callers including, but not limited to: potential trafficking victims, community members, law enforcement, medical professionals, legal professionals, service providers, researchers, students, and policymakers.

1-888-428-7581
U.S. Department of Justice Worker Exploitation Complaint Line
Call the U.S. Department of Justice’s dedicated human trafficking toll-free complaint line (weekdays 9 AM - 5 PM EST) to report suspected instances of human trafficking or worker exploitation or contact the FBI field office nearest you .This call is toll-free and offers foreign language translation services in most languages as well as TTY. After business hours, the complaint line has a message service in English, Spanish, Russian, and Mandarin.

DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with any of these organizations nor can I attest for their accreditation. The photos I have used are not mine and I assume are licensed to the BBC. I am not profiting in any way from this blog, and all photos are used to solely to make the pages more visually exciting while reading. If you are a photo owner or part of these organizations and wish for me to take down photos or links, just let me know and I will do so promptly.