Depression, anxiety, suicide, and addiction rates have all accelerated significantly in the past twenty years. Feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and lack of self-worth and purpose are also on the rise. Bullying at all ages is all too prevalent, even with the formation of fantastic programs to identify and protect against it. According to a study by the Secret Service, most perpetrators of mass shootings were victims of bullying. The number of people experiencing depression, anxiety, suicide, and addiction continues to grow, and there are very few families that are not touched by mental health conditions. Because of the rise of these devastating traits, it is our responsibility to come together to help improve feelings of well-being and work to reverse negative contributing factors as much as we can. This Foundation has been created to address and combat the rising feelings of helplessness and isolation among many in the community, and to strengthen individuals and community through the promotion of positive actions, education, support, and through the help of qualified charities and professionals. The Foundation gives access to programs and ideas that educate, encourage, and support community members through giving and receiving daily positive actions, in both small and large ways, to help themselves and others to not only stay alive, but feel alive.

But first, it might be helpful to understand some major contributing factors for why depression, anxiety, addiction, etc., as well as the unraveling of healthy cohesive community bonds, are on the rise in our society. These personal mental health issues and negative social traits are not new to humans, they are interrelated, and are also unfortunately intensifying. So why did this downward spiral and unraveling occur at such an accelerated rate in only 140 years?

Let’s start with one example: electricity was discovered long before it became available to the general public in 1881. Before 1881, if you needed water in the home, you had to get to it, harvest it, then carry it into the home. If you needed heat for warmth or cooking, you had to find and transport wood, coal, or even dried manure, into the home. Other than moon light, candles, fires, and oil lamps were our only sources of light after the sun went down. All that changed when extreme convenience started flowing into homes on wires. In addition, the automobile became available to the masses in 1908, and was the icing on the cake of convenience. Before these technologies, we had to rely on each other, as a cohesively bonded community, to help gather the necessities of life. It was rare that we could achieve all these daily requirements on our own; now, with these new technologies, we can exist easier without the cooperation of others. Or so we thought. With the turn into the twentieth century came the seeding of a false perception that we no longer needed each other to coexist as we did when social teamwork was required to meet daily basic needs to stay alive. This is truly a false perception, as we do need each other to not only survive but to thrive.

That short 140-year period was the beginning of an unhealthy change in attitude and unraveling of thousands of years of social teamwork. The unity that had created a healthy cohesive relationship between each person, and the group of people that lived in their area, was required to keep both the individual and community alive and strong. Today more than ever, this mutual relationship between the individual and community, in appearance, seems less important on the surface. “I don’t need anyone,” “I’m not responsible for other people’s needs or feelings,” and “That’s not my problem,” became our go-to mantras.

We do need each other, we have always needed each other, and we will need each other tomorrow. Not feeling, believing, or acting on that basic human and social fact has contributed greatly to all the signs and symptoms of individuals losing self-worth, respectful supportive relationships, thriving, and caring about the lives of those around us. One simplified example of proof for someone who doubts that we still need to act in cooperation with others is to think of every food product you purchase to remain alive. It has been estimated that from planting preparation to walking out of the store, it takes over fifty people to get one head of lettuce onto your table. This seemingly simple example shows us that even if we cannot see it outright, we constantly need to work in cooperation with one another to get what we need not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally.

The Human Bonding Foundation was founded to help return that healthy, shared, and truly vital relationship between individuals and the community that we need to function and thrive. Through this awareness, and some minimal daily effort to help care for each other, we can return a feeling of reciprocal need, self-worth, and value to both the giver and receiver. If the individual cares and acts for the well-being of society, and society can again learn to care and act for the well-being of the individual, then a healthy symbiotic relationship can return. If numerous actions, small and large, slowly whittled away at this bond, then numerous actions, both small and large, can heal it as well. The Foundation’s mission is to help individuals first learn healthy self-care, and then to reach out to strengthen their bonds with each other and communities.

The Foundation’s goal is multifaceted to support and encourage these positive actions and attitudes. Because we are a Public Foundation, fundraising is the basis of the needed support to continue our mission. After meeting operating costs, donations will go in two directions. First, will be the advertisement, promotion, and growth of the Foundation. We will participate in public speaking engagements to promote a mission of positive actions, while also seeking the help of others through donations of both volunteer assistance and monetary donations. Secondly, awarding grants to other charities that align or support the foundation’s mission will be an exciting and rewarding part of the outward distribution of donations. To lead by example is always an important trait, we give because we ask others to give.

Supporting established and active charities for mental health will be one of the positive actions carried out by the Foundation. Since education is such a key factor in the development of all of our minds, and especially our younger generations, supporting charities that are established in enriching the well-being of our youth will always be a major focus of the outward grants. Supporting and leaving the education and prevention of such sensitive subjects as suicide, mental health, abuse, and addiction to the established professionals and charities is paramount. An example of one such charity is the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI was established in 1979 and has grown into a leading voice on mental health. NAMI has grown to over 500 local affiliates who work to educate, raise awareness, and decrease the stigma of mental illness. They also have numerous active programs to teach all ages, including in schools, the prevention of suicide, and acceptance and support of mental health issues.

The promotion of positive actions, on all levels and in all directions, is what this Foundation is about. No positive action is too small to not have some level of reward for both the giver and receiver. We often forget that in this day and time, where so many are rushed to accomplish our next hurried responsibility, where the screen pictures in commercials literally change every two seconds or less, or where we often feel we are invisible and kindness is rarely shown to us, that we still need one another. Yet, with minimal daily efforts, a reversal of the increase of negative social traits and feelings is possible; it can be as simple as saying hello to a stranger in a grocery checkout line while you wait, showing simple courtesy to those around you as you drive, or telling the cashier to take a breath you are not in a hurry. Watch their shoulders drop– you just made a difference. With help, we can rebuild feelings of individual self-worth and social cohesiveness, through a multitude of large and small positive actions. That is the core belief and mission of The Human Bonding Foundation.

But, most of all, I ask of you daily: to first take healthy care of yourself, then extend yourself to others to help another person feel acknowledged and alive.

With heartfelt appreciation for all positive actions and support,
Vincent Dodd
Founder

“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb

Thank you for giving your physical energy and assistance to your community. Positive actions, such as volunteering, to help make a difference creates numerous benefits to both the receivers and to you, the giver. The benefits of a positive action are immeasurable both immediate and long term. Everyone wins when a positive action is accomplished.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
-Helen Keller, 1880-1968

If you are new to volunteering, remember to be respectful of the fact that you are most likely joining a plan that is already in progress. Volunteering for the most part is saying you are offering to help a group already moving forward. Being assigned a seemingly simple task is actually being an important part of completing a larger project. Your ten to twenty tasks completed in a few hours of volunteering are the reason the project will be completed faster and more efficiently, all because of your assistance. The task the group has decided to accomplish for that day is made of many small accomplishments that must be done in order. Your help is making a difference.

Please always remember to keep your safety first when volunteering. Whether driving for Meals on Wheels and trying to find an address in traffic, or wearing a reflector vest, snake boots, and always facing the traffic while picking up roadway trash, your safety must come first. Contact local law enforcement, they might even offer to have a unit turn on its overhead lights and close a lane of traffic to increase your safety. These are only partial examples, the organization you are helping should have safety protocols in place. If you are creating volunteer opportunities, consult a professional or research safety considerations and actions for the planned project. Private, agency, or governmental permission may need to be obtained before starting a project. Age-appropriate volunteering is also an important consideration for both age readiness and safety as well. One of many reasons this Foundation stresses self-care is we must always take good care of ourselves first in order to care for others. This includes both physical safety and a healthy frame of mind.

Good work being a part of the larger accomplishments that volunteering helps make happen! Thank you and enjoy the rewards!

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.”
-George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950

Family and group volunteering ideas:

*Start with great self-care. Hydrate well starting the night before, have breakfast and bring water and lunch, rest well the night before, and arrive early, ready, willing, flexible, and alert.

*Start close to home with group projects in your immediate community. Come together where you live to help the elderly or those temporarily unable to maintain their lawns due to injury or illness. Meet for an hour or two every other Saturday morning to teamwork the yard maintenance. The benefits of starting out your front door are immeasurable in every direction. During natural disasters, your immediate community is who you will work with to literally keep each other alive, especially those that cannot fully care for themselves. Areas that experience hurricanes and severe snow and ice storms that can take out power for lengths of time understand this community necessity. Apartment and condominium complexes could have Saturday morning car washes to donate to a charity of their choice. Cars could be washed by residents for a flexible $5-20 donation to a charity. Meet your immediate community, get some exercise, and big laughs at the same time. Grow it from there, enjoy the rewards!

Then the ways to help out become endless, here are a few more ideas:

-All positive actions in any and every direction for our youth, elderly, and those with special needs.
-All actions to collect and distribute food or feed the hungry at home and around the world.
-Ask youth and elderly related charities what actions or materials they need donated.
-Brainstorm ways your group can help the homeless in your area. Or contact a local appropriate agency to ask for ways to help.
-Brainstorm ways your group can take on an eco-friendly or sustainability project.
-Brainstorm and carry out a fundraising for a charity that interests the group.
-Rotate charities that you raise funds for.
-Call local nonprofits that interest you and ask how your group may help.
-Call your local blood bank to request a group donation.
-Clothing drive to distribute locally or around the world.
-Create care packages for others: military, homeless, natural disaster victims, and many other groups both foreign or domestic.
-Donate food, clothing, toys, books, pet food, etc… to true ‘not for profit’ nonprofits.
-Feed people.
-Habitat for Humanity.
-Internships or shadowing days for high school students, auto repair to the real estate industry, spark the interest of our youth.
-Join a charity walk-a-thon.
-Larger groups and organizations could help sponsor someone through college.
-Meals on Wheels.
-Mentor: sharing your expertise, skills, knowledge, or interest to help our others, whether a group or an individual, knowledge is an incredibly valuable resource.
-Pass on birthday gifts to someone with a greater need.
-Pick up the trash at your local park or hiking trail or other safe and approved appropriate public clean up.
-Positively support veterans in any and every way possible. Find veteran supportive groups in your area and ask how each one could use help.
-Reach across the aisle by joining forces with other businesses, charities, or churches to accomplish multi-cultural and/or multi-denominational projects.
-Special Olympics, the everyone wins-wins-wins volunteer choice.
-Sponsor/coach a youth sports team and go to their games.
-Start or help out in a community garden.

Daily passive volunteering:
One can volunteer not to do something to help out the community just as one can help by doing something. We all have an even greater opportunity to contribute to our community every minute that we treat others with respect by not only what we do but also by what we do not do. Aggressive or even distracted driving is a fantastic example. By choosing not to drive aggressively or with a phone in your hand, you are volunteering to care about the wellbeing of the nameless and faceless community around you in the other cars. It is choosing to volunteer anonymously to treat your community with potentially lifesaving respect. It is a way of bonding a community without spending an ounce of energy and only seconds of time daily. Drive as if your family or best friends are in the cars around you. Respectful driving is an easy way of saying: “my destination and need to arrive is not more important than yours and I care about you and your family.” This foundation is based on helping each other stay alive and feel alive; by not tailgating or cutting someone off, or by politely letting someone into your lane, you are accomplishing both of those goals with ease, joy, and multidirectional rewards to all.

Individual volunteering ideas:
Join any of the above suggestions you feel is right for you!! Enjoy meeting new people that you know also like to volunteer– what a great start to new friendships.