Happy Thanksgiving!

We all deserve a little break, so we are taking the week off to be with our family and friends during this Thanksgiving week. We hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and if you are traveling, to travel safe! We will be back next week with more content. 

Safety First!

Time to Travel

The whole point of Much Difference is making a difference in the world and to travel while doing it. We are going to branch off from volunteering for the week and discuss traveling! You can get to your destination via train, plane, car, or even a boat now a days, but have you ever thought about traveling safe? Here is a couple things to keep in mind:

Health 

When you are traveling, make sure you check your physical health because you should not be traveling while you are sick. You will not have a fun time if you are not feeling well, but there is the chance of getting those around you sick. Do not forget that COVID still exists and that there are still restrictions on certain traveling guidelines so make sure you look at the CDC travel guidelines. 

Awareness

Understanding your surroundings is important even if you are not traveling because you want to make sure that you are in a safe environment. Do some research in the area you are traveling so you know what to expect such not lodging in a bad part of town or have bad reviews online. You do not want to stay in a place that is known to have bed bugs, uncleaned rooms, or frequent car break ins. If you are driving out of town, make sure you keep all personal belonging on you or locked inside your room and not in your car. 

Time

Keeping Time

Keeping time on your mind to make sure you are not rushing to get to the destination is huge. If you are in a rush or making yourself run late, you are more likely to forget something, speed drive, or possibly miss your departure. Give yourself a little extra time before traveling to get your ducks in a row and you are not rushing yourself or your travel buddies. 

For more information regarding upcoming events, check Much Difference website and check out new events that may be starting up. For updates, check out our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Soundcloud.

Let's Talk About Blood

I know everyone knows about blood drives or seen one, but have you ever donated before? There are so many reasons why you should at least once in your life or at least to be tested to know what type of blood you have. 

Why should I donate?

Types of Blood

I am glad you asked! Donating blood helps out millions of people in the world because whenever you donate blood, that blood goes to patients that need it for surgeries, for cancer treatments, and blood transfusions from accidents that caused them to lose a lot of blood. You can donate up to one pint of blood every 56 calendar days so that can be at least 6 patients you can help from your donations. There are some restrictions that do apply so check in with your doctor or physician first before donating.

What's my type?

We all have a type, and not referring to relationships, but it could help save a relationship. I will get to that point in a little bit, but lets talk types. Everyone has a certain type of blood and will never change. The types of blood are as followed:

4 Reasons to Know Your Blood Type

You can ask for your blood type when you donate or check in with your doctor to draw some of your blood to check your type. Knowing your type is extremely important because if you lose a lot of blood, you need compatible blood type otherwise you may not survive. It can also be helpful to others such as loved ones that need a compatible blood donation, you could possibly be the one to help them out. If you are in a committed relationship, just check with them to see if they know their blood type to see if you two are compatible if something does happen.

Platelet and Plasma

Plasma Donation 

I have made the mistake thinking that platelet and plasma were basically the same type of donating, but they are completely different. Plasma donations are set up different because you are attached to a machine that takes your blood and separates out the
plasma from the red blood cells. At the end of your donation, you get the red blood cells back into your body while the plasma stays with the nurses. Plasma is commonly used for patients with severe burns and life threatening conditions that need plasma. Unlike platelet donations, one donation of plasma can help up to four patients. Both are great ways to give back to the community around you, where ever you are, and who ever needs it. Always check in with your doctor or physician if you have any questions regarding donating. 

For more information regarding donating blood or plasma, talk to your doctor or contact The Red Cross. Information from this post was from Why Blood Donation is Important- and Who Benefits from The Red Cross and from 4 Reasons You Should Know Your Blood Type from Banner Health. For more information regarding upcoming events, check Much Difference website and check out new events that may be starting up. For updates, check out our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Soundcloud.

Thanksgiving Prep

United Way

 

Now that Halloween is over, time to look at the next holiday: Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks to those around us and celebrating the history of the Pilgrims. I could go in great detail about the history of Thanksgiving, but that is a different topic and I am here to talk about the now/ future. 

Volunteering

There is so many different ways to get into the spiriting of giving such as donating food to a local food drive for those who cannot afford a meal, donating clothes for those who need warmer apparel, or giving your time to help serve food on your free time.  

Patriating

Turkey Trot

Participating can range from patriating in food drives, nursing home dinner prep, to being apart of marathons. There is an event on Thanksgiving hosted by Festival Foods called the Turkey Trot which is about raising money for the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club. You can run and your fees go to the clubs mentioned before or you can volunteer your time to help this event go well. 

Family

Last but definitely not least to mention: family. We are all about being apart of the bigger picture of making a difference, but make time to be with your family and give thanks with those who you love and love you back. It does not have to be blood family, but it can be the family you picked. Spend time with those you are thankful to have in your life and let them know how you feel. 

For more information on how to get involved in Thanksgiving Activities in your area, check out Feeding America's website on ways to be apart of drives. For more information regarding upcoming events, check Much Difference website and check out new events that may be starting up. For updates, check out our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Soundcloud.

Hallowteer Sweepstakes!

 This contest ended on Saturday, October 29, 2022 at 11:59 PM (CST). The winner has been notified and claimed the prize according to the Official Promotion Rules provided below. This promotion is officially closed. 

Happy Hallowteer, Our Eager Volunteers!

Halloween

For a fun way to get into the Halloween Spirit, we are hosting our first ever sweepstakes that will be located on our Facebook page! We want to show our appreciation to those who have been keeping up with our posts and being loyal followers and what better way than to do a fun little giveaway?! 

Details

To be entered into our Hallowteer Sweepstakes, you must do the following:

1. Must be following our Facebook Page.

2. Like our Hallowteer Sweepstakes post, that will be posted tomorrow morning, and comment your favorite Halloween activity and how you can make it into a volunteer opportunity next year. 

3. The sweepstakes will start at 10:00AM (CST) on Tuesday October 25, 2022 and end on Saturday October 29, 2022 at 11:59PM (CST). Only one comment per-person to be entered in. Any additional comments from the same person will be voided and not count towards the prize. 

4. For more details on the sweepstakes, check out our Official Hallowteer Sweepstakes Rules and Regulations. 

The prize will be  $150 travel voucher that can be used at any of our events that we host. 

Trick or Treat

That is it! Super simple and easy! Make sure you tune into out Facebook Page for our post and announcements throughout the week. The winner will be announced on our Facebook page Sunday morning!

Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, SoundCloud, and YouTube for all of our content that will be shared throughout the week. 

Official Hallowteer Sweepstakes Rules and Regulations

     

 VOID WHERE PROHIBITED! NO PURCHASE OR FEE IS REQUIRED TO ENTER OR WIN A PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE YOUR ODDS OF WINNING

DISCLAIMER:

This promotion is only used for Much Difference which is a fake business used for a digital marketing course. These promotion rules were created for Much Difference and Much Difference only for the Hallowteer Sweepstakes. The data collected for this sweepstake is for promotional purposes only. If you believe that something is missing please contact us immediately at dmuchowicz@MDTravel.com and we will respond as soon as possible. 

 Sweepstake Offer:

Much Difference is starting up a sweepstakes to help others get up and active during this holiday week and help provide ideas for next year as well. To be entered, you must like our sweepstakes post on our Facebook page and comment your favorite Halloween activity and how it can be used as a volunteer opportunity next year. You must post between 10:00 AM (CST) on Tuesday October 25, 2022 and 11:59 PM (CST) on Saturday October 29, 2022 otherwise your entry will be invalid. We will message you directly at 12:00 PM (CST) on Sunday October 30, 2022. Than be notified on all our social media platforms by 1:00 PM (CST) on Sunday October 30, 2022. 

Release Statement:

Facebook does not sponsor or endorse these sweepstakes. This sweepstake is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand you are providing your information to Much Difference and not to Facebook. By participating via the Facebook platform, participants are also subject to Facebook’s privacy policy and terms of use, which can be found at https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/?entry_point=data_policy_redirect&entry=0. 

Method of Entry:

Must like our Hallowteer Sweepstakes post on our Facebook page and comment their favorite Halloween Activity followed by how you can make it a volunteer opportunity next year. One person per-entry and must be 18 years or older to participate in this sweepstake. 

General Eligibility:

Must be at least 18 years or older with a valid ID in Wisconsin (school, military, government issued ID, birth certificate, or passport are acceptable). No purchase necessary to win. Void when prohibited. Much Difference does reserve the right to prohibit any misconduct, wrong information, false post, or disqualify anyone for any valid reason that can be listed on our Social Community Rules. 

Limitations:

One person per entry. Only one $150 voucher will be presented to the winner and can be only used on events we host. Voucher expires at the end of 2023. Family members and employees are excluded from patriating in this event and will be voided if one does participate. 

Odds of Winning:

The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received (1:total number of entries). No purchase or fee is required to enter or to win. A purchase does not improve the odds of winning. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. This sweepstake is not available in other states except for Wisconsin.

Sweepstakes Beginning and End:

Sweepstakes entries will be accepted via Facebook between 10:00AM (CST) Monday October 24, 2022, to 11:59PM (CST) Saturday October 29, 2022. The winner will be randomly chosen from the entries and will be notified via Direct Message on Facebook at 12:00 PM Sunday October 30, 2022. 

Prize:

The prize will be a $150 travel voucher that will be used only on Much Difference hosted events. Cannot be traded for cash or combined with other offers. Winner will be picked at random through a name generator. 

Permissions:

By entering this sweepstake, participants consent to Much Difference utilizing the participant’s name and entry and work for promotional and publication purposes with no further compensation of any kind. Void where prohibited by law.

Contact Us:

For any other questions or concerns, please feel free myself, Dee Muchowicz at 

Email:

dmuchowicz@MDTravel.com 

Phone:

262.865.8149

Location: 

620 W Clairemont Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701

How to Prepare Yourself for Out-of-State Events

Over the past couple of weeks we have been covering the basics of volunteering and today we are going continue the trend of preparing yourself for out of state events. Do your research on the event and location before booking anything and prepare yourself on your surroundings. Think of it like a vacation, which it technically is, and imagine how you would prepare yourself for it. Think of W.A.I.T: weather, attire, itinerary, and time. 

Weather

New York Road Runner Event

Knowing what you are getting yourself into through mother nature is always the way to start planning. Such as knowing if it is colder in a different state, if it is going to be raining/snowing, or if it will be warm and sunny for you! You want to know what you are getting yourself into when you are visiting a place so you know what to pack and what to pack extra of if needed. 

Attire

Basing your attire off the weather is everything because you don't want to be at an outdoor event dressed in summer clothes when it will be cold and raining instead. You rather have a rain jacket, rain boots, and warmer clothes prepared for that event day. If the event is inside, you want to dress on how the event is supposed to be (business causal, business professional, or causal) and still being able to be comfortable. You also want to make sure that you know what you are doing and dress for the event like if it is hiking, cleaning up from a disaster, or a formal fundraiser; you want to dress to fit in with everyone else. 

Itinerary

Travel Itinerary Template

You want to know what you are planning to do in the limited time you have at that location. You want to know and understand what you are volunteering for and how to plan your day around that. Understanding your event you are attending is huge because you want to know how much time you are spending there, how far away the event and hotel is, and details on your travel information (train/plane times, driving distance, taxi delays, etc.) is important way to start planning your trip itinerary.

 

Time

Bouncing off the itinerary section, time is a key part of traveling. Making sure you have enough time to get to your destinations, time spent to get ready, time to enjoy the location you are visiting, and everything in-between. Time is a valuable resource and should be used wisely because you don't want to miss an opportunity if it comes up and fits in your open space. Time is also a big factor in booking your trip because you want to make sure it lines up with your personal and work life to volunteer. Time is last to understand because it is one of the hardest things to line everything up with. Volunteering and the event you have chosen may take more or less time than expected so plan ahead and just book your time to be a half hour to an hour more than expected. 

If you keep in mind W.A.I.T, planning your trip should be easy! The only hard part is planning what out of state trip you want to take first. There is so many to choose from such as helping clean up after a natural disaster, helping clean up national parks, lending a hand at a fundraiser for a non-profit you care a lot about, or even helping rescue animals and bringing them to a safe shelter. The possibilities are endless, but making sure that you are able to do it and willing to make a difference is the hardest part. 

Volunteer

For more information regarding upcoming events, check Much Difference website and check out new events that may be starting up. Contact Dee Muchowicz for more information on tips about volunteering or any questions directly.