Saturday, January 31, 2015

A New Truck For The Garden Lady

"Miss Becky" Coger, left, and one of the neigbors with her "new" Dodge Ram.
She's known all around North Side Pittsburgh. She hauls around mulch and seedlings for community gardens and tends to the fruit trees in 12 local neighborhoods. She drives what she can afford to drive on a limited income, a 1984 GMC pick-up. One day she parked her old truck in front of her rowhouse and a reckless driver slammed into it, totaling it.

Since the car was so old, neighbors and friends of Becky Coger knew she wouldn't be receiving any funds to replace her vehicle from the insurance company. And they so needed her continued involvement, brightening up the community and helping others in need.



So, with the help of the NORTHSIDE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, they embarked on a fund drive to help Miss Becky get a new ride. They had a goal of $5000 to replace her old truck, but when the donations were counted, they had a total of $10,000. Her son Fred found just the right vehicle, a 2003 Dodge Ram for about $9900. Yesterday, the new truck was presented to her at a news conference.

Now, Miss Becky can be on her way, providing what's needed to her neighbors and friends. She knows the area like the back of her hand; she knows where help is needed most. And she was able to make that most important Cub Scout meeting last evening, where the boys are getting very excited and planning for their entry into the Pinewood Derby this spring. Just be aware, Miss Becky is on the road again and ready to serve her beloved community.

Thanks to this article from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/brian-oneill/2015/01/15/Brian-O-Neill-Ms-Becky-has-a-sweet-ride-and-intent/stories/201501150173.


Friday, January 30, 2015

Telling The Story

Dan Beckmann
How do people know what needs changing? How does anyone know what or who is sparking change? How do these stories get known? Who tells them - these stories of those who make a contribution to making this world of ours a better place?

These are some of the questions that may have entered the minds of Liz Vargas, who used to direct The Women's Resource Center in Lawrence and Haverhill MA, and Dan Beckmann, a camera man, producer, editor with 22 years of experience with the Today Show. They came together to tell the stories of how people became involved in social change and engagement, no matter the size of the action. They formed Just DO Something...Anything!, with the hope that these stories would inspire others to make a difference.



Their organization started out with an INTRODUCTORY VIDEO, with words that depict the various areas in which one could engage. The message that predominates is to get people acting and engaged. So far, there is a blog, SOCIAL DISCUSSION, that has been in operation since September 2012. There are entries about areas of need - and about various individuals who come together, or who on their own, are striving to address those needs. Then there is their WEBSITE; they offer their storytelling services to organizations who would like their stories known, through YouTube videos. There are four organizations who have utilized these services - and there are also others not on the website.

Action does not have to be large to make a difference. Simple things like opening a door, smiling, writing a message on poster board, can be the start of a movement. The important thing is for people to be the change they want to see. Setting an example, being a role model, it all adds up. Some pretty wonderful things can happen.

People who are doing things like this deserve for their stories to be told. And that is precisely what Liz Vargas and Dan Beckmann are doing. Their blog is just one method. They have used social media, along with the more traditional media - magazines and newspapers. Both also continue their own activism, as well. Thinking outside the box has kept them thinking big - and continuing to let readers/viewers know that many small actions together can lead to big changes.

A smiling Liz Vargas.
Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/liz-vargas-dan-beckmann-just-something-anything/.


Thursday, January 29, 2015

It's A Snow Day!

Head of School, Matt Glendinning, in more formal mode.
Yup, Juno went through the Northeast a few days ago. Some places got lucky (yes, Maryland!), but others felt the full brunt of the storm. If you happen to live north of NYC, the snow accumulated and kept accumulating. Cities and States shut down, along with airports. Skis and sleds were the preferred form of transportation.

Of course, there was the usual educational answer to a huge snowstorm - no school today. With everything else shut down, school couldn't open. Remember back in the day when you might listen to the radio or watch a particular tv station waiting for that all-important announcement for school to be closed? I remember missing the announcement and taking the walk to the bus stop before my mother or a neighborhood mother would send word that the announcement for school closing was finally made.



These days, that same announcement can be communicated in several ways - robocalls; television announcements streaming at the bottom of the screen; text messaging; online look-ups. But there have also been some rather unique ways of making this important notification.

Enter Matt Glendinning, Head of MOSES BROWN SCHOOL in Providence, RI. Adam Olenn, the school's director of communications, who was the man with the plan, talked about how the idea for a video announcement came about, "I've seen a couple of funny principal snow day closings and I thought we could really crush that....Of course, with two little girls, I've heard 'Let It Go' from 'Frozen' more than a couple times."

The song was recorded first, with the voice provided by school choral director, Justin Peters, in a sound studio in Massachusetts. And then came the action, including the section that worked in classroom fractals. Ryan Vemmer, the school's video media editor, filmed and edited the action. All it took was the addition of the monster storm, Juno, and the video was out there.

You know, it's nice when a team of people with a commitment to kids can get together and have some fun filming what would otherwise be a mundane announcement. I bet the kids who attend Moses Brown are realizing that they've got some pretty special teachers and administrators who care about them.


Thanks to this article from WBUR: http://artery.wbur.org/2015/01/26/moses-brown-snow-day.


Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Supporting Incarcerated Youth

Part of the installation at George Mason University.
MARK STRANDQUIST lives in Richmond, VA, and combines within himself the roles of artist, educator, and organizer. His forte is creating interactive installations, utilizing social processes to create images, and serving as a catalyst for dialogue that leads to action.

So Mark chose to focus on incarcerated youth by posing questions to them that would focus on the issues which may have led to their adjudication. It started with prompts, such as "If you had a window in your cell, what place in your past would it look out to?" In response, high school students in the DC area would respond with their own photographs and interview members of the community. Then when the first Teen Congress On Ending Juvenile Incarceration was scheduled to meet, this dialogue would serve as a springboard to discussion and solution proposals.



Now, besides engaging in the actual artistic depictions of their experiences, all of the youths were taught photography skills and learned how photography could be used in the process of social engagement. The GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY STREET LAW CLINIC facilitated the workshops with the high school students.

The idea, from the point of view of the incarcerated youth, was to build a dialogue with youth in the community, to receive support from the dialogue, encourage friendship, and build trust. There would also be the increased self esteem and satisfaction that would come from seeing their work placed on public exhibition and being discussed in student newspapers. This is an ongoing project that has several phases, along with the support of several community groups.

Mark Strandquist with Courtney Bowles, his partner on other projects.
Thanks to information from this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/mark-strandquist-windows-prison-youth-youth/, and this article from No Movement: http://www.nomovement.com/Windows-From-Prison-Youth-to-Youth.


Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Serving Pizza Slices With Kindness

Mason in front of the wall of paid forward contributions.
Early last year, 26-year-old Mason Warton quit his job on Wall Street and opened ROSA'S FRESH PIZZA, in Philadelphia. He prices his slices at a dollar per slice, a price that can't be beat. He still manages to break even, when all the accounting is done.

One day a customer came in and wanted to pay-it-forward by buying a homeless person a slice of pizza. That struck Mason as a really good idea, and he began encouraging other customers to do the same. When anyone took him up on the offer, he wrote up a post-it note with the customer's name and act of generosity on the restaurant wall. So far, Mason has served over 8600 pizza slices to customers in need.



When he appeared on the Ellen Show, Mason told her, "I see every day how many people it helps. This could become a hugely powerful force for feeding people in need. People have suggested I raise my price, but that's a short-term way of looking at it....[W]hen I started this I wanted to make money, and now we break even, we can cover our bills. I was making more at previous jobs, but if all of a sudden we ran out of post-it notes and I had to turn a homeless person away, that would ruin my day."

Mason figures that his pizza place manages to serve 30-40 people in need per day. Mason says. "One of the first homeless people that came in...he recently told me he got a job. He said, because of this program, he saved a couple bucks every day, got a suit, got a haircut, and got an interview." That shows that what may seem to be a small impact is actually making a much larger difference.

If you happen to be in Philadelphia, stop by at Rosa's Fresh Pizza. Don't forget to pay it forward with an extra slice of pizza for someone in need. You'll be helping in a big way.

Mason getting ready to place a pizza in the oven.
Thanks to this article from The Ellen Show: http://www.ellentv.com/2015/01/09/a-pizza-shop-customers-kind-gesture-turns-into-pay-it-forward-campaign/.


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Monday, January 26, 2015

Support For Caregivers

Bonnie Shehan (center) with other attendees at conference breakfast.
What happens when someone is recovering from a serious accident or a severe illness? Generally, part of the care is provided during inpatient hospitalization. But the majority of the healing occurs outside of the hospital, in the home. And sometimes, the person affected, the patient is left with long term disabilities or chronic illnesses. What happens then? Frequently a family member steps into the breach and cares for that loved one.

There are some severe consequences for the caregiver, though. According to Carol Bradley Bursack, an experienced elder caregiver and aging consultant, caregivers can become so stressed and ill themselves that more than 30% die before the person for whom they are caring does. Even when signs of impending illness show up, those caregivers tend to put off medical care for themselves, and so become sicker.



Bonnie Shehan has worked in the nursing field for 23 years and has seen the toll exacted on caregivers firsthand. She envisioned a solution in providing education and support for those caregivers. She planned to build a support center in Indianapolis, which would provide education, support, and fellowship to caregivers on a daily basis. But what to do until the building becomes completed?

Bonnie built a website, THE CAREGIVERS CONNECTION. The site has announcements about support group meetings for caregivers. resource connections, online tools connecting to needed assistance and forms, a newsletter sign-up, progress on the actual building, and a volunteer application form for when the building opens. Meanwhile there is also information about the possibility of a mobile support unit to bridge the gap until the building opens. Of course, if interested in supporting this endeavor, you can also donate to the cause.

With the aging population and the number of disabled veterans and survivors of life-threatening accidents, family and friends, who assume caregiving roles, are becoming more numerous. More ways to address those issues are needed. Bonnie Shehan is off to a good start with her solution.

Frequently a family member or close friend ends up caring for someone with a chronic illness or disability.
Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/bonnie-shehan-cci-caregivers-support-center/, and background information on this issue from aging.com: http://www.agingcare.com/Discussions/Thirty-Percent-of-Caregivers-Die-Before-The-People-They-Care-For-Do-97626.htm.


Sunday, January 25, 2015

Letter To Heaven

Ashlynn's balloon message.
To 16-year-old Ashlynn Marracino, who lives in Whittier, CA, life hasn't really felt complete. Her dad died in 2008 from a brain aneurysm. It was sudden and he was still a young father. When you experience a loss that deep. you also grieve because there's this big hole in your heart, which that loved one leaves behind. It can take years sometimes, to move on in life.

When you have a complicated relationship with that loved one, that can prolong the grief and make it even more difficult to get your life back on track. It's definitely a more difficult road. Ashlynn had regrets about her relationship with her father. The road with him had not always been easy. Dad had spent some time in jail and sent his young daughter many pictures to keep the relationship going, mostly ignored by Ashlynn.



Even after her dad had been released from jail, Ashlynn ignored some of his phone calls. So it was with his last phone call. In the fragility of life, none of us really knows which phone call or contact with a loved one will be the last. It's a regret that can easily come to any of us.

It's been some years now since her father died, but there is one thing that Ashlynn is doing. She writes a letter on a balloon and sends it up to the heavens, with hope, to keep her connection with him still concrete. This is a wonderful technique to help anyone through the grieving process, saying the things left unsaid in a letter to a dead loved one.

So, this year the balloon went up - and it landed in a place never intended - the parking lot of the LOCAL HEROES RESTAURANT in Auburn, CA, some 450 miles away from the launch spot. One of restaurant owner Lisa Swisley's customers found the balloon letter and they read it together.  Lisa said, "We started reading it, my co-worker and I, realized what it was and we got kind of teary. It was very sad to us that she was missing her dad so much. I just thought I wanted to reach out to her."

Luckily, Ashlynn had signed her name and Lisa did an online search. She then posted the story on PAY IT FORWARD IN AUBURN's facebook page. There was a huge response, with many responders wanting to send cards and gifts to Ashlynn. There was even a gift from the college which Ashlynn wants to attend after high school, Humboldt State.

It was an outpouring of support from a community miles away and it somehow made dad's love more real and was a sign that her dad noticed.

Ashlynn with her dad in the last year of his life.
Thanks to this article from CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/teens-letter-to-dad-in-heaven-gets-a-response/. and to this article from the Today Show: http://www.today.com/parents/balloon-letter-heaven-answered-kind-strangers-1D80424933.


Saturday, January 24, 2015

Community Nutritional Needs

Darius Stanton on campus.
Miranda Garcia grew up in Baltimore and wants to become a pulmonologist. Darius Stanton comes from Bowie, MD and wants to work as an international environmental activist. They both came together at CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY in Orangeburg, SC, where they became college ambassadors for GREEN FOR ALL.

Among their activities was doing a light audit on campus buildings and promoting environmental sustainability among fellow students. They also started their own program, Project H.E.A.L.T.H.Y. (Health Education And Learning To Help/Heal Yourself). Both students had observed that members of the community, who tended to be low-income were dependent upon quickie-type markets for their food needs. When you look at the types of foods available at those markets, you notice that fresh fruits and vegetables are missing. That has health implications for members of the community.

If you look demographically at the health issues within the families, you notice illnesses related to the types of food consumed, namely hypertension, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Now, if you can educate and demonstrate new nutritional practices, you can also care for this community by stimulating change. That's just what Miranda and Darius decided to do.



So, they began to provide a series of organic gardening workshops geared to the Orangeburg and Claflin University community through a platform that addressed such topics as health issues in communities of color, eating habits, community sustainability, saving money while engaged in healthy behaviors, etc. Also included was the concept of organic gardening.

Since both Miranda and Darius have moved on, what has been left at Claflin from what they started? Well, Claflin continues to be highly involved with issues of sustainability. The university has been recognized as one of the top ten green historically black colleges. The university president also has signed the American College And University President's Climate Commitment. All because some students lived that commitment.

Green For All College Ambassador training.
Thanks to information from this article by Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/darius-stanton-miranda-garcia-project-h-e-l-t-h-y-health-education-learning-helpheal/, and this bio from Green For All: http://gfa.fchq.ca/programs/college-ambassador-program/where-are-they-now/claflin-university/.


Friday, January 23, 2015

The Doorman

Here's Josh holding the door.
Josh Yandt was just one of those students. He'd been bullied throughout his life, even after his father died. So, there was more than the usual amount of trepidation when the family decided to move to London, Ontario. CLARKE ROAD SECONDARY SCHOOL was a much bigger school than Josh had attended previously. Plus, it was high school and he was a teenager, not the best combination.

But on the day he started attending, Josh decided to make a brand new start. He'd no longer be bullied nor hide his personal light under a bushel. He'd be known and recognized from the very start.



What was it that he did differently? He opened doors. By opening doors and saying kind words to his peers, he opened doors in many other ways. He created a new spirit at school, recognizing others, getting to know the other students, establishing friendships. But his new friends were doing something else, too. They were becoming kinder, too - picking up dropped books, greeting each other, smiling. It was such a better atmosphere at school.

And then one day came the prom; it could be a nightmare of rejection, but it wasn't. Somehow the students recognized that something special had gone on here. So, when the votes were tallied, Josh Yandt had been voted prom king. He was also voted most outgoing student. All because he held the door open and greeted his fellow students.

All of this has made quite a difference in Josh's life. You see, now he's more outgoing. And that shy young lad who speaks with a bit of a lisp has become a speaker. He now tells his story to students at other schools, promoting an atmosphere of inclusion. One simple act - opening a door - opened the door to a better life, both for Josh Yandt and also for all the other students whom he met along the way.

Josh with Principal Paul Panayi and the good wishes of fellow students.
Thanks to this article from Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/22/opening-doors-teen-bullying_n_6526220.html?ir=Impact&ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000054, and this one from CBC News: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/student-with-bullied-past-the-doorman-graduates-1.1395441.


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Thursday, January 22, 2015

Seeding Compassion

Vasanthi Kumar and two children benefitting from "Compassionate Children".
Vasanthi Kumar grew up in Bangalore and now lives in New Delhi, India. In 2002 she became a co-founder of STRAY RELIEF AND ANIMAL WELFARE (STRAW), that works to improve how animals are treated and viewed, particularly strays. The group has certification by the ANIMAL WELFARE BOARD OF INDIA, and is located in New Delhi.

As most animal shelters in the US do, STRAW has a sizable spay-neuter program, which helps to reduce the population of companion animals and allows them to live healthier lives. Not to mention, the savings to the community because there are fewer animals.



A major focus of STRAW is education, particularly of youth. To that end, Vasanthi and STRAW are developing a curriculum-friendly humane education program, called "Compassionate Classrooms". For those in the primary grades, the program provides movies and also interactive activities. When children become older, the program teaches first aid for injured animals and how to handle instances of cruel behavior towards animals. They plan to introduce this curriculum to all 35 educational boards throughout India, reaching approximately 10,000 schools.

One of the biggest functions of shelters is to rehome animals. In publicizing that they encourage rehoming of pets, abandonment of those pets is decreased, and the previous owners are assured that their pet can be placed in another loving home. STRAW helps to find an appropriate shelter program that will welcome the pet and facilitate adoption. That decreases the number of stray animals in the city.

STRAW raises funds for its operations through corporate sponsorships, individual donations, government funding, and international grants, particularly in the area of animal welfare. Some of the funds are used for their programs; the rest are distributed to other local animal welfare groups. They truly are an organization that seeds a new way of treating animals. Most importantly, they are reaching out to the youth of India and bringing compassionate thinking to as many school children as possible.

A bee colony in a buddha tree in Vasanthi's backyard.
Thanks to this Pollination Project article: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/vasanthi-kumar-compassionate-classrooms-rajasthan/, and information from the above links.


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Sweet 16

Nubia Wilson and some of the students at Fregenet School.
Remember back to your teen years when you turned 16 years old (for the adults in the room)? Most people think of age 16 as rather special, a party, some sort of celebration, maybe getting that driving permit (if you haven't gotten it already) - it's all about you and your specialness.

However, there are other ways that teens mark the occasion. That was the case for Nubia Wilson, a teenager from Antioch, CA. You see, she's on a more altruistic mission. She's made several trips to Ethiopia since she was in fifth grade. So, when it came to having some sort of luxurious party, she was thinking more about the extreme poverty of the people she had come to know.

The decision was made to raise money for the FREGENET FOUNDATION, which had built the school for orphaned and impoverished children there. "I realized that I could give up my birthday and it wouldn't matter, because I still have the world compared to them. So I decided I wanted to do something different this year, and start raising money," remarked Nubia. In total, she raised $2000 for the school.



Nubia's inspiration has been her mother, Tigi Wilson, who entered this country as a refugee from the troubled times in Ethiopia, which included both war and famine, in the 1980s. The trips to the country have been a way for Tigi to introduce her children to the place from which their mother came, and that has so impressed daughter Nubia.

If anyone has thought that her 16th birthday celebration is the end of Nubia's contributions, though, you're wrong. Ms. Wilson has now embarked on another fundraising mission. She's selling Hershey bars and organizing a dinner and auction. She also has a CROWD RISE ACCOUNT. She calls this mission "Keep Hermela Smiling" after a young girl she met, who attends Fregenet School and has lost one parent and has another who is ill. Her goal now is to raise $10,000 for the school to add fifth grade, since it only goes up to fourth grade now.

By the way, Nubia is no academic slouch either. She's an honors student, who attends CARONDELET HIGH SCHOOL, an all-girls high school. She wants to become a humanitarian lawyer, and her choices of colleges include UCLA and Stanford. No matter where you end up, Nubia, you're already an asset to this world of ours.
Nubia and an ancient Ethiopian orthodox manuscript she wants to include in the auction.
Thanks to this article from Kindness Blog: http://kindnessblog.com/2015/01/20/this-teenagers-sweet-16th-birthday-is-not-all-about-her/, and this article from The Reporter: http://www.thereporter.com/general-news/20150121/antioch-girl-raises-2000-toward-expansion-of-ethiopian-school-for-orphans.


Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Horses And Gardening

Sarah Davis with one of the horses.
Over in St. Joseph, Missouri, is the BROKEN CREEK YOUTH RANCH, where youth ages 18 months to 18 years with various chronic disabilities learn to ride horses, leading to improvement in spiritual, physical, and mental well-being. The ranch is a certified Spirit Horse International Therapeutic Center. Staff members include certified instructors and volunteers also assist the youthful participants and provide support for the ranch's programs.



One of the volunteers, Sarah Davis, has led the group of volunteers in developing the concept of accessible gardening opportunities for the participants. The idea behind the interactive gardening experience was to teach the youth about better nutrition, develop a respect for the earth, and learn about sustainability. Because many of the participating youngsters utilize wheelchairs to assist with their mobility needs, the garden needed wheelchair-accessible stations, so that anyone who wanted to participate, could experience the joys of gardening.

So, now the ranch offers, in addition to therapeutic riding, horticulture therapy. All services are provided free of charge to the youth, who also have physician prescriptions to be part of the program. Funding comes from grants, voluntary contributions, and fund-raising events, sponsored by local restaurants and other businesses. There are also opportunities for members of the general public to sponsor a youth or adopt a horse.

Thanks to information from the program's website, linked above, and this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/sarah-davis-flowers-for-maddie/.


Monday, January 19, 2015

Prom Dress For Sale

Kristen's facebook post about her prom dress. She looks gorgeous!
Who would have thought that selling a prom dress on facebook would provoke some online controversy! That's just what happened when 18-year-old Kristen Layne did just that. The senior at WHITE HOUSE HIGH SCHOOL posted her junior prom dress on the FOR SALE IN SUMNER COUNTY, TN facebook page, which is set up so individuals with items for sale can advertise.

She and an entire community were shocked at the cruel responses. Kristen said, "I was trying to sell my prom dress, and these two men were just saying some very hateful things, just telling me I was fat and I wasn't beautiful." You know the type - they spew out hatred wherever they post, ruining the sharing experience among friends and acquaintances; they believe that because it's "anonymous" they can just write whatever pops into their small brains. Essentially, they are the bullies of the internet.



Kristen's father didn't understand how people could say those things without really knowing the person. Said dad, "I didn't understand why people who didn't even know her lashed out at her." But then there were the other comments, the ones defending Kristen and calling out the meanies. One post said, "It's obvious this woman is beautiful inside and out." Another wrote that the dress "looks absolutely stunning." Kristen, herself posted, "Can you stop with the comments? Sorry that I'm not pleasing to your eye."

It was certainly quite wonderful that Kristen had the guts and courage to stand up for herself, but as I realize, the comments that a person notices most are those ugly ones, especially when that person is used to hearing negative comments about herself. However, I am hoping that she did notice that she received 400 likes on her original post - and that's pretty significant, since most posts generally garner a few likes and a comment or two, that could be positive or negative.

My message to Kristen? You go girl! Stand up for yourself and ignore those ignorant naysayers. Remember the joy that you had when you wore that beautiful dress that you wanted to share. Don't let ANYONE steal that joy. By the way donations amounting to $400 have come in, so Kristen can afford a new prom dress without even selling her junior prom gown. Take that, bullies!
Portrait of Kristen Layne
Thanks to this article from WSMV: http://www.wsmv.com/story/27823525/community-rallies-behind-sumner-co-teen-bullied-on-facebook.

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