Just Needed A New Roof

Roofers from All About Roofing replacing a customer's roof.

Seventy-nine year old Barbara has meant everything to her family. She even contributed when her grandson needed two heart transplant surgeries. But her generosity has left her with very little in the way of a nest egg.

Barbara lives in a rural area of North Carolina and her home has really been showing its age, so much so that her roof leaks in several areas, including right over her bed. And, as anyone knows, a home that leaks every time it rains, becomes not a home at all.



So, with the roof needing immediate replacement, however, there was a dilemma - how to replace it when you don't have the money for the job. So, she took the $300 that she had and went over to ALL ABOUT ROOFING CO over in Elon to see what could be done. Of course, $300 isn't much when you're trying to repair an entire roof.

In stepped company owner Jeremy Lee. When he realized that Barbara would probably not be able to afford a new roof in the near future, he decided to repair this roof for free. You see, every year for the past three years, All About Roofing has provided one free roof for a member of the community in need. Mr. Lee stated, "The Christmas spirit is part of it. But mainly, the community's taken really good care of us and we just wanted to give something back. And this is the best way we know how to give back because this is our profession."

Just think, Barbara came to Mr. Lee at the right time, and received an early Christmas gift, and that's quite something for a woman who has given just about everything to help others.

A company that actually puts its words into practice.

Thanks to WGHP news for this information (watch the video news report, too): http://myfox8.com/2014/12/05/local-business-donates-free-roof-for-elon-grandmother/.

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Library With A Purpose

Kristina Kearns seated in her small library.

In the Mission District of San Francisco, situated in a back room of the antique store VIRACOCHA, is a small curated library known as OURSHELVES. It costs members $10 per month to participate and it operates on the principle of take one, leave one.

Unlike many libraries, even the government supported public libraries, Ourshelves has literature from North America, Spanish, Chinese, a worldly mix. The curator and founder is Kristina Kearns, who established this space after seeing the intimate exchanges that could occur in a similar setting in Greece.



Ms. Kearns enlisted the help of editors, writers, and booksellers with whom she was acquainted, with the idea that people would be able to borrow books even if they couldn't afford the membership fees. It would be/is now interactive, with participants being able to suggest additions to the collection, and those would be posted as desired parts of a "wish list". Once a month writers and anyone else who wishes can participate in an open mic night, by reading quotes from favorite literature, which was not something written by the speaker.

But the purpose wasn't just to add to the collection and interact. The point was to raise funds to create libraries in places where people have no access to the public libraries. Places where libraries are being started include homeless shelters and housing for seniors and disabled individuals. There are plans to include libraries for a youth center and immigration support center.

And how has founder Kristina Kearns benefited from her project? She reports, "There was a moment an hour before opening day when I almost panicked. I had put together the books I care about most and, being a private person, felt overwhelmingly exposed all of a sudden. Some of these books define who I am and I've made that public. Overcoming shyness in order to promote the project has been one of the hardest, yet interesting and necessary aspects of the project." The people of San Francisco can certainly be thankful to Kristina for adding so much to their community.

A small-scale library allows for personal touches.

Thanks to the San Francisco Bay Guardian article: http://www.sfbg.com/2011/12/06/shelf-life, and The Awesome Foundation blog: http://blog.awesomefoundation.org/2011/11/01/ourshelves/.

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Giving Wanted

Syrian child at refugee camp.

This doesn't happen every day. Due to lack of funds, food assistance for refugees in Syria has been cancelled. Wait a minute! Run that back again - due to lack of funds, food relief for Syrian refugees has been cancelled this month.

Imagine this, the WORLD FOOD PROGRAM, part of the UN, has run out of money. What to do when so many people depend on you? That's right about 1.7 million Syrian refugees have been relying on the UN food agency for basic support, enough food to survive.

In a recent speech, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said, "The humanitarian landscape is darkening and changing faster than ever before." More and more people are in need of basic safety net assistance.



But in this one instance, to help Syrian refugees, it won't take very much, just one dollar. If everyone, who can afford it, gives just one dollar (that's 64 million people around the world), that little bit will feed the more than 1 million Syrian refugees.

So, how can all of us help this cause? World Food Program Director Ertharin Cousin states, "Even one dollar can make a difference. We're saying to people: 'For you it's a dollar, for them it's a lifeline.'" So go HERE, watch the video, and donate your dollar. Then visit your facebook and/or twitter page and replace your facebook profile picture with one of the badges on the page. Oh, and urge your friends to do the same. Millions of lives depend on what you decide to do.

The main mission of the World Food Program.

Thanks to this Huffington Post article for the information: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/05/un-syria-hunger_n_6275608.html.

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Building Stronger Children

Roya Headley with two students.

Many colleges have service learning projects. Two education students at the University of Louisville, decided to join a trip to Botswana for their UNIVERSITY-SPONSORED SERVICE-LEARNING experience.

Lauren Smith did some teaching at a school in Malepolole, where she noticed the lack of basic structure and supplies needed to provide a good educational experience for the children. Meanwhile, Roya Headley noticed the same issues at the school where she was teaching, in the city of Gaborone. Roya also visited a local orphanage for street children, Hope Mission, which also needed basic resources in order to give the guidance and direction that the boys served really needed.



Originally, Lauren had created an Etsy boutique, Pink Elephant, to provide the funds for her service trip to Botswana. Now, Lauren and Roya used the name of the boutique and developed it into an organization mission to improve educational quality, provide chances for success, and enhance self-development of children around the world.

The area of focus is Nakuru, Kenya and the people of interest are students and teachers. Let's hear from Lauren about what PINK ELEPHANT does: "I learned that many teachers in disadvantaged locations lack the support and continuing education opportunities that are necessary for quality education to occur. Some of the teachers didn't even have 4-year degrees, thus they were not adequately prepared to keep up with the ever-evolving world of education. Once I recognized this need, I decided to take action and provide teachers with the support they desperately needed; support for which the students deserved."

Currently, Pink Elephant supports a TEACHER OUTREACH PROGRAM, providing supports and resources to help meet students' needs; a Mentoring Program for children in need; a Sponsorship Program, to provide deserving students the means to obtain further education; and The Pangani Craft Project, which offers handmade crafts and helps to support the projects that are part of Pink Elephant. So far, Pink Elephant's programs serve Pangani, Nyamathi, and Giotto.

Lauren Smith and Roya Headley with some Kenyan school members.

Information came from: http://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/lauren-smith-roya-headley-teacher-outreach-program-pink-elephant-organization/.

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Making Beautiful Music Together

The elegant dining room at Judson Manor, complete with pianist.

Let's take a little trip to Cleveland, Ohio. While we're there, why don't we stop in at JUDSON MANOR. Judson Manor is an independent living residence for about 100 seniors. But it sports a slight difference. There are three college students who live there in apartments among the seniors. And those college students pay no rent.

So, what's the deal here? This senior residence began offering free apartments to students at the renowned CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC and in exchange the students would offer the residents a monthly performance.

Marissa Plank, 24 years old, is one of the students who accepted the offer. What she originally thought was a great way to give back while she completed college has turned into so much more. She (and the two other student residents) started mingling with their neighbors and appreciating the interaction. Like Ms Plank, the student musicians began to think this program was benefiting them, giving them insight into bridging the aging gap.



Then there were, also, the seniors. At first, some of them thought they could be exposed to wild parties late at night. After all, isn't that what young adult college students do? But it wasn't like that at all. The students and the seniors became friends, above and beyond the monthly music concerts. In fact, in many ways, it was just like being family.

As Melissa Plank has found, "I live here with my peeps, as I call them, my neighbors. I'm really just not looking forward to graduating because I have to leave. I mean it's literally the best way to live....I think I get the better end of the deal, I really do."  And that is the way to make beautiful music between the generations.

Marissa Plank performing for her Justin Manor neighbors.

Thanks to this article for the information: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/one-cleveland-24-year-old-loves-living-in-a-retirement-community/.

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Colorado Vet Transport

Take a look at the STATE OF COLORADO and most people think of Denver and "Rocky Mountain High". Yes, indeed, Colorado is mountainous and has some well-known locations.  Colorado is home, also, to seven major military installations. And where there are military installations, there are also veterans.

Many of Colorado's veterans live in rural mountainous areas which are as distant from regional veteran's centers as a day's ride away. With services provided by these VA centers being vital to ex-service members recovering from their war experiences, being able to arrange convenient transportation provides an important and life-saving connection.



Veteran Donald Scott saw the need and stepped in with the establishment of GRAND VETERANS, which arranges transportation back and forth to the VA centers. According to Mr. Scott, "A trip to the VA can be so much more than a ride to an appointment; it can be a therapy session, a chance for our veterans to talk about their accomplishments, express their challenges, appreciate the surrounding beauty, and reflect on their service to our country. For many of these veterans, their VA visits are the difference between life and death. Grand Vets view these trips as missions, and not just rides to appointments."

Grand Veterans' transportation services serve the area of Denver, Golden, Grand Junction, and Cheyenne. But that isn't the only thing that Grand Veterans does. Its other services include a Veterans Service Dog Program; a Creati-VET Cards Program, in which volunteers design and create unique cards for deployed veterans to use when they write home to family members; and a Colorado Ticket-Out Program, which provides tickets to local events and entertainment to veterans and their families. Grand Vets accepts donations and volunteers.

Some veterans participating in Denver's Veterans Day parade.

I want to personally thank Donald Scott and the veterans served by Grand Vets for their service and dedication to this country and our freedoms.

Thanks to this article for the information: http://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/donald-scott-grand-veterans/.

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Valley View Academy

Ballet class at Valley View Academy in Mathare, Nairobi.

A collection of slums in Nairobi goes by the name of Mathare Valley; the oldest, MATHARE, contains approximately 150,000 people. With that many people, there are also children living there. There is also gang violence and children get siphoned into those gangs.

The people who live in Mathare and MATHARE VALLEY are unimaginably poor. The housing is ramshackle and sanitation practically nonexistence. It makes a tough world for families to try to negotiate.

However, into this area came a school, VALLEY VIEW ACADEMY, which evolved in the late 1970s from a tutorial program set up for dropouts from the public schools. Because so many children of various ages and amounts of schooling started to arrive for educational assistance, a formal school program was developed geared to the needs of the students from Mathare, who had needs beyond that which the government schools could serve. Valley View now serves more than 1000 students. Besides the educational program, the school also engages in such sports as football, volleyball, netball, and basketball.



None of the developing educational program at Valley View developed without outside help. Gary Muldoon from the US has raised sufficient fund to help build the school's library. He and his wife are in the process of collecting more than 1500 books and have plans to help the school build a computer lab. Mr. Muldoon has been documenting his progress on his twitter page, BOOKS ARE POWER.

Mr. Muldoon has discussed the reasons for his involvement, "The main reason why we are so passionate about continuing this project was the reaction of the students and gratitude of the faculty. The look of amazement on the faces of the students and big grins when we told them this is YOUR library were more than enough to make us want to do more."

In order to visualize the hope that Valley View Academy brings to its students, watch this video made of photos about the school and the area it serves:

Thanks for information provided by this article: http://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/gary-muldoon-books-are-power/.

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