Thursday, April 30, 2015

Thinking About The Turkeys

This is Fernando, a turkey who lives at Piebird Farm Sanctuary.
It started when she was volunteering with FARM SANCTUARY in Watkins Glen, NY, which shelters more than 500 rescued farm animals, this interest in turkeys, in a celebration that places turkeys on the dinner plate. Cheryl Miller took note of how this sanctuary for farm animals celebrated its Thanksgiving, not with the turkey as the highlight of the dinner menu, but as an invited guest, sharing in the holiday bounty. She said, of this first of a kind Thanksgiving, "It was so delightful for me to watch the honored guests gather round, cluck, and peck at the offering prepared just for them. It was, without question, one of my favorite and most memorable Thanksgivings since becoming a vegetarian in 1980."



It made an impression on Cheryl, especially when she realized that the turkeys at the sanctuary had their own individual personalities, making each a bit unique. But how do you share that sense with other people? Moreover, how do you spread the idea that Thanksgiving doesn't have to be an occasion on which turkeys occupy a dinner plate?

Since that experience at Farm Sanctuary, Cheryl had taken to celebrating Thanksgiving through her art work, making portraits of beloved turkeys. That new tradition sparked an idea - why not create a virtual way for people to create respectful portraits of turkeys, where some of the uniqueness and personalities of both the artists and the turkeys would be represented? None of those cartoons or joke turkeys were wanted for the project; that would be disrespectful.

So, the 46MILLIONTURKEYS participatory art project, exhibition (at the HARLOW GALLERY in 2013), and web site, was launched. The site represented a virtual Thanksgiving table, with portraits of turkeys contributed, each representing one of the turkeys consumed on Thanksgiving Day, a total of 46 million each year. Those who visit the site would be exposed to education about turkey consumption, along with the individual personalities that are the reality of turkey life. Perhaps, there would even be some deep thought about what consuming a turkey really represents, a unique life lost.

A recent portrait submitted by Caroline A. Locatelli.

That's pretty much what Cheryl envisioned. As she said, "While I cannot personally stop the slaughter of 46 million animals for a holiday tradition, it is my belief, that through this project, I can help influence how people see a holiday, a tradition, and a bird. Wouldn't it be wonderful if 46millionturkeys.com redefined an American holiday tradition!"

A turkey lawn ornament. Pretty lifelike, isn't it?
Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/cheryl-miller-46-million-turkeys/.



Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Baltimore's True Spirit Shines

Some of the volunteers out near a vacant lot, cleaning up debris.
On Monday, the rest of the world read about the terrible destruction of out-of-control behavior in some of the poorest neighborhoods of Baltimore. The city is near and dear to my heart, since I came down here more than thirty years ago to work with those who are ill and needing professional nursing care. Some of those for whom I have cared come from the areas hardest hit by the deliberate destruction. No matter how bad things have been in these poor neighborhoods, I had not known of any rioting and pillaging en masse in these neighborhoods previously, no matter how badly people had been treated, no matter how much in need. There has always been something special in the spirit of the neighborhoods and in the larger city area. So, with sadness, I watched the destruction on the streets where I had traveled to work at downtown hospitals.



But, as I said, that isn't the Baltimore that I know. That recognizable Baltimore came out yesterday, in the groups of people who came together to clean up the mess that remained. When the day dawned, citizens emerged from their homes with the tools of clean-up - brooms and shovels; rakes and garbage bags; mops, buckets, and work gloves. The glass that littered the street was cleaned up. Litter strewn about broken stores was swept up and put in garbage bags, remaining goods that could be salvaged were restored to shelves that had to be picked up and put back in place. Mops came out to wash the store floors that had the grime of the feet of looters.

In one instance, some 2500 people showed up to clean garbage off the streets, all invited by an event post on facebook. Faith leaders came out to give encouragement to the cleanup efforts. Rev. Westley West, of Faith Empowered Ministries, who has the reputation of trying to rebuild lives, said, "Those individuals in our community that want to step up and is tired of the violence and our communities being vandalized and things like that, it's going to take those people to step up and say this is not the answer, this is not the way." One of the volunteers who came out to help, Tia Sexton, said, "Now you're looking at burnt down store fronts, broken glass. It's senseless."

One of the young neighborhood children offering a drink to a police officer.
As the day darkened toward sunset, groups of workers and regular citizens gathered in a show of unity to take the city forward. Some danced to try to bring some positive spirit into the hearts of those in the street. Groups of people gathered and walked down the street where the violence had spilled over the previous evening. The community was calling out to neighbors, advocating for everyone to keep the peace. No destruction, just the community trying to calm itself down. This is the spirit of Baltimore, a city where neighbor helps neighbor during times of emergency and crisis. This is a city that can come together for the good of all. That's what it will take in the days ahead to find the will to carry on, as either good news or bad comes from the investigative efforts into a tragedy that never should have happened.

Even some of the youngest children in the neighborhood engaged in clean-up.
Thanks to this report from CBS Baltimore: http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/04/28/cleanup-underway-in-w-baltimore/.


Monday, April 27, 2015

Soul Journeys To Healing

One of the healing journeys out in the wilderness.
There is a veteran leader of wilderness programs out in Arizona, whose experience has been primarily involved with leading at-risk teenagers into wilderness areas for month-long healing adventures. Brianna Boertman, a therapeutic wilderness instructor with fifteen years of experience, noticed something about the teen girls who were participants - many of them had experienced childhood abuse.

So, Brianna started adding yoga and art into her wilderness trek programs. Needless to say, she was astonished with the results. She says, "Not only were these young girls forming communal bonds like never before, but they were engaging in personal transformation that led to reduced recidivism and lasting change when they graduated from the program." In other words, the adventure was the spark that led to personal change.



Brianna was so impressed by the outcome that she started the DEVA HEALING CENTER, which now offers workshops, retreats, recovery services, yoga therapy, and SoulJourneys for teens. The venues that the Healing Center uses are the wilderness areas of Arizona. The programs are designed for specific groups of women and the retreats can be customized for the purposes of the organizations which engage her services.

SoulJourneys takes place during the summer months and involves a three-week gentle backpack trek. Included in the experience are yoga and various expressive arts. The trek utilizes the group experience of camaraderie, support, and encouragement. This coming summer, two SoulJourney experiences are planned. The groups are composed of a maximum of twelve girls in order to maximize the group experience.

Along with the actual physical and spiritual journey, the girls are encouraged to utilize technology, in the form of their personal blogs, where they can post their personal experiences and share photos and memories. Journaling can be an important part of the healing experience and is encouraged also within the psychotherapeutic community.

Two participants in the inspiring setting of the falls.
Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/brianna-boertman-souljourneys/; and the above link.


Saturday, April 25, 2015

The Best Photobomb Of Their Lives

Dad's photobombing in the background and Joshua has no idea it's happening.
I have to admit that I love these things, watching people's expressions, the surprise written on their faces. Sometimes, if an animal does it, the expression of innocence when the critter takes over the spotlight.

But this was a photobomb of a different sort and it was totally planned. For eight-year-old Joshua Bass, it was class picture day. Of course, that means putting on a nice shirt and your best smile, maybe even wearing something your mom wants to see in the photo, but you'd much rather wear your usual casual clothing.



Well, it all started out pretty normally. The picture was snapped and Joshua was ready to move along. But there seemed to be something unusual in the background and Joshua found out about it when the photographer called him over to have a look at the picture. There was this guy in back of him, dressed in military fatigues, with his arms up in a wacky gesture.

Joshua took a look and smiled, but was also too stunned to look behind him until the photographer told him to turn around. What a pleasant surprise!

There was Joshua, looking into the loving face of his father, Corporal James Bass, a face he hadn't seen for a year. Dad James was deployed with the military in Kuwait for the past year and had just returned home. He set up the photobomb as a way to surprise his son.

And surprise him, it did. You can see that it took a few seconds for Joshua to realize that his dad was actually there, in the flesh. The second it registers, Joshua let out a yell, "Daddy!" and grabs onto dad with all of his mite. Then there is the affection between father and son, a genuine love, a return of dad, whole and intact.

Joshua got a chance to bask in the glow of his father's love, as he added, "You still got it." Happy reunion and wonderful school. PEARSONTOWN ELEMENTARY school in Durham was happy to work with Corporal Bass in pulling this wonderful reunion surprise between father and son.

There is nothing like the love between father and son.
Thanks to this article from the Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3047164/He-s-Military-dad-photobombs-son-s-school-portrait-elaborate-homecoming-surprise.html.

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Thursday, April 23, 2015

Energy Solution In Lake Victoria Area

Training session on entrepreneurship of solar lamps.
Caroline Odera, who comes from the Lake Victoria region, has been dreaming big. And she has obtained the background to put some of her plans into effect. She has received professional training in Business Administration with IT; has had a yearlong fellowship with AKILI DADA, where she worked on promoting energy solutions with the women in the Kisumu District; and has been working as a volunteer program manager with ECOFINDER KENYA

She has had a plan in mind for the Lake Victoria area, putting together eco-solutions, entrepreneurship, and working with the women in the region. Most of her work academically and in volunteer projects have focused on those surrounding regions. Caroline has been working on this program since the end of 2013 and several aspects of her proposal have been implemented.



As I said before, Caroline is dreaming large and does need financial backing to continue to implement this solution. Within Africa women householders have relied on traditional cooking methods, which utilize firewood and kerosene. Firewood is a limited resource and unless you are planting trees and waiting years for them to grow sizable enough to provide the wood, you would eventually run out.

However, the major concern with kerosene and firewood cooking is the smoke, which contains pollutants and their effects on respiratory health and utilizing these fuels calls for open spaces, where carbon monoxide poisoning is mitigated. In many of her solutions, Caroline relies upon micro-enterprises among the women householders, so there are income-producing aspects of her solution.

Among the changes that are still ongoing include changes in the types of fuel that households use. Once dependent on more polluting firewood and kerosene, cooking can be done with sustainable biogas and solar power. Utilizing solar lamps in households have led to entrepreneurial enterprises that provide jobs and give pride in providing sources of clean energy.

This is actually only one small aspect of a program that is creating community change while also allowing some of the already-developed technology to have an impact on land stewardship and addressing the environmental issues that impact the area. Caroline's big dream shows how far-reaching the planning must be to make the type of community change that is so meaningful. You can read more about how Caroline and Ecofinder Kenya are working within the LAKE VICTORIA region by clicking on the higlighted words in this sentence. I think that if someone with Caroline's motivation and abilities existed in other communities, maybe there is a way to slow climate change.

One of the puppet programs used to increase knowledge of environmental solutions.
Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/caroline-odera-women-green-energy-enterprises-savings-initiative-wees/; and Caroline's bio on this page: http://www.akilidada.org/past-fellows.

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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Hope Through Technology

At the social media training for the ten nonprofit organizations.
When Marlon Parker was young, he faced struggles growing up in a single-parent household in a poor section of Cape Town, South Africa. Because the oldest child in such families usually contributed to the household income, eight-year-old Marlon sold candy and carried grocery bags to supplement the family income. By age 19, when he was working at an airport, he decided that the key to his future would be to learn about information technology, although he had not ever worked with a computer.



From that humble beginning, Marlon grew to founding RLABS, a global movement that is about using technology for social good, as a means to solving complex social issues. The group currently operates in 22 countries and has provided five million people with training and support services. The focus is on groups that are usually overlooked, or disenfranchised, such as dropouts, the homeless, former addicts, ex-cons, and single moms, with a particular interest in youth from these backgrounds.

There is an Academy within RLabs that provides training in various aspects of information technology; a GROW Leadership Academy designed for youth ages 18 to 25; and enterprise and organization development, designed for the specific needs of the communities where the groups are located.

Another aspect of programming is a Community Living Lab, which provides a central location for ideas and projects that  lead to social innovation. The Incubation portion of the programs spawns social innovation and seed funding for mobile and technology entrepreneurs.

Marlon Parker.
Some of the events and developments going on currently include a development studio in conjunction with the BBC that is exploring innovated ways of spreading radio content to a larger African audience; social media training with a group of ten different nonprofit organizations; and an innovation incubator targeting children designed to provide more early education opportunities for young African children. The outreach provided by RLabs is so wide-spread and varied that it can be hard to describe in condensed form. To say the least, it is a group that is spreading hope and opportunities to people who may not have pictured themselves being so engaged previously.

Women's empowerment through RLabs.
Thanks to this article from Daily Good: http://www.dailygood.org/story/1034/south-africa-from-dropouts-to-innovators-ashoka/; and from the above link.


Monday, April 20, 2015

Greening In The City

One of the community events, related to food supplies, held by URI.
The Bronx is one of the boroughs that is part of NYC. It has some of the highest rates of hunger, unemployment, obesity, failing schools, and incarceration in the entire US.

Into what appears to be a hopeless setting comes one man, Harry Beresford McNeary III. But where others have seen a litany of hopelessness, Harry decided to tackle the problems and create hope through activism. As he stated, "I want to - and have committed - my life to creating a program that will help solve these problems. I do not believe the solution is simply to go to college and move to the suburbs. I believe the problem is to make my home safer, healthier, and happier."



Harry started with community gardens and urban farms, which would create a natural way for the community to have contact with nature and learn how to create their own gardens. The gardens are where organic farming methods are practiced and taught, allowing participants to learn skills, and reap the products of their group effort in the form of healthy natural food products. Pride in community, pride in self are also some of the unseen products of this effort.

Still known as THE URBAN COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECT, the program is now part of the URBAN REBUILDING INITIATIVE. The program focuses on those who have been affected by incarceration - family members, at-risk youth, homeless individuals, anyone disenfranchised, by creating employment opportunities. There are programs to teach aquaponics; nutrition; first aid; physical fitness; solar energy, including all aspects of making and utilizing solar panels; green technology; civic and societal responsibilities. The list of skills could go on. The programs are practical, giving job skills and helping participants to function in the community.

As suits Mr. McNeary's passionate activism, these gardening/farming programs empower the community to become more self-reliant, no longer dependent on factory farms/corporations. It helps to write a ticket for the community to become more outspoken without worrying about offending heads of corporations. They are on the move, they are outspoken. They prove everyday that pride in self and community matters.

A group gathered at one of the community gardens.
Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/harry-beresford-mcneary-iii-hoe-avenue-community-farm/; and the above links.


Sunday, April 19, 2015

This Son Knows Better Than His Dad

Christian handing the money to Ms. Herndon.
It happened two years ago. Tona Herndon, 78 years old, had lost her husband to whom she was married for 60 years. She had gained a small amount of solace from visiting her husband's grave. Then the unthinkable happened. A man stole her wallet, just walked up to her and took it. That wallet contained $250.

That crime made the evening news, showing up in a wider area than just locally. That's when 15-year-old Christian Lunsford happened to view it. While he was watching, he got a good look at the perpetrator. And the bells of recognition rang - the man was his estranged father. Christian stated, "I kind of suspected who it was because this isn't the first time."



The whole thing didn't feel right to Christian and he somehow felt responsible, even though he wasn't even there that day. He felt he had to make the situation right. Christian had already received that same amount of money from his father, Shane Lunsford, for a school band trip he was scheduled to take. But that fact didn't matter when it came to righting a wrong. As Christian said, "I didn't know whether it was hers or his or how, I just knew I needed to give the money to her."

So, the two of them, the boy and the recently widowed older woman, agreed to meet in a local church parking lot. When they met face to face, Christian, backed by his family, apologized for his father's actions and handed Ms. Herndon the money he had received from his father. Tona said she was completely surprised, "This is a very blessed family, I thank them so much for what they wanted to do, to make things right. That was wonderful."

Then, after she thought about it, Ms. Herndon handed the money back to Christian. For her, it wasn't about the money. She was touched by the gesture of reparation. As she said, "He gave and I received, and I gave and he received, so it worked out." In the end, the son was much wiser than the father.

Christian proving his actions were truly compassionate and heart-felt.
Thanks to this article from Little Things: http://grave.littlethings.com/im-in-tears-what-this-teen-did-for-a-complete-stranger-blew-me-away/?utm_source=LTcom&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=inspiring; and this article from The Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2416525/Teenager-ashamed-criminal-father-gave-money-stole-retiree.html.


Saturday, April 18, 2015

Hosting Vegan Feasts

Some of the food being sold at last year's Vegan Feast.
Martin Smrek and Matej Hlinician, both vegan activists living in Slovakia, were playing under the radar for a few years. Their preference was to organize vegan outreach events, which were usually held at music clubs that catered to punk music. Many participants were already vegans and activists. That was much like preaching to the choir, but it also allowed both men to make crucial contacts.

The year 2013 marked the first time that they held a bigger event. Since they were using one of the city parks in Bratislava, the event became listed on the park calendar, which immediately provided more publicity. The event was planned to include discussions, lectures, workshops, and documentaries, all on vegan lifestyle. In addition, local chefs offered vegan dishes, which they either sold at their booths or allowed visitors to sample without cost. Another event was held last year, establishing VEGAN FEAST (Vegánske Hody) as an annual event.



Then, Martin and Matej expanded their outreach beyond an annual event. They developed a website, which serves to publicize the annual event and also provides information about the vegan lifestyle. They include articles pertinent to what veganism involves, along with factual information that explains why many people become vegan. One example is an article about how much it costs to maintain a cow, even one used strictly to provide milk, versus costs to raise vegetables.

There are photos of previous Vegan Feasts, including some of the events before the group was utilizing the park. There are also videos, which are focused on the Vegan Feasts, but that also include some of the informational lectures and food preparation tips by some of the vendors. What started in small music clubs with small groups of already committed vegans has expanded into outreach and education. It's all happening in Bratislava.

The audience viewing a documentary film at last year's Vegan Feast.


Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/matej-hlinican-veganske-hody-vegan-feast-slovakia/; and from the above link, with the help of Bing translator.


Friday, April 17, 2015

The Shoes Off His Feet

The photo of Oscar and the homeless man that appeared on facebook.
Perhaps this isn't that uncommon a sight in any US city - a homeless man sitting on the edge of a sidewalk eating crackers with a can of soda. And that was what was happening in front of a Metro PCS store in Tampa.

Store manager Oscar Aquino had walked outside the store, perhaps to stretch his own feet, when he noticed the man sitting at the edge of the sidewalk. But there was something about the man that caused him to take action. You see, that man had no shoes and his feet were black and torn up, without any protection.



Now, Oscar was wearing his new Jordan athletic shoes, but he decided to take action. After finding out that the man's shoe size was the same as his, Oscar took off his shoes and gave them to the homeless man. He didn't ask if the man was lazy, he didn't find out whether the man was using drugs, or anything else. He simply asked about the man's shoe size and generously gave away his shoes, an act of kindness, a true Christian gesture, given without any thought of reward or acclaim.

So, how did this act of kindness become so widely known? Around the same time, Carla Rose was taking a break outside from her job at St. Joseph's Hospital, when she, too, spotted the homeless man, with the roughened feet and no shoes. As she watched Mr. Aquino and the homeless man, she was touched by what was transpiring, and she snapped a picture of the transfer of the new shoes to the man sitting on the sidewalk.

And then Carla did what most people do in this electronic age; she posted it on her facebook page. Now, Oscar had no idea that anyone was interested in his private act until his fiancee Keysi Ramos told him that a friend of hers had spotted his picture on facebook. And he told his fiancee about what had happened, "Anyone can end up like that [homeless] one day. I'm blessed that I can buy myself another pair." From one human being who has been so fortunate to another in need. It doesn't get any better than that!


Thanks to this article from Kindness Blog: http://kindnessblog.com/2015/04/17/kindness-captured-in-a-photo-a-man-gives-a-barefoot-homeless-man-his-shoes/; and this report from WFTS Tampa Bay: http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-tampa/random-act-of-kindness-tampa-man-gives-homeless-man-his-shoes-and-its-captured-in-a-photo.


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Thursday, April 16, 2015

Young And Compassionate Leaders

Students in Compassionate Leaders Program.
Are leaders born or created? It's an age-old question. The answer could come in the concept that some learning can certainly help. And when it comes to young people, teenagers, it can be quite useful to learn what goes into addressing social injustices and making a difference through giving back to the community.

That was the plea of middle school students who worked with Vlad Moskovski and Kate Janke, who were engaged in teaching meditation and mindfulness to them. Mindfulness helped these young people to realize that there were problems that needed to be addressed, but they lacked the skills to take their ideas from concept to reality.



Vlad and Kate took their own skills and educational backgrounds, gathered a group of interested adults with skills in other areas, and formed the COMPASSIONATE LEADERS PROGRAM. Originally focused on high school juniors, the program started as an eight-week after-school course that took students through the process of developing a local service project. Such practical issues as project management, budgeting, and communications, were taught, along with mindfulness meditation training. The end result was that each student had a functioning social service project.

From that beginning in 2013, the program has expanded.  A one-hour introduction course, Cultivating Emotional Intelligence, is available to educators and/or teenagers in the school setting. The focus is on developing empathic listening and mindfulness, key components of emotional intelligence. There is also a five-hour intensive course, The Colors Of Empathy, available to teens and/or adults. This course provides skills needed for more compassionate living. The Compassion in Action Program, forty hours in length, parallels the original program and is now open to those in grades 8 to 12. Its theoretical base is derived from design thinking methodology developed by Stanford University.

According to one student, who had completed the program, "It's a program that teaches you how to become a stronger leader and how to take risk on things you wouldn't want to do." The unstated benefit, evident in what this student took away from the program, is the confidence to put ideas into action.

Teens in program working with formerly incarcerated adults.
Thanks to this article from the Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/vlad-moskovski-compassionate-leaders-program/; and the above link.


Wednesday, April 15, 2015

The Comfort Of Hot Wheels Cars

A Utah security officer brought Ethan a box of Hot Wheels toys.
It's not the way anyone, much less a three-year-old boy, would be wanting to spend Easter and a birthday. But Ethan Carnesecca had developed pneumonia and more severe complications, including a collapsed lung. He's been in the hospital for a few weeks during the beautiful spring weather and his world has been full of surgeries, doctors, nurses, health crises, chest tubes, and IV fluids during his stay at PRIMARY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL in Salt Lake City. After all, if you're a parent and your child ends up at Primary Children's, the illness is serious, indeed.



But amid all of the complications and medical procedures, the doctors and nurses treating him have found that Hot Wheels cars bring him comfort. That's one really wonderful thing about health care professionals - they look to find what helps calm the spirit in any patient - big or small. Michele Carnesecca, Ethan's mom, said, "They're all aware of how important these cars are. They don't touch the pillows. They don't take them out of his hands. [Before each procedure] they'll run around the hospital trying to find a car for him." You see, it does help in the healing process to keep a child calm - it reduces the pain, helps the immune system fight the infection, and speeds up the recovery after surgery.

Then, one of dad Chad's friends, who writes a blog about Hot Wheels cars, heard about the boy's illness and his love of the very same cars and asked dad if he could write a POST about him. So he was given the okay. Then a rather unusual thing began to happen. People who didn't know little Ethan started sending him Hot Wheels cars. According to Chad, "People from Malaysia, Europe, all over the Orient [have sent Hot Wheels cars]. It's been pretty amazing just to see people reach out."

So now, the doctors and nurses don't have to rush around the hospital any more for Hot Wheels cars. Ethan has a whole parking lot full of cars on his bed whenever he wants and needs them. And the family and Ethan are comforted by the fact that a whole world's worth of people are reaching out and supporting them and their little boy through this illness that became bigger than they would have imagined.

Ethan Carnesecca with his mom, Michele, by his side.
Thanks to this article by KSL.com: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=34230220.