Grilled Cheese For Charity

The crew from "Cheese Wizards" food truck.

There's a food truck in Seattle that specializes in cheese delights. Founded by two brothers, Tom and Bo Saxbe, the truck, going by the name "Cheese Wizards", has been in operation for three years. The specialty is gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade soups and it comes from a yellow van with a middle earth-type theme. And these young men have been doing pretty well, so well, in fact, that they have thought about expanding.

However, their second truck won't be the same as the first. That truck is a plan from the heart. Even though the truck will still serve the same fare, not a single penny will go to these young business men. The plan is to serve those in need through this second truck, with the name "CHEESE WICHES".



The second food truck is part of a movement among small business to serve others, rather than pocketing more profits, as is done by Wall Street firms. The concept of the second truck is still serving food, but with each purchase, the profits go to various groups that assist veterans, sick kids, hungry families, and others in need. Bo said, "We'd love to be able to pull up and feed families of sick kids, disabled veterans, any number of causes."

The concept appeals to both customers and contributors. According to Lara Meierhofer, the head of Comfort Food Charities, "People aren't just looking to put money in their pockets. We actually want to make a difference in the community doing something that we love. It seems like a perfect model and I hope it takes off....Every sandwich bought from the "CHEESE WICHES" will be a donation to. and a snap-tutorial about, important causes that could use a little magical support."

Gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches with soup.

Just getting started, with a long way to go on this second project, may the people of Seattle continue to check you out for some good comfort food, and a serving of charity.

It's being built. "Cheese Wiches" debuts in early July.

Thanks to this article from Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/28/seattle-charity-food-truck_n_7454048.html?utm_hp_ref=good-news&ir=Good+News; and this article from King 5 News: http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/seattle/2015/05/26/seattle-food-trucks-cheese-wizards-charity/27985783/.

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Airlines, Pay Attention

Here comes the baggage cart. Wonder what's inside.

It was supposed to be a flight from Philadelphia to Atlanta, but Mother Nature was not cooperating. The plane took off at 2 PM, but ended up being diverted to Knoxville because of an Atlanta storm system. The flight was one provided by DELTA AIRLINES and the diversion was probably not very welcome. After all, no one could really predict when the plane would actually arrive in Atlanta and debark.

Khoury Ashooh was one of the passengers on the plane, along with his wife and 4-year-old daughter. Here's how he described it, "We circled in the air for a while then the captain said we were diverting to Knoxville because of storms over the airport in Atlanta."



You know how this goes, passengers stuck in a grounded aircraft, not knowing when they would get home, boredom sets in, passengers get hot and bothered about just sitting there waiting for word of when they could proceed. Also, the irritation and anger. After all, most of us go about our lives and love the pinpoint accuracy of predictability, being on time and without disruptions, getting what we want now. But life doesn't always run that way; there are those unpredictable events that change those best-laid plans.

There they were just sitting in the plane and in the midst of the irritation came a surprise. The baggage cart showed up in the midst of the waiting, loaded up with pizza (Note to self: pizza places do deliver to waiting planes). The captain had ordered pizza for everyone, no charge. What a delight!

That was a day that changed into something a little better for those on that particular flight. Passenger Mr. Ashooh texted, "sitting on the tarmac, the captain orders pizza for the whole plane". And annoyance turned into smiles, including Mr. Ashooh's daughter, who loved the tasty treat. Apparently, one of the passengers was so delighted that that individual got up and helped distribute it, along with the crew.

Here comes the pizza!

Eventually this Delta flight reached its destination in Atlanta at about 7 PM, three hours late. But the passengers felt better about the whole delay because of a little thoughtfulness. And that wasn't the only flight. All of the other Delta flights that experienced similar delays were also provided with pizza, according to various tweets over the internet. Not a bad way to provide better customer service. Paying attention, airlines? Yes, you can't control the weather, but you can do something to make the delay a little better.

Mmm! Tasty surprise. Thanks, Delta!

Thanks to this article from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/27/travel/delta-pilot-orders-delayed-flight-pizza-feat/; and this article from the Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3098374/Delta-pilot-orders-pizza-diverted-flight-stuck-tarmac-s-delivered-baggage-cart.html#ixzz3bLwQwGdF.

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Filling A Need

Some of the women making diapers.

Did you know that one of the biggest requests from patrons of food banks is for disposable diapers? Even though many are recipients of food stamps, did you know that you can't use food stamps for disposable diapers? Huh? Isn't that a major need when a family has a baby?

Stephanie Salisbury and Andie Kingsbury had experience volunteering at local food pantries in Elkhart County and noticed how many families needed this basic item.



As observed by Ms. Kingsbury, "I'd walk through the pantry and the first question people asked would be 'Do you have diapers today?' And just watching their entire countenance deflate when there are no diapers was heartbreaking. That's what actually connected the dots - I knew how to do this and we can find a way to get these into the hands of people." Both women had just formed GREEN OLIVE MINISTRIES, an inclusive, faith-based ministries, and decided to develop the CLOTH DIAPER MINISTRY as part of their outreach.

The objective was to provide low income families with this vital supply and to do so in an environmentally sustainable way. Ms. Kingsbury had figured out how to make reusable diapers when she had had her three children and finances were tight. The diapers were made to be absorbable and adjustable in size for newborns to toddlers.

So, after developing their project, the women needed money and raised that through Indiegogo and a few grants. Then these two enterprising women found other women who were interested in learning how to make the diapers. Oh, and since Ms. Kingsbury also makes the diapers, she has offered to sell what she makes and bring the profits back into the ministry. The same is planned for the women she is teaching how to make the diapers. They. too, can earn money for their enterprise, and also support the ministry with a supply of diapers.

Stephanie Salisbury (left) and Andie Kingsbury.

That's just another way of supporting women from low income families. As Ms Salisbury said, "People who were making $30 an hour are now making $7.25 an hour if they have a job now, so you gotta bridge that gap. If we wanna end the cycle of poverty, we have to do more than just bridge that gap. So this is the beginning of that, we hope." It's so fortunate that Indiana has two women of faith willing to make that difference.

There's some of the finished product.

Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/stephanie-salisbury-green-olive-ministries-cloth-diaper-ministry/; and this article from The Elkhart Truth: http://www.elkharttruth.com/news/2014/01/21/Local-ministry-combines-sustainability-thriftiness-and-diapers.html.

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The $100 Challenge

A surprised recipient of a bouquet of flowers.

Sometimes when you happen to be CEO of a large media corporation, you can experiment a bit, especially if that experiment involves some money. It happened last month that Paul Greenberg, CEO and VP of TV & Radio for NYLON, pulled some of his employees away from their desks for a small project.

Now, none of the staff knew what that project involved, but most imagined that it could have something to do with filming a video.What in the world did it involve? Was a new musical group coming by? Or, maybe one of the viral online pets was stopping by for a video session? No, none of that described what Mr. Greenberg had in mind.

When he met with this group of employees, Mr. Greenberg announced, "We wanted to initiate a company-wide community service project and when this idea was presented to us, we were electrified and felt we could do something big with it. Our video [will] tell(s) the story of each participating staff member's experience and hopefully will inspire others to do the same, whether with $1 or $100. We're extremely proud of this effort and video, and we're thrilled that we're able to give back to the community and use our resources to amplify and spread the message."



The challenge was issued. Each two-person team was given $100 to give away and they were to decide how to do it. By the way, each staff member was already under pressure to complete articles for the publication deadline for the next issue of Nylon Magazine.

Nonetheless, each team worked to complete their part of the challenge. One group stopped into a pet supply store and purchased pet food, toys, and other items, then turned around and gave it to a local pet shelter. Another team bought several takeout pizzas and some socks and then went down to a homeless mission in the Bowery and gave it to the men who showed up, many of whom never receive any new item of clothing. Yet another team purchase flower arrangements and gave them to passers-by, including one recipient who said it was a great gift for her birthday. One other team saw a man without a home sitting on the street with some of his drawings, and then came back with sets of markers, gloves (because he told them his hands were cold), and the rest of the money.

At the end of the day, they took some time to look at how they felt about the experience. None of them said they would remember the details of the project. But what stuck with them, and energized them, was the look on people's faces when they received the special gift. That was priceless and would stick with them for quite a long time.

One team making purchases for a local animal shelter.

Thanks to this article from Good News Network: http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/company-gives-workers-100-each-to-be-kind/; and this article from Nylon: http://www.nylon.com/articles/100-dollar-challenge.

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On A Mission To Serve The Homeless

The van is loaded up with necessities to be distributed.

Sometimes it takes those from the grassroots to give basic services to those who have lost their homes. So, two people got together and developed a mission. They have the backing of a larger group and are always seeking out new partners to join the cause.

Rae Kirkbride, who has served the homeless population of Columbus, Ohio, for some 10 years, and Jim Vaive, the founder of EVERYDAY PEOPLE MINISTRIES and who also has experience in prison ministries, have gotten together to provide basic care items and medications to people in need with no permanent shelter. From the larger Everyday People Ministries, they have formed BACKYARD MISSIONS, one of several missions provided by the larger faith ministries group.



How did this mission come to have the name? Well, Columbus has a significant number of people without homes and in reality homelessness could happen to anyone. It could even be someone who used to live near you. Thus, lack of a home can happen in your own backyard.

Every Saturday volunteers get together and practice Christian kindness among people who need it most. They prepare and serve lunch. They distribute such necessities as tents, tarps, medications, flashlights, blankets, personal care items, water supplies, and toiletries. They provide the personal contact that lets those suffering know that someone really cares.

The group realizes that what they can do currently doesn't meet completely the extensive needs. They hope they can expand to provide such services as temporary housing, job search assistance, counseling, medical care, and even cell phones. But rather than do nothing now, they do what they can. And Everyday People Ministries has been able to pitch in by helping some families at risk of becoming homeless to get the extra cash needed to afford another month's rent.

Their motto says: "I am only one person./I cannot do everything./But I CAN do something./And I WILL do something,/with God's Grace and Power." If only we all did that!

One of the men without homes has just received supplies.

Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/rae-kirkbride-jim-vaive-backyard-missions/; and the above links.

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Teaching For True Freedom

Some young students, with Kim in the middle.

South Africa has evolved from a society that promoted apartheid. But the nation has many issues yet to address, including its large number of AIDS orphans.

That's where Kim Feinberg enters. And she has experience and vision to see the problems, but also give hope. From a young age, she has promoted tolerance and developed a curriculum to teach life skills to thousands of children.

But she also knows that those who teach life skills just can't walk into a school and say that that's what they do. There has to be a person's qualifications, characteristics that render that individual expert enough to provide that education. As Kim says, "I realized that you can teach the life skills..., but if it's not underpinned by an academic degree or qualification or skill, it doesn't work, because no one simply employs you on life skills."



Kim founded THE TOMORROW TRUST to formalize a curriculum, but also a way of living. This group operates holistically, threading its way through its young (and older) students' lives. It provides support beyond the classroom, helping children to negotiate a world in which parents may have already died, in other words, life in a household headed by a child.

So, whenever a child needs some help, help is there and addresses that issue. Children can also envision a future in which they have an important role. As Kim says, "If Tomorrow Trust is creating positive role models, they then change their families and communities, because now they see a very different story, and they want a very different story. So you have massive ripple effects going on."

Support is provided from the beginning, through post secondary level of education. That's how future teachers become prepared to provide the holistic educational experience that they had when they were young. One could say that Kim's influence is spreading well beyond her spot in this particular time and place, spreading her group's holistic approach wherever her completely prepared students would travel in life.

Young students at meal time.

Recently, Ms. Normand-Feinberg completed completed a program in neuro-linguistic programming, qualifying her as an NLP practitioner. She now has additional background to help her students to overcome obstacles and provide an additional dimension to helping students become more empathic. Once young adults have completed the entire program and become employed, they give back a portion of their salaries for the first two years in order to support others in the program.

As Kim says, ""[W]e encourage them to impact others in a very positive way...because now they see themselves as having more than someone else. So they're not just seeing themselves as coming from trauma, they're actually seeing that they come from a space of gratitude." And it may actually change the way their brain functions, from bound by trauma to being players in the way their lives unfold.

Workshop on how emotions work.

Thanks to this article from Daily Good News: http://www.dailygood.org/story/1050/what-fosters-true-freedom-dan-schiff/; and this bio from Kim Normand-Feinberg's web site: http://www.kimnormandfeinberg.com/.

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Saving Dolphins

The loss of dolphins in Taiji Cove, captured in statistics.

The INTERNATIONAL MARINE MAMMAL PROJECT (IMMP), part of the EARTH ISLAND INSTITUTE, has been fighting on behalf of both dolphins and whales by launching various projects to conserve their numbers and advocate for better treatment. Some of these efforts are leading entertainment groups to consider the welfare of the animals they house by allowing dolphins and whales the freedom of the seas, rather than captivity. For instance, The National Aquarium in Baltimore made the decision to release their dolphins to an appropriate sanctuary and change the exhibition area so visitors could have closer access to plants and animals native to Maryland Shores.

The change has come in response to a differing view of marine mammals, one that treats them as having some characteristics of personhood, such as ability to think, make decisions, experience feelings and pain. Some of this change originates in the DOLPHIN PROJECT, a campaign sponsored and staffed by IMMP.



Laura Bridgman is a young woman who completed a degree in Geography and Environmental Studies from the University of Ottawa. Yes, she's a Canadian native and she has become the Campaign and Communication Specialist for IMMP and Program Associate at Dolphin Project, where she is able to utilize her knowledge of marine mammals to research their abilities and also advocate on their behalf.

In her work, Laura met and got to know a dolphin, named Jane, still in the wild. She studied this dolphin to add to the knowledge about dolphin communications and the animals' tendency to develop relationships with humans, maybe for no other reason than friendship. Learning about a particular dolphin in this way has increased her ability to advocate for this marine mammal in such areas as preventing their subjection to cruel conditions in captivity; remaining in open ocean and seas, where they can live with their dolphin community; and dolphin-safe fishing methods, which prevent them from being captured by fish factory ships.

Angel, a dolphin being held alone, in captivity, in Japan.

The internet, of course, has helped spread information about conditions that are friendly to dolphins and whales and also points out practices by various companies that maintain marine mammals in captivity and that lead to severe injuries and early deaths of creatures without access to their normal habitats. They are also successful in pointing out practices of specific countries that are decimating the numbers of marine mammals. It all provides another way of looking at creatures that have their own communities, thinking processes, and emotions. And that makes this world a much better place.

A demonstration on behalf of dolphins in San Francisco, giving voice to those without voices.

Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/laura-bridgeman-the-jane-dolphin-project/; and the above links.

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A Hero Enters At The Right Time

Jason Warnock pulling Matthew Sitko from the wreck.

On April 16, 23-year-old Matthew Sitko was driving down Mayfair Drive, perhaps just a bit too quickly for the structure of the road. At 8 AM on that day his 2000 GMC Yukon left the road, drove through two yards and became snagged in a chain-link fence that prevented the vehicle from diving into the canyon.

Matthew remained in the car, which was dangling over the lip of the cliff, held in place by the fence. Someone he had never met came along and pulled him from the vehicle. The stranger never left his name and had departed just as the police came on scene. According to Lewiston police officer Eric Olson, "He said he had to go, and he left."



The rescuer had helped Matthew get out of the car by taking a rock and breaking the window. Without putting his entire weight on the vehicle, the man pulled Matthew out through the window to safety. After the whole ordeal, Matthew was treated at the local hospital and only had minor injuries.

A bystander managed to photograph the rescue and it was that photo that Matthew posted in order to find out the identity of his rescuer. It was something of a hope and a prayer, because he was taking a chance that his rescuer would come forward.

This is how close Matthew's vehicle came to a deadly drop.

However, Matthew's rescuer did show up and his name is Jason Warnock, 29 years old. He also happened to be driving on that stretch of road that day. He noticed the debris and followed it down until he spotted the wreck. He parked his own vehicle in a safe spot and headed down to the vehicle. After the rescue, he and Matthew talked a bit before Jason left.

And this rescue may have been even more critical, since Matthew was in even more trouble emotionally. According to Police Chief Roger Lanier, "He was listening to a song on the radio, and some lyrics in the song convinced him that it was essentially his time to die. He just closed his eyes, took his hands off the wheel, and pressed the accelerator." It was a suicidal moment, probably also triggered by an ongoing emotional problem that came to a head when the song played, and Matthew acted impulsively. That fence and another human being saved him. Matthew, I really do hope you get the help you need. Take care of yourself, buddy. People really care about you.

Jason pointing to the drop-off beyond the fence.

Thanks to this article from Little Things: http://suv.littlethings.com/jason-warnock-suv-matthew-sitko-rescue-hero/?utm_source=TS&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=shocking; this article from The Lewiston Tribune Online: http://lmtribune.com/man-rescued-from-bryden-canyon-cliff/article_3cde9404-e3fa-11e4-ad76-9ffdb45b0eda.html; and this article from the Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3042934/I-29-year-old-pictured-rescuing-driver-SUV-crashed-edge-cliff-comes-forward-heart-stopping-episode.html.

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Restoring Shepherd Parkway

Some of the volunteers cleaning up the park.

In the Congress Heights area of our nation's capitol sits an urban park, which contains the remains of the earthwork fortifications of two forts, which were built as defensive bulwarks during the Civil War. Although it is home to a variety of wildlife, this park has the distinction of being the most polluted in DC, since it is littered with garbage and has become home to many invasive species.

The Congress Heights area has certainly had its share of urban neglect, especially after WWII, but development dollars have been sent in its direction in recent years. This is the same area into which Nathan Harrington, who teaches at Moten Elementary School, decided to move. By the way Nathan also is involved as a tour guide, gardener, and community activist.



Nathan says about his home purchase, "I purchased a modest home in Congress Heights to share with friends. Part of my intention in choosing to live there was to challenge the deeply engrained racial and geographic division of Washington, DC."

It wasn't long before CONGRESS HEIGHTS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION came calling. That's when he became chair of the project to RESTORE SHEPHERD PARKWAY. The majority of the work so far has been in educating the community about what has happened to the parkway, along with ambitious plans to restore it to the point that it would include a three-mile system of hiking trails, actually in this park at the south end of DC.

A winter scene that shows the beauty of the parkway.

But much work is needed before that can happen. There is that trash that needs to be removed. The project has actually moved to the trash removal stage. With the help of the NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, which oversees this city park, a schedule of trash removal events has been posted on their website. Both the blog for the Shepherd Parkway restoration and their facebook page solicit volunteers to help with the clean-up, after the door-to-door engagement process that led the way to community engagement. Of course, the project does accept monetary donations, too, on their blog pages.

Some of the trash that was removed from the parkway.

Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/nathan-harrington-restore-shepherd-parkway.

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His Father's Patrol Car

Deputy Sam Brownlee's patrol car.

Back in November of 2010 Weld County Sheriff's Deputy Sam Brownlee was involved in a high speed chase with a male suspect. When the man became involved in an altercation with officers, he grabbed Deputy Brownlee's gun and shot him three times, killing him. Deputy Brownlee died in the line of duty that day, leaving two sons, Tanner, 15 years old at the time, and Chase, then age 16.

Both Tanner and Chase retained a few mementos that continue to remind them of their father, such as his old motorcycle jacket. Tanner said, "Just everything I can get means a lot to me."



And so, years later, came the day that the Sheriff's Office was to auction off the patrol car that Sam Brownlee had driven during his patrols. The money raised through this auction raises goes to fund Concerns of Police Survivors, a group that helps the family members of fallen officers, just like the Brownlees.

Deputy Brownlee's patrol car was one of very few that had been assigned specifically to one deputy. And Deputy Brownlee took his responsibility seriously, making sure it was in good repair, having it checked whenever something wasn't quite right with it, washing and even buffing it up to a shine. Both of his sons were well aware that their father's patrol car meant quite a lot to him.

The brothers had managed to raise over $3300, so that Tanner could make a bid and maybe even buy the old patrol Dodge Charger. Its book value was listed at $12,500 in mint condition, so the young men thought they had a chance.

It was raining outside, so the auction was held inside. Close to the time that the bidding began, Tanner put in their bid, but the bids climbed much higher than they could afford to offer. They were consoling themselves with the thought that at least they had had a chance and were able to offer a bid.

Finally the hammer came down, and the winning bid of $60,000 was announced. Steve Wells, a local rancher, had made the winning bid and he went up to receive the keys to the patrol car. But instead of returning to his seat, he walked over to Tanner and gave him the keys. It turned out that, even though Steve had never met Deputy Brownlee's sons, he had bid for the car in order to do what he just did - hand the keys to Deputy Brownlee's sons. And Steve never said anything about why he did what he did.

Tanner Brownlee with his dad's patrol car - and the keys.

As for Tanner? He's quite happy that he has this huge memento from his dad, a patrol car on which his father lavished so much care. Tanner said, "This is just so huge. I mean, me and my dad built a fence and stuff, but having something I can use and drive around, it just means a lot." I'm sure his dad, Deputy Brownlee, is smiling down on the sons who have been so lucky to receive such a cherished remembrance of their father and the work he loved.

Steve Wells (in hat) hugging Tanner Brownlee.

Thanks to this article from the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/14/the-unexpected-twist-after-son-of-fallen-deputy-is-outbid-for-his-late-fathers-cruiser/.

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Sanitary Napkins

Promoting the project for education about menstruation.

There are some things that those of us in developed countries take for granted. We have products that help women to continue normal, everyday activities when we menstruate. But that can be lacking in less developed countries, severely affecting the ability of women and girls to participate fully in daily activities.

Back in 2008, Sylvia Biira, who was teaching at a school in western Uganda, noticed that many girls would be absent from classes for four to five days each month. As she thought, she realized that the girls were missing classes on days of menstruation because they had no sanitary protection. In Uganda, these products are very expensive and considered a luxury, especially for the majority of families, who can't afford them.



In addition, there is the tradition that considers menstruation to be taboo, a time that limits women and girls from circulating in the community. Given those limitations, many girls were missing out on a significant portion of their education.

So, Sylvia got together with Samuel Ndungo, the director of the LUHWAHWA YOUTH FOUNDATION, to see if they could develop a solution. Together, they developed the Menstrual Health Management Project. Previously, girls and women had been improvising to make somewhat absorbent pads from various materials that weren't too effective and sometimes led them to develop urinary tract infections (UTIs). So, the challenge was great!

This solution involved education of community members on basic sanitation, including the use of soap for handwashing. Something as basic as soap had to be made, so that was included in the education. Then came education about menstration, with the assistance of IRISE INTERNATIONAL. And AFRIPADS provided very inexpensive menstrual pads through yearly supplies in the form of kits. That enabled members of the community to make more absorbent menstrual pads from better materials. This has become one more way to make sure women and girls can participate more fully in society and get the entire education they deserve.

Utilizing materials in the kits to make menstral pads is a project for both men and women.

Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/sylvia-biira-samuel-ndungo-subsidizing-locally-made-reusable-sanitary-pads-help-testing-evaluation-wider-community/; and the above links.

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