"Tips For Jesus"

The exterior of a Tacolicious.

It happened just this weekend at the TACOLICIOUS in the Mission District of San Francisco. A diner came in, ordered dinner and at payment time added in a $2000 tip. That person wrote on the receipt, "TIPS FOR JESUS! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Since the wait staff usually pool their tips then divide them into equal shares, that tip was shared with the staff present that day.

Now, if you go online to Instagram, you'll most likely find an account labelled "TIPSFORJESUS", with the added tag, "Doing the Lord's work, one tip at a time." That page contains pictures of other dining tabs and the tips given to servers. There are also some pictures of the servers who received the very generous tip. But there is no picture of the mystery diner.

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On the Instagram post, the comment reads "Big thanks to Manny, Jared & the crew at Tacolicious in the Mission... :) #tipsforjesus #godbless #thumbsup #boomboom #happynewyear #2015" Take a look at the signature and you come up empty with a name. It's a flourished signature, but really doesn't give a clue to the diner's name. Look a little closer at other posts and you'll note that the same diner has given tips in the same amount at at least two other restaurants in the San Francisco area.

The mystery remains; no one actually knows the name of the mystery diner. Gossiping wags have suggested that former PayPal executive Jack Selby was the man behind the generous tips. So, take a close look at that signature one more time. What do you think?

Thanks to this article from CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tips-for-jesus-diner-leaves-2000-tip-at-san-francisco-restaurant/. The copy of the receipt can also be found in this article.

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Youth And Art

Some of the kids in the program, with the logo.

There's this wonderful young woman, who was born in Nigeria and immigrated to the US with her parents. Olubusola Ajayi, also known as Shola, grew up in two worlds, partly in the US and also in Nigeria. Once reaching adulthood, Shola has made her life's work in the world of art, storytelling, working with youth, and film-making. That's already enough hats for several lives.

She founded an organization called UR4AFRICA, an organization that serves as a center for creative learning. One of the projects that the group is promoting is PUBLIC ART NIGERIA, particularly Lagos. Since one of Shola's focuses is youth, the project is utilizing public partnerships, along with art education for youth, to promote participation in their communities.



As part of the project, Nigerian artists are recruited into a six week residency that teaches them to become art and media educators. Once educated, the artists will then be able to conduct to conduct Art Exploration Workshops, which teach young people art techniques, with an outcome of creating products that they can share with others in their communities.

Last year, some of the Nigerian students in the program got a chance to visit kids in the US at Brooklyn Children's Museum. They got a chance to share ideas and experiences, learn from each other, and make new friends. Of course, all of this does require money. Shola has a GOFUNDME site, where she shares project updates, videos, and requests donations.

The best part, of course, is the experience of the kids, who benefit from the project. Here's Kester, who thanks those who made his participation possible:

Thanks to this bio for information about Shola Ajayi: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2662312/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm and to information from the above links.

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A Special Housing Program

Some of the students in front of  McCarver Elementary.

School districts in low income sections of major US cities frequently deal with the complexity in the lives of students who experience frequent homelessness. There is the low self esteem, the frequent changes of schools, the struggle to master a new system of learning, only to move on and start over again. Students who are frequently homeless have lower attendance rates than their more stable peers and score lower on standardized tests of school proficiency.

Into that wide gap stepped a pilot program, the MCCARVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SPECIAL HOUSING PROGRAM, a partnership between the school district and the TACOMA HOUSING AUTHORITY. It addresses the issue of struggling families by providing supports for housing costs, assistance with helping parents get job training to seek better employment, and providing academic and nonacademic supports for the children. Families sign a contract to remain in the district, so their children can attend the same schools while they participate in the program.

Some of the kids at McCarver Elementary summer camp showing Comcast executives their tech skills.

This program is helping the family of Bobby Gantt and his wife. He lives with four stepchildren from Ms. Gantt's previous relationships and two additional children since the two married. Mr. Gantt, who was a short-order cook and had served time in prison, had been unable to find work. The family was used to moving from one temporary living situation to another. The program enabled him to get training as a commercial truck driver, which he just completed and he has had several job offers to consider. Two of the children attend McCarver Elementary, but the program has benefited all of the children, especially in the important area of increasing stability.

Some of the supports being provided to the Gantts include assistance with paying for utilities, connecting the Gantts with charitable groups who provided Christmas gifts for the children, Thanksgiving food baskets, identifying educational financial aid sources, and a day out at the Seattle Art Museum. Other families may also receive mental health services, home furnishings, and transportation assistance. The school also offers an after-school program and free summer day camps.



Yes, it takes this sort of effort to help families change their trajectory. According to Michael Power, who managed the educational programs for the housing authority, "The appeal of the project is that it was a much more holistic approach to dealing with the challenges that kids had, that were much deeper, and more complicated than any test score could ever show you."

Some of the kids enjoying an after school meal provided by Food Connection.

Is this something that should spread to other areas? There are a number of areas around the country that are watching with interest. According to Michael Mirra, executive director of the Tacoma Housing Authority, "If we turn out to be even half right with out plausible expectations about this partnership that we're building, it should be very interesting to other housing authorities and school districts, and certainly to the ones that face similar challenges."

If you ask the Gantts, this program has brought them renewed hope and energy. It especially makes a difference in the children's lives. Says Mr. Gantt. "Kids, they feel things. We wanted to make sure these kids didn't carry our burdens." If any program deserves funding, this is one of them. An F-35 plane that doesn't work just doesn't cut it, when we can support the future of children, instead.

Bobby Gantt meeting his son where the school bus lets him off.

Thanks to this article from Huffington Post, reprinted from Education Week: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/30/tacoma-washington-homeless-students_n_6397776.html?ir=Impact&ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000054.

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Spreading Happiness

Event held in Half Moon Bay, CA.

Who wouldn't like to add a little happiness to his/her life? LAURA LAVIGNE has made it her business, literally, to share her positive outlook with others. Like anyone else, Laura has had her share of challenges, but has managed to negotiate life with pizzazz and creativity. These days you can find her working one-to-one with clients as a life coach. But there is also so much more. She leads groups of people, who engage her services, in Essential Happiness Retreats, utilizing the beaches of Mexico.



Then there is the HAPPINESS SPRINKLING PROJECT, which Ms. Lavigne started after a friend posted a goofy picture on her facebook page of people dressed in orange holding up some signs. So, she invited people to join her for an event, complete with signs that used words suggested by the invitees, and printed by a local printer. The date was set and on May 22, 2012, a group of people wearing yellow shirts and holding signs with positive expressions, showed up at the main intersection in Anacortes, WA, and brought happiness to this little community.

From there, the project grew....There have been events in at least fifty cities and two other countries. Events end up being covered by newspapers, radio, and have even made television news. There are now a number of Happiness Ambassadors, who have been inspired by this concept, and now spread happiness in cities throughout the US. There is also a FACEBOOK PAGE, which publicizes events and shares photos of people sprinkling happiness and giving a touch of joy to those who visit the page.

So, how do you get to be a Happiness Ambassador? Go to the website and click on "Sprinkle With Us". You'll find that it takes just a little bit of work to set up your own sprinkling happiness event. You fill out an application, you get some advice, and get started. You'll probably have a blast while spreading sunshine and joy within your community.

Laura Lavigne with some happiness dolls.

Thanks to information provided by the above links.

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Forgiveness

As human beings, many of us have experienced moments of betrayal, being let down, times when we have been hurt. Then others have experienced something much harsher, something that tore at them physically and mentally, something that took an inner strength and determination to survive, something that caused the death of many - families, friends, strangers.

Meet EVA MOZES KOR. She was born in 1934 in Romania, one of twins. Her family is Jewish. After her village had been occupied for some years by Nazi guards, and in 1944, her family ended up on a transport to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Since they were twins, she and her sister Miriam were separated out and became part of the cruel twins experiments run by Josef Mengele. Although she endured severe illness, almost to the point of death, she survived and inspired Miriam to survive. Both were among the survivors liberated from the camp by the Soviet army.


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By 1960, Eva and Michael Kor were married and moved to the US. After viewing the "Holocaust" miniseries in 1978, she became interested finding out about the lives of the children who had survived Josef Mengeles' twin experiments. In 1984, she founded Children of Auschwitz Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors (CANDLES), which also led to the CANDLES HOLOCAUST MUSEUM AND EDUCATION CENTER.

Approximately 50 years after Auschwitz was liberated, Eva publicly announced that she had forgiven the Nazis, saying, "People who forgive are at peace with themselves and with the world". She had always believed and hoped in her survival because, "there is always hope after despair. There is always life after disaster". In forgiving her tormentors, Eva made a decision to stop being a victim and to let go of grievances.

And so, we come to what forgiveness really means. "Forgiveness is the ability to no longer be a victim. It is the path towards becoming a survivor. On that path there will be hardships and times where it is okay to fall, but the pinnacle to truly forgiving someone for harming you can lead to remarkable and unexpected places." (from below article).

Eva today next to liberation of Auschwitz picture. She's on right and sister Miriam is in middle.

Thanks to this article from the Kindness Blog: http://kindnessblog.com/2015/01/02/forgiveness-is-free-lessons-from-a-holocaust-survivor-by-tyler-tucky/ and wikipedia.

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Special Shades Of Color

DeJuana Golden at a conference.

Some thirteen years ago, DeJuan Golden was married and pregnant with her first child. Although giving birth to a first child can alter a person's life, DeJuana didn't realize exactly how much hers would change. Once her baby was born, she found that he had a disability. Eventually CJ was diagnosed with both Down's Syndrome and autism.

The challenges of raising a first child can be daunting, anyway, since no child comes with a book of directions, but that challenge increases when there is a special needs child in the family. But DeJuana Golden was not about to be deterred, even when her marriage ended.
 


She decided she would share her experiences in a video blog, so other parents could benefit from her experiences. As she explained, "A lot of parents either feel lost in the maze of the special education/disability world or think that resources are out of reach or too expensive. I aim to make every family, no matter ethnic background or economic status, aware of what is out there for their special little one." So, that's how SPECIAL SHADES OF COLOR YOUTUBE CHANNEL was born.

Of course, negotiating the complexities of raising a special needs child may also require some special skills. Ms. Golden today has a bachelors degree from University of California, Berkeley; completed her Master's degree at Golden Gate University; and is working to complete her doctorate degree at Concord Law School. She is also completing special education advocacy training with the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates.

By the way, Ms. Golden has taken the knowledge she has obtained and made her YouTube Channel into an organization, SPECIAL SHADES OF COLOR. DeJuana and her family have journeyed through life, with their special family member, CJ, and are sharing and helping other families on their journeys with special needs children. As a matter of fact, there is a lot of sharing in this wonderful group, along with education, training, fundraising, and participation. After all, isn't this what it's all about - community and working together?

Thanks to this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/dejuana-golden-special-shades-of-color/, and information from Special Shades of Color.

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Captain America Makes A Special Visit

Kenny Botting tying up Chris Evans.

CHRIS EVANS came from the Boston area and has had an acting career in the movies, including as the comic book hero, Captain America. Kenny Botting, all of 9 years old, is a lot younger and hasn't had so much luck. He's in the battle of his life, waging an internal war, with the help of medical professionals at Massachusetts General, against a brain tumor. Oh, and he loves Captain America.

Would the two meet? Kenny and his family have been staying at CHRISTOPHER'S HAVEN, a home away from home for kids who are being treated for cancer. That organization tries its best to maintain a home environment for families while children are being treated at the hospital next door. Christopher Haven's founder Dan Olsen says, "This is home, a community, and you bring the whole family here."



It just so happens that Chris Evans was in town for a special fund-raiser at Fenway Park for Christopher's Haven. As Chris says about his involvement, "It's their strength that gives me strength. No matter what hurdles are in my life, it's nothing compared to what these families go through, so any way I can bring a smile, it's worth it."

Consider it destiny, but Kenny Botting and Chris Evans met at Christopher's Haven. Kenny was smiling from ear to ear when he met this man who depicted his hero. Kenny got to show Chris around and then got to tie Chris up, something that not many people get to do. And it was all good this wonderful meeting. Kenny summed up the encounter, "I am more than happy. I just want to say thanks for coming."

And thanks to CBS affiliate WBZ-TV for this article: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/12/29/captain-america-surprises-young-fan-battling-cancer-in-boston/.

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