The Pathway Toward Healthier African-American Women

Some of the women in the program engaged in physical activity together.

It took a lifetime of observing the women in her community to realize that there was a life pattern. For Cynthia James had observed just how many African-American women lived through a cycle of abuse, obesity, poor health, and low self esteem, all leading to poor life outcomes. The question became how to overcome that struggle.



Along with Beth Oden, Ms. James developed the answer in THE EXTRAORDINARY LIVING PROJECT. Starting in Denver, a group of women were chosen to participate in a ten-week intensive course, which included fitness, nutrition, cooking and emotional healing instruction, followed by personal coaching to help maintain their progress.

The participants were divided into groups of twelve and utilized the well-recognized "Freedom Circle" approach of instruction by both a nationally recognized fitness coach, along with a certified nutritionist. Ms. James, along with a Freedom Coach, helped the women work through their emotional barriers. Through this multi-faceted approach, the idea was to empower women to help themselves, their families, and their communities. And Denver was planned as just the start.

These women participants are becoming empowered to help themselves and their families.

Ms. James explained, "We aim to put Extraordinary Living Projects in every major city in America and help African-American women free their untapped potential, and live healthier, longer, more enriched lives."

Since 2014, The Extraordinary Living Project has been a part of the Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI). Since CHMI actively works to reduce disparities in health care, this project was a natural choice because of its focus on urban African-American women. After the original 12 women completed the program, a second group of 12 women has also completed it. Eventually, the plan is for the program to serve 300 African-American women from the Greater Denver area.

One of the major reasons why it has been so important to develop holistic programs for African-American women.

Thanks for information from this article on Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/cynthia-james-the-extraordinary-living-project/; this article from Extraordinary Living Project: http://extraordinarylivingproject.org/chmi-commitment/; and the above link.

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Practical Science From the American Geophysical Union

The snowcatcher that helps scientist measure the amount of carbon absorbed by the oceans.

Have you ever heard of the AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION (AGU)?  Formed in 1919 from the union of two committees, the AGU, provides a scientific focus on the processes that affect everyday life. A nonprofit, despite having "American" in its name, the organization is international, with over 60,000 members from 137 countries.

Here's one of the areas that members of the AGU are tracking - the seasonal drought assessment, covering the US. When the assessment was released on July 20, it was noted that drought coverage area in the Great Plains and the Southwest had increased along with intensity. Particularly affected are eastern Montana and the Dakotas, worsened by "periods of intense heat, windy conditions, and low humidity". In addition, the same occurred in the southwest of Alaska and the largest Hawaiian island.



Members of the AGU with expertise in droughts, have been made available to explain the science of droughts and their impact during this season. Amir AghaKouchak, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC, Irvine, who is a researcher in natural hazards and environmental extremes; Julio Betancourt, Senior Scientist at the US Geological Survey, who specializes in the effect of climate variability on physical and biological systems; Benjamin Cook, a climate scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, with a focus on drought and hydroclimate; Noah Diffenbaugh, Professor and Senior Fellow at Stanford University, who researches the dynamics and impact of climate variability and change, especially extreme weather; Andreas Prein, an atmospheric scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, with expertise in drought and flood research; and Roger Pulwarty, a senior scientist at NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory, who focuses on climate and risk management in the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean; can provide the background information needed to explain current conditions and what the risk involves in the near future.

While a majority of the US was caught up in the excitement of a solar eclipse, visible in many parts of the country, another group of scientists took a look back to October 19, 2014, when a group of satellites was tracking the close proximity of Comet Siding Spring with the Planet Mars. However, adding to the complexity of their analysis was a major solar eruption just a few days previously.

Both the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA had devoted 10 space satellites to monitoring the comet, when the coronal mass ejection (CME) occurred on Oct. 14. NASA's satellite STEREO-A was in position to photograph the side of the sun opposite to Earth, when it captured the eruption. Three Mars orbiters, along with NASA's Curiosity Rover, on the ground, were all in the right position to detect the eruption passing by.

The seasonal drought map for the US.

Even NASA's New Horizons, nearing Pluto, and Voyager-2, at the outer edge of the solar system, could detect hints of the eruption. However, they were unable to differentiate between background solar wind and the eruption. Some of the information recovered from the eruption is just now beginning to see publication.

Cosmic ray intensity before, during, and after the CME.

Thanks for information from this article from AGU: http://about.agu.org/our-history/; this article from AGU: http://news.agu.org/press-release/american-geophysical-union-experts-available-to-comment-on-science-of-drought/; this article from AGU: http://news.agu.org/press-release/tracking-a-solar-eruption-through-the-solar-system/; and the above link.

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Expertise From The Institute

Representatives from Thrive@25 project partners.

The University of Maryland has many valuable centers and institutes, which can provide research, data, and so much more, for students, experts, and professionals, both in the State and throughout the country. One of those important sectors is THE INSTITUTE FOR INNOVATION & IMPLEMENTATION (The Institute), part of the School of Social Work. Among its functions is training, technical assistance, systems design, policy, finance, and evaluation, for Maryland's Children's Cabinet and its agencies, along with other States, locations, and private organizations. All of its work is in meeting the needs of children with complex behavioral challenges and their families.

Within The Institute are three divisions: The Institute of Policy & Finance, Technical Assistance & Implementation, and Research & Evaluation. For those of you who have heard of evidence-based practices, this is one of the institutes where much of the work occurs in determining what those practices are, all the way through the research process. Child welfare, juvenile justice, children's behavioral health, and care management, are some of the areas that benefit from The Institute.



This June the Carroll County Health Department was awarded a $1 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), part of the federal government. This grant was provided to fund Early Screening, Decision Making, Assessment, Referral and Treatement (e-SMART) for children and their families.

Dawn Brown, the Director of Quality Improvement and Prevention for the health department, explained, "Specifically, we will be able to develop our system to include services and supports that are family-driven and developmentally appropriate while also enhancing the skills and competencies of our early childhood work force to better serve those with complex behavioral needs." She added that the grant will "enhance and expand the early childhood system of care by implementing a model that bridges early childhood infrastructure and supports with quality care coordination and services to meet the needs of young children experiencing serious emotional disturbances and their families."

Participants at a Building Systems of Care Meeting created this word cloud when asked what words come up when they think of families and youth.

When you notice the multifaceted nature of the e-SMART program, and how it will help Carroll County serve its younger children, you realize that they will need some help with implementing this system. That's where the services provided by The Institute come in. They have the technical skills and expertise needed by this County, and so they are one of the partnering organizations assisting the Health Department. This is just one of the many functions of The Institute that show how valuable this organization really is.

Participants at a seminar by The Institute.

Thanks for information from this page from the University of Maryland School of Social Work: https://theinstitute.umaryland.edu/about.cfm; and this article from the Carroll County Times:  http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/health/ph-cc-cchd-grant-behavioral-health-20170605-story.html; and the above link.

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Helping Trafficking Survivors Through Arts

Anne Pollock (L), with Mary, collecting donated art materials for the workshops.

Activists do some pretty amazing things! In New York City, a group of them, also artists, got together and formed CROSSING POINT ARTS, an organization that utilizes the arts to help those who have developed PTSD from their experiences of being trafficked here in the US. Trafficking occurs in various labor fields, prostitution, and domestic services, essentially enveloping the preyed-upon individual in a life of slavery. That individual, like many others, is seeking better opportunities than in the home country, but differs in the fact of barely subsisting in the home country.

NYC is unique in that it has a large supply of talented artists in various fields. Crossing Point brings these artists together with the trafficking survivors to help them heal from their experiences. Anne Pollock, Founding Director of this fairly new organization, explained, "These creative outlets provide therapeutic tools to manage difficult emotions and offer a bridge from the traumatized self-concept to an empowered, and stronger sense of being and thriving for survivors. In Crossing Point Arts' workshops, there is an atmosphere of exploration, group coherence, challenge, accomplishment, and fun. Perhaps, most importantly, there is the experience of externalizing the psychic energy of trauma, and reconfiguring its accompanying burden."



Crossing Point has partnered with several local organizations that help traumatized survivors, bringing their art workshop programs right to those organizations. Among them are Polaris Project in Newark, GEMS, WomanKind, EMPOWERGyn, Lifeway Network, and Sanar Institute.

Let's look at a few of the workshop programs. Groove Lounge is all about the beat, the beat of clapping, dancing, and singing calls. The music never fails to bring to the joy and restorative power of this music with a beat. The Visual Arts Workshop addresses the issue of beauty and creativity seeming to sink under the burden of trauma. It's a rediscovery of these senses through drawing, sculpture, photography, and collage. With the support of group strength, participants come to see that beauty and creativity never left, but were pushed to the side when the individual was dealing with trauma. The Recording Project gives back a voice to the participants, many of whom had previously maintained silence about their experiences, through poetry, song lyrics, or even storytelling, that are then formed into songs. The words are repeated back to them in the recordings, giving them the perspective of hearing their own voices, louder and more confident, now able to own what happened to them in a more peaceful and self-accepting way.

One of the fundraising events, which help support the work of Crossing Point.

These are just examples of the variety of workshops available. Some are created with the artistic traditions of other countries and tap into the familiarity that participants have with their own traditions.

Some of the survivor participants engaged in an instrumental music workshop.

Thanks for information from this article on Pollution Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/anne-pollack-the-art-of-freedom-bringing-the-arts-to-survivors-of-human-trafficking/; this page from Crossing Point Arts: https://www.crossingpointarts.org/our-mission; this page from Crossing Point Arts: https://www.crossingpointarts.org/recent-; and the above link.

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The Beauty In Everyday Life

A passion for home, nature, and exploring the world, that's what LINEN & LAVENDER LIFE (L&L Lifestyle), the site, the BLOG and the FACEBOOK PAGE, represents. It's an exploration of beauty in the everyday, the treasures that help develop a life philosophy, leading to creativity and a burst of ideas. It is also a connection with others, since these modern-day accoutrements of the internet and the social world embodied in social media, enable that type of sharing.



In many ways also, the concept of Linen & Lavender also embodied family relationships among a grandmother, mother, and daughter, a love entwining three generations, with the main writer being LeAnn. The design of the objects in nature and from human creation provide their own information, something to contemplate when gazed upon.

Art Work by Andrew Gonzalez

Let's take a look at a few excerpts from the posts on this site, just to whet your appetite. In "Make It Sacred", a poem by Sarah Blondin is featured. This is the first verse:
"Nothing is for certain.
It's all a mystery.
Even the words I'm saying now are ideas.
Hopeful perspectives.
Comforting ideals that help us walk more sure-footed in this great, mysterious journey."
Gaze at the photo while contemplating these lines. Ideas form, thoughts linger, then journey to contemplate the sacred in life.

The gray wall and steps at the Jardin Maison

Now, think about the word, "gray". What comes to mind? In LeAnn's post, "The Grays Have It", she discusses this color in its various forms, including what comes to mind when thinking of gray. Here's her first paragraph:
"I’ve found that just the word 'gray' can put some people off from using it in their decor. This may be because the word gray (grey) has long been associated with looking sick, tired or just plain old. It is also an adjective we use to describe a dismal day or something that is faded, dull and worn. Even a gloomy mood is characterized as 'gray.'"
However, what about that gray flagstone walk that leads in an exploratory direction, since we can't see its destination? What about that gray kitten, who just began life a few weeks ago? And what about the grays that shine into a sparkling silvery tint? Think about all of it when you read her entire post.

A solitary chair stands on its own, in front of a window.

Have you ever sat and contemplated a piece of furniture in your home? In this case, LeAnn had some thoughts "about a chair". Here's her opening paragraph:
"This one is regally posing for his portrait.
He doesn't need props to feel comfortable.
No side table with flowers to feel complete,
not a single pillow.
He is stoic and confident all by himself."
You can feel the chair not needing any props, standing proud on its own. Wonder what it's seen in it long chair life? It's old enough to have seen the lives of more than one generation. Was its years spent with a single family, or did it exchange hands between families?

You might want to check it out; LeAnn's blog, site, and Facebook page can provide some thoughtful and interesting reading. Don't forget to check out the recipes, too!

Thanks for information from this article on Charter For Compassion: https://charterforcompassion.org/l-l-lifestyle-linenandlavender-net; this post on L&L Life: http://www.linenlavenderlife.com/make-it-sacred/; this post on L&L Life: http://www.linenlavenderlife.com/the-grays-have-it/; this post on L&L Life: http://www.linenlavenderlife.com/about-a-chair/; and the above links.

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RCIS And The Community

RCIS Community Educator with informational display at a conference.

Located in Westminster, MD, the RAPE CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICE OF CARROLL COUNTY (RCIS) was started in 1978 to provide free counseling and other needed support services for those have experienced sexual violence. In addition, this organization provides preventive education, professional training, along with advocacy, with the ultimate goal of eliminating sexual violence. Much of their funding comes from government programs and individual donations.

One of the campaigns in which RCIS was involved is "The Bystander Napkin Campaign". Organized as a prevention strategy, the organization's outreach specialist distributed 40,000 beverage napkins to local bars and restaurants. These napkins contained information encouraging users to be an active bystander, along with the hotline number for RCIS.



Another outreach event involved staff attendance at a Chamber of Commerce PM Connection event, in order to inform attendees about the services RCIS provides. In addition, one of the staff also promoted an upcoming event, Walk A Mile In Her Shoes, in which male supporters walk that distance to promote awareness and respect for women and their lives.

Currently, RCIS is promoting their next event, A Culinary Experience 2017, one of their major fundraisers. The focus at this point is on business sponsorship, providing advertising in the program booklet for companies, based on donated levels of support. Other perks also come with sponsorship, based on level of support.

These young graduates from Silver Oak Academy being presented with a 2nd place fundraising certificate for the Walk A Mile In Her Shoes event.

The event itself will be held on October 9 at Martin's in Westminster. The showcase is the culinary selection from several local restaurants, providing an opportunity for guests to sample some of the fare at restaurants they may or may not have patronized. A silent auction and raffles will also be conducted, along with scheduled entertainment, so there will be plenty to do for attendees, besides supporting such a vital organization.

Promoting A Culinary Experience.

Thanks for information from this page on RCIS: http://www.rapecrisiscc.org/about-rcis/; this newsletter on RCIS, p. 3: http://www.rapecrisiscc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/2016-Annual-Giving-Newsletter-website.pdf; and this article on RCIS: http://www.rapecrisiscc.org/a-culinary-experience-2017/; and the above link.

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A Dream And A Centre

Some of the children in Chiul, who would benefit from the Centre.

Ever since he was a little boy, Arnulfo Gomez Oxlaj's life has been nothing short of a miracle. On a sad day in Guatemalan history, he was one of 116 children who were thrown into a deep well in the village of Chiul by soldiers, in a horrible act of extermination. He was one of the Mayan peoples, by heritage, and the Mayan peoples were being subjected to genocide at the time. But unexpectedly, Arnulfo survived, the sole survivor, among the children thrown into the well, and he was rescued from the well by a local woman.

Ever since, Mr. Oxlaj has had a dream - to exemplify love and generosity - to reawaken his people, to go beyond hatred, to create a chain of peace among indigenous peoples and the country that had despised them, Guatemala. The disadvantaged, whether indigenous or nonindigenous, would be inspired by hope, working together, to achieve freedom. In 2012 across the seas in the UK, AMOR was founded to bring the dream into reality. Part of the focus would be on education, the type of education that helps people to build their skills and talents.



Part of Mr. Oxlaj's dream is building a school for orphans and other vulnerable children, to be called the Afretlain Centre. The hope is that through raising sufficient funds, building will be able to start this summer. The site was chosen in the village of Chiul, an area that has seen devastation from the war; only one out of every ten children is able to attend school, and many suffer from chronic malnutrition. Despite the signing of peace accords more than 35 years ago, the level of extreme poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, and discrimination continue to take a toll on the lives of these indigenous youth and adults.

Besides providing a holistic and innovative education, the Afretlain Centre will also provide a centre for preserving the heritage and history of the 22 Mayan ethnicities in the area. From an appreciation of their background, the centre can become a focus of rights, agricultural sustainability, leadership, and support. In a way, it would form the core of preserving the Mayan cultural traditions and peoples, which have continued to be threatened with extinction.

Arnulfo with a child.

The design for the centre has already been completed. It will be two floors high, have 17 classrooms, an art studio, a kitchen, a sports gym, bathroom, and teachers' lounge. In addition, there will be an area for a medical clinic. Around the building will be a vegetable garden and an area for livestock. There is a gofundme page for donors to support the project.

Some of the local women on Guatemalan Mother's Day.

Thanks for information from this article on Amor: http://www.amorguatemala.org/the-dream.html; this page on Amor: http://www.amorguatemala.org/the-afretlain-centre.html; this gofundme page, where you can also donate to the project: https://www.gofundme.com/mayanschool; and the above link.

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