Art and How it Can Make the Difference

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art, art funding, classroom, donorschose, donorschose.org, education

I have never considered  myself to be an artsy person.  But I want to challenge that feeling.

When I look back onto my childhood, some of the fondest memories I have in school are in the art room.  Many macaroni men, clay “something or others” and construction paper turkeys have been created by none other than me.  My grade eight graduation featured silhouettes of each of our heads displayed proudly on the wall around the gymnasium, all of us facing the next step in our lives.

How many stories were told with pictures to enhance the plot?  Nearly every one in the early years.  And many drawn by the story tellers themselves, myself included.

I was also involved in countless plays, choirs and assemblies.  There was a particular story that for some reason I didn’t understand until we were fortunate enough to create a play based on it.  Without that opportunity, I would surely have missed out on what that author was trying to get across.

And the best thing we did?  Sit in the gymnasium every morning on the week leading up to Christmas and sing songs together.  I think this experience has created in me my love for choral music, especially around the holidays.

It is safe to say that in my elementary years the arts played a significant role in building my confidence and encouraged me not only to replicate that which was shown to me but to branch out on my own and try things that were different and even to put myself in very uncomfortable situations in a safe and nurturing environment.

As budgets are cut to public education it is the arts that are in danger.  Of course math, science and languages are equally important but I think our instruction should be balanced with arts and physical education.

Enter donorschoose a website designed to get project materials directly into teacher’s hands.  It’s simple.  Supplies that teachers cannot get through their school board due to lack of funds, can be acquired through donation.  As a donator, you choose how little or how much you want to give to any particular project and once the fund goal has been reached, the materials ship to the teacher who will then send photos and a letter to every person who contributed, no matter the dollar amount.

Donorschose does not limit its resources to just art; teachers can request supplies from pencils to microscopes.  I think this is a brilliant way to give children the invaluable gift of a better classroom.

Perhaps my own artistic creativity is not as active as it once was but I can safely say that it is there and I owe a debt of gratitude to the many teachers who helped my fledgling talent.

Micro Lending and How You Can Help with Kiva.org

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kiva, kiva.org, loans, microfinance, poverty

Microfinance can help people from all over the world.  In a world where the major banks are not the answer for most of the world’s impoverished, the solution to their problems can sometimes be solved with your help.

You might ask how you can help someone from another country.  Someone you will probably never meet.  One way is through Kiva.

Kiva offers a platform for the poor from around the world to seek a loan.  As little as $500 can dramatically alter their life.  Their requests are carefully thought out.  They have a plan to pay off their loan once they begin to earn the money back.

They do not always manage to pay back their loans but the success rate is high: over 98% to date and money paid back is often re-invested with another loan applicant.  In my opinion, it is a great way to contribute directly to somebody’s well-being.

Kiva does an excellent job of providing the back story, how the person plans on using the money and how the loan can change their life and the lives of their family.  You can pick from a wide variety of people, donate as little as $25.00 and watch as the person raises money for their goal.  Once the borrower receives their loan and puts it to use, you can also track the money coming back in.  The lender’s account is credited as the loan is repaid and can be used to help another borrower, donated to Kiva or the lender can withdraw their contribution.

The steps are simple.

1. Choose a borrower
2. Make a loan
3. Get repaid
4. Repeat!

Use your money to empower people.  Make a difference.  Change a life.

Recovering from Disaster

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Caitria O'Neill, disaster relief, hurricane sandy, Morgan O'Neill, recovers.org, volunteer

My heart goes out to everyone effected by the recent hurricane.  I cannot imagine losing a loved one or my home.  Unfortunately, this won’t be the last time a calamity strikes and there has to be method to prepare your community for such an event.  Luckily, there is.  Enter recovers.org, software designed to get people in place where they are needed doing the tasks that can be done directly after a major crisis.

Founders Caitria O’Neill and sister Morgan O’Neill have experience dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster.  This experience along with the research they did after taught them that people want to help but often the system to do so is not in place yet and that because of the gap between being able to accept help and the desire of the public to give, many donations and help are not useful, the window closes and the public moves onto the next story.  Unfortunate but true.

Watch their presentation here.

The software available through recovers.org helps communities by offering them a place to start.  Ideally, the website is established prior to an event but can be implemented following one as well.  The tools that come with the software are Volunteer Management: including liability waivers, hour tracking and sign up; Donation Item Databasing; Case Management; and lastly, an Information Hub which would help get crucial information out to the community and provide a space to post messages.

Available for as little as $0.03 per person per year, recovers.org has been featured on Forbes, TED, CNN and many more.  There is certainly a value in being prepared and you can always count your blessings if your community never, ever has to put the software to use.

Interested in helping with the current disaster after Hurricane Sandy?  Here are the links to the communities with a recovers.org site in place.

God Bless

https://lowereastside.recovers.org

https://redhook.recovers.org

https://astoria.recovers.org

https://statenisland.recovers.org

Slavery Still Exists

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Free the Slaves, Lisa Kristine, slavery, ted talk

Did you know that millions of people around the world are still enslaved?  This means that they don’t have any choices in life, that they work for free, that they toil day in and day out at the mercy of their owners, often under the threat of violence and sometimes without the knowledge that their circumstances could be any different.  Perhaps this is something that you are vaguely aware of but you’ve never given it much thought.  Children, moms, dads, uncles, cousins, aunts, grandparents, physically fit, injured, sick, old; no one is immune to this horrific treatment and no one deserves this.

I was ignorant before I watched a Ted talk given by Lisa Kristine.  It opened my heart to the devastating conditions that people endure and more importantly, what we can do to help eradicate this from our planet.

With over 27 million slaves around the world and annual profits totalling over $32 billion in free labour, the challenge to overcome this seems daunting.  But there’s hope.  Free the Slaves is an organization that works to liberate slaves around the world and to change the systems that allow slavery to exist.

So how can we help?

First we must spread the word that this still exists.  Be part of the anti-slavery movement by talking about it and spreading the message that we can put a stop to it.

We can also boycott slave made products but we must be careful here.  It would be devastating to all cotton farmers if we all decided not to purchase cotton products because we thought some cotton was farmed with slave labour.  There are honest people out there so it’s important that we aim to have the entire supply chain slave-free.  Take the Cocoa Protocol for example.  This is an agreement between the chocolate industry, human rights groups, labour unions and consumers that pledges to work together to remove child labour and slave labour from the supply chain.  The chocolate industry has provided over $10 million dollars to stop slave labour where it occurs, on farms in West Africa.  While their work isn’t complete, the Cocoa Protocol proves that by working across governments and obeying both local and international laws, positive change can occur.

Demand that governments take action.  It’s illegal in every single country and yet it is still allowed to happen.   Every country has passed the laws but now it will take money to enforce them.  Unfortunately, corruption and bribery often help the slave trade to thrive.  But take Brazil for example: in 2003 the President of Brazil set up a commission to end slavery and by 2005 over 11,000 people had been freed and $3 million given to help them get on their feet.  By allocating funding towards this cause, the Brazilian government took a stand and was able to accomplish this.  All our governments need to do this.

I urge you to watch the talk given by Lisa Kristine.   I am thankful to her for her use of photographs to capture this and to spread the word.  They are heartbreaking and yet hauntingly beautiful and along with her words it’s a very powerful message.  The first trip she took to photograph the enslaved was a pivotal moment in her life and was the catalyst for me to seek out more information on the topic.

There’s a lot more you can do.  Visit the Free the Slaves website for more information.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Wattpad.com

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author, book, free, online, pad, read, watt, wattpad, website, write

Wattpad.com, based in Toronto, Ontario, is a free online community of writers and readers where over 5 million stories have already been uploaded and many more continue to be added daily.  This is a place for stories to gain a wide fan base and social commentary without large promotional budgets.  Many authors use reader feedback to edit or create the next chapter, design their cover jackets and so much more.

Go on, have a look yourself.  You can search by genre, read the most popular titles, and even take the stories with you on your phone or tablet.

Growing Movement

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bronx, community, edible gardens, food, gardens, incredible edible, ny, ritz, stephen, todmorden

Bringing it back to the basics, groups around the globe are starting to own what they eat, growing food in gardens they tend, sharing their bounty and learning the ropes as they go.  It is truly inspiring.  The following two stories get me very excited.

There are plenty of reasons for growing your own food such as minimizing transportation, limiting pesticides, and knowing that your food is not genetically modified.  But going even further, growing your own fruit and vegetables will contribute to you consuming more of these foods as they will be plentiful and the variety will only be limited by space and climate.  The best part?  It makes economic sense, which in fact is the number one reason cited by people who have been doing this for a very long time.

The accomplishment of growing your own food, the feeling of control over your destiny and the pride in the product all have gone a long way in programs running in the Bronx, NY.  Teacher Stephen Ritz has grown his classroom projects from humble beginnings and in the process has changed lives.  With the Walton Green Teen Program, pupil’s attendance increased, their health was addressed, tons of fresh food was donated and the best part?  Involvement in the project was a catalyst for the students, many of whom have gone on to graduate and are now an integral part of their community.  Next up for Mr. Ritz?  Partnering with community groups and giving each student access to adult mentors at Hunts Point High School, also in the Bronx.  Their “edible” walls, with the aid of 21st century technology, will catapult these students into the future by giving them a solid foundation on which to build.  It’s more than tilling the soil these days.  He hints that his Green Bronx Machine will be coming soon, I will be on the look out to see exactly what this motivated and inspiring teacher brings to the table.

Across the pond in Todmorden, England, three people started what is now a thriving volunteer organization which plants accessible edible gardens throughout the town.  Called Incredible Edible Todmorden their motto is simple: If you eat, you’re in.  I love the idea of town space which would traditionally be designated as floral gardens being transformed into edible gardens.  Apparently I am not the only one; tourism in the small town has also grown as people flock to witness first hand what an impact this has had and learn to emulate it themselves.  The food can be picked by anyone so long as it’s ripe.  They’ve even gone so far as to involve local artists who cleverly communicate to the masses what is what and when to pick it.  Because let’s face it, if it doesn’t come in plastic or on a shelf, most of us wouldn’t know what we were looking for!  There seems to be no end in sight for the folks in Todmorden with many new projects and initiatives being added.  The accomplishments this group has under their belt are even more remarkable when you stop to consider that this is still a volunteer project; giving back to the community, creating jobs, providing free food, and boosting sales by creating awareness of locally produced cheeses, meats, eggs and more.

If you have space to do it, I strongly encourage you to plant your own food.  The rewards cannot be measured.  Perhaps these stories will affect you as they have me and together we can change the way we get food to our plates.

Bon Appetit!