THRIVE - Cradle to Career Initiative's New Executive Director

Inspired by Geoffrey Canada's "Whatever it Takes" approach which led to the nationally recognized Harlem Children's Zone, a few key foundation and community leaders in town quietly came together to begin making major investments in finding out what would it take to successfully implement a cradle to career strategy in Santa Barbara County.

With the help of Lois Mitchell, Orfalea Foundations President, I did an earlier post discussing what is Cradle to Career.  In this post I mentioned that existing efforts underway weave school districts, non-profit agencies, service providers, government, business, families, higher ed, and other public-private partners into a supportive safety net focused on strengthening families, neighborhoods and students ability to succeed.

The efforts of the initial foundations and community leader's aren't so quiet anymore.  In fact, the initiative continues to grow, has a new name called THRIVE, and a new impressive Executive Director, Anita Perez Ferguson who you can read about in Noozhawk.

The other week, I was part of an education event which brought together the boards from Storyteller, THRIVE, CALM, and First 5 to talk about collaboration.  Anita introduced herself and the keynote speaker.  What really blew me away about this event, wasn't actually the very noteworthy keynote speaker, but the clear resolve among these agencies to successful collaborate for the betterment of our community.

It was clear that Anita Perez Ferguson will be a key driver of this success and continues to make me proud to live in a community that very possibly is within striking distance of “making sure that all the kids in (Santa Barbara County) are going to be able to achieve academically and compete economically.”

Nobel Peace Prize Award to Two Liberain Women

 

 The New York Times reported that the Noble Peace Prize was award to three women last week, two of whom are Liberian.  The first is current President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (pictured left) who is Africa's first and only female head of state and is up for re-election this very week.

The second is Leymah Gbowee (pictured right), who spoke just last week at UCSB.  President Sirleaf's efforts these last six years to rebuild a country that destroyed every part of its infrastructure during 20 years of civil war is impressive.  However, it is Leymah's story  of courage that really inspires me.  

Leymah was a victim of the war and trapped in an abusive marriage as a young mother.  Rather than suffer helplessly, she helped to mobilized the Liberation Mass Action for Peace which grew to include hundreds of Muslim and Christian women who peacefully protested the constant state of civil war.

After months of unsuccessful peace talks between the various violent warlords, this group is credited with ending the war by literally blocking the doors of the peace talks so no one or nothing could get in or out until a settlement was reached.  The support of this group is also credited with Sirleaf's subsequent election.

TAKEAWAY#1:

It is Leymah's story that inspires hope in me that progress can be made and that we are not on what often seems like a never ending journey for peace in far off lands that we mostly just read about and don't know how to support.  Maybe our belief in people like Leymah will travel the universe and somehow find it's way to another courageous sole.

In fact, PBS is broadcasting a special on Women, War and Peace featuring Leymah and other courageous women.  The series starts tonight and broadcasts Tuesday nights until November 8th. 

TAKEAWAY #2:

Maybe Leymah's story will inspire us to take action closer to home for something we beleive in, big or small, that until now we felt was a loosing battle.


You can see the story of the Liberation Mass Action for Peace in the documentary "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" and you can read Leymah's story in her book, "Mighty Be Our Powers."

The Absolute Easiest Way to Support Your Public Library

I am a huge fan of the public library.  I firmly believe that access to knowledge is central to a free and civil society and deeply value the role libraries play in disseminating this knowledge. You can support them with two mouse clicks.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is a finalist in Verizon’s Check Into Literacy Program—a grant that will give up to $25,000 to support adult literacy services.

They need your vote (and the vote of all YOUR friends) to get the grant! Vote now by clicking on the link below, scrolling to the bottom of page and choosing “Friends of the Santa Barbara Public Library” in the blue box to the right.

Here’s the link: http://www.facebook.com/VerizonFiOS?sk=app_217164111631555

(voting is on Facebook, but you don't need a Facebook account to vote)

Great Speakers Coming to Town this Sunday

This is a great opportunity to hear from two dynamic women.  Jennah Scott, Liberian Philanthropist Secretariat, organized the events for my Liberia trip last year. Leymah Gbowee, Liberian Human Rights Activist will be speaking at UCSB's Art's and Lectures after the smaller panel discussion.  Hope to see you there.

Back to School Philanthropy

 DonorsChoose.org

With Back to School on our minds, I wanted to share with you this site for helping teachers in high poverty areas with getting the supplies they need.  You can sort projects by region, subject area, urgency, grade, amount needed, etc. 

I am thinking of finding one project in each of my three children's grades and funding a project in each of their favorite subject areas.  The beauty of these type of sites is the donation doesn't need to be a large amount, but by each person realizing their small amount makes a difference, a large amount is suddenly raised.  This is one of my favorite examples of how everyday philanthropy makes a difference.

Where I've Been

I am sure you have been on the edge of your seat wondering why I haven't been posting.  While I realize this probably isn't true, I've been asking myself that very question.  Why haven't I been posting?

Honestly, I just got caught up in the demands of my everyday life as a mother of three school age children who had end of year awards, class parties, half days, middle school dramas, and who have only three hour camp days.  It's gotten the best of me.

I've been feeling guilty that I haven't kept up with my "promise" to keep my blog going by posting on a regular basis.  Have I failed because I didn't keep up with my promise, even if it was a promise to myself?  The purpose of this blog is to inspire philanthropy in our everyday lives no matter how big or small.  I realized part of keeping yourself inspired is to realize it's okay if sometimes your everyday life does not allow for your philanthropic goals,

Just because you didn't do what you thought you were going to do today, don't belittle yourself. Instead, pat yourself on the back for what you have done, look to tomorrow and do what you can the next day or the day after that.  The important thing to remind ourselves is it's not about feeling badly about what we haven't done, but knowing that we can always do something.

So if I post to this blog everyday or every month, to some degree, it doesn't matter.  The point is that at anytime I can chose to take a step toward fulfilling my philanthropic passion.  Think of something philanthropic you want to do, but haven't started, have felt frozen because of the size of the task.  Now, take a step back and think of something smaller, something simpler that you can do tomorrow.

Maybe you have been wanting to take your kids to volunteer reading to the kids at Storyteller, but haven't taken the time to make the arrangements.  Instead, the next time your kids want to watch TV, say sure, and you can make cards for the Dream Foundation while you are watching your favorite show.

Two Great Organizations by Kids

Kids are doing amazing things to help our local and world community.  Here are just two examples:

Hands4Others (H40)

 

This non-profit was started by four teenagers to help provide safe drinking water in poverty stricken areas.   They are well toward their goal of helping more than two million people in 500 villages around the world by 2015 have safe drinking water. 

I saw the founding members speak at the benefit film premiere of "Leave a Message" and was very impressed with these young community members. 

I was haunted by a couple of shocking statistics:

- The world community would be outraged if 20 airplanes carrying 300 people crashed everyday, but yet that is the number of people dying from lack of clean drinking water a day.

- A child dies every 15 seconds from lack of clean drinking water, probably the amount of time you've been reading about H40.  A $10 donation saves one child.



Keiki Paddle 

This is a non-profit my husband and children are involved with.  Although, I support them, I can't take credit for the amazing work done by these fathers and children.  

The Keiki Paddle was started by Dad's who had been participating in the Friendship Paddle for years and wanted a way to allow their children to experience the gift of helping others and to witness firsthand the power of community spirit and support.

Now in it's fourth year, The Keiki Paddle consists of 120+ children between the ages of 7 and 16 that will do a 10 mile relay paddle on Sunday July 24th to provided financial and emotional support for a child with a life threatening illness and a non-profit organization that helps children in Santa Barbara County.

This year's beneficiaries are six year old Ashley Vasquez-Castro, who is fighting Leukemia, and The Cancer Center of Santa Barbara's "I Count Too" Program.

This grassroots event is endearing on many levels:

• It was founded by father's.  
• It shares their passion of the ocean with their children to benefit someone in need
• Although the paddling participants are the kids, it's a father/child event as many Dad's are the support boat captains and boat crew
• It teaches children about philanthropy.  Not only must each child raise a minimum of $100, but there is now a Jr. Advisory Board which helps organize and make decisions about the event.
• It bring together the power and spirit of community. 

To learn more about the Keiki Paddle or to donate to this year's paddle  click here.