Miriam’s Kitchen – Give to the MAX DAY! Tis the Season! It’s almost here and let it start with you!
by Sue Scheff on Nov 08, 2011
I know, the economy is bad, people have lost their jobs, parents are struggling to keep their home, food banks are begging for donations and volunteers are becoming scarce. However, there is one gift that never stops giving; and that is giving. When you give to others, the gift you receive is priceless.
Chris Abraham, a volunteer of Miriam’s Kitchen, asked me to share their “Give to the Max Day” which is November 9th. How can YOU make a difference?
• Starting at midnight on Wednesday, November 9, local residents will donate online to help raise millions of dollars for local nonprofits as part of the first annual Give to the Max Day: Greater Washington.
• Give to the Max Day is a massive one-day regional online fundraiser that will unite local Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC communities to support nonprofits serving the area.
• As part of Give to the Max Day: Greater Washington, nonprofits large and small can earn their share of $125,000 in cash awards, including up to $25,000 for nonprofits with the most individual donors and the most money donated.
• Homelessness in Washington, DC, the Nation’s Capitol: there are more than 6,500 homeless men, women and children in Washington, DC on any given night. Of those, nearly 2,000 are chronically homeless–meaning they have been homeless for a year or more, or four or more times in the past three years.
• Miriam’s Kitchen provides free, homemade meals and high-quality support services to more than 4,000 homeless men and women each year in the Nation’s Capitol, Washington, DC. Their core programs are meals, case management, Miriam’s Studio, and Miriam’s Cafe.
• Homelessness at Miriam’s Kitchen: on any given day at Miriam’s Kitchen, 82 percent of their guests are chronically homeless. In fact, the average length of homelessness of the guests is 5.5 years
• Nearly 80 percent of Miriam’s Kitchen’s guests live on the streets of DC, in parks around the city, under the bridges along the Potomac River, and in emergency shelters.
• Miriam’s Kitchen’s guest demographics: 95 percent of Miriam’s Kitchen’s guests are male, 60 percent are African American and the median age of our guests is 50.
• Mental illness and addiction at Miriam’s Kitchen: Many of Miriam’s Kitchen’s guests suffer from severe mental illnesses and addictions, making them the most fragile and hardest to connect with social services.
Be a part of making a difference.
Give to the Max Day is a one-day fundraising event on November 9, 2011 that will unite local Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC communities to support nonprofits serving the area. The goal of Give to the Max Day is to have 35,000 people give to their favorite regional charity, raising more than $3 million in donations and grants in just 24 hours! You can also find more info at give2max.razoo.com
Homeless in America:
• There are 671,859 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States - roughly 22 of every 10,000 people are homeless
• 18 percent (124,000) experience chronic homelessness in the United States:Chronic homelessness is often the public face of homelessness, involving either long-term and/or repeated bouts of homelessness coupled with some sort of disability (physical or mental). People experiencing chronic homelessness often end up living in shelters and consume a plurality of the homeless assistance system’s resources
• 37 percent of the homeless population are people in families: Families become homeless as a result of some unforeseen financial crisis – a medical emergency, a car accident, a death in the family – that prevents them from being able to hold on to housing. An estimated 85,000 families experience homelessness each night.
• 50,000 young people are homeless long-term: Young people often become homeless due to some familial disruption, including divorce, neglect, or abuse. An estimated 50,000 youth experience long-term homelessness.
• 20 percent of the homeless population is made up of veterans: There are approximately 131,000 homeless veterans, accounting for 20 percent of the entire homeless population. Veterans often become homeless due to war-related disability. For a variety of reasons – physical disability, mental anguish, post-traumatic stress, etc. – many veterans find difficulty readjusting to civilian life.
• Non-chronic single adults: Survivors of domestic violence and former prisoners re-entering society are among the other groups of people that often experience homelessness
• Lack of affordable housing leads to homelessness: Homelessness occurs when people or households are unable to acquire and/or maintain housing they can afford. The main reason behind this inability to acquire/maintain housing is the scarcity of affordable housing in the United States – particularly in more urban areas where homelessness is more prevalent.
Visit http://www.miriamskitchen.org/ for more information.
Tags: Community Help, Community Service, Donating Food, Donations, Give to the Max Day, Miriam's Kitchen, Soup Kitchens, Volunteering
Volunteering in America and Your Teens
by Sue Scheff on Aug 31, 2011
Community service is not only a way to give back to your neighborhood and community, it is a way to feel good about yourself. Making a difference is actually helping you and especially your teens with building self esteem. Feeling good about yourself helps you to make better decisions in life. Paying it forward is a lesson all parents should teach their children from a young age. Giving to others is a gift to yourself.
Did you know that your family could be leaving an important mark in American history, simply by giving time and service to your community? The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service, released new data on volunteerism. Volunteering in America is the most in-depth report on national service – spotlighting:
· Who volunteers
· What cities have the highest rates of volunteerism
· How Americans are serving their community.
In 2010, volunteers devoted nearly 8.1 billion hours — giving time, expertise and “sweat hours” valued at nearly $173 billion. Of these volunteers, 22.7 million were Parents who dedicated 2.7 billion hours of service to communities across the country. Volunteers are working to tackle some of the nation’s toughest challenges: tutoring students, preparing and distributing food, providing disaster relief, and helping veterans and families of active military.
Check out this infograph for a great visual: http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/Infographic.cfm
CNCS recently gave me the opportunity to conduct an exclusive interview with Robert Velasco, II, who was designated Acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) by President Obama on May 27, 2011. CNCS is the federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in results-driven service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve.
1. How important is it to instill the value of volunteering to our teens early on?
Volunteering is a habit and – just like with reading, eating healthily or being active – often the “hard sell” can backfire. You can have a bigger impact by setting an example by volunteering yourself, and then gently nudging your teen towards trying specific service opportunities that meet their interests. Maybe your outdoorsy teen could improve a hiking trail, your promising athlete could help coach and mentor younger children, or your artist or computer whiz could lend their talents to a community organization or religious group. Volunteers of any age stay hooked when they’re able to find fun and rewarding ways to use their skills to help others. Visiting Serve.gov is a great way to find a volunteer opportunity that fits.
2. Are there any statistics as to whether volunteering as a teen leads to higher success in their futures?
Research studies of service-learning, an educational method that intentionally connects community service to classroom learning, demonstrate that service-learning programs can have positive impacts on youth in three general areas: academic engagement and achievement; civic attitudes and behaviors; and social and personal skills. The National Research Council identifies service-learning as one of the most effective strategies for improving student engagement and academic learning. Service-learning is one of the most effective and positive interventions for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds because it builds social networks, trust, confidence, skills, and other tools that can help youth succeed in school and in life.
3. What are some ways teens can encourage their peers to get involved?
A great way for your teen to stick with volunteering is to encourage him or her to bring a friend (or two) when they start. Having a peer to try new things with can make any activity more fun and working alongside someone who is also new to volunteering takes the pressure off. Teens can see each other try new things – and sometimes fail – and learn from early missteps. Part of the fun of volunteering is stepping outside your everyday life and trying to find your own answers to challenges instead of always asking someone else. If your teen is a regular (or semi-regular) volunteer, then you can suggest they invite other friends, or new arrivals to the school, to go with them and see if they like it.
4. How many hours are teens putting into volunteering today?
More than four million 16- to 19-year-olds volunteered last year, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service’s “Volunteering in America” report. All told, they contributed 377 million hours of service, with a particular focus on education and youth service activities. The top places where teens volunteer include schools (30%), religious institutions (30%), social service organizations (14%), and hospitals (10%).
5. What are some personal benefits that teens get out of volunteering? And do you find volunteering also influences teens to perform better in school?
When teens take on an issue in the real-world, they gain skills such as initiative, problem-solving, collaboration, compassion, and planning. Volunteering often provides a perspective and a community connection that are invaluable both in school and beyond. Studies have shown that high school students who participated in service-learning and service are more likely to be engaged in a community organization and to vote years after their participation in the program than those who did not participate. Other studies have found that high quality service-learning strengthens academic achievement. A large-scale Michigan study found service-learning to be positively correlated with test scores on fifth grade state achievement tests in writing and social studies. Three separate studies–in Philadelphia, Denver, and Hawaii–found that service-learning students developed better problem-solving skills and understanding of complex issues.
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Tags: Community Service, Community Service Hours, Sue Scheff, teens volunteering
Summer is almost here: How you can make a difference in a child’s life?
by Sue Scheff on Mar 16, 2011
The time is NOW! Yes, many people are struggling with today’s economy, but one way to feel fulfilled is to give a piece of yourself and your family to a child that has none. You don’t have to have a million dollars to give a child a fun summer. Just being there, playing ball, swimming or any other family activity is what many children crave.
If you or someone you know is able to host, please sign up now. In 2010, The Fresh Air Fund’s Volunteer Host Family program, called Friendly Town, gave close to 5,000 New York City boys and girls, ages six to 18, free summer experiences in the country and the suburbs. Volunteer host families shared their friendship and homes up to two weeks or more in 13 Northeastern states from Virginia to Maine and Canada.
Thanks to host families who open up their homes for a few weeks each summer, children growing up in New York City’s toughest neighborhoods have experienced the joys of Fresh Air experiences.
More than 65% of all children are reinvited to stay with their host family, year after year.
“It is rewarding to see the smile on our Fresh Air child’s face as she enjoys the simple things we take for granted…”
Friendly Town host families are volunteers who live in the suburbs or small town communities. Host families range in size, ethnicity and background, but share the desire to open their hearts and homes to give city children an experience they will never forget.
Hosts say the Fresh Air experience is as enriching for their own families, as it is for the inner-city children. There are no financial requirements for hosting a child. Volunteers may request the age-group and gender of the Fresh Air youngster they would like to host. Stories about real Fresh Air host families and their New York City visitors are just a click away!
Click here to learn more about becoming a host or call (800) 367-0003!
Fresh Air children are boys and girls, six to 18 years old, who live in New York City. Children on first-time visits are six to 12 years old and stay for either one or two weeks. Youngsters who are re-invited by the same family may continue with The Fund through age 18, and many enjoy longer summertime visits, year after year. A visit to the home of a warm and loving volunteer host family can make all the difference in the world to an inner-city child. All it takes to create lifelong memories is laughing in the sunshine and making new friends.
The majority of Fresh Air children are from low-income communities. These are often families without the resources to send their children on summer vacations. Most inner-city youngsters grow up in towering apartment buildings without large, open, outdoor play spaces. Concrete playgrounds cannot replace the freedom of running barefoot through the grass or riding bikes down country lanes.
Fresh Air children are registered by more than 90 participating social service and community organizations located in disadvantaged neighborhoods in the five boroughs of New York City. These community-based agencies are in close contact with children in need of summer experiences in rural and suburban areas. Each agency is responsible for registering children for the program.
What do Fresh Air children enjoy?
- Playing in the backyard
- Laughing in the sunshine
- Catching fireflies
- Riding bicycles
- Learning to swim
- Running barefoot through the grass
- Gazing at the stars on moonlit nights
- Building sandcastles
- Making new friends
- Simple pleasures of life away from the inner-city
The Fresh Air Fund at the Five Boro Bike Tour
Join The Fresh Air Fund at the Five Boro Bike Tour on May 1st! The largest recreational cycling event in America, the TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour, leads bikers on a 42-mile fun course through the city and you can be a part of it! The Fund provides guaranteed entry into the event in exchange for a fundraising minimum. What better way to bike through an amazing route while knowing that the money you raise will help children from low-income communities who live throughout the city. Along the way, bikers will enjoy entertainment, rider photos, bike repair, medical support and the company of thousands of well-wishers! Click here for more information about the race! If you have questions or are interested in participating, please call Kate Brinkerhoff at (212) 897-8890 or email kbrinkerhoff@freshair.org.
Tags: Community Service, Community Volunteers, Parenting Blogs, Parenting Resources, Parenting Teens, Sue Scheff
Teen Volunteerism: Be a Part of Your Community
by Sue Scheff on Mar 10, 2011
Wouldn’t you agree that it should be every parent’s mission to teach their children about the positive impact volunteering can have on the world? If you just shook your head yes, then let’s speak further! Get involved with the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards to encourage your community to support the 102 youth volunteer Honorees for the 2011 season.
What is The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, exactly? Created 16 years ago, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represent the United States’ largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer community service. The program recognizes young heroes who have made exceptional impacts on the lives of others through acts of volunteerism. Each year, two honorees from each state receive $1,000 dollars, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for several days of national recognition events. Support from parents, family, friends and communities show the young heroes are being cheered on and recognized. It is truly inspiring!
While in D.C., ten students will be named National Honorees on May 2nd, receiving an additional $5,000, gold medallions, trophies, and $5,000 grants from The Prudential Foundation for a charitable organization of their choice.
Do you want to become part of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards family? There are a few ways you to do so:
1. Find your hometown hero here and then show support by sharing their volunteer project and story with your family.
2. Visit The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Facebook Page this month and tell us what great volunteer project you and your family plan to do this spring. You can also tweet about your plans using hashtag #spiritawards.
3. Share the LIVE webcast event with your readers this coming April and urge them to watch with their family. I can add you to “The Prudential Spirit of Community Blogging Family” and send you the official webcast link as the awards ceremony gets closer!
More information can be found at http://spirit.prudential.com.
Tags: Community Service, Parenting, Parenting Blogs, Parenting Resources, Parenting Teens, Prudential Spiri, Prudential Spirit Awards, Sue Scheff, Teen Volunteers
Inspiring Teen Starts the Holiday Season by Giving! Please Join Jason in Helping Needy Children
by Sue Scheff on Nov 21, 2010
Many readers have written me about my Inspiring Teen articles – it is all about good news and how the next generation is making a difference in today’s world. Jason O’Neill has had a busy year with his first book releasing and his expanding business of Pencil Bugs, but that doesn’t stop him from putting the needs of others first. Especially children! Read his note below and please help by donating a Teddy Bear!
Happy Holidays!!!!
Time is running out. December 4th is the deadline to donate to give teddy bears to kids at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, CA this Christmas.
Last year, with the help of people around the world, I raised $5,130 which enabled me to buy 1800 teddy bears for the kids.
I was hoping to top that amount this year but we have a long way to go in a short amount of time. If you are able to donate, every dollar counts. 100% of the money raised goes toward buying the bears. I use my own money for shipping, PayPal transaction fees, and any other miscellaneous expenses.
With any amount donated, your name will be added to my website fundraiser page. Thank you to those who helped last year and who have already donated this year. Everything is appreciated.
Thank you,
15-year-old Entrepreneur, Speaker, and Author
Learn more click here.
Tags: Community Service
Are your teens ready for college?
by Sue Scheff on Nov 10, 2010
Guest Blogger, Brian Jenkins, asked me to share this fantastic post with my readers. As many parents of seniors and juniors that are looking at colleges, this is a great intro to helping them get a head-start.
The Challenge of Preparing Kids for College
The choices made by tweens and teens in middle and high school can have major impacts on the rest of their lives. That’s why many parents begin talking with their kids about going to college when they enter sixth grade.
It is definitely a wise idea for parents to explain the importance of education to their children that. By starting the conversation early, kids will think of going to college as a given part of their futures. Parents can talk to their kids about interesting jobs that pay well and require a college education. Taking kids to visit college campuses can inspire them to attend college, and it makes college appear to be more tangible. Parents can inform their kids that students enjoy college life and it’s something to look forward to.
Think College Early, a website developed by the U.S. Department of Education, is designed to help middle school students understand the importance of preparing for college before they enter high school.
Academic Preparation
Academic preparation for college starts in middle school. Research has shown that kids who take algebra and geometry by the end of the eighth and ninth grades are much more likely to attend college that those who do not. A nation-wide sample indicates that only 26 percent of students from low-income families who did not take geometry attended college; however, 71 percent of students from low-income families who took geometry went to college.
Students who take algebra early in middle school have the opportunity to enroll in chemistry, trigonometry, and physics in high school. Parents should also encourage their teenagers to take Advanced Placement courses. Besides good grades, parents should consider continued hard work, effort, and improvement among their child’s successes.
College Students and Alcohol
Alcohol is an important topic for discussion with teenagers before they enter college. Excessive use of alcohol can be a major problem for college students. David Fassler, MD, states that “Because of the way their brains are wired, college students are more susceptible to overuse of drugs and alcohol, which can lead to extremely serious problems.” Alcohol use can affect performance in school, not to mention the more tragic consequences with which we are all too familiar.
Overly Structured Parenting
A study indicates that college-educated mothers in the United States are becoming preoccupied with preparing their kids for elite college admissions. According to University of California-San Diego economists Gary and Valerie Ramey, mothers have dramatically increased the amount of time they spend taking their kids to organized activities. Kids’ schedules are packed with arts, sports, and additional classes. Parents have to be careful not to exhaust their children with too many extra curricular activities. College bound students often don’t get enough sleep due to all the studying and extra curricular programs in which they are involved.
Some parents unwittingly add too much pressure to the lives of their teenagers. The college admissions process is increasingly competitive, however there has to be a balance between preparing for college and enjoying one’s high school years. Overly structured parenting can have a negative impact if students get burnt out.
Parents of college bound students should make sure their children take the appropriate classes, even before they enter high school. Additionally, the importance of a college education should be communicated to students at a young age. Overly structured parenting should be avoided, however, and parents should also convey to their tweens and teens that having fun is also part of attending middle school and high school.
Brian Jenkins has been writing for BrainTrack since 2008. He writes about career and education topics, including information about setting career goals.
Tags: Advanced Education, Parenting, Parenting Teens, Parenting Tips, Sue Scheff, Teen Help
Paying it Forward: Starts in Your Community – Local Dentist Donates to Troops and Needy Families
by Sue Scheff on Nov 08, 2010
It’s official! Krantz Dental Care of Mandarin (Jacksonville) has done it again!
Doubling their intake from last year, Krantz Dental Care of Mandarin, collected a new record of 1,400 pounds of Halloween candy for our troops serving overseas. “It’s a win-win situation,” says Dr. Alan Krantz. “We get to promote a healthy Halloween for children, while at the same time, are able to let our troops know we are thinking of them. Some of the children even wrote notes to be included with the candy—it was extremely touching to read their messages.”
All last week, children brought in their candy to Krantz Dental Care and received $1 for every pound. In addition, Krantz Dental Care donated an additional $1 to Feed a Needy Neighbor, a Jacksonville program that helps local families. Local schools got involved this year with Durbin Creek Elementary, Pine Forest Elementary and Creekside High School collecting 650, 62 and 85 pounds, respectfully. Nice, big checks went to each of those schools and Feed a Needy Neighbor received a check last week for $1,440 from Krantz Dental Care. Also part of this promotion, was free dental exams for those families who participated in this annual event.
Located at 12058 San Jose Blvd., Suite #102, Dr. Alan Krantz can serve all of your family’s dental needs. “We have practiced in Jacksonville for 16 years and it has always been important to us to give back to our community. It is a priority for us,” said Business Manager Adria Krantz. For more information, visit their website at www.krantzdentalcare.com.
Are you new to the area, or looking for a new dentist? Krantz Dental Care offers free exams for new patients. This includes an exam, x-rays as needed, and an oral cancer screening. For kids it also includes a braces evaluation. Click here for more information.
Congratulations to everyone that donated and to Krantz Dental Care who has proven again, it is better to give!
As the holidays are approaching, find a way to pay it forward to someone that needs that extra help. Encourage your teens to get out and get involved in their community, it also promotes their self-esteem to give back.
Tags: Community Service, Teen Depression
Canine Therapy: Giving a Dog and Your Teen a Second Chance at Life
by Sue Scheff on Nov 03, 2010
Rocko, a Neapolitan Mastiff, was brutally abused by his owners that abandoned him. Abandoning him is probably the best gift they gave him.
According to the St. Augustine Record, the abuse that Rocko endured is as follows:
- They cut off his ears with a pair of scissors.
- They broke the top two vertebrae of his spine.
- They made him stand in a pen full of filth, which gave his claws an incurable fungal infection.
- And to top it off, they left him outside in that pen while they moved to Pennsylvania.
Despite that savage treatment, the 136-pound dog loves everyone he meets and his foster mother, Julie Kingsley of the no-kill rescue group Wags & Whiskers, says Rocko loves people.
Elliot Mintzer of St. Augustine, a pilot for HelpFourPaws, an animal transport organization, said Monday that he has organized a fund to help pay Rocko’s medical bills.
In addition to Rocko’s horrid injuries, he also has two eye ailments – one a disease named “cherry eyes” and the other a large growth on his upper eyelids that causes dry eye. Rocko’s already squinting and can barely see. If not treated for both conditions, he could go blind.
Dr. Gary Shelton, of Shelton Veterinarian Clinic, who specializes in eyes and bones and has offices in Elkton and Interlachen, has said he’ll do Rocko’s eye surgery at cost, which is about $500, Elliot Mintzer said. If the community raises $250, Elliot Mintzer will match that.
Can you help? Pay Pal can be used donations. Donors can also mail a check to HelpFourPaws office at 303-B Anastasia Blvd., Suite 160, St. Augustine 32080. For more information call (904) 333-8949.
Rocko also needs a loving home. Do you have a teenager that needs a boost of self-esteem? Did you know that canine therapy is extremely beneficial to teens that are struggling with depression, stress or simply have low or no self-worth. Being able to care for a pet and especially helping them to heal back to good health can be gratifying for the caretaker as well as for the patient (dog).
This may be a perfect opportunity to build your teen’s confidence and give a loving pet a good and safe home.
Click here to see more pictures of Rocko.
HelpFourPaws is sponsoring its first annual Charity Golf Event on Sunday, November 7th, at Royal St. Augustine Golf Club with its Day of Adoption. The Golf Club’s golf tournament will kick off at 8:30 a.m., the putting contest, called “Putts for Paws,” starts at 11 a.m. Tickets for the putting contest are $5.
Tags: Animal Therapy, Canine Therapy, Community Service, Sue Scheff, Teen Issues
2010 Power of Education Campaign – Show Your Support for Your Favorite Nonprofit
by Sue Scheff on Aug 31, 2010
GreatNonprofits, the leading source of user reviews for nonprofits, and GuideStar, the premier donor research site on the web, are launching the 2010 Power of Education Campaign this September to highlight the many nonprofit organizations working in education fields and issues.
Any nonprofit receiving at least ten positive user reviews during September will be listed on our 2010 Education Nonprofits List, which will be published at the conclusion of the campaign.
Follow my Blog for more updates and information for the 2010 Power of Education Campaign!
Visit www.greatnonprofits.org.
Tags: Community Service
Back to School: 14,000 Backpacks Stuffed with New School Supplies for Needy Children Given Out to 52 Schools
by Sue Scheff on Aug 20, 2010
STARS (Supplies To Assist ouR Schools) proudly filled 14,000 backpacks with school supplies and delivered them to 52 schools throughout Florida. How did they do this? There were many volunteers, generous donors and lots of people of all ages that participated in helping students start off their school year right!
A big part of their success was assistance of VolunteerSpot.
The Disney VoluntEARS got involved too. Their co-founder, Joe Hembrooke, had this to say about VolunteerSpot, “Before VolunteerSpot, people would call day or night to volunteer or see when the next opening might be and I would have to remind them a day or two in advance — it was a big job since we have over 100 volunteers on our list wanting to help. Now, with VolunteerSpot I am in “heaven”. No calls at all hours, I don’t have to say yes or no to anyone and really your VolunteerSpot is a joy to use.”
Is your club, organization or group planning an activity or fundraiser? Learn how VolunteerSpot can help you too. Doing good just got easier!
Congratulations to the S.T.A.R.S., your tireless efforts are recognized throughout the state of Florida and the glow on the students faces that receive those filled backpacks will be priceless.
Watch video to learn more about how VolunteerSpot can help you in your next fundraiser or activity.
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