Justin Martin may be the most ambitious little kid around. When he was 5, he loved his Teddy Bear and he wanted to know if every kid had one just like his. When he found out the answer was no, he made up his mind. He was going to make one thousands bears so other kids would be able to know the joy he knows.
His parents supported him, though they weren’t sure he was capable of meeting his goal. Children come up with lofty goals. They like big numbers because they sounds big.
Two years later, Justin has completed 2000 bears. He takes pride in individualizing each one and he gets to see the happiness they bring when he hands them out.
You know what the “N” word is. It’s one of the most hateful things one human being can say to another human being. Yet, it’s in our music, our conversation, and casually batted around every day.
11 year old, Jonathan McCoy is trying to raise awareness about the harm the word does. He’s trying to get 100,000 signatures on a petition to send a message about hurtful and degrading the word is.
He won a special oratory award for an essay he wrote for his cause. Here’s the video of Jonathan giving that speech:
Lisa Klein is making a difference for poor families in the Oakland, California region. She collects gently used baby clothes then donates them to underprivileged newborns.
Klein started the project two years ago. After seeing the loss and devastation from Hurricane Katrina, she started Loved Twice Baby Clothing. She first started by cleaning out her own house of used, unneeded baby clothes. Now she gets donations from four drop off locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Since it’s creation, Loved Twice Baby Clothing has donated over 20,000 pounds of clothes. She and her two kids, aged 3 and 6, pack the clothes into boxes. The boxes then go to hospitals, clinics, and other facilities in 11 counties in California. Klein’s organization ensures that babies don’t have to go home without clothing.
This is a great story! A 5 year old named Phoebe from San Francisco had her first encounter with the downtrodden a few months ago. She say a man holding a sign asking for food. She asked her parents about the man, why he didn’t have food, and so forth. She was appalled when she learned that some people don’t have the money to eat each day.
Phoebe decided to do something. She decided she would raise money for the San Francisco Food Bank. She set a goal of raising $1000 in two months.
Though the goal seemed awfully high for a 5 year old, her parents and day care teacher helped her put it into play. She decided to collect aluminum cans. She sent out letters to 150 family members and friends asking for them to donate cans.
If you think Phoebe set herself up for failure, you’re wrong. People dropped off cans at the day care center. They mailed in donations. In the end, Phoebe beat her goal by collecting $3,736.30! She helped feed 17,800 needy people in San Francisco.
A shout out to the Niles-Centerville Little League baseball team. They made it to the Little League playoffs. They won the US West Championship. Then went on to the World Series in Bangor, Maine.
They played West University Little League team out of Houston, Texas. Texas jumped on the board fast with a 7-0 lead. Niles-Centerville fought back. In the end, they came up short, losing 9-7.
We still think they are great! Way to go Niles-Centerville for going all the way to Bangor, Maine!
Optometrist, Dr. Rosie Flores, volunteers at the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center. She comes across youth who’ve done poorly in school and then end up in trouble. One thing she has noticed about many of these kids…they have poor vision and they don’t even know it.
Many of the teenagers get their first eye test after they’ve been arrested. Some of them were plagued with vision problems that lead to their difficulties in school. Some can’t read because they can’t see the words on the pages. When Flores fits them with glasses, they suddenly see what they’ve been missing.
The optometry program is run by volunteers with assistance from the San Leandro (California) Lions Club. The Club donates close to $20,000 for equipment and glasses. Lens Crafters donates the glasses and local optometrist donate their time and expertise for testing.
According to a representative of Highland Hospital, 500 teens were tested in 2007. 183 needed glasses.
A little known law on the California books is that a child witness may have another human or a dog with them on the witness stand. A non-profit group called Paws’itive Teams has been providing dogs for this purpose.
One such team is Lynn Chavez and Dory. Chavez is a Police Officer with the San Diego Police Department. Dory, a Team Facility Dog, helps children get through this trying time. Dory is trained to support and comfort children as they reveal the disturbing details of their story. These cases usually involve a child who has been sexually or physically abused.
Right now, the program is privately paid for. The non-profit operation works solely on donations. The hope is one day these dogs may become so vital to child testimony that a program will be funded by the state.
Lynn Chavez has written a wonderful article about Dory’s importance:
Every now and then you come across someone who completely amazes you with their talent. A friend sent me a link to a YouTube video of Jonah. Jonah is 4 years old and he taught himself to play drums. And, I mean play drums! None of that beating on coffee can stuff for Jonah. Jonah plays AC/DC, Green Day, the Who, and many more.
Johah started playing drums at the ripe old age of 3 1/2. According to his YouTube profile, he’s never had any lessons. He learned how to play drums by watching others.
Amazing, isn’t it? I expect great things from this kid some day in the future. And, I can say “Why, I saw him on YouTube when he was 4!”
You can see Jonah’s video’s from the beginning of his career: Jonah on YouTube
Lily Kaufman has decided to call it quits at the age of 85. The preschool teacher nicknamed the Mighty Midget (she’s barely 5 feet tall) has retired from the Castro Valley, California preschool she has worked at for over 40 years.
Kaufman was a housewife and stay at home Mom. Then at the age of 49 she decided to go to college. She got her certification and was able to teach at a preschool.
She was considered an expert in handling problem kids. That may come from the fact that growing up she was an outsider. She lived in a German copmmunity but wasn’t accepted because she was half-German.
Kaufman says this about her talents, “Now I can relate to kids, and nurture them in a way they should be. They need to be loved, regardless of their background or ethnicity, or whether they are clean and well-dressed or kind of dirty”
The Hayward Public Library in Hayward California has a new exhibit. All the photographs were taken by teens.
The inspiration for the exhibit is John Stilgoe’s book “Outside Lies Magic.” Eight teens were given digital cameras and told to explore Hayward. They roamed the streets and captures their world through the camera’s eye. The photographs are on display at the Hayward Public Library’s Main Branch until October 6th.
The Daily Review newspaper has a photo gallery of the kids at work:
