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.
A couple of weeks ago, the community of Richmond, CA, and much of the country was rocked by the horrifying details of a gang rape that took place on school property during a homecoming dance. Seven individuals have been arrested.
As the poor 15 year old girl was being raped, several people stood around treating it as entertainment. They laughed and joked. They even took pictures and video.
The community is trying to repair itself as it tries to deal with this terrible crime. They held a vigil on Tuesday, November 4th, to show the victim that she does not stand alone. They victim did not appear at the event. But, she shared these words through her church pastor, “”We realize people are angry about this. But let the anger cause change, change that is necessary to keep our children, our neighbors and our friends safe…violence is always the wrong choice”.
Her story has touched the very soul of this nation. Cards, letters, and donations have been pouring in from all the country as people show this young woman that she is not alone.
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.
Marin County (California) Sheriff, Brian Cabaud, bought a lottery ticket last Thursday in Mill Valley, CA. He promised to split his winnings with his girlfriend, Anneliese Hansen, if he won. That ticket was one of three that won the Mega Millions Jackpot that totalled $227 million on May 1st. Each ticket is worth $75 million.
The reality of winning the lottery hasn’t sunk in yet. The couple hasn’t made many plans for the money. Outside of trip to Disneyland, they’ve only come to one decision. The two sheriff’s department employees will be making a donation to the fund set up for the four police officers who were slain in Oakland, CA on March 21st.
Cabaud summed it up pretty well, ““All law enforcement is very much like a brotherhood or sisterhood,” he said. “For them to give up everything they had to keep the public safe is something we should never forget.”
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.
Many of us get gift cards for birthdays and holidays. Sometimes it’s a store that we rarely visit. We use part of the balance, then have a small amount leftover. That card then sits on the dresser or in the junk drawer collecting dust.
The April Showers homeless shelter in San Leandro, California can make good use of those gift cards with leftover balances. Cards that are donated are saved up, then either turned into cash (in California this allowed if the balance is under $10) or saved up to make purchases for their clients. You gift card with a $5 balance might buy someone who needs them some socks or other necessity. That piddling amount might make the difference for another human being.
Senator Patrick Leahy has a role in the new Batman movie. He’s no movie star. He’s a star in my book though.
Leahy is donation all the money made from his part in the Dark Knight to his childhood haunt, the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier, VT. At four years old, Leahy got his first library card at that branch. He considers it one of the biggest moments of his life and wants other kids to have the same experience. The money will help fund the children’s section.
In addition to the money he earned from the movie, various fund raisers have been held with special screenings of the film. All proceeds go to the library.
San Francisco it’s 22nd Annual AIDs Walk today. In the crisp morning fog, thousands of people gathered to walk at Sharon Meadows in Golden Gate Park. They then traversed a 6.2 mile course through the park and back to Sharon Meadows.
The walk brings out all sorts of people, young and old. Dogs come with their owners as moral support. Walkers come individually or in teams. Some come in costume or carry signs.
The pledged donations will be used locally. The money benefits many organizations who help those diagnosed with AIDs living in the San Francisco Bay Area. The San Francisco AIDs Foundation is one of the beneficiaries, but some donations will go to the Horizon Foundation than distributed to some 50 organizations that have been preselected.
If you’d like to learn more about the AIDs Walk and see photographs from the event go to: San Francisco AIDs Walk
