tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84553390127949951752024-02-01T19:03:42.456-08:00Able Works: Waking AwarenessAble Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-3452824888747217942013-04-05T10:25:00.002-07:002013-04-05T10:25:47.404-07:00The Able Works Blog Has Moved!In an attempt to integrate our blog more as a part of our website, we have moved our blog to Wordpress. Please follow us there at <a href="http://www.ableworks.wordpress.com/">ableworks.wordpress.com</a>. Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-67272432028226942082013-02-22T10:27:00.001-08:002013-02-22T10:27:17.546-08:00Current Needs for the LiveAble:Women Cohort<style>
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</style><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Light; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The LiveAble:Women cohort meets every Thursday from 5:30-7:30pm
beginning March 21st. There are multiple ways for volunteers to get involved,
either once a week or once a month. The volunteer opportunities and time
commitments are below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br /> </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Regular; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ways to Get Involved:</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Provide child care. Two hours once a week.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Light; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 1.0pt 10.0pt 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -9.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Cook meals.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Light; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> Two hours once a month.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 1.0pt 10.0pt 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -9.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Be a guest speaker.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Light; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> One hour each occasion, depending on your expertise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 1.0pt 10.0pt 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -9.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Be a life coach.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Light; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> Two hours once or twice a month.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 1.0pt 10.0pt 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -9.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Co-lead a cohort.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Light; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> Three hours once a week, with occasional meetings throughout for
preparation.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Light; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Interested in finding out more information and ways to get
involved? Contact Blanca Medina at Able Works. Blanca@able.is, 650.328.1890.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: DINPro-Light; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span>
Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-12667598150864887112013-02-22T10:26:00.002-08:002013-02-22T12:14:00.615-08:00First Cohort to Launch Early March<style>
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<a href="http://onehopeministriesinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/franklin-manor_single-moms.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://onehopeministriesinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/franklin-manor_single-moms.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The 18-30 year old age range is the most underserved
population in the community. Many organizations are youth-focused and once
students reach the age of 18, their program opportunities diminish and as a
result, they are often forgotten. Within this age group there are various subgroups
with various needs: high school graduates, first generation college students,
young single moms, previously incarcerated individuals…the list could go on and
on. Our hope is that in building a cohort around each subgroup, we can meet
their needs more effectively while building support around them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>The first cohort we will be launching is LiveAble:Women. </b>We
plan to launch an additional three cohorts later this year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Many young moms in our community find themselves financially
stuck and without the resources necessary to escape their hardships. It is our
hope that through LiveAble:Women, they will be able to receive support in
thriving financially, gaining a foothold in the community, and cultivating
success for their children. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Our plan is to collaborate with other organizations serving
young moms in the community to ensure that all their needs are being met. We
will launch the cohort mid-March, and have an informational meeting planned for
potential cohort members the last week in February. <b>Interested in ways to serve
these young moms? <a href="http://ableworks.blogspot.com/2013/02/current-needs-for-liveablewomen-cohort.html" target="_blank">Click here.</a></b></span></div>
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Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-77823538032009045922013-02-22T10:25:00.001-08:002013-02-22T12:14:14.115-08:00Introducing the NEW LiveAble:Cohorts Program<style>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We are proud and excited to announce a new program that joins
the concepts of FutureProfits with those of our LiveAble program which provides
credit, foreclosure, and homeownership counseling. We hope to be able to change
lives by building on the great work we do in FutureProfits through our
curriculum, classes, and relational volunteers. By pairing the FutureProfits
concepts with our current LiveAble counseling program, we will be able to serve
young adults facing critical decisions about their future lives and finances.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>The new LiveAble:Cohorts program focuses on 18-30 year olds,
equipping them with resources and assets to move from merely surviving to
thriving and helping them make life choices that enable them to climb out of
economic survival mode.</b> This program is set up in a cohort model for peers to
move forward together in a healthy environment while having group
accountability and mentorship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Each cohort will last for a year, with anywhere from 10-20
members in each. The cohort will meet weekly as a group providing a time to
connect, build community, and encourage one another to make great choices. Additionally,
mentorship will be offered to each individual. Each cohort will be formed
around interest groups to better serve the needs of the cohort members and to
work towards the same goal with a unified purpose. For example our first group
will be focused on young moms and is called LiveAble:Women.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">All cohorts will support members as they expand assets via matched
saving accounts, credit building/rebuilding, emergency savings accounts, and
personal resource development. The cohort will help participants be successful,
accountable, and educated in their finances, academics and vocation – working
to both correct and avoid financial mistakes that might affect their ability to
succeed. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">With this new program, there are many new opportunities to
volunteer. <a href="http://ableworks.blogspot.com/2013/02/current-needs-for-liveablewomen-cohort.html" target="_blank">Click here for ways to get involved. </a></span></b></div>
Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-78945939179761942412012-10-26T14:31:00.001-07:002012-10-26T14:31:52.664-07:00I hear you.
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I hear you.</div>
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You are not alone.</div>
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Let me encourage you.</div>
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These are three statements that I heard spoken to one man
yesterday and regularly hear from our staff members. </div>
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That these were some of the first words spoken to him after
expressing his frustration, reminded me how proud I am to be at Able Works,
with our hard working and compassionate staff. </div>
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Oftentimes the community members we serve are indeed frustrated,
upset, and often feel hopeless. Frankly, most of them are justified in feeling
this way having been taken advantage of numerous times by banks or refinancing scams.
Whenever they interact with individuals, our staff is able to reach out and
connect on a level that is deeper than just looking over their paperwork. They
connect on a heart level and really live out our mission of equipping people with
financial education, life skills, assets, and enabling them to live free from
oppression and poverty. </div>
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Working at a non-profit, it’s not often easy to see the
fruit of your labor. Yet sometimes, the fruit isn’t necessarily all that
matters. Sometimes a home can’t be saved, or a financial situation not readily
fixed, but this isn’t our only metric for success. What’s most important, as
the result is to let these people be heard and encourage them when encouragement
can’t be found anywhere else. </div>
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What would it look like to view the problems of those around
me not as an opportunity to achieve some result, but realize that by simply
listening, I have an opportunity to really connect and speak life and encouragement
into others?</div>
Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-6753341701096475632012-10-02T15:58:00.000-07:002012-10-02T15:58:15.043-07:00Fighting homelessness.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Our LiveAble program provides counseling for first-time homebuyers, individuals seeking to rebuild their credit, and current homeowners facing foreclosure and homelessness. Our LiveAble team does this through workshops, participating in resource fairs for those facing foreclosure, and meeting with clients individually to provide one on one support.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Seeing desperate homeowners in our office each day and hearing them tell their stories outside my office makes it easy to see the good our team is <b>doing</b>. However, it isn’t always as easy for me to understand what our team actually <b>does</b> to save these homes. In the month I’ve been working here, I’ve realized my heart has fully grasped the emotions and heartache of this but my brain hasn’t fully understood the process leading up to it. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Recently, I spent some time with our housing counselors to try to better understand the foreclosure process and where they enter to help save homes. I realized, “Gosh, everyone should have the opportunity to know this.” </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This is what they said: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: small;">At Able Works, the clients we serve are applying for a loan modification as a result of being in danger of losing their homes and sometimes facing homelessness. (Modifying their loan allows them to more successfully make the payments.) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<a href="http://www.jclawgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/iStock_000005125394XSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://www.jclawgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/iStock_000005125394XSmall.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">After our housing counselors submit a full financial package (which can be a very tedious and detail specific process), the client’s lender will review the information and send it to the underwriter. At this point, the underwriter decides whether or not the client is approved to move forward with a modification. If the modification is approved, the lender will typically send the homeowner a trial payment plan lasting three months. During this time the homeowner is responsible for making all payments on time. Once the payment plan is over, the file will return to the underwriter and the modification will likely be finalized – allowing our client, the homeowner, to remain in their home. </span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Due to the bureaucratic and confusing nature of the banking system, the loan modification process is one that can take up to several months, sometimes even over a year. During this time, our counselors are providing as much emotional support as they are financial counseling to these families. </span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It is amazing to me that these counselors can be working with clients for a<b> long </b>time and the subject matter is certainly not easy to handle. They are fighting for these homes alongside the homeowners and providing hope without judgment. I get emotional just writing about this and our team does it every single day. </span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I hope, like me, you were able to gain some perspective on the foreclosure process as well as understand the great work our LiveAble team is doing on a daily basis. They are truly saving families from homelessness and the emotional impact that causes.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">--Laura Gross </span><br />
Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-37889561908678674862012-08-21T13:33:00.004-07:002012-08-21T13:33:57.138-07:00What's so great about a marching band?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFt4Vu83RDQGv8QrZWx0hYeuWlnl6zdIFOSmgrlQQ2jHPmotxejX9EYA_sH1fd-b20MiKhNWMvXEkH-fqqY_IjhYQnZB4GvMccJ_yMr4PBVsLknou72CIIJnT6yW0Z944Bhsq4Q_Oo36w/s1600/marching-band.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFt4Vu83RDQGv8QrZWx0hYeuWlnl6zdIFOSmgrlQQ2jHPmotxejX9EYA_sH1fd-b20MiKhNWMvXEkH-fqqY_IjhYQnZB4GvMccJ_yMr4PBVsLknou72CIIJnT6yW0Z944Bhsq4Q_Oo36w/s320/marching-band.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Growing up I was a part of the high school marching band. Every Friday night during the football games, we would play the school fight song and march during the half time show. The marching band rallied the community in showing our support and pride in the team. Despite the fact that during my four years of high school our football team won only a handful of games, we continued to show up every Friday and support them.<br /><br />By my senior year, it was clear we weren't going to be State Champions, but the marching band still showed up to support the team. Part of that was because it was required for band students, but I like to think it was because we believed the best in our team and hoped for their success.<br /> <br />The principle of believing in one's best has remained with me. I love to believe the best in people and get excited about organizations striving to do the same. This is what initially drew me to Able Works.<br /><br />Able Works strives to equip individuals to fulfill their greatest human potential. As an organization, we seek to help people be free from poverty and oppression. We provide them with life skills and assets, including someone believing for their best. It would be easy to believe that my job, similar to supporting a losing football team, is a requirement. But Able Works continues to hope for people's success and truly believes in the individuals they are helping. <br /> <br />It isn’t just a job when you work at Able Works. You work here because you believe in it and want to be a part of making your community and the people in it better. And in doing so you believe with your heart and soul in the individuals you are helping. I work here for these same reasons. I want to continue to believe the best in people like we believed in my high school football team. I want to hope for their success.<br /><br /><br />Laura GrossAble Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-11838269956533462272012-08-03T10:56:00.003-07:002012-08-03T11:01:10.658-07:00Overcoming Odds<br />
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If
you are anything like me, every four years I loose a lot of sleep, my internal
clock gets messed up, and watch more Television then I do any other time of year.
Why? The Olympics! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DtQTwKb4NyWdhWh51WMOjtvzrVHgYx6z0F-mOfGqIO2p85Q8Mncb82UALIEfw5vkhd_Tq9-9Fuw_3yf4ZI8qU7ih6H8naywplP-0UZOXuAOhNVnm-iRo_Ip5VVKsUTfmLirDMxwN8Jo/s1600/tumblr_m7s5ezHVbi1qd3bpyo1_400.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DtQTwKb4NyWdhWh51WMOjtvzrVHgYx6z0F-mOfGqIO2p85Q8Mncb82UALIEfw5vkhd_Tq9-9Fuw_3yf4ZI8qU7ih6H8naywplP-0UZOXuAOhNVnm-iRo_Ip5VVKsUTfmLirDMxwN8Jo/s200/tumblr_m7s5ezHVbi1qd3bpyo1_400.jpeg" width="135" /></a></div>
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I
was raised in a family where the Olympics were a mandatory tradition. We have been faithful to watch the Opening Ceremonies and as many events as our schedules allow. It is part of the DNA of my family. My maternal grandmother and
grandfather participated in the 1948 London games. They were both track
stars from Canada. My grandfather was a hurdler, and my grandmother ran the
Women's 4x4 Relay. My grandparents met at the Olympics, fell in love and
got married shortly after. So, it isn't an understatement to say it's in
my genes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now
64 years later, the Olympics are once again in London. My grandfather is
no longer with us, but I was blessed to be able to watch the Opening Ceremonies with my
grandmother. She kept saying, "These are so much better than mine.
They made us hold candles and let a few doves fly free." The 1948
games were right after World War II, so nobody, especially England, had any
money for fancy torches, costumes or light shows.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0oyTxoc7R-M1XS_6Iu-UP22J5wYm5IPSGEhXopZsS-90qvz9xZmIXZkBSnRiNzcT3ZxKkY-X8PerUiPMgBBKzwefzZuA6LN9oKfdglATGs2mq4F7dujHX26DcbJYLOEPTdpfKD-BifU/s1600/26621_10150092337785114_6920460_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0oyTxoc7R-M1XS_6Iu-UP22J5wYm5IPSGEhXopZsS-90qvz9xZmIXZkBSnRiNzcT3ZxKkY-X8PerUiPMgBBKzwefzZuA6LN9oKfdglATGs2mq4F7dujHX26DcbJYLOEPTdpfKD-BifU/s320/26621_10150092337785114_6920460_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>But,
there is something more about the Olympics than family history or the pizazz of
the Opening Ceremony. I think what draws me in every four years is the
human spirit. The chance to see records broken and history change.
I love watching people beat the odds. To see the underdog win.
To see the once broken, made whole. To see dreams come true. <b>This
is why I work at <a href="http://www.able.is/"><span style="color: #0000ed;">Able
Works</span></a>.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Able
Works cares about our community beating the odds. We care about broken
people becoming whole. We care about seeing the under-resourced rise up
and fulfill their dreams. We coach, educate, lead, and cheer for
individuals to break records. To change history. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I
will never be an Olympian. I may not ever get a chance to go to the
Olympics as a spectator, but everyday I hear stories about the power of the human spirit, and I have a part in it. I guess you could
say Able Works is like Coca-Cola or P&G, we are proud sponsors of East Palo
Alto and the human spirit. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><br />
-Kirsten</div>Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-3273602669849282612012-07-18T11:32:00.003-07:002012-07-18T11:32:30.921-07:00It's The Little Things<br />
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East Palo Alto, CA, is a city with its own personality. When I first relocated from San Diego, I found it very difficult to understand the culture and experienced some culture shock. East Palo Alto challenged me to
find joy in the little things, and I’m learning to be thankful for that education. </div>
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Recently,
I was in a local grocery store, Mi Pueblo, and I met a cashier named
Tanya. We had a few conversations over the course of a couple weeks when I would come to shop. I really appreciated her warm and open conversation. Some time went by, and I started to
notice Tanya wasn’t around much anymore. I wondered if she got a new job, moved or if she was sick.
Sadly, those thoughts about her absence at work had to stay thoughts, because I
had no way of figuring out where to find answers. Until a few days ago when I was driving home from Mi Pueblo.
I was leaving the parking lot, and before I turned at the stop sign, I heard my
name coming from a house on the corner of Clarke Ave. It was Tanya. I got out
of my car and she asked me, “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in Mi
Pueblo in a while.” I thought to myself, “I was just thinking the same thing
about you!”</div>
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Tanya
is a 23-year-old, African-American woman.
As we began to catch up, she shared that she would have noticed me at grocery store if we were there at the same time, because she predominately serves Hispanics. So when she sees an
African-American, she remembers them. The conversation quickly led to her
sharing about her life, her son, her family, and catching up on what she has
been doing. She invited me into her house to meet her son and siblings,
and we exchanged phone numbers. In hindsight, I can see that she was genuinely
excited to see me, because later on, she mentioned that she has been looking
for a friend. I think when she saw
me in Mi Pueblo she was thought to herself, “Hmm…maybe we can be friends.” </div>
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From
my experience working with youth in East Palo Alto, I understand that most of
the community aren’t used to people exhibiting trust,
loyalty, or genuine friendship. I keep that knowledge in my mind as I interact
with the community. Tanya pressed a little for my phone number and
asked what I did in my free time. I could sense that she was really seeking
friendship. She asked if there are certain times that I don’t answer my phone,
to which I replied, “Outside of work times, there’s not a time that I don’t
answer my phone or respond to a text.” I told her she can test that idea by
texting me at 5 o’clock in the morning, and see if I'll respond. She told me she would
test it, and she did! That small act of responding to her text was my way of
showing her that not everyone is disloyal or dishonest. </div>
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When
I moved to East Palo Alto from San Diego, I didn’t realize how much selfishness
I had hidden inside me. It’s taken a lot of spontaneous interactions with
people like Tanya to take me out of my comfort zone, and show me that it’s one
thing to claim ‘relocation, reconciliation, and social justice,’ then it is to
actually take those concepts and actively apply them to my life. It’s the
little things that make a big difference. Little things like my interaction
with Tanya. </div>
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</div>Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-36268502473452886522012-07-03T15:42:00.001-07:002012-07-03T15:56:59.439-07:00New HouseAble Project- Clarke Ave<br />
Last Friday, June 29, Able Works acquired a new property on Clarke Avenue in East Palo Alto. The home, previously owned by a national bank, has been vacant for the last three months and is in need of major cosmetic maintenance and renovations. Over the next 3-4 months, Able Works will transform this property back into a safe home. It will then be made available to a working class family in our community. This is part of Able's vision to restore neighborhoods and provide opportunities for individuals to rise above poverty. <br />
<br />
HouseAble is looking to assemble work teams to tackle some of the less-skilled projects including; exterior painting, landscaping, interior painting and cleaning. Experienced trades people should also contact us to discuss how they can participate. This project is scheduled to last through September 2012. If you are interested in helping this summer, please email info@able.is.<br />
<br />
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HouseAble seeks to help our community build assets through sensible homeownership.Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-39862464769800726582012-06-19T13:59:00.002-07:002012-06-19T14:05:50.423-07:00How "Interesting"<br />
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When people hear that I want to teach dance in inner cities,
often times their response is, “Oh! Well, how interesting. That’s cool.”
Sometimes I wonder what these people mean when they say ‘interesting’. Are they
using that word to describe my desire to teach inner city youth, or are they altogether
ignoring the inner city context, and referring to my desire to teach dance as ‘interesting’? Something in me believes that it is the former rather than the
later that makes that phrase pass their lips.</div>
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Students who were raised in the studio – most likely from middle/upper class families – tend to see dance as a hobby; something that they
choose to do out of a list of many other potential possibilities. However, in
the inner city, the list of opportunities is not as extensive. This is the main thing that drives my passion to teach dance to
these students. Urban students aren’t sitting at home conflicted about what to
do with their day due to the overwhelming options being presented. These students
are conflicted because there are no options. They do the same monotonous things day in and day out. </div>
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I grew up in a single parent home, and I am familiar with
having limitations put on my desired hobbies because of financial struggles. Although I wasn’t raised in the inner city, and I am not personally familiar
with most of the situations that my kids had/have to face, I do understand limitations. My break came in high school when I was given the opportunity to join the dance team and it
changed my life. Dance became a way to express myself, and took me outside of
the areas in my life that hurt. When people say to me, “Oh! Well, how
interesting. That’s cool,” I respond with, “You’re right. It is cool," because I
understand what it’s like to want something to do. It brings me joy to share my
talents with students who, even if for the sake of having nothing else to do,
will soak up what I’m teaching them.
Maybe they will find that dance is something that can bring them into
their own place of healthy expression. And that, to me, is ‘interesting.’ </div>
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-Shanae Green</div>Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-65149897554665730762012-05-24T15:29:00.001-07:002012-05-24T15:32:53.972-07:00“No One Can Live Your Life but You!”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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-Perspective Through The Lens of FutureProfits-</div>
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Most
people would agree that there is a distinct difference in maturity between freshman
and senior students in high school. Evidenced by behavior, level of respect for
authority, self-esteem, and so many additional factors that speak into ones’
development. With this knowledge, some might say that the hope to reach a group
ranging from freshman to seniors using one curriculum is outlandish. Some might
say it’s impossible, and altogether shy away from the idea. However, FutureProfits™
is not a part of that ‘some’. There
is a sort of knowledge that can be useful for anyone, and FutureProfits™
presents such information. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrgWYeKd6wqBkW9BvvhxTJl6g-aBefhoNvnE86ZPjeSAWnELy_JIfXIPv_JSx7Ay0BFrQ_FhuaweLzMV-taglJFf-zLvb95TT9KSyGTY2qkVfUPUi4wt3KiZ_Pk5kJGJwbqR3baQz26g/s1600/41cz7d93+3L._SS500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrgWYeKd6wqBkW9BvvhxTJl6g-aBefhoNvnE86ZPjeSAWnELy_JIfXIPv_JSx7Ay0BFrQ_FhuaweLzMV-taglJFf-zLvb95TT9KSyGTY2qkVfUPUi4wt3KiZ_Pk5kJGJwbqR3baQz26g/s200/41cz7d93+3L._SS500_.jpg" width="200" /></a>With the basic idea that no one can
live someone else’s life, comes a curriculum that teaches students in high
school how to have control of their money. This past year FutureProfits™ has
served freshman through seniors, and has seen many success stories about
students who have decided to take ownership of the curriculum taught to them.
Unit 3 of the curriculum discusses student loans (i.e. interest rates, types of
loans to look for, questions to ask yourself before getting a loan), and brings
awareness to the value of education. After this was presented, many students –
from freshman to seniors – mentioned how much more aware they were of the
benefits of getting a student loan for themselves. Prior to this being taught,
many students were held captive by the notion that all loans are bad, and were
therefore interpreting their pursuit of education as a fantasy, rather than a
reality. In short, they’ve decided to go against the grain of what they
thought, and have decided to start pursuing education after high school! Students
are beginning to believe that no one can live their lives but themselves. Their
questions and continual intrigue prove this. </div>
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-Shanae Green, FutureProfits Program Assistant</div>Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-57620978912386774462012-03-12T14:31:00.000-07:002012-03-12T14:31:04.541-07:00Parenting and Money Decisions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLG4rpmyHNMdsZuTv2vHKdMbNEFc6ZZYlXj3MhvfNfkZbpb9zWktrLav1KI-RNgRhQ9bu4QxzHqJ4bpKRvuTRXS_MheNuDbzLgCxvefLN9fMy-fhrKlU3fsmIOoxfYeG-cr0WpWFgwrUG/s1600/93489580.tif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLG4rpmyHNMdsZuTv2vHKdMbNEFc6ZZYlXj3MhvfNfkZbpb9zWktrLav1KI-RNgRhQ9bu4QxzHqJ4bpKRvuTRXS_MheNuDbzLgCxvefLN9fMy-fhrKlU3fsmIOoxfYeG-cr0WpWFgwrUG/s400/93489580.tif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718042803390318418" /></a><br />
Fuller Youth Institute recently published an article entitled, "<a href="http://stickyfaith.org/articles/show-me-and-talk-to-me-about-the-money">Show Me (And Talk To Me About) The Money</a>." Working with youth AND money, it definitely caught my eye. <br />
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So although I'm not a parent, I want to take a minute to talk to parents about the value of talking with their kids about money. <br />
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Money is one of those taboo topics...especially when it comes to personal finance. Usually if a family is tight on money, they tend to talk about money in a way that creates tension...specifically, what you <span style="font-style:italic;">can't</span> afford. Other families that are well-off can have a tendency to give "everything" to their children...a good father wants to give "<a href="http://bg4.me/wApdcn">good gifts</a>" to his children.<br />
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But involving your kids in your decisions and thoughts about money can be one of the biggest pathways to developing values in your kids that you want them to inherit. Over the past few years, I've really come to believe the truth that "<a href="http://bg4.me/y2y9oL">where your treasure is, there your heart will be also</a>." We make decisions with money based on the things that are important to us. <br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BAeLrAFLTf3xuUqdL1_Pyo_Ri_2oi1QK0wjwflDUX-JWLEaCLew0ibyeBJ_X50c2hq0XaAPgLqP5geqohVUR1bBjrQUd9gpKwr7_nGYS4gbHYl_Hiw0A7c3zFVXuC2hgdhR-LBPX3Nxk/s1600/100717183.tif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BAeLrAFLTf3xuUqdL1_Pyo_Ri_2oi1QK0wjwflDUX-JWLEaCLew0ibyeBJ_X50c2hq0XaAPgLqP5geqohVUR1bBjrQUd9gpKwr7_nGYS4gbHYl_Hiw0A7c3zFVXuC2hgdhR-LBPX3Nxk/s400/100717183.tif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718042426795146386" /></a><br />
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Said in another way...the decisions we make with money reveal our values. When I was 6 years old, I seriously remember thinking, "When I get older, I'm going to buy all the ice cream in the world so I can eat it all the time!" I seriously valued ice cream, and wanted bigger portions than my parents wisely gave me. But at 6, ice cream was what was important to me...and money was the way to get it.<br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmNba_eO2JtsCL0P9PXmTQVJzRgRL1CAR798iBxewJymIY255QRCh0Bjc8sVb_FWKcpXF2AVo00BQqJQVRvlJSWwSHgiV5eoKKWrx_k_OyZ6cf8v3ccqM7jTsM7ySoH6v1R7TzT2BDMKl/s1600/6540_252234030113_722420113_8297677_642349_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmNba_eO2JtsCL0P9PXmTQVJzRgRL1CAR798iBxewJymIY255QRCh0Bjc8sVb_FWKcpXF2AVo00BQqJQVRvlJSWwSHgiV5eoKKWrx_k_OyZ6cf8v3ccqM7jTsM7ySoH6v1R7TzT2BDMKl/s400/6540_252234030113_722420113_8297677_642349_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718044240391557810" /></a><br />
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What if we started to involve our kids in decisions about money, sharing, giving, etc. It's never too early to start. A friend of mine decided to teach his daughter about the importance of giving. He asked her to decide which toys she wanted to give away to other kids without toys. The daughter (I think she was 2 at the time) didn't want to give any away at first, but eventually parted with a couple of her favorite toys. She learned a valuable lesson that the "stuff" we have on this earth is not as important as the people surrounding us. For younger kids, including them in giving or serving decisions can instill values in them to care for others and to trust God for provision.<br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSucUdaJWqEr_vKbBkMdYwMag2IwoX1LgFXQ_mvKRkeb0o2kjvJRFcEfv9to8V9XaBA0ZYaYHXsmkt5fBsVBd34wrwtAMeSS0XcsQMWtvnaCeYqOS59NGWAY08lNgT0msYMU2APJr1go_N/s1600/77005748.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 170px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSucUdaJWqEr_vKbBkMdYwMag2IwoX1LgFXQ_mvKRkeb0o2kjvJRFcEfv9to8V9XaBA0ZYaYHXsmkt5fBsVBd34wrwtAMeSS0XcsQMWtvnaCeYqOS59NGWAY08lNgT0msYMU2APJr1go_N/s400/77005748.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718041907995692306" /></a><br />
<br />
High schoolers, on the other hand, are at a place in their lives where they are learning to articulate their thoughts and opinions. Opening the dialogue can really help them to develop the "why" in their money decisions. In our FutureProfits curriculum, we have an activity where we look at messages about money and discuss whether we agree or disagree. Not only does it give you a chance to hear from your kids what they think, but you can also ask why they agree or disagree. <br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3lYu3nOIpZj3wzZio_fac3V0KmcL9ftnk7TkinXQPfhy9rtEH-h2STCcdZ26KZKHMFrmvnRlf8R8TeI4P_F78JC64JGP3p2hbOHqWHqFlcbjuvlC6YXhKfsdFHoD10ClVqBj_tNyGMlO/s1600/97492168.tif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 333px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3lYu3nOIpZj3wzZio_fac3V0KmcL9ftnk7TkinXQPfhy9rtEH-h2STCcdZ26KZKHMFrmvnRlf8R8TeI4P_F78JC64JGP3p2hbOHqWHqFlcbjuvlC6YXhKfsdFHoD10ClVqBj_tNyGMlO/s400/97492168.tif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718043169700921026" /></a><br />
Freshmen often have a harder time articulating the "why" part, but this activity often helps them to start articulating their thoughts and values. We begin by asking the students to decide whether a certain people group would agree or disagree and why. For example, if they were to represent their parents, or billionaires, or religious leaders, or advertising companies, what would each of those people groups say about money. Then it becomes easier to talk about what they personally think. Here are some of the messages we discuss with our students:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>Your value is based on how much money you make.<br />
A penny saved is a penny earned.<br />
Get rich or die trying.<br />
The poor are getting poorer while the rich are getting richer.<br />
The more money you give, the more money you receive.<br />
Money makes the world go 'round.<br />
The best things in life are free.<br />
Money is power.<br />
<br />
Here's a fun one:<br />
Parents should give their kids money for anything they request.</blockquote><br />
There are some more ideas in the article mentioned above, but bottom line is to start the conversation, and involve them in your decisions. Who knows? <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2018:16-17&version=NIV">God may end up speaking wisdom through them</a>!Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-7001209345115829312012-02-24T16:34:00.000-08:002012-02-24T16:34:27.046-08:00REMORTGAGE AMERICA<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>453</o:Words> <o:Characters>2583</o:Characters> <o:Company>NCUD</o:Company> <o:Lines>21</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>5</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>3172</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGYchj6GFfor9VfLSC1CHNTBSqNtUIf6bzP1El_X4CyKldEHvM4KsZpij7HGZXDTm4Rpthoh2NTaZcZQgw3rQsYotRcuDqn5nBb-5_MIPGpa4lhX4IMQMPuHe5Lc10ALVuxxutwiOp9s/s1600/House+with+American+Flag+shutterstock_FADED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGYchj6GFfor9VfLSC1CHNTBSqNtUIf6bzP1El_X4CyKldEHvM4KsZpij7HGZXDTm4Rpthoh2NTaZcZQgw3rQsYotRcuDqn5nBb-5_MIPGpa4lhX4IMQMPuHe5Lc10ALVuxxutwiOp9s/s320/House+with+American+Flag+shutterstock_FADED.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">I recently read a full page newspaper ad paid for by Remortgage America detailing their plan for improving the economy. They want the US government to finance a 30 year mortgage at a fixed 1% interest rate, with interest only payments for the first two years, for every US citizen. You would be able to finance a new or existing primary residence with a $500,000.00 lifetime limit.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">What they say this will do: It will cut the monthly mortgage payments for most citizens by at least $500 a month or $6,000.00 a year. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It will increase home values by increasing demand.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">It will keep people from losing their homes by decreasing monthly home mortgage payments </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It will increase annual government revenues by decreasing the mortgage interest deduction. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The costs of this program would be paid for by this increase in tax payments over the next ten to fifteen years- assuming that the increase in tax payments is not otherwise spent by Washington.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This is a loan program, so the money will be repaid over time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Remortgage America says that this would cost around $14 trillion dollars</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">This does satisfy a desire to get the government to help us, not just help big business. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The mortgage loan process would have to be subcontracted to those already in that business. That way it would not take so long to gear up for the demand. Most people in that business would stay employed --otherwise, you would be putting a lot of people out of work.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">It seems to answer the need to keep people, whose income has dropped, in their homes. It is likely to free up a large amount of money that currently goes to the monthly mortgage payment and this money is likely to be mostly spent, spurring the economy.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">It will put a bottom on house prices in most places, if not increase house values.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">But, $14 million dollars is quite a bit of money. The government has committed $11 trillion dollars for bailouts of corporations over the last few years, but only spent $3 trillion dollars so far, and some of that has been paid back. The refinancing of the estimated $100 million housing units in the US would take a number of years, so the $14 trillion dollars would be spent over time. Not all of those units could be purchased for $500,000 or less so the total number of units might be less than the 100 million. It would free up the money that is currently in investor portfolios as mortgage loan investments, much of which would be used to buy government bonds. Perhaps this plan could be realized financially.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">This would put Washington in the business of holding the majority of its citizen’s mortgages. Many people would like to see the government taking a smaller role in people’s lives. This situation is not completely different from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, etc., and many people want to privatize those organizations. It does seem like it would be a hard sell in the current election environment. It would be very difficult to do politically, but something is needed to jump start the economy. Something needs to be done that would affect a large number of tax payers, not just a small number of large corporations.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">-Neil Fisher</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><!--EndFragment-->Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-73302058767952024032012-02-03T15:59:00.000-08:002012-02-03T15:59:59.615-08:00The Happy WandererLate last week I set off on a 10-day trip to the South. To begin, on Thursday I made a quick stop in Milwaukee for a productive and inspiring brainstorming session with leaders from across the nation. We spent the day discussing and dissecting the topic of job creation and capitalism in an urban/underserved context. My opinion is that communities like East Palo Alto are often sold short. Our folks are entrepreneurial by nature. There is an active and thriving underground economy that sustains many families throughout our city. This can range from car mechanics, tattoo artists, old 'mothers' selling plates of amazing food out their back doors, the local guy hawking corn out of a cart and hustlers selling DVD's.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQv5NGdugDd2ZiNRxv07A2E9iQduTsZLTDU4vrPq0v_KQaQABdHCJVIAWEJVRbbOotgWSc6b9bGLaNUAmlzpSKY64dKqFF_lRyhoNyS5D4DoZe4U1hqJH_il61C9453NaDiEvh8Ya2dVY/s1600/Pic-Billy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQv5NGdugDd2ZiNRxv07A2E9iQduTsZLTDU4vrPq0v_KQaQABdHCJVIAWEJVRbbOotgWSc6b9bGLaNUAmlzpSKY64dKqFF_lRyhoNyS5D4DoZe4U1hqJH_il61C9453NaDiEvh8Ya2dVY/s320/Pic-Billy.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The question is how do we harness that energy and employ individuals? I was particularly inspired by the work in Denver with <a href="http://www.belay.org/">Belay Enterprises</a>. While the NCUD staff will quickly tell me we have enough on our plate right now - I most certainly feel a stirring to think about such enterprises. With a 30% unemployment and certainly a much higher under-employment rate something must soon happen to get our hard working community gainfully employed. As has been said, "A job is the fastest way to stop a bullet." <br />
<br />
I needed to be in Jackson, Mississippi on Monday the 23rd, so I took advantage of the time to come to New Orleans and be with my sister and her family. It was great to see them, especially my niece and nephew Lilli and Noah. As I traversed the city I was inspired by the spirit and passion of the Big Easy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVMbnPLrqDPczvh_MEoGQolpsvd-Bn6IDEkH24F3jaXtQW9bHqL3P6i_pXJx9PZmMjfIakiBy9k5TTJJpxEniVCSJf9LMfGvNNhODor8ob1mxMgnjefdoUxEwutP3pKd_lrwsLe8bVH0/s1600/8988404-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVMbnPLrqDPczvh_MEoGQolpsvd-Bn6IDEkH24F3jaXtQW9bHqL3P6i_pXJx9PZmMjfIakiBy9k5TTJJpxEniVCSJf9LMfGvNNhODor8ob1mxMgnjefdoUxEwutP3pKd_lrwsLe8bVH0/s320/8988404-large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>On Friday, I spent a few hours with Kevin Brown from <a href="http://www.tccno.org/">Trinity Christian Community</a>. Kevin is a second-generation community developer who took over the organization that his dad developed 40 years ago. Kevin lives and works in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans. Hollygrove was devastated by hurricane Katrina. The staff and family of TCC watched as years of work and effort was washed away. However, as the Prophet Isaiah said, 'When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God raises up a standard." TCC is very much that standard in Hollygrove. Kevin and his team have been rebuilding, and uses the devastation of the storm to catalyze their community development efforts. They are buying and refurbishing houses, developing community gardens, tutoring children and teens and working with community leaders to have a master plan of development and health for their neighborhood. I'm happy to report God is doing something wonderful in Hollygrove! Out of the ashes, something beautiful is emerging.<br />
<br />
Kevin's passion and love for his city is something I've seen all over New Orleans. Whether in Mid City or the famous lower 9th Ward (where the 'Brad Pitt' houses are) this city is fighting to rebuild. I just hope their 'spice' is something we can learn from and export to East Palo Alto! <br />
New Orleans has given us so much... we have much to learn... <br />
<br />
John LiottiAble Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-62024442048045797122012-01-17T16:52:00.000-08:002012-01-17T16:53:39.189-08:00The Fins Are On To Something....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3OGpr1gqDXi0umGu8ppDSqiV7Qvua0ApygmxOdE7zQ8KNbg7MdQAn2tyk_Y_9f6T-z9oFuthslsy2XtAZ7rDdL-gNFtegIuklZbK44eJbccw6ZrnIlKe3K3mr99noDulWmXED31Pe2M/s1600/superman1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3OGpr1gqDXi0umGu8ppDSqiV7Qvua0ApygmxOdE7zQ8KNbg7MdQAn2tyk_Y_9f6T-z9oFuthslsy2XtAZ7rDdL-gNFtegIuklZbK44eJbccw6ZrnIlKe3K3mr99noDulWmXED31Pe2M/s320/superman1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Education in America has become an issue of justice. Just spend an hour in an elementary school in a low-income neighborhood, and you’ll see the teachers are overworked, have huge class sizes, and a huge lack of resources. My friend who was a teacher in a local elementary school did not have access to even pencils for her students. She was expected to provide basics for her students out of her own money.<br />
<br />
There are a lot of recent movies and documentaries (such as The Lottery by Madeleine Sackler and Waiting For Superman) that are presenting the problem and showing the flock of parents sending their students to “lottery” schools, where families place their hope in a lottery to be chosen for enrollment in a school with better class sizes and higher excellence in academics. <br />
<br />
My main issue with this is that families are placing their hope in a system that determines by chance whether students have the chance to be successful. If they don’t get in, the common attitude is then “I have no hope for my son or daughter to do well in school or have the opportunity to go to college.”<br />
<br />
Public schools get a bad rap. When I was growing up, I loved public school and didn’t see anything wrong with it. But I also didn’t grow up in a low-income neighborhood where the resources were so lacking for schools as well.<br />
<br />
I recently read an article that talked about the philosophy behind education and how America is viewing it in regard to Finland…<br />
<br />
The Fins Are On To Something…<br />
<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/what-americans-keep-ignoring-about-finlands-school-success/250564/#.TwSZMKN8MIs.blogger">What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland's School Success - The Atlantic</a><br />
<br />
To quote the article, the main questions Americans seem to be obsessed with in order to make education better are:<br />
• How can you keep track of students' performance if you don't test them constantly? <br />
• How can you improve teaching if you have no accountability for bad teachers or merit pay for good teachers? <br />
• How do you foster competition and engage the private sector? <br />
• How do you provide school choice?<br />
<br />
Finland differs in their perspective on education reform in the following ways:<br />
First of all, Finland has no standardized tests.<br />
<blockquote>The answers Finland provides seem to run counter to just about everything America's school reformers are trying to do.<br />
For starters, Finland has no standardized tests. The only exception is what's called the National Matriculation Exam, which everyone takes at the end of a voluntary upper-secondary school, roughly the equivalent of American high school.<br />
Instead, the public school system's teachers are trained to assess children in classrooms using independent tests they create themselves. All children receive a report card at the end of each semester, but these reports are based on individualized grading by each teacher. Periodically, the Ministry of Education tracks national progress by testing a few sample groups across a range of different schools.</blockquote><br />
Secondly, it’s all about responsibility, not accountability.<br />
<blockquote>As for accountability of teachers and administrators, Sahlberg shrugs. "There's no word for accountability in Finnish," he later told an audience at the Teachers College of Columbia University. "Accountability is something that is left when responsibility has been subtracted." <br />
For Sahlberg what matters is that in Finland all teachers and administrators are given prestige, decent pay, and a lot of responsibility. A master's degree is required to enter the profession, and teacher training programs are among the most selective professional schools in the country. If a teacher is bad, it is the principal's responsibility to notice and deal with it.</blockquote><br />
Thirdly, Fins focus on cooperation, not competition.<br />
<blockquote>And while Americans love to talk about competition, Sahlberg points out that nothing makes Finns more uncomfortable. In his book Sahlberg quotes a line from Finnish writer named Samuli Puronen: "Real winners do not compete." It's hard to think of a more un-American idea, but when it comes to education, Finland's success shows that the Finnish attitude might have merits. There are no lists of best schools or teachers in Finland. The main driver of education policy is not competition between teachers and between schools, but cooperation.</blockquote><br />
Finally, school choice is not a priority.<br />
<blockquote>Finally, in Finland, school choice is noticeably not a priority, nor is engaging the private sector at all. Which brings us back to the silence after Sahlberg's comment at the Dwight School that schools like Dwight don't exist in Finland.<br />
"Here in America," Sahlberg said at the Teachers College, "parents can choose to take their kids to private schools. It's the same idea of a marketplace that applies to, say, shops. Schools are a shop and parents can buy what ever they want. In Finland parents can also choose. But the options are all the same."<br />
Herein lay the real shocker. As Sahlberg continued, his core message emerged, whether or not anyone in his American audience heard it.<br />
Decades ago, when the Finnish school system was badly in need of reform, the goal of the program that Finland instituted, resulting in so much success today, was never excellence. It was equity.</blockquote><br />
Education reform is definitely needed in America, but I wonder if we are asking the right questions. What if we started to ask, “How can we make school opportunities more equal” instead of creating schools that are better and more excellent than what is currently being offered. Of course, our whole American culture of competition would need to change for that to happen. So who knows where to start? We’ll have to start somewhere, and soon, because education is the major stepping-stone to “fullness of life” in our American culture and history.<br />
-Jenni IngramAble Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-10954098878332685722012-01-13T16:41:00.000-08:002012-01-13T16:41:54.052-08:00The trouble with floors and water is...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>399</o:Words> <o:Characters>2275</o:Characters> <o:Company>NCUD</o:Company> <o:Lines>18</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>4</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>2793</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvKf8pGHy0JlriagdfwmVbUMhnB6bYEw0OGccZoNlsBL624-TXs0S20ZsQHpLl5VvMNuw4JWsmkjEF3pNa3OLrfZzQLmIgH0QrEvWPh2VetZpir_2dsotQ-6S61_R1zgfdd3LqmuWFFU/s1600/apartment+flood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvKf8pGHy0JlriagdfwmVbUMhnB6bYEw0OGccZoNlsBL624-TXs0S20ZsQHpLl5VvMNuw4JWsmkjEF3pNa3OLrfZzQLmIgH0QrEvWPh2VetZpir_2dsotQ-6S61_R1zgfdd3LqmuWFFU/s320/apartment+flood.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">My son and my new daughter wanted some help on a flooring project in their condo in Pasadena, CA, so I went down to lend a hand. Our first step was to move the furniture out and pull up the carpet and take it to the dump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first hiccup came when we arrived at the dump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The recent record-breaking windstorm that hit Southern California meant there was a very long line of cars and trucks trying to rid themselves of the branches that had littered their yards.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On Sunday, we wanted to move out the last of the furniture and appliances and then paint. Being an early riser I am, I wanted to get a head start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hiccup number two arose as I walked through the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I noticed a puddle on the floor that stretched across the dining area, kitchen and entry hall. It stretched so far, it was impossible to tell where it came from. I mopped the water up and waited to see if any new water came in. I couldn’t figure out what generated the mess or if it will delay the floor installation the next day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After the water clean-up, I began to move out the appliances. When I tried to turn off the water valve for the dishwasher, the valve handle and stem broke off in my hands. Hiccup number three. Before I could take out the dishwasher, I had to fix the valve, which meant letting the other residents know that the water would be turned off the water for half the building (not to mention make our fourth unexpected trip to the hardware store).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By the end of the afternoon, the water mystery was solved (a water line had burst in the unit above us but was quickly fixed), and the happy news was that the floor installation wouldn’t be delayed. A few hours later the water valve was fixed and the dishwasher removed. After debating between fourteen paint samples, my daughter-in-law finally chose the paint color, and we painted the kitchen.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Monday morning. The floor was dry. The appliances moved. The walls painted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The floor guys were due at 8:00 a.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Of course, </span>Eight, Nine o'clock rolled around with no sign of the contractors. The guys finally showed up at 10:00 a.m. A few hours into work the floor installers asked me where the base trim was for the kitchen. I told them that the supplier did not send any. There were baseboards for the living room and dining room, but no trim for the kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, they figured out that it wasn’t ordered, and my son left work early to pick it up. Hiccup number 4. After my son returned with the base, the floor guy said that was not enough for the living and dining rooms. Thus, another trip to the hardware store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the end of Monday evening, the floor and trim was completed and looked great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Job accomplished.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My advice to anyone taking on a “small” home improvement project is: be flexible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will always be hiccups along the way. But isn't life like that too?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Neil Fisher</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">(*picture above taken from <a href="http://paintermommy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/apartment-flooded1.jpg">HERE</a>)</div><!--EndFragment-->Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-30513517673100813772012-01-12T10:37:00.000-08:002012-01-12T10:37:55.543-08:00Where My Life Goal and NCUD's Purpose Align<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-i9UvA_2_4-LJuDnOs9IXt978vFYFz1viUBkq8eaq8jkrgxoFrCRZx850dl0GU8S89Z8E4WjIKWlJD4FhRhPvOiekYB9hNbhXJFYK8_-Y6lyTPPMDKkAkVW1IDxqth2nLrXDpu-IYOCQ/s1600/26609_1240797659362_1211914056_30607291_5199291_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-i9UvA_2_4-LJuDnOs9IXt978vFYFz1viUBkq8eaq8jkrgxoFrCRZx850dl0GU8S89Z8E4WjIKWlJD4FhRhPvOiekYB9hNbhXJFYK8_-Y6lyTPPMDKkAkVW1IDxqth2nLrXDpu-IYOCQ/s200/26609_1240797659362_1211914056_30607291_5199291_n.jpg" width="142" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Achieving a Ph. D in Psychology from Stanford University has been my life long dream. A dream that I hope someday will turn into reality. Of course just hoping isn’t good enough; it isn’t going to take me anywhere. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatole_France">Anatole France</a> put it perfectly when he <span style="display: none;">he</span>said </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” Accomplishing my dream </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">will not be ‘pan comido’ (a piece of cake), as the Latinos in my community like to say when something is easy to get. I will have to figure out how to juggle the responsibilities at work, be a single parent and a student. The hardest thing I will have face has nothing to do with the rigorous application process or the finances needed. Believing in myself will be the hardest part; believing that I can finish the program once I start. Having my family support me will also be difficult. There is nothing harder to face than your own family and loved ones discouraging you from doing something that you love or strongly believe in. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Working for NCUD is another thing that my family does not support due to various reasons. They do not understand why I have a job that has nothing to do with my degree in Psychology. I explain to them that I might seem irrelevant now, but that I’m gaining a new set of skills that might be useful later on in life. Working for NCUD provides me with the opportunity to practice my listening skills and to deal with people facing tremendous stressors due to being at the verge of losing their homes to foreclosure. I am often meeting people who are in the midst of making some of the most important decisions of their lives; weather or not to purchase a home for the first time, repair their credit or move out of the community. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Being able to help people in my community is something I greatly value. Whether my family understands it or not, <a href="http://www.norcaludc.org/">NCUD’s mission</a> and mine align. NCUD seeks to provide financial education and counseling to low socio economic communities to help them achieve financial stability in the future. My goal in life is to attain a Ph. D in Psychology and to provide counseling services to the people in my community to help them achieve their overall psychological well being. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">-Carmen Reynaga</span></div>Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-47104020201889177422012-01-05T14:13:00.000-08:002012-01-05T14:21:05.814-08:00My New Year’s Resolution & The Impact of Film<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7dfbffnHl1NXu_PV3OtpD2aM_nN3mvs-HMPQ-wRgpNo3M8qawARqbsVDtUWnE9PeYGEN5xwrEuYjmEj3OiVLu5fDkIztevu1z58apkslHjiGINo2YYphcK_Z0mCrgEEsr93jJGvOFII/s1600/birth+of+a+nation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7dfbffnHl1NXu_PV3OtpD2aM_nN3mvs-HMPQ-wRgpNo3M8qawARqbsVDtUWnE9PeYGEN5xwrEuYjmEj3OiVLu5fDkIztevu1z58apkslHjiGINo2YYphcK_Z0mCrgEEsr93jJGvOFII/s320/birth+of+a+nation.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">For many years I have chosen a New Year’s resolution based on guilt and the desire to change something I wasn’t really motivated to change during the other 11 months of the year. This year, I decided to try something different. I wanted to pick a resolution I was excited about. I had no direction prior to the 31<sup>st</sup> of December, but inspiration hit on the first of the year through a documentary called <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1273222/">“These Amazing Shadows.”</a> </div><div class="MsoNormal">The documentary discusses the necessity and importance of preserving film for future generations, and the launch of the <a href="http://www.loc.gov/film/registry_titles.php?sort=inducted">National Film Registry of the Library of Congress</a>. Each year the National Registry Board selects 25 “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films” to add to the registry. I realized in watching the documentary that I have missed so many classic films that portray huge slices of our history as a nation. So after little thought, I decided I would make my way through the National Film Registry list. My goal is to get through the first year’s list (1989) by the end of 2012. If I complete it early enough, I will move on 1990, etc…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The documentary explained that many of the films chosen each year have cultural significance. Some of the films are home movies of Japanese internment camps or propaganda films from the early 20<sup>th</sup> century. The lists run the gamut from cartoons to classics like “Casablanca”. One film in particular caught my attention. In 1992, the board selected a film titled “The Birth of A Nation.” This propaganda film depicted the Ku Klux Klan’s perspective on the Civil War. A plot synopsis from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0004972/">IMDB</a> describes the film in the following manner:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">“<span style="color: #262626;">The story is told through two families and often their servants, epitomizing the worst racial stereotypes. As the nation is torn apart by war, the slaves and their abolitionist supporters are seen as the destructive force behind it all. The film's racism grows even worse in its second half, set during Reconstruction and featuring the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, introduced as the picture's would-be heroes. The fact that Griffith (director) jammed a love story in the midst of his recreated race war is absolutely audacious. It's thrilling and disturbing, often at the same time.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The negative power of film is most evident in films like “The Birth of A Nation” and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049730/">“The Searchers”</a> (known for stereotyping Native American Indians). These films contributed to groupthink, perpetuated racism and created fear among the masses. Although the cultural significance of “The Birth of A Nation” isn’t positive, it did impact our culture at that time, and therefore was chosen to the Registry. According to film historians, this film propelled the Ku Klux Klan into mainstream USA, provided a culturally acceptable platform for public lynching and laid the foundation for political leaders like Jim Crowe. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Although I am excited about many films on the lists, I am hesitant and nervous to watch others. But this resolution is begging the question, what am I watching today and accepting without hesitation? What stories are being told today that will be known in the future as some of the most negatively impactful films in history? Would I even recognize them for what they are? Would you?<br />
-Kirsten Devlin</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-26254493235443421352011-12-20T11:58:00.001-08:002011-12-20T11:58:55.721-08:00Something 2 EatIn teaching high schoolers about money, specifically how your values impact your spending, I’ve always wanted to help students understand about poverty. Many of the students I teach struggle with poverty themselves to some degree. When you struggle in poverty, it can be difficult to see past your own dire circumstances. That is why we wanted to help students see the kind of poverty that kids are struggling with in under-developed countries like the horn of Africa and hopefully encourage compassion in the students. <br />
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I am so in awe of what happened on December 3rd. I can’t stop thinking about how much people gave of themselves, their strength, energy, money and time to make such a beautiful thing happen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMfhddOZnIu56p1wdPttpRezBwQp-NOS-pmn7I9cIg_3BJFn51VNDJywwQZ7vHV0AztOHtBXE6c9n07yz4qbRnOPUxsIzIUjpqplPoa0Y3xJ31Jwa5jPtk63itds2ebEpCleMElIGdB_0/s1600/boxes+with+sun+setting.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688297875677423810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMfhddOZnIu56p1wdPttpRezBwQp-NOS-pmn7I9cIg_3BJFn51VNDJywwQZ7vHV0AztOHtBXE6c9n07yz4qbRnOPUxsIzIUjpqplPoa0Y3xJ31Jwa5jPtk63itds2ebEpCleMElIGdB_0/s400/boxes+with+sun+setting.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 225px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
130,000 meals were packed for kids and orphans in eastern Kenya who do not have “Something To Eat”. 300 students, teachers, volunteers, friends, neighbors, baseball players and fans, and people who just heard through word of mouth came together to pack these meals. Throughout the day we stopped periodically to learn about justice and poverty issues and reflect on the condition of the poor. <br />
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I want to brag on some of my teachers and students… <br />
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Mr. Caryotakis had just come from a memorial service, and said he wanted to spend his time doing something like this, which would have a lasting impact, after going to something like that. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoqByrQwrQ13-LYjUunXKiqo2xQgKSc5MPIOh4Pq2KXIV66_-kgoYhjmgajnrzaIN0y_6ZllNX93QIXheHbvE6U8sfY1bi7SbV1lV_xah4X0cpVCX2YD8PygrzxLL1DmkKXuhmwdhRDVr/s1600/caryotakis.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688298071453621490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoqByrQwrQ13-LYjUunXKiqo2xQgKSc5MPIOh4Pq2KXIV66_-kgoYhjmgajnrzaIN0y_6ZllNX93QIXheHbvE6U8sfY1bi7SbV1lV_xah4X0cpVCX2YD8PygrzxLL1DmkKXuhmwdhRDVr/s400/caryotakis.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">“If we spent the day doing this again tomorrow, I would stay for that as well.”</span> <br />
Mr. Skillin was the first to come and last to leave. He was at the gym before the set up team, at 7am, making sure all the doors were open and ready for us. Then he stayed late, cleaning the gym floor. He gave so sacrificially of his time. He and the other basketball coaches even had their basketball teams participate in the event as their practice that day.<br />
Ms. Henderson worked so fast with her tables that they were among the first to finish their stack of boxes at their table. They started helping other tables finish!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBOjmt5kJ3DVnRUBhSXoJ1RB8zjTrCgNP-XdsXwEB8D5pZm9udWzCnkf7oAn3m8-kJ4mb4VYDcYqvohVpFEjbMSMEGoFG-lTSuM0UDgBdJ5KQVuWdx4aGd5j3wn55DNKL8HzZ_wIDcBuP/s1600/skillin+and+henderson.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688298268182467218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBOjmt5kJ3DVnRUBhSXoJ1RB8zjTrCgNP-XdsXwEB8D5pZm9udWzCnkf7oAn3m8-kJ4mb4VYDcYqvohVpFEjbMSMEGoFG-lTSuM0UDgBdJ5KQVuWdx4aGd5j3wn55DNKL8HzZ_wIDcBuP/s400/skillin+and+henderson.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
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Coach Poulos and Coach Uhalde came to help throughout the day.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Su-L4CTWYUqkvbou7pCjHi577JcOvnibTWr5c0iJ3EpLF5o05Y5fyS46U0JXNqqFPY3DP_UGmQ_wWHWMapGPx26kKpDT88UGZYyRgrBdUoUYc6HvnGADgrLcJtPUCWKdztLr5mt_T_CM/s1600/coach+uhalde.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688298481995005026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Su-L4CTWYUqkvbou7pCjHi577JcOvnibTWr5c0iJ3EpLF5o05Y5fyS46U0JXNqqFPY3DP_UGmQ_wWHWMapGPx26kKpDT88UGZYyRgrBdUoUYc6HvnGADgrLcJtPUCWKdztLr5mt_T_CM/s400/coach+uhalde.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
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College Track sent a bunch of students. School Board Member, Sharifa Wilson, also CEO of College Track, came to encourage her students and is excited about East Palo Alto’s involvement in this next year.<br />
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Julie got a bunch of parents and kids together from her son’s baseball team to come. There were two tables full of baseball players packing meals.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2xXwhAM4KMuV3fg0_i5h391ofyy51zvJs7js2FwP1lSEYIDdUu4d92d9i0orA_vYwwgzH4lsbmMraeR75feQTguIlSY0fK44zOHE4-w8nsQEWmBX_BimF8UHZu4VNw2JgQFragt6C09t/s1600/baseball+boys.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688298627495857394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2xXwhAM4KMuV3fg0_i5h391ofyy51zvJs7js2FwP1lSEYIDdUu4d92d9i0orA_vYwwgzH4lsbmMraeR75feQTguIlSY0fK44zOHE4-w8nsQEWmBX_BimF8UHZu4VNw2JgQFragt6C09t/s400/baseball+boys.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 225px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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Alex loaded up his Prius with kids from his youth group and drove all the way up from Visalia to have his kids pack. They were so focused that they didn’t get a lunch break until after 3! A couple of his boys came to help flatten the trash in the dumpsters so we could fit our trash in there. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIViZ3FuzLBbE4eonD8SN7QqEqLnbrRrEk7ALqBI1gEBQ_Uykf5znelepmALd2GYSMtNJsMWtgoktNnVjIoyzejtTzEnUh54HLhfa8OqwqN_tgYuPF9PMSHfm7jwTj6jHH5ufE10_ropRw/s1600/dumpster+diving.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688298776523479522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIViZ3FuzLBbE4eonD8SN7QqEqLnbrRrEk7ALqBI1gEBQ_Uykf5znelepmALd2GYSMtNJsMWtgoktNnVjIoyzejtTzEnUh54HLhfa8OqwqN_tgYuPF9PMSHfm7jwTj6jHH5ufE10_ropRw/s400/dumpster+diving.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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Alejandro brought a group of students from Belle Haven Community School who stayed all day to serve.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-LjRBc0g6hBDniX57L5nnrO4AvBaGItWDxrsnn9cLN6lEbkxqGSGGsEkz2AUAXM7Be61_e8iEKdAku9JDU4l4iEOlgLCv_Jdrrnl7og5Gw1g9rG1RG1sqjfPB10w6SqsoR76qLhUR9ouc/s1600/belle+haven+students.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688298915144448850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-LjRBc0g6hBDniX57L5nnrO4AvBaGItWDxrsnn9cLN6lEbkxqGSGGsEkz2AUAXM7Be61_e8iEKdAku9JDU4l4iEOlgLCv_Jdrrnl7og5Gw1g9rG1RG1sqjfPB10w6SqsoR76qLhUR9ouc/s400/belle+haven+students.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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My FutureProfits Volunteers were awesome! Randy, Brad, Marc, Steve, Emily, Marilyn and Dianna were there all day constantly giving 100%. Barbara faithfully served at the registration table. Geo took conceptual pictures of the event even after breaking his finger the day before. Ivan brought a friend to help. Many came throughout the day and gave what they could.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcPMTO5ittFUJidKslF6jbROURgW-7tTMxIHursgS5_Hfo6I2IYUUDJeUUYj5Nc3uGWK2t7kXza6MiKMfAhFvGR5-kXdioDUy_gORR1iimHFE7Kzxvl8RNaJpx0Hm_fPn0nFBGcLsETQb/s1600/registration+table.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688299176675043026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcPMTO5ittFUJidKslF6jbROURgW-7tTMxIHursgS5_Hfo6I2IYUUDJeUUYj5Nc3uGWK2t7kXza6MiKMfAhFvGR5-kXdioDUy_gORR1iimHFE7Kzxvl8RNaJpx0Hm_fPn0nFBGcLsETQb/s400/registration+table.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VektgPvLPA6SPCvd8jH-GcSXC6A3LDnB03P6Yv3cUDUYRrdKf-4fmUGx09hMvk-nO6jBXBxH45OxLq-CYFmyrNmmx6a1xhil-A9HfmD-0idkdUmhVITu6v8d_NwxZOUnBr3Ik1v17F3W/s1600/marc+at+table.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688299083069854546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VektgPvLPA6SPCvd8jH-GcSXC6A3LDnB03P6Yv3cUDUYRrdKf-4fmUGx09hMvk-nO6jBXBxH45OxLq-CYFmyrNmmx6a1xhil-A9HfmD-0idkdUmhVITu6v8d_NwxZOUnBr3Ik1v17F3W/s400/marc+at+table.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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There were countless volunteers from Peninsula Covenant Church and Highway Community who came and gave their all.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nYFouliftVAAdsuXOzBvJNiWlCHVgu1-fXZehkqzawZZEgEIcgMrzxSqLO4QwVn-ahn5iYVL7tbfTKUGt4ng2koQIelbV9cIJV2_EYsCmWXzBzjleCrhflDk5IwZKE2Gw2iDRBj-9vOL/s1600/PCC+table.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688299415005799890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nYFouliftVAAdsuXOzBvJNiWlCHVgu1-fXZehkqzawZZEgEIcgMrzxSqLO4QwVn-ahn5iYVL7tbfTKUGt4ng2koQIelbV9cIJV2_EYsCmWXzBzjleCrhflDk5IwZKE2Gw2iDRBj-9vOL/s400/PCC+table.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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And like Jeremy Affeldt said, the students who gave are my heroes. They worked faithfully throughout the day, and for those who had to leave early, they worked up until the last minute as hard as they could. FutureProfits students from Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, and Sequoia High School all came and gave of their time. Morgan, Nehemiah, Kenia, Patrick, and Dalton are among those who came and stayed the whole day.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhR12os3yuPhkyndUrVOFKP2xFOH45uEMqTRV0Lg76R2EryfUefF_Cf9v_SVWWCW0Yf008wLLGUgzITSSGn7bfu_Js7kL1HL9YkFAVThooRIWLRA1Zor2o4n8XrHNXtch091jswhdBjhG/s1600/angel%2527s+table.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688299664996020306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhR12os3yuPhkyndUrVOFKP2xFOH45uEMqTRV0Lg76R2EryfUefF_Cf9v_SVWWCW0Yf008wLLGUgzITSSGn7bfu_Js7kL1HL9YkFAVThooRIWLRA1Zor2o4n8XrHNXtch091jswhdBjhG/s400/angel%2527s+table.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 245px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYP2OzGkEV0xhEqkutF529DwlzE3Yj74M-tKbfLce2QhKbkRld3U3D_pCs5sg4pSTj0Me6cZSP6Dd6cSvRvtuu6hlBoOd3ZjRJ9YZH50zYkqE71MYIigMWyk3NOA2Li96bom8e4xYtFGJ/s1600/henderson%2527s+students.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688299595771260514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYP2OzGkEV0xhEqkutF529DwlzE3Yj74M-tKbfLce2QhKbkRld3U3D_pCs5sg4pSTj0Me6cZSP6Dd6cSvRvtuu6hlBoOd3ZjRJ9YZH50zYkqE71MYIigMWyk3NOA2Li96bom8e4xYtFGJ/s400/henderson%2527s+students.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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Here is a link from Comcast SportsNet who showed up and covered the event. SF Giants Pitcher Jeremy Affeldt was there the entire day and was wonderful as he interacted with the students. <br />
<a href="http://www.csnbayarea.com/sportsnetBayArea/search/v/49207388/12-3-jeremy-affeldt-fights-hunger.htm?q=jeremy+affeldt">http://www.csnbayarea.com/sportsnetBayArea/search/v/49207388/12-3-jeremy-affeldt-fights-hunger.htm?q=jeremy+affeldt</a><br />
<br />
And here are some of our in house publications...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKW6C40HoQo">NCUD's Youtube Video</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://hosted-p0.vresp.com/555694/69b152a720/ARCHIVE">NCUD's thank you newsletter</a><br />
<br />
Pictures from the day of:<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.113337292106538.19524.100002908036563&type=1&l=e04d013d61">Album #1</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.152804354826498.32812.100002908036563&type=1&l=2c76859fe8">Album #2</a><br />
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All in all, a total success! Thanks for your support! Many of you played a vital role... it wouldn't have happened without you.Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-90159235506878055252011-12-07T16:25:00.000-08:002011-12-07T16:32:38.889-08:00Everyone Needs Somebody<div class="MsoNormal">Lately, I have been thinking a lot about how difficult it is to persevere without family support. So many people I know from our community are strong, but life seems to throw them curve ball, after curve ball. I often wonder why they don’t give up. How they find the motivation to keep their heads up. Here are two stories of young ladies I know that didn’t have positive role models or support in their lives.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Maria’s Story: </div><div class="MsoNormal">Maria 21-years-old and lives with her mom, sister, brother and her 4-year-old son. She has been raising Jr. on her own since he was 6 months old, because her boyfriend was caught with drugs and was arrested. Ever since, Maria and Jr. haven’t had any communication with the dad. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Maria finds it hard to raise Jr. without the support of her family. She works two part time jobs (minimum wage) and she also receives money & food assistance from Welfare. She has to pay rent, a baby sitter and provide groceries for her brothers and mom. About 4 months ago Maria lost her part time job (working at a pizza place). Now, she only has her job at the library (10 hours a week), and to top it off, she is receiving less money from food stamps. Her and her mom had been having a lot of problems lately because Maria can no longer pay rent money, so her mom kicked her out. She’s been living at a shelter with her son ever since. About 2 months ago, her car got towed because she was driving on a suspended license. Lately, I’ve been seeing Maria with multiple guys and have heard a couple of rumors about her selling her body. I really want to help her yet I don’t know how to approach her about this situation. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I’m scared to ask her if she’s been sleeping with men for money, because I don’t know how she will react. What would you do? <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Olga’s Story:</div><div class="MsoNormal">Olga is a 21-year-old, and a close friend of mine. Olga also has a 5-year-old son. When I first met Olga she was 16-years-old and we became instant friends. Olga had been in and out of Jail since she was 15-years-old until she was 19-years-old. The main reason why Olga was in and out of jail was because she would hang out with the wrong crowd. She used to also fight a lot. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Loyalty is huge for Olga. Her friends were the most important part of her life besides her son. Growing up she didn’t really have the support of her parents. Her parents were Christian and always blamed her for being a “bad girl” they would always put her down telling her how she was a bad influence to her younger brothers and sisters. Her dad always treated her differently; it was as if he held a grudge towards her for not being who he wanted her to be. I knew exactly what she was going through, and knew I could help her if only she was willing to surrender it all to God. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One Sunday morning I was getting ready to go to church and Olga asked if she could come with me. I was so happy that she had finally decided to join me (I had invited her multiple times, but she never wanted to go) in our way there I asked her what made her want to come. She said, that she had been observing the way I was living my life now vs. how I used to live my life before. </div><div class="MsoNormal">She said, “ I always see you with a smile, yet you are going through a lot!” “How do you manage to stay happy?” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I felt like this was the perfect time to share with her how much God was doing in my life.</b> I shared with her the reasons why I stopped hanging out with our mutual friends. Because she was so loyal to her friends, I didn't think she would understand that I felt like being around them just made me want to get into trouble. We were always seeking to have a good time, yet never talked about our future plans. We were stuck in the same little box. I wanted to do different things I wanted to learn from someone that could teach me how to live my life better, healthier. Make better decisions that would impact my daughter and me in a positive way, rather then being the same ordinary girl from the “town”. Olga started attending church with me every Sunday. She went from having no type of relationship with God to actually attending a few bible study classes with me. I’m very happy to see how much she’s changed her old ways. I can see a different Olga now. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">An Olga that even though she goes through hard times, she still decides to make good choices.</b> Her relationship with her parents has improved as well.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Although both of these stories aren’t finished, Olga’s path has changed and Maria’s has not. I think the major difference is that Olga has positive people in her life, friends she can depend on, and God. In both Maria’s and Olga’s story, they didn’t make the best decisions, but they also didn’t have the support and role models to make better choices when they were young. They both felt like huge disappointments. What I think my friend’s need, and others in similar situations, are people to believe in them, to encourage them, and to support them through the hard times.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxK6KzbhCFt8BGAz2tIT6-YyYhDdU68DS97mNvAnRnhv-bqnviqIyr33MZEwJifbSSEQ3JhF9T3xCthOG8jL9fXwtKW8ltRyTMF3mWYQ6PeU0Fe3zzdDnUoznP6SUaerkrbWFvNk0UXs/s1600/shapeimage_8.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxK6KzbhCFt8BGAz2tIT6-YyYhDdU68DS97mNvAnRnhv-bqnviqIyr33MZEwJifbSSEQ3JhF9T3xCthOG8jL9fXwtKW8ltRyTMF3mWYQ6PeU0Fe3zzdDnUoznP6SUaerkrbWFvNk0UXs/s1600/shapeimage_8.png" /></a><br />
-Blanca Medina</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-29809452060072859932011-11-16T11:16:00.000-08:002011-11-16T11:35:44.520-08:00“Stop The Traffik”, Daniel Bedingfield’s Fight Against Human Trafficking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvQFwyH0Qtj60QslRsG84eh-u_Q_FPnzIE4L6dJ1-utozRdu9ofNQA2TXP_uzToBxIWBkqI3E9nO9_B8sNCw_xF8r6nAwjHFRr8pZCDWcPTGvcTVdUzStt8_P7YwdKVLD_O1mGB-cCqY/s1600/6a011571801c18970b01348398f732970c-800wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvQFwyH0Qtj60QslRsG84eh-u_Q_FPnzIE4L6dJ1-utozRdu9ofNQA2TXP_uzToBxIWBkqI3E9nO9_B8sNCw_xF8r6nAwjHFRr8pZCDWcPTGvcTVdUzStt8_P7YwdKVLD_O1mGB-cCqY/s320/6a011571801c18970b01348398f732970c-800wi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In late October, I was privileged to attend The Global Forum on Human Trafficking sponsored by </span><a href="http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Not For Sale</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. The conference was held to inform attendees about the new developments of anti-trafficking efforts around the world, as well as to discuss alternative and creative ways of combating this injustice. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The conference had many amazing speakers including the Dutchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, and Twitter Founder, Jack Dorsey. However, as a musician, I was most pleased by the unannounced arrival of <a href="http://www.danielbedingfield.com/">Daniel Bedingfield</a>. For those of you who might not be familiar with Mr. Bedingfield, he arrived on the music scene in the early 2000’s with his hit “Gotta Get Thru This” followed by, “If Your Not The One.” He originated in the UK dance scene, and quickly jumped the pond to the U.S. early in his career. I was so excited to see him at the conference that I left a friend mid-conversation to run and listen to him perform.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When we broke for lunch, I had a chance to meet with Daniel and asked him about his involvement with this important issue and the organization Not For Sale. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">He shared that after he first heard about the abuse and slavery of young girls and children, that he would use the platform he best understood, music, to further the cause. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">He shared with me that he was so passionate about stopping human trafficking that he decided his next album would be titled “Stop The Traffik.” When speaking to Music & Life about his new album, and whether this issue would hinder his creativity, he said, “</span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 11pt;">I think that passion and music are so incredibly intertwined; if I didn't do something like this, we'd never have any good songs from me ever again."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Well Daniel, I couldn’t agree more. I believe if music isn’t infused by passion and isn’t pointing to something beyond ourselves or looking or humanity straight in the eye, it’s just ear candy. Music is the one thing that can capture my mind and my heart at the same time. Music is emotion-infused storytelling, and is capable to move people to action which is why I believe it is one of the best avenues to share about this heartbreaking injustice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Sara Groves, Matisyahu, Natasha Beddingfield, Enation and many more musicians are using their creativity to bring awareness to the issue of modern day slavery. My advice; check them out, support their music and become informed. If you are a musician, write your thoughts and put them to music. A life may be changed by your call to action and awareness.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrPRf5X7HL2Tqlmf8PtIgXnynntBKVlUqH1rIffkjWLlh_8YAqIbcsQ_YQLsPnxxrBRV8X1_P7Rpg7WDtoLRG5qDzcNcKh17mNOmGlLTpI5G6neyJGUNeXntmJBy7HnNq7Wp46x9EFFA/s1600/298744_236181663104810_217065848349725_658886_748457426_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrPRf5X7HL2Tqlmf8PtIgXnynntBKVlUqH1rIffkjWLlh_8YAqIbcsQ_YQLsPnxxrBRV8X1_P7Rpg7WDtoLRG5qDzcNcKh17mNOmGlLTpI5G6neyJGUNeXntmJBy7HnNq7Wp46x9EFFA/s320/298744_236181663104810_217065848349725_658886_748457426_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 11pt;">To learn more about the issue of Human Trafficking, please check out the following website </span><a href="http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/about/slavery/"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/about/slavery/</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p>-Kirsten Devlin</o:p></span></div>Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-84905493467917843712011-11-14T10:40:00.000-08:002011-11-14T10:40:22.110-08:00A Week In The Life of A FutureProfits Teacher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmPwQDdzQ_PgGymF-zG_GExvoXJY9S0kUVFUJmg37sv1qADeQrxcDsvbLoRZhwz1rLAk_9e6Lpn9bfoNp0FAg9pyCRPilyhXe83pvreha9fCtpbXR7nbvL8Os6fh6FTy_xNbEknGwvbU/s1600/FutureProfits+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmPwQDdzQ_PgGymF-zG_GExvoXJY9S0kUVFUJmg37sv1qADeQrxcDsvbLoRZhwz1rLAk_9e6Lpn9bfoNp0FAg9pyCRPilyhXe83pvreha9fCtpbXR7nbvL8Os6fh6FTy_xNbEknGwvbU/s320/FutureProfits+logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">For my first blog entry on Waking Awareness, I’d like to share some snapshots into my life over the past week. I interact with close to 450 students each week through teaching FutureProfits classes at local high schools. Often because of busy schedules I only get to develop relationships with a few students each semester, but the ones I do relate with impact me significantly. Here are a few of their stories....</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Johnny*: </b>Last week<b>,</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -24px;"> I was teaching a class right before lunchtime. Generally, as soon as the bell rings, most students rush out to soak up as much time with their friends during lunch, but on this particular day, Johnny didn't get up from his seat. I took it as a cue to walk over and talk to him. I sat down and started making small talk, which quickly led to a deeper conversation. Johnny started sharing with me about his struggles with school, his struggle to pay attention in classes that weren’t interesting to him, and not being able to trust his friends. He expressed feelings of loneliness that came with not being able to trust anyone due to betrayal in his past. I was reminded in that moment, that behind the mask a lot of high school students wear, there is often a much deeper story.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -24px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -24px;"><b>Jose*:</b></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -24px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -24px;">The next day, I saw Jose, a boy who lives around the corner from me. He was in one of our FutureProfits classes 2 years ago as an 8</span><sup style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -24px;">th</sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -24px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -24px;">grader. Again, I initiated a conversation that led to Jose sharing about his loneliness as well! He shared that he has a lot of friends, but still feels lonely and doesn’t feel like he belongs. I remembered my conversation with Johnny and wondered if there was a pattern happening in the lives of young men.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -24px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Marie & Claire*:</b> During this current unit of FutureProfits, we are teaching the students how to make a budget by giving each of them a job and asking them to pretend they are 25 years old. This past Tuesday, Marie and Claire were sitting at the back of the class discussing what their imaginary life will be like when they are 25. As I listened to their conversation, I discovered that they had decided to live as roommates in a 2-bedroom apartment. I walked around listening to the other conversations, but wandered back to listen to Marie and Claire. As they got further down the list of expenses in their budgets they hit the “pet” line item. Marie was set on having a small dog. Claire was not. After much discussion, during the rest of the class, they had still not come to an agreement about the pet, but it was clear they still wanted to live with each other. It may be a small exercise, but these two girls are learning a lot about compromise and needs vs. wants.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Something 2 Eat</b>: </span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -24px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -24px;">Thursday of this past week, I walked around the Menlo-Atherton campus with two girls from my FutureProfits class as they asked anyone and everyone to donate to our <a href="http://www.generationalive.org/">Something 2 Eat</a> campaign. The generosity of the students was amazing, and the two girls raised $43.13 for the campaign in under an hour. In light of Something 2 Eat, I have seen so much generosity erupt from these students as they plan and discuss ways to bring necessary food to those who don’t have it. To find out more about their generosity and this student-led campaign, please check this blog later this week for an update.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -24px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_VxEjV_nY9EykSvRymyAcg5zY8FbbzeQNG1ITMamcjPJpY0SSt37MQSDunYJDq8C3rE6uYp0dKP9Z54F7BRBJa7ATpTAO9ZSrqp7OgaIt3gSFySyNHQP0g0sN3JbE40Kz7xn5yc5iJg/s1600/175424_10150414891435114_722420113_17231897_3394655_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_VxEjV_nY9EykSvRymyAcg5zY8FbbzeQNG1ITMamcjPJpY0SSt37MQSDunYJDq8C3rE6uYp0dKP9Z54F7BRBJa7ATpTAO9ZSrqp7OgaIt3gSFySyNHQP0g0sN3JbE40Kz7xn5yc5iJg/s320/175424_10150414891435114_722420113_17231897_3394655_o.jpg" width="320" /></a><o:p></o:p>These are just four snapshots of life interacting with students from this generation. They are generous, lonely, struggling to live life, and learning from activities and each other. Through our classes they are learning practical skills for their future. But through our relationships, they are impacting my life in deep ways.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">-Jenni Ingram<br />
<i><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>FutureProfits Program Manager</i><br />
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</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">*The names mentioned above are fictitious</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div></div>Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-26317718196793762122011-11-08T11:18:00.000-08:002011-11-14T11:28:42.256-08:00Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson & Generosity- Kirsten Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeL3Tn5lHKsVCfJNSvhYcc6sFWw3YvgVTuRNf97oc9xlHjFH65DxeW8uNTbbu5DAgO0SxRC10I2mT7qq9jsnL51irPy9ibdv9mytSMHJMoXtOAa-qPKsLMkMqx7IQcKnODzigDMAp5EE8/s1600/justin-bieber-christmas-album-cover_500x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeL3Tn5lHKsVCfJNSvhYcc6sFWw3YvgVTuRNf97oc9xlHjFH65DxeW8uNTbbu5DAgO0SxRC10I2mT7qq9jsnL51irPy9ibdv9mytSMHJMoXtOAa-qPKsLMkMqx7IQcKnODzigDMAp5EE8/s320/justin-bieber-christmas-album-cover_500x500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Justin Bieber often compares his career to the late and great Michael Jackson (minus all legal mishaps). One of the most compelling reasons Justin wishes to model his career after Jackson, is because in his lifetime Michael donated 300 million dollars to charity. Justin wants to match or surpass that goal during his career.<br />
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Justin Bieber came from a small town in Canada, and grew up as the son of a single mom. Many times growing up, especially during the holidays, Justin and his mother would receive food from a local food bank in their town. This year with the release of his new Christmas album, Justin announced that he would donate $10,000 to the food bank of Stratford, the very one he received food from growing up. He also announced that a percentage of CD sales would be donated to his other two favorite charities: Pencils of Promise and Make-A-Wish Foundation.<br />
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What I find amazing about Justin, is his power to catalyze others to get involved through every available avenue he has access to. Like Michael Jackson, Justin actively promotes the charities he gives to. In his new album "Under the Mistletoe," Justin invites his listeners to get involved this holiday with these words:<br />
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<div class="p1"><b>It's crazy how some people say they, say they don't care</b></div><div class="p1"><b>When there's people on the street with no food, it's not fair</b></div><div class="p1"><b>It's about time for you to act merrily</b></div><div class="p1"><b>It's about time for you to give to charity</b></div><div class="p1"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="p1">Justin Bieber is making it "cool" to give to charity. Some people find this off-putting, and ascribe to the belief that generosity should be a selfless act. I disagree. I believe each of us wants to be aligned with something "cool", "hip", or "unique". Generally, when people choose to give to an organization, they have been convinced or compelled by the mission or by well executed marketing. Nobody wants to give to a charity that isn't having an impact. Although some people will jump on any bandwagon that Justin Bieber promotes, I think many people (or should I say girls), will realize the joy and fulfillment from giving and they will be more compelled to give again. I believe generosity is a learned trait, and I think Justin Bieber is this generations biggest teacher. </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">P.S. Hey Biebs, can NCUD get some props?!</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Be "cool" this holiday season and give generously,</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Kirsten</div>Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8455339012794995175.post-36734139498266463512011-10-25T12:07:00.000-07:002011-11-14T10:46:36.377-08:00Introducing Our ContributorsNCUD is a non-profit organization based in East Palo Alto, California dedicated to the eradication of poverty in our community and other under-resourced communities in Northern California. Our staff is dedicated and knowledgeable about issues of injustice, race and inequality, but most importantly we wish to celebrate the diverse perspectives on these subjects. This blog will be our platform to share about how we view the world, and how we contribute to our goal of eradicating poverty and injustice.<br />
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Rev. John Liotti- John is the CEO of NCUD. His contributions will address how political and socio-economic changes impact our community. His opinions are his own, and he encourages healthy dialogue and discourse.<br />
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Zuzuki V. Sanchez- Zuzi is NCUD's Housing Counseling Manager, but she is also a mother of two and has lived in East Palo Alto since 1987. Her posts will likely muse on motherhood, procrastination and other compelling issues around our community.<br />
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Jenni Ingram- Jenni is NCUD's FutureProfits Program Manager. She is an encourager of the youth generation. She seeks to ensure they have a place, platform and the confidence to share their voice. Her contributions will likely focus on advocacy for students and affirmation of teachers.<br />
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Neil Fisher- A man of many talents, he is often seen helping housing clients and working construction on our housing projects in the same day. Neil brings a unique perspective as a man who grew up in Palo Alto and has always understood and identified with the plight of lower income populations. You don't want to miss his articles!<br />
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Blanca Medina- Blanca has been involved in every department in our organization, and currently resides in the Housing Department. Blanca is a soon to be mother of two and has also grown up in East Palo Alto. Blanca has more knowledge about our communities' culture than most of our staff, and her contributions will consist of musings about generational crime, women and girls and their roles in the community of East Palo Alto.<br />
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Carmen Reynaga- Carmen is the newest member to our staff, but packs a powerful punch! She has taken on the role of lead teacher in our FutureProfits program, and is our primary community outreach coordinator. In her short time on staff she has pole-vaulted NCUD into the Spanish media limelight.<br />
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Kirsten Devlin- I will be the moderator of this blog and will also share my contributions each Wednesday. My primary focus will be on how poverty is the breeding ground for injustice and oppression, and also how I see the dissemination of information and awareness through pop culture, music, film and beyond.Able Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151407949775671404noreply@blogger.com0