From battlefields in Iraq to the Nashville music scene,

 how a Marine veteran is using art to heal

By Meg Dunn, CNN, Published Thu August 11, 2022 Nashville, TNCNN —

Growing up, Richard Casper always knew he wanted to serve others. When he was a junior in high school, the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened, and he realized how he would fulfill that calling.

“I had this urge inside of me,” he said. “I joined the Marine Corps infantry. … I wanted to be the first person going overseas and fighting.”

During basic training, he was selected for a special duty of guarding then-President George W. Bush at Camp David. Once he received clearance and completed that 14-month assignment, he was still determined to deploy.

“When I touched down in Iraq, I was prepared to die,” Casper said. “I was just ready to do my job.”

Within the first four months, his Humvee was hit by IEDs four separate times. During one mission, his good friend and gunner, Luke Yepsen, was shot by a sniper and died beside him.

“It was so hard to comprehend what happened because we go to work the next day like nothing happened,” Casper said. “When you’re in the infantry, they have to strip away all your vulnerabilities. They have to, because (otherwise) you’re not going to survive in war.”

Casper was forever changed after serving in Iraq, and he struggled with the transition home. He started failing the college business courses he had enrolled in and developed crippling anxiety.

“I couldn’t do it,” Casper said. “But I knew I was smart. You had to have a certain IQ to guard the President.”

He went to his local VA hospital and learned he had post-traumatic stress, degenerative disk disease, and tinnitus, among other medical issues. To read more, click on this link:  https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/11/us/nashville-music-art-veterans-therapeutic-cnnheroes/index.html  

To view a 9 minute video about Richard Casper and his work, please click on this link: https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/11/us/nashville-music-art-veterans-therapeutic-cnnheroes/index.html

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Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin

Based in Racine, WI, Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin (VOW) works to make a difference in the lives of at-risk Veteran households in every community across Wisconsin. We were founded by community members who recognized a need and took action. What began as a group of volunteers in 2013 has blossomed rapidly into a growing organization. Our program expanded in 2017 to include a village of 15 tiny homes, a food market, and trauma-informed programming. We are looking to expand our services in Racine and serve Veteran households in Milwaukee.

As the first and most successful project of its kind in Wisconsin, VOW has been recognized nationally as a model for other communities. Our Milwaukee expansion will be a village of 42 tiny homes, a 10,000 sq ft community center, and a complimentary Veterans Food Market. Located at 6767 N. 60th Street, the Milwaukee development will emulate the programming services offered in Racine. Working with collaborative partners will increase capacity across our service network to care for our local heroes and their families. Our holistic approach to recovery is a blueprint for how communities can come together and support our heroes in need.

                               

                           Tiny Homes Veterans Village                                             The Veteran Market

To learn more about the Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin, click on this link: https://vowvillages.com/

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Who we are

A national project working to ensure that children and teens in foster care get

safe, loving, permanent families.

AdoptUSKids educates families about foster care and adoption and gives child welfare professionals information and support to help them improve their services. We also maintain the nation’s only federally funded photolisting service that connects waiting children with families.

Our Mission:

• Raise public awareness about the need for foster and adoptive families for children in the public child welfare system
• Assist US states, territories, and tribes to recruit, engage, develop and support foster and adoptive families

Serving families: We help families with the adoption process—every step of the way.

Helping professionals: We provide an array of resources to caseworkers and agency managers and administrators

To read more about this organization, click on this link: AdoptUSKids

To view and listen to three, separate, one-minute stories about AdoptUSKids families and children, click on these links:  

 https://youtu.be/F4nMIEt1ALg        https://youtu.be/AaW-ybG6oX0         https://youtu.be/iaVvCePdoVc

 

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Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy. We empower voters and defend democracy through advocacy, education, and litigation, at the local, state, and national levels. To learn more about the League of Women Voters, click on this link: Home | League of Women Voters (lwv.org)

Our members are passionate activists who support our work in all 50 states and in more than 700 communities. 

Joining the League of Women Voters is a great way to get involved in your community and play an active role in our democracy. Click on this link if you are interested in joining a LWV member in a group near you  To become a League member, join one of the 700+ state and local Leagues. 

 

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Empowering Urban Talent to Reach Their Potential

Learn New Skills to Launch Your Career

Year Up’s Job training is tuition free, and offers access to today’s best companies,

and a proven path to career success.

Three steps to a new job: Learn…..Intern…..Land a Job

To learn more, click on this link: Job Training to Close the Opportunity Divide | Year Up

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Finding and implementing new ways to improve and measure wellbeing is the top priority of our readers. Gross National Product (GNP) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) related to the stock market are the two most commonly used measurements of how well the economy is doing. Supposedly, the higher both GNP and DJI are, the better off we all are. Most of the time, that is not true. There have been new indexes focusing on a broader base of measuring wellbeing at the national, state, and local levels around the world. Here is a link to an article on the Hope From the Bottom Up website which I published a short while back: https://hopefromthebottomup.com/sites/default/files/inline-files/Survey%20Results%20Article%202_0.pdf

An organization on the west coast is working with individuals and organizations to use wellbeing as a tool to improve and measure wellbeing in their communities. The group is called Civic Wellbeing Partners. Here is some information about them.

WELLBEING MICROGRANTS 

Funding people, purpose, & possibility with grants for action-oriented projects in

Santa Monica and the West LA area.

Civic Wellbeing Partners is a startup project whose mission is to develop and promote civic innovation through engagement and partnerships. We harness data and create equity-focused solutions to improve the quality of daily life in Santa Monica and beyond.

Our work began within the City of Santa Monica's pioneering Office of Civic Wellbeing and transitioned out of city hall in June 2020.

We thank the Santa Monica Bay Human Relations Council, fiscal receiver for the Wellbeing Microgrant program, for ensuring the continued advancement of local community wellbeing outside of city hall.

To learn more about this group and their work, click on this link: https://www.wellbeingmicrogrants.org/

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STUDENT PLEDGE AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE

The Pledge:

I will never bring a gun to school.

I will never use a gun to settle a personal problem or dispute.

I will use my influence with friends to keep them from using guns to settle disputes.

My individual choices and actions, when multiplied by those of young people throughout the country, will make a difference.

Together, by honoring this pledge, we can reverse the violence and grow up in safety.

The Student Pledge Against Gun Violence is a national program that honors the role that young people, through their own decisions, can play in reducing gun violence. This campaign against youth gun violence culminates each year on a Day of National Concern about Young People and Gun Violence. The program provides a means for beginning the conversation with young people about gun violence. It refers teachers, counselors, and community leaders to valuable resources, includes curriculum suggestions that can be integrated with existing academic programs, and contains information about how your school can participate.

                                         

Since 1996, over 10 million students have signed the pledge! To learn more, click on this link: The Pledge

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Capuchin Community Services - Milwaukee

Our Mission:  Inspired by the gospel of Jesus and the example of Francis of Assisi, the Capuchin friars of the Province of Saint Joseph, together with our partners in ministry, prayerfully build sister-brotherhood in the world.  We attend simply and directly to spiritual and other basic human needs, especially those of people experiencing poverty and disenfranchisement, promoting justice for all.

St. Ben’s Community Meal site serves a hot, home-made dinner six nights a week, Sunday to Friday, 5:15 – 6:30 pm. Over 90,000 meals are served each year. All are welcome and are considered family in a community that shares a warm, safe environment.

Capuchin Community Service’s housing program, the Capuchin Apartments, partners with Heartland Alliance, and offers affordable supportive housing.  The 38 apartments  showcase high-quality, low-cost homes for people who are low-income, chronically homeless, and dealing with mental health issues. The Capuchin Apartments resident on-site services focus on helping residents maintain housing stability and maximize their independence. 

Capuchin Apartments is a unique collaboration between city, county, state and federal agencies along with several non-profits that funded and launched the project. To read more, click on this link: Capuchin Community Services

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The Chicago Tool Library

Chicago Tool Library gained popularity during the pandemic. And now it’s expanding. Dia Gill, Chicago Tribune, August 3, 2022

Anthony Nicholson and his wife have embarked on a number of home improvement projects over the past couple of years, from fixing up the family’s front porch to 3D-printing household items with their three kids, all with the help of tools borrowed from the Chicago Tool Library.

“They have a 3D printer, which has been really fun to borrow once in a while, and the kids have a lot of fun just playing around with it,” he said. “We have an older house that has the old-school locks ... and there was no lock on the bathroom, but there was a little keyhole — and so we 3D-printed a key for the bathroom.”

Tessa Vierk, co-founder of the Chicago Tool Library, at the Bridgeport location on July 27, 2022.

Photo by  Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Opened in the Fall, just before the pandemic, the Bridgeport-based Chicago Tool Library has become a resource for many residents who want to tackle home improvement projects for the first time but lack the tools. The library’s mission is to “provide equitable access to tools, equipment and information to allow all Chicagoans to learn, share and create.”

In addition to basic household tools, the library offers camping equipment, sewing machines, craft supplies, kitchen equipment, folding tables and more.

The library, which has emerged as not only a resource hub but a collaborative community, has a “pay what you can” annual membership model that allows members to pay nothing or as much as $400 per year to borrow items, according to co-founder and Executive Director Tessa Vierk. To read more, click on this link: Chicago Tool Library gained popularity during the pandemic. And now it’s expanding. (msn.com)

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Allies for Community Business' Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Lab

Supporting small businesses. Strengthening communities

Our Mission is to provide the capital, coaching, and connections entrepreneurs need to grow great businesses that create jobs and wealth in their communities.

Our Values

Accountability

• We set clear expectations and achievable goals to create measurable impact for our clients and our community.
• We embrace our professional roles and responsibilities, and we effectively deliver on our commitments.
• We own up to our mistakes, rapidly repair them, and learn from them with humility.

Collaboration

• We work together to serve all entrepreneurs holistically and creatively.
• We are transparent with and responsive to each other, our funders, our partners, our clients, and our community.
• We listen carefully and patiently to each other, our funders, our partners, our clients, and our community.

Respect

• We empathize with the struggles our entrepreneurs and our own team may be facing.
• We value diversity in our team, our funders, our partners, our clients, and our community.
• We speak considerately and directly with each other, our funders, our partners, our clients, and our community, sharing praise and suggestions for improvement in order to build trusted relationships.

Passion

• We share our enthusiasm for this work with each other, our funders, our partners, our clients, and our community, and we celebrate the successes of our clients and our team.
• We welcome difficult challenges and work hard to find bold and innovative solutions to tough problems.
• We are excited to do this work every day and are committed to working alongside our partners to create real change.

To learn more about Allies For Community Businesses, click on this link: About • Allies for Community Business (a4cb.org)

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Join others from around our world in a pause for Peace every day at noon.

Let us make Peace Day every day

WHO WE ARE: Pathways To Peace (PTP) is an International Peacebuilding, Educational and Consulting organization dedicated to making Peace a practical reality through both local and global projects. Incorporated in 1983, PTP is an official Peace Messenger of the United Nations and has Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and works with the U.N. Centre for Human Rights, U.N. Centre for Human Settlements, UNESCO, UNICEF and other agencies. PTP is a tax-exempt, Social Profit, Non-partisan 501(c)(3) Corporation, (tax exempt ID# 68-0015625).

WHAT WE DO: Pathways To Peace works locally and globally to promote Peacebuilding, Education and to collaborate with other organizations in initiatives that help further our Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI). Our founder Avon Mattison developed CPI with then-Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations Robert Muller in 1983. The annual highlight of this initiative is the International Day of Peace (Peace Day), held annually on September 21. To learn more about Pathways to Peace, click on this link: Pathways To Peace – Together, Building a Sustainable Culture of Peace Along Diverse Pathways

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Corporate Social Responsibility Meets Meetings & Incentives

Today more than ever before, companies are looking for new ways to motivate employees, increase employee engagement and give back to the community. Impact 4 Good, a corporate team building company created specifically for the meetings and incentives industry, offers clients the opportunity to participate in meaningful and worthwhile community service-oriented activities with a unique twist: we bring community service to our clients at hotels and resorts across the country and abroad, and even to the virtual world!

Impact 4 Good has facilitators in cities across the US, and a worldwide network of partner community service organizations. Our teambuilding activities are portable and can go wherever your meeting will be based! What sets us apart from other corporate teambuilding companies?

• We are a team building company offering community service programs built by staff that actually spent time in the non-profit/community service world!
• We offer a more personalized service, working closely with you to customize your event around your team’s requirements.
• We offer a unique selection of activities and beneficiary organizations.
• Our team works across the country and abroad, within your budget.
• Most programs are 2 hours or less, and we can accommodate any size event, from 10 to 10,000!
• Can’t meet in person? Our VIRTUAL options can engage dispersed teams in a meaningful manner and make a difference in communities that need it most.

By maintaining close ties to local, national and international non-profit organizations, Impact 4 Good ensures activities benefit both participating employees and the community at large, while integrating core business objectives. When possible, Impact 4 Good leverages existing client relationships with non-profit partners to make for more meaningful community service experiences. To read more, click on this link: Impact 4 Good – What Difference Will You Make Today?

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Our Vision: All Wisconsin students will demonstrate the knowledge, skills and dispositions of core universal values through a self-sustaining culture encouraged and modeled by teachers and administrators.

Our Mission: We promote, support, and advance the intentional effort by leaders to exemplify universal ethical virtues such as integrity, honesty, justice, kindness, and respect while assisting schools and community leaders with the development and delivery of character education through culturally relevant, comprehensive frameworks to positively impact schools and communities throughout Wisconsin.

Our Goal: Our goal is to ensure greatness to our posterity by raising the profile of goodness as our standard of public behavior, and integrity as the touchstone of all social interactions.

To learn more about WCEP, click on this link: Wisconsin Character Education Partnership | Enhancing a Legacy of Education Innovation (wicharacter.org) To learn more about the 11 Principles of Character Education, click on this link: The Eleven Principles | Wisconsin Character Education Partnership (wicharacter.org)

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“Improving the lives of the 5 billion people whose main concern is to stay alive by the end of each day on our planet is no longer an option for engineers; it is an obligation.”

Dr. Bernard Amadei, EWB-USA Founder

Engineers Without Borders USA builds a better world through engineering projects that empower communities to meet their basic human needs. Our highly skilled volunteers work with communities to find appropriate solutions for their infrastructure needs.

Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA) is partnering with communities around the world to meet their basic human needs. We’re building footbridges to provide pathways to opportunities. We’re installing solar panels to bring light where it is dark. We’re digging for water so hope can spring from the ground. Each project builds the foundation for a community to thrive for years to come.

But it takes more than materials to build a strong foundation.

EWB-USA’s volunteers are the heartbeat of our organization. These champions volunteer their time, their energy and their expertise in pursuit of our vision of a world where every community has the capacity to sustainably meet their basic human needs.

Our History: In April 2000, Dr. Bernard Amadei, professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, visited a community in San Pablo, Belize, to assess their water supply. He learned that the 950 Mayan Indians living in the heart of the Belize jungle lacked clean water and sanitation infrastructure, and that most of the community’s children did not attend school because their time was dedicated to collecting water from miles away.

While the community had the natural resources and motivation to build a reliable water supply system, they lacked the technical skills to design a lasting solution. Professor Amadei went home and consulted colleagues on potential solutions, then returned to the community with a prototype and fourteen of his students to put the plan into action. The team installed a clean water system supplied and powered by a waterfall a quarter-mile from the community. This simple and low-cost solution was the first EWB-USA project! To find out more about Engineers Without Borders, click on this link: https://www.ewb-usa.org/

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Mt. Pleasant, WI Lakeside COP House

The officer-staffed Lakeside COP (Community Oriented Policing) House located at 2237 Mead Street functions as a safe hub for services to residents in the Lakeside neighborhood. This space is used for community engagement and programing. Lakeside COP House also serves as a base of operations for the village-wide COP effort. 

Officers at the COP house have established and maintained meaningful partnerships with local government, community members and private organizations in order to bring services to the area that will improve the quality of life for area residents. Nuisance problems and criminal activity are often kept to a minimum due to tips from citizens combined with effective enforcement action. To read more about the COP House, click on this link: Lakeside COP House | Mount Pleasant, WI - Official Website (mtpleasantwi.gov)

The Mt. Pleasant COP House and Journey Church Disaster Response Team hosted their first resource fair and neighborhood block party for the Lakeside community and surrounding areas on June 25, 2022.

The Village of Mount Pleasant Police Department, South Shore Fire Department, Journey Disaster Response Team, Aurora Health Care, Latanyas Bags of Love, Food for the Soul – Nehemiah Project, Faith, Hope and Love, Racine County Veteran’s Services, Feeding America – SNAP, Second Chance Prison Ministry were all represented at the event.

                      

If you are a Facebook user, click on this link for more pictures and information about the June 25 resource fair:  

(20+) Village of Mount Pleasant Police - Lakeside COP House | Facebook

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RESTORING COMMUNITIES THROUGH

RADICAL HOSPITALITY, HOPE, & HEALING.

OUR HISTORY: “What if we could create a place that works to build up a neighborhood impacted by violence and incarceration? It would be a place of healing and hope. This place would work towards a more healthy and restorative community where young people and families could thrive.” Father David Kelly

Our Mission: Rooted in the spirituality of the Precious Blood, we restore human dignity through hospitality, hope and healing. We work as agents of reconciliation to:

• Build relationships among youth and families impacted by violence and/or conflict
• Create safe spaces where people can experience radical hospitality, hope and healing
• Promote a restorative justice approach to conflict and build a sense of community

Core Values:

Radical Hospitality  We provide a safe and welcoming space for youth and families

Accompaniment  We walk alongside youth and families, supporting them through obstacles & life’s moments

Building Relationships with Youth and Families  We meet young people and families where they are and build relationships with them

Relentless Engagement of Systems & Stakeholders  The ability to effectively link youth and families to resources needed to be successful

Collaboration  We collaborate with other RJ Hubs and partners through genuine relationships to learn together

To Learn more, click on this link: Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation (pbmr.org)

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Vision: Religious diversity is a foundational America strength. Interfaith America is building a nation that achieves that promise for the common good.

Mission: Interfaith America’s mission is to inspire, equip, and connect leaders and institutions to unlock the potential of America’s religious diversity.

Interfaith America focuses its work in the following areas:

Higher Education                                                             Racial Equity                                         Emerging Leaders

Faith & Health                                                         Religion in the Workplace                              Policy

Faith and Civic Life                                         Religious Diversity & Bridge Building                     Tech & Interfaith

To find out more about Interfaith America, please click on this link: Interfaith America - Faith is a bridge

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HABITAT FOR HUMANITY - MILWAUKEE

Everyone deserves a decent place to live.

In Milwaukee, families are finding it harder than ever to afford a decent place to call home. In fact, nearly 60% of Milwaukee renters are currently living in unaffordable housing paying 40%, 50% and even 70% of their income just to cover the rent. For families living below Milwaukee’s median income, often times that means little is left over for education, savings, or even basic needs.

Milwaukee Habitat is here to combat our city’s affordable housing crisis by providing families with an affordable path to safe, stable housing. Affordable housing means more than a decent place to sleep at night. Studies show safe, affordable housing leads to improved health, education and financial stability.

By concentrating our efforts in targeted areas, Milwaukee Habitat is not just helping local families, but revitalizing entire neighborhoods. As we build block by block, we aim to decrease crime, increase community engagement, and create vibrant, sustainable neighborhoods.

Milwaukee Habitat offers a hand up, rather than a hand out as Habitat homeowners help build their own homes and pay an affordable mortgage. To learn more about Habitat for Humanity – Milwaukee, click on this link: Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity

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Wherever there’s a fight so hungry people may eat, we will be there – we must be there.

World Central Kitchen (wck.org)

WCK is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. We build resilient food systems with locally led solutions.

World Central Kitchen started with a simple idea at home with my wife Patricia: when people are hungry, send in cooks. Not tomorrow, today.

Everyone knows that food is central to life and family all over the world. What we learned very quickly was that food is even more essential in a crisis.

It all began in 2010 after a huge earthquake devastated Haiti. Cooking alongside displaced Haitians in a camp, I found myself getting schooled in how to cook black beans the way they wanted: mashed and sieved into a creamy sauce.

You see, food relief is not just a meal that keeps hunger away. It’s a plate of hope. It tells you in your darkest hour that someone, somewhere, cares about you.

This is the real meaning of comfort food. It’s why we make the effort to cook in a crisis.

We don’t just deliver raw ingredients and expect people to fend for themselves. And we don’t just dump free food into a disaster zone: we source and hire locally wherever we can, to jump-start economic recovery through food.

After a disaster, food is the fastest way to rebuild our sense of community. We can put people back to work preparing it, and we can put lives back together by fighting hunger.

Cooking and eating together is what makes us human.

To read more about World Central Kitchen, click on this link: World Central Kitchen | Story (wck.org) To watch a 2 minute video about WCK, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WDab4g3uqo 

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The Collaborative For Spirituality In Education Is Housed At Teachers College, Columbia University in New York.

It Was Launched In Collaboration With Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors And The Fetzer Institute.

An Urgent Priority

There is a growing national understanding that success and well-being require a “whole child” approach to education. Social emotional learning, mindfulness, character education, values education, restorative practices, and other related programs seek to address the needs of children in a more holistic way.

Still, national data on youth reveal increasing rates of personal suffering and pathology. Collective understanding of citizenship wanes as does care of the environment. Within the leading whole child movements, in recent years, a question intensifies: How do we strengthen the deep inner core of the child? How do we help children access this inner core to support their sense of meaning and purpose, responsibility for others, and concern for the natural world?

      

To read more about this organization, click on this link: https://spiritualityineducation.org/   

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Home Page - NNEDV

Our Mission: The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), a social change organization, is dedicated to creating a social, political, and economic environment in which violence against women no longer exists.

Our Vision: Making domestic violence a national priority. NNEDV is the leading voice for domestic violence victims and their advocates. As a membership and advocacy organization of state domestic violence coalitions, allied organizations and supportive individuals, NNEDV works closely with its members to understand the ongoing and emerging needs of domestic violence victims and advocacy programs. Then NNEDV makes sure those needs are heard and understood by policymakers at the national level.

Changing the way society responds to domestic violence: NNEDV offers a range of programs and initiatives to address the complex causes and far-reaching consequences of domestic violence. Through cross-sector collaborations and corporate partnerships, NNEDV offers support to victims of domestic violence who are escaping abusive relationships – and empowers survivors to build new lives.

Strengthening domestic violence advocacy at every level: NNEDV further supports the fight to end domestic violence by providing state coalitions with critical information and resources. From training and technical assistance to innovative programs and strategic funding, NNEDV brings much-needed resources to local communities. At NNEDV’s national and regional meetings, members share information and ideas with NNEDV staff and with each other, working together to develop comprehensive solutions.

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SPRING IS THE START OF THE GROWING SEASON & FEEDING THE WORLD IS TAKING A TURN TOWARDS

HEALTHIER FOOD…MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT AGRICULTURE… NEW JOBS…NEW FARMERS

Are women the future of farming? The Female Farmer Project thinks so

Meet the women leading us to a world with better food

By Dana Fouchia, Feature photo by Alex Workman, Mar 8, 2022

Sarah Hallstedt

Along with her husband Phil, Sarah Hallstedt plays a big part in Michigan’s 40% contribution to the country’s entire cherry supply. We traveled to the outskirts of Traverse City in Issue No. 22: Cherries to visit their 53-acre farm and learn more about the challenges of cherry growing in an area faced with climate concerns and rising real estate prices. Lucky for us, the Hallstedt's solution to these issues was to add an agritourism element to their business, allowing visitors the pleasure of a U-pick experience on the farm’s picturesque grounds. To read more, click on this link: https://feastandfield.net/read/lifestyle/meet-the-women-leading-us-to-a-world-with-better-food/article_f72a523c-9517-11ec-a555-77f958b5d3c6.html

 “The Female Farmer Project” is a multi-platform documentary project that chronicles the rise of women working in agriculture around the world. From in-depth stories, personal essays, photographic portraits and a podcast, the project gives a powerful voice to the fastest growing demographic in agriculture-- The Female Farmer. To view a 3 minute video, click on this link: http://www.womensworkdocumentary.org/ To learn more about the Female Farmer Project, click on this link: The Female Farmer Project

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VISION: Ending hunger. Transforming lives.

MISSION: To provide healthy food and impactful programs to promote self-sufficiency.

OUR CORE VALUES: Compassion, Dignity, Health, Hope, Service

OUR NUTRITION POLICY: Loaves & Fishes is committed to providing healthful foods that are important for the immediate and long-term well-being of children and adults. Click here to read our Nutrition Policy.

WE BELIEVE

…in the power of community to change lives. …that by working together we can accomplish great things. …that each person possesses inherent dignity. …in the nobility of the human spirit. …the opportunity to serve is a gift. …food is a right and not a privilege.

To read more, click on this link:  www.loaves-fishes.org

LOAVES & FISHES: NEXT GENERATION GENEROSITY 

As we look to the future, we are so encouraged by the involvement of the youngest generation in our vital mission. This year we had numerous children and teenagers step up to end hunger and transform lives. While we remain deeply grateful for everyone who makes our work possible, we’re especially touched by the young people who want to help. Here are a few examples of their generosity. To read more, click on this link: Loaves & Fishes: Next Generation Generosity - Positively Naperville

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What We Do: Higher Expectations engages community partners, aligns efforts, and maximizes resources to promote excellence and equity in education and employment outcomes in Racine County.

Our Vision: A Racine County workforce that is fully capable and employed.

Our Mission: Higher Expectations engages community partners, aligns efforts, and maximizes resources to promote excellence and equity in education and employment outcomes in Racine County.

Our Values:

Transformative: We work to disrupt the status quo, so that systems will support and shift power to low-income individuals and communities of color.

Community: We amplify community power by sharing our access to high level spaces and developing local leaders’ capacity to make collaborative decisions with the community.

Strategic: Through the use of data and analysis, and in partnership with community and key stakeholders, we prioritize major goals and initiatives that lead to systems transformation.

To learn more, click on this link: https://www.higherexpectationsracinecounty.org/

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The Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership (WRTP) was created in the 1990s to renew Milwaukee’s traditional industrial base after the recovery of manufacturing, retirement of an aging workforce, and diversification of the regional economy created a growing skills shortage. Since combining with the Building Industry Group Skilled Trades Employment Program (BIG STEP) to form WRTP | BIG STEP, we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce intermediary dedicated to connecting people to family-sustaining jobs.

OUR MISSION: To enhance the ability of public and private sector organizations to recruit, develop, and retain a more diverse, qualified workforce in construction, manufacturing, and emerging sectors of the regional economy.

OUR VISION: Traditionally underrepresented and underemployed people, particularly women and people of color, must have access to education, training, and supportive equitable placement opportunities.

Industry employers and labor organizations are full partners in creating career pathways and opportunities that are safe, skill-focused, and culturally competent.

Holistic planning and technical assistance that expands career opportunities for people and industry in a dynamic workforce community. To read more, click on this link: To read more about WRPT/Big (Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership/Big Step) click on this link: Welcome to WRTP | BIG STEP

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It started with a simple question:

How do we improve the economic outlook across an entire community?

It’s a massive undertaking, with a surprisingly simple formula.  At the core of success, however you choose to define it, are some basic principles and actions which create an environment for accountability and continuous improvement.

We work to harmoniously incorporate these principles and actions to help people, businesses, and entire communities. We’re doing this in a wide variety of ways, because we help a wide variety of people.

You can explore hundreds of great, new ideas in our annual Idea Competition, viewable on our website, app, and in-person on display throughout our 11-day event in Racine, WI.

We work to integrate these ideas into our incubator funding and growth process to develop them into fully functioning businesses that are ready to pitch for large-scale investors at our Pitch Competition, with additional investment available for those that choose to grow within the Southeastern Wisconsin community. There are a number of scholarship awards available for students looking to continue their education as well.

Last year we awarded over $80,000 to local and global participants. We’re scaling that number as the number of event competitors grow. To learn more about TechPrize, click here: Home - TechPrize (tech-prize.org) To view a 2 minute video about TechPrize, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DubVEURSgkY

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Habilitative Systems, Inc. (HSI) is a nationally-recognized human services agency that uses a continuum of care approach to provide much-needed programs to underserved populations and people living with an array of health and human service needs. Headquartered on the west-side of Chicago, HSI has offered supportive programs to Chicago’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable residents for over 40 years and provides services to over 7,000 people annually in the North Lawndale, West Garfield, Austin and Englewood communities in Chicago. To view a 3 minute video about HIS, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdbYfKQVmzY 

Habilitative Systems, Inc., held it’s “Inaugural Race and Health Equity Awards” Reception on December 9, 2021, at the historic Union League Club of Chicago. The event honored healthcare executives and community leaders who are committed to eliminating inequities within the African-American Community. Four outstanding individuals were recognized for their work and contributions in tearing down the barriers to equal access and quality healthcare. To view a 6 minute video of these awards and the important work they do, click on this link: HSI Video (habilitative.org)

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We're moving in the right direction. Let's move even faster.

How We Started.

Two students, Sophie Shulman and Zach Gibson, belonged to a social entrepreneurship organization called Enactus. With a goal to make Kenosha and Carthage College more sustainable, they started an initiative called Project Brooklyn. Through this project, they helped form a Presidential Sustainability Taskforce that works to bring green infrastructure to the Carthage College campus. With the college in a good place, Sophie and Zach set out to have an impact in their local community. They formed Blackbird Gen LLC to quicken Kenosha, Wisconsin’s transition to renewable energy.

Why We Do It.

Burning fossil fuels has been the status quo source of energy for a long time. With a youthful spirit and an optimistic outlook, Blackbird Gen aims to help renewable energy’s fight to become the status quo of electricity generation. We live this mission by forming partnerships in the community and starting conversations that encourage the adoption of renewable energy. We have formed the Kenosha Solar Group Buy. This limited-time program incentivizes businesses and households in the Kenosha Area by securing them significant discounts on solar panel installations. Blackbird Gen, in partnership with All Energy Solar, hosts informational solar sessions to educate the Kenosha community on the ins and outs of solar energy. To learn more about Blackbird Gen, click on this link: https://blackbirdgen.com/

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https://justdane.org/just-bakery/

Just Bakery is a 12 week educational and vocational training program. The program works with individuals who are experiencing significant barriers to employment (homelessness, justice involved, lack of education, and/or a lack of work history or skills).

Just Bakery utilizes the National Restaurant Association’s “ManageFirst” curriculum, teaching hospitality and restaurant management, supervision, cost control, nutrition, and ServSafe to our students, as well as intro to baking hands-on in our commercial kitchen. This curriculum allows students to earn up to 12 college credits and gain automatic acceptance into the Madison College Culinary Program. Students also receive sales and marketing experience by working side by side with program staff in a variety of sales venues, learning customer service skills and front of the house skills.

All proceeds from Just Bakery sales are reinvested into the program and have allowed us to hire our graduates to work in the program both on the instructional and production side of the program.

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            The Collective (ashafamilyservices.org)         Home - End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin (endabusewi.org)

                                                                                                                  

The Asha Project, Inc. believes in the existence and provision of culturally specific methods to better address the elimination of gender-based violence and the sexual exploitation of women and children in African American communities. Our belief is that in order to adequately address family and intimate partner violence and promote healthy living, we must address the truths of historical and daily life trauma experiences of the community. Further, we believe that we must simultaneously confront intersecting socioeconomic and other factors that contribute to or aggravate violence and abuse between intimates, in homes and in the community.

End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin envisions communities fully engaged to provide safety and to give a voice to all affected by domestic abuse, while creating the social change necessary to address its root causes. We honor the wisdom and strength of domestic abuse survivors across the lifespan. Our mission is achievable through survivor-centered work that includes strategic partnerships and collaboration. As advocates for social justice, we embrace the voices of diverse communities.

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https://www.specialolympicswisconsin.org/who-we-are/about-us/

Our Mission: Special Olympics Wisconsin (SOWI) provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy while participating in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Our Vision: Sport will open hearts and minds towards people with intellectual disabilities and create inclusive communities across Wisconsin. Globally, we strive to end discrimination against people with ID.

Our Strategic Goals

1. Improve opportunities for athletes to perform at their best
2. Build positive attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities
3. Build capacity by improving resources
4. Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of Special Olympics Wisconsin

Daina Shilts earns first X Games Gold

Special Olympics Wisconsin snowboarder Daina Shilts of Neillsville won her first X Games gold medal during the X Games Aspen Unified Snowboarding competition on January 23.

Shilts secured first place after having the fastest combined score along with her partner, X Games athlete Mike Schultz of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Shilts has now competed in all six of the X Games Aspen Unified Snowboarding competitions since its inception in 2015, but she was thrilled to finally take home the gold.

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Center for Community & Business Engagement

https://www.uwp.edu/connect/communityengagement/communityandbusinessengagement/aboutcbe.cfm

UW-Parkside students, faculty, and partners are always busy making positive change in our communities.

VISION: UW-Parkside is recognized by potential and current students, staff, employers and community partners as a campus that makes a positive impact through its civic engagement and talent development.

MISSION: To prepare civically-engaged professionals through meaningful active-learning experiences that are valued by community partners and employers.

COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING: Community-based learning (CBL) is an opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world experiences while serving their communities. Professors and community partners work together to develop projects that allow students to enhance their classroom knowledge, develop leadership skills, network with community leaders, and meet identified community needs.

Each year, about 50 courses are matched to community organizations and about 1,000 students across majors participate. Projects cover many professional areas, such as research, marketing plans, strategic plans, graphic design, web design, database design, security audits, GIS mapping, communication plans, personnel training, conflict resolution, and more.

Private, public and nonprofit organizations which recently partnered with UW- Parkside in Community Based Learning: Adidas, Arts Wisconsin, Aurora Hospital, Brass Community School, City of Racine, Columbus Chemical, Cosmic Corne, Department of Defense Personnel Support Dept (Great Lakes Naval Station), Educators Credit Union, FOCUS on Community, Giving to the Nations, Healthcare Network, Higher Expectations, IEA, KAFASI, Kenosha Community Sailing Center, Kenosha County Health Department, Kenosha Symphony Orchestra, Lakeview Pharmacy, Library Terrace Assisted Living, Luxury Beauty Store, Malteurop North America, Market on Main, Oakwood Clinical Associates, Pleasant Prairie Logistics, Prevent Blindness WI, Prexo, Racine County Food Bank, Racine Heritage Museum, Recovery Business Association, Referee Enterprises Inc., Salvation Army, SC Johnson, Schueler, LaFond and Associate, Seno K/RLT conservancy, Shalom Center, Shanta Lana, Siena Center, Sustainable Business Network, Taeja Vu's, Tangles Salon, The Arc of Racine, Twin Lakes Randal Recreation, UMOS, United Way of Racine County, University of WI-Parkside Wellness Committee, Village of Hope, Visioning a Greater Racine, Volunteer Center of Racine, Walgreens, Wisconsin Latinx History Collective, Women’s Resource Center

Andrea Graczyk, applied health sciences student, reflects on how her community-based learning experience at Kenosha County Public Health’s COVID-19 community vaccination clinic made her eager to continue volunteering for years to come. To read more, click on this link: https://www.uwp.edu/learn/departments/cbl/a-warm-introduction-to-health-science.cfm

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INVESTING IN WOMEN

BENEFITS US ALL

We are a granting organization for women and girls in Door County. We believe that when we give women the tools they need to succeed, their families and their community will prosper. INVESTING in women and girls is the smartest choice for funding long-term solutions to issues that concern us all.

The largest charitable fund in Door County that focuses on the

NEEDS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS

A group of local residents believed there were underserved women and girls in Door County. These committed volunteers interviewed and listened to nearly two dozen charities and not-for-profits to gather information and identify needs. After months of hard work and devotion, the Women’s Fund of Door County was founded. To read more, click on this link: What We Do - Women Fund of Door County (womensfunddoorcounty.org)

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WE BELIEVE INVESTING IN STUDENTS WHO TAKE

ENTREPRENEURIAL

ACTION FOR OTHERS & CREATES A BETTER WORLD FOR

US ALL.

OUR VISION: To create a better, more sustainable world.

OUR MISSION: Engage the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders to use innovation and business principles to improve the world.

To learn more about this organization click on this link Enactus - Dedicated to making the world a better place through entrepreneurial action. Then click on the four minute video on the first page of the website.

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Our Mission

Helping build the spiritual foundation for a loving world

At the Fetzer Institute, we believe in the possibility of a loving world: a world where we understand we are all part of one human family and know our lives have purpose. In the world we seek, everyone is committed to courageous compassion and bold love—powerful forces for good in the face of fear, anger, division, and despair.

Inspired by our founder John E. Fetzer, we encourage each other to discover new ways of knowing our sacred world and explore our personal spiritual journeys as we work toward transformed communities and societies in which all people can flourish.

Each member of our team—and each of our partners committed to this common vision—brings a unique spiritual and religious lens, but all of us are drawn into community by our shared sense of sacred connection to ourselves, each other and our planet. And together, we inspire and serve a global movement transforming the world into a more loving home for all.

Learn more about our work https://fetzer.org/work and meet our community https://fetzer.org/community  

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What We Do | Suicide Prevention Services of America (spsamerica.org)

A group of sps volunteers

WHO WE ARE

Our focus is Suicide. Our mission is to open minds, save lives and restore hope through prevention, intervention and postvention, using education, advocacy and collaboration. We are one of the few agencies in the country who offer all that we do: a 24-hour phone hotline, counseling, depression screening, workshops, prevention training, intervention in schools, support groups and annual awareness events. We are a part of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255.

WHAT WE DO

                             -Counseling                     - Support Groups                         -Volunteer Workshops                  -Outreach in Schools                

                                         -Depression Screening               -Prevention Training                            -24-Hour Phone Outline

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U. S. Department of Education - Federal TRIO Programs

TRIO Home Page (ed.gov)

The Federal TRIO Programs are federal outreach and student services programs in the United States designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. They are administered, funded, and implemented by the United States Department of Education. TRIO includes eight programs targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs. TRIO also includes a training program for directors and staff of TRIO projects. Their existence is owed to the passing of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Two well-known students who benefitted from TRIO educational support programs are Oprah Winfrey and Jose Hernandez. To read more, click on the link above.

        

                                                                                      Oprah Winfrey              Jose Hernandez – Astronaut

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LET US DREAM is a locally rooted and globally established Not-for-Profit Organization. It was conceived with the idea to create holistically developed communities world over. It has strived for this since its inception.

We, at LET US DREAM, firmly vouch in the idea of a global family, where each individual and each society works interdependently to create a sustainable world. The program is composed of likeminded people from all ethnic groups around the world to support, guide, and lead this vision of holistic development in the growth of individuals and the society.

LET US DREAM operates using an impactful and effective community-based working model that join people together while also bridging community organizations together. LET US DREAM aids, nurtures, and hones the untapped potentials of individuals in the psycho-social leadership aspects of life. LET US DREAM, through rigorous research and continuous evaluation, strives to accomplish this vision through its four unique projects:

DREAMS Program,  DREAMS Band,  DREAMS Pro Club,  LET US DREAM Conferences

To read more go to About Us | LET US DREAM To view a 4 minute video go to: https://youtu.be/ojd_qrni2Zc

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Who We Are

The Root-Pike basin has significant water quality issues. Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network’s (Root-Pike WIN) mission is to restore, protect and sustain all the watersheds in the Root-Pike basin. More than two decades ago, we were founded by a cooperative effort with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to address specific issues within the Root-Pike basin. In 2001, we became a 501c3 non-profit. Since inception, we have initiated and helped complete more than a half a million dollars in education, restoration, and monitoring projects. Today, we continue to provide education, implementation and monitoring to landowners, municipalities and the general public. We are the catalyst for projects that improve the land – and water – in the Root-Pike basin. To read more click on this link: http://www.rootpikewin.org/#intro

Have you ever thought about where the salt goes once the snow and ice have melted? Join Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network for a session that will focus on the lifecycle of sidewalk salt and its impact on rivers, lakes, and streams. This FREE class will help you discover how to prevent injury on the ice while simultaneously protecting the environment in what we call a WIN-WIN solution! As a bonus, Native Plant Expert and Educator Nan Calvert will discuss one of her favorite topics, edible native plants!!

Have you ever thought about where the salt goes once the snow and ice have melted? Join Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network for a session that will focus on the lifecycle of sidewalk salt and its impact on rivers, lakes, and streams. This FREE class will help you discover how to prevent injury on the ice while simultaneously protecting the environment in what we call a WIN-WIN solution! As a bonus, Native Plant Expert and Educator Nan Calvert will discuss one of her favorite topics, edible native plants!!

FREE TO ATTEND       No prerequisites required - Ages 18 & Up       Location: 4116 12th st, Kenosha WI 53144

Contact laura@rootpikewin.org with questions RSVP HERE

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The quotes above and many more can be found at: https://www.passiton.com

The Foundation for a Better Life. The values we live by are worth more when we pass them on.

We choose values we hope most individuals would find encouraging and relevant. Then we provide an uplifting message based on each value, in an effort to encourage people to bring out the best in themselves.

As a nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization, we carefully design our public service messages to have general universal appeal.

The Foundation's small staff works with a network of writers, art directors and production professionals. These individuals represent a wide range of ideals, viewpoints and cultural backgrounds. Their diversity reinforces the idea that values can serve as common ground for all. To watch a 1 ½ minute music video produced by PassIt On,  click on this link: https://www.passiton.com/inspirational-stories-tv-spots/122-annie-s-song

 

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GOLDEN RULE PROJECT

OUR MISSION

The mission of the Golden Rule Project is to increase awareness and the practice of compassion, kindness, and peace by sharing the universal principle of the Golden Rule through education, programming, and partnerships. The Golden Rule Project is not religious, not political, and not associated with any agenda. We promote the Golden Rule as a basic human value.

THE GOLDEN RULE is the THREAD THAT WEAVES US ALL TOGETHER

The logo of the Golden Rule Project (GRP) was chosen for its universality and timelessness. Like the Golden Rule, the Golden Ratio (also known as the Fibonacci Sequence) is found throughout the universe: from the swirls of massive solar systems to the spirals of tiny seashells.

Bonnie Phillips, the founder of the GRP, often says that the "Golden Rule is always and everywhere." And she is correct. It has existed throughout all time. The Golden Rule has been found on every continent and in every culture. Also, it is the foundation of all the major religious, spiritual and secular traditions.

Once we start to train our eyes to see the Golden Ratio and the Golden Rule, we will start to see both of them in action - always and everywhere. To read more, click on this link:  Golden Rule Project

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Home - CUSH (cushkenosha.com)

We are an interfaith coalition living our faith and values in pursuit

of justice through advocacy, education and empowerment.

CUSH currently has 17 member congregations. 

• Participation in CUSH will help your congregation foster leadership skills in its members.
• It will enhance your congregation’s engagement in local, state and national issues.
• It will provide opportunities to educate, engage and empower your members in advocacy work that reflects the values of your faith tradition.
• Clergy and members of your congregation receive training that will enhance leadership skills and deepen commitment to living the values of your faith tradition.
• By combining your resources with those of other congregations, your congregation’s justice efforts will be multiplied.

Our Work is Carried Out by These Task Forces

Racial Equity

Immigration

Solar Panels

Transit

Night Shelter

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FIRST CHOICE PRE-APPRENTICESHIP

WHAT IS FIRST CHOICE? We connect people to the construction industry. The Racine Family YMCA’s First Choice is an equal-opportunity partnership between participants, the Y and area employers to prepare individuals from diverse backgrounds for family-sustaining jobs in the construction industry. Many of our clients have experienced career or life challenges. We help overcome barriers by providing individual mentoring, group training and instruction that leads to career and life success. 

OUR PARTNERS: Working in construction requires technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, motivation, teamwork and leadership abilities and our construction industry partners know that First Choice graduates are ready to excel. First Choice focuses on the “whole” individual. Hands-on work experiences through partnerships with Habitat for Humanity Racine, the City of Racine, construction firms in southeastern Wisconsin and the State of Wisconsin are supported by technical instruction in blueprint reading, safety and OSHA-10 and 30 regulations, and “soft” skills-building including literacy, budgeting, decision-making, and project management. To read more, click on this link: First Choice Pre-Apprenticeship | Racine Family YMCA (ymcaracine.org)

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Vision - “Calling Our Citizens To Serve” Our vision for the future is a community in which every citizen understands the importance of volunteerism, values the concept, and consciously volunteers in some capacity in order to contribute to the wellbeing (common good) of the community.

Mission Statement - The Volunteer Center of Racine, Inc. is a non-profit organization that serves as a leader, catalyst, connector, and advocate for effective volunteerism in Racine County. The Volunteer Center:

• Is a leader in our community that mobilizes people of all ages and backgrounds to volunteer by investing their resources of time and talent to make a difference in their own lives as well as the lives of those that are served.
• Is a catalyst for responding to community needs by creating, developing, implementing and supporting volunteer opportunities.
• Is a connector of people and resources with the needs and services in our community.
• Is an advocate for promoting the value of volunteerism.

To read more, click on this link: Volunteer Center of Racine

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL – ROBERTO CLEMENTE AWARD

The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team", as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It is named for Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente. Originally known as the Commissioner's Award, it has been presented by the MLB since 1971. In 1973, the award was renamed after Clemente following his death in a plane crash on December 31, 1972 while he was delivering supplies to victims of the Nicaragua earthquake which occurred on December 23, 1972.

Every year, each MLB Club nominates a player to be considered for the Award in tribute to Clemente's achievements and character. This year's list of nominees features players whose various community and philanthropic activities have focused on important issues ranging from awareness & fundraising to support those with cancer and other illnesses or special needs, education for young people, natural disaster relief, outreach to underserved children & communities in the United States and abroad, and more. To read more, click on this link: Roberto Clemente Award | MLB.com

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Little Friends For Peace - Home (lffp.org)

Our Mission: To counter violence and contribute to a worldwide culture of peace by sharing skills to prevent, resolve, and transform conflict with individuals, families, teams, and communities. ​

Our Vision: LFFP’s vision is the Beloved Community, a world where relationships are based on respect and acceptance, conflicts end in reconciliation, and everyone is safe, cared for, and able to realize their unique potential.
​
From playground put-downs and family fights to street crime and global conflict, violence builds from the ground up. We work to interrupt our current culture of violence through peace-building. By teaching peace at an early age and practicing peace  at every age, we can together answer the violence with skills for peace.

Our Method: We spread our vision through Peace Camps, after-school,  in-school , and adult peace programs. In all of these programs we use the peace circle process to teach our peace curriculum. LFFP is a trauma-aware organization that offers social-emotional skills toward healing.Our programs share our peace toolbox, which empowers individuals to deepen compassion, empathy and love and imparts skills for living peacefully and spreading peace in communities. For more information about our programs, visit the programs tab. To view a 3 minute video, click on this link:  https://youtu.be/ve8ROv6FaMo

 

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International Youth Day 2021 on

“Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”

The theme of International Youth Day 2021 is, “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”, with the aim of highlighting that the success of such a global effort will not be achieved without the meaningful participation of young people.

It has been acknowledged that there is a need for inclusive support mechanisms that ensure youth continue to amplify efforts collectively and individually to restore the planet and protect life, while integrating biodiversity in the transformation of food systems. With the world’s population expected to increase by 2 billion people in the next 30 years, it has become recognized by numerous stakeholders that simply producing a larger volume of healthier food more sustainably will not ensure human and planetary wellbeing. Other crucial challenges must also be addressed, such as the interlinkages embodied by the 2030 Agenda including poverty reduction; social inclusion; health care; biodiversity conservation; and climate change mitigation.For more information about the International Youth Day 2021, please visit: https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/iyd2021.html

 

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https://www.shpbeds.org/

Helping Children in Need Sleep Better

All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads. In Idaho and across the US, too many boys and girls go without a bed—or even a pillow—to sleep on. These children end up sleeping on couches, blankets, and even floors. This can affect their happiness and health.

 

That’s where Sleep in Heavenly Peace® comes in. We’re a group of volunteers dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need. Our organization has grown steadily over time, and we’re working on opening more chapters to serve more people. Click on this link to find a chapter near you: https://www.shpbeds.org/chapters

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Homepage - YWCA Southeast Wisconsin (ywcasew.org)

Mission Statement: YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. 

YWCA Southeast Wisconsin’s commitment is to lasting, meaningful change.  Our programs and services – from advancing resources for women and their families to eliminating barriers that perpetuate racial injustice – are woven together through focus areas shared by YWCA’s nationwide.  We ask you to join us as we serve both individuals and communities to build a world of peace, justice, freedom and dignity.

To achieve our mission, YWCA Southeast Wisconsin’s integrated focus concentrates on individuals and the community as a whole. Our work has three pillars: racial justice, economic empowerment and health and safety. To learn more, click on the link above. To read more, click on link above

Vision Statement: Partnering in a thriving Community

Mission Statement: Stabilizing lives by providing supportive programs and access to community resources for individuals and families.

Agency Profile: Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency, Inc. (RKCAA) has successfully operated anti-poverty programming in Racine County since 1967 and in Kenosha County since 1978. The agency is governed by a tripartite Board of Directors, that includes representation from civic, low-income and government sectors of Racine and Kenosha Counties.

CEO Message: Supporting individuals and families thrive, is at the core of RKCAA’s work.  POSITIVE FAMILY DYNAMICS is a key foundational component needed to ensure family members residing in the same household or a single individual living alone, is able to develop a strong support system. To strengthen this effort, RKCAA’s PILLARS of Focus are: HOUSING, FOOD & NUTRITION, HEALTH and ASSET ATTAINMENT. It is our hope that you will utilize these services or share the information with others who may benefit. The services provided and the work we do is important and critical to the growth and well-being of the communities we serve."

In 2020, RKCAA served more than 53,000 individuals and families. Agency staff worked with governmental entities, vendors, schools, churches and the broader community to assist residents in Racine and Kenosha by making services readily available. The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program, and the temporary Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program (WRAP), which distributed more than 2.9 million dollars in rental payments to 1,708 households, are snapshots of the services provided in 2020. Thanks to donors, volunteers and staff for the many contributions to ensure that individuals and families received critical assistance. To find out more about the RKCAA click on this link: www.rkcaa.org

 

The World Food Prize - Improving the Quality, Quantity and Availability of Food in the World

The World Food Prize Foundation's mission is to elevate innovations and inspire action to sustainably increase the quality, quantity and availability of food for all.  

Fish Research Feeds Millions

Des Moines based foundation recognizes nutrition expert with

$250,000K World Food Prize

To read more about the award click on https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20210511/news/305119935

This photo provided by World Food Prize shows Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted. On Tuesday, May 11, 2021, Thilsted was named this year's recipient of the $250,000 World Food Prize, which was created by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug in 1986 to recognize researchers who have improved the quality and availability of food. (Finn Thilsted/World Food Prize via AP) Associated Press. To read more about Thilsted click on https://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm?nodeID=96346&audienceID=1

 

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Mamas Caucus wants to make Illinois the most mom-friendly state

in the nation. ‘Who better to advocate for us than us?’

Josina Morita, chair of the Mama Caucus, stands with her husband Cornell Collins and children Kai Collins, 2, and Mei-Mei Collins, 1, on March 17, 2021. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

Josina Morita was the first commissioner on Chicago’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to have a baby while in office and was told, at one point, to use an empty tech support office when she needed to pump breastmilk.

State Rep. Margaret Croke had a 2-month-old son during the 12th House District primary race and brought her son to work every day because Illinois, unlike several other states, doesn’t consider child care an allowable campaign expense. “That was cute and all when he was 2 months old,” Croke said. “But now he’s 18 months old and he doesn’t stop moving. The barrier to be a public servant is that you have to be able to afford a full-time household employee, and that’s crazy.”

City Clerk Anna Valencia had a baby during the pandemic. She said she struggled with the isolation and fear that so many new parents experienced in 2020, even as she watched her friends and constituents get pushed out of a workforce that wasn’t prepared to support working mothers during a global crisis.

City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin is raising a 4-year-old daughter. “On the West Side of Chicago,” she said. “Even more reason to fight for equity for working families, especially working mothers.”

The four women have joined forces, along with 18 other bipartisan elected officials — aldermen, county commissioners, state representatives — to form an Illinois Mamas Caucus. Their goal is to turn Illinois into the most mom-friendly state in the nation, through policies that support working families, protect female and maternal health, provide high-quality public education and make it easier for women to run for elected office. To read more click on this link: Mamas Caucus wants to make Illinois most mom-friendly state - Chicago Tribune By Heidi Stevens Chicago Tribune Apr 22, 2021 To view a 3 minute video, click on this link: https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/04/23/mamas-caucus-illinois-mom-friendly-policies/ 

 

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Racine Women For Racial Justice

HOME | RWRJ

Our Mission: Racine Women for Racial Justice unites and empowers Racine area women through education, conversation, critical analysis, collective action, and leadership to identify, interrupt and dismantle racism in the community.

Our Vision: Racine Women for Racial Justice envisions an equitable community where Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) experience justice, liberation, and freedom from marginalization, oppression and disenfranchisement.

To read more, click on this link: An executive director and an action plan: Racine Women for Racial Justice expanding less than a year after forming | Local News | journaltimes.com

RACINE WOMEN FOR RACIAL JUSTICE - UPDATE

I received the email below from a friend of mine who is on the Board of the Racine Women for Racial Justice which was added to the Hope From the Bottom Up website this past June. I think what they have accomplished so far is amazing. Below is a shortened version of her email. To see a copy of their brochure, click here

Dear friends and family,

Some of you may not know that a year ago I joined the board of a new non-profit dedicated to eliminating systemic racism, Racine Women for Racial Justice.

In 2019, the seeds of the organization were planted when more than 1000 women joined a Facebook group, had courageous conversations, and participated in rallies and marches for racial justice. As all of this was happening, a group of fabulous women said, “Let’s organize...”

I joined the board because I believe we will never move forward as a united country until we acknowledge and eliminate systemic racism -- and this work starts in our own communities.

Our beautiful new brochure (attached below) summarizes our first year’s accomplishments -- and may I say, I think you will be astonished at what how much we’ve already done – in a pandemic!

From offering excellent education and training around racism and racial justice work, to developing and cultivating leaders within the organization who spearheaded efforts to change policy and perspectives for a more equitable community, we hit the ground running in 2021!

Thank you and I look forward to sharing more about Racine Women for Racial Justice as this new organization grows and flourishes.

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Empowering Youth – Strengthening Communities

Heart Haven Outreach, better known as H2O, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves middle & high school teens in the greater Bolingbrook and Romeoville area who are experiencing challenging times. Through a variety of time-tested and research-based programs, we pursue our mission of “reaching out to the hearts of youth and facilitating life transformation.”

We are a Christian-based organization that believes healthy development is both balanced and multidimensional, including physical, social, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual components. We reach out to youth and their families by building caring and supportive relationships, offering teaching that equips and empowers, and partnering with the community at large. Our services are available to all without discrimination.

Our Mission:  To transform the lives of (at risk) struggling teens through caring relationships and programs that support healthy development on an emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual level.

Our Vision: To reach out to the heart of every hurting, lost or at risk teen in our communities by building caring relationships and offering opportunities for life transformation.  By doing so, we hope to build better schools and a healthier community. To learn more about H2O go to: Heart Haven OutReach | Empowering Youth. Strengthening Communities

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The Love Fridge Chicago

Community-sustained refrigerators

powered by kindness, generosity, and love

Our Mission: The Love Fridge is a Chicago mutual aid group grounded in food, working to place community refrigerators across the city. We are powered by kindness, generosity, love, and the belief that being able to feed yourself is a right, not a privilege. Our goal is to nourish our communities while combating food scarcity and food waste, and working with other like-minded community partners.

What Is Mutual Aid? Mutual aid is not a form of charity, but a guiding principle for practicing reciprocal and collective care. Mutual aid networks provide a way to meet the basic needs of the community while allowing each other to contribute what we can to the common good. Put simply, we look out for one another in any way that we are able to.

Click on this link to view a 4 minute video: ‘Love Fridge’ helping communities share food, spread love | WGN-TV

 

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Act with impact.
Every day. Your way. Together.

Great Hearts is a community that connects people with opportunities to be a force of good.
Join us to get inspired, to share causes you care about, and to make a positive difference.

Great Hearts Initiatives® celebrates and supports the people and organizations that are doing good in the world. Our story is really the collective stories of many people coming together to make a difference. Great Hearts Initiatives® is an innovator in fostering people engagement. We are also a performance accelerator helping those who are doing good to do more, better.

To learn more go to https://www.greathearts.community/index.html

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We Plant Possibilities.

Seeds Of Hope is a horticultural and recreational community that brings new growth opportunities to adults with developmental and other disabilities.

Our participants learn valuable life skills through horticulture, construction, culinary, and recreational activities. We modify individual tasks so that everyone is needed throughout the day. Some can wash pots, some can pull a wagon, others can use a screwdriver, and everyone can have fun throughout the day. Smiles are always an important part of our day, and friendships are sure to grow even if words cannot be spoken.

Within our supportive community, caregivers and parents receive as much support as those with developmental and other disabilities. Our learning social center is a little bit of Heaven on Earth.

To read more click on: https://seedsofhopewi.org/ 

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https://joytripproject.com/ 

There are a lot of smart people out there with all the answers. I’m not one of them.

Me? I’ve got nothing but questions. The Joy Trip Project is my ongoing search to find the answers and discover how to lead a harmonious life in balance with the natural world and the rest of humanity.

As a journalist I ask questions. I connect with knowledgeable people who have come up with some kind of a solution. In some cases I just come up with more questions, but they make us think. And hopefully these questions lead us a little further along on the journey.

Every day is a daring adventure, a trip into the joyful pursuit of our full human potential. Along this path we try, and often fail. But we persevere. We persist. Only then do we succeed. It’s an ongoing process without end. Come join me.

Objective: The Joy Trip Project is a newsgathering and reporting organization that covers outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving and practices of sustainable living.

The Author: James Edward Mills is a 2014 Fellow of the Mountain & Wilderness Writing Program of the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada and the 2016 recipient of the Paul K. Petzoldt Award For Environmental Education. To read more

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The Millennial Action Project has an audacious mission:

Activate young leaders to bridge the partisan divide and transform American politics.

https://www.millennialaction.org//

The Millennial Action Project is featured in the documentary film “The Reunited States.”

Click here to see a 2 minute trailer of the film: https://www.imdb.com/video/vi3104489753?playlistId=tt10299780&ref_=tt_ov_vi

OCTOBER 2022 UPDATE

2022 Future Summit

“I’m excited about the work Millennial Action Project does to bring people together… Welcome to our state.” Governor Jared Polis opened 2022 Future Summit, the nation’s largest bipartisan gathering of young state legislators with a keynote address. From July 29th to 31st, nearly 50 legislators from all across the country came together to affirm their belief in collaborative policymaking and express their intention to work across the partisan divide to create a more functional democracy. They arrived in Denver, Colorado for the sixth annual Future Summit hosted by Millennial Action Project on the campus of Colorado University Denver’s School of Public Affairs.

           

Friday night started off with an evening reception at the Gates Family Foundation. The Rocky Mountain views from the downtown rooftop paired with a cool breeze, cocktails, and hors d'oeurves made it a perfect evening for developing relationships and building friendships. So much of the work of bipartisan legislating relies on trust, and the friendships legislators forge through the Future Caucus Network lays the foundation for a productive working relationship once legislators return to their statehouses.

The legislators in attendance represent a cross-section of the more than 1,600 Millennial and Gen Z state legislators within MAP’s State Future Caucus Network (SFCN). The SFCN is comprised of 31 states and creates space for bipartisan policy making and dialogue among leaders committed to working towards innovative and future-focused policy. To read more, click on this link: https://medium.com/@MActionProject/2022-future-summit-5f85252e3ed3

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PURPOSE: Inspired is a premium coffee shop, a neighborhood place, located in downtown Lake Geneva, Wisconsin employing people with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities where they are celebrated, job trained, coached and, over time, placed into a fully integrated work setting.

MISSION: Empowering people with disabilities to live with greater purpose and achieve their individual best in a thriving environment.

Read More at this website: https://www.inspiredcoffee.org/ 

Here are two TV news stories about Inspired Coffee:

2 minute video: https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/madison/news/2020/06/25/intellectual-physical-disabilities-special-needs-jobs-inspired-coffee-shop?fbclid=IwAR1CD17Nin3tJHpMa7AFpjc71rRwoUMQgk7XCGCyBFVRSr_q3-iqPGbFM-8#

3 minute video:  https://www.fox6now.com/fox6-wakeup-news/empowering-people-with-disabilities-lake-geneva-is-home-to-a-new-kind-of-coffee-shop 

Below is some information about Inspiration Ministries, the sponsor of  Inspired Coffee

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https://www.inspirationministries.org/

Inspiration Ministries (IM) is a place where people with disabilities can grow, work, mature in their faith, and lead productive, joy-filled lives. From its inception almost 70 years ago, IM has focused on enriching the lives of adults with disabilities who call Inspiration Ministries home.

Here is a three minute video about some of the work performed by Inspiration Ministries https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=vimeo+creighton+inspiration+ministries&docid=608051495695417911&mid=E955D3CCF2B1B43DFF07E955D3CCF2B1B43DFF07&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

 

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https://braverangels.org/welcome/

"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies.

Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

The mystic chords of memory will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched,

 as surely they will be,

by the better angels of our nature."

"The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion.”

Abraham Lincoln

Braver Angels brings together Red and Blue Americans in a working alliance to depolarize America. We welcome people with strong convictions and principles. We believe the best way to achieve a more perfect Union is by being forthright and transparent about our political leanings. In that spirit, we say to our fellow Americans, “Come with your convictions, your willingness to listen, and your readiness to talk with others who disagree with you.” To read more, click on the link above.

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Courageous Conversation website https://courageousconversation.com/about/

We engage in sustained partnerships featuring training, coaching and consulting with organizations to transform beliefs, behaviors, and results so people of all races can achieve at their highest levels and live their most empowered and powerful lives.

COURAGEOUS CONVERSATION™ is our award-winning protocol for effectively engaging, sustaining and deepening interracial dialogue. Through our Framework for Systemic Racial Equity Transformation, PEG is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations address persistent racial disparities intentionally, explicitly, and comprehensively.

Why Examine and Address Race? Race matters—in our nation and around the world. It is critical that we address racial issues in order to uncover personal and institutional biases that prevent all people, and especially people of color, from reaching their fullest potential. COURAGEOUS CONVERSATION™ serves as the essential strategy for systems and organizations to address racial disparities through safe, authentic, and effective cross-racial dialogue. To read more, click on the link above.

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Mission: To provide programs to Hispanics and near south side residents of all ages in the areas of education, cultural arts, recreation, community development, and health and human services.

UCC assists individuals in achieving their potential by focusing on cultural heritage as a means of strengthening personal development and by promoting high academic standards in all of its educational programs.

Supporting Families & Strengthening Traditions Since 1970

United Community Center has been a catalyst for community growth, building, and betterment on Milwaukee’s south side since its founding 50 years ago. What started as a small youth center has grown into an intergenerational safe haven that serves more than 15,000 people each year. UCC serves individuals 6 weeks to 103 years old through educational services, senior support, homebuyer counseling, and much more. To read more, click on Home | United Community Center (unitedcc.org) 

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I Am Abel Foundation

Our Vision: The I Am Abel Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that seeks to bridge socioeconomic gaps and promote achievement amongst underrepresented minority inner city youth so that every child will have a shot at the not so impossible dream. 

Our Mission (excerpt): Our foundation believes that suboptimal education combined with inadequate mentoring and opportunities are key barriers for our children.  Through our camps, conferences, internships and mentoring programs, we are determined to increase exposure, education and opportunities for underrepresented minorities in math and science, ecology, business and education with a strong emphasis on a developing a pipeline to careers in medicine. For the full Mission Statement click on: https://www.iamabel.org/fullmission

I Am Abel Foundation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rToo22yHwbM

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https://www.love-inc.net/

Mission Statement: A Community Network Helping Neighbors in Need

The greatest purpose of Love, Inc. is to channel the goodwill and strength of our community into making a positive difference. Our mission is being a community network helping our neighbors in need. Our vision is having a community where every individual has reached their full potential by developing their strengths and increasing their self-sufficiency.

We are your local, home-grown charity that makes a difference in the lives of over 1500 of our neighbors monthly. And every day we strive to fulfill our mission, accomplish our vision and operate within our values. We are Love, Inc. A local need…Answered.

Our Vision Statement: A community where every individual has reached their full potential by developing their strengths and increasing their self-sufficiency.

 

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The Heartbeat Center For Writing Literacy and the Arts

http://www.theheartbeat.us/home.html

The Heartbeat Center for Writing, Literacy and the Arts, Inc. is a group of writers, artists, and educators whose collective goal is to enhance writing, art, and literacy opportunities for people of all ages. We’re passionate about providing opportunities for individuals to explore their artistic and literary abilities while encouraging them to recognize the importance of the connections between people and places.

"We purchased our small farm with dreams of making it a place where we could carry out the missions of The Heartbeat Center for Writing, Literacy and the Arts Inc. We founded this nonprofit organization to inspire people in the rural countryside to better understand themselves and the land through writing and other arts." The Heartbeat Center is located in Osseo, WI. For November, one of their program focuses on honoring Veterans. Read More 

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https://networklobby.org/

NETWORK’s mission and values arise out of the long and rich tradition of Catholic Social Justice. This tradition encompasses the written teachings of the Church (Catholic Social Teaching) but is also broader, including the witness of all Christians and people of faith committed to proclaiming the love of the Gospel and the justice of God’s kingdom in the public sphere. We at NETWORK are inspired in a special way by the courageous commitment of Catholic sisters living out Gospel justice. 

Catholic Social Justice is not a theory or an intellectual exercise, but rather how people of faith are called to live the Gospel in a broken and suffering world.

NETWORK commits to

• Upholding human dignity,
• Embracing our right and responsibility to participate,
• Standing with those living in poverty,
• Bridging divisions,
• Uniting with workers,
• Nurturing the earth.

NETWORK HISTORY: Founded by Women Religious in 1971

Foundresses: Sr. Pat Siemen, Sr. Carol Coston, Sr. Maureen Kelleher, circa 1972

In December 1971, a group of Catholic sisters voted to create a nationwide “network” of women religious who would engage in political activism at the federal level for social justice. Representing diverse ministries including direct service and community organizing, the 47 sisters from across the U.S. were meeting in Washington DC at a time when the church was undergoing dramatic changes in response to Vatican II reforms and calls to create “Justice in the World.” Many had also boldly joined the waves of civil rights, feminist and anti-war activism that were sweeping the U.S. To Read More

 

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Moving From Charity to Justice

https://www.wisconsinfaithvoicesforjustice.org/

about US

We are congregations, social justice committees, clergy, religious leaders, supporters, and people of faith. We come from many faith traditions all over the state of Wisconsin.
​
We join together to educate ourselves and our communities about the important issues facing our state and to advocate for policies and programs that address the root causes of poverty, hunger, homelessness, and economic injustice. We do this because our faith traditions teach us that it is our duty to see to the needs of all people and work toward a more equitable society.

our mission

The mission of Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice is to draw on the wisdom, courage, and strength of our various faith traditions to advance the common good. As progressive people of faith committed to crossing religious boundaries, we uphold the dignity of all human beings. We lift the voices of those who are under-served and marginalized, through advocacy, education, and partnership. To read more

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Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition

https://www.mmwconline.org/

Founded in 1994, MMWC began as a local outreach organization dedicated to promoting an accurate understanding of Islam and Muslim women.

MMWC addresses a wide range of groups including schools, universities, businesses, law enforcement agencies, healthcare centers, religious establishments, community organizations and the media. This is done through presentations, workshops, seminars, panel discussions and other forums. In addition, the MMWC provides resources and educational materials to groups that seek information and tools to promote understanding.

Over the years, MMWC’s work expanded to include leadership, healthcare, and job training programs for women and girls. This was in recognition of the fact that empowered, healthy women, that are economically secure, strengthen their families, communities and country.

"And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and colors.

Truly, in that are indeed signs for those who reflect."  Quran30:22

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Water Protection Committee of Racine County

https://www.wpcracinecounty.org/who-we-are

Healthy Soil is Sustainable Agriculture

Our Mission: The Watershed Protection Committee of Racine County works collaboratively on a producer led water quality protection project in the Eagle Creek, Hoosier Creek, Wind Lake Drainage Canal, West Branch Root River Canal, Village of Union Grove West Branch Root River Canal and Goose Lake Branch Canal watersheds to achieve improved water quality. The WPCR will lead these efforts by reaching out to farmers and providing incentive payments for conservation practices to promote soil and water health.

The Watershed Protection Committee of Racine County (WPCR) consists of a group of local farmers leading efforts in erosion control, water and soil quality improvements, and providing information to farmers and rural landowners on conservation practices.

Through their efforts, WPCR has helped implement nearly 20 acres of waterway buffers and over 600 acres of cover crops in Racine County. 

Soil Health On The Big Screen And In Our Backyard

By Leigh Presley in the October 16, 2020 Racine Journal Times

https://journaltimes.com/lifestyles/home-and-garden/soil-health-on-the-big-screen-and-in-our-backyard/article_b4bd53c7-6a6b-5fdc-ae2d-416a3193f44b.html

To view a video about soil conservation and regeneration go to:

https://kisstheground.com/

 

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https://www.visioningagreaterracine.org/

Visioning a Greater Racine (VGR) is a 501c3 nonprofit, networked-community initiative using a proven VISIONING process with the goal of transforming Racine into a flourishing place we are all proud to call home.

Objective: Visioning a Greater Racine: By 2030, working together, we will have created a flourishing community we are all proud to call home.

To read more about the history, current VGR 2.0 talking points, and the “Tech-Prize” program which kicked off with an exciting virtual event in Mid September, To Read More

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https://www.rvmracine.org/ 

Racine Vocational Ministry is a faith-based nonprofit organization whose services go beyond simple job placement to a holistic approach that cares for and addresses the whole person. RVM helps participants:

• become productive, self-sufficient workers trained for appropriate careers
• retain jobs through monitoring and follow-up
• address negatives in their lives that impede their careers (including drugs and alcohol, homelessness and emotional health problems).

OUR MISSION

Help individuals discover God’s presence and action in all aspects of life, including work.

• Prepare individuals for life and work by developing attitudes, habits and skills that reflect human dignity.
• Empower unemployed and underemployed citizens to become productive and fulfilled.
• Help individuals use their unique callings to powerfully influence their communities.

Second Chance Program

This program was designed to broaden opportunities for greater numbers of re-entrants to experience job preparation and training along with social services.

The purpose of this program is to create a community that will engage social practices to improve the successful outcomes of high and medium risk re-entrants into the city of Racine.

Second Chance Program Provides:

• Re-Entry support & advocacy
• Necessary skills for community re-entry  
• Additional support and guidance for family and other important relationships  

To read more about the work of Racine Vocational Ministries

Jim Schatzman is Executive Director of Racine Vocational Ministry. He is also the founder and Director of the Chorale Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin. https://choralartsonline.org/ Here is a link to a recent newspaper story about him and the hope inspiring work he and his team are doing. https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/schatzman-building-community-with-hope-faith-and-music/article_2a25ac08-e892-51c2-a958-1567e7277ba5.html 

Here is a link to Racine Vocational Ministry's 2019 Annual Report:

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http://strongprisonwivesandfamilies.com/ 

I belong to a hope-filled organization called Strong Prison Wives and Families (SPWF).  It is a registered non-profit 501(c)(3) whose mission is:  "to enhance the lives of inmate supporters through programs designed to provide empowerment, education and support, qualities we believe are essential to breaking the cycle of recidivism."  The mentoring program provides opportunities for dedicated, well-trained mentors to work with women who are willing to receive their support and guidance.  It is our mission to create a positive culture that inspires the growth and development of every woman participating in the program.  SPWF mentors are personally committed to encouraging and assisting all those persons within their circle of influence to follow their lead toward a more happy, healthy and productive way of life.

Why do I do it?  There are more than 10.35 million prisoners in the world (Source: World Prison Brief).  Each has an average of 3 supporters.  There are limited resources and minimal support offered to those 30 million supporters, most commonly spouses and family members.  An estimate 68% of released prisoners were arrested within 3 years, 79% within 6 years, and 83% within 9 years. (National Institute of Justice). Studies have found that prisoners who maintain close contact with their family members while incarcerated have better post-release outcomes and lower recidivism rates..  The programs of Strong Prison Wives & Families network helps to effectively reduce the rate of recidivism by grooming a strong familial support system, providing advocacy, resources, education, mentoring and fellowship to each member during their incarceration and well in advance of the inmates release back into the community.

Submitted by a Wisconsin women whose son was imprisoned for 213 years for a series of robberies in 2000. Her story of hope (A Mother's Hope for Her Son) is in the Stories of Hope section on this website.

 

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https://www.john23educenter.org/

Mission Statement: The mission of John XXIII Educational Center is:

•  to prepare students to graduate from high school with the skills needed for success in the workforce and higher education;
• to strengthen the family to create a supportive home environment.

Vision Statement

1. To empower students to grow personally, socially, morally, and academically so that they can graduate from high school and be prepared to thrive in their educational journey as life-long learners in society;​​
2. to strengthen the families of the students in creating a supportive home environment with positive parental strategies and relationships that are critical for their success as parents and as a long-range social investment for their children now and in their future as parents.

One of the more innovative tools being used by John 23 are some of the digital learning sites they are using. Here is a link to that page of their website: https://www.john23educenter.org/educational-resources 

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https://www.unitedwayracine.org/

The United Way of Racine County is a key contributor to hope and success from the bottom up in our communities.  They are part of the United Way of America which is based in Alexandria, VA. It is a nonprofit organization which works with almost 1,200 offices throughout the country and forms coalitions of charitable organizations to pool efforts in fundraising and program support. United Way's focus is to identify and resolve pressing community issues and to make measurable changes in communities through partnerships with schools, government agencies, businesses, organized labor, financial institutions, the faith community and many others.     

Wherever you live in the U.S., there is a United Way organization where you can volunteer your time and contribute financially to bring hope to people. To read more about the United Way of Racine County, click on these words.

 

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The Catholic Labor Network

http://catholiclabor.org/

The Catholic Labor Network is a place for Catholics — lay, religious and clergy — who find inspiration in Catholic Social Teaching on labor and work.

On this site we come together to exchange information about the Church and social justice and to support working people in their struggles. We promote the cause of workers and Catholic social teaching in our labor unions, parishes and other organizations.

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Random Acts of Kindness

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is a small nonprofit that invests our resources into making kindness the norm. We are rooted in the belief that all people can connect through kindness and that kindness can be taught. We follow a simple framework for everything we do. Inspire -> Empower -> Act -> Reflect -> Share.

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Kids for Peace

Our Mission: We empower kids to create peace through hands-on service, global friendships and thoughtful acts of kindness. Our Vision is a safe and peaceful world where all people respect and care for each other and our planet. Kids for Peace serves as a model and inspiration for creating this reality with children leading the way, not only for today, but for generations to come.

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Action for Happiness

Action for Happiness is a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society. We want to see a fundamentally different way of life - where people care less about what they can get just for themselves and more about the happiness of others.

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https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/weave-the-social-fabric-initiative/

a cultural movement renewing America’s social fabric

“The Weaver movement is repairing our country’s social fabric, which is badly frayed by distrust, division and exclusion. People are quietly working across America to end loneliness and isolation and weave inclusive communities. Join us in shifting our culture from hyper-individualism that is all about personal success, to relationalism that puts relationships at the center of our lives.” David Brooks

What is Weaving?

Weaving is a way of life and a state of mind, not a set of actions. It’s about the spirit of caring you bring to each interaction with someone else. It’s a willingness to be open and loving, whether you get anything in return. As humans, we long for honest, deep connection. Weavers make the effort to build those connections and make others feel valued.

• A weaver views their community as home and tries to make it loving and welcoming
• A weaver treats neighbors as family regardless of outward differences
• A weaver finds meaning and joy in connection and caring for others

A related organization can be found at #WeavingCommunity | About 

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Gross National Happiness

Gross National Happiness USA is part of the growing global happiness movement to put happiness and well-being at the center of our decision-making and policy discussions.

Fundamentally, we are proposing a new endgame. Rather than base policy and individual choice on a Gross National Product (GDP) paradigm with its insistent focus on money, growth and materialism, we propose instead a more encompassing Gross National Happiness paradigm, which includes many factors that support true well-being for all people and the planet.

The Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) is a metric designed to take fuller account of the well-being of a nation, only a part of which pertains to the health of the nation’s economy, by incorporating environmental and social factors which are not measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  GPI has been suggested to replace, or supplement, GDP as a measure of economic growth.

Interview of Paula Francis, President of GNH USA 

Interview of Ginny Sassaman, Co-founder and Past President of Gross National Happiness

 

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KindSpring: Small Acts that Change the World

Change the world, one kind act at a time.

In the summer of 2003 a kitchen table conversation between the founder of ServicSpace and a young college student unleashed the tidal wave of kindness now known as KindSpring. Discussing the unpleasant ritual of hazing that takes place in frat houses across the country, the two wondered aloud what would happen if the intention behind playing pranks on people was flipped on its head. What if instead of playing mean practical jokes, people started playing kindness pranks on each other? What if they left an anonymous calling card behind inviting the recipient to pay-it-forward and keep the spirit going?

A small team of volunteers immediately put their heads and hearts together to set things in motion. Within the span of a week the first Smile Card had been drafted and within the month the first set had been printed and were in play. There was no looking back. As more and more people all over the world began to request Smile Card this website was created so that they would have a way of sharing their stories and cheering each other on. Today Smile Cards have been translated into close to a dozen different languages and we've shipped more than a million cards to over 90 countries across the globe.

Everything here is (and always will be) a labor of love. This is a 100% advertisement-free portal, run 100% by volunteers. Our wonderful team is comprised of scores of dedicated individuals located in far flung countries. Together we send out a weekly kindness newsletter without any hidden agenda, we ship Smile Cards all over the world for free and we allow people anywhere to download, print and republish our content without any restrictions. Generosity is generative -- the good circles back to support us in myriad ways. Some people share creative ideas of compassion, some contribute stories of inspiration, some sponsor cards for others -- and in all these and many other ways the kindness just keeps spreading! We're just grateful for the opportunity to be humble instruments along the way.

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Do Something.org

Do Something.org Is a Youth-Led Movement for Good. As the largest not-for-profit exclusively for young people and social change, DoSomething’s has over 6 million members representing every US area code and 131 countries. It was founded in 1993.

Using its digital platform, DoSomething members join its volunteer, social change, and civic action campaigns to make real-world impact on causes they care about. Here is a small sample of some of the actions being taken by DoSomething members and the groups them have organized:

    Voter registration and voting
    Environment & Climate Change
    Hunger
    Gun violence
    Defend Dreamers/Immigration
    No to Hate

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NAACP

Founded February 12, 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s foremost, largest, and most widely recognized civil rights organization. Its more than half-million members and supporters throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, leading grassroots campaigns for equal opportunity and conducting voter mobilization. https://www.naacp.org/

Mission Statement: The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

Vision Statement: The vision of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race.

Objectives: The following statement of objectives is found on the first page of the NAACP Constitution – the principal objectives of the Association shall be:

    To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all citizens
    To achieve equality of rights and eliminate race prejudice among the citizens of the United States
    To remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes
    To seek enactment and enforcement of federal, state, and local laws securing civil rights
    To inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination
    To educate persons as to their constitutional rights and to take all lawful action to secure the exercise thereof, and to take any other lawful action in furtherance of these objectives, consistent with the NAACP’s Articles of Incorporation and this Constitution.

History of the NAACP https://www.naacp.org/nations-premier-civil-rights-organization/ 

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LULAC

Mission

LULAC is the largest and oldest Hispanic organization in the United States. LULAC advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 1,000 LULAC councils nationwide. The organization involves and serves all Hispanic nationality groups.

With approximately 132,000 members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC is the largest and oldest Hispanic organization in the United States. LULAC advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 1,000 LULAC councils nationwide. The organization involves and serves all Hispanic nationality groups.

Historically, LULAC has focused heavily on education, civil rights, health, and employment for Hispanics. LULAC councils and LULAC National Educational Service Centers provide approximately a million dollars in scholarships to Hispanic students each year. LULAC Institute programs include citizenship and voter registration drives, education and health events and programs that empower the Hispanic community at the local, state and national level.

History

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), founded in 1929, is the oldest and most widely respected Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States of America. LULAC was created at a time in our country’s history when Hispanics were denied basic civil and human rights, despite contributions to American society. The founders of LULAC created an organization that empowers its members to create and develop opportunities where they are needed most.

More history: https://lulac.org/about/history/

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Service Clubs – Hope From the Bottom Up

A Service club is an organization that promotes fellowship among its members and is devoted to the principle of volunteer community service. The idea of the service club originated in the United States and has had its greatest popularity here, though service clubs now exist in many other countries and are often linked in international associations. Originally, the clubs had business and professional people comprising their membership. Over the last couple of the decades many of the service clubs have developed club-related programs to expand their membership to high school and college students. There are approximately 70 different service clubs located around the world. Here is link to a list of such clubs which generally have their largest membership in the United States:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Service_organizations_based_in_the_United_States

Here is some information on and links to several of the larger service clubs:

Rotary Clubs

Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

Solving real problems takes real commitment and vision. For more than 110 years, Rotary's people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, we are always working to better our world, and we stay committed to the end.

Rotary members believe that we have a shared responsibility to take action on our world’s most persistent issues. Our 35,000+ clubs work together to:

•     Promote peace
•     Fight disease
•     Provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene
•     Save mothers and children
•     Support education
•     Grow local economies

 

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Lions Clubs

Kindness in Action

When caring people join together, roll up their sleeves and take action to make their community better, it’s a beautiful thing—and an incredible feeling for everyone involved. That’s Lions. Being a Lion is about leading by example, building relationships and improving the world through kindness. It’s 1.4 million caring men and women serving together so they can make a lasting impact and change more lives.

Our Global Causes

Every journey begins with a single step. One act of service, one encouraging word, one gift of generosity is often all it takes to bring hope where it’s needed most.

That’s why we’re uniting our global service around five areas of need. These Global Causes present significant challenges to humanity, and we believe it’s our turn to meet them.

•     Diabetes
•     Vision
•     Hunger
•     Environment
•     Childhood cancer

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Kiwanis Clubs

Serving the Children of the World

Kids at Heart

Kiwanis International is a global community of clubs, members and partners dedicated to improving the lives of children one community at a time. Today, we stand with more than 550,000 members from K-Kids to Key Club to Kiwanis and many ages in between in 80 countries and geographic areas. Each community has different needs, and Kiwanis empowers members to pursue creative ways to serve the needs of children, such as fighting hunger, improving literacy and offering guidance.

Kiwanis helps kids around the world. Local clubs look out for our communities and the international organization takes on large-scale challenges, such as fighting disease and poverty. We are generous with our time. We are creative with our ideas. We are passionate about making a difference. And we have fun along the way.

For more than a century, Kiwanis has created opportunities for children to be curious, safe and healthy regardless of the community in which they live. When you give a child the chance to learn, experience, dream, grow, succeed and thrive, great things can happen.

Kiwanis clubs host nearly 150,000 service projects each year.

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Optimists Clubs

Mission, Vision & Purposes

Mission: By providing hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in youth, our communities and ourselves.

Vision: Optimist International will be recognized worldwide as the premier volunteer organization that values all children and helps them develop to their full potential.

Purposes: To develop optimism as a philosophy of life utilizing the tenets of the Optimist Creed; to promote an active interest in good government and civic affairs; to inspire respect for the law; to promote patriotism and work for international accord and friendship among all people; to aid and encourage the development of youth, in the belief that the giving of one’s self in service to others will advance the well-being of humankind, community life and the world.

Our Positive Outlook. Our upbeat outlook, and our commitment to creating a more optimistic future for kids is what differentiates Optimist Clubs from any other volunteer opportunity. Communities in the United States, Canada, the nations of the Caribbean and other countries throughout the world have been touched by the powerful, positive force of Optimist Club Members. From sponsoring youth athletic leagues, to weatherizing the homes of the elderly, to conducting oratorical contests for young people – Optimist Clubs are responding to the special needs of our local communities. Although we come from all walks of life, Optimist Club Members share one common trait. We know that we can make a difference in the lives of others.

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Zonta International 

Mission: Zonta International is a leading global organization of professionals empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy.

Vision: Zonta International envisions a world in which women's rights are recognized as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential.

In such a world, women have access to all resources and are represented in decision making positions on an equal basis with men.

In such a world, no woman lives in fear of violence.

Zonta International  has 29,000 members in 63 countries working together to improve the lives of women and girls.

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http://www.lucyschildrensfund.org/

WELCOME TO LUCY'S CHILDREN'S FUND

WHO WE ARE: Lucy’s Children’s Fund is a not-for-profit corporation which focuses on assisting and providing opportunities for poor children around the world. It is a family foundation, organized in 2002, as a way to both grant assistance to needy kids and to provide our own family with an opportunity to work together and foster a culture of giving. Please look through our site to learn more about the many worthy organizations we’ve given to and how we’ve taken our foundation from a good idea to a successful family endeavor.

OUR MISSION: Provide financial grants to organizations which give children who lack opportunities and resources the assistance and support they need to grow and develop into healthy and happy young people and adults.

PURPOSE OF WEBSITE: What we have done as a family, you and your family can also do. We hope this website shows you some of the basics of what a family foundation is and how you can get one started.

You and your family do not have to be rich to start a family foundation. We started small and are growing. The enthusiasm, generosity, and practical ideas of our family members have helped us make financial grants to the many organizations listed elsewhere on this website which help needy children locally, nationally, and internationally.

Lucy’s Children’s Fund was created to give current and future generations of our family the opportunity to work together and pass on a culture of caring and giving. Preserving and continuing that culture through a family foundation strengthens our connection as a family and inspires in each of us a greater drive to serve the common good – and it can do the same for your family as well.

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Forrest E. Powell Foundation

 

Community | Family | Spirituality

Work comes in many forms. Booker T. Washington said, “No race can prosper till it learns there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.” Carpenters, electricians, hairstylists, automobile mechanics, medical technicians, cooks, custodians, childcare providers, sanitation workers—the list goes on. Regardless of race or socioeconomic background, these careers are attainable and valuable in our community. They bring a sense of accomplishment, keep society functioning, and feed families.

Established in March 1994, the Forrest E. Powell Foundation has a mission to help people work to achieve their dreams. It supports hard-working individuals and believes anyone can become a success through commitment and proper training.

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More coming soon!