HAPPY JULY 4th!!

The extraordinary Heather Murphy created this video for a YouTube Type in Media Project, using text from this blog entry I posted last November after participating in the Breast Cancer 3-Day.  I am honored my words were chosen for this very special project.  Thank you Heather!

P.S.  If you are interested in supporting a walker for this year's San Diego walk in November, support my friend Ann! 

A lovely woman named Jillian is asking for stars...here is her request:

"I'm doing a little home school project with my kids. We want to build a small Holocaust memorial in our front yard, so that my kids can remember all the Jews that lost their lives.

We are asking people to send us "stars." Any kind of star, made from anything you wish. These stars will symbolize the lights that went out due to the Holocaust."

If you are interested in creating a star and sending it her way, email her today! 

This is a very inspiring article about a program for street children in India to save and invest money:

"Run almost entirely by and for street children, the bare-bones bank sponsored by a local charity offers the youths a safe place to stash the bits of money they earn picking through trash for recyclables, hawking magazines and fruit at intersections or busing tables at wedding banquets."  -LA Times article
 

I read this article about MEND:  Meet Each Need with Dignity in the LA Times this week and was blown away.  Visit their website to volunteer, donate and make a difference! 

"Each month, more than 9,300 hours are donated by volunteers from a broad range of backgrounds and income levels; all joining together to act as people helping people. Each person plays a vital role in meeting the mission of MEND. From the distribution of food, clothing to assistance in job training and placement, our volunteers give MEND life."  -MEND Website  

I am teaching my final workshop today in this first four week series, and one of our projects this afternoon will be to create cards for this project, organized by Jen Lemen.  Get creative and send hope across the Atlantic! 

I must admit - Make It Right, Brad Pitt's New Orleans housing project is pretty wonderful all the way around:

"In December 2006, Brad Pitt convened a group of experts in New Orleans to brainstorm about building green affordable housing on a large scale to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. Having spent time with community leaders and displaced residents determined to return home, Pitt realized that an opportunity existed to build houses that were not only stronger and healthier, but that had less impact on the environment." -Make It Right website

A quick follow-up to my previous entry:

Visit we-change.org and join the International Support for Women's Campaign.  

[Photo by Jen Lemen]

Take a peek at Jen Lemen's blog to read about an extraordinary journey she is about to take - and that you can contribute to!  I love when such wonderful ideas come to life, and in that space the world becomes a better place.

To do list:

Buy artwork - check

Read an inspiring blog - check

Make a difference - check

Find something fun to do in San Francisco* - check

Read another inspiring blog - check

Live vicariously through a European traveler - check 

Be inspired - check 

Thank you Kate Swoboda! 

* I don't live there, but I love to visit!

This lovely blogger left a comment on this entry yesterday with a link to this fabulous website for Hope Revolution.  I love this!

CreativePAW:  Creative Professionals for Animal Welfare = Genius! 

From their website:

"creativePAW maintains a searchable database of creative professionals who are willing to do pro bono work to help save animals. Creative professionals submit their bios, contact information, and other details about themselves and their work, and registered animal welfare organizations can search the database when they have a project that needs help and contact the volunteers they feel fit best with their needs.

If you’re an animal welfare group looking for volunteer help, you’ll need to register before searching the database…it’s free and easy. I do this to keep the creative professionals’ details from being scooped up by scammers and spammers. You can also e-mail me at linda.creativepaw@gmail.com if you have a project you’d like to publicize on the site; I’ll add it to the front page, and interested creativePAW volunteers will contact you."

The TEDPrize winners have been announced, and their tag line alone is enough to make me want to leap after my wildest dreams:  Wishes big enough to change the world.  Dave Eggers - one of my heroes - is one of the winners this year. 

These are just a few of the lovely objects available over at Share an Umbrella, "...a socially minded, fun organization made up of artists and artisans who desire to care for people who are less fortunate than themselves."  Buy something cool, make a difference! 

[Photo from the Kick SIDS blog]

You gotta love someone who decides he wants "to learn how to use Mass collabaration, and Current Internet Technology  to Change the world," and P.S. also has "a crazy feeling that Art can not only cure Sudden Infant Death but it may bring the world closer."  Check out the Kick SIDS blog for information on how you can help eradicate Sudden Infant Death Syndrome with art and rocks. 

I met the founder of Hope's Flame candles at the end of last year and many of her beautiful creations found their way under our Christmas tree as gifts.  Barb and I hit it off immediately, and I couldn't resist writing about her business, which is about more than just selling candles:

[From the Hope's Flame website] 

"Hope’s Flame candles are for those who believe a little hope can go a long way. A portion of the sale of every candle goes to a charitable organization that contributes to the hope of another human being, animal, or the earth. And every candle is hand poured, made with the highest quality wicks and all-natural palm wax, subtle scents, and magical colors or unique designs—allowing your Hope’s Flame to burn bright."

Barb just started another great project that I'll be discussing in an upcoming interview with her.  Stay tuned! 

This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen - the $100 laptop, created with one goal in mind:  "To provide children around the world with new opportunities to explore, experiment and express themselves."  Visit One Laptop Per Child and I dare you not to be inspired to donate.

I learned of Dave Eggers when his first book A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius hit the shelves and I saw him speak at UC Santa Barbara a few years ago. I will be totally honest and say I have not been a devoted reader of all of the books he has had published since then, but I have instead been following his career path in a scattered, yet still devoted, kind of way. What inspires me most about Dave Eggers is the fact that he isn't content to simply write beautiful (and astoundingly popular) books, but that he explores and encourages creativity in unusual and quirky ways.

He recently opened the latest arm of his non-profit organization 826 Valencia here in Los Angeles - 826LA - which is "dedicated to supporting students...with their writing skills and helping teachers get their students excited about the literary arts." He began this venture in San Francisco and opened a Pirate Supply Store to help support the organization. He has written novels and essays and published journals, all with a unique perspective of the world and sense of humor, and has used his passion and success to make a huge difference for kids all over the country. Yeah Dave Eggers!!

Pull out your wallets, ladies, for the 60-Mile Men! 

"In a cross between the 'Full Monty' and 'Calendar Girls,' these gentlemen are showing that cancer affects us all: young and old, in-shape, and well, not-so-in shape," says Matthew, president and founder of 60-Mile Men, Inc. "People sometimes wonder why men participate in a breast cancer event. Cancer does not discriminate. Not only are 1% of breast cancer victims male, but cancer of every sort affects our mothers and fathers, sons and daughters. Anyone that has had a loved one with a cancer diagnoses knows that this affects everyone."

When I participated in the Breast Cancer 3-Day in San Diego this past November, our team had the pleasure of repeatedly running into Mr. January.  He encouraged us every step of the way and also inspired us with the passion and enthusiasm he felt for the 6-Mile Men project.  You rock Matthew!!  

I found this page on CNN.com last night in a fit of New Year's Day insomnia.  Reading the news can often times be an exercise in hopelessness, but sometimes simplest solutions can make the most difference.  This is about as easy as it gets - read a story, read about how you can help.  Brilliant.

"Take action! When disaster strikes or horrible events unfold, these are opportunities to effect change. Bad things happen in the world every day. But good can result and one person can impact the world."  Tagline from Impact Your World on CNN.com.