Back on the road, spent a little while at SafeHouse before I left town this evening. Had a really good conversation with someone I see there all the time but hadn't gotten around to talking to till today. Our conversation started with how we both smile all the time. He then told me a little bit about himself and then we talked about good deeds, challenges, and how each person faces their own set of challenges, has their own way out of those challenges, and that those are the things that make us grateful for each day. He isn't looking for a way off the streets, but he's looking for a way to make each day count!
I also saw one of the guys from my early days at SafeHouse. He had been traveling in California and just got back this week so he shared some of his stories. I think he said he'll be around for a while, so hopefully get to catch up with him a little more next time.
Since I'm on the road, it's another week of virtual volunteering for me and, hopefully, have someone fill in a couple of days if possible.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Day 211
Had a wonderful day of giving! Started with shopping for back packs and school supplies for Back Pack Explosion at SafeHouse - more about that next week though! Then went to SafeHouse for the evening; it's been a while since I did a full evening there and I really enjoyed it!
Of course there were lots of conversations! Talked about tattoos - do they hurt, the different dyes, patterns, details. Talked to someone else about being real, how/why we feel disrespected, comfort levels, and stepping out of your comfort zone. There was another conversation about cover letters and resumes; I read over his cover letter and gave some feedback.
I ended the night with clean up and the gentleman who always helps was there too so we did our thing - cleaned the lot and the street, stacked chairs, caught up with each other (since we hadn't been there at the same time in a while), and had a good conversation.
Looking forward to going back tomorrow!
Of course there were lots of conversations! Talked about tattoos - do they hurt, the different dyes, patterns, details. Talked to someone else about being real, how/why we feel disrespected, comfort levels, and stepping out of your comfort zone. There was another conversation about cover letters and resumes; I read over his cover letter and gave some feedback.
I ended the night with clean up and the gentleman who always helps was there too so we did our thing - cleaned the lot and the street, stacked chairs, caught up with each other (since we hadn't been there at the same time in a while), and had a good conversation.
Looking forward to going back tomorrow!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Day 210
Back in town this evening so I spent some time at SafeHouse. It was so nice to be back and to see most of the familiar faces :)
I helped out in the kitchen some. The group there was serving hot dogs and also had a variety of pies, cakes, muffins, donuts, and cookies. We set up two tables with just dessert - it was so tempting! There wasn't service this evening, instead they did a "show night" - anyone who wanted to perform, speak, play an instrument could do so. It was fun watching some of them perform and have a good time.
Outside, I had a couple of different conversations. I spoke to one gentleman who was working on his cover letter; we spoke about what kinds of key words to put in there and how to show case your experiences. I spoke to someone else about ways to relax and healthy venting; he says people sometimes vent to him and it gets him frustrated, so we talked about how to deal with that.
I left before they served the meal. Exhausted and looking forward to a quiet night and a weekend of giving!
I helped out in the kitchen some. The group there was serving hot dogs and also had a variety of pies, cakes, muffins, donuts, and cookies. We set up two tables with just dessert - it was so tempting! There wasn't service this evening, instead they did a "show night" - anyone who wanted to perform, speak, play an instrument could do so. It was fun watching some of them perform and have a good time.
Outside, I had a couple of different conversations. I spoke to one gentleman who was working on his cover letter; we spoke about what kinds of key words to put in there and how to show case your experiences. I spoke to someone else about ways to relax and healthy venting; he says people sometimes vent to him and it gets him frustrated, so we talked about how to deal with that.
I left before they served the meal. Exhausted and looking forward to a quiet night and a weekend of giving!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Day 209
Between work and traveling from East Georgia to West Georgia I knew I was going to need some help today. Luckily Jiten was, once again, able to help out. He was back at Books for Africa - I think this place means to him what SafeHouse means to me :)
Here's how his day went:
"Another busy day at Books for Africa. There were only 6 of us volunteering today and we had a lot of packing to do. We packed the books into boxes and on pallets for shipping. I packed 4 pallets of boxes today all in the company of my new shawtie from KSU. Another day of good conversations and laughs while we worked. It was a good day overall although very tiring!"
Once again, I'm in awe with how much my brother has helped with this project - thanks kid!!
Here's how his day went:
"Another busy day at Books for Africa. There were only 6 of us volunteering today and we had a lot of packing to do. We packed the books into boxes and on pallets for shipping. I packed 4 pallets of boxes today all in the company of my new shawtie from KSU. Another day of good conversations and laughs while we worked. It was a good day overall although very tiring!"
Once again, I'm in awe with how much my brother has helped with this project - thanks kid!!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Day 208
Spent the evening donating grains of rice to the World Food Programme through www.freerice.com.
Hema, Jiten, and I played an hour or less each and together donated 12810 grains of rice!
Hema did a variety of subjects: french, geography, english vocab, and chemistry symbols; while Jiten and I stuck to english vocab.
Thanks for helping out this evening guys, even with the short notice!!
Hema, Jiten, and I played an hour or less each and together donated 12810 grains of rice!
Hema did a variety of subjects: french, geography, english vocab, and chemistry symbols; while Jiten and I stuck to english vocab.
Thanks for helping out this evening guys, even with the short notice!!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Day 207
When I'm traveling it's always great to see people help out with the project by helping fill in for me. Today my brother, Jiten, covered for me. He was at Books for Africa, here's his recap:
"It was a busy start to my time at Books for Africa. The Atlanta community bank had a group of volunteers there for the morning, but half way through my time there they all left and there were 5 of us left. We were busy packing books into boxes and getting them ready to be shipped out. I spoke with an elder gentleman today from Atlanta who started volunteering there recently. He was excited to hear that I am from Botswana and we spent the whole time talking about Africa and how African countries are trying hard to rise up against poverty and achieve stable economies. He was very inquisitive about Botswana and southern Africa in general, as to how life is there and how much different it is from America. Overall I had a good day there and had a great conversation. I'll be back on Thursday :)"
Thanks for covering kid!!
"It was a busy start to my time at Books for Africa. The Atlanta community bank had a group of volunteers there for the morning, but half way through my time there they all left and there were 5 of us left. We were busy packing books into boxes and getting them ready to be shipped out. I spoke with an elder gentleman today from Atlanta who started volunteering there recently. He was excited to hear that I am from Botswana and we spent the whole time talking about Africa and how African countries are trying hard to rise up against poverty and achieve stable economies. He was very inquisitive about Botswana and southern Africa in general, as to how life is there and how much different it is from America. Overall I had a good day there and had a great conversation. I'll be back on Thursday :)"
Thanks for covering kid!!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Day 206
Back on the road again so I'm volunteering virtually for some of this week.
I used care2 to volunteer today. I went through all the click to donates first. Then moved on to signing petitions for less lenience for child abusers, for LGBT rights, shark protection, saving turtles from shrimp nets, opposing cuts to medicaid, medicare, and social security, and to support efforts to expand banking in Africa.
Giving our time can be really simple thanks to sites like care2.
Hope you're able to check them out and make a difference in the world with just a little bit of your time.
Happy giving :)
I used care2 to volunteer today. I went through all the click to donates first. Then moved on to signing petitions for less lenience for child abusers, for LGBT rights, shark protection, saving turtles from shrimp nets, opposing cuts to medicaid, medicare, and social security, and to support efforts to expand banking in Africa.
Giving our time can be really simple thanks to sites like care2.
Hope you're able to check them out and make a difference in the world with just a little bit of your time.
Happy giving :)
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Day 205
After a crazy night out Dona and I stopped by SafeHouse this evening. Here's her recap for the day:
Between the heat and our exhausting weekend, we barely made it out there. But we did.
Saw many familiar faces, and tried to catch up with as many people as we could.
We'd talked about heritage, and places we were raised and drew comparisons to life in Atlanta. updated each other on the new music we'd recently heard and our personal preferences.
I tried to help the crew stack the chairs up as we normally would, but I just couldn't exert myself!
Chandni's going to be out of town this week, so you'll see a few of us stepping in this week.
Let us know when you want to pick up a day, and we'll be glad to make arrangements with ya!
~ Dona
Between the heat and our exhausting weekend, we barely made it out there. But we did.
Saw many familiar faces, and tried to catch up with as many people as we could.
We'd talked about heritage, and places we were raised and drew comparisons to life in Atlanta. updated each other on the new music we'd recently heard and our personal preferences.
I tried to help the crew stack the chairs up as we normally would, but I just couldn't exert myself!
Chandni's going to be out of town this week, so you'll see a few of us stepping in this week.
Let us know when you want to pick up a day, and we'll be glad to make arrangements with ya!
~ Dona
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Day 204
It was a busy evening at SafeHouse today! I arrived to a parking lot filled with cars and people. There was a group from New York setting up to perform on the lot. They had everything from the speakers to an equalizer, and spent the first part of the evening setting up.
So while they did that I socialized with the regulars and made some new friends. I spoke to one gentleman about addictions and what he thought would be a better way to help people. He said that being more real and upfront about their issues is more appropriate. He then talked about applying that to the people at SafeHouse, turning it into a TV show, and combining it with a talent show. He said there are a lot of talented people at SHO and once they are free of their addictions their talents would really show.
I talked to another guy about hair. He has locks to his shoulders which took three years to grow. He told me about the process of getting his hair like that as well as about the up keep.
The group was done setting up when the inside service ended. So people ate their food to the band playing outside. They were really good! And sounded very professional. Hopefully I'll be able to hear them sing some more next time.
So while they did that I socialized with the regulars and made some new friends. I spoke to one gentleman about addictions and what he thought would be a better way to help people. He said that being more real and upfront about their issues is more appropriate. He then talked about applying that to the people at SafeHouse, turning it into a TV show, and combining it with a talent show. He said there are a lot of talented people at SHO and once they are free of their addictions their talents would really show.
I talked to another guy about hair. He has locks to his shoulders which took three years to grow. He told me about the process of getting his hair like that as well as about the up keep.
The group was done setting up when the inside service ended. So people ate their food to the band playing outside. They were really good! And sounded very professional. Hopefully I'll be able to hear them sing some more next time.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Day 203
It's been a busy Friday but I still made it down to SafeHouse to hang out for a couple of hours.
They've gotten a new basketball hoop put up and the guys were tossing the basketball around for a bit before they divided into teams and started a game. It was pretty intense with good shots from both sides. One of the guys hardly missed a shot! It was a great game, and definitely took up some time for the guys.
I spent some time talking to one of the guys about tattoos, designs, and bikes. He wants to start his own business giving tattoos and has already done a couple for people. His designs were intricate, and different. He's promised to design one for me as well :)
They've gotten a new basketball hoop put up and the guys were tossing the basketball around for a bit before they divided into teams and started a game. It was pretty intense with good shots from both sides. One of the guys hardly missed a shot! It was a great game, and definitely took up some time for the guys.
I spent some time talking to one of the guys about tattoos, designs, and bikes. He wants to start his own business giving tattoos and has already done a couple for people. His designs were intricate, and different. He's promised to design one for me as well :)
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Day 202
I spent a little while at SafeHouse this evening. It was almost like my first few weeks there. I hung out in the kitchen with one of the guys who volunteers there. We caught up, like old times, we chatted about life, like the old times, and I hung out with him for almost the entire evening. It was good, it was comfortable, and it was just what I needed today.
Once service started I came back outside, put up all the chairs, picked up some trash, socialized for a little while, then headed out. Today's conversations on the lot had to do with religion and making changes in your life. The gentleman I was talking to was telling me about people who were doing bad things and going to church every Sunday, and that he believed it was a waste of their time because they weren't willing to change their habits. I asked what he thought about people not always being able to take the steps towards change and that the amount of time it takes to change habits varies from person to person - he kinda just looked at me and said that was interesting. I don't think he liked the idea :)
Once service started I came back outside, put up all the chairs, picked up some trash, socialized for a little while, then headed out. Today's conversations on the lot had to do with religion and making changes in your life. The gentleman I was talking to was telling me about people who were doing bad things and going to church every Sunday, and that he believed it was a waste of their time because they weren't willing to change their habits. I asked what he thought about people not always being able to take the steps towards change and that the amount of time it takes to change habits varies from person to person - he kinda just looked at me and said that was interesting. I don't think he liked the idea :)
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Day 201
Between work and being a little sick, I couldn't make it out to volunteer, but I did visit sparked.com to help out in any way I could.
I started with helping a PT/OT hospital find ways to contact students who need internship/observational hours. All this took was a simple google search on different associations/schools. Three other volunteers also responded to this challenge so between us I think there are many leads for the hospital.
I then helped brainstorm ideas for a course on biodiversity taught by Friends of the Earth. The course is planned to take place over 6 weeks, with each session lasting about 1.5 - 2 hours. The course will be free to attend and will take place in different locations across the country so they are trying to make each session easy to replicate and fun.
Looking forward to going back out tomorrow!
I started with helping a PT/OT hospital find ways to contact students who need internship/observational hours. All this took was a simple google search on different associations/schools. Three other volunteers also responded to this challenge so between us I think there are many leads for the hospital.
I then helped brainstorm ideas for a course on biodiversity taught by Friends of the Earth. The course is planned to take place over 6 weeks, with each session lasting about 1.5 - 2 hours. The course will be free to attend and will take place in different locations across the country so they are trying to make each session easy to replicate and fun.
Looking forward to going back out tomorrow!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Day 200
Finally back in town and able to go to SafeHouse! I have to admit I was a little nervous since I hadn't been in a while, but once I got there it was like I hadn't even left (besides the conversations about my trip).
Most of my conversations were catch up conversations, but there were a few other ones about food (lamb chops specifically!), music, people being real. There were other conversations about movies, work, and moving. I also spoke to one of the guys about his life, love, and the things he had been through. It was the first time he and I had such a conversation and I am glad he shared his story with me.
It was awesome being back and seeing everyone!
I'd like to give a special thank you to LaBlanc and Blair! I was outside socializing when LaBlanc said I was needed inside. I walk in, its the end of service, and Blair leads the group in singing happy birthday! I was really surprised! And it was definitely one of my favorite moments from today :) Thanks guys!!
Most of my conversations were catch up conversations, but there were a few other ones about food (lamb chops specifically!), music, people being real. There were other conversations about movies, work, and moving. I also spoke to one of the guys about his life, love, and the things he had been through. It was the first time he and I had such a conversation and I am glad he shared his story with me.
It was awesome being back and seeing everyone!
I'd like to give a special thank you to LaBlanc and Blair! I was outside socializing when LaBlanc said I was needed inside. I walk in, its the end of service, and Blair leads the group in singing happy birthday! I was really surprised! And it was definitely one of my favorite moments from today :) Thanks guys!!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Day 199
So I wrap up day 199 with a little Care2 action.
If you've been following us, you know that we're out there saving baby seals and endangered cats all with at the click of a mouse!
But Care2's evolved quite a bit!
As you continue to click away to clean up the ocean, and stop domestic abuse, you fall into that final category titled. "Daily Action"
Today's daily action is to sign a petition fighting for women's rights in Afghanistan.
I've copied the letter for you to review.
If you're inclined to do so, click here to sign the petition yourself!
July 18, 2011
Imprisoned Afghan Women Deserve Due Process
Demand international attention and intervention for imprisoned women and children in Afghanistan.
The Afghan Congress ratified the Elimination of Violence Against Women Act (EVAW) in 2009, criminalizing the traditions of forced and underage marriage, enslavement or physical and mental abuse. And yet, according to the US State Department, seventy-five percent of the Afghan women in prison are condemned for cultural practices protected from punishment by EVAW.
For today's Daily Action, sign the petition to tell Afghan President Hamid Karzai and President Barack Obama to end Afghanistan's cultural practice of incarcerating of women and children accused of moral crimes without due process.
Tonight at 8:40pm I was #77,523 on the petition... who wants to be #77,524?
If you've been following us, you know that we're out there saving baby seals and endangered cats all with at the click of a mouse!
But Care2's evolved quite a bit!
As you continue to click away to clean up the ocean, and stop domestic abuse, you fall into that final category titled. "Daily Action"
Today's daily action is to sign a petition fighting for women's rights in Afghanistan.
I've copied the letter for you to review.
If you're inclined to do so, click here to sign the petition yourself!
July 18, 2011
Imprisoned Afghan Women Deserve Due Process
Demand international attention and intervention for imprisoned women and children in Afghanistan.
The Afghan Congress ratified the Elimination of Violence Against Women Act (EVAW) in 2009, criminalizing the traditions of forced and underage marriage, enslavement or physical and mental abuse. And yet, according to the US State Department, seventy-five percent of the Afghan women in prison are condemned for cultural practices protected from punishment by EVAW.
For today's Daily Action, sign the petition to tell Afghan President Hamid Karzai and President Barack Obama to end Afghanistan's cultural practice of incarcerating of women and children accused of moral crimes without due process.
Tonight at 8:40pm I was #77,523 on the petition... who wants to be #77,524?
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Day 198
Today was recovery day! So I played Freerice throughout the day...
The website's got several new categories and sub-categories, that we all dabbled in.
So we went from trying to figure out what the capital of Paraguay was to a little bit of English grammar, but reverted back to vocabulary!
Okay, okay... I cheated a little! About 5 people got me through our freerice session today! But it was for a good cause!
Unfortunately for our followers, exhaustion forces me to keep my blogs short.
Toodaloo my loves!
The website's got several new categories and sub-categories, that we all dabbled in.
So we went from trying to figure out what the capital of Paraguay was to a little bit of English grammar, but reverted back to vocabulary!
Okay, okay... I cheated a little! About 5 people got me through our freerice session today! But it was for a good cause!
Unfortunately for our followers, exhaustion forces me to keep my blogs short.
Toodaloo my loves!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Day 197
Man was today one of the longest days ever!
We'd planned on crashing Global Soap, but ended up at SHO instead.
the parking lot was filled with cars. The kids there were really awesome, and very interactive.
I spoke with my regulars, who now call me "trouble".
I had a good hour or so of great conversations, and met a few new comers.
I'm planning on heading back there tomorrow.
I hope you can make it out there with me!
Have a good night everyone!
We'd planned on crashing Global Soap, but ended up at SHO instead.
the parking lot was filled with cars. The kids there were really awesome, and very interactive.
I spoke with my regulars, who now call me "trouble".
I had a good hour or so of great conversations, and met a few new comers.
I'm planning on heading back there tomorrow.
I hope you can make it out there with me!
Have a good night everyone!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Day 196
While I would love to go out into the fields of sunshine and plant trees, and give hugs... I’m at work, and I not quite free to do as I please... or am I?
I love being an American bred, Indian raised woman! This world is my oyster, and I find this to be true every day! Had I been raised in India, I'd be a found in some village tending to my flock of hens, raising children, and serving my family... Hah! NO. Not really, we're a much more forward-thinking people.
I got two emails this week from Amnesty international regarding the crisis in Turkey. So I thought I'd take a look....
" Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Turkey suffer discrimination in employment, housing and access to public services.
On June 25, 2010 thousands of people – among them lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) men and women, members of their families, activists and other supporters marched through the center of Istanbul in the greatest show of solidarity for the rights of LGBT people ever seen in Turkey to date.
Supporters marched in defiance of Turkey's laws which are interpreted or utilised in a discriminatory manner by judges and prosecutors, denying the equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. Currently, no provision exists within Turkey’s constitution or domestic law framework proscribing discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity."
I'm a foriegn woman in America, and yes, I can identify being discriminated against for it. So I lent my puny, but FREE voice to the LGBT community in Turkey, and signed a petition demanding equality!
I continued reading, and signed a second one to free Liu Xiaobo.
"Nobel Peace Prize recipient Liu Xiaobo was charged with "inciting subversion of state power" and given an 11-year prison sentence on December 25, 2009 simply for co-authoring a proposal for political and legal reform in China. On October 7, the Beijing Municipal Higher People's Court upheld Liu Xiaobo's prison sentence. Urge Chinese authorities to release Liu Xiaobo immediately and unconditionally."
I signed quite a few more, But I don’t want to ruin it for you… Check out amnestyinternational.org! It's just a few minutes of your time...
We become engulfed with the petty issues in our lives, and then we allow them to slowly consume us. Every day this year, I’m shown just how insignificant I am, and how even more irrelavant my “problems” are in the grand scheme of things. Taking a few hours every once on a while to remind myself that there’s more to my life than what I observe may be selfish, but I move forward with just a little more of a balanced perspective on life.
And in the mean time, I hope my voice, and perhaps a few of yours, makes enough noise to end some of the atrociousness we’re sheltered from!
I love being an American bred, Indian raised woman! This world is my oyster, and I find this to be true every day! Had I been raised in India, I'd be a found in some village tending to my flock of hens, raising children, and serving my family... Hah! NO. Not really, we're a much more forward-thinking people.
I got two emails this week from Amnesty international regarding the crisis in Turkey. So I thought I'd take a look....
" Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Turkey suffer discrimination in employment, housing and access to public services.
On June 25, 2010 thousands of people – among them lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) men and women, members of their families, activists and other supporters marched through the center of Istanbul in the greatest show of solidarity for the rights of LGBT people ever seen in Turkey to date.
Supporters marched in defiance of Turkey's laws which are interpreted or utilised in a discriminatory manner by judges and prosecutors, denying the equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. Currently, no provision exists within Turkey’s constitution or domestic law framework proscribing discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity."
I'm a foriegn woman in America, and yes, I can identify being discriminated against for it. So I lent my puny, but FREE voice to the LGBT community in Turkey, and signed a petition demanding equality!
I continued reading, and signed a second one to free Liu Xiaobo.
"Nobel Peace Prize recipient Liu Xiaobo was charged with "inciting subversion of state power" and given an 11-year prison sentence on December 25, 2009 simply for co-authoring a proposal for political and legal reform in China. On October 7, the Beijing Municipal Higher People's Court upheld Liu Xiaobo's prison sentence. Urge Chinese authorities to release Liu Xiaobo immediately and unconditionally."
I signed quite a few more, But I don’t want to ruin it for you… Check out amnestyinternational.org! It's just a few minutes of your time...
We become engulfed with the petty issues in our lives, and then we allow them to slowly consume us. Every day this year, I’m shown just how insignificant I am, and how even more irrelavant my “problems” are in the grand scheme of things. Taking a few hours every once on a while to remind myself that there’s more to my life than what I observe may be selfish, but I move forward with just a little more of a balanced perspective on life.
And in the mean time, I hope my voice, and perhaps a few of yours, makes enough noise to end some of the atrociousness we’re sheltered from!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Day 195
Jiten covered for me today by going to Books for Africa, here's his recap:
"I was back at Books for Africa today. It was a quiet day today; not many people and not a whole lot to do. They were waiting for a new shipment to come in so we were sorting the few books we had. My cheerleader friend was back again. So we spent the whole time together talking and sorting books out. It was a good time. Ill be back there soon."
Thanks for covering kid!! And yes you will be back there soon :)
"I was back at Books for Africa today. It was a quiet day today; not many people and not a whole lot to do. They were waiting for a new shipment to come in so we were sorting the few books we had. My cheerleader friend was back again. So we spent the whole time together talking and sorting books out. It was a good time. Ill be back there soon."
Thanks for covering kid!! And yes you will be back there soon :)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Day 194
Spent some time on freerice.com this evening.
I tried the English Grammar and pretty much did all the questions and levels they had, but that only took me to 2000 grains of rice!
My brother Jiten helped out and donated 5120 grains of rice!!! In about an hour! He tried geography and math (he's a math whiz!) and did english vocabulary, which he said was a little tough : )
7120 grains of rice donated in just over an hour! Having too much fun giving back!
I tried the English Grammar and pretty much did all the questions and levels they had, but that only took me to 2000 grains of rice!
My brother Jiten helped out and donated 5120 grains of rice!!! In about an hour! He tried geography and math (he's a math whiz!) and did english vocabulary, which he said was a little tough : )
7120 grains of rice donated in just over an hour! Having too much fun giving back!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Day 193
I went to care2.com this evening and did the usual:
Simple. Easy. Giving.
- click to donate - for children, rainforests, big cats, breast cancer, pets, seals, oceans, primates, global warming, violence against women, and wolves.
- signed petitions - demand justice for the family of Milly Dowler; to pass the DREAM act; to protect the Arctic ocean from dangerous and irresponsible drilling; fighting climate change to save the polar bears (this is one I feel really strongly about!); to stop ESKOMs price increase (if you're in SA this one is relevant to you!); to end military assistance to countries that use child soldiers
Simple. Easy. Giving.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Day 192
I'm on the road so taking the opportunity to go back to Amnesty International tonight. Here's a brief description of the ways I am getting involved:
- During 2009, thousands of civilians died in the final months of the war in Sri Lanka. Both the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers committed war crimes and other gross human rights abuses. But no one has been held accountable. So I wrote to ask the U.S. government to support an international investigation into war crimes and other abuses committed by both sides during the war in Sri Lanka.
- I wrote to help protect human rights defender Lydia Cacho. I read an article about her on CNN and am amazed by the work she does. She first received multiple threats and harassment after publishing a book in 2005, in which she exposed a child pornography ring which allegedly operated with the knowledge and protection of politicians and business people of the Quintana de Roo and Puebla states. She continued to receive threats in the following years, on some occasions in reprisal for her work as a journalist and as a human rights defender at a women’s shelter in Cancún. Following the latest threats, there are serious fears over her safety and security.
- I wrote to put an end to LGBT discrimination in Turkey. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Turkey suffer discrimination in employment, housing and access to public services.The newly elected government in Turkey has pledged to introduce a new constitution containing greater human rights protections. An anti-discrimination law is also scheduled to come before the Turkish parliament. However without concerted pressure, there is a danger that these legal changes will again ignore LGBT people's demands for equality.
I wanted to highlight a human rights key victory from Amnesty International. I wrote about this one several weeks ago - take a look and see what a difference a little bit of your time can make: Military pledges to stop forced 'virginity tests' in Egypt
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Day 191
After yesterdays incredible day of giving, today was a calmer day. I stopped by SafeHouse before leaving town and got to just hang out and chat with people.
I had a conversation about relationships, being safe, and being a "feminologist" - one of the guys claims this is what he is and that he can tell everything about a woman just by watching her...this one will have to be tested out at some point!
I also had a more serious conversation with one gentleman about making changes in your life. He hasn't been doing well for the past few weeks and is focused on the negative things that have happened lately. We talked some about staying focused, staying positive, and wanting change means taking the steps towards change. I'm hoping he finds what he's looking for and that he takes care of himself.
So today marks the start of my longest stretch away from SafeHouse - hopefully it flies by, in the meantime there will be lots of virtual volunteering and some filling in by family and friends. Hope everyone has a good week!
I had a conversation about relationships, being safe, and being a "feminologist" - one of the guys claims this is what he is and that he can tell everything about a woman just by watching her...this one will have to be tested out at some point!
I also had a more serious conversation with one gentleman about making changes in your life. He hasn't been doing well for the past few weeks and is focused on the negative things that have happened lately. We talked some about staying focused, staying positive, and wanting change means taking the steps towards change. I'm hoping he finds what he's looking for and that he takes care of himself.
So today marks the start of my longest stretch away from SafeHouse - hopefully it flies by, in the meantime there will be lots of virtual volunteering and some filling in by family and friends. Hope everyone has a good week!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Day 190
Dona and I had a fabulous DAY of giving today!
We volunteered with Project Live Love. A non-profit organization designed to influence culture through love in action by engaging, networking and mobilizing people who are motivated by love.
Today they had their quarterly Live Love event. An event designed to provide hands-on opportunities of service for individuals to meet community needs. They organize several different service projects for the day, from helping turn a house into a home for someone, working with at-risk youth, painting facilities, to hanging out with people in the park. Dona and I chose to do the Picnic in the Park.
We went to Woodruff Park with about 25 volunteers. We were handing out bottles of water, chips, and striking up conversations with anyone who wanted to talk. Dona and I saw several familiar faces from SafeHouse so we were ecstatic! We made new friends of course, had several fun conversations, learned to play chess, played spades, and got kicked out of a section by security!! Apparently Woodruff park has tables/sections designated for certain activities...with card playing being across the street! Thankfully, one of the security guards let us set up an extra table across the street, so we were able to play a good round of cards.
Towards the end of the afternoon Dona and I hung out in the park with some of our friends and were soon stranded in the park in the pouring rain! We ran for cover, got covered in sand and other grime that was blowing around, then did some strategic walking back to the car.
Since we were already downtown, we ended our evening at SafeHouse. Our same friends from the park were there, so of course we had to challenge each other to another round of spades (this is becoming our routine). There was some good trash talking - I'm also learning how to stop being nice and engage in trash talk during a card game - and some great laughs!
We both really enjoyed our day of giving, or rather our day of hanging out with friends!
We volunteered with Project Live Love. A non-profit organization designed to influence culture through love in action by engaging, networking and mobilizing people who are motivated by love.
Today they had their quarterly Live Love event. An event designed to provide hands-on opportunities of service for individuals to meet community needs. They organize several different service projects for the day, from helping turn a house into a home for someone, working with at-risk youth, painting facilities, to hanging out with people in the park. Dona and I chose to do the Picnic in the Park.
We went to Woodruff Park with about 25 volunteers. We were handing out bottles of water, chips, and striking up conversations with anyone who wanted to talk. Dona and I saw several familiar faces from SafeHouse so we were ecstatic! We made new friends of course, had several fun conversations, learned to play chess, played spades, and got kicked out of a section by security!! Apparently Woodruff park has tables/sections designated for certain activities...with card playing being across the street! Thankfully, one of the security guards let us set up an extra table across the street, so we were able to play a good round of cards.
Towards the end of the afternoon Dona and I hung out in the park with some of our friends and were soon stranded in the park in the pouring rain! We ran for cover, got covered in sand and other grime that was blowing around, then did some strategic walking back to the car.
Since we were already downtown, we ended our evening at SafeHouse. Our same friends from the park were there, so of course we had to challenge each other to another round of spades (this is becoming our routine). There was some good trash talking - I'm also learning how to stop being nice and engage in trash talk during a card game - and some great laughs!
We both really enjoyed our day of giving, or rather our day of hanging out with friends!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Day 189
I had so much fun at SafeHouse!
I took a deck of cards with me to SafeHouse this evening and amidst all the conversations we eventually started up a Spades game. The guys were so great about teaching me the game last time, so we played a couple of hands and they kept giving me tips throughout the game. I eventually swapped out to go clean up and have some other conversations. When I came back I sat with a couple of them and they explained their hand as well as how to bid. My favorite part of watching them play was all the trash talk. It was hilarious!
I had a really good time and got to hang out with a couple of different people. And now will always have a deck of cards with me at SafeHouse!
I took a deck of cards with me to SafeHouse this evening and amidst all the conversations we eventually started up a Spades game. The guys were so great about teaching me the game last time, so we played a couple of hands and they kept giving me tips throughout the game. I eventually swapped out to go clean up and have some other conversations. When I came back I sat with a couple of them and they explained their hand as well as how to bid. My favorite part of watching them play was all the trash talk. It was hilarious!
I had a really good time and got to hang out with a couple of different people. And now will always have a deck of cards with me at SafeHouse!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Day 188
The energy is back which made for a wonderful time at SafeHouse! I stayed outside and had some good conversations with a couple of different guys.
One of them is starting a kind of mentoring program for anyone who is interested in starting a business. He has everything laid out and starts next week. It's a year long program in which he will teach the different aspects of starting a business. He is doing this from a religious perspective. It was really cool talking to him about this today, he already helps people think through the steps of starting a business, now he'll be doing it on a larger scale. I am so excited for him and can't wait to see how things go.
I also talked to the young gentleman who ended up in Atlanta from Houston. Two weeks ago he was supposed to follow up on a lead for a job. He hasn't yet. We spoke about what the barriers were and he said he had been spending a lot of his time focusing on music because he would like to become a rapper. He says he will follow up on the job this week. I'll be checking in with him the next time I see him. He's young and has so much ahead of him, I do hope he follows through.
Back tomorrow :)
One of them is starting a kind of mentoring program for anyone who is interested in starting a business. He has everything laid out and starts next week. It's a year long program in which he will teach the different aspects of starting a business. He is doing this from a religious perspective. It was really cool talking to him about this today, he already helps people think through the steps of starting a business, now he'll be doing it on a larger scale. I am so excited for him and can't wait to see how things go.
I also talked to the young gentleman who ended up in Atlanta from Houston. Two weeks ago he was supposed to follow up on a lead for a job. He hasn't yet. We spoke about what the barriers were and he said he had been spending a lot of his time focusing on music because he would like to become a rapper. He says he will follow up on the job this week. I'll be checking in with him the next time I see him. He's young and has so much ahead of him, I do hope he follows through.
Back tomorrow :)
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Day 187
I was back at SafeHouse this evening. Still not feeling energetic so I left as soon as service ended.
While I was there though I got to have some fun conversations with some of the guys I know. One shared stories of his early days on the streets of Atlanta. He told me about some of the fights/near fights he had been in, told me about the police watching people who are homeless. We also talked some about one of the bigger shelters in the city and the effects of closing it down. He now has a place to live so we talked about that as well.
I had another conversation with one of the guys about the role of women in society from a cultural perspective. It was an interesting conversation because we compared Asian-Indian women and African-American women. As our conversation moved on he also told me about his family and later shared some of his stories from the streets too.
I'm back here tomorrow and hoping to be back to normal too :)
While I was there though I got to have some fun conversations with some of the guys I know. One shared stories of his early days on the streets of Atlanta. He told me about some of the fights/near fights he had been in, told me about the police watching people who are homeless. We also talked some about one of the bigger shelters in the city and the effects of closing it down. He now has a place to live so we talked about that as well.
I had another conversation with one of the guys about the role of women in society from a cultural perspective. It was an interesting conversation because we compared Asian-Indian women and African-American women. As our conversation moved on he also told me about his family and later shared some of his stories from the streets too.
I'm back here tomorrow and hoping to be back to normal too :)
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Day 186
It was one of those days where I just wanted to do nothing after work, but eventually convinced myself to go help out at Kashi. A volunteer friend was there too which made the evening go by really quick.
I helped with making the bags. A simple task which meant lots of time to socialize and time to not think about anything at all in between the socializing.
Hoping the folks at the shelter enjoy their snack bags!
I helped with making the bags. A simple task which meant lots of time to socialize and time to not think about anything at all in between the socializing.
Hoping the folks at the shelter enjoy their snack bags!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Day 185
Jiten and I woke up bright and early to help out with meal deliveries at Open Hand today. Our route was in College Park and East Point. Everyone was home to receive their meals and they were all surprised that they were getting meals delivered on a holiday!
Besides the usual sibling bonding that we do on this particular volunteer opportunity, today we had a bit of an adventure too. We got lost a couple of times, while kid blames my navigation skills (or lack thereof), I think it was his driving. Nonetheless, we still got done earlier than the estimated time and got to drive around a part of the city that I wasn't too familiar with.
We had a great start to our holiday and are now headed to the lake!
Happy Giving and Happy 4th!!
Besides the usual sibling bonding that we do on this particular volunteer opportunity, today we had a bit of an adventure too. We got lost a couple of times, while kid blames my navigation skills (or lack thereof), I think it was his driving. Nonetheless, we still got done earlier than the estimated time and got to drive around a part of the city that I wasn't too familiar with.
We had a great start to our holiday and are now headed to the lake!
Happy Giving and Happy 4th!!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Day 184
Awesome evening at SafeHouse!
I met an elder gentleman today who shared several fun stories from his life. He told me about his first time flying solo, about his travels to NYC to meet a friend, and about his visit to Stone Mountain in the 80s.
I met another gentleman who was telling me about some other outreach organizations and other volunteer opportunities - I'll have to check them out soon.
In addition to several wonderful conversations, meeting even more new people, and running around with my buddy, I learned how to play Spades! And loved it! Game Night round 2 ASAP!!
I met an elder gentleman today who shared several fun stories from his life. He told me about his first time flying solo, about his travels to NYC to meet a friend, and about his visit to Stone Mountain in the 80s.
I met another gentleman who was telling me about some other outreach organizations and other volunteer opportunities - I'll have to check them out soon.
In addition to several wonderful conversations, meeting even more new people, and running around with my buddy, I learned how to play Spades! And loved it! Game Night round 2 ASAP!!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Day 183
After having a really busy evening at SafeHouse yesterday, it was nice to have a quieter evening there today. I hung out with everyone and had lots of good conversations.
The gentleman who volunteers with different organizations has moved into a home!! I am so happy for him!! He was describing his new home to me today and how wonderful it felt to lie in a bed! I'm hoping he continues to do well and that he enjoys his new home.
Talked to someone else about living in different cities/states. He has lived in New York, Chicago, Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, and is now in Atlanta. We talked about the pace of life, touristy stuff, and about Atlanta traffic.
Another conversation with one of the guys I talk to regularly. He always shares how horrible his childhood was: he was always picked on in school. So today we talked some more about that and I shared my stories with him. He then said that he noticed how alike we are. And we are. I moved the conversation on to personal growth and what I am doing to make changes in my life. I'm sure we will slowly start to turn that towards him and what he can do to make changes in his life.
Back tomorrow :)
The gentleman who volunteers with different organizations has moved into a home!! I am so happy for him!! He was describing his new home to me today and how wonderful it felt to lie in a bed! I'm hoping he continues to do well and that he enjoys his new home.
Talked to someone else about living in different cities/states. He has lived in New York, Chicago, Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, and is now in Atlanta. We talked about the pace of life, touristy stuff, and about Atlanta traffic.
Another conversation with one of the guys I talk to regularly. He always shares how horrible his childhood was: he was always picked on in school. So today we talked some more about that and I shared my stories with him. He then said that he noticed how alike we are. And we are. I moved the conversation on to personal growth and what I am doing to make changes in my life. I'm sure we will slowly start to turn that towards him and what he can do to make changes in his life.
Back tomorrow :)
Friday, July 1, 2011
Day 182
It was an evening of chaos at SHO tonight!
Chandni and I were both at work, and we were running a little late! Thank goodness for all our friends and family who'd volunteered with us tonight and made it there before hand! Between Kid, Hema, and the rest of Chandni's family, they'd brought sandwiches; Kim Braund from Nationwide brought a cooler full of sodas!
While we'd prepared for Game Night, as we'd been announcing all week, things didn't go quite as planned.
Due to a little miscommunication, there were 2 groups serving clients at SHO tonight. Us and another church group.
I won't lie, the disappointment creeped in because we were excited about getting our group together and getting sooooooo much accomplished in just 10 days amongst our little circle of friends and family; but as the night progressed we slowly got back into the groove of things and began to do what we came out there to do. Have fun and socialize with our SafeHouse friends with no strings attached for them to be served.
The guys had to have moved tables back and forth about 4 times, but we finally got it together and got the spades game going! Chandni and Kid brought checkers, and there were different tables playing checkers too!
Raksha had a blast leading the bingo games inside, and our friends were happy to receive prizes!
Oh and, Chandni's little buddy was there! Flocked by lovely ladies wanting to play with him, and he just loved the attention!
It was a wonderful night, after all.
It was so exciting to see our friends reach out to our friends at SHO and step up to do whatever it took to ensure the night unfolded without a hitch.
I'm always moved when I see my friends support us in making Project 365 happen.
They didn't come out there because they had an incentive, nor did we have to ask them twice for their aid.
Everyone gave and gave freely, and I'm moved beyond words... Almost to tears.
It's always fun watching our friends at SHO unwind, kickback, and relax with us. Talk to us, give us insight into their life experiences, and always make us laugh!
Thank you everyone for everything!!!
Thank you Kid, Guy, Hema, Mickey, Shrayo, Prashant, Raksha, Vishal, Vick, Kurt, Kim, Kenny, AJ, Becca, Tim(enya), LaBlanc and the rest of our fabulous volunteers that made tonight a great night!
Thank you Sapna, Shashin, P-Man, HP, and Kid's friend for donating ALL the food - you guys are awesome and we could not have done this without your help.
Thank you SafeHouse for the opportunity to give back.
Thank you Friends at SHO for having us, and letting us serve you!
Have a good night, and a Happy Fourth of July weekend!
Chandni and I were both at work, and we were running a little late! Thank goodness for all our friends and family who'd volunteered with us tonight and made it there before hand! Between Kid, Hema, and the rest of Chandni's family, they'd brought sandwiches; Kim Braund from Nationwide brought a cooler full of sodas!
While we'd prepared for Game Night, as we'd been announcing all week, things didn't go quite as planned.
Due to a little miscommunication, there were 2 groups serving clients at SHO tonight. Us and another church group.
I won't lie, the disappointment creeped in because we were excited about getting our group together and getting sooooooo much accomplished in just 10 days amongst our little circle of friends and family; but as the night progressed we slowly got back into the groove of things and began to do what we came out there to do. Have fun and socialize with our SafeHouse friends with no strings attached for them to be served.
The guys had to have moved tables back and forth about 4 times, but we finally got it together and got the spades game going! Chandni and Kid brought checkers, and there were different tables playing checkers too!
Raksha had a blast leading the bingo games inside, and our friends were happy to receive prizes!
Oh and, Chandni's little buddy was there! Flocked by lovely ladies wanting to play with him, and he just loved the attention!
It was a wonderful night, after all.
It was so exciting to see our friends reach out to our friends at SHO and step up to do whatever it took to ensure the night unfolded without a hitch.
I'm always moved when I see my friends support us in making Project 365 happen.
They didn't come out there because they had an incentive, nor did we have to ask them twice for their aid.
Everyone gave and gave freely, and I'm moved beyond words... Almost to tears.
It's always fun watching our friends at SHO unwind, kickback, and relax with us. Talk to us, give us insight into their life experiences, and always make us laugh!
Thank you everyone for everything!!!
Thank you Kid, Guy, Hema, Mickey, Shrayo, Prashant, Raksha, Vishal, Vick, Kurt, Kim, Kenny, AJ, Becca, Tim(enya), LaBlanc and the rest of our fabulous volunteers that made tonight a great night!
Thank you Sapna, Shashin, P-Man, HP, and Kid's friend for donating ALL the food - you guys are awesome and we could not have done this without your help.
Thank you SafeHouse for the opportunity to give back.
Thank you Friends at SHO for having us, and letting us serve you!
Have a good night, and a Happy Fourth of July weekend!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)