What are you giving thanks for?

What are you giving thanks for?

by Kevin Masterson, Los Angeles Religion & Spirituality Examiner

With all the economic challenges that so many are facing this year, most certainly many people are struggling to find something for which they are thankful for this holiday season. This is a no brainer to me. I am thankful for being so healthy. Let me tell you why.

The next person I’d like to give their fifteen minutes of fame in my series on people who have been inspirational to me are my cousin, Steve & his wife Marsa. The last time I saw Steve was four years ago at my mother’s family reunion. Most of Steve’s family had come up from Texas to attend the reunion—no small feat, as his mother, my Aunt Nancy has seven children. I hadn’t seen most of them for at least ten years so it was hard to recognize everyone. Steve put his hand out to me as he recognized me. We talked for a while that day & had a beer. His family is so warm and friendly that anyone would like to sit down & have a beer with any of them.

Several months ago, I found out from my mother that Steve had malignant melanoma and his wife, Marsa had breast cancer. She had to have a double mastectomy. As ovarian cancer runs in her family, she also had a complete hysterectomy done at the same time. They have a son who is only two years old, as well as two teenage daughters. This past year has been about going to chemo, doctor’s appointments, etc. You’d think this would leave little time for joy, but Steve held his son on his lap as he got his first haircut several months ago. Marsa’s cancer is now under control, but Steve’s has spread to his lungs.

What is most inspirational to me about Steve is his complete acceptance about his situation. He is totally at peace. He’d like to live, but he is not afraid to die. I think that is what is keeping him going. He is not resisting the flow of life. He is trusting in God’s plan for his life.

Many of us are challenged in many ways this year, but Steve & Marsa’s situation really makes me put things in perspective. Money comes & goes--as do jobs, relationships, material objects, etc. However the greatest gift that we all have that we forget is that we are alive, that we draw breath, that we have an opportunity to contribute to the upliftment of the planet.

Steve & I are lucky. If anyone is going to pull through this, it is him. We both come from strong Pennsylvania stock on our mothers’ side of the family. Our grandparents raised eight children during the depression, after my grandfather lost his construction business. Those types of life problems are temporary, but the things that really matter are family, are sticking together and helping each other. Those are the real gifts of life. You just keep on going, keep looking for the pony with all that manure around.

When times are tough, I try to develop "an attitude of gratitude.I think that it is really important this year  in particular that everyone really look at the blessings they have in their lives, to be thankful for what they have, rather than be resentful for what they feel they are lacking. With all the political chaos & economic upheaval in the world right now, it is vital to realize the commonalities that we all share: family, friends, triumphs, tragedies, goals, dreams. I’ve heard it said that “you pray to God for more, but he won’t give you more until you take care of what you’ve got.” That is what I am focusing on this Thanksgiving—what I am doing with the gifts that God has given me, what I can be grateful for, taking care of my “ten percent.”  When times are tough, I try to develop "an attitude of gratitude. Might I suggest that you consider doing the same?

I am sure Steve & Marsa & their family, his mother & all his siblings and their families will be celebrating Thanksgiving together this year, grateful to have each other, grateful for one more day of life. God Bless them. Please keep them in your thoughts & prayers during this holiday season.

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Recession spurs new wave of home based businesses

SIMSBURY, CT -- David Cosgrove Los Angeles Web Design has been recognized by StartupNation (http://www.startupnation.com) as one of the top businesses in its annual Home Based 100 competition under the category of "Most Glamorous".

http://www.startupnation.com/homebased100/winner/168/index.php

Many of the StartupNation Home-Based 100 submissions revealed that business owners are bucking the current economic downturn and finding business success in these tight times. Historically some of today's most well known businesses started in a downturn, including Microsoft and General Electric.

"The 2008 ranking shows that the home-based business is more relevant than ever. The current recession has spurred a new wave of home based businesses as a response to loss of jobs, the need for supplemental income and the sheer passion for blazing your own trail and running your own show," said Rich Sloan, co-founder of StartupNation.com, one of the leading small business networking and advice websites. "Home based businesses are the biggest block of all businesses in existence and we expect numbers to grow ever greater as extra bedrooms, kitchen tables, basements and garages become host to the innovative thinking and pursuit of success by millions of Americans."

Website designers are out in numbers these days. But David Cosgrove's Los Angeles Web Design is different--glamorous you might say--because his clientele includes among other things Hollywood celebrities actors directors films bands professional fitness competitors Major League Baseball players.

How many of us can say that our client list is filled with the who's who? Website designer Cosgrove certainly can.

The StartupNation Home-Based 100 highlights 10 top-ten lists making it not just your ordinary business ranking. From the wackiest, to the most innovative, to the best financial performers - this unique and diverse list highlights the home-based businesses that usually go unrecognized, but still play a vital role in the economy today. The ten categories for 2008 include:

• Best Financial Performers
• Most Innovative
• Boomers Back in Business
• Greenest
• Yummiest
• Wackiest
• Grungiest
• Recession Busters
• Most Slacker-Friendly
• Most Glamorous

In addition to StartupNation staff, judges for this year's Home Based 100 ranking included Adam Lowry, co-founder of Method Products, Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks North America, John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing, Mel Robbins, host of Make It Happen radio show.

The full results of the Home-Based 100 ranking are available on StartupNation's website at: http://www.startupnation.com/hb100.

About David Cosgrove Los Angeles Web Design
David Cosgrove Los Angeles Web Design (www.davidcosgrove.com) has been designing and building websites since 1993. David has worked with corporations, organizations and friends both local and international; from start-ups to Fortune 20 companies to Hollywood celebrities.

View our Winner Profile on StartupNation - http://www.startupnation.com/homebased100/winner/168/index.php

About StartupNation
StartupNation (www.startupnation.com) provides over 175,000 pages of business advice and networking for entrepreneurs and serves millions of entrepreneurs annually.. . StartupNation is a free service founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs with the intention of providing a one-stop shop for entrepreneurial success, including blogs from a host of experts, podcasts, webcasts, eBooks, award-winning step-by-step advice, and more.

About the Startupnation's Founders - The Sloan Brothers
StartupNation co-founders and "chief startupologists," Rich and Jeff Sloan, are two of the country's leading Small Business experts and ran their business from home for eight years. The Sloan brothers speak frequently at entrepreneurial forums and act as sources for top media venues nationwide. They are authors of StartupNation: Open for Business, published by Doubleday, and provide their insight online at www.startupnation.com. The Sloan brothers are regularly quoted and featured in media such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fortune Small Business, Entrepreneur Magazine, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, FOX News and many others.

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Savoring success in the restaurant business

Times Union finds business owners taking leadership in their own lives.

TROY — After 20 years working at National Grid, Lynda Vadnais decided it was time to work for herself.

Vadnais, 45, cast aside her set work schedule, steady salary and benefits as a field customer service representative and dove into the world of food.

She opened Centanni's Market-Italian Deli and Imports in July at 15 Campbell Ave.

"I wanted a career change. I was tired of the corporate world," said Vadnais, who lives near the Emma Willard School.

"I had no idea what it would involve. I never ran a business before," she said.

She worked with the Small Business Administration to lay out a business plan. The one thing she knew was that she wanted to work with food, even though her only exposure to the business was working at a pizzeria as a waitress while attending Hudson Valley Community College a quarter-century ago.

Now, instead of solving utility customer problems, Vadnais is worrying about having enough meatballs for her popular hero sandwiches and keeping quality high as she stakes a position in the city's competitive food industry.

"It was a difficult decision to leave a secure job and a weekly paycheck," Vadnais said.

A.J. Barna, whose family ran Barna's Superette at the Campbell Avenue location for 52 years before closing in 2007, thinks she's doing fine.

"You've got to go where there's good food," said Barna, who eats at Centanni's two or three times a week.

Vadnais named the business after her mother, Maria "Grace" Centanni, who helps out on Saturdays. She found a niche.

"It didn't take long for Barna's old customers and the neighborhood to start coming in,'' said Vadnais.

Obtaining high-quality ingredients is costlier than Vadnais expected. She's committed to keeping to what she wants as she makes her way forward.

Vadnais employs six people and is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday.

"I enjoy what I do. I look forward to coming to work,'' Vadnais said. "I know if I fail or succeed, it's all me."

Kenneth C. Crowe II can be reached at 454-5084 or by e-mail at kcrowe@timesunion.com.

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Transforming Art Into a More Lucrative Career Choice

New York Times Reports 'Starving Artist' Concept a Thing of the Past

Alex Quesada for The New York Times - Alexander Niles, 14, plays guitar on his mother’s dock in Miami Beach. He owns a business that creates custom-made guitars.

Some artists have begun to figure out ways to make money and make art — aiming to end the notion that “starving” and “artist” are necessarily linked.

Tristan Hummel, a senior at the Art Institute of Chicago, exhibited the works of various artists on the city’s El train.

Rather than seeing art as something to pursue in the hours when they are not earning a living, these artists are developing businesses around their talents. These artists are part of a growing movement that has caught the attention of business experts and is being nudged along by both art and business schools.

Living in the Internet era has certainly helped.

Claudine Hellmuth, for example, said that when she graduated from the Corcoran College of Art in Washington in 1997, career options for artists were limited. “You could teach, or do outdoor festivals, maybe get into a gallery,” she said.

At the encouragement of her mother, she took an intensive summer course in Web programming and design at George Washington University and then returned home to Florida, where she found work as an online designer. All along, she continued to paint on the side, thinking that her day jobs would support her. A layoff in 2001 proved to be a turning point.

“I now had the skills to use the Internet to my advantage,” she said. “I am so thankful that I left the art world for a little while.” With a little Web savvy, she says, it is relatively easy for artists to reach a global marketplace for their work.

In a blog post on the American Express Open Forum, Steve King, a small business expert with Emergent Research, cited Ms. Hellmuth as an example of trends that are creating new opportunities for artist entrepreneurs.

Mr. King said he discovered Ms. Hellmuth after her name kept coming up in interviews with artists for research his firm was conducting on artist entrepreneurs. Ms. Hellmuth’s success stems in part from the way she has created multiple revenue streams. She has an online store on Etsy.com, a Web portal where artists sell their work. She does custom illustrations for customers using photographs they provide. She licenses her artwork for greeting cards, calendars and other products. She has written two books about her techniques and has a third one coming out. She tours the country teaching both business and art workshops. And last summer she partnered with Ranger Industries to manufacture a line of products including paintbrushes, paints and canvases.

“When I am making the custom artwork for people, there are only so many pieces I can make in a week, so it really limits the amount of income I can make,” she said. By expanding into books and licensing deals for products, “then you have the potential to make a living.”

Through her business, Ms. Hellmuth said, she contributes an equal share of the household income as her husband, who works on the technology side of newspaper publishing.

Art schools, too, are starting to step in. At the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla., students can now major or minor in a program called “The Business of Art and Design.” Larry Thompson, the school’s dean, said he was inspired to create the program when he read about Dan Pink’s book, “A Whole New Mind,” which popularized the notion that artists, especially those who can marry left and right brain skills, the analytical and the creative, will be in high demand in the coming years.

“I am committed to destroying the myth of the starving artist,” Mr. Thompson said.

Alexander Niles, 14, a high school freshman in Miami with dreams of making it big as a musician, is young to be focused on making a living. But he has already become an entrepreneur.

It all began by accident, he said. He was late in handing in his choices for elective classes and landed in a course on business. For an assignment to write a business plan, he turned to his passion, guitars, and decided to create a business building custom guitars for other people, something he had already done for himself.

After refining his idea in class, Mr. Niles entered his business plan into a local competition sponsored by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship and captured the grand prize for South Florida, which allowed him to compete in a national competition in New York this fall.

The price for his guitars starts at about $2,000, and he expects to make a profit of around $700 a guitar. So far, he has made four, including one for a former instructor, Alex Fox, a flamenco guitarist who has endorsed Mr. Niles’s company. Mr. Niles has set up a Web site, but he does not plan to start filling orders until he has lined up other endorsements, finished his YouTube video and started establishing his brand through an advertising campaign.

Though Mr. Niles has years of school ahead of him, he said he planned to tend to both his music and his business along the way.

“If I make it as a musician, then my guitars will go for way higher than I planned,” he said, citing the example of Brian May of the band Queen who built his own guitar out of firewood with his father.

Mr. Niles and Ms. Hellmuth have learned on their own what Elliot McGucken teaches in his course, Artist Entrepreneurs, which he developed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a grant from the Kauffman Foundation. Mr. McGucken’s course, now taught at Pepperdine University, rests on the principle that those who create art should have the skills to own it, profit from it and protect it.

“It’s about how to make your passion your profession, your avocation your vocation, and to make this long-term sustainable,” he said.

Tristan Hummel, 22, a senior at the Art Institute of Chicago, said he wanted to help create a world where artists could do art as their primary practice and still make a living. Three years ago, after reading that Chicago’s El trains were available for rent, he got the idea to bring artists together to create an art show on wheels. This fall, his idea came to fruition with “Art on Track,” an eight-train car on the orange line that traveled Chicago’s loop while displaying the work of more than 200 emerging artists.

Mr. Hummel now has several other proposals in process, including one to turn a 16-story garage into a sod-covered hanging garden art fair. “Hundreds of artists I know are working hard to cope with the fact that art is traded and sold in a medieval way where artists don’t get to determine the price and what kind of work they create.”

So are these artists selling out by turning to business for the answers?

Absolutely not, Mr. Niles said. “Yes, playing music is mostly about the art. But it’s important to think about what you’re going to do with it. You can play it in a bar, or you can be striving to take it to the top.”

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US NGO looking for ‘inspirational’ entrepreneurs

25 Nov 2008, 0218 hrs IST, Khomba Singh & Deepshikha Monga, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: Sameer Mehra is an entrepreneur who runs a small business with a big idea. Realising the high demand of organic products in overseas markets, he got over 7,000 farmers in Maharashtra and Gujarat to convert to organic farming. He buys their produce at a premium and exports them.

It is entrepreneurs like Mr Mehra that US-based NGO Endeavor looking for. Formed to identify and promote entrepreneurs with innovative ideas that have farreaching impact on the society, the organisation has supported 333 entrepreneurs globally so far. The organisation is now scouting for inspirational entrepreneurs in India.

Those selected are mentored and advised by the likes of Warner Music Group chairman & CEO Edgar Bronfman, Burger King non-executive chairman Brian Swette, former eBay CEO Michael Klein, Orascom Telecom’s CEO & chairman Naguib Sawiris, Jubilant Organosys owner Hari Bhartia, ChrysCapital founder Ashish Dhawan and former Citigroup south Asia head Sanjay Nayar.

These businessmen also get a chance to meet global venture capitalist (VC) and private equity (PE) funds, business honchos and entrepreneurs with a similar interest and innovative ideas. Endeavor has helped raise about $908 mn from VC and PE funds so far.

In India, Endeavor has shortlisted five entrepreneurs representing four firms for a final selection after screening over 350 in the last one year. There will be a final assessment by the Indian and the International review team next month to decide which ones would be supported and mentored.

The soon-to-be-formed Indian Endeavor board will comprise 8-10 members, including founder members Mr Bhartia, Mr Dhawan and Mr Nayar, Endeavor India MD Mallika Singh told ET.

The Indian board members will also contribute some amount in their personal capacity to run the India arm for the first four to five years. Dabur owner Anand Burman will also be a part of the selection team.

Besides the board members, Endeavor has its own team with corporate experiences to advise and mentor the selected companies on a regular basis. The organisation also has collaborations with top consultancy firms, VC firms, legal firms, companies and universities globally, Ms Singh added.

“Endeavor is not about taking up a model and making it run successfully. Our aim is to create role models out of these entrepreneurs and inspire others. We are looking for entrepreneurs who can really make an impact on the society,” Endeavor Global communications & outreach head Elmira Bayrasli said. The firm is now inviting applications from entrepreneurs who run innovative or high-potential businesses with revenues of less than $20 mn.

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New book an inspirational journey

 

By John Meyer
The Denver Post

Near the end of her terrific new book about the New York City Marathon, author Liz Robbins describes with biting understatement a finish-line scene that captures the best of humanity and ridicules the worst of celebrity.

Actor Tom Cruise is waiting for his wife, actress Katie Holmes, who will finish her first marathon in 5 hours, 28 minutes, 58 seconds. Holmes crosses the finish line clad in a spaghetti-strapped tank top and sweatpants, and the crowd cheers.

But the cheers aren't for Holmes or her flaky husband, who is about to make his wife the only runner in the field of 39,265 to have a loved one bestow the finisher's medal. The cheers are for 55-year-old Bill Reilly, a victim of severe cerebral palsy who has just pushed his wheelchair backwards for 26.2 miles — for the 12th year in a row.

Robbins' book, "A Race Like No Other," (HarperCollins, $24.95) is filled with similarly poignant scenes and stories that beautifully capture the power of the marathon in general and the New York City Marathon in particular.

"People start for a reason," Robbins writes. "They finish with a revelation."

Full disclosure: Liz is a friend and sportswriting colleague who has written for The New York Times the past eight years, New York is my favorite marathon, and the race covers the marathon of 2007, in which I ran. I was predisposed to like her book.

But "A Race Like No Other," like the marathon it depicts, offers inspiration at every turn. If you're a runner, it will make you want to run a marathon. If you're a marathoner, it will make you want to run New York. If you love the New York City Marathon, you will treasure this book.

But you don't have to take my word for it. My training partner liked it so much she bought copies for two friends.

Organizing the story into 26 chapters, Robbins weaves vivid mile-by-mile descriptions of the route with memorable stories about people who are running it. Robbins went to South Africa to tell the fascinating story of Hendrick Ramaala, who finished third. She went to Latvia to profile Jelena Prokopcuka, who was third in the elite women's race.

But Robbins also tells the story of a cancer-survivor running his first marathon. We follow the saga of a recovering alcoholic and mother who began training for New York after serving 90 days in jail for her third DUI.

"Completing a marathon, training for a marathon, represents hope," Robbins said on a recent visit to Denver. "And that's why people can be inspired by this book. That's why I was inspired by it. It's the dedication, the perseverance, the craziness, the belief, the doubt and then the belief again. It's a story of reinvention and revitalization."

We also meet some great people along the marathon route, such as Frank Haye, the pastor of music and arts at Emmanuel Baptist church in Brooklyn. Dressed in black robes and colorful scarves on the church's front steps, the choir sings urban spirituals while the mass of marathoners flows by.

"As far as we see it," Haye says, "the whole Christian life is a marathon."

Robbins came up with the idea to do the book after a trip to Boulder just before the 2006 New York City Marathon, which produced a fairly controversial New York Times piece about the elites who train there. It got her thinking about those who have a passion for running, elite and ordinary. She'd long ago fallen in love with the New York City Marathon, so she took a leave of absence from the Times.

"I was looking for a book topic," Robbins said. "I didn't want to write about the NBA, having covered it for 10 years. I didn't want to write about tennis. I wanted to write something that was bigger, that really captured the whole scope of humanity. Nothing does that like the marathon."

She's right. Those of us who run marathons and get to write about marathoners are constantly humbled by the power of the marathon to inspire.

"Everyone keeps asking me, 'What's your next book?' " Robbins said. "How am I going to find something that is this meaningful to people, and so challenging, and so fun?"

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China's richest man, Huang Guangyu - a courteous billionaire

The Times reports that nice guys don't always finish last:

It was just after he had vaulted to the top of China’s rich list in 2005 that Huang Guangyu gave The Times an interview. The self-made billionaire’s career is a classic rags-to-riches tale, but unlike many of China’s nouveaux riches Mr Huang was unfailingly polite, at pains to be considerate and to make his guest feel comfortable.

He smokes, but throughout an interview lasting more than an hour the cigarettes on his neat desk lay untouched.

It was a display of unusual restraint in a country where officials and businessmen rarely bother to ask if their habit offends.

Even though his office, high in the Eagle Plaza skyscraper that he owns with his brother, is enormous and his desk a presidential crescent, he seemed genuinely uninterested in personal wealth.

Mr Huang lives with his wife and son in an ordinary apartment and said that he had no plans to use his riches to pay the fines associated with having a second child in China. He appeared embarrassed when asked what kind of car he owns - a Mercedes - and he only has one, he added quickly.

He works 13-hour days and holidays bore him - although he confessed that when travelling overseas he liked to browse in local electronics retailers to see how others run their stores. During a visit to London he enjoyed walking and looking at the old buildings but was still eager to get home and back to work.

The most surprising moment in our interview came at the end. He accompanied me to the lift and waited, bidding goodbye only as the doors closed. His courtesy gave me “face”, indicating that despite being China’s richest man, he still regarded me as his equal in this deeply hierarchical society.

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Son's diabetes led couple into changing lives forever

The Sentinel reports on a couple providing useful service for over 25 years.

Stuart and Glenys Grime, of Oldhill Close, Talke Pits, were inspired to help raise money and awareness about diabetes after their son Robert was diagnosed with the condition as a teenager. Stuart, a 74-year-old retired advertising representative and Glenys, a 73-year-old retired nursery nurse, also have two grandchildren and have been volunteering for Diabetes UK for more than 25 years.

Colette Warbrook reports:

When and where did you first meet?

Stuart says: We met at the Trentham Gardens ballroom in 1959 when I was about 25. I asked Glenys for a dance, and as we danced we got chatting and found we got on well together. There was a mutual attraction and we started going to Trentham together at weekends, so things developed slowly from there.

Glenys says: We met while ballroom dancing at Trentham Gardens and our relationship gradually developed from there. We got on very, very well together, and we used to love dancing.

What was your first impression of each other?

Stuart says: I'm not one of those romantics. We just took a great liking to one another and realised we were very, very well suited.

Glenys says: I just knew Stuart was going to be very steady and caring, and that is how he has always been. He has been very caring to both me and Robert, and also the grandchildren.

How was your wedding day?

Stuart says: We just drifted into getting married, so there was no formal proposal. Our wedding was in October, 1960, at Chesterton Parish Church. The sun shone and it was a nice day all round.

Glenys says: Our wedding day was very nice. It was a lovely, sunny day.

How did you find out Robert had diabetes?

Stuart says: It was in 1982 and we were in Windsor at the time staying in a caravan. Robert was aged about 14 or 15, and he kept running to the toilet. He was thirsty and was losing weight too, so we knew there was something wrong. We broke off our holiday, came home and went to the doctor. It was found that Robert had diabetes and he was taken to hospital straight away.

Glenys says: It was during the October half-term, and Robert looked very gaunt. We became very concerned, so we decided to pack up and come straight home. The next morning we went to the doctor and a sample was taken and he was then admitted to hospital immediately.

How did you cope with the news?

Stuart says: It was very worrying. Robert was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which means his body is unable to produce insulin, so he has to inject himself with it. We didn't know anything about diabetes at the time, and we were taught how to inject Robert. However, he has always injected himself, right from day one.

Glenys says: Back then we thought diabetes was something old people had, and we'd never come into contact with anyone who actually had it, so we were rather frightened.

How did it change family life?

Stuart says: Some foods were banned, some could be eaten in moderation and others were perfectly OK. We used to have to measure out portions, which you don't have to do today. Sweets were out, so to this day we don't have a dessert after a main meal, which means Robert doesn't feel left out.

Glenys says: We carried on as usual, but we changed our diet. Back then we had to weigh things like apples and bread, but once we knew all these things, we just got on with it.

Why did you start volunteering for Diabetes UK?

Stuart says: Glenys knew someone who told us about the Newcastle branch of what was then the British Diabetic Association. We went to our first meeting a few months after Robert was diagnosed and we learned an awful lot through that. Later we were invited on to the committee and I was chairman for 14 years. The group is now known as Diabetes UK North Staffs Voluntary Group, and it has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for things like equipment for the diabetes unit at The University Hospital Of North Staffordshire.

Glenys says: Someone told us about the meetings in Newcastle and we went to our first one in February 1983. We found the charity very, very helpful, and we've been involved ever since. There are so many dedicated people in our group who all work very hard, but we're looking for some younger people to get involved, because we're all getting older.

How is Robert now?

Stuart says: Robert is 41 now and he is fine. He has to inject himself four times a day, but he's been a model diabetic. He hasn't done anything silly and has always kept to the regime. People can still lead relatively normal lives, but there are restrictions.

Glenys says: He is a wonderful son, and he holds down a very good job as a quantity surveyor. We've been very fortunate with how he has looked after himself.

A Christmas Fair will take place at Bradwell Lodge, Porthill, at 2pm on Saturday, November 29, to raise money for Diabetes UK North Staffs Voluntary Group. To find out more about the group, contact the secretary, David Scott, on 01782 861690

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Those in need helping others with donations to Food Bank of Eastern Michigan; Students in Flint schools among those giving back

FLINT, Michigan -- Potter Elementary students are paying it forward to help fight hunger.

The need for food assistance is up more than ever among families at the northeast-side school, but Principal Anthony Sitko says his students are also setting a different, more inspirational record.

Two local churches recently gave Thanksgiving food baskets to the families of 20 Potter students -- and the elementary school responded by collecting a couple hundred food items to be donated to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, he said.

The drive, organized by the school's Youth Advisory Council, is an example of a subtle shift the food bank has seen in community service. In these poor economic conditions, kids seem to be understanding at a younger age the concept of helping the less fortunate, especially when they see it first-hand.

Sixth-grader Marissa Ebert, who helped organize the food drive, said her family probably needs some help from time to time.  "I wanted to be able to help somebody else," said Marissa, who brought in cans of peas and corn. "I think we helped a lot of people."

Flint Journal extras

Many Flint schools are giving back this holiday season. Here are some examples of their generosity:

• Bryant Elementary: Holding a canned food drive to go toward Thanksgiving food baskets.

• Doyle-Ryder Elementary: Giving away 10 Thanksgiving food baskets.

• Freeman Elementary: Collecting money and canned food for holiday food basket.

• Southwestern Academy: Sponsoring baskets for the needy; Holding a classroom "Adopt-A-Family" project.

Source: Flint School District

Sitko said he often notices that the students who are in need of assistance are seeing that others also need help.
"The demand is up, but the generous giving was also up," he said. "These are tough times and students want to provide support for others who need it."
The food bank recently kicked off its annual month-long fundraising campaign, Face of Hunger. It's goal is to raise $720,000, but food drives like the one at Potter also help the food bank's central mission.

"It shows the real philanthropic nature of our community," said William Kerr, food bank president. "It really is a wonderful example of generosity."

When people think about hunger, they often think of the homeless, Kerr said, but that's usually not the case with many food bank clients.

Many supporters of the food bank have at one point or another needed to use its services, he said. It's evidence that those who need help often feel the need to give back.

"We're not so much a community of haves and have-nots -- we're a community of equals," Kerr said. "Some of us have more than others at certain times and give back."

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Rags To Riches Businessman Shares Success Story

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- A once broke builder, is now a Franklin business owner posting a profit, supervising happy employees, paying his workers like nobody else in the state, and even giving to charity.

Bill McCauley's Williamson County warehouse is about as massive as his generosity, but his super successful "Logo Chair Company."

Their company offers up to 200 college emblems from divisions one and two. McCauley said they started from meager beginnings.

"Oh yeah, we've been broke a couple times in our life. We actually were quite poor when we got started. Actually used to live in government housing when I had two kids, so," said McCauley.

McCauley and his wife are the brains behind "Logo," one of the country's top five suppliers of collegiate "non-apparel" products. It's only a warehouse, but Saturday Logo opened its doors to customers who, even in the worst of times, are ready to "sit the bench."

"We got a couple tailgate games for the Vanderbilt and Alabama games.. uh, for my son in laws. I got my son-in-law a Detroit Tiger tent for over his head. I mean, he's going to be thrilled," said Peggy Love, Columbia Resident and Logo Warehouse Shopper.

Logo employees say it feels like family there.  "It's only like a handful of us here, so.. we all know each other. We all hang out with each other outside of work. So, that's the best thing about it," said Tovarus Williams, Logo Warehouse Employee.

The owner of "LOGO" says he'll donate some money he made Saturday and even some left over merchandise to charity.

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Paralyzed School Shooting Survivor Writes Her Inspirational Story

PADUCAH, Ky., Nov 24, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Dec. 1 will mark the 11th anniversary of the Heath High School shooting in Paducah, Ky., one of the nation's first mass school shootings. Just as it did in 1997, that date will fall this year on the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Eight students in a prayer circle that morning were shot by 14-year-old freshman Michael Carneal. Three were killed. Five were injured. Missy Jenkins, a 15-year-old sophomore at the time, was paralyzed from the chest down.

Jenkins, now 26, is a school counselor, public speaker, community volunteer, wife, mother and author. Her highly touted book, "I Choose to be Happy: A School Shooting Survivor's Triumph Over Tragedy," has been endorsed by Diane Sawyer of ABC News, Robin Meade at CNN Headline News and Sarah Brady with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

"Missy breaks your heart, puts it back together again, and makes you a believer -- in forgiveness, faith, and how the strength of one girl can change the world," said Sawyer.

"Through Missy's narrative, you'll learn how this young woman moved from being part of a headline to being an inspiration," said Meade.

Brady wrote the foreword. "From the day she was shot to the day she met face to face with her shooter a decade later, Missy will take you on her incredible journey of sorrow, pain, joy and triumph," Brady said. "There's a lesson in here for everyone, young and old."

Just released by LangMarc Publishing, "I Choose to be Happy" explores the emotional details of Jenkins' life, including her perspective of the shooting, grueling physical and mental rehabilitation, daily struggles and triumphs of being a paraplegic, work today as a day treatment center counselor for troubled teens, marriage and the birth of her son in 2007.

It also includes a verbatim account of Carneal's interrogation just two hours after the shooting, excerpts from letters Carneal wrote to Jenkins from prison, details of her face-to-face meeting with him last year at the Kentucky State Reformatory and information about his appeal, which is currently under review by the Kentucky Supreme Court.

"I Choose to be Happy" is already being used in middle and high schools to teach lessons in empathy, love, determination, responsibility, kindness, courage, faith, forgiveness, the dangers of bullying and the importance of making good choices.

"I read it to my class and their jaws were dropped the entire time. You could have heard a pin drop," said Rebecca English, teacher at Calloway County (Ky.) Middle School. "Missy has impacted so many lives over the years, and she can impact so many more with this book. Everyone can benefit from it. I know my students and I have."

To interview Missy Jenkins or for more information on "I Choose to be Happy," email jenkinsbook@gmail.com, call William Croyle at 859-620-6916 or visit http://www.missyjenkins.com.

    CONTACT:

    William Croyle at jenkinsbook@gmail.com or 859-620-6916
    website:  http://www.missyjenkins.com

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Inspirational Bristol businessman helps teenagers towards a bright future

Bristol businessman Muhammad Ali is discovering the brightest entrepreneurs of tomorrow in the toughest teenagers of today.

Muhammad, who lives in Whitehall, has been running a mentoring scheme at the City Academy in St George for the past 10 years.

The supplementary school began with five tutors and 50 teenagers and now more than 120 professionals give their time to mentor 600 young people attending the Sunday classes.

Mostly Muslim boys from the inner city, they are often doing poorly at school and need help preventing them getting mixed up in crime.

Thanks to the mentoring many have gone on to university and successful careers.

Muhammad, 36, said most do not have appropriate role models and have difficult personal lives.

He said: "We once asked a group of them to put up their hands in class if they wanted to grow up to be like their dads. Not one of them did."

Muhammad is most proud of a 23-year-old who is now studying accounting and business finance at university.

"I helped him believe that he could do anything. I am so proud of what he has accomplished."

Suzanne Bond, executive director of people and skills at the South West Regional Development Agency said: "Muhammad's work is truly inspirational to us all.

"Enterprise isn't just about making your mark in the business community it is also about how you can make a difference to people's lives by using your skills and your passion with your experience and your time.

"Enterprise Week is dedicated to celebrating enterprise in all its forms and showing what a life-changing impact it can make to others."

Enterprise Week, which ended yesterday, was a national celebration of enterprise with thousands of events and activities across the UK.

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Fly High Joy™ Inspiring Feel-Good Products Create Big Smiles and Help Relieve Stress

In a world filled with increasing challenges and stress, Fly High Joy, LLC answers the call to Create New Smiles Every Day with its refreshing line of inspiring feel-good products that put big smiles on people's faces, uplift their spirits, and help relieve stress.

Yelm, WA (PRWEB) November 24, 2008 -- Joy to the World is the well-known slogan during the holiday season, but with a failing economy, concerns of war and strife, hunger and other forms of stressful challenges, many people are feeling anything but Joy. Knowing that we all need to find ways to Smile more, feel some relief from stress and hopefully a sense of Joy during the holiday season, Fly High Joy, LLC (FlyHighJoy.com) answers the call to help in that endeavor with the creation of its Fly High Joy™ brand of Joyful Inspirational Feel-Good Products that promise to Create New Smiles Every Day.

Children absolutely love the Joy Jumper Plush Dolls, and so do adults. They are particularly desirable to adults who feel depressed or who have heart problems, because of their plush heart-shaped design with Joyful facial expression, and how soft, comforting and healing they are to hold.

There is much medical documentation available that confirms that smiling and laughing helps you relieve stress and feel good. Plus, with the on-going practice of smiling and laughing, you have the potential of living a longer, happier, healthier life. Generally, a person needs some stimulus to invoke a smile or laugh, such as a happy thought, listening to a beautiful piece of music, sitting quietly in nature, or something visual that creates that special chemical reaction which results in a smile and a joyful moment of stress relief. Fly High Joy™ products with their funny, smile-invoking designs and inspirational sayings provide the much needed stimulus that creates a smile and thus, helps relieve stress.

Fly High Joy™ products currently include a line of inspiring, joyful Designer T-Shirts in many short and long sleeve styles for women, men, teens and children with funny, uplifting images & inspirational sayings, and adorable Joy Jumper plush toys (dolls) with inspiring embroidered sayings on the back. The Joy Jumper stuffed plush toys are available in different color schemes, and they can also be used as small pillows. They have soft, plush heart-shaped heads with Joyful facial expressions, arms, legs, hands and feet (wearing socks, sneakers and shoe laces). As Luke Sutton, co-owner of Fly High Joy says, "Children absolutely love the Joy Jumper Plush Dolls, and so do adults. They are particularly desirable to adults who feel depressed or who have heart problems, because of their plush heart-shaped design with Joyful facial expression, and how soft, comforting and healing they are to hold." Many customer testimonials on the FlyHighJoy.com website support the company's claim of creating Smiles and Joy with its line of Inspirational products.

New products for 2009 include: An inspirational picture book, entitled The Many Expressions of JOY; a musical CD of original inspiring music and songs, with the underlying theme of Joy; maternity tops with joyful designs and inspiring baby/mother sayings; and a deck of beautifully designed, Joyful inspirational cards.

For co-founders / co-owners of Fly High Joy, LLC, Luke Sutton and Liza Bennett, the Fly High Joy™ brand of products came from their intent to focus more on Joy, rather than all the challenges in the world. That intent inspired Luke Sutton to create his signature Joy Jumper character, which he had drawn for many years, because it represented for him what Joy was all about - not so much an emotion, but more of a gleeful abandonment. It always made him smile when he looked at it, giving him a sense of calm knowingness that everything's OK. He noticed that when he drew his adorable beloved character for friends and family in their greeting cards and notebooks, they would also get Big Smiles on their faces.

That inspired his business partner and wife, Liza Bennett to suggest that Luke share his Joy Jumper character and concept with the world through inspirational designer t-shirts and apparel, stuffed plush toys, books, music and more. Luke agreed, and after they sold their previously successful business (offering stress relief products), they created Fly High Joy, LLC and the Fly High Joy™ brand.

Fly High Joy™ products are available in several retail stores in Washington State as well as some online retail stores and, of course, at FlyHighJoy.com. They can also be seen at the upcoming Seattle Gift Show (Washington State Convention Center) January 24-27, 2009, in the Personal Style section, Booth # 3317.

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From Rags to Riches

THE second of the Kenton Lectures will be given by Dame Stephanie Shirley, a lifetime achievement winner at the Henley Standard Business Awards.

Dame Shirley, who lives in Phyllis Court Drive, Henley, has called her talk Give and take — an unusual tale of rags to riches.
She will tell the story of her childhood as an unaccompanied German refugee and her journey to becoming one of England’s most successful businesswomen.

Dame Shirley has formed three charity organisations: the Kingswood Trust, the Priors Court Foundation and the Shirley Foundation.

She has also given away more than £50million, mainly to autism charities. Her talk on December 1 will begin at 8pm and tickets are available from the Kenton Theatre box office in New Street (01491) 575698.

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Caring neighbor gets a High 5

KLS News in Salt Lake City, Utah honors a caring neighbor.

November 21st, 2008 @ 8:00am

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

(be patient, there may be an advertisement first!!)

(KSL News) Some Salt Lake City residents made sure an unsung hero in their neighborhood knows that she's made a difference in their lives.

We helped them surprise Joy Waldron with a High 5 this morning. The neighbors who turned out for the High 5 had e-mailed us saying Joy constantly is taking care of those who live around her. She brings people together in a spirit of love and caring.

They say she mows the lawn on a regular basis for others. She also rakes leaves, babysits and is the "guardian angel" of the neighborhood.

Carla Freebairn nominated Joy because she's always helping her neighbors.

"On the holidays she takes the flags and puts them out on both sides of the street. She calls the elderly in the neighborhood to make sure their needs are met. On Election Day she called to make sure they had a ride to vote. She takes care of everybody in the neighborhood, and we wanted to tell her we appreciate her and love her."

Joy said, "I just love everyone. I love the neighbors. I just love them, and I want to take care of them if I can, as much as I can," she said.

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A look at the top 10 inspirational sports movies

by John A. Zukowski

Photo Courtesy of Disney PicturesDenzel Washington gets up close to look over a practice in "Remember The Titans." It's one of the top ten inspirational sports movies of all time.

Not so long ago I came across something on the Beliefnet.com Web site about inspirational sports movies. There were 20 of them listed -- everything from "Rocky" to "The Mighty Ducks." They didn't rank them in any order. But it got me thinking about why some sports movies could be called inspirational.

So I came up with my own list of ten inspirational sports movies. And yeah, a few people already told me ones that shoulda been on the list. So my colleagues Dustin Schoof and KJ Franz have some choices, too.

Something many of them have in common? They're about underdogs. Nobody seems to want to see a sports movie about star athletes or a well-oiled competent team. They want to see scrappy underdogs who've been written off try to make it.

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Local student changing lives with colourful picture

Service from the heart out of Lucknow Sentinel in Canada:

Dona-Maria Knight-Dubé, of Lucknow is celebrating the launch of Happiness Is… a picture book created by children for children to raise awareness about, and funds for, child poverty. Dona-Maria participated in a contest with hundreds of children across Canada and around the world, and was chosen as a finalist for her drawing of the word future. Dona-Maria now has the satisfaction of knowing that her drawing is helping to provide children living in extreme poverty with essential items for their health and well being - as well as hope for the future.

Happiness Is… is a unique picture book that provides Canadians of all ages with the unique opportunity to learn about how children living in extreme poverty see their world; it acts as a discussion tool for adults to address the topic of child poverty with their children. At the same time, when parents, guardians and teachers purchase a copy of Happiness Is…, they have the satisfaction of knowing they are taking the first steps to change a child's life, as the proceeds from the book provide children-in-need with critical items such as clean water, nutritious food, medical care and an education.

“I'm so excited my drawing was chosen to be in the book!” says Dona-Maria. “I really hope I can help other kids around the world and make a difference.”

Happiness Is… was created as part of an initiative by Christian Children's Fund of Canada (CCFC), a child-focused, international development organization, to help children living in extreme poverty. Imaginative and colourful, the book is a vivid collection of child drawings from across Canada and around the world. Children were invited to express what certain words, like 'happiness' or 'danger', meant to them to show the differences and similarities between how children in different countries see their world.

“In many countries racked by chronic poverty, children say they feel better knowing that people in other countries far away care about them,” says Dr. Michael Wessells, Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health at Columbia University and Professor of Psychology at Randolph-Macon College. “Through Happiness Is…, we express our care for the children of the world and become part of a circle of people committed to supporting children's well-being and resilience.”

Happiness Is…is the latest life-saving gift to be added to the CCFC Gift Catalogue. The 2008 Christmas Gift Catalogue is currently available online at www.ccfcanada.ca, providing essential items to children and families in eight developing countries around the world. To purchase a copy of Happiness Is… please visit www.ccfcanada.ca/DonateNow/GiftCatalogue/ or call 1-800-263-5437.

For almost 50 years, Christian Children's Fund of Canada has helped children and families of all faiths break the cycle of extreme poverty around the world. CCFC is a Canadian based charity and child-centred international development organization. Please visit www.ccfcanada.ca for more information on our global approach.

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Motivational Speaker Les Brown Launches YouTube Channel

Les Brown uses new media to share motivational message

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) November 17, 2008 -- Internationally known speaker and traininer, Les Brown, has created a channel on YouTube to share messages. Les Brown hopes that these brief messages can be used to help keep you active, encouraged, and motivated in your daily lives.

The site is enabled with the ability to leave comments, and Mr. Brown would like to be able to respond to messages and connect in an informal way with subscribers. Additionally, Mr. Brown envisions the site can be a gathering place where subscribers can support each other in their endeavors.

In an effort to offer access to the Les Brown message, the site currently has snippets on the following topics:

• Enter your Greatness
• Live Full, Die Empty
• It's Possible
• You've Got to be Hungry
• Reaching New Heights

Les Brown's unique, customized, and powerful format called the Les Brown Experience, is suited to help you understand:

• The Messenger - You, the person behind the words. This in-depth process forms the basis for your plan, to do the work, and maximize your potential
• Your Message - How you deliver it. You prepare, speak, and get critical feedback to make you, your content, and your delivery better, no matter where you are as a speaker.
• Your ideas, energies, and resources. You explore how to make money, make an impact, or both.

For more information, please visit www.youtube.com/LesBrownEnterprises

About Les Brown

Les Brown is one of the nation's leading authorities in understanding and stimulating human potential. Utilizing powerful delivery and newly emerging insights Les' customized presentation will teach, inspire, and channel your audience to new levels of achievement.

Les Brown hosts a weekly motivational call on Monday evenings called Motivational Monday. Open to all, the phone number is 712.432.7606 - Participant Code 623383

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Above the Victim Mentality -- New Inspirational Memoir About the Courage to Confront and Overcome Life's Obstacles

Another heroine choosing to succeed!

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov 18, 2008 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- For determined and highly motivated individuals, life's obstacles are just challenges to be overcome. There are obstacles such as physical impediments that one is born with that take great courage to overcome. Other obstacles are man-made and institutionalized by segments of society that harm targeted groups and individuals. They may take the form of racial, ethnic, gender, and other forms of discrimination. In either case, overcoming such obstacles takes great courage.

Keep Getting Up is the first book of its kind written by a courageous black woman about her career in public service. It's about author and diplomat Ann L. Stanford's 40-year journey of finding her place on the world stage as an accomplished and talented professional. In the sheltered environment in Kansas in which she grew up, her parents, her school teachers, and her community failed to prepare her for the truth of the Black Experience in America. When she stepped out onto the world stage at age 17 determined to make her mark on the world, she crashed into the wall of racial discrimination that shattered her belief system and rocked her self-confidence.

Prejudice was a terrible setback, but she rapidly educated herself about what life for Blacks in America was all about. She then developed strategies to overthrow all racial and gender barriers placed in her path. She triumphed over countless obstacles along her international journey and rose to the top ranks in public service. That took a lot of courage! And to be sure her mark on the world is noteworthy.

Keep Getting Up is a must-read, particularly for those who are concerned about social justice for all in America. Get a copy of this book now! The book will be featured in the Bologna International Book Fair to be held March 2009 in Bologna, Italy.

About the Author

Dr. Ann Stanford's multiple identities are: internationalist, public servant, academician and diplomat. Her dream at age 12 was to become an internationalist, which she accomplished midway through her public service career. As a diplomat, she served as First Secretary-Consul, American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya responsible for the management of the embassy; and as Consul General, head of the American Consulate General in Lyon, France. Her other federal government positions have been in three states and the District of Columbia and she has received numerous honors and awards for her outstanding achievements.

Keep Getting Up * by Ann L. Stanford, Ph.D.
Reflections of a Global Agent for Change
Publication Date: September 4, 2008
Trade Paperback; $23.99; 528 pages; 978-1-4363-0952-3
Cloth Hardback; $34.99; 528 pages; 978-1-4363-0953-0

To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7479. Tear sheets may be sent by regular or electronic mail to Marketing Services.

To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x.7876.

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