General Awareness | 52 Weeks of Charity

Category Archives: General Awareness

Habitat for Humanity South Hampton Roads (Norfolk, VA): Changing lives through the ReStore

Posted on May 22, 2019 by k8mante One comment

There was time to read through several homeowner stories as I waited for the volunteer shift to start at the Habitat for Humanity South Hampton Roads ReStore (HFH-SH) in Norfolk, VA.

I learned of single moms working multiple jobs to make enough to put food on the table and care for their children.

I read a story of a family forced out of their apartment by rent increases. Another family struggled to move to a safe neighborhood to get away from gun violence and drug gangs. One family, unable to secure affordable financing, was forced to live with relatives in crowded conditions. Read more

Walk for Team Walker: Supporting Jersey City, NJ Inner City Youth

Posted on April 29, 2019 by k8mante Leave a comment

Jerry walker edited Jerry Walker is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to protecting, supporting and encouraging his students to succeed in life! A four-time High School All American and collegiate basketball standout and a product of the tough city streets of Jersey City, he returned to his Jersey City community to found TEAM WALKER in 1996.

As with many mid-sized cities in America, Jersey City, New Jersey (pop. Close to 250,000) is undergoing a revitalization. Certain areas have been reclaimed and rebuilt with skyscrapers full of businesses and world headquarters, fancy new apartments and condos, green parks and great views of the water and the NYC skyline. The change-over in those areas have displaced long-term, low-income families and manufacturing plants. Woven between these pockets of glitter and glam are a mix of middle-class neighborhoods and old-city streets with dilapidated houses and high levels of poverty and crime. Read more

General Awareness

Week 52: Volunteering at the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana

Posted on July 9, 2018 by k8mante Leave a comment

My legs and back were stiff from sitting on the ground for the last hour, but there was no room to stretch or move in the tiny sweat lodge full as it was with tribesmen/women and invited guests.

I had never been in a place so dark. Covered with branches and then thick blankets, absolutely no light entered the space. The air was humid and thick enough that you felt you were breathing in gel. Read more

Week 51: Mane Stream – Helping Children with Disabilities through Equine Therapy

Posted on May 24, 2018 by k8mante Leave a comment

“Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves” reads a quote in the volunteer kit. I was reading up ahead of my scheduled day at Mane Stream, an adaptive horsemanship and equine therapy center in Oldwick, NJ. I would quickly learn that Mane Stream was much more than a therapeutic program. It is a community of joy and healing. The special staff, therapists and volunteers who work at Mane Stream light up the lives of their patients and their families.

Week 47: Helping our Children Build a Better Tomorrow

Posted on April 28, 2018 by k8mante Leave a comment

kids earth heart

One day in the not too distant future the world will belong to our children. They will make decisions on the environment, policies on poverty and social services, and be responsible for making decisions about resources, war, and peace. They will be the problem-solvers (and problem-creators) responsible for the well-being of future generations.

How can we support our children and young adults so they become their best selves in a global society? How can we fuel within them a sense of service and civic engagement? How can we expand their minds to include causes bigger than themselves?

Most importantly, how can we help them develop the resolve and confidence they will need so they believe without a shadow of doubt they can make a difference, effect change, and improve the world?

Week 46: NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking: Fighting for the Victims

Posted on April 19, 2018 by k8mante One comment

The speaker stood up at the front of the auditorium….

“Several times a year our group goes into local cities and towns and asks, ‘Who are your missing children?’ We get their names and photos, then make posters of these children.”

(She holds up one of the posters with the faces of at least 15 children on it)

“We then stop at motels and hotels” she continued, “and ask the staff, ‘Have you seen any of these faces?’”

“EVERY TIME we’ve done this we’ve had at least one rescue. Sometimes several. The children are usually going by different names, but we always find someone who recognizes at least one and it allows us to start to work towards finding them and rescuing them.”

These children… they are typically between the ages of 12 and 16. These cities and towns? …. They are in New Jersey….

Week 41: Kindness.org: The Surprising Effects of Building Intent Around Kindness

Posted on March 16, 2018 by k8mante Leave a comment

coffee

Because this is New Jersey, and aggressive, caffeine-fueled commuting is standard, I pass 7 Dunkin’ Donuts and 3 Starbucks on my 40 minute, 11 mile drive to work.

Not only do all these coffee shops ensure I can always find a boost of energy, they provided the perfect venues for me to work on this week’s charity – Kindness.org.

Week 35: Protecting Children in Crisis: Paint-&-Sip with Family Intervention Services

Posted on February 2, 2018 by k8mante One comment

CDC sources of abuse

According to the NJ Department of Children and Families, there were 59,151 referrals for child abuse and neglect in 2013. All were referred for investigation. Just about 10,000 of them became active/open cases. Ongoing neglect, physical and/or sexual abuse, domestic/school/community violence… these are the environments of children living in trauma… of families in crisis. It’s a world behind closed doors, a secret space in society. It is into this world that Family Intervention Services (FIS) steps, with the goal of protecting children and rehabilitating families.

Week 33: SpreadKindness.Org: Heart+Action=Power

Posted on January 18, 2018 by k8mante Leave a comment

One of my goals for this 52-week journey is to explore a wide variety of ways to get involved – from more structured organizations to grassroots efforts. Sometimes volunteering can take a pretty big commitment of time, resources, or planning. However, there are also many simple ways to tie volunteering and kindness into your life in much more organic and simple way. SpreadKindness.org is one such avenue.

Week 32: DoSomething.Org – Empowering Youth and Young Adults to Get Involved and Get Active (because apathy sucks!)

Posted on January 13, 2018 by k8mante Leave a comment

DoSomething.org is the future of volunteer and activism experiences. The non-profit uses a digital platform to power offline action through hundreds of grass-roots volunteer, social change, awareness and civic action campaigns.

Targeted at ages 13 – 30, the campaigns can be completed by individuals or groups, without any need for transportation, funding by participants, or oversight. Young adults love to get involved and make a difference. They are passionate about causes they identify with. DoSomething.org taps into that potential and makes getting active super easy and super fun, empowering teens and young adults to drive social change.

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