Charitable Connections, Inc. - Latest Blog Entries

Global Leadership

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:14:00 -0500

This past week I was presented a Global Leadership award in Crowthorne, Berkshire, United Kingdom. The Bow Group, National Congress of Families and the Leadership Institute recognized my 15 years of service in the community as a global leader. It was an honor but goes back to all of the organizations and people I work with day to day. It goes out to people like Ola Reynolds and Reverend Larry Hill who are tremendous grassroots organizers that I am privileged to work with. It goes out to Alevda King my long time friend and business associate as she fighta for causes and rationality in thinking. It goes out to Dr. Carolyn Aidman and Dr. Charles Moore who are committed to care by doctors for everyone and it goes out to David Epstein and Ken Lovell who are committed to the restoration of land, the growing of healthy food and educating people on healthy eating. It goes out to Reverend Dr. Bright who has been committed to Environmental Justice. All of these people have helped me to become a servant leader. In fact, many of them have crafted a new Campaign called the Campaign2Grow. The core values of the Campaign are: With tenacity we believe, serve, lead, educate and trasform ourselves, our families, our communities, and each other. With these values in mind, we can all work to solve social, economic and political problems to improve the quality of life for all people.

If you are reading this, you too are a global leader. Come take your seat at the table and watch us all GROW.

Going Postal

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 05:19:00 -0500

I was shocked and concerned when my postwoman left me a certified letter pick-up notice in my mailbox when I was sitting in my house with my door open to receive my mail. Now, I do have 14 steps to climb to get to my front door and it was 94 degrees outside, but I remember the days when rain or shine or in the depths of snow, the postman was always delivering my mail. But that does not seem to be the case anymore. The U.S. Post Office is no longer a trusted source for delivery. In fact, my story gets a lot worse. I waited until the next day and the mail lady again dropped my mail in the box and I had to chase her down the street to find out why she had not delivered the package to my doorstep. Her curt reply was that she left the packages at the post office yesterday so she just put notices in our mail. That seemed kind of strange to me that she didn't even have the courtesy to come to the door and ask if we would prefer to have the package delivered or if we would like to pick it up since she made a mistake. But no, she asked when I ran her down if I wanted it delivered tomorrow. It was certified mail from the county, so I told her I needed to know what it was and needed it today so I would go to the post office myself.

So off to the post office I went very upset by the situation. But the best is yet to come. I get to the post office to find that this certified letter was first sent on May 25, 2011 and today was June 28. How is it that this certified important letter sat at the post office for over a month and this was the first notice I had received. Well, it was sent back to the county, who had sent it, one time because I had not picked it up in May. That was because I was never notified by the post office that it was there. The post office had sent it back to the county and the county sent it back out on June 14th and I received my first notice on June 27th. To make matters worse, I filed a complaint and all the post office pulled out was a history of the letter.

SO, I opened the letter in front of the postal worker to find it was a letter from the county board of tax assessors giving me until June 24, 2011 to appeal a tax dscision in the appelate court. Now remember, it is June 28, 2011. Needless to say I filed a complaint, in fact I filed four. First for not notifying me of the letter in a timely way, second for forgetting the letter, third for consistently delivering other people's mail to my house and my mail to other houses and fourth for not coming to my door to let me know about the letter so I could get it more quickly.

I am awaiting a response from the post office, but I am not holding my breath. I will tell you that this little episode may have cost me $28,000.

Friends, I urge you...I know things are tough out there. Everyone is struggling to make it, but I implore you, be on your job. God says love your neighbor as yourself. I am really wondering if we love ourselves because it is surely not showing up that we love our neighbors. Help us avoid going postal.

Celebrate the Moment

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 03:09:00 -0500

There is something to be said for leadership and vision. They give us the opportunity to celebrate the moment in very powerful ways. On Saturday, June 18th I was able to celebrate the moment numerous times. A leader gave birth to a vision of her fire department being remodeled;

an organization implemented sustainable building practices that it had dreamed about (used granite countertops made into pavers for a sidewalk, molding from a home turned into flower boxes;

a community saw their fire department being revitalized;

a celebrity saw the impact she had on individual volunteers as well as an entire community;

a homeowner saw their old kitchen cabinets be re-purposed for community good;

a company saw their used shelving re-purposed to make our first responders feel loved and cared for;

the Fire Chief and Fire and Rescue Team at Fire Station 9 in Atlanta expressed extreme gratitude for the community's outpouring of love;

and volunteers felt tremendously fulfilled for their contributions. I celebrated my moments, today, celebrate yours.

Trust in the Moment - Campaign to G.R.O.W.

Sun, 22 May 2011 16:11:00 -0500

“Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40. Lazarus was dead. Could the disciples, Mary and Martha trust in the moment and believe that even though Lazarus was dead, that he could rise again? Do we trust in the moment and believe we will see the glory of God?

This past week (May 14 – May 21), The Campaign to G.R.O.W. trusted in the moment and saw the glory of God as volunteers from the following organizations came together to maintain a supportive housing
community, build a community garden that is wheelchair accessible and create long term volunteer support for the Rosslyn supportive housing community:

The Fuller Center for Housing of Greater Atlanta, Inc.– volunteers (completes their mission of repairs to homes for the elderly and disabled)

NAMI Northside Atlanta, Inc.– design of garden, materials to build the garden, volunteers, pastries, drinks, pressure washer (completes their mission to support those suffering from mental health issues)

Project Interconnections, Inc.- materials for pressure washing and staining (completes their mission to provide safe supportive housing for those suffering from mental health issues)

Hands On Atlanta Teamworks - volunteers (completes their mission to provide volunteers to improve the quality of life in Atlanta)

Goodwill North Atlanta- transitional labor to pressure wash (completes their mission to provide training and work opportunities to hard to employ individuals)

EPA Region 4– pressure washer and volunteer (completes their commitment to community service

Residents of Rosslyn Apartments– volunteers for cooking and building the community garden (gives them productive activities and interactions)

Wayfield Foods, Inc. - Hot Dogs, Buns, Condiments

Charitable Connections, Inc. – supplies, project coordination (completes their mission to improve the health and well-being of people and communities while providing leadership development, technical assistance and capacity building services to other non-profit organizations)

Rosslyn is a permanent supportive housing community owned by Project Interconnections and managed by Community Friendship. It houses up to 56 individuals who have come from homelessness and have mental
health disabilities. Rosslyn Apartments provide a nice single room apartment to each resident as well as supportive services that provide a better quality of life for those individuals suffering from mental health disabilities.

Problem:The need to maintain the deck that connects all 56 units by pressure washing and staining. Immediate solution: Workdays for volunteers in May and June.
Long Term Solution: Develop a maintenance schedule and sustainable volunteer base to complete the schedule

Problem: Many of the residents are on permanent disability but still have a desire to be productive. Immediate Solution: Build a raised bed community garden that is wheelchair accessible.

Long Term Solution: Have residents of Rosslyn attend DeKalb County Extension
Gardening classes and meetings and grow food for their community.

Outcomes:

1. Creates a community gardening learning center for residents of Rosslyn.

2. Creates a venue for emotional and social healing for residents of Rosslyn through raised bed gardening.

3. Creates opportunities for the residents of Rosslyn to be productive through raised bed
gardening.

4. Provides a new on-going volunteering opportunity for Hands On Atlanta and Hands On
Atlanta TeamWorks.

5. Provides on-going connections and education of the community to reduce the stigma of
mental health.

6. Provides a source for on-going maintenance support for Rosslyn/Project Interconnections.

Impact:

Improving productivity of those with disabilities.

Reducing the cost of living (food cost) for those
with disabilities.

Reducing the cost of maintaining housing for those
with disabilities.

Creating communities with improved quality of life
for those with disabilities.

DO YOU TRUST IN THE MOMENT AND BELIEVE YOU WILL SEE GOD’S GLORY?

Defining Moments

Sun, 22 May 2011 13:28:00 -0500

Defining Moments

This past week, Charitable Connections, Inc. held its first activity related to the Campaign to G.R.O.W. The Campaign will help each of us to grow within. It will help us to grow within ourselves, grow within our families and grow within our communities. It is a system of lifelong learning and giving. It is the will to make our quality of life whole, healthy and sustainable physically, mentally, spiritually, socially, emotionally, economically and environmentally. Twenty-two years ago I experienced a defining moment and began on a journey to understand health and wholeness. Seven years ago, I experienced another defining moment that prepared me for this weeks defining moment. To quantify this defining moment, God reminded me of Jesus and Peter. It appeared to Peter and the disciples that the nets were dry and that there were no fish, but Jesus said to Peter, “Cast your net on the right side of the boat.” (John 21:5-6 and Luke 5:4 – 6) In this scripture, Jesus is appearing to the disciples for the third time and his context is overflow. For me this is a season where I am so full that I need help with the overflow. When Peter saw that the catch was going to be too great for him to handle alone, he had to call in the other fisherman to catch the overflow. That is who you all are to me. So come fish with me and become the fishers of men. Join the Campaign for Global Regeneration with your heart and mind and follow us as we together embark upon a journey to share the overflow and change lives and change communities one defining moment at a time.

5 Great Ways to Spend A Weekend in Atlanta

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 07:45:00 -0600

#1 Join the Community Building Coalition of Northwest Atlanta and Hands On Atlanta TeamWorks as they paint Vegetables and Murals on the walls of local schools like Scott Elementary on Hollywood Road.

Contact: Ola Reynolds at reynolds_npug@yahoo.com

#2 Paint and remodel houses for seniors and people with disabilities in Lakewood Heights with the Atlanta Fuller Center and Sustainable Lakewood.

Contact: Mark Galey at mark@magnetconstruction.com

#3 Take Inventory, browse at the bargains on building supplies at the Reclaim It Atlanta Store and support the revitalization of Atlanta Neighborhoods.

Contact: Karen Greenleaf at karengreenleaf415@aol.com

#4 Paint murals on abandoned and vacant property such as Park West in the Adamsville Community.

Contact: Michelle Uchiyama at michelleuch@bellsouth.net

#5 Participate in activities like the Tide Loads of Hope days that do laundry, provide meals or medical services for the homeless.

Contact: Alveda King, King for America at alvedaking@gmail.com

Who is ING?

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 04:13:00 -0600

I received a post card in the mail last week from ING. It was a marketing piece that was probably sent out when I signed up online to ING's ShareBuilder system. I was interested to find out how people could put $4 a week into stock trading and begin to build their wealth. It was more complicated than I thought so I did not follow up on using it. ING was not going to let me go, however. They sent me a postcard to entice me to open a savings account with them. They were willing to give me $25 if I did and I did not even need to change my checking account from my present banker. All I needed to do was to give them my bank account number so they could electronically withdraw money from my checking into my savings.I though to myself, why would I want to give someone I do not know, my bank account number for a $25 incentive. I then began to ask myself. Who is this ING? Upon further investigation I found out that ING is a huge bank and insurance holding company based in the Netherlands. They have built their notariety in the United States and the world by acquiring other bank and insurance holding companies. People can see their logos on charitable events, on internet web sites and on television ads and because they have built name recognition, people think its ok to take advantage of $25 offers to set up a bank account, never investigating who this company is. I know them because they own a significant amount of property on an industrial corridor next to my neighborhood. But did I really know them? I did not. I encourage you to read the following link and learn about ING, they have an interesting connection to China. Do you want the Dutch and Chinese to have access to your bank account information for $25?

http://www.ing.com/group/showdoc.jsp?docid=074177_EN&menopt=abo|his

Onward Christian Soldiers

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 14:52:00 -0600

It warms my heart every time I go to my church, Trinity Presbyterian in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday and attend various social events with members of the church. The more I talk with people in the church, the more I realize that this church means business when it comes to "go ye therefore". The mission and ministry that the church grounds have been used for amazes me. For instance, today I learned that we used to house girls coming out of the sex trades on the property of the church. We fund so many great charities in Atlanta and insist that charities dedicate our funds to serve people in an area where the church is doing most of its mission. Concentrated efforts like these are what it is going to take to solve issues in our communities and it is encouraging to me as a leader of a charity to know that the faith community is alive and well and spreading the gospel each and every day.

The Powerful Combination of Human, Social and Financial Capital in Neighborhood Stabilization

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 09:54:00 -0500

What do you get when you put together communityresidents with vision;
faith and community based organizations; City, State and LocalGovernment; churches; local nonprofits; and local corporate and employee philanthropy in the highest mortgage fraud and blighted community in Atlanta?

A collaboration of human, social and financial capital that can impact people, places, a community and the world. Sustainable Lakewood, a community-based organization, has a vision for the neighborhood and
went to ACoRA (a city, state and federal managed program left over
from the Clinton empowerment zone funding) and Home Depot Employees (200 of them), Heery International employees,
Hands on Atlanta, City of Atlanta, Fulton County Court community service workers, the Atlanta Tool Bank, the YMCA, The City of
Atlanta Parks and Recreation Department, Clark Atlanta University's
Environmental Justice Center, Charitable Connections, Inc.,
Sustainable Lakewood, The Fuller Center for Housing of Greater
Atlanta, Inc., an artist, and two designers, Kim Lacey of HGTV's curb
appeal and Tina Arnold, President of Sustainable Lakewood took adopt-a-block to a whole new level. How did it start? Susainable Lakewoodrequested a grant. Unbeknownst to Sustainable Lakewood,
The Fuller Center, a faith based organization, also applied for the same
funds. The Fuller Center won the grant but Sustainable Lakewood did not give up. Using a community benefits framework, The Fuller Center and
Sustainable Lakewood brought together their visions and decided to bring their human, financial and social capital together to develop a five year
partnership. Their joint vision in Lakewood Heights is to re-createcommunity through sustainable practices.

The results to date: four church congregations (Central CongregationalChurch of Christ, Atlanta Foursquare Church, The
Atlanta Church of Christ, and Richmond First Baptist Church), the
Urban Land Institute, Atlanta Development Authority Employees, With a seed grant of $250,000, of which only $70,995 was spent: half
for acquisition, and half for administration. How long did it take to impact
four (4) streets and a City Park? Less than a year. How much human capital? About 3000 person hours. What is the result to date? Seventeen (17) vacant and abandoned houses cleaned up, boarded up and beautified
with murals; one (1) revitalized home with a new homeowner; five (5)
repaired houses with colorful new paint and landscaping; a community
garden; painted benches; new beautiful trash containers throughout the neighborhood; hundreds of tires removed, trash cleaned up on entire streets, several new renters and homeowners, new community classes on recycling and sustainability, a new Lifecycle Building Center business with repurposed building materials for sale, and a new interest in beingneighbors, holding each other accountable and taking care of each other and the community.

How To Use Your Blog

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 01:12:30 -0500

Your blog can be used in a number of ways. Businesses might use it to post product or service updates. Families might use it to keep their friends up to date. The possibilities are endless.

Don't forget to add Tags to your entries. For example, if your writing about your summer vacation to Colorado, you might use the tags, "summer, vacation, Colorado". As you post entries with similar tags, they can be linked together. This way visitors for your site can easily see all entries that are tagged as "vacation".