Youth, teenagers, young people of today, tomorrow's leaders.
What are the needs of todays 10-20yr olds? Wow! Parents may say money, self worth, mentors, loving leadership, acceptance, education, resources. This list could go on forever.
I remember as a teenager growing up in suburban Australia we had so much time to hang out with our friends. We would play sport, work at our part time jobs, and get in to trouble testing the boundaries of society. Time wow, this is the thing most adults desire most. MORE of it!!!
From my experience as a secondary teacher, I believe that if kids had mentors or teachers to help them to set their own greater goals in life and to help them make a start on these and support them rather than just hanging out with mates they would utilize their teen years to pursue life goals and get into 'less' trouble.
Next Step is a new not for profit organization in the Central Coast, NSW, Australia which provides innovative, strength based programs that empower young people to take steps towards a BRIGHTER FUTURE.
How will they do this? Through fun bi monthly programs including: a FREE BBQ with live music performances and workshops on:
Break dancing workshops
Cultural Awareness programs
Mental Health Awareness
Living Skills
Next Step aim to to connect young people with positive role models and inform them about what local support services are needed if they need extra support.
By supporting our youth and helping them to achieve their dreams and goals through love, guidance and support our nations can only become GREAT nations of valued citizens.
Next Step's Board of Directors is a very talented and experienced group of people who aim to better youth services in the Central Coast Area.
We take our hat off to you for creating a resourceful, supportive and FUN service to young people in the Central Coast Region.
Other youth empowerment programs I highly endorse are:
Free Spirit Girl- a beautiful program by Katie Pitsis aimed at girls and teen girls to live fully, stand strong and shine brightly!
Empower You - By Tomorrows Youth (For Teenagers to develop the mindset and motivation to create a successful future)
It makes me so happy as a parent to know that such amazing, supportive programs exist for our children. Thank you to all of those motivated enough to really care.
How to describe the Bali Spirit Festival to someone who has not yet had the supreme fortune to attend this festival themselves....... YET.
I say yet because if this post inspires you even a little you WILL be there in person some time in the future.
Our beautiful product partner we'ar yoga clothing make organic, ethically and environmentally friendly stylish yoga clothing in Bali initially inspired me to attend this festival. They took some great footage at the festival and with The Yoga Barns founder Charlie Patton. You can see this footage on last years blog post about the Bali spirit festival with film maker Jason Moon.
Upon arriving in Ubud I had to visit we'ar signature store on Hanoman street, Ubud. Their unique signage and stylish decor cannot be missed, their location opposite and slightly north of the well known clean eating cafe KAFE, also known as the food subsidiary of The Yoga Barn.
The festival itself was a 5km scooter ride out of town at an amazing grassed location Purnati Centre of the Arts, Batuan.
This venue had 7 independent areas for a very broad schedule of classes to take place and a large swimming pool also blessed the location.
This year the festival dates were March 20th til March 24. The extensive timetable began at 8am and closed at 5pm each day with a HUGE array of spirit classes ranging from yoga, Qi Gong, sound healing, Capoeira, self development master classes, singing, african drumming, conscious being and many others. The teachers are experts in their fields from around the world.
The night celebrations began again in Ubud at ARMA(Agung Rai Museum of Art) a beautiful location in the city of Ubud, so could be easily reached on foot from most hotels. World re known artists and bands united to deliver blessings through some kirtan and music for the ears. Some of these included Kevin James, OKA, Medicine for the People and new comer Dustin Thomas, a brilliant up and coming talent from Hawaii who blessed us with his easy to learn lyrics and unique uplifting voice.
I could write an extremely long post about all of the parts of The Bali Spirit Festival that touched my heart and uplifted my spirit.
Here are some of the highlights of my experience there this year:
The people of Bali being so peaceful and gracious
The approachability of all mentors and teachers
Amazing CLEAN food
The healing huts- chiropractors to clairvoyants to help with any necessary healing.
Seeing we'ar yoga clothing being worn and loved all over Ubud and as a key outfit at the Bali Spirit Festival
Classes I was fortunate to attend which have made a lasting impression on my spirit are:
It’s refreshing to pull a cucumber from the cracks of an urban concrete.
To smell dill, thyme, lemon balm, and rosemary from one rooftop among a sea of sooty buildings.
To crack a brown speckled egg hot-off-the-nest from our feathered friends, dear urban poultry.
Living in Seattle, Washington, I am accustomed to a healthy culture of urban gardening. The Pacific Northwest is lush, and deep in love with being green. Like many urban cities, P-Patches or Community Gardens are popping up out of steel and cement infrastructures, and it is a good thing—people are finding a healthy balance with nature. This drives our designers, engineers, and architects to augment sustainable and eco-friendly design and reconstruction. But fellow community members can partake, too, and they are breaking ground one by one in many parts of the city by building a stronger and healthier community and revitalizing a cultivation of Gaia or Mother Earth in society.
Farmer’s Markets may seem well supported in health- and green-conscious cities, but the truth is, getting your hands and knees dirty is a ton of work! And while many of us supporters of the Organic and Locavore movement may go to the Farmer’s market every weekend, how often do we drive our senses crazy over a fresh OG endive while still trying to get our bang for our buck? Or do we complain that the price is not right for those two Golden beets? For me, I did not whole-heartedly understand the long road from a tomato to the kitchen table until I decided to volunteer on an urban farm in Santa Fe, New Mexico during a trip to the Southwest. This was more than a vacation; it was an experiment to see if I could master a week at farming.
I arrived at the small urban farm with a backpack filled with clothes and a mind filled with expectations. The land was dry, and an oasis of a garden existed in all glory on a slope that lead to an aurora bed. A bike path circuited the oasis, while a farm stand, beehive, composter, worm, and chicken and duck pens were proximate to the garden. Shrines from educational groups, farm interns and volunteers marked a plot of dedication and commitment to this small urban farm. Hand painted signs lead to the garden and bannered the farm stand that was open for walkers, bicyclists, and anyone to come by to purchase their daily dose of the Earth’s goodness or stock up on food necessities.
I camped in a one-man tent on the property and awoke before the morning sun to harvest the tomatoes, purple dove string beans, and potatoes, feed the ducks and chickens the garden scraps, turn the compost back into the soil, catch grasshoppers and feed them to the poultry, and rake the goatheads (weeds that sprawled the desert floor). Forcing myself to get up out from under a pile of sleeping bags each morning should have been easy with all the excitement of being there, but every morning? At 5:OO AM?! The farmers passed by my tent to wake me, and I knew I would be in the dirt in a matter of minutes.
Integration with nature was not simply permitted on the farm; it was the way to live. The connection with the earth was almost holy in a sense. I truly felt the earth giving as a mother would. As if the worked and bountiful Earth were arms overflowing with goodness. But Gaia has suffered, too. Harsh winters at elevations of 6,000 feet can cut down crops drastically, sometimes altogether.
New volunteers showed up every day on the premises. Some regulars, too, who had such a heart for being there—it showed in their dedicated volunteerism--their love for the earth and their love for each other. Community came about in conversation over beds, and rows of Prussian kale and rainbow Swiss chard boasting an array of color. Many of us workers had gardening and farming questions and we were all happy to share the mixed knowledge of green living and growing with each other.
The warmth of the earth rose up to our noses as the sun thawed the soil and touched our skin till the pigment glowed. We worked till we felt napping in a garden bed would be perfectly normal. On certain days of the week the produce would be harvested early in the morning, brought to town before the sun was high noon and produce stands would sprout up around in a community of farmers selling their beautiful gatherings from the Earth. At one point while behind the stand a farm intern tossed me two bundles of kale and told me to broadcast,“2 for $5!” I nervously scooted out into pedestrian traffic and found myself singing the kale off for sale! When the day was done, the stands were taken down and packed up into a rickety truck.
Now when I walk past a p-patch to admire the sweet peas or shop at my local Farmer’s Market, I understand my support in a whole new light. I experienced the challenge and hard work of a farming lifestyle—it is not a hobby, it is a living---and all our love and support means a better tomorrow!
Now I can say, I never before tasted an heirloom tomato with as much passion!
Next time you take a vacation consider spending your time WWOOFing, a farmstay, or simply spending a few days volunteering on a farm.
"For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.” Sam Levenson
Where did your purchase come from?
We hear that question a lot.
Where did you get those designer jeans?
No, I don’t mean from which department store. I mean which factory sewed those hems? Was it fair trade and produced in a safe, ethical work environment?
It’s a good question. Here’s another.
Where is your purchase GOING?
They say the Internet is pulling us apart, isolating us, driving us further from each other.
I say the Internet has created a world in which we can reach out and connect with each other like never before.
Take Roma Boots, created by Romanian born Samuel Bistrian in 2010, after he spent years watching impoverished children braving the elements with little more than flimsy, broken shoes to protect their feet, assuming they had shoes at all. Many suffered frost bite in the colder months, losing toes and experiencing foot deformities as they aged.
Bistrian himself struggled as a child growing up without adequate footwear in a small village marked by snowy weather and extreme poverty.
“When I was six years old, I received my first pair of rain boots, which were actually passed down from three older siblings. It was such an exciting moment for me because I knew I could actually go outside and play in the snow or in the mud and not worry about my toes freezing.”
Though he later moved to the United States to work in the fashion industry, Bistrian kept the memory of his home and people close to his heart. Then one day he had an idea, one that would change his life and the lives of thousands forever.
His mission? To infuse fashion with charity, passion with compassion, to create Roma Provisions (Roma Boots), where every pair of rain boots sold, a second pair is donated to a child in need. 10% of each purchase also goes to the Roma for all Foundation. For more information, watch this.
This fashionable charity is all about spreading the LOVE; it's etched in every fiber of the products they sell and give; it’s even in their name!
Roma=Amor
Amor=Love
Roma Boots=Love Boots
Roma is also the proper name for the poor gypsy population, the primary group this charity has helped equip with boots so far.
Roma Provisions takes on-and outdoes!-Santa Claus in its quarterly boot drops to distribute the shoes "... on the streets, in schools, parks or inside specific facilities. It is a joy to see the faces of these precious children when we fit them with their new Roma Boots!" Watch this!
Their love and generosity of spirit is bursting from every seam. The boots, made of natural latex rubber, a quick dry cotton lining, and a three layer insole, are produced in a fair trade factory that is routinely monitored for sound labor practices and conditions. Now that's some boots made for walking...and stomping all over poverty!
Roma Boots doesn't stop at protecting feet; they're also about nourishing young minds. In addition to donating a pair of boots to a child, every order includes SCHOOL SUPPLIES. Roma Boots believes education is the most powerful weapon for breaking free from poverty, and they want to give children the tools to step out from under the heavy hand of poverty for GOOD.
With every step you take in your Roma Boots, know that a child is out there taking a step in his or hers. With your purchase, you have opened up new roads of travel that would have once been out of reach, which would have been an impossible dream, but that YOU made possible.
Now that's fashion that never goes out of style!
Feel the connection.
Roma Boots. Good for the sole.
Justine Bronfin- Justine authored this blog. Justine just graduated from the University of Washington Bothell and has recently joined the GoodieDo team as a social media intern. Look out for more posts by Justine!
This blog post is about GOOD people doing GOOD things
“It’s not about the shoes,” says Scott Sowle, founder of shoe-giving nonprofit Redeeming Soles. “It’s about showing people love, hope and care.”
As a strong believer in the power of human compassion, I see Scott as the epitome of a leader. The moment you meet him, his heartfelt commitment and infectious energy make you want to start something that matters.
His days revolve around sorting, cleaning, repairing and giving shoes to those in need. It’s a 40-60 hour/week process that is fueled by generosity from donors and volunteers.
From the way he cannot help himself from re-organizing boxes and how he constantly credits others for their support, it is no question that his humility and dedication is awe-worthy. Scott is not just someone who gives, but he is someone who truly cares.
You would never guess that about four years ago he was depressed, suicidal and homeless.
For 13 years, Scott was stuck in a vicious cycle of drug-abuse, and this led him straight to the streets. He roamed various urban areas, caught in an endless circle of despair.
Until one night underneath the Magnolia Bridge in Seattle, cold, weak and depressed, Scott hit a breaking point. He went to the Seattle Union Gospel Mission on Dec. 23, 2010, a date he recalls without a hint of hesitation. There, he discovered something that renewed his life: spirituality.
Since then, Scott hasn’t looked back at what he calls his “old life.”
As soon as he took control over his life, he wanted to help others. Since Scott understands the physical and mental exhaustion that comes with homelessness, he knew that sometimes the most basic help is the most powerful.
This philosophy inspired his shoe giving movement.
He told me that many shelters offer food, blankets and clothing but rarely any footwear. This surprised me, as homeless people are on their feet all day and go through shoes much faster than average because they don’t rotate them.
And as most of us know, when your feet are cold and wet, it makes everything else pretty miserable.
So, with nothing but a bike trailer and a sign, Scott stood in front of the Columbia building in downtown Seattle and asked for used footwear. Soon, trunk-loads of shoes were being dropped off and he needed a place to store them.
He realized to make a bigger impact he needed to start a nonprofit, and in 2011, Redeeming Soles was born.
Two years later, Redeeming Soles has provided more than 50,000 people with footwear! They reach these large numbers by supplying shoes to various organizations that serve the homeless and underprivileged.
They have nine shoe drop-off locations across the Puget Sound region and have shoe drives throughout the year, which anyone can host after filling out a very easy application.
But Scott tells me that he needs more than just shoes. He needs money, volunteers and leadership. Whether you’re from the area or from far away, there are tons of ways to get involved.
Here is a list from the Redeeming Soles website:
-Host a shoe drive: Churches, organization, schools and individuals are encouraged to host events to collect footwear
-Volunteer: Whether you can help with transportation, event planning, cleaning or office work, the Sole team is always looking for extra hands
-Turn your business into a shoe drop-off location: this will making giving more accessible and you will experience more foot traffic from donors
-Adopt a shoe harvest location: look within your community for a space where people can drop off more shoes
-Donate to their wish list and give money: they’re seeking an economical delivery van, large commercial washer, laptop, office PC and packing tape
Ultimately, Redeeming Soles is about more than giving shoes. For Scott it’s a way to show others that they can make a difference from any starting point.
I have no doubt that with this much heart and passion, Redeeming Soles will inspire many to give. Because let’s face it, cold feet is a problem we can tackle together.
Marika Price- Marika authored this blog. Marika is a Journalism student at the University of Washington and has recently joined the GoodieDo team as a social media intern. Look out for more posts by Marika!
This blog post is about GOOD people doing GOOD things
Ah, Valentine's Day. You say all you want is love, but your actions say spend spend spend!
Is this a day of love or mindless consumerism?
Feel good about where your money goes this Valentine's Day by heading over to these ten restaurants in and around Seattle that sweeten and spice their menus with local, organic, and sustainable goodness.
FareStart: What does an inspiring story taste like? Find out by taking your date to FareStart, a restaurant and job placement program for homeless and disadvantaged people in Seattle. This place doesn’t just make delicious food; it creates beautiful opportunities for people in need of a second chance. To date, FareStart has helped almost 6,000 men and women reclaim their lives as well as provided over five million meals to the homeless. Taste the love in every bite and be part of the magic this Valentine’s Day.
Cupcake Royale- This cupcake's more than just a pretty face! Each scrumptious confection-including vegan chocolate and this month’s Strawberry Champagne-is lovingly made with fresh local ingredients like FAIR TRADE favorite Theo Chocolate and dairy sourced from Washington farms. Cupcake Royale treats its fellow citizens like royalty, donating 20,000 cupcakes each year to support local fundraisers. So buy a dozen for all YOUR special someones and know you've got your hands on a good thing; even the iconic pink box is compostable!
Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream-Here at Molly Moon's, they take their commitment to ridiculously high quality ice cream as seriously as they do the ingredients they use to make it. What does that mean? Well, it means each spoonful of salted caramel you feed your valentine is full of fair trade, local goodness. For the cherry on top? Molly loves her community. Not only do they donate ice cream to local fundraisers, this year the company invited Girl Scouters across Washington to the stores to sell cookies for Molly Moon’s beloved Thin Mint ice cream. Okay, where's my spoonful?
Poppy-Though it has been named one of Seattle's hottest new restaurants, the buzz hasn't gone to this hip flower's head, who is still as down to earth as the herb garden in the backyard. Treat yourself and your sweetie to Poppy's signature "thali" tasting experience of the Pacific Northwest this Valentine’s Day!
Trellis at The Heathman Hotel-Featuring a "farm to table" inspired menu, this casually elegant restaurant nestled in beautiful Kirkland prides itself on using only local, humanely raised products in the dishes they whip up. An organic, eco-friendly treasure that's sure to delight!
Golden Beetle- There are no beetles, golden or otherwise, on this menu. What you can expect, though, is tantalizing items that are all 100% organic, certified by Tilth Organic.
Portage Bay-To quote their philosophy, "eat like you give a damn!" Show your loved ones how much you give a damn by taking them to a place that treats the earth everyday as its own special valentine. This love is reflected in the fresh, sumptuous dishes they serve, like oatmeal cobbler French toast. Now that's breakfast worth getting out of bed for!
Hot Cakes-Who's ready for a boozy milkshake with a side of hot gooey molten lava cake? Step into sin this Valentine's Day, but do so knowing that this temptress has a caring side…maybe not for your hips, but for supporting hardworking farmers and sustainable agriculture. Now back to that milkshake...
Agua Verde-Fresh, organic, and NATURAL Mexican food with a romantic view of Lake Union. 'Nuff said!
Local 360-Have you ever wanted to give Washington one great big hug? That's just what Local 360 does every day in their quest to create incredible dishes using ingredients within 360 miles of Seattle. Stop by this Valentine’s Day and get in on the group hug!
Make it to the end of the article? Well, then you get dessert! And by dessert, I mean a BONUS get-out-of-jail-free Valentine’s Day alternative:
PCC-So you said you were going to cook dinner, but treated yourself to the spa/round of golf/lazer tag instead? Worry not, you can still show your valentine how much you care with the help of PCC, a natural market filled with carefully chosen products and prepared dishes that are local, organic, and sustainable. Feel the zen!
Check out these establishments this V- Day and let the world be your valentine!
P.S. Will you be my valentine?
Justine Bronfin- Justine authored this blog. Justine just graduated from the University of Washington Bothell and has recently joined the GoodieDo team as a social media intern. Look out for more posts by Justine!
This blog post is about GOOD people doing GOOD things
Do you know part of the Amazon in Ecuador has more wildlife than the whole of North America?
Once Texaco and other oil companies polluted Ecuadorian waters and irreversibly devastated precious ecosystems,
After that Rafael Correa Delgado, The President of Ecuador led his country to be the world’s first nation to recognize the rights of “Mother Earth” in its constitution. He also announced that, "Ecuador was not for sale!”
He once had promoted initiatives for saving the oil underneath the forest; he has now CHANGED HIS PLANS…(aagh!!)
According to Correa’s new plan, government officials begin a world tour to offer foreign investors the right to drill across 4 MILLION HECTARES of rainforest.
Which is Larger than The Netherlands!
An Indigenous tribe is standing against these BIG GUNS all ALONE- they are thrilled to receive our support.
If you believe in POWER OF THE PEOPLE then let’s congregate together! The Amazing community at AVAAZ.org have a simple petition we all can join to support this movement.
While I am writing this post, the number of people who have signed this petition to date is 820,964 (as of Jan 29, 2013) The aim is 1 million!
Only 1790,036 more names of support to stand up and say ‘Wait a minute, you’re supposed to be the green president who says no one can buy Ecuador’
It will all happen in just a week’s time
Let’s get back the presidents support and SAVE the Jaguar
AND “SIGN THIS PETITION”
If we ALL stand together and yell
“Wait a minute, you are supposed to be with us together as Green President, who says no one can buy Ecuador', we could expose him for turning his back on his commitments just as he is fighting for re-election.
Let’s spread the word to EVERYONE we know and CHALLENGE this president to keep to his word and avoid his own PR nightmare.
The Amazon is the world’s ancestral property if we can help out its primary caretakers it will continue to be preserved for future generations and the Jaguar will continue to live in it's natural habitat.
STEP 2: On the right side there is a sign the petition tab; simply enter your email address
STEP 3: Hit SEND
(if it is your first time to support an AVAAZ petition - this group of democratic action takers is a global community petitioning global governments for GOOD- An amazing community well worth being a part of!)
That’s IT, you’re done. It takes just a few seconds to save a community and Mother Nature.
When 1 million peoplesign this, a media storm to force Mr. Correa to pull back is put into ACTION!
Here’s for Global Solidarity and GOOD. Here's to the mighty Jaguar!
Thank you for your support
Hari Hara Sudhan - authored this blog he is Studying Information Systems at Melbourne University and has recently joined the GoodieDo team as a social media intern. Look out for future posts from Hari
This blog post is about GOOD people doing GODD things
Bob Marley said "One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain".
If you havent yet seen or heard this short clip about how music is changing an entire community in the barrios of Paraguay by one inventive rubbish recycler, it is a must!
Bebi plays the Cello made from an oil can and wood thrown away in the garbage, the pegs are made from an old tool used to tenderize beef and it sounds AMAZING!
This short film is about kids born into a rubbish dump in Paraguay with little or no hope for a future and the birth of a youth orchestra! Which has changed EVERYTHING!
Amongst piles of stinky rubbish, creativity and invention was sparked by Nicolas, a recycler with no previous experience in making musical instruments. Nicolas's desire for change, his gift to the children of Catera,Paraguay caught the eye of Maestro Luis Szaran, director of "sounds of the Earth,' who has formed a "recycled orchestra" with children living at the dump.
Now 30 members strong the hopes and dreams of these children can go far beyond the confines of their current environment in tune with Beethoven symphony.
Jack Frerer and Bradley Kent both in year 11 at Redlands School, Sydney needed to raise $750 each to travel to Cambodia on an annual school expedition to help build houses for underprivileged families.
During the July school holidays the two Redlands music students grabbed a guitar a microphone and computer and sat and wrote some lyrics and some tunes about PROBLEMS people are facing today. Not third world problems but FIRST world problems!
Hmm are we all guilty of it. Running out of milk and the corner store is already shut, or the electricity is turned off for a day and you cannot send that urgent email. AAAH these petty frustrations. When others are facing REAL problems everyday. Adequate food, shelter, education, rape, clean water just to name a few.
Jack and Bradley talk about our cell phone batteries going flat, the plane getting delayed by 15mins and other comical FIRST WORLD problems.
This song was aired on 702/ABC radio with the boys being interviewed about their creation of this song.
They successfully raised $1500 through the sale of a CD with 8 songs on it to their families, supporters and friends.
There is a beautiful article in new-billionaires.com titled 'Why do kids dream big & adults dream small?'
I have two beautiful children Chloe and Jude and we are often going on safari in a helicopter or airplane through Africa to see wild animals and waterfalls and rainbows and even sometimes to help sick animals or simply to say 'hi!' to friends. This action packed safari might only take ten minutes BUT we do go often! As it is taking place in our amazing and wondrous imaginations in the safety of Chloe or Judes room.
We often jump off chairs as we jump into the pristine waterfalls, or jump out of flying aircraft to land amid savannahs of grazing zebras. Life is AMAZING, fun and adventurous!
When and why should this ever change? Keril Sawyerr and Eric. K . Lewis say it beautifully "The reason kids dreams are bigger than adults is simple; kids don't have the self limiting subconscious beliefs that adults have" Does this sound familiar? "My dream was to X, Y, Z but because"....." Any sentence that includes BUT or BECAUSE is an excuse better known as a mental obstacle.
The GoodieDo team are so HAPPY to have joined with award winning Novelist Richie Frieman the author of Terple: Always Dream BIGGER!
About a turtle who never gives up and always dreams BIGGER.
This book is for every parent who wants to keep those amazing imaginations flowing throughout life; who would love to see their kids achieve their wildest and BIGGEST dreams and to be reminded of them each night at bedtime together.
I have purchased 3 copies to date, so Chloe's and Jude's friends can also be a part of and relish in their BIGGER dreams.
Charlie Patton, Fenti from we'ar and Belinda 
fro GoodieDo
with we'ar yoga 
It’s refreshing to pull a cucumber from the cracks of an urban concrete.
Now when I walk past a p-patch to admire the sweet peas or shop at my local Farmer’s Market, I understand my support in a whole new light. I experienced the challenge and hard work of a farming lifestyle—it is not a hobby, it is a living---and all our love and support means a better tomorrow!
“It’s not about the shoes,” says Scott Sowle, founder of shoe-giving nonprofit Redeeming Soles. “It’s about showing people love, hope and care.”
Portage Bay
