| A Holiday Appeal To Remember The Way It Was |
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| Friday, 16 December 2011 00:00 |
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Happy Holidays to Each of You, This is an outreach to all of "my kids" over the last 40 years, friends, and family everywhere - "An Appeal To Remember the Way It Was." This is the Anniversary of a 40 year Career and Marriage - 37 years caring for kids in the Napa Valley and 3 in Fort Bragg. My most recent mission is, director of the Napa Valley Youth Advocacy Center, where we care for the emotional well-being of kids grades 5-12+ through relationship development, mentoring, outdoor education, activities, programs, life skill development, and walking with them unconditionally through their choices, good and not so good. Some of you may remember... After seven years of donation-based service, struggling now in a depressed economy, we find ourselves at a crossroad. We either can sustain financially or become extinct, which is why I am reaching out to you. We need significant financial help to continue. Now, WE NEED ADVOCATES. Advocates who remember what or who kids need most. They still need what you needed, someone to "be there" to walk by their side through mountaintop experiences and "hell and high water." They need someone who sees beyond their behavior, appearance, production, performance, and lack of perfection. They need someone who will love them when they are unlovable, and believe in them when they are unbelievable. That is what we do. The bottom line is that in way too many homes, and in most schools, and communities there is insufficient time or priority for such an investment and kids are suffering from "hypothermia" - loosing warmth faster then it is produced. Some of you remember that feeling. You also know the "first aid" - person to person contact where the warmth of ONE transfers to the other. So many kids are walking alone in a crowd. So many kids feel worthless, and unworthy. So many kids have no one to trust, turn to, or lean on. We need your help to continue to change this condition with a model I have used from the start - "Emotional Cardiology" - the care of wounded and broken hearts. If you are able and inspired, please help us with your financial support to continue to not only meet the needs of our Napa Valley kids, but create a reproducible model for other communities to see the value of creating such opportunities in their community. Whether you are able to help financially or not, perhaps you know of those who have a passion for youth who might be willing to support. If so, please connect us. My students may remember me talking about geometric progression, which I learned from my Dad. I took ONE piece of paper and tore it in half. I then put the two halves on top of each other and did it again. Then I asked the question - theoretically, if we could replicate this process the number of squares on a chessboard, how far would the stack of paper go? Do you remember? I continued. . . . Will it go to the roof? Will it go to St. Helena, San Francisco, New York . . . Around the world? "Raise your hand if you think I am crazy." I then had you do the "math experiment." "How far would it go?" Over 93,000,000 miles! It would go past the Sun. As the power of ONE changes to you and me, and synergizes with another, and another, and another, miracles occur. If you are able, join us as we take a "journey to the Sun," continue to touch lives, and make Life Changing Differences together. May the Spirit of Christmas be yours always. With Love and Appreciation, |