For Impact Friday: Alzheimer's Association

As I mentioned in the last For Impact Friday post, this is something I am giving a go at in the interest of expanding my understanding of 501c3 companies and my internship with Public Allies, Arizona. In the first posting I also mentioned that my time with Public Allies is a short span, a mere ten months. Yes, not even a year to attempt to understand such an important part of community. This is not a classroom based experience though, and I always learn much more hands on. While we do spend a fair amount of hours, Fridays mostly, in lectures to better understand the business end of non-profit, the remainder of my nine-to-five weekdays are on those front lines. So, what is my troop?

The Alzheimer’s Association: Desert Southwest Chapter serves to bring help and hope to individuals and families dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. It was not until I found myself with this amazing organization that I realized how much Alzheimer’s already touched my life.

One in six people over 65, in the United States are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or related dementia! One in six! After age 85 that increases to 50%. There is no cure. There is no way to vaccinate against it. There is research and hope, but there needs to be more serious focus and awareness from the government.

Heard of the Baby Boom generation? Yes, they are an enormous population and they are about to fall right into this health risk! What is the nation doing to prepare? Not enough. What can you do?  

You can start by contacting the Alzheimer’s Association chapter in your area and requesting information about this terrible degenerative disease. You can offer to be a volunteer educator, and learn how to present the facts to your community. You can train as a facilitator for local support groups. Educate yourself too; how can you protect your brain health, what factors might put you at greater risk? 

Most important, make others aware now that you are. Thank you!

Alzheimer’s Association Desert Southwest Chapter

1028 East McDowell Avenue, Phoenix

www.alz.org/dsw

For Impact Friday! Something new: Public Allies

This is something new I am trying out since joining and finally getting comfortable in Public Allies. With all of the wonderful 501c3 organizations I am honored to work alongside I really wanted to make mention of them to my readers. I suppose I should start with an explanation of the Public Allies and how you can get involved too. 

The Public Allies program was added to the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation at ASU in 2006. Since then it has engaged many young professionals and students in social change and work with “for impact” companies. 

While this is the reason why my writing work may suffer for a ten month stretch (August thru June, in my case) it is so going to be worth it in the end. I am learning so much about organizations here in Phoenix area and even more about how nonprofit companies function. The website says most of the allies are between 18 and 30, so I am a bit old for this game, but I am enjoying every minute and it is nice to be around so many young people so interested in hard work toward change for very little payment. Hey, there is a stipend, but it isn’t about the money for this group. 

It is about learning, sharing, caring and growing. I have to say that even though I am a bit more on in years than the others in the group I am not going to say I am as much more mature. These young people are dedicated, responsible, intelligent and driven. It really is a nice shift from some circles I have run in the past. 

If you are interested in becoming an Ally and experiencing this stunning opportunity for learning and connecting, or if you are part of a nonprofit organization interested in bringing an Ally on board please contact;

Public Allies Arizona
Arizona State University Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation
University Center - Mail Code 4120
411 N. Central Ave., Suite 500
Phoenix, Arizona 85004-0691

publicallies@asu.edu

602-496-0427

Admiration 2005 and 2012

A while back I did a root through old journal posts. Being that my mind is more about edits than new material of late, I think I should do this much more often. Again, I should not promise steady updates that will not come, but I hope someone enjoys my growth as a person and maybe learns a bit more too.

2012.03.15

Admiration

I am still not certain there is any one person I can say I admire above all others. It is traits that I fucus on, and always have. I admire dedication, creativity, free thinking. Seven years ago I admired the parents of multiples, and seemed jealous of the outspoken.

I remain in admiration of parents, let me specify, strong parents. Okay, maybe I need to specify further. I admire anyone who offers care and support of any child. I admire the strength involved in being able to take on the task of raising a human being. It is not the giving birth that makes a mother, and not the offering of seed that makes a father. I used to think I was a pretty poor example of a parent, but I hear from so many people how great JD is and I cannot help but feel a ton of pride. I helped make the human he is today. Others helped too, but really, I was the one who did not sleep when he cried. I was the one who doled out the punishments no matter how much it broke my heart. I was the one who stood my ground and said I loved him when he said he hated me. I was not his friend. I will never be my son's friend. What I am, what I always will be, is the voice of reason when he is wrong and reassurance when he is unsure. If I had decided on JD's behalf, nearly thirteen years ago, that someone else could do a better job, I would have no right to claim the title of mother.

The other point of admiration noted in 2005 concerned all the people doing great things in the world. Well, I still admire that trait to stand up and do something, anything, but more and more I see the people behind the curtain. This one is summed up with much more brevity. What is more important, the name, or the cause?

2005.03.07

The one person in the world that I admire more than anyone else is....

I really do not know. I mean there are alot of people in the world who are doing alot of good things. I admire all of them. At the same time I can not stand them, because they stand up and say, look at me, I am doing something worth while in the world and you are not. Then they want you to follow them. I guess the people I admire more are the parents of the litters of children. I mean I realize they are getting gads of finacial help from doing interviews and ads, but what about the emotional support? I mean, they have to deal with the raising of their kids and making them look and act perfect in front of the world. I can not even raise one emotionally stable child, no less six. If the world were watching me raise my kid I would be the poster child for every abuse case I am certain of it. I am worn out and stressed out by one kid. I could never, never live through six.

Winter Garden Week Three

The gardening blogs are going to be rather uneventful for the next couple weeks I think. Nothing is sprouting just yet. There is not any real work to be done until something greeny starts popping out. Does anyone have any advice how to alleviate the tedium of waiting?

I was gifted with a few more seed pockets this week though. Thank you so much, Max! So, now I am pleased to announce, the victory garden will have spinach, oregano, chives, eggplant, and African daisies! This is all so very exciting and it makes me even less patient!

I did find out that while it is very convenient to water the garden from the kitchen sink spray nozzle, I will have to do some major soaking every now and again with the outdoor hose or the reserve water in the shed.

Maybe next week there will be some action to report. Until then I will continue to take my umbrella out in the moonlight and dance around the garden fence with my invisible garden gnomes!

A-Muse

What would the world be, if we all told our favorite television program, video game, radio station, book, magazine, or other consuming rather than creating pass time to shove it. For a day, a week, until that mind numbing, time killer was no longer a habit, but a seldom desired treat.

It is not only food, clothing, gadgets, cheap plastic jewelry and dust collections that we over indulge on today. Entertainment is worse than bad food with even less nutritional value. Why are we doing this? Why are we wasting precious mental resources on nonsense that does not nourish us? Why are we so content to binge on empty calories of brain candy?

Instead, a challenge; find a partner, because no addict does it alone, someone you trust and who trusts you. Tell this partner that for one month you are going off the grid, no device beyond necessity. If you need music while you work on projects; attend a band practice, park concert, or karaoke night, or pair with a partner with musical aspirations. He could work on his creativity while you work on yours. Support the creativity of others close to you rather than some plastic disc from an equally plastic performer. Need a break from your creative work, ask if you can watch, edit, assist your partner in crime.

In honor of all month long challenges, I place this one. Be someone’s muse, ask that they be yours, for thirty days. Keep one another on task, having fun and off the entertainment drug. I think of this because I do not think my students and creative friends realize, when they tell me I motivate them, I am equally motivated, by them. If not for students, I would not dance as much. If not for writer friends, I would not drive to make that next chapter on time. If not for weekly practices, I would not know what I know with respect to a blade.

Thank you and good luck all!

Tapped

Bottled water. I have come to think of it as a standard need since living in the desert. Today, I realize that the little I have done to wean from the bottle is just not enough. Do I really need to have that plastic bottle at all times? Do I need to have plastic bottles on hand for my students and fellow dancers when they are in my studio? What about that giant plastic bottle that is available for studio attendees? Is that required?

A while back I purchased two stainless steel reusable water bottles and a pair of five gallon jugs for a water pot in the studio. I used this water method all summer long, then, as the cooler months crept in I tended to forget to grab a bottle on the way out the door or to refill the jug. I would then have to make a quick, painless stop to the corner store to buy a plastic bottle. One day at a time and here I am a bottle baby again.

Today, on a whim, I watched Tapped on Netflix.