Forgiveness, what does it really mean? If you ask for forgiveness, do you lose the upper hand? This week on Science of Happiness we get selfish for minute, and find out what's in it for you.
Where: Starbucks Downtown Fairfield 700 Jefferson St Corner of Jefferson & Texas (map)
Description: We
meet every last Saturday of each month (weather permitting). We clean
up different locations and neighborhoods. Please join us. All are
welcome
At the Matt Garcia Foundation we don’t want to complain about this, we
want to create solutions to problems. It is with this spirit that we
began our Monthly Community Clean Ups.
On the last Saturday of
every month, volunteers get together and clean up a neighborhood in
Fairfield. We pick up trash, work on landscaping paint windows, fix
fences – all in an effort to improve our community. This is another
example of community coming together to help make a difference.
The
Matt Garcia Foundation Dream Team, is all about stepping up and
stepping out of ourselves to serve others and our communities to be a
part of the solution. Matt would say ” if you see a piece of garbage on
the ground, please just pick it up” How simple is that! So, that is what
we do.
In the United States, two institutions guide teenagers on the journey to adulthood: college and prison. Sociologist Alice Goffman spent six years in a troubled Philadelphia neighborhood and saw first-hand how teenagers of African-American and Latino backgrounds are funneled down the path to prison — sometimes starting with relatively minor infractions. In an impassioned talk she asks, “Why are we offering only handcuffs and jail time?”
René reveals through breathtaking examples how culture superseeds vision and endures the most extraordinary situations. René Carayol, one of the world's leading business gurus specializing in leadership and culture. Drawing from his own unique experiences on the boards of the biggest British and American organizations; from Marks & Spencer and Pepsi to IPC Media and the Inland Revenue, René has had the privilege of working closely with some of the world's best leaders; Sir Richard Branson, Bill Clinton, Ko Annan and Colin Powell to only name a few!
The NewsHour's American Graduate team recently traveled to Boston to report on youth employment rates and how the city is reaching out to businesses in an effort to link the classroom to potential careers.
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. We have to learn to forgive if we are to heal the planet.
Megan Feldman is an award-winning writer. Her journalism has appeared in publications including 5280, Glamour, Details, and The Daily Beast. She spent the past year on a global adventure to report and write her first book, TRIUMPH OF THE HEART: Forgiveness in an Unforgiving World, which is forthcoming next year from Hudson Street Press at Penguin. Megan holds a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City, and has taught as an adjunct professor of journalism at Metropolitan State University in Denver.
The Matt Garcia Foundation was established to carry out the dream and the vision of the late councilman Matt Garcia. Matt’s dream involved supporting the youth of Fairfield by providing places for them to go and things to do to keep them out of trouble, which in turn, would help decrease the violence and crime in the community.
His dream also involved all citizens, young and old alike, coming together to help in the efforts to make Fairfield a better, safer place.
The volunteers from the Foundation have all pledged to “Keep the Dream Alive” and support the “dreams” of others who desire positive change for the community we love.
Deepak Chopra explains the healing power of forgiveness.
When you have a resentment, grievance , feeling of hostility towards someone or if you have any of the other toxic emotions like guilt, shame, depression or fear, these emotions release hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones have effects on the cardiovascular and on the immune systems. You become immune compromised, even your platelets get jittery with the high levels of adrenaline and they start the clotting cascade leading to cardiovascular illnesses, heart attacks and stroke. On the other hand when you forgive and let go the burden of judgment, everything settles down and your body starts to return to homeostasis, which is self regulation and self healing.
In America's juvenile justice system, experts say girls, who make up a larger portion of incarcerated youth than in the past, have often been victims of trauma and abuse. Now, programs in Jacksonville, Florida, aim to rehabilitate rather than incarcerate. NewsHour's Megan Thompson reports.
In an effort to nurture our city’s neighborhoods and bond with its citizens, the foundation hosts a monthly community clean-up and barbecue where both young people and adults come together to clean up various areas in Fairfield that are in need.
The Foundation also holds a yearly softball tournament and golf tournament that provide fun and help create lasting ties within Solano County. The Foundation also participates in many other community events such as the Run For Good, MS Walk, and many other causes that strengthen and nurture our community.
Can we end hunger and poverty, halt climate change and achieve gender equality in the next 15 years? The governments of the world think we can. Meeting at the UN in September 2015, they agreed to a new set of Global Goals for the development of the world to 2030. Social progress expert Michael Green invites us to imagine how these goals and their vision for a better world can be achieved.
The Foundation is the primary sponsor of LEGACY Youth Group, a program started by and run by volunteer teachers in our local school district. This program provides at-risk youth with mentorship, tutoring, field trips to college campuses, basketball games with local police and firemen, and inspiration from powerful guest speakers from all walks of life.
Where: Starbucks Downtown Fairfield 700 Jefferson St Corner of Jefferson & Texas (map)
Description: We
meet every last Saturday of each month (weather permitting). We clean
up different locations and neighborhoods. Please join us. All are
welcome
At the Matt Garcia Foundation we don’t want to complain about this, we
want to create solutions to problems. It is with this spirit that we
began our Monthly Community Clean Ups.
On the last Saturday of
every month, volunteers get together and clean up a neighborhood in
Fairfield. We pick up trash, work on landscaping paint windows, fix
fences – all in an effort to improve our community. This is another
example of community coming together to help make a difference.
The
Matt Garcia Foundation Dream Team, is all about stepping up and
stepping out of ourselves to serve others and our communities to be a
part of the solution. Matt would say ” if you see a piece of garbage on
the ground, please just pick it up” How simple is that! So, that is what
we do.
Too often, people feel checked out of politics — even at the level of their own city. But urban activist Alessandra Orofino thinks that can change, using a mix of tech and old-fashioned human connection. Sharing examples from her hometown of Rio, she says: "It is up to us to decide whether we want schools or parking lots, recycling projects or construction sites, cars or buses, loneliness or solidarity."
How do you deal with a bully without becoming a thug? In this wise and soulful talk, peace activist Scilla Elworthy maps out the skills we need -- as nations and individuals -- to fight extreme force without using force in return. To answer the question of why and how non-violence works, she evokes historical heroes -- Aung San Suu Kyi, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela -- and the personal philosophies that powered their peaceful protests. (Filmed at TEDxExeter.)
The Matt Garcia Foundation supports various youth organizations throughout the community by providing sponsorship to local youth sports teams and other nonprofit groups that benefit the young people of Solano County.
The Foundation has given thousands of dollars to the PAL Youth Center here in Fairfield, which provides after-school activities to local teenagers. This money has helped to purchase computers, a recording studio, roller skates, and much more.
The Foundation also gives out several college scholarships a year to graduating seniors through the Assist-A-Grad program.
Volunteer firefighter Mark Bezos tells a story of an act of heroism that didn't go quite as expected -- but that taught him a big lesson: Don't wait to be a hero.
Childhood trauma isn’t something you just get over as you grow up. Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain. This unfolds across a lifetime, to the point where those who’ve experienced high levels of trauma are at triple the risk for heart disease and lung cancer. An impassioned plea for pediatric medicine to confront the prevention and treatment of trauma, head-on.
As a global community, we all want to end poverty. Mia Birdsong suggests a great place to start: Let's honor the skills, drive and initiative that poor people bring to the struggle every day. She asks us to look again at people in poverty: They may be broke — but they're not broken.
The Matt Garcia Foundation is pleased to announce one of our most exciting events of the year. Our 6th Annual Golf Tournament is an opportunity to ensure that the impactful youth and community programs that we support throughout the year will continue.
Our late city councilman, Matt Garcia, was a young man with a vision. With the help of generous individuals and companies such as yours, our foundation has been able to raise the essential funds needed in "Keeping the Dream Alive."
Your participation sends a powerful message that you are partnering with us to make our world a safer and more meaningful place. The event itself is an opportunity to network with many potential customers and clients. All of the sponsors' names will be prominently displayed on our event publications. Your donation is tax-deductible. It is our mission to support youth, help stop crime, and strengthen our community.
Thank you in advance for celebrating this hope of creating a better Fairfield for tomorrow!
The MATT GARCIA FOUNDATION Golf Tournament is scheduled for October 12, 2015, at the beautiful course of Green Valley Country Club.
HELP SUPPORT YOUTH... STOP CRIME...
STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY
The Matt Garcia Foundation is pleased to announce one of our most exciting events of the year. Our 6th Annual Golf Tournament is an opportunity to ensure that the impactful youth and community programs that we support throughout the year will continue.
Our late city councilman, Matt Garcia, was a young man with a vision. With the help of generous individuals and companies such as yours, our foundation has been able to raise the essential funds needed in "Keeping the Dream Alive."
Your participation sends a powerful message that you are partnering with us to make our world a safer and more meaningful place. The event itself is an opportunity to network with many potential customers and clients. All of the sponsors' names will be prominently displayed on our event publications. Your donation is tax-deductible. It is our mission to support youth, help stop crime, and strengthen our community.
Thank you in advance for celebrating this hope of creating a better Fairfield for tomorrow!
The MATT GARCIA FOUNDATION Golf Tournament is scheduled for October 12, 2015, at the beautiful course of Green Valley Country Club.
HELP SUPPORT YOUTH... STOP CRIME...
STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY
Think back to a really vivid memory. Got it? Now try to remember what you had for lunch three weeks ago. That second memory probably isn’t as strong—but why not? Why do we remember some things, and not others? And why do memories eventually fade? Catharine Young gives the basics on memory and memory loss.
Lesson by Catharine Young, animation by Patrick Smith.
Where: Starbucks Downtown Fairfield 700 Jefferson St Corner of Jefferson & Texas (map)
Description: We
meet every last Saturday of each month (weather permitting). We clean
up different locations and neighborhoods. Please join us. All are
welcome
At the Matt Garcia Foundation we don’t want to complain about this, we
want to create solutions to problems. It is with this spirit that we
began our Monthly Community Clean Ups.
On the last Saturday of
every month, volunteers get together and clean up a neighborhood in
Fairfield. We pick up trash, work on landscaping paint windows, fix
fences – all in an effort to improve our community. This is another
example of community coming together to help make a difference.
The
Matt Garcia Foundation Dream Team, is all about stepping up and
stepping out of ourselves to serve others and our communities to be a
part of the solution. Matt would say ” if you see a piece of garbage on
the ground, please just pick it up” How simple is that! So, that is what
we do.
The Matt Garcia Foundation is pleased to announce one of our most exciting events of the year. Our 6th Annual Golf Tournament is an opportunity to ensure that the impactful youth and community programs that we support throughout the year will continue.
Our late city councilman, Matt Garcia, was a young man with a vision. With the help of generous individuals and companies such as yours, our foundation has been able to raise the essential funds needed in "Keeping the Dream Alive."
Your participation sends a powerful message that you are partnering with us to make our world a safer and more meaningful place. The event itself is an opportunity to network with many potential customers and clients. All of the sponsors' names will be prominently displayed on our event publications. Your donation is tax-deductible. It is our mission to support youth, help stop crime, and strengthen our community.
Thank you in advance for celebrating this hope of creating a better Fairfield for tomorrow!
The MATT GARCIA FOUNDATION Golf Tournament is scheduled for October 12, 2015, at the beautiful course of Green Valley Country Club.
HELP SUPPORT YOUTH... STOP CRIME...
STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY
Are you born to be a leader? Many claim that a person is born to
lead and scientists have claimed that one can inherit it through their
genes. So is it too late for us who were not born out of influential
families? According to D.R. Forsyth, one can develop leadership
potential through hard work and careful observation. With that said, how
can one be a leader? What traits and styles should one have in order to
develop their leadership potentials? Below are just some things that
you ought to consider to be able to develop your leadership potentials.
Act on It
The
first thing to do to develop one's initiative is to act on an
opportunity that comes along their way. One must develop their drive to
make things happen the way they want it to. People who take the lead are
on their way to becoming leaders as they are often the first person who
would spot opportunities for the company that they work for and are not
afraid to pursue it.
Be Responsible
Becoming a leader means
being responsible and taking ownership of the problem. They exhibit a
"can do" attitude, anticipate problems head on and provide several
solutions or action plans in order to resolve the matter readily.
Innovative and Risk Taking
Suggesting
new ways of handling things and taking risks are also some of the
traits that one should develop to become a potential leader. Innovative
thinking or "thinking out of the box" helps create change to the old
ways and paves the way for a better and more productive company.
Motivating others
Leadership
involves motivating others and directing them on what to do. The leader
encourages the staff and fellow team member to work on the common goal
together. They provide support and believe in the abilities of the
people around them.
Self Confidence
People who are
self-confident exude an aura of authority. They are not in doubt of
their ability to make a decision and trust their decisions. They are
emotionally stable, assertive and self-assured. To develop
self-confidence, one must be consistent in what they are doing and
demonstrate their integrity and commitment. Self-assured individuals
also project their aura to their team and help create an environment
where every staff or member feels valued and has a sense of belonging.
These
are just some of the traits that every individual should develop if
they want to lead or become a leader later on. Leaders are born, but
leadership skills can be developed.
Are you interested to become a leader or improve your time management skills? Visit Meir Ezra website today to learn how you can create a better life for yourself and your loved ones as well.
At Camp Diva, Angela Patton works to help girls and fathers stay connected and in each others' lives. But what about girls whose fathers can't be there -- because they're in jail? Patton tells the story of a very special father-daughter dance. (Filmed at TEDxWomen)
Since 1994, YouthBuild has trained 110,000 high school dropouts around the country to put up houses for their community and think critically in the classroom while earning their GEDs or diplomas. As part of the American Graduate series, Paul Solman reports on a program designed to keep kids learning inside and outside of class.
Victor Rios says he has lived two lifetimes. In his first, he was a gang member, juvenile delinquent and high school dropout. Today, he's a sociology professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who studies at-risk youth.
Robert Wright uses evolutionary biology and game theory to explain why we appreciate the Golden Rule ("Do unto others..."), why we sometimes ignore it and why there’s hope that, in the near future, we might all have the compassion to follow it.
The Matt Garcia Foundation is pleased to announce one of our most exciting events of the year. Our 6th Annual Golf Tournament is an opportunity to ensure that the impactful youth and community programs that we support throughout the year will continue.
Our late city councilman, Matt Garcia, was a young man with a vision. With the help of generous individuals and companies such as yours, our foundation has been able to raise the essential funds needed in "Keeping the Dream Alive."
Your participation sends a powerful message that you are partnering with us to make our world a safer and more meaningful place. The event itself is an opportunity to network with many potential customers and clients. All of the sponsors' names will be prominently displayed on our event publications. Your donation is tax-deductible. It is our mission to support youth, help stop crime, and strengthen our community.
Thank you in advance for celebrating this hope of creating a better Fairfield for tomorrow!
The MATT GARCIA FOUNDATION Golf Tournament is scheduled for October 12, 2015, at the beautiful course of Green Valley Country Club.
HELP SUPPORT YOUTH... STOP CRIME...
STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY
Where: Starbucks Downtown Fairfield 700 Jefferson St Corner of Jefferson & Texas (map)
Description: We
meet every last Saturday of each month (weather permitting). We clean
up different locations and neighborhoods. Please join us. All are
welcome
At the Matt Garcia Foundation we don’t want to complain about this, we
want to create solutions to problems. It is with this spirit that we
began our Monthly Community Clean Ups.
On the last Saturday of
every month, volunteers get together and clean up a neighborhood in
Fairfield. We pick up trash, work on landscaping paint windows, fix
fences – all in an effort to improve our community. This is another
example of community coming together to help make a difference.
The
Matt Garcia Foundation Dream Team, is all about stepping up and
stepping out of ourselves to serve others and our communities to be a
part of the solution. Matt would say ” if you see a piece of garbage on
the ground, please just pick it up” How simple is that! So, that is what
we do.
Physician Gary Slutkin spent a decade fighting tuberculosis, cholera and AIDS epidemics in Africa. When he returned to the United States, he thought he'd escape brutal epidemic deaths. But then he began to look more carefully at gun violence, noting that its spread followed the patterns of infectious diseases. A mind-flipping look at a problem that too many communities have accepted as a given. We've reversed the impact of so many diseases, says Slutkin, and we can do the same with violence. (Filmed at TEDMED.)
The Matt Garcia Foundation is pleased to announce one of our most exciting events of the year. Our 6th Annual Golf Tournament is an opportunity to ensure that the impactful youth and community programs that we support throughout the year will continue.
Our late city councilman, Matt Garcia, was a young man with a vision. With the help of generous individuals and companies such as yours, our foundation has been able to raise the essential funds needed in "Keeping the Dream Alive."
Your participation sends a powerful message that you are partnering with us to make our world a safer and more meaningful place. The event itself is an opportunity to network with many potential customers and clients. All of the sponsors' names will be prominently displayed on our event publications. Your donation is tax-deductible. It is our mission to support youth, help stop crime, and strengthen our community.
Thank you in advance for celebrating this hope of creating a better Fairfield for tomorrow!
The MATT GARCIA FOUNDATION Golf Tournament is scheduled for October 12, 2015, at the beautiful course of Green Valley Country Club.
HELP SUPPORT YOUTH... STOP CRIME...
STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY
Professor Stephen Post is well known for his writings on the health benefits of helping others. In this video, he walks us through the many reasons why practicing forgiveness can be both therapeutic and rejuvenating. After all, studies show that people who show a proclivity to hostile emotions tend to die earlier due to heart failure. That's why the James Lang Theory of Emotions posits the emotional and physiological benefits of small acts of kindness.
Father Gregory Boyle, founder and executive director of Homeboy Industries, is an acknowledged expert on gangs, intervention and re-entry and today serves on the U.S. Attorney General's Defending Childhood Task Force.
Reaching out and contributing to the lives of others doesn't only make you a good person. The act of compassion has major health benefits, starting with the alleviation of stress.
What should a community do with its unused land? Plant food, of course. With energy and humor, Pam Warhurst tells at the TEDSalon the story of how she and a growing team of volunteers came together to turn plots of unused land into communal vegetable gardens, and to change the narrative of food in their community.
Where: Starbucks Downtown Fairfield 700 Jefferson St Corner of Jefferson & Texas (map)
Description: We
meet every last Saturday of each month (weather permitting). We clean
up different locations and neighborhoods. Please join us. All are
welcome
At the Matt Garcia Foundation we don’t want to complain about this, we
want to create solutions to problems. It is with this spirit that we
began our Monthly Community Clean Ups.
On the last Saturday of
every month, volunteers get together and clean up a neighborhood in
Fairfield. We pick up trash, work on landscaping paint windows, fix
fences – all in an effort to improve our community. This is another
example of community coming together to help make a difference.
The
Matt Garcia Foundation Dream Team, is all about stepping up and
stepping out of ourselves to serve others and our communities to be a
part of the solution. Matt would say ” if you see a piece of garbage on
the ground, please just pick it up” How simple is that! So, that is what
we do.
Matt Garcia was a man with a vision. He was the youngest
city councilman elected in the state of California in November 2007. Matt was a
great young leader and inspiration to all who knew him. Matt was only 22 years
old…but he lived more in those short years than many adults can even imagine. He
led by inspiration, with integrity and ambition.
Matt’s dream involved
supporting the youth and creating places for them to go and things for them to
do; Changing a culture of violence and crime in the city through youth
involvement. By uniting a community all people will have a sense of belonging
and responsibility to the city of Fairfield. Matt’s life was cut short, but his
legacy, work and heart live on.
The Matt Garcia
Foundation was established to carry out Matt’s dream. We are dedicated to the
work and efforts that Matt started and hope that we can inspire others to be the
change in this world we live in, just as Matt inspired us.
M att's vision has guided us, but we need continued support from all of you to make his dream a reality.
A commitment to changing a culture of violence and crime in Solano County.
T ogether we can continue Matt's efforts and make his dream our reality.
T he Matt Garcia Foundation "Dream Team" pledges to live Matt's legacy.
What really causes addiction — to everything from cocaine to smart-phones? And how can we overcome it? Johann Hari has seen our current methods fail firsthand, as he has watched loved ones struggle to manage their addictions. He started to wonder why we treat addicts the way we do — and if there might be a better way. As he shares in this deeply personal talk, his questions took him around the world, and unearthed some surprising and hopeful ways of thinking about an age-old problem.
The one thing all humans have in common is that each of us wants to be happy, says Brother David Steindl-Rast, a monk and interfaith scholar. And happiness, he suggests, is born from gratitude. An inspiring lesson in slowing down, looking where you're going, and above all, being grateful.
In life, there are many intangible and indescribable things.
However, despite the fact that they are not things that we can hold in
the palm of our hands they are cornerstones of our existence.
In
fact, for many people it is these things that get them through the
trials and tribulations that life can bring. Love, faith, and hope are
things that we rely on and look for in life, but sometimes truly
understanding them is a challenge. In fact, hope is one of those
intangible things that we hold closest to our hearts, but the question
is why?
Better yet, what is hope? One definition of hope is
"cherishing a desire with anticipation," but what does that really mean?
When you hope for something you dream about it. You dream about what it
would mean to you, and that makes you want it. With each thought, that
desire increases exponentially, and it grows until you start to feel
excitement and anticipation about the possibilities that the future
could bring to you.
So, why do we hope? Hoping allows us to
increase our belief that we live in a world where good things happen.
The world is filled with many sad stories that could break your heart
and leave you wondering what the point of it all is. That kind of
thinking can allow you to spiral into a deep depression.
However,
with hope you have a chance to look at the world through a positive
perspective. In fact, many people believe that we are able to create
self-fulfilling prophesies. With hope we are paving the way toward
something positive and good for ourselves. You set yourself up for
greatness.
You may be one of those people who need to see a vision
of something positive to help you achieve it. If you hold hope close in
your heart, you can almost envision yourself achieving the thing that
you are hoping for. It gives you the strength and focus to start working
towards your goal.
Another definition of hope is something that
can help you unite with others. For example, if you and your spouse or
significant other are hoping to buy your first home this is something
that can bring you together. While you may only start by hoping you can
take that hope and transform it into a plan of action which will make
your dreams a reality.
Hope is not always present. It can fade
away. You can lose it all together, but the good news is that you can
always find hope again. In fact, you can find hope in many different
places. Sometimes hope can be reignited by simply hearing a child laugh
or in the gentle embrace of friends.
Maintaining your hope takes
effort on your part sometimes, but it is worth it. When you put in the
work to keep hope strong it will keep you in a mind frame that allows
your dreams to become a reality.
You never know, sometimes your
hope can be so strong that it will inspire those around you. After all,
isn't that the world that we all hope to live in?
Herb Ammons, Motivational Speaker and Author. http://www.herbammons.com
Ammons is the co-author of a new inspirational book called Hope for
Tomorrow: A Book of Motivational Quotes. Grab FREE, Exclusive Report,
"Resolve To Help Yourself," visit: http://tinyurl.com/2happy
René reveals through breathtaking examples how culture superseeds vision and endures the most extraordinary situations. René Carayol, one of the world's leading business gurus specializing in leadership and culture. Drawing from his own unique experiences on the boards of the biggest British and American organizations; from Marks & Spencer and Pepsi to IPC Media and the Inland Revenue, René has had the privilege of working closely with some of the world's best leaders; Sir Richard Branson, Bill Clinton, Ko Annan and Colin Powell to only name a few!
Be open - Being open is extremely important to building
healthy student to mentor relationships, and giving the young person a
safe place where they can really discuss their struggles is important.
Make sure to make it clear to the student that you're providing them
with a no judgment zone, and that you can be trusted as an adult to have
their best interests in mind. Unless they express a desire to do harm
to themselves or others, allow them to talk out the tough issues with
you as you build a strong foundation of trust.
Provide relevant advice - As an adult, it's possible
that you've experienced just what they're experiencing now, and that you
have some useful information when it comes to what to do next.
Providing advice to students who come to you for help is a great way to
build a healthy relationship, but it's important to do so as an equal,
and not as a person who may be speaking down to them and their concerns.
Treat them equally - If there is one thing that many
young people despise, it's being treated childishly, and talking to or
treating today's youth in a mature manner can do a great deal in
building respect. When providing advice, or an ear to talk to, it's
important that you respect the student just as you would wish to be
respected, and to speak to them in a mature manner appropriate for their
particular age group.
Go to them - In many cases, a student or young person
may not feel comfortable initiating a relationship, which is why it's
important for the adult to extend the line of communication. Engaging
the young person or simply allowing them to know that you have a willing
ear should they need someone to listen is a great way to offer the
opportunity for a mentor type relationship.
Appropriate Self-Disclosure- This is one of the many
keys to connecting with disengaged students and youth. With more than 15
years of working with at-risk youth, I've learned that it's important
to let them know that we experience or have experienced many of the
things that they are going through. Loss, confusion, and anger, etc.
However, it is not enough to simple say, "I've also been angry." or
"I've also lost a loved one." When sharing bits and pieces of your life
that you believe can change the belief of the young person you are
working with, you must be specific. "I may not understand exactly how
you feel, but I remember losing my uncle when I was 16. I never forget
him and what he meant to me." or "I can remember getting angry at my
mother when I was 16 and saying something inappropriate. I didn't sit
down for a week!" Not only will some of your stories get a laugh, they
will be memorable and will also let the student know that we all at some
point have been where they are.
Ian J. Humphrey is an international motivational speaker, author, youth mentor. Find out more about him at http://www.beianspired.com or call him at 720.857.4026
James R. Doty, M.D. is the founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University of which His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the founding benefactor. He collaborates with scientists from a number of disciplines examining the moral, social and neural bases for compassion and altruism.
The Matt Garcia Foundation was established to carry out the dream and the vision of the late councilman Matt Garcia. Matt’s dream involved supporting the youth of Fairfield by providing places for them to go and things to do to keep them out of trouble, which in turn, would help decrease the violence and crime in the community.
His dream also involved all citizens, young and old alike, coming together to help in the efforts to make Fairfield a better, safer place.
The volunteers from the Foundation have all pledged to “Keep the Dream Alive” and support the “dreams” of others who desire positive change for the community we love.
In an effort to nurture our city’s neighborhoods and bond with its citizens, the foundation hosts a monthly community clean-up and barbecue where both young people and adults come together to clean up various areas in Fairfield that are in need.
The Foundation also holds a yearly softball tournament and golf tournament that provide fun and help create lasting ties within Solano County. The Foundation also participates in many other community events such as the Run For Good, MS Walk, and many other causes that strengthen and nurture our community.
On Linda Cliatt-Wayman’s first day as principal at a failing high school in North Philadelphia, she was determined to lay down the law. But she soon realized the job was more complex than she thought. With palpable passion, she shares the three principles that helped her turn around three schools labeled “low-performing and persistently dangerous.” Her fearless determination to lead — and to love the students, no matter what — is a model for leaders in all fields.
An architect of the "Boston miracle," Rev. Jeffrey Brown started out as a bewildered young pastor watching his Boston neighborhood fall apart around him, as drugs and gang violence took hold of the kids on the streets. The first step to recovery: Listen to those kids, don't just preach to them, and help them reduce violence in their own neighborhoods. It's a powerful talk about listening to make change.
In a direct effort to curb the violence in our community and advocate for peace, the foundation has sponsored several successful gun buy-back programs that have taken hundreds of unwanted guns off the streets.
The president of the Foundation, Teresa Courtemanche, has also advocated by going into the prisons and speaking to prisoners serving life sentences about the impact of Matt’s murder on her family and community.
These prisoners are a part of a program that helps them improve their lives and take responsibility for their actions. As a result, the Foundation has received letters and checks from some of these prisoners whose lives have been changed as a result of the program and her visits.
Where: Starbucks Downtown Fairfield 700 Jefferson St Corner of Jefferson & Texas (map)
Description: We
meet every last Saturday of each month (weather permitting). We clean
up different locations and neighborhoods. Please join us. All are
welcome
At the Matt Garcia Foundation we don’t want to complain about this, we
want to create solutions to problems. It is with this spirit that we
began our Monthly Community Clean Ups.
On the last Saturday of
every month, volunteers get together and clean up a neighborhood in
Fairfield. We pick up trash, work on landscaping paint windows, fix
fences – all in an effort to improve our community. This is another
example of community coming together to help make a difference.
The
Matt Garcia Foundation Dream Team, is all about stepping up and
stepping out of ourselves to serve others and our communities to be a
part of the solution. Matt would say ” if you see a piece of garbage on
the ground, please just pick it up” How simple is that! So, that is what
we do.
The Foundation is the primary sponsor of LEGACY Youth Group, a program started by and run by volunteer teachers in our local school district. This program provides at-risk youth with mentorship, tutoring, field trips to college campuses, basketball games with local police and firemen, and inspiration from powerful guest speakers from all walks of life.
The Matt Garcia Foundation supports various youth organizations throughout the community by providing sponsorship to local youth sports teams and other nonprofit groups that benefit the young people of Solano County.
The Foundation has given thousands of dollars to the PAL Youth Center here in Fairfield, which provides after-school activities to local teenagers. This money has helped to purchase computers, a recording studio, roller skates, and much more.
The Foundation also gives out several college scholarships a year to graduating seniors through the Assist-A-Grad program.
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