Kid President - Pep Talk about Teamwork and Leadership

Kid President - Pep Talk about Teamwork and Leadership

Become a Great Team Leader to Not only Help yourself but to Help Others.

The Science of Happiness - Forgive and Forget

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.

Join Us For Our Monthly Community Clean Up on Saturday!

 
When: Saturday, December 26th, 2015 at 9am 

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.

Why are Afterschool Programs Important?

Joe Davis, afterschool advocate, on extending the education day to build better learning environments in safer surroundings.

Juvenile Offender Fights to Help Other At-Risk Youth

Starcia Ague discusses how she turned her life around against all odds and how she wants to work to help at-risk youth.

Alice Goffman: How We're Priming Some Kids for College — and Others for Prison

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?”

Support The Matt Garcia Foundation Through AmazonSmile!

Click the logo above to start shopping!

You can help support The Matt Garcia Foundation by shopping through AmazonSmile.

• Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Matt Garcia Foundation whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
• AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same Amazon Prime benefits.
• Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.

Extraordinary Times Demand Extraordinary Leadership: René Carayol at TEDxPlainpalais

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!

How Jobs Can Help Kids Stay in School

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.

Forgiveness in an Unforgiving World | Megan Feldman | TEDxBoulder

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.

S.T.A.N.D. - Dream

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.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"If you are grateful for everything, 

then whatever you have is enough" 

- J. Baadsgaard 

Wishing You and Your Family a Wonderful and Safe Thanksgiving!

How Does Forgiveness Heal?

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.

Compassion is Natural. So Why is It So Hard For Us?

The short answer: Fear inhibits our natural compassionate instinct.

Programs Aim to Rehabilitate Rather than Incarcerate

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.

S.T.A.N.D. - Nuture

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.

How We Can Make the World a Better Place by 2030 | Michael Green | TED Talks

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.

Thank You for Another Successful Golf Tournament!

The Matt Garcia Foundation would like to thank all of the participants, sponsors and volunteers of the 6th Annual Golf Tournament!

Support The Matt Garcia Foundation Through AmazonSmile!

Click the logo above to start shopping!

You can help support The Matt Garcia Foundation by shopping through AmazonSmile.

• Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Matt Garcia Foundation whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
• AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same Amazon Prime benefits.
• Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.

S.T.A.N.D. - Teach

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.

Join Us For Our Monthly Community Clean Up Tomorrow!

 
When: Saturday, October 31st, 2015 at 9am

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.

Alessandra Orofino: It’s Our City. Let’s Fix It

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."

Scilla Elworthy: Fighting with Non-Violence

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.)

S.T.A.N.D. - Support

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.

 

Mark Bezos: A Life Lesson from a Volunteer Firefighter

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.

Nadine Burke Harris: How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime

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.

The Story We Tell About Poverty Isn't True | Mia Birdsong | TED Talks

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's 6th Annual Golf Tournament is This Monday! Don't Miss Out!

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 

DocumentDOWNLOAD Tournament Brochure with Details 

Tournament Schedule: 

 9:30am - 10:30am 

Registration 

11:00am 

Shotgun Start 

4:30pm 

No-Host Bar 

5:30pm 

Dinner

Support The Matt Garcia Foundation Through AmazonSmile!

Click the logo above to start shopping!

You can help support The Matt Garcia Foundation by shopping through AmazonSmile.

• Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Matt Garcia Foundation whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
• AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same Amazon Prime benefits.
• Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.

The Matt Garcia Foundation's 6th Annual Golf Tournament is October 12th!

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 

DocumentDOWNLOAD Tournament Brochure with Details 

Tournament Schedule: 

 9:30am - 10:30am 

Registration 

11:00am 

Shotgun Start 

4:30pm 

No-Host Bar 

5:30pm 

Dinner

How Memories Form and How We Lose Them - Catharine Young

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.

Daniel Goleman: Why Arent We All Good Samaritans?

Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, asks why we aren't more compassionate more of the time.

Join Us For Our Monthly Community Clean Up on Saturday!

 
When: Saturday, September 26th, 2015 at 9am

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.

Join The Matt Garcia Foundation for Their 6th Annual Golf Tournament!

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 

DocumentDOWNLOAD Tournament Brochure with Details 

Tournament Schedule: 

 9:30am - 10:30am 

Registration 

11:00am 

Shotgun Start 

4:30pm 

No-Host Bar 

5:30pm 

Dinner

Are You Born To Lead? Leadership Traits That Every Leader Must Have

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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Francheska_Craig

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8623828

Angela Patton: A Father-Daughter Dance ... In Prison

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)

Helping High School Youth Learn by Doing

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.

One Man's Journey From Gang Member to Academia

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: The Evolution of Compassion

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.

Support The Matt Garcia Foundation Through AmazonSmile!

Click the logo above to start shopping!

You can help support The Matt Garcia Foundation by shopping through AmazonSmile.

• Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Matt Garcia Foundation whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
• AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same Amazon Prime benefits.
• Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.

 

The Matt Garcia Foundation's 6th Annual Golf Tournament

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 

DocumentDOWNLOAD Tournament Brochure with Details 

Tournament Schedule: 

 9:30am - 10:30am 

Registration 

11:00am 

Shotgun Start 

4:30pm 

No-Host Bar 

5:30pm 

Dinner

Join Us For Our Monthly Community Clean Up Tomorrow!

 
When: Saturday, August 29th, 2015 at 9am

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.

Gary Slutkin: Let's Treat Violence Like a Contagious Disease

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.)

Join The Matt Garcia Foundation for Their 6th Annual Golf Tournament!

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 

DocumentDOWNLOAD Tournament Brochure with Details 

Tournament Schedule: 

 9:30am - 10:30am 

Registration 

11:00am 

Shotgun Start 

4:30pm 

No-Host Bar 

5:30pm 

Dinner

A BIG Thank You to Our Sponsors

The Matt Garcia Foundation would like to give a BIG "Thank You" to all of our sponsors for supporting the 2015 Softball Tournament!

Stephen Post: Learn to Forgive Because Bitterness is Bad For Your Health

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.

Compassion and Kinship: Fr Gregory Boyle at TEDxConejo 2012

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.

Today is the Deadline to Register Your Team for the Matt Garcia Softball Tournament!

SATURDAY & SUNDAY - AUGUST 15th & 16th

Competitive and Coed Divisions
Registration Fee $325.00

Registration Deadline : August 10, 2015

4 Games Guaranteed | 15 Players Per Roster

Step Up To The Plate and Help Strengthen Our Community!

LAMBRECHT SPORTS COMPLEX
4479 Petersen Road
Suisun City, CA 94588

(Complex under new ownership - Alcohol banned from the complex and Parking lots)

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Jump House, Great Food, Music, Face Painting, Silent Auction & HR Derby

http://mattgarciadreamteam.org/

The Science of Compassion

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.

Register Your Team by August 10th for the Matt Garcia Softball Tournament!

SATURDAY & SUNDAY - AUGUST 15th & 16th

Competitive and Coed Divisions
Registration Fee $325.00

Registration Deadline : August 10, 2015

4 Games Guaranteed | 15 Players Per Roster

Step Up To The Plate and Help Strengthen Our Community!

LAMBRECHT SPORTS COMPLEX
4479 Petersen Road
Suisun City, CA 94588

(Complex under new ownership - Alcohol banned from the complex and Parking lots)

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Jump House, Great Food, Music, Face Painting, Silent Auction & HR Derby

http://mattgarciadreamteam.org/

Support The Matt Garcia Foundation Through AmazonSmile!

Click the logo above to start shopping!

You can help support The Matt Garcia Foundation by shopping through AmazonSmile.

• Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Matt Garcia Foundation whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
• AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same Amazon Prime benefits.
• Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.

 

The 8th Annual Matt Garcia Softball Tournament is August 15th and 16th!

Competitive and Coed Divisions

4 Games Guaranteed/ 15 Players per Roster

Step up to the plate and help strengthen our community!

http://mattgarciadreamteam.org/

Pam Warhurst: How we Can Eat Our Landscapes

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.

Join Us For Our Monthly Community Clean Up on Saturday!

 
When: Saturday, July 25th, 2015 at 9am

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.

Remembering Matt Garcia

Remembering Matt Garcia FFinest Fairfield, Ca

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.

Johann Hari: Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong

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.

Ash Beckham: When to Take a Stand -- and When to Let it Go

Ash Beckham: When to take a stand -- and when to let it go

David Steindl-Rast: Want to Be Happy? Be Grateful

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.

What Is the True Definition of Hope? Better Yet, What Is Hope?

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

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Extraordinary Times Demand Extraordinary Leadership: René Carayol at TEDxPlainpalais

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!

Creating Connections With Today's Youth

1. 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.


2. 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.


3. 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.


4. 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.


5. 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

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Support The Matt Garcia Foundation Through AmazonSmile!

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You can help support The Matt Garcia Foundation by shopping through AmazonSmile.

• Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Matt Garcia Foundation whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
• AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same Amazon Prime benefits.
• Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.

 

The Science of Compassion: Dr. James Doty at TEDxUNPlaza

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.

S.T.A.N.D. - Dream

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.

Juvenile Offender Fights to Help Other At-Risk Youth

Starcia Ague discusses how she turned her life around against all odds and how she wants to work to help at-risk youth.

How To Deal With At Risk Youth by Curtis Ray

A few tips on how to approach and how to earn the trust of at risk youth.

S.T.A.N.D. - Nuture

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.

Linda Cliatt-Wayman: How to Fix a Broken School? Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard

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.

Jeffrey Brown: How We Cut Youth Violence in Boston by 79 percent

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.

S.T.A.N.D. - Advocate

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.

Join Us For Our Monthly Community Clean Up TODAY!

 
When: Saturday, May 30th, 2015 at 9am

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.

Support The Matt Garcia Foundation Through AmazonSmile!

You can help support The Matt Garcia Foundation by shopping through AmazonSmile.

• Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Matt Garcia Foundation whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
• AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same Amazon Prime benefits.
• Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.

 

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S.T.A.N.D. - Teach

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.

Why are Afterschool Programs Important?

Joe Davis, afterschool advocate, on extending the education day to build better learning environments in safer surroundings.

S.T.A.N.D. - Support

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.

 

Elizabeth Gilbert: Success, Failure And The Drive To Keep Creating

Elizabeth Gilbert was once an "unpublished diner waitress," devastated by rejection letters. And yet, in the wake of the success of 'Eat, Pray, Love,' she found herself identifying strongly with her former self. With beautiful insight, Gilbert reflects on why success can be as disorienting as failure and offers a simple -- though hard -- way to carry on, regardless of outcomes.

Matt Garcia Foundation Schedules Fundraiser

Teresa Courtemanche speaks to a room of inmates graduating from a victim impact program, at California State Prison-Solano, in Vacaville, Friday. Courtemanche spoke about her son Fairfield City Councilman Matt Garcia, who was killed in 2008. (Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic)

By Amy Maginnis-Honey

FAIRFIELD — The Matt Garcia Foundation will host its first STAND with Fairfield’s Finest on Thursday in downtown Fairfield.

The event is a fundraiser and a friend-raiser.

“So many people are confused about the foundation,” said Teresa Courtemanche, the mother of slain Fairfield City Councilman Matt Garcia.

The foundation was formed to carry on his dream of involving young people in their community with the goal of reducing crime. STAND is an acronym for support, teach, advocate, nurture and dream.

Thursday’s schedule includes radio interviews and online media campaign from 9 a.m. to noon. Local restaurants are partnering with the foundation from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The list can be found at www.themattgarciafoundation.org. Events and activities are scheduled between 3 and 7 p.m. near the farmers market at Texas and Jefferson streets in Fairfield.

The foundation has raised nearly $500,000 since it began in 2009.

“We get the money and we give it out to different groups,” Courtemanche said.

A list of the recipients can be found on the website.

“We want to move forward and upward to help more people,” Courtemanche said. “The goal of the foundation is to support youth and help stop crime.”

Article Source: Daily Republic 

The Man Behind The Dream

Matt Garcia was a young man with a vision for the great City of Fairfield. He was the youngest city councilman elected in the State of California in November, 2007. Matt was a great young leader and an inspiration to all who knew him.

Tragically, we lost Matt when he was only 22 years old to gun violence. A man, high on drugs, pointed a gun in the direction that Matt was standing, and on September 1, 2008, Matt's life was cut short; however, his LEGACY, LEADERSHIP, and SPIRIT live on.

Matt's "Dream" involved supporting the youth of our community by creating places for them to go and things for them to do. He believed the way to change a culture of violence and crime is directly related to youth involvement. He also believed that by uniting a community together, all people would have a sense of responsibility to the great City of Fairfield. 

The message: "Keep the Dream Alive"

Alice Goffman: How We're Priming Some Kids for College — and Others for Prison

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?”

Community Investment Day - S.T.A.N.D. on May 14th!

The Matt Garcia Foundation invites you to STAND with us this day to Support, Teach, Advocate, Nurture, and Dream with the youth, businesses, and residents of our community. Help us continue our efforts to support the many neeeds of our neighbors and partners by pledging to STAND with FFINEST.

Sophie Scott: Why We Laugh

Did you know that you're 13 times more likely to laugh if you're with somebody else than if you're alone? Cognitive neuroscientist Sophie Scott shares this and other surprising facts about laughter in this fast-paced, action-packed and, yes, hilarious dash through the science of the topic.

Support The Matt Garcia Foundation Through AmazonSmile!

You can help support The Matt Garcia Foundation by shopping through AmazonSmile.

• Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Matt Garcia Foundation whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
• AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same Amazon Prime benefits.
• Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.

 

Click the logo above to start shopping!

Gary Haugen: The Hidden Reason for Poverty the World Needs to Address Now

Collective compassion has meant an overall decrease in global poverty since the 1980s, says civil rights lawyer Gary Haugen. Yet for all the world's aid money, there's a pervasive hidden problem keeping poverty alive. Haugen reveals the dark underlying cause we must recognize and act on now.