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
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