My blog scheduling got confused this week. I wanted to be sure I had a post today, to mark the end of Just Jot January. January is such a hard month to navigate, and this daily prompt by Linda G. Hill is a bright spot. Whether I was participating or reading other’s as they played along or just reading Linda’s remarkable little stories, JusJoJan was helpful.
I also wanted to be sure to participate in the We Are The World Blogfest because that monthly blogfest has the goal of sharing good news, and I have found three bits of good news. But, I didn’t want to post six days in a row. So, as the title suggests, I’m going to go with the three stories for WATWB and share some photos featuring ‘Candy’ for Linda’s final JusJoJan prompt. And, just because the word ‘candy’ always makes me think of Natalie Merchant, I tossed that video in at the end.
The three stories were featured in a ThomasNet article for something they call “Amplify Friday” – which is a cool theme. Their post starts with what could have also been my One Liner Wednesday, but two prompts in one is enough. I think this is a message worth sharing,
Philosopher William James said: “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
I’m going to hint at the stories in reverse order because the first one is my favorite.
The third story is about Michael Jordan helping to fight hunger:
“Former Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan is donating $2 million from the proceeds of his recent Netflix documentary, The Last Dance, in an effort to battle food-access inequalities along racial lines.”
The second story is about a company that donated baby monitors to a hospital that needed some. But it the third story is the one that warms my heart.
“New York City’s disenfranchised are getting fresh opportunities to rebuild their lives in the construction industry, thanks to the Andromeda Community Initiative. The nonprofit educational organization, founded by entrepreneur John Kalafafatis, provides tuition-free classes in construction skills as well as certifications.”
Now, this isn’t just teaching people construction skills. This program is salvaging lives and salvaging buildings.
“Currently, the construction school is set to have about 150 graduates. Among these are individuals who had been homeless or in jail. Perhaps fittingly, just as these students are renovating their careers, the program focuses on building restoration.
Right now, all costs are assumed by Kalafatis, an owner of several New York companies. When he emigrated from Greece to the U.S., he struggled financially. However, in 1989 he founded Skyline Restoration and began to make a name for himself through other projects. Now, he wants to give back to help others build their dreams.”
Again, you can read more about all three stories, here.
The “We are the World” Blogfest is in its third year. This blogfest’s goal is to spread the message of light, hope and love in today’s world. We are challenging all participants to share the positive side of humanity. This month’s co-hosts, Sylvia McGrath, Simon Falk Shilpa Garg, Mary Giese , and Belinda Witzenhausen welcome participants. You might want to join us in during future months. #WATWB is a blog hop on the last Friday of every month. If you want to SIGN UP for WE ARE THE WORLD – Click HERE to be part of the Light. Today’s gallery includes a few scenes from our yard as winter is approaching.
