Bratz dolls transformed
Several months ago we posted the story about Australian artist Sonja Singh and how she was taking #Bratz_dolls (doll faces with too much makeup and skimpy outfits) and removing the painted faces and recreating the dolls to be more lifelike for little girls. Young girls actually love to play with these dolls because they look and dress like they do.
#Wendy_Tsao was so inspired by the artist that she began collecting the dolls from second hand stores and recreating the faces to be like #inspiringfemale role models.
The photo reflects how the doll originally looked and how she recreated the doll to be like #Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist and youngest Nobel Prize laureate. She has also created a doll for Jane Goodall, author J.K. Rowling, Somali model and activist Waris Dirie, and Roberta Bondar, the first female Canadian astronaut.
Who would be your favorite #female_role_model that you would like to see in a doll and why?
See more: http://www.takepart.com/…/bratz-dolls-transformed-inspiring…
Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist and youngest Nobel Prize laureate. (Photos: Yousafzai: Wikipedia; doll: Wendy Tsao)
Sweden Plans To Become World's First Fossil Fuel-Free Nation
Finally a headline that we #LemonadeMakers can love – Sweden Plans To Become World’s First Fossil Fuel-Free Nation. #Solar powers budget is increasing by 800%, so this seems to be the primary source they are leaning towards. They are also closing their nuclear power plants with no replacements planned. Already two-thirds of their electricity is from non fossil fuel sources.
For many years nations around the world have been slow to make changes in their energy uses, even though #climate_change is now an accepted fact by all of them.
Earlier this year, Costa Rica met the entirety of its national power demand using #renewable_energy for 75 days straight.
Denmark, one spectacularly windy day in July, generated 140% of the nation’s electricity demand through #wind_power alone, as reported by the Guardian. Remarkably, much of the excess was given to Germany, Norway and Sweden.
Yoobi
#Yoobi is a company that sells school supplies and has a buy one, give one philosophy for everything it sells. In their first year they had sales of $20M and they were able to provide more than 1 million children with free school supplies. This goes a long way in todays #underfunded_schools.
This is a similar model to #Toms_Shoes. This is really going to help both the students who get the supplies and so many of our school teachers who spend up to $1,000 a year buying supplies for those students whose families can’t afford paper and pencils.
When Yoobi comes to the school they host giveaway events and they drew the attention of Usher who recently teamed up with the company to help design a limited edition school supplies collection. This is a great example of social enterprise. #Usher helps the #social_enterprise company and gives something special to these children. He also helps to promote his own personal brand as a social enterprise.
The company’s social give back comes from a very heart centered place, as the founders mother was a teacher that used to pour her own money into buying school supplies. That is the critical piece to have a successful social enterprise – authenticity.
See more: http://www.cnbc.com/…/businesses-that-give-back-a-new-schoo…
Kindred
“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
No matter what is happening in your life, someone else has been in your shoes. Someone else has a #story to share that can help you make it through to the other side. No matter what is happening, you can not only survive, but turn it around and #thrive.
This is what #Kerrie_Cooper learned from her father, making others lives easier. He was one of those old fashioned doctors and his life was all about helping his patients, especially those who didn’t have insurance, or couldn’t afford the drugs they needed to be healthy.
So when Kerrie decided to be an entrepreneur she had some qualifications that her new business would need to meet. I wish that all businesses had this same philosophy.
She dedicates 40% of the merchandise profit to a giving fund to help someone who has been swept up in a major life event. The kind that throws you off your course and stops you in your tracks. When your life as you know it ceases to exist and a new one must be made. The kindred giving fund will serve every day people who just need a #helping_hand to get back on their feet again.
I love her website – #Kindred, we are all in this together. Share this and spread the word – so they can help others get back on their feet.
Website: http://www.wearekindred.org/
See More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kerrie-l-cooper/built-to-give-back_b_8271016.html
Carl Schneider
The Whitney Achievement School has some very special #teachers, one of them being #Carl_Schneider. Every day after school he walks many of his students home that live in apartment complexes same distance from school.
It started because the teachers there were concerned for the students safety. But it has turned into an opportunity for the teachers to really get to know their #students.
They get to talk about what happened in school that day and decompress about any stress they had. They get a chance to talk about what they learned or have questions about in regards to their homework. They are forming a bond and realizing that the teachers at their school really care about them.
These teachers are #LemonadeMakers because they are going beyond the job description and helping to forge a bond that will hopefully take these students through college and a successful career.
See More: http://www.liftbump.com/…/86110-woman-spots-a-man-walking…/…
Buddy Benches
I first heard about #buddy_benches from an UpWorthy piece. They started when Dustin Rumsey posted the idea on Facebook. The idea was very popular and many communities are stepping up to bring them to schools.
The idea if you haven’t heard about it, is that if a child is feeling left out or excluded they sit on the bench. This tells the students that they would like to talk with someone. The students then have the option of coming over and sitting down with them.
This gives them the chance to say “come play with me” without having to hold back from fear of rejection. It also teaches kids to be #kind to one another and include everyone in their activities.
Everyone has been picked on, or have felt alone. Being very small and having everyone in my grade 1 – 2 years older than me, I was always the last to be picked for any outdoor activity. I think that this is a great idea, and it seems to be spreading from the original town to others towns, counties and states.
Shout out to the local #Lowes who stepped up to contribute the lumber and paint for 2 buddy benches.
See more: http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/30236178/more-schools-ask-for-buddy-benches
It is World Cerebral Palsy Day
It is World Cerebral Palsy Day
Tonight’s LemonadeMaker story is celebrating the parents of Natalie.
When she was 7 months old she was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Lucky for Natalie had wise parents. They brought her up to believe that she can be and do anything she wants. It might take her longer, but that isn’t a big deal.
They give parenting advice for parents with kids who have special needs – but really this parenting advice applies to all of us.
When someone tells you that you aren’t capable of doing something or being something, DO NOT believe them.
When you hear negative talk flow out of the mouths of doctors or therapists, or anyone with lots of letters after their names, don’t let that diagnoses become your story or label. Even doctors can be wrong, and they don’t fully understand what our minds and bodies are capable of doing.
We are just beginning to tap into the mysteries of the heart and mind. When I was in school we were taught that our DNA was fixed and whatever your DNA was, that was who you were. Now with the field of Epigenetics we are learning that both external and internal factors can switch genes on and off, and affect how cells read genes instead of being caused by changes in the DNA sequence. This is the space of where the miracles come from. The power to change our literal DNA. I believe that this is where the power of prayer manifests miracles.
They told my sister she would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She didn’t believe it and a few months later she ditched the wheelchair. She walks with a cane because she was determined to walk. By refusing to accept the diagnosis she changed it. She gave herself wings and she flies – it may be a flightless bird kind of flight, but it is her version of it and it’s wonderful.
Give your children permission to be ambitious. Help them reach for the sky, because no one else will. Give them the opportunity to do what they want to do. We have published several heroic stories of women who refused to believe that they
Give your child wings and they will fly.
See Natalie’s story along with many more at:
http://www.irwinmitchell.com/living-with-cereb…/natalie.html
SOUP
Kaherl does crowdfunding with a LemonadeMaker twist.
SOUP delivers soup, salad, and bread and you get to hear 4 pitches from people or groups who are trying to bring positive change to the city of Detroit. Each presenter has four minutes for their presentation and at the end of dinner, everyone votes on the best one. The winner takes home a microgrant, which is the take for the price each person who attends pays for dinner.
In the past five years 800 ideas have been presented and the micorgrant usually run between $700 – $1,000.
One college student designed winter coats that could double as sleeping bags for the homeless (which we talked about a month or two ago). Another group employed women living in shelters to make jewelry from chipped graffiti paint. They have financed mechanic classes, a local travel guide and a documentary film. They granted a mircogrant to D.A.N.C.E. a company who offers affordable dance lessons for the city’s underserved youth.
What a great idea that could be easily duplicated in every city in the nation. You enroll local business leaders to come together one night a month to support those local LemonadeMakers who are designing programs that provide jobs to the homeless, who enroll the youth into positive up-building programs like dance. You help existing programs expand to be more successful. You make your city/town a better place to live. Improving the world, one bowl of soup at a time!
Read more: http://nationswell.com/amy-kaherl-detroit-soup-community-renewal/#ixzz3nxEPmxk8
Guitars Over Guns
Most of the hero’s that we talk about here at LemonadeMakers are the those everyday men and women that step outside of the comfort of their own lives to make a positive difference in the world. Chad Bernstein is one of those #LemonadeMakers trying to make a positive difference in the world.
On Thursday October 8, Anderson Cooper & the New Day team reveal the #Top_10_CNN_Heroes of 2015. One of those hero’s being considered for the Top 10 is Chad Bernstein. He is trying to help kids in Miami leave behind the #gun_violence through his nonprofit, Guitars Over Guns.
There are also those among us leading ordinary lives, but who have the superman cape well hidden beneath the everyday clothes they wear. These hero’s are extraordinary because they display the extreme act of generosity, in that they may in fact give up their life for a stranger.
Today I would like to talk about those everyday people who found himself in a harrowing situation and stepped up to face a possibility of death.
#Chris_Mintz is one of those kinds of hero’s. When everyone was running away from the gunman at the Oregon college he attended, he turned around and rushed back into the path of the gunman to try to save others lives. He ran back into the library, pulling alarms and urging people to safety. He tried to prevent the gunman from getting into the classroom he was in and was shot several times through the door. He then tried to reason to someone who was beyond reason, telling him “today is my son’s birthday” and the gunman responded back by shooting him at least two more times. In total he had seven gunshot wounds.
We honor those that chose a profession in which they do heroic things as part of their job. Firefighters who rush into burning buildings to rescue those inside. Police men who risk their lives chasing down armed criminals to put them in jail. Soldiers in war. Rescue workers who dig through the rubble of an earthquake or a bombed building to find those that still live. These men and women train to save others lives.
What Chris showed us, is that we all have the cape hidden inside of our ordinary clothes. And sometimes, life brings us the opportunity to spring into action. Most of us will never face a gunman down like Chris, but we are given everyday opportunities to expose the superman cape and leap a tall building to help someone in need.
See more: https://www.weeklystandard.com/…/heroes-hidden-among-us_104…
Good Samaritan
Thank God that Ivan Smith is not a bystander. When he saw a car crash into the gas station pumps across the street he sprung into action just like a #super_hero.
When I read this I thought about how many times I have driven by a stranded motorist because I am afraid as a women to stop and see if they need help. Many years ago I took a class about self-protection and they had a story they shared about how this woman would stand by her car like it was broken down and then when a #Good_Samaritan would stop her boyfriend would come out of hiding and rob them. I wish I never heard that story as I have let it prevent me from seeing if people need help if I am driving by myself. It turned me into the “#bystander” hoping that someone else more capable will help them. It took away my power.
What is your instant reaction when you see someone that might need your help? Do you spring into action, or is there something that keeps you rooted in place that needs to be released?
As Mr Smith ran across the road, yelling for help, he saw the 90-year-old driver calling for someone to help his wife. Even as the flames went higher, Mr. Smith knew that they might only have moments to live if the gas tanks exploded. Mr Smith was joined by several others in his community in pulling them both away to safety. The elderly couple are now in the hospital safe with only minor injuries.
A nomination for “recognition of brave acts by certain persons” has been forwarded to a committee of Fire and Rescue NSW, Armidale station commander Wayne Zikan said. Armidale police have also been inundated with calls for the civilian rescuers to be nominated for bravery awards.
I for one would vote for him to receive a hero’s reward. And a thank you from me for getting me to realize what has been holding me back, so that I can release it. I don’t want to spend my life as a bystander.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/save-my-wife-bystander-heroes-in-dramatic-car-fire-rescue-20150930-gjxss9
Think Beyond The Chair
When you are a #LemonadeMaker great things come your way. Heroes live among us. They put on their capes everyday, Sharina’s just happens to be a wheelchair.
When #Sharina_Jones was yrs old she was shot by another child, leaving her a paraplegic. Instead of being a victim, she made it her life mission to help those in third world countries who need wheelchairs through her non-profit “Think Beyond the Chair” and motivating others through her blog, Push Goddess.
Now Sharina Jones finds herself on the other end of receiving. She recently became pregnant and needed a way to make her dream of a wheelchair being stroller friendly. Asking around for solutions she heard about how some universities are working with high school students to give them college-level STEM research projects, so she contacted them for help.
True heroes have a way of inspiring others to become hero’s. To a true hero every detail counts, every second is important. They are willing to face a challenge, because they just don’t know how to give up. Kane earned his cape with this project. With this journey he joined the ranks of true hero’s because a positive impact and change was created.
#Alden_Kane, a 16-year-old high school senior was assigned to Sharina’s project. Kane worked for several hours after school every day for six months to come up with the device — drawing plans, making prototypes and testing out different materials. What began as 15 potential designs were slowly whittled down to just one.
Sharina says Kane’s stroller has given her a great deal of freedom, allowing her to shop at the mall, use public restrooms and go for walks with her son, all while knowing he is safe and secure.
Sharina said. “Kane’s a great kid. He is going to be an amazing engineer.” Kane’s plans for the future include studying biomedical engineering or aerospace in college next year. And the teen hopes to patent his design and pursue having it mass-produced by a major stroller or wheelchair company.
“That’s really the end goal here,” he said. “It’s great to have served Mrs. Jones — as one person, it’s had a great impact on her life. But imagine the impact that it could have on hundreds or thousands of lives.”
So LemonadeMaker Sharina actually gave birth to two – one her son, and one Kane, the inventor – being birthed into a LemonadeMaker, whose invention will go on to help countless others. Who knows how many new inventions he will go on to make, now that he truly understands how thrilling it is to have an #impact on another person’s life.
See more: http://www.today.com/…/mom-takes-baby-walks-special-wheelch…
Sharina’s Website: http://thinkbeyondthechair.org/
Sharina’s Blog: http://www.pushgoddess.com/
With a Purpose
I believe that all for profit companies need within their business model a way to give back to those in need. Do you believe that they should have a positive social impact in the communities in which they do business?
If a business was supporting the nonprofits located in your community, would you be more likely to support their business over another business, that was solely a for profit business?
Like Tom’s Shoes, “With a Purpose” is one of those companies.
They call it Blanket Drops. They sell licensed products such a college logo blankets. When you buy a blanket they donate a blanket to a nonprofit that is focused on veteran, shelter/housing and disaster relief initiatives.
They work with National Nonprofits as well as state specific nonprofits. The Blanket for a Blanket program, has donated over 6,750 blankets to multiple domestic nonprofit partners. Including additional company donations, With a Purpose has donated over 7,700 blankets to date.
It isn’t too early to be thinking of holiday presents. What a great idea to purchase a blanket, knowing that your gift to a loved one includes a gift to someone in need. Makes you feel all warm and snuggley, doesn’t it?