Food and Water (and setting up a system for giving)

While Generation X is the generation that gives the most to charities and is very big on volunteer work, as I talk to busy Gen Xers, I often hear them say they wish they could do more to help our communities and beyond. Many of us want to be more charitable with time and resources, but in the rush of daily life, work, kids, and responsibilities, it can get moved to the back-burner. My solution for this is sorting out a couple of quick logistics. 

Here are two key ideas: having a place, and having a system.

Let's say you want to give to a food bank, and you set food aside to do this, but by the time you finally have time to drop it off, the food is already expired so you have to throw it away. Coming up with a system in your home can solve this. You can usually do this in 30 minutes or less. Maybe you have a retired neighbor who sees a friend once a month who volunteers at a food bank. Knowing you are not usually going to have time to drive 20 minutes to do a food bank delivery, you could put it on your calendar to drop off food to that neighbor's porch every month on a certain day. Having a specific place in your house to set the food aside you want to give means it doesn't just get mixed back in with the other food in your pantry.



My family and I wanted to help villages in third world countries get accessible wells. Westgate Church in San Jose, CA takes plastic recyclable plastic bottles and aluminum cans, uses the volunteer work of its members to process everything, and donates the money. Since this began in 2013, there are 37,000 people in 16 countries who now have access to clean water who previously did not.

Here's what we did on our end:
We put a separate recycle bin just for cans right next to our regular recycle bin. We put a big label on it so that down the road it doesn't accidentally get moved or used for something else. We set up a system where we crush the cans about once a week or so. We have a larger bin in the garage that holds the crushed cans. Both of these bins created a specific place in our house so that this could work, and by thinking it through, we now have a system - the bin in the garage is right next to the car and even right next to where we store bags, so we can easily pull it all together and drop it off when it is convenient.

If you want to give but you don't know what charity would most help people, here are two simple, practical ideas for you: just think of food and water.

Water: by helping villages in third world countries get wells, this solves all kinds of problems. Other than having water to drink, and for health, it also means they can water crops and grow food. This can mean that less people have to leave a village to go to a faraway city to be breadwinners so families can stay together, and the list goes on. Having clean water helps protect human rights; it creates a way for a community to thrive. World Vision has brought clean water to thousands of villages:

World Vision

Food:  One out of six Americans go hungry. If you've ever experienced any amount of time going hungry, it is unbelievably hard to make it through the day. Life is hard enough, and being hungry makes it hard to concentrate in school or at work. When fresh garden food goes in the trash, it's because people, who would actually like to give it away, don't have a way (a system) to do this. Ample Harvest helps connect gardeners to food pantries:

Ample Harvest web site

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(c) 2020 writing and photo by Chloe Koffas - all rights reserved 

Ryan's Reach

One evening, when I was in my mid-20's, I turned on CNN right at the moment my extended family had asked America to pray for my cousin, Ryan Corbin. He had fallen three stories through a skylight at the top of his apartment in Brentwood, CA on June 19, 2001. He was rushed to UCLA Medical Center in critical condition with multiple internal injuries, severe internal bleeding, broken bones, and a serious brain injury. He was not expected to live through the night. But he did, and was moved to ICU while in a coma for weeks. After existing in the space between life and death, multiple surgeries, being treated in six different medical facilities, and with specialized treatments, he has has continued to progress over the years physically, with speech, memory, and in many other ways.


A team of care givers and therapists help him day to day, and he still requires around-the-clock care. He has fought for his life, and is a strong person who gets stronger by the day. He has a divine warmth and kindness that radiates until your heart feels whole just by being in his presence. My faith is stronger because I've been allowed to witness the miracle of his life. This Thanksgiving weekend, I was fortunate to meet my cousin Ryan for the first time. Ryan and I are 5th cousins, both of us are the 6x great-grandchildren of Daniel Boone, and we are both Generation X.

That evening, back in 2001, when the family asked for prayers on CNN, I prayed along with millions all over the world. That day almost 20 years ago led me to this day, when I had the honor of getting to visit Ryan at his home where he lives with his amazing mom, Lindy, and his lovable stepfather, Mike, in Orange County, CA.

The Boone family is deeply rooted in faith. Ryan's grandfather, Pat Boone, sang gospel and other music, had thirteen gold records, and acted in multiple movies. I remember many weekends in my growing-up years when Pat Boone was in a movie on TV. I also remember many mornings getting ready for school and hearing Ryan's Aunt, Debby Boone, singing on the radio.

In those early weeks after the accident back in 2001, Ryan was surrounded by love and words of life from parents, grandparents, siblings, and others. One of the very first signs of hope he gave his family while he was emerging out of his coma was a kiss on the cheek, a display of his intrinsic love. The road to recovery continues to be long and hard, and yet, the story has been full of redemption and hope.

People often think of LA as the place where movies are made, record deals are signed, and the magic happens. In reality, struggle is present, both seen and unseen. People often associate the freeways of California with the coastline, the crashing waves, and endless sun. Further inland, driving along I-5 through Central CA, it's a whole other world: the rough terrain, the open, empty spaces under the power lines, the farmland. About halfway between where Ryan lives in Southern CA, and where I live in Northern CA, is a town called Lost Hills. I looked out on the way home after the visit while a storm slowed down traffic and thought about all the times in life we feel completely lost.

A traumatic brain injury completely alters a family's life. Sometimes people have to give up a career to take care of a loved one every day.


Sometimes the raindrops on the window make the landscape look blurry. 


Sometimes the clouds are so heavy we have to drive with the headlights on even in the middle of the day.

My copy of Heaven Hears

On the way home, I sent out prayers into the rows of the almond trees, and in the vines of the vineyards, and in the spaces above the golden grasses for Ryan. He led by example throughout his growing-up years, from student body president in middle school, to captain of his basketball team in high school, to president of his fraternity at Pepperdine University. He wrote a screenplay, he traveled, and he was starting a career.

And now, even as he works for each milestone of recovery, it may be that his life is even more full. His light and leadership reaches others on an even larger scale. He had an abiding love for God before the accident that remained with him all the way through - it is here with him now, maybe even more fully as he transitioned into this new life. Ryan felt strongly that he had a calling to be a light to Generation X with God's love, I believe he still has that calling, his light and love reached me in ways that were completely unexpected. He has had an extraordinary impact on my life, and I don't want his story to be forgotten. 

Earlier this year, I came across the book, Heaven Hears, by Ryan's mom, my 5th cousin Lindy. It was amazing to hear her tell the story in person, and what has happened since they first asked for prayers on Larry King Live in 2001.

Lindy has done an incredible job of seeking out every kind of therapy possible for Ryan, and she coordinates a team of care givers for him even as she runs the nonprofit Ryan's Reach. She believes that there is no limit to the way people with TBI can continue to heal, if they have the resources.

Lindy, Ryan, and his grandparents

Each day of our lives is a miracle.


To speak life, to choose light as we walk into our darkest nights, and to use our struggle as a source of strength for others when they go through the same struggle is to fight the good fight. To do all of this with love is to experience redemption in each new sunrise.  In one hand we hold the fragility of life and the questions, in the other hand we hold eternity, we hold hope.


If you are in the LA area, each September you can participate in the annual fundraiser for Ryan's Reach, the Dove Dash Race.

If you are looking for a non-profit to donate to this holiday season, or are looking for a new one to begin donating to in the new year, Ryan's Reach helps people in profound ways. In short, the money donated goes to:

1) Providing financial assistance for brain injury survivors to participate in the High Hopes Head Injury Program in Tustin, CA

2) Supporting the operation of Ryan's Reach Group Home

To make a secure, easy online donation:
ryansreach.com/donate

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Ryan's Reach Rest & Respite Home in
Tustin, CA 

Ryan's Reach creates scholarships for people with brain injuries to attend High Hopes Head Injury Program in Tustin, CA where Ryan has also benefited from their therapy. As Ryan's Reach has grown, they have set up a residence and respite care home for people with brain injuries and their families, and a second group home is scheduled to open in the coming months. Funds raised assist in providing rehabilitation and home care, as well as respite relief for caregivers. 

Ryan's Reach is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization honoring Ryan Corbin who suffered a severe TBI in 2001. Although Ryan personally is financially secure, his experience into the world of TBI brought attention to the fact that most families are not as fortunate and once the insurance runs out, TBI can use up all of a family's savings which also affects the loved one's ability to recover. 
These are the families Ryan's Reach helps. 

 ryansreach.com

(c) 2019 - I-5 photos by Chloe, other photos and logo via the Ryan's Reach web site, used with permission

JBJ Soul Kitchen

As the fall air gets chillier and the holidays get closer, this blog will focus on non-profit organizations that are in some way connected to Generation X. The holidays are a time when we are often the most generous. My hope is that some of these stories will spark generosity. I've been inspired by the stories I'll be sharing, I hope to pass on a spark of that inspiration by starting with the JBJ Soul Kitchen.

Picture credit: JBJ Soul Foundation 

Jon Bon Jovi has been a mainstay in the music collections and memories of Gen Xers and is a first wave Gen Xer himself. With the other members of Bon Jovi, he has received a long list of awards over the years for songs, albums, and videos. So much of his music reverberates in the background of many of my Gen X memories, from cassette tapes to school dances, and into my adult life. His albums have continued through the decades, and a lot of social consciousness has emerged in his music. He'll be releasing a new album in the coming year.

In 2011, the Jon Bon Jovi Foundation, which focuses on the issues of hunger and homelessness in the U.S., opened JBJ Soul Kitchen. This restaurant serves both paying and in-need customers, where there is a focus on volunteering, community, and dignity. All are welcome. They use locally sourced ingredients and even grow some of it in gardens on the grounds of the restaurant. Their fall menu includes all kinds of seasonal comfort food, like ginger squash salmon and green bean cranberry salad. Now there are two Soul Kitchen restaurants, one in Red Bank and one in Toms River, New Jersey. Both have a warm, happy, and cozy setting - it's a great place to have a hearty meal if you are in NJ or passing through, and an awesome foundation to consider if you are looking for a charity to give to this holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Soul Kitchen


JBJ Soul Foundation

Twice Cleansed

This is an interview with an extraordinary person who is works hard and fights hard to help vulnerable people all over the world as the director of an organization that takes a stand for human rights....

Tell us about the Twice Cleansed Organization.

Twice Cleansed is "Soap with a Story" - the story of how individuals and business together participate in the fight against sex-trafficking; the story of how jobs become a preventative measure to trafficking vulnerable people; and the story of people's lives being changed as a result. Twice Cleansed is unique in its role because there are few organizations that are tackling the employment and poverty aspects of human trafficking.  Trafficking is a supply and demand business. We have to address the reasons why a parent feels the need to sell their child or why a victim chooses to go "back to work" for their pimp. Our goal is to provide jobs to those who are vulnerable and dedicate profits to organizations that are already providing rehabilitation, education, and safe houses to those who are survivors of this horrible injustice.

Tell us about yourself and what you do for the Twice Cleansed Organization.

My name is Tiffany and I work as the general manager of Twice Cleansed. I take care of organizing events, fundraising, selling soap, managing social media and marketing, and partnering with other organizations in this fight. 

How did you first get involved with Twice Cleansed? 

About 3 years ago I was sitting in church and a video played about the injustice of human trafficking. I was brought to tears just thinking about how a father could sell his own daughter into sex slavery. Having such an amazing connection with my own father, I could not fathom that someone could be so desperate to sell their own flesh and blood. Feeling very convicted to do something, I reached out to the president of Twice Cleansed. I began volunteering at their soap sales and they provided me with many opportunities to get trained and educated about the growing industry of human trafficking.

What would you like the world to know about Twice Cleansed?

Participation in this heroic battle against evil is accessible in the lives of one family at a time; impact one generation at a time; and change one community at a time, all in time. Working with skin care for a long time, I always have taken an informed role about what I put on my skin. I was so happy when I found out about Twice Cleansed, not only because of the amazing cause that it supports, but because the product itself is an amazing one!  Our skin is our largest organ, what we put on it absorbs directly into our bloodstream within 26 seconds. This Organic Olive Oil Soap sold by Twice Cleansed has only 3 ingredients: Olive Oil, Water, Sodium Hydroxide. There is something very unique about a company that can produce such a high quality product that help end human suffering. The idea of being Twice Cleansed gets me every time I use it. Refreshing my body while redeeming a life - a fair trade! 

It's hard for many to wrap their mind around the fact that human trafficking happens everywhere - we don't like to think that it happens in the cities where we live. What words do you have about how we need to open our eyes to this reality?

You can choose to look the other way, but you can never say you didn't know. I think Edmund Burke said it best, "All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."  That is why human trafficking is the second most profitable industry, after drug trafficking.  Too many people do nothing. The reality is that this isn't just happening in Lebanon. This is happening in Portland, Oregon.  This is happening to the 13 year old girl at Washington Square Mall, your neighbor, your sister, or your friend.  Human trafficking affects us all. We need to have a serious talk about why we allow it. Why do we turn our heads the other way when we see something suspicious, like we should be minding our own business?  Exploitation of women and children is our concern. As a society we need to make it our concern. As men, you need to make it your business to not fuel demand.  Just like any other business, if you don't have buyers, you can't sell.

Each generation has the responsibility to leave the world a better place than they found it.  What can our generation do specifically to fight against the problem of human trafficking?

Be aware.  We can start in our own homes with the products that we buy. I challenge everyone to take the pledge to #PurchaseWith Purpose.  No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. We can all decide that we refuse to fuel the human trafficking industry by making purchases of products that combat human trafficking instead of settling for their inferior counterparts. 
Become an advocate.  As consumers, we have a powerful and unique say on what goes. We must choose to stand up and inform others if a company is aiding this industry with child labor or unethical work practices.
Do not remain silent.  If you see something, say something. If you believe that you are a victim of sex trafficking and/or forced labor or slavery, or if you want to report a tip or suspicious activity, contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-8888 or text "Be Free" to 233733.



Join our supporter Aaron Smith in his blogger campaign!
www.gofundme.com/TwiceCleansed
Join our campaign at www.purchasewithpurpose.org
Website: www.twicecleansed.com
Twitter: @Twice_Cleansed
Instagram: @TwiceCleansed
Hashtags:
#TwiceCleansed
#SoapWithAStory
#PurchaseWithPurpose

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Many thanks to Tiffany, the General Manager of Twice Cleansed, for this interview.  The year she was born makes her technically Generation Y, though she is Generation X in many ways because of the influence of Gen X pop culture in her formative years that came from an older Gen X sibling. Being a part of a generation is partly about the history/culture/pop culture that influenced your youth, and partly about the year you came into the world. (Gen X is often considered those born 1961-1981 and Gen Y people were born through the rest of the 1980s and 1990s). Some people in this category call themselves Generation XY.  Whether we're X, Y, or XY, if we work together, we can leave the world a better place than we found it. 

(c) 2014

Life is Beautiful

The inaugural Life is Beautiful Festival took place in Downtown Las Vegas throughout the weekend of October 26th-27th. It was a celebration of  music, art, food, and learning. Among all the inspiration we experienced, we got to see some of the best live music we've ever seen.... 

It is considered a "completely new generation festival" with urban aesthetics, a culinary element, and most importantly, an emphasis on social awareness.  With this as a starting point, this can only become bigger and more amazing each year.

There was a large Gen X presence among the people attending, and especially among the performers and speakers.  Below are some pictures and several highlights....

CHARITIES: 

Workers and volunteers for some new, groundbreaking charities were there to spread awareness about their organizations. The following ones were the ones that really caught my attention:

Stop the Pity  is a movement that tells a new story about poverty.  It is about the potential every person has regardless of circumstance, to create an amazing life for themselves and
their community.  Their belief: "It's time to start viewing people in the developing world for who they really are instead of the stereotypes we've been trained to accept."


To Write Love on Her Arms has a mission statement to present hope and find help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide.  It exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly in treatment and recovery.  Their vision and belief:
You were created to love and be loved.
You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known.
You need to know your story is important, and you're part of a bigger story.
You need to know your life matters.

A giant banner on the side of a building where people were
writing messages and signing their names....

ART: The festival featured several different forms of art - including the kind that is done with spray paint cans on walls....

Aware is the name of a San Francisco artist with roots in Las Vegas who has been known for unsanctioned large scale street murals with social and political images.  

MUSIC:  With two full days of music happening simultaneously on multiple stages, there were a lot of bands that performed.  We were fortunate enough to be on the front row for the final night.  Below are some photos of some of the bands that played on the main stage:

The Life is Beautiful heart at the top of the main stage



Kings of Leon



Beck

Imagine Dragons

The Killers

The final night during the close of the festival, The Killers did their final show of their Battleborn Tour, played their Shot at the Night single for the first time live. 

The crowd at the main stage surrounded by part of the Vegas skyline as confetti explodes above us at the closing of the festival. 

SPEAKERS:

The learning section of the festival included a lineup of inspiring speakers who have experience in everything from business, writing, publishing, leadership, and even overcoming obstacles in life. 

"Happiness is the optimistic interpretation of that which happens to you."
- Sean Stephenson

"You can come to understand your purpose in life by slowing down and feeling your heart's desires."
 - Marcia Wieder 

A close up of part of the banner where people were leaving messages and signing their names. 
There was a message here for you...

(c) 2013 writing and photography by Chloe Koffas 

When Innovation Creates Profound Compassion

I am fascinated by how people find creative and innovative ways to help others - the logistics of solving a problem and showing compassion. A perfect example of this is GIVETOKENS.org which is based in Portland, Oregon.

In just about any group conversation I've had about giving money to those living on the streets, there seem to be a couple of different ways of approaching the issue. The one I subscribe to is that it's good to give freely and how they will spend the money is up to that person. However, some hesitate to give to people on the streets for fear that the money will go toward funding an addiction of some kind. If this hesitation or concern is the only thing that is keeping you from giving to those who you pass by on the streets, this is the perfect solution. 

If you've never been without a home, it can be hard to imagine how much stress and crisis is involved in just trying to do everyday, ordinary things. There are many homeless people who have jobs, but worry about how they're going to wash their next load of laundry to be ready for the next work day. Many homeless people are looking for jobs, but figuring out how to get their next haircut may be yet another enormous challenge. While there are (limited) resources available, like temporary shelters, the crisis for a homeless person can be paying for the transportation to get there. 

The tokens from GIVETOKENS.org are specifically redeemable for food, clothing, shelter, haircuts, transportation, and other practical necessities. I got this at Poppa's Coffee Haven, where they make the coins available for purchase, and also accept them as payment so someone can get in from the cold for a cup of coffee or hot chocolate to warm up their hands and heart.

The concept is that you give the card with the coin attached so that the recipient can read the list of places on the back where it can be redeemed. While this is Portland-based, I am excited to find out if this is, or will be, available in other cities as well. Individual businesses can decide on what the value of the token will be when used at their business. The back of the card lists some of the businesses that accept the tokens, and if you go online, you will see even more. 

GIVETOKENS.org

Travis Vanstaaveren, a Gen Xer, is the creator of Sanctity of Hope and the branch of the organization called GIVETOKENS.org. His studies in business at OSU, as well as his studies in philosophy and theology at Marylhurst University, were the perfect combination of bringing together logistical business solutions for a pressing ethical issue in our society.  

This is innovation and compassion coming together in a profound way.

 Every time I turn around, I see yet another Gen Xer doing extraordinary things for the world.

Sanctity of Hope