fbpx
DONATE NOW

Posts

,

Three women to receive ‘Unsung Hero’ awards

The 21st Century Leaders Foundation will honour three women at their inaugural awards ceremony on Friday at Grand Hyatt Doha.

Qataris Eman Ahmed al-Obaidli and Sara Mohamed al-Shamlan, and Palestinian Helen Shehadeh will be the first recipients of the Unsung Hero Award.

The Doha 21st Century Leaders Awards was established this year to mark the humanitarian and environmental achievements of individuals who have made a serious commitment and a significant impact to their chosen cause.

Eman, a retired elementary school teacher, has spent the past seven years engaging the people of Qatar in becoming more aware of children with physical disabilities.

Eman has also raised significant awareness within Qatar for Caudal Regression Syndrome, a rare spinal disorder that affects her son Ghanim.

With her son as a constant source of inspiration and with a strong belief in his independence, Eman has founded Ghanim’s Wheelchair Foundation which has donated hundreds of wheelchairs to other special needs societies in the Gulf.

She also started Ghanim’s Sport Club in 2008 to allow both physically disabled and able-bodied children to join in activities as varied as karate, skateboarding and basketball.
In the future, Eman’s vision for Qatar’s community includes independent accessibility for wheelchairs and integrated sport clubs.

The second Unsung Hero award goes to 16-year-old Sara, a student from Qatar Academy, who harnessed her passion of photography to raise awareness of some of the poorer expatriate Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi children in Qatar.

Initially started for a community service project for school, she documented a number of young children in the Abu Hamour area of Doha and went on to sell the prints in her father’s jewellery shop and at a jewellery exhibition. Sara quickly raised a huge sum that was used to provide the children with a proper education and basic necessities such as shoes and toys.

Daughter of well-known Qatari businessman Mohamed Marzooq al-Shamlan, managing director of Marzooq Al Shamlan & Sons, Sara considers her father a major catalyst for her way of thinking. Sara’s work is supported by the Qatar Charity.

The third recipient of the Unsung Hero award is Helen Shehadeh, a Palestinian woman who at the age of 75 is actively continuing to teach blind students.

At the age of two, Helen herself lost her eyesight overnight as a result of a diphtheria epidemic. In 1981, Helen founded the Al Shurooq School for the Blind which aimed to provide blind and visually impaired children with an appropriate education and equal opportunity, while rehabilitating and integrating them into the local community.

Other award recipients on the night include film stars Josh Hartnett and Sir Ben Kingsley and film-makers Danny Boyle and Christian Colson.

/0 Comments/by
,

Marine turned decorator addresses Eumathians

The October meeting of the Eumathian Club was held at Ellison Street Interiors located at 108 West Ellison St in Old Town Burleson.

Scott Lynch, a former Marine with 22 years in the military in C130 aircraft, traveled extensively, and he said he always made good use of his free time by visiting local markets and developing his love of the exotic.

He said that when he left the military, his wife, Leslie, asked what he wanted to do, and that is when the idea of decorating and antiques came to mind.

Leslie Lynch does the decorating, arrangements and jewelry making, and Scott Lynch adds his hand while discovering the pieces for the store at auctions, estate sales, and consignments.
He told members to use a little something different to spice things up by adding a little touch, a splash of color, and to move things around.

“Think unusual, unique, be creative, and reuse and repurpose [items],” he said
After mentioning new trends of modern, straight lines in furniture, he said listeners should use their own style.

“Be eclectic. Mix new with old. As long as the pieces are good, they will work together. Items need to complement one another,” he said.

Another new trend is eco-friendly products, and the popular colors are greens, browns and soft blues.

Lynch said he also uses bold greens, reds, and yellows.

“What matters is what you like,” he said.

Lynch demonstrated the impact of using small touches by showing an old, black leather doctor’s bag filled with a fern and placed on top of an armoire.

Old purses can be used in the same way, and the greenery changed out through the seasons, he said.

He also displayed a feather and floral arrangement secured to a tile and placed on top of old, leather-bound books to accent the piece and add height.

Gloves or antique glasses could be displayed the same way and adding fabric to a riser would provide color. Replace bottles in wine holders with greenery or use an old rice grain bucket to hold magazines, old books, or rolled up towels, Lynch said.

“Add a little punch without adding cost and small things make an impact without rearranging the whole house.”

Lynch moved to Burleson after learning about the area while at Carswell.
He said he likes the small town feel in the country with friendly people while being close to Fort Worth and the big city.

Members present Lynch with an honorarium, which he donated to the Rotary Club’s Wheelchair Foundation that supplies wheelchairs to those in need in South America.

/0 Comments/by
,

The Church Lady: A time for remembrance

It was a time to remember. It was a time to honor. Marco Lutheran Church, in conjunction with Avow Hospice, hosted a Remembering Service Monday evening on Nov. 9. It was a time to honor the memories of loved ones and reflect upon the gift of life through music, song, readings and candle lighting. Two days later, St. Finbarr’s Knights of Columbus hosted a Salute to Veterans pasta dinner. Each branch of the military was honored and prayers were given for those currently serving.

Avow Hospice holds four ecumenical remembering services a year, one in Marco, one in Immokalee and two in Naples. “We are here to add a measure of grace, celebrate their lives and affirm the gift they were in our lives – may you find peace in this program,” said Mary Brodeur, R.N., bereavement counselor for Avow Hospice, in her opening remarks.

Everyone was given a candle. Small boxes of tissues were thoughtfully left on the seats in the sanctuary. The poems that were read and music that was sung evoked memories of loved ones gone—lover, spouse, life partner, parent, sibling or friend. Brodeur read “Remembering You.” The last line of the poem, “I’m thankful for the times we shared and the priceless memories too; for those memories are a comfort now when I lovingly—remember you,” set the tone for the evening.

Craig Greusel, Marco Lutheran Church’s music director, soothingly sang “Love Me Tender.” The music came from the back of the church, so as not to take away from the sanctity of the service. At the reception that followed, Marcia Orsolini said of Greusel’s rich baritone voice, “His singing is phenomenal. It touches you down to your toes.”

The Rev. Kevin Koenig, senior pastor of Marco Lutheran Church, gave the meditatio, using a sand dollar to illustrate the message of loss and hope. He wondered why, when he looked for sand dollars, he only found broken pieces. “God accepts us as we are in our brokenness,” said Koenig. “Yet we continue to look for something whole and complete, something beyond our grasp. People offer us a touch, an encouragement. They help us in our journey towards wholeness. In the broken pieces, there are five little doves inside, but they can’t emerge until the sand dollar is broken.” He held up tiny pieces of the sand dollar that were in the shape of doves.

Each of the doves represents an aspect of bereavement—grief, helplessness, validation, disorganization and a return to wholeness. The five doves put together became a star. “So, out of the broken sand dollar there are five doves that have meaning that become a star – to get the star of hope, we have to open the sand dollar,” said Koenig.

A poem by Nancy Moeller, “We Light These Candles,” was read as the candles were lit. The poem began with: “We light these candles for our sadness,” and ended with, “We want you to know we will always love you.”

Everyone exited in silence, blew out their candle and picked up a sand dollar. Greusel softly strummed his guitar as he led the way to the canal. The path was dimly lit with luminaria and attendees threw their sand dollars into the canal as a way of letting go. As the participants cast their sand dollar into the canal, “Prayer of the Sea” was read. The last line was, “At the end of life’s uncertain course, we hope to rest in thee.”

They next proceeded into the great room, where the Marco Lutheran Board of Human Care hosted a reception and Avow bereavement counselors and chaplains were available. “The service helps people deal with their grief and to have the remembering, without the pain,” said Louis Stickles, who was there with his father Al to honor the passing of their mother and wife. “The people in the service are candles who keep the love alive beyond the portal of death.”

At the conclusion of the evening, Avow Hospice honored Marco Lutheran Church with a Community Partner award. The award is given to institutions that fulfill the mission of acknowledging and caring for families and caregivers who have experienced a loss. A 13-week grief support class, presented by the Marco Lutheran’s grief support team, will begin at 10 a.m., Jan. 7. Please contact Joyce Waidelich for at 793-4601 for information. For information on Avow Hospice visit their Web site at avowhospice.org or call 261-4404.

The Salute to Veterans pasta dinner, hosted by St. Finbarr’s Knights of Columbus, was quite a contrast to the solemn and sacred Remembering Service. Tables were decorated in red, white and blue and patriotic music played in the background. It was the first shared meal of the season and friends were happy to get reacquainted. The dinner was sold out, with 350 people attending.

St. Finbarr Knights of Columbus was chartered in 2007. They sponsor charitable and social events throughout the season and meet once per month from September through May on the first Wednesday. Each year they have raised more than $13,000 for charities. One of their primary goals is to raise funds to support St. Finbarr’s Catholic Faith Appeal. The Appeal supports Catholic Charities, Catholic Family Services and seminarians. Top among the 10 charities they support are the National Wheelchair Foundation, Eden of Florida Autism Services and Collier County Foundation for the Disabled. The Knights are most visible in the community when it is time for their annual Tootsie Roll Drive, during which they collect donations for those with developmental disabilities.

Another aspect of the Knights of Columbus is the KofC Dignity of Life. “We promote womb to tomb sanctity of life,” said Grand Knight Tom Mulvey, a third generation Knight who follows in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. The Knights most recently participated in the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s Adopt-a-Soldier program. They stuffed food, toiletries, books and other goods collected by the Sheriff’s Office into packages mailed to soldiers currently serving overseas.

“In addition to charitable and spiritual work, the Knights of Columbus are actively involved in patriotic endeavors,” said Mulvey. “It has a long history of helping soldiers. It was the first organization of its kind to provide aid and comfort camps for servicemen in France during WW I. It also was responsible for getting Congress to add ‘under God’ to the Pledge of Allegiance in the 1950s.”

“The Knights of Columbus exemplify dedication, service, leadership and commitment,” said St. Finbarr’s Administrator, Fr. Fritz Ligonde. “But most importantly, they are men of prayer. The president is such a humble, dedicated man of prayer. He is also president of the Pastoral Council at St. Finbarr’s.”

The Salute to Veterans began with the Pledge of Allegiance. Ligonde gave the blessing and Mulvey read a “Tribute to Veterans.” “We honor and revere these veterans today: those who rest in honored glory, those who still suffer from the wounds of war, and those who, with us, enjoy the blessing of living in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Dear God, we can never thank You enough for the privilege of living in America, where we still enjoy the gifts of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Each branch of the military was then recognized, as well as veterans who had received medals. Deputy Grand Knight and former Marine John Borgese, organized the dinner and served as master of ceremonies. He has been a Knight for more than 40 years.

Joseph Kalinowski, charter grand knight of the St. Finbarr Council, was in charge of the music. He also may have been the oldest veteran there, serving in the WW II Navy Aviation Training program, but he never got his wings, as the bomb was dropped on Japan and they didn’t need any more pilots. After his service in the Navy, he joined the New York National Guard. He was called to Germany for the fall of the Berlin Wall, where he served as a radar maintenance non-commissioned officer in charge at the Berlin Tempelhof Airport.

The Carrabba’s Italian Grill on U.S. 41 East near Collier Boulevard catered the event. Managing partner Yvonne Lux and her crew served ziti, meatballs, Caesar salad and bread. Lux recently returned from Afghanistan and Turkey, where a team from OSI Restaurant Partners (the company that owns Carrabba’s, Outback, Bonefish Grill, Roy’s and several other restaurant chains) served a little bit of home to the troops. The Knights honored her with a bouquet of red, white and blue flowers at the conclusion of the event. All left over food was taken to St. Matthew’s House.

Join the community of faith. Worship at one of the greater Marco area houses of worship.

Kathleen Tuttle, a Marco Island resident since 1987, has written articles for various nonprofits for more than 25 years. She is a community volunteer, former science teacher and microbiologist.

/0 Comments/by
,

Counterpart International Assists the Disabled People of Georgia with LDS-Donated Wheelchairs

 Counterpart International’s (Counterpart) Community & Humanitarian Assistance Program (CHAP) and Georgian Non-Governmental Organization “Adamiani” arranged a joint charity event in the park of House of Culture of Mtskheta.

New wheelchairs worth $6,372 donated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) were distributed to 108 disabled local residents and internally displaced people located in the region. The US Department of State Georgia based Grantees – UMCOR, IRD and HelleniCare – also participated in the event and delivered the vulnerable disabled recipients hygiene and school kits.

The charity event was organized in close cooperation with the office of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti Regional Governor. The representatives of Donor organization – LDS Charities, Mtskheta-Mtianeti Governor’s Office and Mtskheta Municipality, as well as US DoS Grantees were in attendance. The event has been highlighted by the correspondents of leading Georgian TV channels – Rustavi 2, Imedi, Patriarchate Television and local newspaper “The Mtskheta.” At the end of the ceremony, a local music ensemble played a Georgian folk concert for the ceremony attendees.

Counterpart has provided over 2,000 disabled people with wheelchairs worth over $100,000 primarily donated by the LDS and the US-based Wheelchair Foundation. Since 1985, LDS has provided over 100 million tons of goods to people of all nationalities and religions in 154 countries worldwide. LDS in cooperation with Counterpart has distributed $11 million worth of humanitarian assistance in Georgia.

CHAP has been operating in Georgia since 1995. From its inception to the present, the program has assisted about 2.5 million needy Georgians. Through its network of 960 partner organizations, CHAP has imported and distributed humanitarian assistance to Georgia valued at over $150,000,000.

Established in 1965, Counterpart International (Counterpart) has forged strategic partnerships in more than 65 countries. With 350 staff currently operating in 25 countries, Counterpart’s programs encompass humanitarian aid and relief assistance, health care, democracy and governance, natural resource management and feeding the impoverished. Though Counterpart’s projects are diverse, they share a common objective: improving the lives of those in need by empowering people and local institutions to develop innovative, holistic, and lasting solutions that address social, economic and environmental challenges. Learn more at www.counterpart.org

/0 Comments/by
, , ,

Cal Poly students donate wheelchairs to people in Oaxaca, Mexico


For three decades, a disabled man living in Oaxaca, Mexico, named Francisco didn’t have a wheelchair. A train accident left him paralyzed, and he was too poor to afford one. So when Cal Poly students delivered a wheelchair to him in July, Francisco broke down crying.

He wasn’t the only one in tears.

About 30 people around him, including the group of Cal Poly students, got teary eyed, too.

A Cal Poly team of about 25 students spent last school year raising $63,000 that paid for the 840 new wheelchairs for people in Oaxaca – one of Mexico’s poorest states.

Cal Poly coordinated the project with the nonprofit Wheelchair Foundation, based in Danville, which leads an international effort to deliver a wheelchair to anyone anywhere who needs one but can’t afford the cost.

Photos taken by Cal Poly students of people in Oaxaca receiving their chairs will be displayed in October at the San Luis Obispo Art Center.

“My goal was to observe the faces and expressions people had when they received their chairs,” said Sara Tollefson, one of the student photographers. “It’s something that not only helps them but also their families who literally have carried them around for so many years or had to watch them crawl.”

Another student photographer on the trip, Gregory Smith, said he sought to capture various aspects of life in Oaxaca.

“I tried to shoot pictures that give a grasp of the people and the mood of Oaxaca,” Smith said.

Those include a small girl in a beautiful pink dress on a dusty street and a mustached man sitting on a step gazing out at a crowd as well as the joyous deliveries of the wheelchairs.

The 10 students from Cal Poly who made the nine-day trip will long remember the poverty, including children in orphanages, which was heartbreaking, they say.

“You can see the hardship everywhere, but you also see a pride and joy in people’s faces,” Tollefson said.

Last year, the Cal Poly students hosted numerous fundraisers, including art shows and a movie night.

They also have raised another $16,500 to spend toward wheelchairs they’ll deliver in Panama this June.

“It’s by far the best and most rewarding project I’ve done at Cal Poly,” said Helya Naghibi, the university’s student project coordinator. “The amount of time people put into this was amazing.”

Club adviser Lynn Metcalf said that Cal Poly’s wheelchair project has existed for eight years.

But the club likely won’t continue after this year because of the massive demands of time and effort required of students and faculty.

However, students still will be raising money to buy wheelchairs for the people in Panama to deliver this June, Metcalf said.

“It has been a wonderful way to interact with students from across the university and build community,” he said.

Photo Exhibit

Oct. 15 through 25 at San Luis Obispo Art Center, 1010 Broad St. Opening reception with wine and cheese on Oct. 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. The free event is open to the public. Donations suggested; prints for sale. Proceeds benefit the Wheelchair Foundation.

/1 Comment/by