Kids Against Hunger – PBC at Faith Farm Ministries Fellowship Hall
Stop in and experience how you can be a part of aKids Against Hunger(Palm Beach County) packaging event. This is a hands-on opportunity. You can measure the ingredients, fill and seal your own bag of a special-formula package that feeds 6 people for just .25 cents a meal.
Boynton Beach, Fl., Saturday, September 26th 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Kids Against Hunger-PBC will be set up in the Fellowship Hallat Faith Farm Ministrieson State Rd. 7, 1/4 mile north of Boynton Beach Blvd., to demonstrate how you can feed starving families locally and around the world.
Kids Against Hunger-PBC is a local satellite of the KAH international organization. With the help of volunteers and sponsors, we package a special-formula food that includes essential vitamins, minerals, protein & dehydrated vegetables to nourish starving families locally and globally.
We have set a goal to package 30,000 meals each month and with the help of more volunteers and sponsors, this is a reachable goal. We are interested in sending a large portion of the food to Haiti, India, Kenya, Bulgaria, Israel and Afghanistan. It’s also possible for you to choose a different destination for the food that you sponsor and package with your group, club, church, synagogue, or organization. Come to this event and see this hands-on local opportunity demonstrated. Everyone can make a difference!
Since the grand opening of the KAH satellite in Palm Beach County in January of 2008, we have packaged over 70,000 meals. A large portion of the meals went to Haiti. Check out the YouTube videos taken with the Founder of KAH, Richard Proudfit, while in Haiti.
Abruzzo Visits Wellington High School’s Young Democrats
Representative Joseph Abruzzo was the guest speaker at the first Wellington High School Young Democrats meeting of the school year on Wednesday, September 16th, 2009. The lecture was entitled “The Life of a Legislator.” The discussion was nonpartisan and open to all students and faculty.
Representative Abruzzo discussed the bills that he worked on during his first year as a legislator. In addition, he discussed the bills that he is currently working on.During the question and answer session, Representative Abruzzo clearly explained the difference between our state and federal government. The subject is normally taught during the senior year in American Government classes, but hearing about it from a state legislator gave the students a fresh perspective on the topic.
Victoria Davy, Vice-President of Programming, reads Representative Abruzzo's bio and introduces him to the club.
Evan Baumel, the founder of the club, stated, “I am doing everything I can to raise student political awareness and I am doing my best to keep our lectures nonpartisan and educational. I believe it is imperative for my peers to exercise their privilege to vote at the age of eighteen. If Representative Abruzzo’s visit influenced even one person to take that privilege seriously then our district will be so much the better for it.”
The officers of the club presented Representative Abruzzo with a “Certificate of Appreciation” for taking the time to speak at Wellington High School.
On the same day, the Wellington High School held its club fair on September 16th, 2009 during the student’s lunch hour. In this photo, Evan Baumel and Samuel Alba man the WHS Young Democrats Club booth as a new member signs up for the club.
Join the Wellington community and celebrate the UN International Day of Peace and the thousands of International Peace Day celebrations worldwide, each fostering the concepts of cultural understanding, religious diversity and the hope for a peaceful world.
Monday, Sept. 21, 2009 at 6:00pm at the Wellington Rotary Peace Park (Near the public library, corner of Royal Palm and Birkdale, just south of Elbridge Elementary School and off of Forest Hill Blvd.) Presented by the Wellington Rotary Club and the Village of Wellington.
Your Bosom Buddies II, Inc. Puts On a FREE Seminar
Natural Strategies to Reduce Cancer Risk
On Saturday, Sept. 26th, the Wellington-based group Your Bosom Buddies II will present a FREE Seminar in “Natural Strategies to Reduce Cancer Risk” at Wellington Regional Medical Center in the Conference Room from 9am to 1pm. Marketing coordinator of Your Bosom Buddies II Abbe Felton says, “It’s going to be a wonderful event, hopefully an annual event and we would like everyone to attend!”
Jill Schneider, Director of the Circle of Life holistic program
Viana Muller, PHD, Whole World Botanicals
As well as a few other talented speakers
The YBBII group is also happy to say that complimentary snacks will be provided by Whole Foods Market in Wellington.
It’s a FREE event and the public is invited to attend!
In support of the YBBII group, the Brighton store at the Mall at Wellington Green will be giving back $10 for every bracelet or badge holder purchased between September 25th – October 31st. THANKS to the community for your support of breast cancer awareness and direct support to breast cancer survivors in your contributions to Your Bosom Buddies II, Inc.
For more information about the event or about the group, contact Your Bosom Buddies at (561) 422-6034.
“PAWS FOR A BLESSING” – St. Michael Lutheran Church in Wellington will be holding a Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, October 4, 2009 at 2 pm. Being sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Everyone is welcome to attend. Bring your pet to be blessed either leashed or confined in a carrier.
“PAWS for a Blessing” is also a fundraiser for the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League who will be on-site with their PetMobile for those who may wish to adopt a pet.
It is asked that everyone bring canned pet food for a donation to Peggy Adams. If you cannot attend but would like to donate, your donation can be dropped off at the church, 1925 Birkdale Drive, Wellington, Monday thru Thursday between 9 am and 12 Noon.
St. Michael Lutheran Church is located on the corner of Forest Hill Boulevard and Birkdale Drive in Wellington. For more information, call the church 561-793-4999 or Donna Tagg at 561-762-3185.
Good news! From September 25th to October 31st, you can buy Brighton bracelets and badge holders (laniards) and for each purchase, $10 goes back to Your Bosom Buddies II, right here in Wellington. For more information, visit the Brighton store at the Mall at Wellington Green or call Your Bosom Buddies II at (561) 422-6034 for more info. Think pink and bring direct support to people in our local community, facing breast cancer.
Media Contact: Mason Phelps
Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
phone 561.753.3389 fax 561.753.3386 pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center Hosts Third Annual Harvest Fest to Raise Funds for Scholarships
Loxahatchee, FL- September 2, 2009 – The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center (VTRC) is pleased to announce that it will be hosting its third annual Harvest Fest fundraising event at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center on October 3, 2009. The Harvest Fest fundraiser is a ride-a-thon and family festival held each year to raise money for VTRC’s scholarship program. The scholarship program allows the Center to provide discounted services to over 350 clients with disabilities each year.
“We’ve noticed that the economy has not been very strong this year because our requests for scholarships have been much more significant than they were previously,” commented VTRC Founder and Executive Director Ruth Menor. “We just started the fall session and we have 125 riders. Essentially everyone is on a scholarship because we don’t charge anyone the actual cost of what it is for us to have him or her ride, but normally there is some kind of fee structure. This year there are a lot of parents that aren’t able to make any kind of a contribution for their kids to ride.”
The scholarship program is vital to VTRC and the annual Harvest Fest event is its main fundraiser. This year’s Harvest Fest will feature carnival games, a barbeque, pony rides, and riding demonstrations. Two of the demonstrations this year will include a drill team routine and an Arabian riding demonstration.
Another feature event is the Breyer model horse contest. Children may bring their own Breyer model horse or purchase one at the event to decorate and receive prizes. This year’s prizes in each division include the choice of a Breyer model kit or a new Breyer horse. The Grand Champion will receive a $50 savings bond.
The main event each year is the Ride-A-Thon. Members of the community as well as VTRC riders are welcome to participate in the ride-a-thon and raise pledges to support riders with special needs. Riders collect donations to sponsor them while they participate in a trail ride, and the riders that reach certain pledge levels will also receive prizes.
The final event this year will be the Horse and Human Costume Contest. VTRC is partnering with Mounted Posse for this unique event, where riders will create costumes for themselves and their horses. Riders may compete as an individual or as a team.
This fun filled day of events offers something that each member of the family can enjoy while supporting a good cause.
“We’re proud of our community that we’re able to provide scholarships to so many riders that need them,” said Menor. “We have lots of dedicated volunteers as well, so our community has really come through for us and for the riders.”
The VTRC is a nonprofit organization based in Loxahatchee, FL, that provides recreational and therapeutic riding instruction to people of all ages with varying developmental, physical, and psychological disabilities. The organization, founded in 1982, assists more than 350 adults and children every year, helping them gain a sense of accomplishment, greater independence, and a higher quality of life. The VTRC has received a “Premier Accreditation” rating from the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA).
For more information on the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, please visit www.vinceremos.com.
The Windy City:Home to sports, art, architecture and more!
Chicago offers visitors a little of everything! Depending on the season, sports enthusiasts can take in a Chicago Bears’ game at Soldier Field, watch the Chicago Cubs play at historic Wrigley Field, head to the southside to catch the Chicago White Sox or watch the pros shoot hoops at a Chicago Bulls’ game.While all of these sports teams are synonymous with Chicago, there is an abundance of culture to experience here as well.
Let’s start with a very unique style of art located in Millennium Park in Downtown Chicago. Bombay born sculptor, Anish Kapoor, designed Cloud Gate, a 33 feet high, 66 feet long, and 42 inches wide stainless steel sculpture located in Chicago’s Millennium Park. (http://www.millenniumpark.org/) Constructed entirely of stainless steal plates, the sculpture is actually hollow inside.It was assembled on site because it was too large to transport.Once assembled, the seams from the stainless steel plates were removed resulting in one huge shiny futuristic structure which reflects the surrounding Chicago
Cloud Gate in Chicago
skyline.Nicknamed “The Bean” due to its bean-like shape, Cloud Gate has become one of Chicago’s most unusual attractions and offers a truly unique photo opportunity!
In addition to incredible works of art, Chicago has some of the world’s most significant architecture and there is no better way to view these magnificent structures than from the Chicago River. The Chicago Architecture Foundation offers 90-minute narrated riverboat tours led by certified volunteer docents.The tours cover more than 50 sites and buildings. While cruising the river, you will see the works of architectural geniuses Daniel H. Burnham, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Miles van der Rohe, Helmut Jahn and hundreds of others. Highlights include the Merchandise Mart which is a massive complex covering two city blocks. This building is so large it has its own zip code! Sears Tower, one of Chicago’s most famous buildings, reigned as the world’s tallest building for 24 years. A visit to the observation floor provides panoramic views of the city including beautiful views of Lake Michigan. On a clear day it does seem you could see forever! And coming soon, Santiago Calatrava’s Chicago Spire is situated where the Chicago River meets
Chicago skyline
Lake Michigan. Upon completion in 2011 it will be the world’s tallest residential building. www.architecture.org
The cultural experiences continue with a visit to one of Chicago’s many museums.With options to choose from including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum, home to Sue, the world’s largest most complete T.Rex dinosaur, visitors to Chicago could spend days exploring! To learn about the multi-cultural history of Chicago, visit the Chicago History Museum. Here you can explore the permanent exhibit Crossroads of America detailing the railroad’s role in bringing commerce to Chicago. Also, you can tour the first “L” car from Chicago’s elevated subway system. The exhibit City in Crisis provides visitors an opportunity to investigate Chicago’s response to six dramatic crises, from the Great Fire of 1871 to the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Opening in October 2009 is the Abraham Lincoln exhibit. This exhibition examines the fundamental change in Lincoln’s views about slavery and the Union that changed America. www.chicagohistory.org
A Windy City River Cruise, Photos by Chicago Architectural foundation
Most major cities have their own culinary footprints, and Chicago is no exception.Chicago is famous for its deep dish pizza and Gino’s East serves some of the best you will find in the city. Entering the restaurant you are greeted by graffiti covered walls…and you are welcome to add your own if you can find a spot! The deep dish pizza features a buttery crust, loads of cheese, chunky tomato sauce and your choice of toppings. Come hungry!www.ginoseast.com
Although hamburgers are not unique to Chicago, there is a very unique McDonalds located in Chicago’s north side. The Rock ‘N Roll McDonalds (600 N. Clark Street 312-664-7940) is like no other McDonalds you have ever seen! This McDonalds is a two-story restaurant. The downstairs is the place to find the usual McDonalds menu, but take a ride up the escalator and you will find the “Bistro” and you will think you somehow left McDonalds altogether. First, the menu includes selections such as mochas, lattes, cappuccinos and desserts…including tiramisu and gelato. The upscale furnishings include plush leather chairs and modern area dividers where patrons relax in style while metal and glass window walls provide panoramic views. There is also a collection of items from the various decades of McDonalds’ history. Outside there is a freestanding miniature Rock ‘N Roll museum. The building is sealed to the public, but visitors can peer through the glass walls to see a classic car and memorabilia from Elvis and The Beatles including gold albums and one of Elvis’s guitars.
Chicago is an incredibly diverse and interesting city and these are just a few of its offerings. To plan your own visit to Chicago visit www.explorechicago.org . You won’t be disappointed!
Terri Farris is a freelance writer who enjoys traveling. You can see more of her writing on her blog at www.terrifarris.blog-spot.com or contact her at tfarris60@hotmail.com.
Just a few highlights of happenings Around Wellington. For many more photos, visit the link “Photo Galleries” on this site!
On August 27th, residents from the Acreage voiced their concerns to the Weitz & Luxenberg firm. Sadly over 100 people are reporting in with cancer. Many others complain of "skin conditions" and other physical problems.
Talented young BMX rider Zane Garcia and his father at Our Kids World at the South FL Fairgrounds.
Tom Copeland of the Children's Coalition and also from My Gym, taking a coffee break
Personal trainer Sici Weinstock participates in a volleyball game at the Health Corps/ Banzai Magazine fundraiser fitness event on August 23rd.
The Leadership Palm Beach County group having fun at their Luau at the Singer Island Hilton. Photo: Christine Rose.
A little bit of literature sheds a whole lot of light!
Lightworker Lisa
“ No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main…any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind;”Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVIIpub.1624
John Donne (1572-1631), English Metaphysical Poet
Hi Readers! First off, I’d like to thank those of you who emailed me with all the your wonderful compliments and feedback from last month’s column.I was pleased to know how many of you enjoyed reading the article and were inspired by to take on last month’s challenge to change just one thing in your lives in order to initiate a chain of events of change. I hope you are continuing with your progress and look forward to hearing more success stories, as I’d love to share them in future columns.For those of you who missed last month, I invite you to read the .
Last month I introduced the theory of energy of thought via imagination and your individual power to create the life you want to live. This month we’re going to build on individual energy and discuss the principle of a collective universal energy. Once again while these terms might seem New Age they are merely a rebirth of much older beliefs. I am writing this column almost 400 years after John Donne wrote his essay with the above quote and Donne’s work was published 1500 years after its original inspiration which was taken from the New Testament, Romans 14:7.The words may have changed, but the message remains the same. Solidarity…We are all socially and spiritually interconnected and with this knowledge comes the power to persevere.
I’m going to dare to go one step further and reveal that in addition to being interconnected with one another we are interconnected with a Source Energy, also known as a Divine Consciousness or Higher Power. It is this higher power that has the ability to not only unify us as a collective energy but to empower us all so that we may live the lives we desire to live… the lives we are meant to live. So, how do we tap into this collective divine source energy? We simply need to realize its existence and acknowledge our mandatory participation. By participating I mean to say accepting our interconnectedness as truth and acting as one group instead of one person. We must reach out to those in need as well as recognize and accept help when others reach out to us. We must truly believe with our hearts and in our souls that we are never alone.
I’d like to share a joke I heard years ago but remember often.A man is drowning at sea and he looks up to Heaven and prays for God to rescue him. A scuba diver swims by with a life preserver and the drowning man waves him away, saying, “God will save me.” Then a boat comes by and throws him a line. He doesn’t take it, saying again “God will save me.” A helicopter flies overhead and drops a rope. The man again turns away and says, “ God will save me.” At last the man drowns.At heaven’s gate he sees God and asks him, “Where were you? Why didn’t you save me?” God replies, “I sent the swimmer, the boat and the helicopter, the rest was up to you.”The drowning man not only turned away repeatedly from help that was within his reach but also failed to recognize the precise divine intervention he was seeking.I believe that many of us do this on a daily basis because in our pain and suffering we focus on feelings of alienation rather than searching out our true connections, our life lines, our saviors, our Lucky Charms.
Lucky Charms, as I like to call them, are people and/or events that help us when we are least likely to reach out for help on our own.They can be someone we know, or a stranger who smiles at us for no reason, or possibly even a guardian angel in disguise.They can be a fortunate situation. For example, I consider writing this column to be one of my Lucky Charms as it allows me to connect positively with so many of you.They can also be a negative situation that challenges you to rise above yourself and find a strength within that you never even knew you possessed. I’m sure we all have at least one story of tragedy or despair where we somehow managed to emerge from the darkness into the light. This transition might have been due to the love of family, support of friends or even the growth of our soul.No matter what the source, Lucky Charms force us to acknowledge and embrace our connections to each other, to ourselves and to the collective energy of the spiritual world in which we live.In 1955 Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French philosopher and biologist, wrote The Phenomenon of Man and stated, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience”. Whichever statement you choose to believe is unimportant. The importance is to believe in the unifying existence of spirituality, to know that we are all connected and to remember we exist to help each other.
Remember a funky little R&B inspirational song that echoed the theme of solidarity? I’m speaking of the 1972 hit song “Lean on Me”.I wish I had space in this article to write all of the , but here is the chorus.
“Lean on me when you’re not strong, and I’ll be your friend
I’ll help you carry on, For it won’t be long
Till I’m gonna need – Somebody to lean on”
At some point we all need somebody to lean on and the best way to ensure having a friend is to be a friend. So, this month I challenge you not only recognize the Lucky Charms in your life (including the hidden painful ones), but to be a Lucky Charm in someone else’s life. A friend of mine shared the term “Pass Along Therapy”, which is similar to the principle.The Pay It Forward principle asserts if someone does you a kindness, turn around and do a kindness for someone else. This creates a chain reaction of kindness, universal energy in motion. The Pass Along Therapy principle focuses more on healing, asserting that if you help someone else you get the added benefit of also helping yourself. This can easily be achieved through charity and volunteer work.I don’t know anyone who has volunteered for a cause they believe in and not felt some sort of personal benefit from having done so.Personally, I am a volunteer for Hospice of Palm Beach as a patient visitor. There are no words to accurately describe the pure fulfillment of soul knowing I am helping someone through their darkest time. It raises me high above myself where I can see more clearly and gain a perspective I wouldn’t have otherwise seen because it takes me out of the individual consciousness and into the collective consciousness. I am a Lucky Charm for the patient and family members, but the experience is absolutely a Lucky Charm for me as well. Albert Einstein once said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”If we can rise to a higher social consciousness and become a part of the collective consciousness or as John Donne said, “a piece of the continent” then we can uniformly welcome the opportunity of enlightenment and the ability to heal both our personal and universal pain so that we can rescue ourselves and mankind. The boat, the helicopter and the swimmer are all waiting for you to lift up your hand and grab on to hope, but don’t forget to then pass them along to someone else.
Once again I’d like to close with a song quote.This one is from The Beatles.
“Oh I get by with a little help from my friends. Oh I get “high” with a little help from my friends. Oh, I’m gonna try with a little help from my friends.”
(Note: Although I’m sure Paul and John were speaking of a different “high” than I am, for the purpose of this article think of it as a raise in consciousness and energy.)
Until next time, may your days be brighter and your lives be lighter.
Lisa Dawn Wax, aka Lightworker Lisa, has been certified in Massage Therapy, Fitness Training and Reiki Healing for over 15 years. In addition to being a born Lightworker she is a certified Angel Healing Practitioner; both of which basically confirm her intuitive abilities to help, heal and teach. Using reiki (energy healing), divine messages and intuitive readings, she has helped many people to identify the source of their pain, clarify current life situations, and successfully redirect their focus into positive channels.If you’d like to share comments about this article or if you are in need of affordable healing and/or life coaching via divine inspiration with immediate results, please call her at 561-594-3948 or visit her new website .
