Being the Change with Small Change

This week I’d like to feature the good efforts of a local middle school participating in Pennies For Peace, a program of the Central Asia Institute founded by the now famed Three Cups of Tea author, Greg Mortenson.  Our very own Corona del Mar Middle School aims to collect $1,000 (that’s 100,000 pennies) by Friday!  If you have small change laying around and would like to donate, take your pennies to the front office 2101 Eastbluff Drive, Newport Beach, CA and place them in Julie Oblouk’s mailbox.

Starting from the belief that peace and hope start with education, one child at a time, the Central Asia Institute’s mission is to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of northern Pakistan and Afghanistan.  The penny, though small change, packs powerful metaphoric value: being 1% of a dollar, it is symbolic of the “1% of Gross Domestic Product” goal set by the United Nations for first-world countries to give in foreign aid to impoverished nations each year.

Bringing hope and educational opportunities to Afghani and Pakistani children is the obvious end-goal, but Pennies for Peace also teaches first-world children the rewards of sharing and service.  It also opens their eyes to important world issues, like the fact that a penny in the US is virtually worthless, but in Pakistan and Afghanistan it “buys a pencil and opens the door to literacy.”

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out.

If You Build It, They Will Come…

…especially if it involves cupcakes and lemonade!  Our Grand Opening Weekend was a great success, thank you to all who came out and participated in the weekend of free events and demonstrated many ways to “live peace.”  Take a look:

Children and adults alike had the chance to work with artist Natasha Shoro at her Expressive Arts table in the Center’s world cafe area.

Families also enjoyed perusing the library in this space.

The lobby’s koi pond, made from a Burmese fire bowl, was the most popular of all the unique furnishings in the Center.

Acclaimed street muralist Melanie Stimmell worked throughout the weekend on the mural begun at our Grand Opening Party.  Melanie also led workshops in chalk art for all ages.

Melanie’s finished chalk mural will be permanently hung in the Center.

The first of all the free workshops of the weekend was led by Terry LePage of Open Door Communication.  This Nonviolent Communication class, focusing on how to communicate more effectively and compassionately with others, set the perfect tone for the weekend and beyond.

Craig Causon of The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and Julie Hudash of Team Kids teamed up to present a service inspired story and art activity in our South Wing.  Children made masterpieces from recycled and trashed materials.

Breaking ground in the Center’s North Wing, The Ecology Center guided families and kids in creating their own terrariums.

Richard Reoch, International Human Rights Advocate and former Media Chief of Nobel Prize Winning Amnesty International, led a discussion on Making Peace Possible followed by an introduction to meditation.

Girls danced, drew, and worked with the impermanence of sand as a medium in Justine Amodeo’s class, Tapping the Body’s Wisdom.

Smiling Monkey Yoga, a children’s program designed specifically for The Center for Living Peace by Patrice Simon and Amy McConnell, made a fun debut teaching yoga and breathing techniques using play and imagination.

The Orange County Museum of Art helped visitors harness the power of the sun to create whimsical solar portraits from collected objects.

Putting our mission into action and making good happen, volunteers from Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and Team Kids collected over 2 barrels of donations for the hungry.

It was a wonderful weekend had by all!  Missed out?  Visit our events calendar for ongoing programs and workshops.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out.

A Night to Remember

Our Grand Opening Party was truly a night to remember!  The first guests welcomed into our beautiful, new space enjoyed watching artist Melanie Stimmell begin a mural that will be permanently hung in the Center.

Il Fornaio provided extraordinary fare in celebration of our opening.

UCI’s Jodaiko Japanese Drum Ensemble kicked off the party with a powerful performance.

Everyone contributed a unique definition of “living peace” to add to the Center’s living tree, making for a diverse and striking display.

I’ll leave you with a few of these thoughts about “living peace.”  What would your contribution to our tree be?

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out.

Inspiring Soles

The Magic Shoe Foundation is a Newport Beach, CA non-profit organization that exists to provide shoes for various underprivileged high schools, elementary schools, Boys & Girls Clubs and other local organizations.

Bill Sumner, otherwise known as “Coach,” started the Magic Shoe Foundation in 1981.  As the Coach of Corona Del Mar High School Track & Cross Country teams, Coach has always had a passion for assisting underprivileged youth, and running.   These two passions combined into the Magic Shoe Foundation.  The Magic Shoe Foundation collects lightly worn running shoes and cleans, refurbishes and distributes them to needy kids and adults in the local area so they can start or continue their running careers.

Cynthia Holcomb, began helping with the Magic Shoe Foundation in 1993.  Originally the foundation distributed 300 – 500 pairs of shoes per year.   Cynthia thought this figure could be improved to do 1,000/year. Since that day, the Magic Shoe Foundation has been going strong, providing a total of over 20,000 shoes to the community.

On October 13, 2003 Cynthia Holcomb passed away suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 48.  She cherished helping children, especially in their pursuit of excellence in the activity of their choice.  Since running was such a large part of Cynthia’s life, Coach decided to dedicate the then-Bastille Day 5K Run in her honor. It would please her to no end to have thousands of runners celebrating her special life with a run.  The event has since changed names to the Magic Shoe 5K Run/Walk, but the mission stays the same. . . to distribute shoes to the underprivileged!  This year’s race is June 12th, 2010.

Shoe Donations of all sizes are always accepted at the below listed address.  Monetary donations are always accepted via mail, or internet.

Cynthia Holcomb Magic Shoe Foundation

c/o Cal Coast Track Club

126 E. Dyer Road, Suite A

Santa Ana, CA 92707

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out.

It’s Official! The Center for Living Peace is open and Making Good Happen!

Center for Living Peace Officially Opens

Thanks to all those people who came out for the celebration!

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out.