Making A Difference

What does “Making A Difference” really mean?  Is it something you can “do on purpose” or is it “serendipitous”, or a combination of both  I want to share my experience that perhaps answers those questions.  When I was a sixth grade teacher each year in January and February all of the 6^th grade students came together and learned the songs and dialog of an historical musical that we would present at the PTA’s Founder’s Day program at the end of February.  We went all out and with the help of parents, teachers, and other volunteers, each year we created a background setting, props and costumes for the kids.  We practiced Monday through Thursday for 1 hour every day, and each of the teachers worked on some aspect of the program.  The night of the performance was always very special and a packed crowd of parents and other family enjoyed watching their student participate in this elaborate play.

Many years after I had moved from the classroom into administration, I was getting my car watched and a young man came up to me asking, “Do you remember me?  You changed my life?”  Wow!  The fact of the matter is that I did remember him—or at least knew he was one of the boys in a large family.  I asked him to refresh my memory, and as soon as he stated his name, I knew which of the brothers he was.  I asked, “Just curious, how did I change your life?”  This is what he told me: 

“Do you remember the musical we did when I was in 6^th grade?  Well, I was supposed to be a colonist and I told you that my parents weren’t able to get a costume for me.  You said, ‘That’s okay.  We’ll figure it out.”

I was a bit perplexed because I couldn’t see how this would make the difference.  It is the response I would have given to any youth who was struggling with a costume.  So I asked, “How did that change your life?”  His response, “At that moment I knew that I mattered, that I was important.  So I’ve been working to live up to my destiny ever since.”

We continued the conversation and he shared his current successes.  But what struck me was that something small can make such a difference—life changing difference.  It was something that I didn’t even remember, but yet had been a guiding light for this young man.  I believe that this is what “making a difference” is really about.  Doing what is right and then letting the seed be cultivated and nurtured, and voila, a difference is made.

Please join with Entrusted Legacy in making a difference in the lives of youth and the adults who work with them.  A little from a lot of committed people can make a difference in the lives of youth everywhere.  Entrust your legacy with us.  Contact us at support@entrustedlegacy.org, by calling (661) 322-3437, or going on line at www.entrustedlegacy.org and donating now!

Margaret Mead Had It Right!

Margaret Mead was an American cultural anthropologist who was often a speaker in the 1960s and 1970s.  She understood this country and its citizens and what made us great.  She understood that while we prided ourselves on being rugged individualists that we achieved our best results when we worked together.  Much like the rowing team in the Olympics, a team that works together for a common cause in a steady cadence is likely to win the race.  Mead put it this way, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." 

So what does this have to do with Entrusted Legacy?  Everything!  We have access to a professional development system that can train, teach, and support afterschool staff 24/7.  Our goals are huge!  Through this service we will:

• Serve 100 Million Youth and 20 Million Adults by 2023.
• Prepare youth workers to instruct, support, encourage, motivate, and develop youth by being positive role models and mentors.
• Engage everyone in helping us to level the playing field for youth.
• Uncover an individual's talents, skills, passions, and interests; preparing them to make his/her unique contribution to the world.

If we work together, each of us reinforcing the work of the other, we can meet these goals.  Please join us by logging into www.entrustedlegacy.org and investing in our goals and your legacy.  Together we can make this happen!

Recipe for a Productive New Year

Entrusted Legacy is a non-profit committed to making a difference in the lives of youth through the role models and mentors that work closely with them.  Entrusted legacy began in our hearts years ago.  There was a time when we were satisfied to make a difference with the youth that we actually worked with ourselves.  As educators this was between 25 and 35 youth each year, and we were pleased.  And then we “advanced” and we realized as an educator with administrative responsibilities we could reach even more youth—say 700-800 hundred a year, and this thrilled us.  Then, we realized that through the power of the internet it would be possible to harness the commitment of millions to change the lives of one-hundred million youth and the twenty million adults who work with them, and Entrusted Legacy was born. 

Here is the recipe to make this dream a reality:

Ingredients:

·         One vehicle to provide laser focus (the Entrusted Legacy organization and website)

·         Many caring adults who will commit to sponsoring the training of role models and mentors (YOU)

·         A small monthly financial commitment from each of those adults (Price of a single latte)

Directions:

Mix well and share with afterschool professionals to ensure they are well-trained to be the positive role model and mentor they desire to be and youth deserve.

Help us to help youth!  Entrust your legacy with us.  Make a difference in the lives of youth everywhere.  Go to our website at www.entrustedlegacy.org and simply click on the “Donate” button and sign up to support this cause.  Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Impact

Margaret Mead (1901-1978) was an American cultural anthropologist who was often a featured writer and speaker in the 1960s and 1970s.  She worked to explain the human condition and why people do what they do.  One of her most famous quotes, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has” actually was cited at the end of the 2006 music video by Nickelback, entitled “If Everyone Cared”.  If you haven’t seen the video, I strongly recommend that you join the over 15,000,000 who have seen it by clicking on

"Nickelback - If Everyone Cared" 

In this video, Nickelback highlights the work of people who have made a difference, not because they belonged to a large organization, but because they wanted to do what was right.  The music video highlights Nelson Mandela who dreamed of equality in South Africa, Betty Williams who sought peace in Ireland, Peter Benenson who was outraged by two students being incarcerated for 7 years because they toasted freedom through a letter launched Amnesty International, and Bob Geldof who took on world hunger through Live Aid.  The chorus of the song:

If everyone cared and nobody cried

If everyone loved and nobody lied

If everyone shared and swallowed their pride

Then we’d see the day, when nobody dies.

is a reminder to us all that caring is what really makes the difference.

Please join with Entrusted Legacy in making a difference in the lives of youth by supporting the development and growth of a positive role model and mentor.  You can be part of that small group of committed citizens.  Contact us a support@entrustedlegacy.org

Donate, Change Today!

The difference between yesterday and today’s youth is that today, many youths lack the positive role models to help them recognize their unique potential. I’m sure sometime in your life, you have had a mentor of some sort guide you to the successful adult that you are today. Why not continue this trend of guidance with today’s youth?

Entrusted Legacy, a non-profit dedicated to finding the necessary resources to help adults become mentor’s to today’s youth, wants to ensure that every youth has someone they can look up to. And not just someone who makes a brief appearance in their lives, but rather, somebody who will invest in today’s youth by helping them recognize their potential and guiding them so they can grow into successful adults.

There are many ways that you, a reader of this article, can help Entrusted Legacy fulfill our commitment to today’s youth. Some of the ways that you can help might be to just share this article with colleagues. You can also inform somebody about the cause by directing them to our Facebook Page and help us raise 250 likes, follow us on Twitter and help us gain 200 followers, volunteer your time, OR you can donate on our Indiegogo's Donor Page or our Website's Donor Page.

Because there are so many different ways to get involved, you are in no way obliged to donate any monetary items to our non-profit organization. But, I feel motivated to tell you that the monetary donation we ask from you will neither bankrupt nor burden you. Rather, the donation we ask for is just this, a donation. If you feel inspired, motivated, interested, or driven to donate, let it be from your own volition. If you are drawing blanks as to what is “appropriate” for a donation, allow me to help you by informing you how your donation invests in the success of youths.

·         $50 donation allows 1 staff member a full year’s worth of curriculum. This is the equivalent to $4.57/month OR 1 Venti Starbuck’s Latte/month!

·         $200 provides a staff member with access to the staff development training program for the year

·         $500 provides an entire school site staff with the staff development program and curriculum for the year.  

During these past few years alone, education across the nation has experienced many drawbacks. The decline in funding for education has come with many disadvantages such as: fewer staff members, 

cutting after-school programs, getting rid of art programs, an inability to offer necessary school supplies, and even forcing some schools to shut down completely. While your donation to Entrusted Legacy will not solve the education crisis in America, it will help.

Entrusted Legacy, as previously stated, has a commitment to make a positive impact on the youth in California and programs across the nation. Your donation, therefore, would help Entrusted Legacy by funding training and supporting the adults who work with today’s youths in these programs. If you are not convinced of our purpose yet, think of this—local after-school programs provide youth with a safe place to be after they have been released from school.

When a school experiences a budget cut, the first programs to go are usually after-school programs. In order to operate at a high capacity and have a strong sustainable program, staff development implementation is paramount to making an after-school program into a long lasting, thriving, legacy.We can't do it alone. With your help, you can support this mission to provide youth with well-equipped, positive adult role model.

Entrusted Legacy-IRS Tax #27-2049633

Changing Lives

Do you remember the story of Amelia Bedelia?  This beloved character is nothing if she isn’t literal.  When she hears words she understands the literal meaning and then acts on it.  Amelia Bedilia goes to work for the Rogers family and when she arrives Mr. and Mrs. Rogers are out, but they leave he a long list of things to do.  This is a recap of the story from                    "Amelia Bedelia"

Before setting to work, Amelia bakes her employers a lemon meringue pie--she makes good pies. Then she sets to work.

"Change the towels in the bathroom," Mrs. Rogers has written in script. "Those towels are very nice. Why change them?" Amelia asks, but takes a pair of scissors to alter the towels' appearance as she is (kind of) told. Then she sets the towels back on their dowel and moves on down the list. She takes each task literally, from drawing the drapes on a sketchpad, to putting the lights out… out in the yard. When Mrs. Rogers comes home, she is very angry indeed. But naïve, endearing Amelia is proud of her work, holding up her picture of the curtains for Mrs. Rogers to see.” 

While this story is humorous, change seldom is.  Change, whether transitional (step by step) or transformational (creating something new and improved) causes stress. We are creatures of habit.  We tend to do the same things, in the same way, over and over.  You have an opportunity to help Entrusted Legacy an opportunity to make changes in the lives of youth and the role models and mentors that will support them.  It will require that you make some changes, but together, we can make a difference—one life at a time.  Join us in living Gandhi’s admonition to “Be the change you wish to see.” 

Check us out at www.entrustedlegacy.org or by emailing us at support@entrustedlegacy.org

Leveling the Playing Field

Entrusted Legacy is committed to social justice and change and the development of people so they can practice the advanced citizenship necessary in a global society.  We are convinced that the path to ultimate success is not littered with people you have dominated, but rather with a cadre of people you have lifted up.  And so we work to “level the playing field.”

Closing both the achievement and opportunity gaps for young people is essential to create a society based on the principles of equality and valuing the dignity of every human being that is at the center of social justice.  People have captured this notion in a variety of ways.  We believe, as does the International Labor Organization, that a lasting, global peace must be founded on social justice.  We agree with Bill Harley when he sings:

                                             “We all live in the Milky Way; The Milky Way’s our galaxy

We all live in the Milky Way, It’s home to you and me.”

The lyrics go on to spell out that, “In that galaxy, there’s a star, and around the star a planet spins, and on the planet there is a fine sea which surrounds a land, that has a town, with a street and a fine house with a person in it—you or me, and we all live in a galaxy that’s home for us all.”  We accept Thomas Friedman’s pronouncement that the “World Is Flat,” and believe along with Tony Wagner that it is essential to close the “Global Achievement Gap.”  Perhaps most importantly we believe in the words of Margaret Mead:

“Never underestimate the power

of a small group of committed people 

to change the world. In fact

 it is the only thing that ever has.”

Join with us in our efforts to level the playing field, one school, one neighborhood, one afterschool program at a time.Contact us at support@entrustedlegacy.org to discover how you can help bring social justice to all youth.

Everyone Needs A Mentor

At Entrusted Legacy we believe in the “Big E,” that is “Everyone.”  We believe that if everyone does a little, if everyone learns how to be a positive role model and mentor, that we can change the world.  We know that being with an effective role model and mentor can change lives.  We know this because we can think about our own role models and mentors, both past and present, and the things we’ve learned from them.

Interestingly, in the play, Wicked, there is a lyric that captures the importance of having a positive role model and mentor:

“I know I’m who I am today because I knew you.

Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun,

Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood…

Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”

When we think about leaving a legacy, what better way to do this than to have someone say, “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”  Mentoring is like throwing a rock into a placid lake.  The ripples begin in the center where the rock plunged, but the effects of that plunge can stretch to the edges of the lake, making an impact all along the way.  This is how we leave a legacy—we “Pay It Forward!” Let us know how you are being a positive role model and mentor for youth.  Share your stories with us at support@entrustedlegacy.org