Starfish Story

The Starfish story is one of my favorites as it speaks to one of the most fragile yet resilient qualities of human beings—hope.  In the story a young man is standing on the beach tossing the beached starfish back into the water.  A stranger approaches him and after realizing what he is doing points out that the young man can’t possibly save all of the starfish.  The young man picks up another starfish and throws it back into the ocean.  He looks squarely at the detractor and states, “I helped that one.”  As people who care about other people that’s exactly what we need to do, keep helping one more. 

One way to do that is to work closely with the afterschool professionals who work with youth every day after the school bell rings.  When we work with those folks and raise their level of competency and capacity we are creating a whole new spectrum of positive role models and mentors for youth.  Please join us in preparing these afterschool professionals to be the best role model and mentor possible.  Your donation can go a long way to impacting the future.  Please contact us at support@entrustedlegacy.org  and make a difference in the life of a child.   

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!

Reflecting on the Year

During 2013 Entrusted Legacy had an opportunity to try out several strategies to enlist the support of people across the country and the world to ensure that afterschool professionals are well-prepared to be positive role models and mentors for youth.  Some strategies were very successful—Kayla’s Campaign, crafting a grant-win plan, and figuring out how to enlist the support of individual donors.  This lead-up work has prepared us to launch into 2014 with a solid Business Plan and plenty of opportunities to make a difference in the lives of both adults and youth.  We would encourage you to check us out at www.entrustedlegacy.org and become part of our noble cause.  You may not have the time to be a role model and mentor for youth but you can support someone who does have that time.  Be part of what Margaret Mead calls, “small number of thoughtful, committed individuals” and help us change the world.

Our vision and mission have stayed the same.

Our Vision

·         A cadre of well-trained people forming the nucleus around which learning organizations are built

Our Mission

·         Holistically train adults who work with youth to be a positive role model and mentor for youth

Our Goals

·         We will service 100 Million Youth and 20 Million Adults by 2023.

·         We will prepare youth workers to instruct, support, encourage, motivate, and develop youth by being positive role models and mentors.

·         We will engage everyone in helping us level the playing field for youth.

·         We will uncover an individual's talents, skills, passions, and interests; preparing them to make his/her unique contribution to the world.

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!

Importance of Mission Driven Work

What does it really mean to be a mission driven non-profit?  Certainly it means to embrace a social cause and be essentially purpose driven to address this social cause.  It is important that we are able to integrate the cause into our mission and our values and establish core business practices to we can have an authentic social impact and accomplish our mission. 

As a non-profit, we agree with Steven Van Yoder.  He states that a mission-driven non-profit cannot succeed on the passion of the Board and a few volunteers.  He goes on to say that a mission-driven organization needs the commitment of others to support the economic engine required to accomplish its goals.  He then indicates that the mission must be supported by core values and beliefs.  He also stated that the organization must be absolutely committed to the cause and the work to be done to fulfill the cause. 

At Entrusted Legacy we think that afterschool programs are a vital part of the solution for reinvigorating learning in our K-12 system.  We are committed to supporting the adults who work with youth by providing the training and staff development needed by these youth workers to successfully role model and mentor these youth. 

If you find our mission compelling, we ask you to entrust your legacy with us and help us to make a difference in the lives of youth and youth leaders.  There is an old adage that states, “Many hands make hard work light” and we believe that our mission can be accomplished if we work together.  Please fo to our website at www.entrustedlegacy.org and invest in the future of our youth.  

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!

Make A Difference

In the United States there is long history of philanthropy and giving.  There are so many ways that each of us can make a difference.  Whether we give of our talents, our time, our money, or our connections, we have the opportunity to change the world.  If you go back into the 1800s you can find the founding of the United Way.  In began in 1887 when a Denver woman, a priest, two ministers and a rabbi recognized the need for cooperative action to address their city’s welfare problems.  More than 125 years later, United Way is still focused on mobilizing the caring power of communities and making a difference in people’s lives.

This need to make a difference in the world has been captured often throughout our history and has inspired generations of America to be part of the solution.  In 1961 young people flocked to the Peace Corps and in 1990 Teach for America launched. In 2007 George Bush’s reference to Points of Light resulted in a non-profit foundation and in 2010, Entrusted Legacy was born.  What all these non-profits have in common is that they provide a platform for people to give back.

Learn about our story and the work that we do.  Please join with Entrusted Legacy and support our efforts to train and develop strong role models and mentors for the more than people who work with youth in afterschool and summer programs.  Check out our website at www.entrustedlegacy.org or by contacting us at support@entrustelegacy.org

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

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

Many Hands Make Hard Work Light

What do hands, synergy and recycling have in common?  How do these three distinct things connect. 

When I was young, my mother used to tell my sister and me, “many hands make hard work light.”  We knew that those weren’t her words originally, I’m not sure how, but we got the message.  She expected us to work together and help each other out whether that was folding clothes, weeding the garden or doing the nightly dishes.  Many times she joined her hands with ours to make the work lighter for all of us. 

Steven Covey would share that we need to work together to synergize and not only make hard work lighter but change the face of the hard work altogether.  He believed that by working together, working to understand one another we created a space for something better that any one of us could have thought of on our own.  He labeled this notion as Habit #6. 

I would also like you to consider the whole notion of recycling.  Fifty years ago people may have saved things but it was not because they were interested in recycling but rather because many of them had lived through the Great Depression and learned that is was best to throw away nothing.  However their children (the Baby Boomers) learned that the world was disposable.  Evidence of this can be found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which stretches for hundreds of miles and have formed a nebulous, floating junk yard.  However, as our consciousness was raised, recycling hit most everyone’s radar and it is challenging to throw anything away that we think might recycle.  You find “blue cans” regularly, even in cities that require you to pay for the privilege of recycling.  The notion of many hands applies to this as does the notion of synergizing to accomplish something you couldn’t do on your own. 

Now it seems to me that out-of-school time should want to be the “next recycling” effort.  Imagine what would happen if everyone understood that afterschool programs are as essential as recycling.    What if everyone understood how important role models and mentors are for the youth who spend time in the afterschool programs?  What if everyone understood that if everyone does a little, what we end up with is a lot? 

Please join us in making a difference. Contact us at www.entrustedlegacy.org or at support@entrustedlegacy.org