tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:/nl/projects?page=26 2023-09-14T22:23:26Z tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/223385 2023-08-10T00:00:00Z 2023-09-14T22:23:26Z AwesomeStPaul is proud to announce our 21st grant has been awarded to The St. Paul branch of the Minnesota Tool Library. We chose the tool lending library for its work in building community by bringing St. Paul neighbors together around shared interests in woodworking and home and garden DIY projects. Congratulations! In the words of Bruce Willey, "The Saint Paul branch of the Minnesota Tool Library (MTL) recently moved to a new location. MTL provides tools and instructions on how to use them, a shop space with larger machinery, and frequent classes to anyone who joins. Having access to these tools and the knowledge to use them can vastly improve lives. With our construction tools, damaged stairs can be repaired and made safe. Bannisters and grab bars can be installed so older people can stay in their homes. Houses can be insulated and weatherized, saving energy costs. Doors and windows can be repaired or upgraded to prevent theft. With our gardening tools, ladders and scaffolding, yard and exterior work can be done to enhance the look and value of a home or business. The cost of tools prevents many from performing these worthwhile activities. MTL allows people to extend their home or business repair budget significantly and get more done for less. We help the environment through fewer tools being discarded in landfills or produced and transported in the first place. A community that has a tool library - and makes use of it - is a stronger and more resilient one. Property values are maintained or improved. Fewer buildings are declared unfit for occupancy or even condemned. Our tools are almost all donated and our branches are staffed largely by volunteers. People feel a better sense of community when they know this valuable resource is being supplied by their neighbors." Bruce Willey The Saint Paul Tool Library is Here https://www.mntoollibrary.org/ United States St. Paul, MN https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/stpaul tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/228538 2023-08-10T00:00:00Z 2023-09-23T13:15:43Z Years ago, a neighborhood block club painted murals on a brick wall in our community. Lately, it has been covered in graffiti & tagged. We have received permission to fix or repaint the murals. We would love to showcase local artistically talented children's artwork from our own neighborhood. Veronica Gay Community wall United States Buffalo, NY (Inactief) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/buffalo tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/229651 2023-08-10T00:00:00Z 2023-08-10T18:47:53Z Awesome Gloucester has partnered with Studio Fresh and Cape Ann Auction to create original public art to honor and celebrate local culture in Gloucester. The mural is a faithful rendering of Winslow Homer's 1874 painting "The Flirt.' ‘The Flirt’ depicts an older man and four boys sailing a catboat in the harbor of Gloucester, Massachusetts. The fishing boat, cleaves through the sea waves, bending to the wind. The tiller and sheet are operated by the older man whilst the young boys recline on the deck looking at the sea. The boy perched at the rear looks out towards the horizon and seagulls in the distance. The name of the boat 'The Flirt' is painted on the rear of the boat. In addition to grant money contributed by Awesome Gloucester, additional funds were contributed by individual Trustees of Awesome Gloucester who elected to make additional contributions. Additionally, Awesome Gloucester received a $5000 grant from ECCF for the project. In total $10,00 was raised make the mural a reality. Salvatore Zerilli The Homer Mural on Maplewood Avenue United States Gloucester, MA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/gloucester tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/226234 2023-08-09T00:00:00Z 2023-08-10T13:24:45Z Hair Bus is a self contained, fully functional luxury mobile hair salon. Hair Bus will travel to homes, nursing homes, corporate offices, festivals, a bridal party along the Maryland coast and where ever hair care is needed. Hair Bus offers busy families a bit of luxury and care just outside their door. Hair Bus is handicap accessible and will travel to homes and nursing homes for those who have difficulty getting around. Hair Bus can park right outside a corporate office for a self care event or school fundraiser. One of the goals for Hair Bus is to provide free hair care for the homeless. Erin Acampa Hair Bus LLC United States Westminster, MD https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/westminster tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/227318 2023-08-09T00:00:00Z 2023-09-20T02:33:00Z I began working on the "Gadugi" Cherokee Language Coloring Book as a way to teach my daughter our ancestral language. I am a citizen of Cherokee Nation that lives in Edmonds, Wa which is over 2000 miles from our Reservation and even farther from our ancestral lands in the Southeast. One of the issues regarding language preservation is access to learning materials. When I began sharing the images with other language learners as well as the children at my daughter's school in Shoreline, there was an instant joyful and awesome enthusiasm to color and chat about how our language interconnects with our plant and animal ancestors. It provides not only a language lesson but an insight into our indigenous cultural understanding of the earth. I have a few more pages to go and would love to publish and distribute! The word "Gadugi" means something akin to working together and sharing for the greater good. It is central to Cherokee language and spiritual and cultural beliefs. Many of our words have multiple meanings which I show in the drawings and are associated with traditional stories. If possible, I would add a story page on the opposite side of each coloring page to deepen the meanings. Andrea M Savar "Gadugi" Cherokee Language Coloring Book United States Seattle, WA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/seattle tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/228313 2023-08-09T00:00:00Z 2023-08-10T15:52:32Z The Michigan Foster Care Closet (MFCC) is a non-profit organization based in Ann Arbor and dedicated to providing needed items for children of all ages in foster care. MFCC provides essentials, including clothing, shoes, nursery and youth furniture, strollers, car seats, school supplies, hygiene products, safety equipment, and other items to assist the children. All items are new or gently used and always provided free of charge. MFCC Strives to provide a professional, yet personalized, “shopping experience” to foster care youth, their families, and foster care workers. We want to ensure every child has a week’s worth of clothing and related necessities, including socks and underwear. The parties can select any and all items they may need or want during their shopping time at our closet location. We also offer things that help children feel at home and happy, such as toys, books, and cozy blankets. We supply seasonally appropriate items, and foster parents and children are welcome to continue to come to shop as seasons and sizes change. Karen Field The Michigan Foster Care Closet http://www.michiganfostercarecloset.org United States Ann Arbor, MI https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/ann-arbor tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/223086 2023-08-07T00:00:00Z 2023-08-07T21:02:15Z I am a blacksmith artist who creates hand forged ornamental ironwork. This year I have reassembled my shop in my family's new home in Silver City, New Mexico and am thrilled to have become part of the local artist community. I am a member of the Grant County Art Guild where my work is shown and where I advertise availability for commission projects. After completing a four year apprenticeship in a blacksmith shop in rural WV, I started my own business. I started doing art shows and accepting commission work then. I had the privilege of being hired to design and make a number of interesting, challenging pieces. But my wife and I were not experienced in running a business, and learned some hard financial lessons. So we closed shop to regroup and moved to a new place. This time around, we attended a small business class and have taken advantage of the information available through a local university assisting new small business owners. Blacksmithing is quite unique, a trade that threatens to be forgotten. I am genuinely thrilled to see the work of other blacksmith artists and have enjoyed demonstrating for adults and children at art shows. It's a fascinating process. I have been hand forging metal for fifteen years now, and I am still in the honeymoon stage, in awe of the possibilities of my craft, I work out of a modest building that was gifted to us by our neighbor, A pole barn that has been converted to meet our needs. Inside I use the forge my wife's father built, an anvil that belonged to his father, and hundreds of other tools bought, found, traded and handmade. Someday, we intend to expand, but now we have enough to make this project happen. Paul Meyers Shedalow Ironworks, LLC http://N/A Worldwide Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/awesomewithoutborders tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/224734 2023-08-07T00:00:00Z 2023-08-04T14:57:16Z The Jaguar News Broadcast is written, directed and produced by elementary school students at Barbara Jordan Early College Prep Elementary. The trilingual multicultural student news production covers campus news and current events at the school. By bringing together students of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, the production brings out the AWESOME in students. And thus far, they've been able to do it all using students' personal phones and a donated laptop with missing keys. A $1000 grant from the Austin Awesome Foundation will give the students a much-needed upgrade. A new computer and editing equipment will allow these budding journalists to record and edit interviews more swiftly, accurately and professionally, teaching them valuable skills along the way. Candi Johnson Editing equipment for Elementary School Newscast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmnhTmfaB74&feature=youtu.be United States Austin, TX https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/austin tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/228161 2023-08-06T00:00:00Z 2023-08-07T00:13:36Z Buenas Vibras is a Free Monthly First Friday event, in downtown Santa Cruz. The intention of this event is to bring diverse communities together by providing a welcoming, inclusive space. We play Latin & World music for 4 hours providing a free dance party that draws from many diverse groups within Santa Cruz. We often include a birthday celebration for anyone in the community who is celebrating their birthday but doesn't have adequate space to throw their own party at home. We even provide a birthday cake and sing to our birthday guests! We would like to be able to keep this project free or donation based, so funds will be used to pay for sound equipment rental and to also pay our DJs and artists for their time and effort setting up/breaking down, hosting, and DJing the event. We believe artists need to be compensated for their work in the community and we want to make sure they can pay their bills and thrive in the current economic situation. Franky Garcia Buenas Vibras - Latin & World Dance Event United States Santa Cruz, CA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/santacruz tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/229414 2023-08-06T00:00:00Z 2023-08-29T03:15:59Z Terrain Biennial Newburgh is a grassroots exhibition of public art installations by artists and hosted by Newburgh residents and businesses on front yards, porches, windows, and building facades throughout the city, free and accessible to all who pass by. Artists and hosts work together to display artworks in everyday spaces where it is most visible and least expected. The 2023 exhibition opens during Newburgh OPEN Studios, September 30 + October 1, and runs through November 15. The Newburgh exhibition is part of the international Terrain Biennial 2023, an initiative of Terrain Exhibitions, founded in 2013 in Oak Park, Illinois by artist Sabina Ott. The biennial was created on a volunteer basis in the spirit of community building through free and accessible public art installations and events staged in residential neighborhoods across the US and worldwide. The Biennial relies on self-organizing, and I serve as the producer of Newburgh’s exhibition and point of contact (“superhost”) with the Chicagoland Terrain Biennial team. The 2023 Terrain Biennial theme is Mycelium Connection to honor and expand Terrain’s mission to make unexpected, vital, human, and environmental connections. Mycelium is a thriving underground network of fungal threads, essential for many ecosystems. While its geographical reach is immense, mycelium is invisible to many. Likewise, Terrain Biennial is connected through neighborhoods around the globe and cultivates solidarity across differences. Both art and mycelium spring up in unexpected spaces and deserve to be shared with all. This is the third time Newburgh is participating in the international exhibition and each year it grows and matures in new ways. This year, 25 host sites and 23 artists have been paired that align with each other and the year’s theme, and that are suitable, safe, and sound for outdoor installation. A suite of programs encourage community building amongst the participants, partner orgs, and local schools. Naomi Miller Terrain Biennial Newburgh 2023 https://www.terrainbiennialnewburgh.org/ United States Newburgh, NY https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/newburgh tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/228208 2023-08-05T00:00:00Z 2023-08-05T14:50:35Z Conduct interviews with local community members in Aviano, Italy to assess and research how they supported each other through the Covid pandemic. Donna L. Roberts The Psychology of Community Resilience Italy Aviano (Inactief) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/aviano tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/227185 2023-08-02T00:00:00Z 2023-08-29T02:53:09Z Survivor Healing Groups are for groups of 12-15 victim-survivors that meet togetherly monthly and learn about ways to heal from a registered psychologist/or counsellor. What Were You Wearing's Survivor Healing Groups are conducted within a safe peer-support environment and are facilitated by two experienced professionals. The aim is to provide an open and safe space for survivors to come together and connect with others that have had similar experiences, and leave with gained knowledge and tools for healing and recovery. Research shows that social support leads to many different positive outcomes for survivors of sexual violence. Generally, it can influence survivors by helping them to develop positive coping skills, thereby mitigating the negative effects of the trauma (Leech & Littlefield, 2011). Our short-term goals are: Newcastle will finally have a sexual violence support group, which is essential to the wellbeing and healing of victim-survivors that reside in Newcastle. ●Survivors will gain an increased sense of social connection ●Survivor will have a reduction in trauma, anxiety and symptoms of depression ●Survivors will start to rebuild trust, hope of recovery and experience empowerment. ●Survivors will gain various healing tools Medium-term outcomes ●There will be a community of survivors that will be equipped with healing tools ●A strengthened community of survivors ●More awareness around sexual assault in Newcastle Long term outcomes Contributing to preventing sexual violence within Newcastle/Lake Macquarie. Survivors of sexual violence will always have a safe space and support group to go to. It will be funded by the government or council regularly to last long term. Marcie Cheers Healing Groups https://www.whatwereyouwearingaus.org/ Australia Newcastle https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/newcastle tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/228086 2023-08-02T00:00:00Z 2023-08-02T12:52:13Z The Pollinator Lab is a design research project investigating ways to put pollinator habitat back onto the lands of the Eora people. We are a community led initiative run by a collective of landscape architects, academics, ecologist and biologists developing and testing alternative methodologies for creating habitat for pollinators in the built environment. We have been researching how to implement a pollinator habitat corridor between Sydney Park and Centennial Park. This has involved collaboration on the kinds of plants and habitat requirements of pollinators and how these need to be installed and maintained. Our aim is to increase pollinator habitat as a means of increasing the ecoystem services of our built landscapes in a way that provides benefit to both human and non-human inhabitants of the city. Alex Crowe Sydney Pollinator Lab Australia Sydney https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/sydney tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/220710 2023-08-01T00:00:00Z 2024-04-21T17:21:19Z Grace Pharmacy, The Pharmacy Without A Cash Register, has been operating since 2017. Everything, prescription and nonprescription, is free of charge to patients that go through one of our 7 clinics that we work with. To date, we have filled over 29,000 prescriptions. Our patients are: homeless, indigent, and the underinsured that would not be able to afford their prescriptions or nonprescription items. SEE OUR WEBSITE: GRACEHEALTHCS.COM Tim Rogers Grace Pharmacy http://gracehealthcs.com United States Gainesville, FL https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/gainesville tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/227673 2023-08-01T00:00:00Z 2023-08-02T05:44:53Z Hello!! I live in a small, rural and ag focused community. Our town is about 6,000 people with 25,000 in our county. Unemployment is high, migrant workers live in community housing, homelessness and food insecurity is a problem and many live in multigenerational homes in order to save money. I am an avid gardener, but it’s only my kiddo and I at home. With the garden and hens, we make more food than we can use or preserve. That led me to the desire to build a garden stand on my property (I live in town but in the corner of one of the main streets/highway). I have started the project by getting pallets donated by a local business and a local grocery store. I have purchased tools, have the plans and just need the finishing touches and to build. I am a teacher and to me it’s important that I take care of our community, don’t waste food and show students that we are always learning and able to help others. I have members of the community excited to donate to the “take what you need, give what you can” stand. Thank you for your consideration to help finish up this project and get it ready for our community! Nicole Day Colusa Donation Based Garden Stand United States San Francisco, CA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/sf tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/230275 2023-08-01T00:00:00Z 2023-11-03T08:50:38Z Այսօր նվազել է երեխաների սերը և հետաքրքրությունը բնագիտական առարկաների նկատմամբ։ Երեխաները կախված են գաջեթներից, և կարծես չեն նկատում շրջակա բնությունը։ «Շրջիկ բնագիտական թանգարան» նախագծի նպատակն է մեծացնել երեխաների հետաքրքրությունը բնագիտական առարկաների նկատմամբ՝ դա անելով երեխաների կողմից ներկայացվող շրջիկ բնագիտական ցուցահանդեսների միջոցով Մեր շրջիկ բնագիտական թանգարանը կներառի տարբեր հավաքածուներ՝ քարերի, խեցիների, թիթեռների, չորացված բույսերի, և նամականիշների՝ բույսերի, կենդանիների, ձկների, թռչունների պատկերներով։ Ցուցանմուշերը կդասավորվեն տարբեր չափսերի շրջանակների կամ տուփերի մեջ և կտեղադրվեն թեթև ֆաներայից ծալովի ոտքերով սեղանների վրա, որոնք հեշտ լինի հավաքելը և տեղափոխելը։ Ցուցանմուշները կդասավորվեն ըստ տեսակների, դրանց վրա կգրվեն նմուշների անունները։ Յուրաքանչյուր ցուցասեղանի վրա դրված կլինի խոշորացույց/լուպա, որպեսզի հետաքրքրված երեխաները ավելի մանրամասն ուսումնասիրեն ցուցանմուշերը։ Շրջիկ թանգարանը հիմնականում դպրոցականներից կազմված նախաձեռնող խումբը կցուցադրի Վայոց ձորի մարզի առնվազն 4 գյուղական դպրոցներում։ Ցուցանմուշները գյուղական դպրոցների երեխաներին կներկայացնեն մեր նախաձեռնող խմբի անդամ դպրոցականները։ Դպրոցականներին նաև կցուցադրվի, թե ինչպես դիտել տերևները, բյուրեղներ, միջատներ կամ այլ բնական փոքր նմուշներ մանրադիտակով։ Ակնկալում ենք, որ ծրագրի արդյունքում կմեծանա Վայոց ձորի մարզի երեխաների հետարքրքությունը բնագիտական առարկաների՝ բուսաբանություն, կենդանաբանություն, աշխարհագրություն, շրջակա միջավայր նկատմամբ, նրանք ձեռք կբերեն նոր օգտակար հետարքրքրություններ և հոբբիներ, նրանց մոտ կառաջանա շրջակա միջավայրը հետազոտելու, դրա վերաբերյալ նոր գիտելիքներ ձեռք բերելու, հավաքածուներ հիմնելու, դրանց մասին հասակակիցների հետ կիսվելու նոր վարքագիծ և փորձառություն։ Ցուցահանդեսի մասին կտարածենք սոցիալական ցանցերով և մամուլի միջոցներով։ Գաղափարը 10-ամյա Շիրակինն է։ Նա մանկուց սիրում է հիմնել հավաքածուներ՝ «դինոզավրերի», խեցիների, քարերի, նամականիշների, որոնք համալրվում են բարեկամների կողմից։ Տանը ունի իր թանգարանը, որը ցանկանում է հասանելի դարձնել այլ երեխաների։ Քրիստինե Սարգսյան Շրջիկ բնագիտական թանգարան http://N/A Armenia Nature Armenia (Inactief) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/naturearmenia tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/358443 2023-08-01T00:00:00Z 2025-07-16T23:59:11Z I would like to introduce the podcast about Menopause to women in Minneapolis, particularly on the Northside, due to limited access and trusted professional community resources. Business license is filed, we have local recording space, and are starting to get sponsorship. This would be a great word of mouth way for to not only practice podcasting skills, but also benefit a large circle of women in the community who are going through, have been through, or will be going through menopause. - Menopause and Me United States North Minneapolis, MN https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/northminneapolis tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/224125 2023-07-31T00:00:00Z 2023-07-31T21:08:30Z Makerspace is an exciting program hosted and run by the Valley of the Tetons Library (VTL) staff. Within its walls community members will find a myriad of hands-on experiential and experimental learning activities including a music studio, sewing machines, a 3d printer, app driven robots, and various crafting and tinkering stations. Community members of all ages are welcome to follow along with loosely structured activities or use their imagination to create something new! With the space’s demand and popularity continuing to grow, library staff have discovered a need to replace our older and outdated items and applications; including our app-driven robots. The robots of the Makerspace are enormously popular with children of all ages, helping to teach STEM and coding concepts. Integrating robots into the VTL Makerspace environment provides children with valuable skills, inspires their curiosity, and equips them with the tools they need to thrive in an increasingly technologically advanced world by: Advancing Future Technology Exploration: Exploring robotics sparks curiosity and encourages children to explore other emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, automation, and machine learning, preparing them for the technological advancements of tomorrow. Offer Coding and Programming Skills: Robots offer an excellent platform for introducing children to coding and programming concepts, enabling them to develop computational thinking skills and learn coding languages. Teach Collaboration and Teamwork: Incorporating robots promotes collaboration and teamwork among children as they work together to design, program, and operate robots, fostering important social skills. Tanya Alexander Makerspace Robots https://valleyofthetetonslibrary.org/vtl-makerspace-2/ Worldwide Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/awesomewithoutborders tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/226194 2023-07-31T00:00:00Z 2023-08-22T12:07:53Z Bright Park has clear objectives and towards achieving them runs activities to improve the habitat and biodiversity of the land, runs events and activities on the park that bring people young and older outdoors to enjoy the beautiful place and uses our facilities and programmes to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities around the park especially disadvantaged children and young people. The project ‘Many Hands Lighter Work’ was developed 12 months ago to establish a ‘Friends of Bright Park’ group, many of them volunteers from the communities around the Park. One of the main activities for this group of volunteers has been to begin to enhance the 22,000ft2 landscape with 50% of wooded land (TPO protection). Over the next 12 months programme period, we want to create new habitat around the park to improve the biodiversity, bringing more bird types, frogs, squirrels, attract owls, build bees houses, host butterflies, insects, hedgehogs, create a bug hotel, pond wildlife and many more. In all, 60 beneficiaries will on average engage directly in the 2hrs/week x 48week habitat creating programme; 1) To buy and install a new pond essential for the lifecycles of frogs, dragonflies and water beetles, and also making it easier for creatures like hedgehogs and birds to bathe. 2) Buy beehive houses attracting bees and harvesting honey for local community. 3) Build a bug hotel, a dry space that will attract different creepy crawlies and good for lots of different types of minibeast such as ladybirds, bees, woodlice and spiders. 4) Build birds nesting/hedgehog houses. 5) Maintain the condition we have created over the last few months of a beautifully well managed park landscape, attracting and encouraging community groups to come outdoor to visit and enjoy the park. Alfie-Jean Many Hands http://www.brightpark.co.uk United Kingdom Liverpool (Inactief) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/liverpool tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/226619 2023-07-31T00:00:00Z 2023-08-02T21:25:33Z We have just founded and received our 501c3 status for a brand new awesome nonprofit named "Compassion Kitchens". Our mission is to support community kitchens that are providing meals to homeless children. We are 100% volunteer powered and any money received will be used to purchase food for the kitchens we are supporting in Colombia. We currently are trying to purchase 250 kilos of rice and lentils every month to keep the kitchen cooking, but unfortunately do not have the funding needed at this moment. By supporting this awesome project the money not only is used to help provide the much needed meals for children in need, but also helps support a new nonprofit that has big plans and dreams for the coming years to begin ending a daily hunger and struggle for thousands of children. Our main partnership kitchen who we are doing our best to continue to support is located on the outskirts of one of the largest homeless encampments in South America. They currently are feeding 300 homeless children daily but are struggling staying afloat due to lack of food and donations. Our goal this year is to purchase enough food for them on a monthly basis to help them stay open, at least for a few days a week. I visited this kitchen and volunteered with them earlier this year and the work they do is absolutely awesome and I want nothing more then to make sure the kids there continue to have meals to eat. We received our 501c3 status July 19 and have a small but super awesome team. We also have the systems and strategy all ready completely set up to purchase the food for our partnership kitchens and have already made multiple food purchases and donations the past months . Thanks for your awesomeness and all you do! Derek Jerome Dietz Compassion Kitchens Inc http://compassionkitchens.org Worldwide Homelessness (Inactief) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/homelessness tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/226971 2023-07-31T00:00:00Z 2023-08-07T17:40:54Z We’re creating a podcast to share the experiences and perspectives of queer and transgender folks living with lipedema (a chronic, progressive painful fat disorder that almost exclusively impacts people assigned female at birth). Our podcast will explore how being queer and trans presents particular challenges to interfacing with the medical system and lipedema support spaces, as well as the intersecting challenges of white supremacy, mental health, racism, ableism, fatphobia, transphobia, homophobia, classism, healthism, etc. The podcast is hosted by me, MP Vare, (a white, trans non-binary person living with chronic PTSD, bipolar 2, and lipedema who navigates the world through the lens of yoga and its therapeutic applications) and Andy Kuhlmann (a white transmasculine person living with ADHD and lipedema who works as a psychotherapist). Episodes formats will include: The hosts’ personal stories and experiences on a variety of topics such as complete decongestive therapy, liposuction surgery, and finding trans affirming providers General education about lipedema and treatment options (and how being queer or trans impacts these) Interviews with queer and trans folks living with lipedema Interviews with care providers who support folks with living with lipedema (for example physical therapists, mental health providers, nutritionists, personal trainers, and meditation teachers), every effort will be made to identify queer and trans care providers for these conversations Hot takes and queer and trans perspectives on other health and wellness media (podcasts, books, art, etc.) Connect with them at QueerlyItsLipedema@Gmail.com **What our grantee is saying:** "Receiving this grant allows us to move our project from idea to action. We’ve got a list of people we’re very excited to approach for interviews. Due to the labor involved in living with, and sharing our experiences about, chronic illness, we’re grateful your funds will allow us to offer our guests an honorarium. Deep gratitude, Awesome Foundation! It’s so affirming that you believe in the merit of Queerly It’s Lipedema." Marina Patrice "MP" Vare Queerly It’s Lipedema Worldwide Disability https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/disability tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/227391 2023-07-31T00:00:00Z 2023-07-31T23:26:17Z July’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Tara Howlett, Victor Perez, and Jose Sandoval to support Latin dance at Landsdowne. “We’re hosting a weekly dance series every single Saturday evening this summer, outdoors at Lansdowne Park,” explains Tara. “The event is completely free, and we welcome beginners and people of all ages – no partner required!” Each evening starts with a free Latin dance class from 6-8 pm, and continues with a dance social until 11 pm. Tara, Victor, and Jose only started at the beginning of July, and are already attracting about 200 participants a week. “We’re delighted to bring back public social partner dancing after the pandemic,” says Tara, “and we want to use it as a tool of connection and community.” For more information, or to volunteer, visit [instagram.com/uniteddanceottawa] (https://www.instagram.com/uniteddanceottawa). Tara is a social worker, psychotherapist, and dancer. Victor works in property maintenance and is a dance instructor. Jose works in the tech sector and is a dance instructor. Tara Howlett, Victor Perez, and Jose Sandoval Latin at Lansdowne https://www.instagram.com/uniteddanceottawa Canada Ottawa https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/ottawa tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/227815 2023-07-31T00:00:00Z 2023-09-10T14:37:49Z In the spring, the Public Theatre of San Antonio produced my play Fabulous Monsters, with music written by local Chicana Punk group Fea, using all local actors and musicians. The result was magical. The play was a huge hit, selling out performances and bringing new audiences to the theatre. I would like to make a record of the music with the original San Antonio performers. The talent pool in San Antonio is amazing, and a record would showcase mostly Latine/Latinx artists. Fabulous Monsters is about women in punk rock and features both older women and younger women: " When punk rock exploded in L.A., Sally, and Lou were there: feminists, Latinas, queens of noise. One went pop, one stayed punk but sparks from their tumultuous friendship remain. Decades later, they try to overcome old wounds, forgive each other, and rock as hard as they ever did." The play has gotten awards from Steppenwolf in Chicago and the Latino Theatre Company in Los Angeles. A demo record would continue to give life to the project, and San Antonio talent would be heard at theatres around the country. We would also have the opportunity to get more of Fea's music out into the world. This all-female punk band is an inspiration. They also have a percentage in the royalties of the play. In conclusion, a record would show off the massive amount of talent residing and rocking in San Antonio. Diana Burbano Fabulous Monsters Recording https://dianaburbano.com United States San Antonio, TX https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/sanantonio tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/225696 2023-07-28T00:00:00Z 2023-07-28T06:24:38Z ​2023 marks the 10th Anniversary of the STooPS Bed-Stuy Annual Art Crawl. Each summer, STooPS collaborates with organizations and businesses throughout the community to present local artists working across genres who perform and exhibit on stoops and sidewalks throughout the neighborhood. Bringing together a network of partners such as block associations, community gardens, and the community board, STooPS facilitates community engagement and resource sharing to support both local artists and businesses. This year, the Bed-Stuy Annual Art Crawl will take place on **July 29th from 12pm - 7 pm**. Bed-Stuy-based artists/groups will collaborate with space owners to share their work on stoops, sidewalks, storefronts, and/or in community gardens. Inspired by Intelligent Mischief signs posted throughout BedStuy, this year we are commissioning artists to create new works based on the question **“What if BedStuy was a Black Utopia?”** Reflecting on the history and stories of black homeowners, movements, and institutions in the neighborhood, STooPS is asking artists to create their Afro-futuristic vision of BedStuy in collaboration with a community member, organization or partner. This project gives local artists a platform to showcase their art in their own community while establishing and strengthening the relationships between local artists, neighbors and business owners. It also gives the BedStuy community opportunities to experience high quality art from award winning artists for free in their own community. STooPS is an opportunity for members of the neighborhood to discover and share resources that exist within Bed-Stuy. This awareness allows people to build partnerships and support each other, strengthening the entire community. Kendra J. Ross STooPS Bed Stuy Summer Art Crawl https://www.stoopsbedstuy.org United States New York City, NY https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/nyc tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/223565 2023-07-27T00:00:00Z 2023-07-28T02:58:03Z We provide coverage for local high school sports via youtube and livestreamed on facebook under the name of Cape Ann LIVE!. We have covered over 200 games and events that normally wouldn't be covered by local cable. Being livestreamed, the games are available for parents and relatives who are not able to make it to the game in person as well as the athletes themselves having a record of the games. JIM CAPILLO Gloucester High Sports coverage https://www.youtube.com/@capeannlive/playlists United States Gloucester, MA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/gloucester tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/227810 2023-07-27T00:00:00Z 2023-07-28T21:05:00Z As a military-impacted school, we serve students who move every 3 years or so. WE (Wheeler Elementary) believe that every student belongs. WE Belong is a project aimed at connecting students with each other through literature. Having books rich in experiences and broad in diversity in the library gives our students the chance to see themselves in stories. Being seen helps one belong. The final outcome is empathy for one another and acceptance. WE believe this will help all our students feel like they belong. Cheryl Sanico WE belong United States Oahu, HI https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/oahu tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/226543 2023-07-26T00:00:00Z 2023-07-26T16:48:34Z Դեռ վաղուց, երբ աղջկաս տանում էի ՄՍԿՀ Հարավային դպրոց-պարտեզ, ինչպես ժողովուրդն է ասում «աչքս ավտոբուսի վրա էր», որը տեղակայված է դպրոցի բակում և ծառայում է, որպես պահեստ: Այդպիսի ևս երկու ավտոբուսներ կային, որոնք տեղափոխել են բակից, որպես թափոն: Ներկայացնեմ մի քանի կարևոր հիմնավորումներ.1.Նախ ավտոբուսը, որ հնություն է, կպահպանվի և թափոն դառնալու հավակնություն այլևս չի ունենա.2. Հարավային դպրոց-պարտեզը կունենա իր փոքրիկ թատրոնը, այստեղ կարևոր է նշել ոչ թե բեմ, այլ թատրոն, առանձին կառույց՝ դպրոցի համար բազմաֆունկցիոնալ հնարավորություններով՝ դրամատիկ, ստվերների, տիկիկային, համերգային և այլ /դպրոցում սովորում է 3000,իսկ մասնաճյուղում 500 աշակերտ, դպրոցը հայտնի է իր ներառականության սկզբունքով/ 3. Անգլերեն մի տեսակ ժամանակակից և լավ է հնչում Theater Bus-ից օգտվելու հնարավորություն կունենան նաև կրթահամալիրի մյուս աշակերտները, հատկապես ձեռքի երաժշտական գործիքների տիրապետողները: 4.Այլընտրանքային միջավայրը միշտ էլ հետաքրքիր և ձգող է, վստահորեն այսեղ կարող ենք համագործակցային համերգներ ևս ունենալ, ոչ միայն երեխաների համար կամ երեխաների հետ այլև՝ մեծահասակների: Փայտենիկի, որի մասին կպատմեմ հաջորդ բաժնում, ստվերների և հարթակային ներկայցումները ևս կարող ենք այստեղ ցուցադրել: Կարող է դառնալ համայնքային նախագիծ, տարածքը գտնվում է Երևանի բավականին ծայրամսում և բնակիչները կարող են ներկայցումների բերել երեխաներին ավելի մոտ և հարմար վայրում, հետևաբար ավելի հաճախ: 5. Կհրավիրենք փոքր համերգային և թատերական խմբերի, կանցկացնենք վարպետության դասեր, հարմար կլինի նաև ոչ ֆորմալ կրթության դասընթացների համար:Այսպիսով, ծրագրով 1.Թափոնի վերածվող հնամաշ ավտոբուսը դարձնում ենք կիրառելի: 2.Դպրոցի բակում ստեղծում ենք այլընտրանքային, կամերային, նմանատիպը չունեցող դպրոցական փոքրիկ, բայց բազմաֆունկցիոնալ ստվերների /ոչ միայն/ թատրոնի, համերգային տարածք: Նպաստում ենք այլընտրանքային, մշակութային կրթության ձևավորմանը, հանրայնացմանը, տարածմանը: Կրթահամլիրում շատ են տարածաշրջանային կոմֆլիկտի արդյունքում ՀՀ տեղափոխված երեխաները, Փայտենիկը առանձին ծրագրով նախատեսում է տարբեր միջոցառումներ նրանց համար: Անի Ղարաբեկյան Թատրոն՝ ավտոբուսում. Theater Bus https://be985.wordpress.com/ Armenia Yerevan https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/yerevan tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/219758 2023-07-24T00:00:00Z 2023-07-25T03:04:49Z Street Medics Austin provides free first aid training programs to underserved populations and those disproportionately affected by violence, empowering them to take life-saving action in emergency situations. This approach is needed because access to first aid training is often limited by socio-economic factors and targeted populations, such as people of color and members of the LGBT community, face a higher risk of violence. SMA aims to make emergency first aid accessible to all members of our community by providing training and equipment to control traumatic bleeding injuries through the Stop the Bleed program. A grant from the Austin Awesome Foundation will fund emergency first aid kits for SMA’s upcoming trainings. Matthew Blaney Street Medics Austin http://www.streetmedicsaustin.org United States Austin, TX https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/austin tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/221571 2023-07-24T00:00:00Z 2023-07-24T10:14:18Z "The Mississippi Delta: Dreams and Reality" is a short-form documentary that follows the daily lives of five individuals living in the Mississippi Delta region of the United States. Through intimate interviews and personal vignettes, the film gives viewers a unique glimpse into the hopes, dreams, and struggles of these individuals as they navigate the challenges of life in this diverse and complex region. At its core, the film underscores the significance of family and religion and the fundamental truth that regardless of our political affiliations or convictions, we really do need each other. Through its powerful storytelling and intimate portrayals of everyday life, "The Mississippi Delta: Dreams and Reality" offers a thought-provoking and inspiring look at the human experience in this unique and fascinating part of the world. As an artist, my main influences stem from my deep connection to Southern culture, which is reflected in my work as a filmmaker. Growing up in the South has given me a unique perspective on life, and I strive to represent this region authentically through my films. The rarity of seeing high-quality independent films coming out of the South has also influenced my work, as I seek to break this trend and showcase the artistic contributions of this region. My past experience shooting commercial fashion campaigns has provided me with the technical skills and knowledge needed to undertake this project. This experience has allowed me to capture authentic moments and combine them with a slick and polished look. Furthermore, my personal connection to the South runs even deeper as my family originates from the region. After the passing of my father six years ago, this project has become even more personal and is dedicated to his memory. Working on this project has allowed me to collaborate with my family in an intimate way, bringing us closer together while fueling my artistic passion and dedication to representing the South through my work. Jon Jenkins The Mississippi Delta: Dreams and Reality Worldwide Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/awesomewithoutborders tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/226990 2023-07-24T00:00:00Z 2023-07-29T02:24:45Z Cut Boyz #ClippersOverGuns Empowerment Camp & Experience is much more than camp experiences, it is an one-of-a-kind empowerment opportunity intentionally designed to build support, provide mentoring, life skills training, leadership development, provide hair care education, financial literacy amongst young men between ages 12 to 18 in South Bend, IN Each Cut Boy Camp participant will receive training in areas such as hair health, shampooing, disinfection, a variety of hair cutting techniques including but not limited to loc twisting, line ups, fading, & a variety of hair cutting techniques. In addition to receiving training in hair and business services, our wrap-around training approach includes training in areas including leadership development, conflict resolution, life skills, community outreach, customer service, marketing, & self-development. Upon completing the camp, each participant will receive a hair cutting starter kit! Style Girlz #BraidsOverBabies Empowerment Camp & Experience is much more than camp experiences, it is an one-of-a-kind empowerment opportunity intentionally designed to build support, provide mentoring, life skills training, leadership development, provide hair care education, financial literacy amongst young ladies between ages 12 to 18 in South Bend, IN. Each style girl participant will receive training in areas such as hair health, shampooing, disinfection, a variety of hair styling techniques including but not limited: to loc twisting, a variety of braid styles, wig making, and much more. In addition to receiving training in hair and business services, our wrap-around training approach includes training in areas such as leadership development, conflict resolution, life skills, community outreach, customer service, marketing, & self-development. Upon completing the camp, each participant will receive a haircare styling starter kit! Kintae Lark Cut Boyz Camp & Also StyleGirlz Camp http://www.inspirationplace.net United States South Bend, IN https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/southbend tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/227667 2023-07-24T00:00:00Z 2023-07-29T02:23:32Z PopiCon! Game Convention is focused on non-digital, tabletop games. Tabletop games include board, card, role playing (Dungeons and Dragons), and miniatures games. 2022 marked the inaugural PopiCon!. This event acted as a memorial service where friends and family could celebrate the life of Tom "Popi" Crisovan, my father-in-law, who was an avid gamer his entire life. Once we could open up to the public due to Covid-19 restrictions being relaxed, we sought to make it a larger, public, and annual event in Downtown South Bend. On Saturday, February 4th, 2023 we held the event at Stockroom East with the ambitious goal of having 200 attendees. The response exceeded our expectations with nearly 400 people attending the event throughout the day. Included in the attendees were 10 vendors, each an individual entrepreneur or small business selling unique and in many cases hand-crafted items. Multiple vendors expressed how well they did in terms of sales at the event and how much they are looking forward to next year's PopiCon! It was important for us as organizers to hold the event downtown to support local restaurants and businesses. They were very supportive of the event by offering gift certificates and other prizes to hand out to game winners during the event. We wanted a family-friendly event so offered tickets at no charge for anyone 14 or under. Of the 400 attendees, we had roughly 50 kids attend and play games. People could also get in free by hosting a game at the convention. The only criticism we heard throughout the day was that we needed a large venue. We agree and are seeking larger venues to grow PopiCon! 2024 once again. We think with enough community support we can triple in size. In addition to growing the event in 2024, we aim to diversify our audience by reaching out to the LGBTQ Center, La Casa de Amistad, and South Bend Heritage Foundation. We have hopes of hosting a role playing game for Spanish speakers. Richard Wallace PopiCon! Game Convention https://www.facebook.com/groups/1212798586001564 United States South Bend, IN https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/southbend tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/228108 2023-07-24T00:00:00Z 2023-07-29T02:23:09Z In August 2023, I will be hosting my very first back to school giveaway. Which will include giving away 300 backpacks plus school supplies to 300 kids in the community. I will also have clothing giveaways for the community. Every Thanksgiving I will be donating food baskets to the community. Christmas time I am donating clothing items, food baskets, to families in need and toys for children. I plan to make some personal care baskets and donate them to residents living in nursing facilities. Brianca Denson Blessed By Bri Inc United States South Bend, IN https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/southbend tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/220201 2023-07-22T00:00:00Z 2023-07-22T15:43:12Z We are a group of people who assist animals in the Aviano area. We donate food and funds to the regional animal sanctuaries, feed the local animal population and help animals in need in general, whenever we can. Annemarie Edmundson Aviano Area Animal Assistance Italy Aviano (Inactief) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/aviano tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/226613 2023-07-21T00:00:00Z 2023-07-21T23:44:27Z OFF NITE is a weekly variety show performed live at the Tabard Theatre hosted by Mighty Mike McGee and Ato Walker on Monday nights and simultaneously broadcast to the internet highlighting the arts and cultural happenings in our greater San Jose area, with a special focus on events happening in that upcoming week. Each show features three guests who promote their individual events, performances or business, sometimes featuring a performance such a music, comedy or spoken word. The focus is to highlight the diverse and multifaceted arts and cultural landscape of San Jose, promote a wide spectrum of individuals and local business owners who are creating art and community and to encourage a greater engagement with the arts by the public here in San Jose. The community is invited to be part of our in-studio audience at Tabard Theatre, or watch the livestream from anywhere. Attendance is free. OFF NITE is unique because it uses livestream and social media technologies to promote local arts and artists. This type of program would only have been possible through cable network TV and local access stations 20 years ago. These are underutilized tools in our local arts landscape. Additionally, OFF makes these opportunities available to individuals and groups who would otherwise face financial and technology gateways that they might not be able to negotiate on their own. Stephanie Whigham Off Nite Show http://Offnite.com United States San Jose, CA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/sanjose tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/224098 2023-07-20T00:00:00Z 2023-10-19T15:23:45Z The Poetry Potluck is a grassroots, quarterly community gathering which seeks to build stronger communities by creating safe spaces for in-person social engagement, making all spaces learning spaces, increasing access to the arts for underserved populations, and providing opportunities for artists to share and display their work. The Poetry Potluck averages 100-200 attendees (which we call CUZZINs) per gathering and now has a steady roster of 30+ active volunteers who believe in our mission and have personally been affected by attending. The gathering celebrates Miami's rich cultural diversity, food sharing, art-based learning activations, and of course Poetry. Calvin Early The Poetry Potluck https://linktr.ee/thepoetrypotluck United States Miami, FL https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/miami tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/225746 2023-07-20T00:00:00Z 2023-07-22T15:42:24Z I would like to upgrade my drone so that I can do more free drone pictures for our local Indigenous and others in the Katarokwi/Kingston community. I have done footage for the Hwy 15 Indigenous Garden, Indigenous Market along with others. I currently have a DJI Mini 2 and would like to upgrade to. Dji Mini 3 Pro which will provide me more capacity. I do all filming free for non-profit groups with a focus on Indigenous groups. Miigwech , Nyawen'ko:go, Thank you for even considering my application, as I know there are so many great opportunities out there that makes Katarokwi/Kingston Awesome. Paul Carl Paul Carl Aanii Nichii Drones https://www.facebook.com/AaniiNichiiDrones?mibextid=ZbWKwL Canada Kingston https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/kingston-on tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/225898 2023-07-19T00:00:00Z 2023-07-20T23:56:13Z The project is a aquaponics farm being constructed at school that the year 7/12 technology mandatory and hospitality classes use to grow and use in the produce in the kitchens at school. The project is on schedule to running for term 3 the 17th July. Allan Brown Farming Aquaponics Australia Lake Mac https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/lakemac tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/224127 2023-07-17T00:00:00Z 2023-07-17T15:30:06Z We live on a small island off the west coast of Canada, Mayne Island. We rely on ferry service to access any resources needed. There are a number of children on our small island (population ~1300) diagnosed and undiagnosed with sensory needs that sometimes keep them from participating in group/community events. I would like to use this awesome grant to purchase sensory equipment for the newly built Mayne Island Family Place so that it’s easier for those with sensory needs to participate in activities and events. Simple equipment such as noise-reducing headphones, weighted blankets or stuffed animals, and specialty lighting can make a big difference to a child with ASD or ADHD. Opportunities like this for these children can help them learn to self-regulate so that they can develop the abilities needed to navigate the world independently later in life. Being able to include children with specialty needs will also teach other children how to include and work with those with differences. The Family Place is physically accessible but lets make it mentally and emotionally accessible too! Mayne Island Early Child Society Access for all Worldwide Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/awesomewithoutborders tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/225306 2023-07-17T00:00:00Z 2023-08-31T20:00:47Z This has been a project long in the making! Conduction, the Pittsburgh Innovation District-based startup, built software that allows a DJ to perform with an orchestra in real time. In 2022 they did a first test with 16 musicians controlled by 3 DJs. Now they are scaling up to do an event where DJs and producers from all over the world can have the chance to perform live with 40 musicians in a mega-party. The event will take place in Munhall at the This Is Red church. Joe Maggiore 40 Musicians Perform Live with 5 DJs https://www.themomentnow.live/ United States Pittsburgh, PA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/pittsburgh tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/225392 2023-07-17T00:00:00Z 2023-08-24T17:20:56Z The John Flowers Memorial Garden @ Earline Patrice Park, commonly known as Mansion st Park, in Poughkeepsie has 8 garden beds that were put in place almost a decade ago by local organizations. The garden is constantly utilized by the public–especially in the summer while the park serves as a recreational home for the local community. It is currently being run by Black leadership with support from community volunteers and local organizations. Most of the agricultural projects funded in Poughkeepsie are held by white hands that are alienated from the community. We are seeking resources to sustain one of the few Black-led public garden efforts in the city. We have developed relationships in the area with community members, city officials and workers, and vulnerable populations, such as the housing insecure and formerly incarcerated, who have been historically under-resourced and under served in the city of Poughkeepsie. This grant will help materially support the work at the garden to demonstrate holistic community action, educate park goers about gardening, and support small gestures of goodwill. Currently, we have to lug water in buckets to the garden each day from miles away. We are in need of funds for a watering system so that we can have water onsite. To sustain the garden into the future without much outside input, we want to build a compost structure. The community garden can be a space for people to bring their food scraps as a small step towards reducing landfill waste. We also hope to expand our community education work. With a more developed garden, we will organize community days for park-goers to learn about and try plants from our garden. We would like to set up a water station to provide freshly brewed iced tea made with mint and herbs from our garden and provide snacks/food in July of 2023. With our excess mint, we intend to demonstrate a skincare and herb workshop, where park folks will be able to take products like toothpaste, deodorant and serum Saije Jalida Poughkeepsie Community Gardens https://www.instagram.com/pkcommunitygarden/ United States Poughkeepsie, NY https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/poughkeepsie tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/227309 2023-07-17T00:00:00Z 2023-08-21T20:11:55Z As a child, comments about the darkness of my skin tone were rampant. I tried trying to come to terms with being categorized as “darkskin.” I watched as my “brownskin” and “lightskin” counterparts were respected and more engaged with. I looked at myself in the mirror, embarrassed at my type of "skin." In my own way to emphasize my voice, I started writing for a non-profit called “Stick to Change." I decided to leave and start my own magazine, the Africana Literary Journal. My solution offers a culmination of not just my own, but multiple perspectives of inner and outer turmoil witnessed by my community. Although there have been efforts such as TikToks, Twitter tweets, and other forms of social media, most are met with backlash, claiming it "doesn't exist" and "you're reaching." With the Africana Literary Journal, the reader is able to absorb information without the worry of negativity and disregard. As I learn more about my community past my personal experiences, I wish to know how deeply rooted colorism is in our society, and how racism is ingrained in minds unintentionally. Additionally, learning how to combat not only racism, but internalized issues such as colorism (the tone of someone’s skin) or texturism (how curly someone’s hair is). Being able to see the implications of some of these problems in our society can not only assist in growth, but allow others to see what we go through as well and bringing change within their own community. Christiania Zidor Africana Literary Journal https://africanalit.carrd.co/ United States Orlando, FL https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/orlando tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/221526 2023-07-15T00:00:00Z 2023-08-01T12:40:36Z You are walking through a Medieval forest. As you travel, you pass a lake, hear birds singing, see several groups of musicians performing. This concert will set that scene. It includes music of nature, pieces from the time, and music based on legends of the Medieval era. In this concert, tentatively on November 4, 2023, we will perform on flute, piano, soprano and alto recorders, piccolo, percussion, guitar, and voice, with musical styles ranging from Medieval plainchant, motets, and madrigals through Renaissance songs to counterpoint at the transition from the Renaissance to early Baroque music. We will, as referenced earlier, also be including music about Medieval legends, but this Pied Piper is from Harlem and Till Eulenspiegel pranks the audience in a march. We will also play two modern classical pieces using extended technique and several original pieces, including the premier of our new, experimental recorder piece mimicking the calls of loons on a lake. Through our music we hope to entertain and educate, but also to directly support others. All proceeds from our concerts benefit local non-profits. This one will be benefiting the Fargo-Moorhead Gay Men's Chorus, whose purpose is “to create musical experiences that enrich [their] members, challenge homophobia, and expose new communities to [their] message of equality.” They are a safe, welcoming space for anyone in the LGBTQ community, including several youth members who were bullied and isolated in school. Amanda and Jared Hoeft Medieval Myths and Magic United States Cass Clay https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/cassclay tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/225920 2023-07-15T00:00:00Z 2023-09-04T04:11:37Z Education, Community, & Maker Space come together at Rethink Recycling Co-op. A way to rethink our current kerbside recycling system, & creative ways to involve the community, our program works with local cafes & households to collect lids that would otherwise go to landfill or be lost to our environment. We take these lids in, where they are then washed & sorted by plastic type, so they can go to one of our partner aged care facilities for colour sorting. “Residents say it makes them feel good knowing they are giving back to a greater cause, leaving them with a renewed sense of purpose & fulfilment. Plastic lid sorting also encourages residents with advanced dementia, who may not otherwise participate in activities, to become involved.” https://www.thirdsector.com.au/aged-care-recycling-program-a-win-for-residents-and-the-environment/ These colour & polymer sorted lids are then used as part of our education programs, which involve an interactive, hands-on component, based on sustainability practises. Participants learn ways to reuse single-use, post-consumer plastics, reducing the need for virgin materials & reliance on fossil fuels. They’re also used in our Maker Space, where functional products & new ideas are made from 100% Australian post-consumer, single-use plastic waste. A place where Uni students, designers, engineers, & people with an idea all come together to make something from “waste”. Through education, community involvement & hands-on product ideas & production, RRC is working to promote a circular economy, all products made can be returned at their end-of-life to be again remanufactured & repurposed into new products. By producing functional, bespoke products from 100% “waste” Rethink Recycling is growing the acceptance of recycled products & materials in the community. We don’t want people to think of recycled as a substandard product. Being a small NFP, every cent is accounted for, a new washing machine just isn’t affordable without Awesome. Kym O'Shannassy Rethink Recycling Lid Sorting Program https://rethinkrecycling.coop Australia Melbourne (Inactief) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/melbourne tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/217009 2023-07-13T00:00:00Z 2023-08-13T18:04:17Z We are proud to announce our 20th AwesomeStPaul grant has been awarded to Kaleidoscope Learning Family Resource Center. They will use their $1,000 grant to provide financial help for membership fees, and to purchase toys for their lending library. AwesomeStPaul chose this applicant because we want to help bring people together in St. Paul and to assist organizations and individuals that have creative ideas to make that happen. Congratulations Kaleidoscope! According to Jennie Lynch, "Kaleidoscope Learning’s Family Resource Center is a new family and early childhood education initiative launched in conjunction with our sister-nonprofit, Monarch Montessori School. Located on St. Paul’s East Side, Kaleidoscope Learning (501c3) was founded to address the dearth of accessible services, materials, knowledge, and best practices associated with positive early childhood educational outcomes for families with children ages birth to six. Our services are multifaceted and include a toy library, parent education nights, open play hours in our model home environment space, and online parenting and early childhood education content such as blogs, informative social media posts, and presentations. Kaleidoscope Learning launched its services during the summer of 2022, and since opening our doors, we have welcomed dozens of families from the East Side neighborhood and beyond. Our core product offering is our Educational Materials Library–a toy library filled with hundreds of toys, books, classic Montessori materials, gross-motor items, and children’s furniture. Our organization operates on a membership basis, and we allow families to borrow items for as long as they would like with no official due-date. Our memberships are affordable, and in order to remain truly accessible to all families, we provide membership assistance to those concerned about covering the cost of their membership. The benefits of our toy library and other services are numerous. Families are able to save money, time, and energy by borrowing toys instead of purchasing new ones. Our organization promotes a sustainable, environmentally conscious way to play by reducing household toy consumption and toy waste. Finally, our greatest priority is developing a deep community filled with loving parents and caregivers of young children. As we continue to promote our operations in 2023, we strive to be a welcoming resource for families in St. Paul who are looking to expand their support network." Jennie Lynch Kaleidoscope Toy Lending Library http://www.kscopelearning.org United States St. Paul, MN https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/stpaul tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/160837 2023-07-12T00:00:00Z 2023-07-13T15:32:32Z My name is Michele, I founded MCQE Mobile Pet Pantry to help families in need of pet food assistance. Keeping families together is important to us. People have proven time and again that they love their pets, they value them, they are family members. Since the covid-19 pandemic hit, the number of people who need basic but essential support for their beloved animals has skyrocketed. With so much uncertainty yet ahead, it is vital we have the resources to meet the community's needs. To meet the continued uptick due to covid-19 and the economic strain-we need your help. One of the many things we have learned during this period of crisis is that animals help people through difficult times. We aim to provide 2-3 weeks of pet food to pet owners to supplement their food purchases. The food we provide is not intended to replace owner's monthly food expenses, but to help them get through without struggling to make ends meet. We donate to clients once per month to ensure we have enough pet food to go around. The kind gesture of giving someone a bag of food just might buy them some time until they get back on their feet. Michele Szper Pet Food Assistance http://mcqemobilepetpantry.com United States Westminster, MD https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/westminster tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/225464 2023-07-12T00:00:00Z 2023-07-13T18:39:38Z We are a non-profit located in Dearborn, MI. Last summer, we rolled out our StoryWalk initiative which is an initiative to promote literacy and physical activity in our community. We have had nothing but positive feedback from the community. Families stroll through our StoryWalks reading each page of the story which is on 18"x24" boards with a physical activity movement related to the story at the bottom of every board. One of our stories is fully translated to Arabic with permission from the local author that wrote that story. The StoryWalks were displayed at four community sites during the summer with once a month book rotations. In the winter through this spring, we found a way to display the StoryWalks indoors at local public schools. Currently, we have two of our StoryWalks out at community sites with monthly story rotations. We have the other two StoryWalks on loan for the community to rent out (free of charge) for special events. Everything we do at LAHC is at no cost to anyone in our community. We are able to achieve this through generous donations and grants. Linda Bazzi StoryWalk https://www.healthydearborn.org/storywalk United States Ann Arbor, MI https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/ann-arbor tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/219459 2023-07-11T00:00:00Z 2023-07-17T15:12:31Z I am a Friend of Kenny Alley. It was once a completely neglected alley in my neighborhood, The Excelsior, in San Francisco, with an unfortunate problem of accumulating various dumped goods and furniture. Lots of mattresses, for some reason. Technically, it's a San Francisco Street, but it is "unaccepted" by the San Francisco Department of Public Works, which means it's up to me and the neighbors and other Friends of Kenny Alley to get things done there on a volunteer basis. We've done well. We've cleaned it up ... Many times, and we have completed some projects at the site in phases. Over time, we have added a mural to a building on one side, as well as planters and plantings. We've added rain gutter gardens on the other side. We tried to keep them planted with cacti, but they were just too attractive and expensive and people kept stealing them. So, we've moved on to less flashy succulents that we can transplant from neighbors' back yards. It's much cheaper that way. Our most impressive project has been a mosaic artwork on the stairway in the alley that is designed to suggest a waterfall. In fact that is the name of the artwork, "Waterfall." We also have future plans to continue the water theme with a mural on the sidewalk that leads from the stairs to Mission Street. We unfortunately can't do that with $1,000.00. So, the $1,000.00 project I'm applying for is to string some lights in a shimmering zig zag pattern across Kenny Alley, perhaps adding some other beautiful dangling elements that will catch the light; to make it even more attractive, make the visibility better and make walking through Kenny Alley safer at night. We want everyone to feel that they can use Kenny Alley to travel to and from London Street to Mission Street by way of Kenny Alley at all times of the day or night. Mel Flores "Dazzling Lights Over Water" https://sanfranciscoparksalliance.org/friends-of-kenny-alley/ United States San Francisco, CA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/sf tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/228151 2023-07-11T00:00:00Z 2023-11-28T13:47:05Z Body Empowerment Project empowers youth to find body acceptance and self-worth. The organization works to prevent eating disorders in adolescents, specifically in populations that lack access to treatment and preventive care. Our mission is to decrease eating disorder risk in adolescents and equip them with the skills to live peacefully and healthfully in their bodies through meaningful, near-peer interactions. Body Empowerment Project’s main service is a 10-week eating disorder prevention program for underserved middle and high school students in Philadelphia. The program, offered free-of-cost to all partnering schools, is structured into weekly educational workshops led by trained college students who serve as near-peer mentors. We currently serve public middle and high school students in the School District of Philadelphia—the largest and one of the most poorly funded school districts in Pennsylvania. In line with our mission, the program is offered to all students at our partnering schools free of cost. Christina Miranda Body Empowerment Project http://www.bodyempowerment.net United States Philadelphia, PA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/philadelphia tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/223609 2023-07-10T00:00:00Z 2023-07-14T22:56:09Z Neurodivergent children are too often excluded from most extracurricular sports like hockey and soccer due to the nature of the sport. Tennis allows for the unique opportunity to have peer-on-peer play in group settings, and create an environment where neurodivergent individuals can thrive. Our programming is dedicated to helping participants through sport and creating a more inclusive sports community. The Autism Alliance of Canada, in their National Needs Assessment Survey, found that in both pre-school and school aged children, activity based programs were among the top five demanded. For preschoolers, the demand ranked 4th with 55% of participants indicating this was a needed service, while it ranked second with School-aged children at 51%. Proset will be running a fall program in Toronto over an 8 week session in which students will receive one hour of tennis lessons a week. From parental feedback, we know the effects of our programming are felt at home and at school. When enrolled in lessons, caregivers and parents report that participants have better behavioural management, leading to less stressful home-lives for the participant and their families. We see high percentages of re-registration session after session, with many staying for years, and 25% of our paid staff at all locations are former program attendees. John Manning Adaptive Tennis for Neurodivergent Children https://www.specialneedssport.ca/ Canada Toronto https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/toronto tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/224088 2023-07-10T00:00:00Z 2023-07-10T20:24:28Z I want to provide music hour for seniors in living facilities. As a DJ in the military, at the NCO club in Germany, in the 70s, I served as a Disco DJ to my fellow armed services members. That was the most exciting thing, as I look back on my 67 yrs., that I ever participated in. I called it the 'Disco 90' show. I was serving in the Army, at Pioneer Kesernne, in Hanau, W. Germany, 1975-1977. This once a week show, on weekends, brought the hit disco music from the states to my military compound, and for 4-5 hours, lifted the spirits of NCO military personnel, their dependants, and even the local German citizens, who were authorized to enter the Pioneer Kesernne Military Base. There are at least 2 elderly facilities, here in New Orleans, LA. where I have discussed this idea with the Directors, as a 'free' service, from a Veteran, to the residents of these care facilities. The common area, the cafeteria, or the outside seating areas, at these facilities, are readily available to host this music providing event. Yes, special dedications will be provided, as my music catalogue comes from the extensive internet catalogues, and my album collection. There will be NO CHARGE. This is my contribution to the elderly, as I may, inquire about tips to longevity n living as senior citizens, as I hope to also experience. I will be using Bluetooth for internet music catalogue, but will also break out my albums from my extensive album collection to be played on my turntable, this will make it more old school authentic and nostalgic. . Harry S Albert, jr Easy listening music DJ for elderly care facilitie Worldwide Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/awesomewithoutborders tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/217948 2023-07-09T00:00:00Z 2023-07-13T19:25:35Z Sara Homan teaches sewing to a group of high school students at Star Community school which offers programming for students who need a smaller, more supportive, and more flexible school environment. They have sewing machines but need a few pairs of sewing shears, supplies like pins and seam rippers for the sewing kits, and thread and fabric for projects, She will use this micro-grant to build up a bigger supply of tools and materials so students have more opportunities for projects. Many of her students come in needing credit recovery or social emotional support. She believes learning a skill like sewing and having projects to take home and show family and friends is beneficial to the self esteem and well being of her students. Sara Homan Sewing School United States Santa Cruz, CA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/santacruz tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/226206 2023-07-09T00:00:00Z 2023-07-17T16:05:49Z Led by the DCJS Office of Youth Justice (OYJ), Exodus Transitional Community has been selected as the Lead Agency for Project RISE: a new community-based effort to address the root causes of community violence and provide support in the aftermath of gun violence. The two main goals of Project RISE are: (1) Re/build and sustain a Newburgh that is healthy, equitable, has access to resources, services, and supports for community members to thrive; and (2) Create sustainable reductions in violence by centering community-generated ideas, prioritizing trauma-responsive solutions, and resourcing grassroots organizers. One of the main ways in which we meet this goal is to conduct extensive outreach in the community and to create positive programming as alternatives to violence for the community at large. Thus, in collaboration with community partners, Exodus will be hosting a Youth Empowerment Basketball Tournament on July 15th for the youth of Newburgh, their families, and the community. The event will be from 12pm-5pm in the park and will be a full day of basketball, food and programming for the community at no cost to them at all. We hope to have food, entertainment and fun. While this is the first Basketball Tournament we have hosted, we are hoping to make it an annual event for Newburgh so that such experiences become routine for the community. It will set the precedent for years to come and will engage the youth in positive outlets that help them put their guns down, invest in their futures, and build a safer Newburgh for all. Indira Charles Basketball Tournament for Exodus and TEAM Newburgh http://www.etcny.org United States Newburgh, NY https://www.awesomefoundation.org/nl/chapters/newburgh