Category Archives: Humanitarian
Parents Create Scholarship Fund, Honor Fallen Son
A recent article in The Gazette of Maryland tells the story two parents, Debbie and Scott McCauley, who, as their project in Landmark’s Self-Expression and Leadership Program, created The Staff Sgt. Michael McCauley Foundation Fund to provide grants to nonprofit organizations and scholarships to students. Michael McCauley was their son who served three tours of duty in Iraq and who took his own life shortly after leaving the service.
“We feel passionately about sharing Michael’s story, and how we regained hope in our lives,” said Scott McCauley. “Michael’s death has meaning and purpose. It is our hope that by establishing this fund, we can help family members of military suicide overcome obstacles that suicide brings.”
In addition to the fund, the McCauleys are working with the Wounded Warrior Project to create a group therapy program for veterans. For more information on the fund or to donate visit The Community Foundation of Frederick County website.
First Capital Connect Supports Home-Start
The project created by Andy West in the Landmark Self-Expression and Leadership Program to collect Christmas presents for underprivileged St Albans children has led to long term support of the Home-Start Charity by First Capital Connect.
Home-Start provides support to families and their children in need, and was the vehicle through which West’s project collected presents through donations from commuters. First Capital Connect supported West’s project, and is now offering long-term support to the Home-Start charity, according to the St Albans and Harpenden Review.
FCC will arrange fundraising events, donate raffle prizes, and arrange for days out for Home-Start support families. According to a Home-Start spokesperson,
“”This initiative will see local commuters becoming more aware of the vital work we do with families, through information displays at the stations. Schemes will benefit from money raised at the stations, through events such as carol singing at Christmas.”
Annual Tattoo-a-thon Battles Childhood Cancer
The second annual Tattoo-a-tho,n created by Jordan Gray in Landmark Education’s Self-Expression and Leadership Program in Cape Town, with the goal of helping kids battle cancer, took place on March 29. Twelve tattoo studios around South Africa participated in the event, which raised about $8,000 in 2012.
This year’s event was expected to raise even more money, with each studio donating a portion of the proceeds to the Childhood Cancer Foundation SA. This year, the event became truly national, as studios from Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban joined those in Cape Town to raise money for the foundation.
Limos For Smiles
According to an article in U-T San Diego, a woman who took part in Landmark Education’s Self-Expression and Leadership Program is gaining attention for giving limo rides to the sick, elderly and those in need.
Leslie Bonar, a dentist by profession, began some time ago offering rides to those patients who were going to require sedation, and through her project, ‘Limos For Smiles’, has expanded the limo rides into a full-fledged gift to her community.
Recently, a man with cancer was given a limo ride, along with his whole family, to meet a member of the San Diego Chargers and get an autographed jersey. Disabled veterans, the elderly and the terminally ill have all benefitted.
Those with an idea to nominate someone in the San Diego area can send suggestions to granddds@yahoo.com.
Mensa Award Given for ESL Newspaper
Elizabeth Claire has received The Intellectual Benefit to Society Award from Mensa for co-founding an English as a second language newspaper and other educational material for ESL students. As her project in Landmark Education’s Self-Expression and Leadership Program, Claire founded the newspaper, Easy English News, in partnership with Mariko Sasaki in Bergen County, New Jersey – Claire wrote the paper while Sasaki sold advertisements.
The paper’s intention is to make it easier for adults and young adults to adjust to living in the United States by giving them a simplified newspaper. Later, Claire grew the paper into a national, subscription based newspaper which now reaches 140,000 readers per month – all told, more than five million copies of the newspaper have been sold. Eventually, Claire also wrote five phonics books to help those with a very limited English vocabulary learn to speak the language.
The award will be given at the Virginia Beach Toastmasters Club. See more at http://elizabethclaire.com.
Fundraiser Supports Bali Orphanage
A participant in the Landmark Self-Expression and Leadership Programme in London named London has created a fundraiser to support the Jodie O’Shea Orphanage in Bali, which supports more than 50 children between the ages of 2 and 18.
Lesley, who goes by the name MissMagikal, held an online singathon fundraiser on December 18th. See blogtalkradio to hear more about her, or visit the Jodie O’Shea Orphanage website.
