Dance for Donations, which appears to be Evarts’ project from the self-expression and leadership program, is being held Sunday, September 12th at the Cabana Bar in St. Leonards, from 12-10pm. A $10 minimum donation is required.

A variety of performers will be there to perform or play for the cause, including DJ Libre, DJ Samrai, Carlito Bangs and many more. To find out the latest news, visit the Dance 4 Donations Facebook page(where 277 are currently confirmed as attending the event) – or go directly to this contributions page to give directly to Open Family Australia.

Teubert’s project goes beyond simply providing care in her own salon – she has put together a team of people which has a group of participating salons, the support of the local YWCA, which has a shelter for battered women, and ultimately, the purchase and refurbishment of a travelling RV which will be a ’salon on wheels’ catering to victims of domestic violence. The project is named Ruby Violet both because of the color of bruises and the same initials as an RV.

Jane McCauley of the YWCA, Jeni Sauser of Studio 107, Rachel Walker of J.P. Cullens & Sons, and Chad Barnes are all taking leadership roles within the project. Allison Hokinson of the YWCA describes the value of the project in the Gazette:

“Their self-esteem is at an all-time low, and they’ve never been treated with such dignity and respect that you get during a salon appointment,” she said. “The project and its tag line ‘pampering with a purpose’ provides an opportunity for women to feel pampered again and to connect with another woman.”

Treatments are ongoing at local salons until the RV can be purchased and set up – fundraisers are planned to raise $15,000 for this purpose and for raising awareness.

Visit our story on Olga’s Beautiful Beings for another great example of salon treatment for those affected by domestic abuse.

Motorcycle display puts transport museum into gear!

A vintage motorcycle has roared into a shop to help promote ambitious plans for a new transport museum.

The 1956 Ariel Red Hnter 350 is currently on display in the window of Serendipity on Biggleswade High Street.

And it is hoped that the bike, which is on loan from Stotfold Engineers, will encourage more people to get involved in the project and show their support for Transport Autism.

Transport Autism, the brainchild of Mark Ty-Wharton, is a project that hopes to bring a transport museum straffed by people with Autistic spectrum disorders to the town.

Anyone interested in finding out more is encouraged to drop into their shop and sign up to the new mailing list for the latest news about the project.

The bike has been in storage for 15 years, and was the first restoration project of Stotfold Engineers’ Terry Ives.

For more information visit the website at transportautism.org.uk.

The event, the logistics of which were organized by Laura Boxhorn, was held in the afternoon at Minooka part and was covered in this previous story here at Leadership and Self Development. Watch the coverage from MTMJ News in the clip below.

Landmark Education Bringing Men and Women Together
Uploaded by incutelex.

As the video shows, Chow examined how cars are often an interest of men that women may feel cut off from – he created a workshop to connect women to this world, while at the same time having all the proceeds go to children with AIDS. The event was a big success, and allowed women to connect to traditionally ‘male’ interests.

In addition to taking part in Landmark’s SELP, Duval was inspired by Seth Bernard, who has held water festivals across Michigan. Duval began by creating a partnership with the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council, a non-profit dedicated to working with local groups to protecting the Kalamazoo River. Proceeds from the festival went to the Watershed Council.

With the one million gallon oil spill in the Kalamazoo River having recently taken place, the festival was a call to action for the community. Speakers and information booths supported attendees in how they could make a difference.

Additionally, entertainment was provided by a wide variety of local musicians – festival coordinator Michael Beauchamp performed with his band, Red Tail Ring, and band Red Sea Pedestrians performed a new song inspired by the Enbridge Oil Spill. Duval performed with his own band, Who Hit John? Many other bands from the thriving Michigan folk music scene also performed at the festival.

It’s Your City, Keep it Clean

Faridibad residents put up an excellent example of fulfilling their duties towards their city when an NGO, “I Love My City,” Market Welfare Association, and RWA jointly took the initiative to clean one of the most popular but messy markets of Sector 15.

The venture was held on Sunday by almost 50 people where they themselves swept the market clean and shouted slogans like “Mera market kaisa ho, Mere ghar ke jaisa ho.” They talked to shopkeepers and vendors about how they were responsible for the upkeep of the market. They received a positive response from the locals when shopkeepers voluntarily started to clean the garbage near their shops  and promised to do the same.

PP Singh, the founder of the NGO, said “I ardently love Faridibad and it is every resident’s responsibility to take care of this city.”

Manohar Puniani, MWA president, said “It is actually our responsibility to keep the market neat and clean and today we have taken the first step.”

The NGO has been associated with many more welfare projects in the past where they undertook the construction of a road in Sector 23 and repaired potholes in Sector 28.

[Find out more by looking up I Love My City on Facebook.]

Wiggins, who took the SELP in Pittsburgh, said that he saw bullying and cliques among the young people in his neighborhood, and saw a real need to connect families and the community as a whole. He reached out to many of the families in the neigborhood and convinced eight of them to each host a different ‘fun day’ on a Sunday this summer, a day consisting of fun family activities that brought people together.

Days held this summer have included a water day of games, a bike riding day and more. The last of these events is scheduled for August 15, where they will have a potluck dinner at a local swimming pool to celebrate the end of summer. Wiggins said the events were such a success that he’s planning to do the same thing next summer.

Wiggins, who is a hockey coach, nurse and scout leader, nevertheless says he is not a ‘take charge’ guy and that this event was out of his comfort zone.

The article gives background on Landmark Education and what Wiggins got out of Landmark programs – Wiggins noted that he wouldn’t have even thought of undertaking such a project had he not taken part in the SELP.

“It helps you come out of your skin, put things in the past behind you and engage with other people,” said Wiggins. ”It is such a positive experience and people were so encouraging, telling me it was a good idea. My goal is to try to inspire others to do something like this in their own neighborhoods.”

To read the entire story, visit the Sewickley Herald online.

Kroll conceived ‘On a Mission for Families’ to not just thank service members, but also their families. “I have the utmost respect for men and women in military service,” said Kroll. “They have my gratitude and respect. Furthermore, I realize there are sacrifices made by the families back home.”

The event is providing a fun day full of family activities outside in the park. Admission is free to military families – there is a $5 park entrance fee. Food and beverages are provided at no cost. Other free activities for families and children include games running all day, face painting, body art, balloon animals, and live music from 1-4. For more information or to volunteer visit On a Mission for Families, or contact Laura Boxhorn at info@onamissionforfamiles.com.

The tour lasts for an hour, and in addition to the guide, it will be accompanied by Beate Minkovski, who is executive director of the Chicago non-profit Woman Made Gallery, who will be on hand to discuss women artists in Chicago, the current state of women artists around the world, and anything else of importance to the tour group. There will be an optional lunch and discussion afterwards at the Garden Cafe located at the museum.

A $32 ticket pays for the special tour and a full day’s admission at the art museum. For more information or to get a ticket, contact Gabriel at cgabriel@me.com or go to the Chi-Town Women in Art group website.