Get Involved! Help Your Community

By CHC/PIO
July 16, 2009

At any age, there are so many ways you can make a difference. Even just one afternoon of volunteering can have an impact on someone’s life. And the best part is it’s fun! While you help others, you help yourself by learning. Children for Children wants you to Grow Involved!

 

What is community service?

Community service is giving your time and effort to make a positive difference, large or small. Community service is finding a way to help a person, group, or organization that works on behalf of people or places in need. Community service is offering a hand. The instinct to offer a hand is regarded as one of the highest and best that we have.

 

Why is it important?

Contributing to your community is important part of your development. It can help build your leadership skills and pave ideas for future career paths. It gives you perspective by helping you think about others and how others’ lives differ from your own. It can change the way you feel and think about things! Sometimes, it makes you feel incredibly fortunate at the end of the day, even though you might have started the day feeling rotten about challenges of your own.

One of the best things about community service is that you get while you give. Expect a feeling of satisfaction, or a moment’s pride, as you reflect on what you did to help someone else.

How do I get started in community service?

 

Reading this is a great first step!

1. Think about how you want to help. What are your interests? Do you like being indoors or outside? What ages do you like being with? Older? Younger? Do you have a specific talent or skill to contribute?

2. Consider how much time you want to spend on service. Once a week? Once a month? It’s okay to start with something small to see if you like it. If you don’t end up liking it, don’t be discouraged. Sometimes it takes time and patience to find a good fit.

3. Talk to an adult about a plan. Will you need supplies? A ride somewhere? Or, if your school requires community service, there’s probably a service director or coordinator who can help you find a place. Adults can also share their own experiences and give you great suggestions.

4. Ask questions. Once you have an organization in mind, call and ask for the volunteer coordinator. This person probably doesn’t have much time to sit by the phone, so be prepared to leave a detailed message. When you do make contact, have your questions prepared ahead of time, perhaps along the lines of the “four W’s”:

• Who do they need for the work they do?
• What kind of work is it?
• When do they need help?
• Where would you be expected to do this work?

5. Check it out. You’re not obligated to volunteer just because you called to ask about the opportunities. Before committing, check with a parent, teacher, or other adult who can help you evaluate the information you’ve received. Another good idea is to make an appointment to drop by the site to see for yourself if you would feel comfortable volunteering there: can you picture yourself in that setting? If it seems right to you, chances are you have found a good fit!

 

Source: Children for Children

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? We would like to hear your story, where you are helping someone in your community. dan@youngchronicle.com

Gifts for New Moms

By Rosemary Maggiore
July 11, 2009

Being a mom for the first time can be overwhelming enough, so if you’re looking for a good gift for a mom-to-be, give her something she can actually use. We asked our veteran moms what they used most in those first few weeks after childbirth and here’s what they said:

• A huge, soft, bath towel. After childbirth, the body aches all over the place and is going through tons of discomfort and change. The last thing anyone wants is binding clothing, and a big, huge, plush towel is a great idea for mom to wrap herself in when she gets out of the shower. A little softness will go a long way. Why not make mom feel even more special by monogramming the towel so everyone knows it’s hers! See these ideas from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

 

• A stylish robe. New moms want to feel comfortable, yet stylish because there is no regular routine in those first few weeks after mom comes home with the new baby. Moms might want to lounge all day in jammies or sweats and have a nice soft robe to pull on in case the doorbell rings with unexpected visitors. Also, a robe sends the message to the world that mom is not up to her usual self just yet so make your visit quick and let her get some more rest! Lands’ End has some great choices for robes and sleepware.

 

• Good baby and momhood books. Dr Sears’ The Baby Book is an essential guide for the first year for answering questions like when do you call the doctor if your baby is showing signs of illness or how much medicine to dispense. There are opinions in the book that may not be for everyone’s taste, but the book is loaded with helpful advice. A fun read for mom is The Girfirends’ Guide to the First Year of Motherhood. Vicki Iovine will allow mom plenty of chances to laugh at things that might otherwise feel abnormal or frightening, half the time simply because they are new experiences.

 

• A big sweater or sweatshirt with pockets. Get mom a huge, cotton sweatshirt or depending on the season, a huge fleece or wool sweater with plenty of pockets where she can store pacifiers, keys, teething rings, and all of the baby items that need to be handy and always around when taking a walk around the house or the block.

 

• Indoor/outdoor slippers. Who doesn’t need a good, study pair of slippers with treads? Mom might be carrying a million things in her arms so make sure these slippers fit like shoes so she doesn’t fall down the stairs. If they have real bottoms, she can run outside with a bag of trash and not have to necessarily change her shoes. There’s a website called onlyslippers.com that has loads of choices.

 

• Hair accessories. Give mom something she can throw on if she wants to face the public but doesn’t have time for a shower and her hair looks crazy. A good hair band or accessory will help her hide these little imperfections and feel beautiful! See Urban Outfitters   selection.

 

• Mani/Pedi/brows. See if you can get someone to come to mom’s home and give her an in-home manicure or better yet, pedicure. She will feel luxurious and thank you for this little treat that she couldn’t otherwise do on her owns.

 

• Skin care products. Breastfeeding moms especially tend to dehydrate more than usual so it’s a good idea to give her a natural salve to help stay soft and keep skin healthy. Gilden Tree has shea butter products and other lotions that are organic.

 

• A hand! Sometimes all mom needs is someone to come over and hold the baby so she can take a shower or lie down and not have to worry. Offer your services for a half hour at a time. She’ll tell you if she doesn’t want any visitors, but either way, she’ll appreciate the offer.

Source: Rachael Ray

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Remembering ‘A Life Worth, Overlooked’

MARTHA GILLIS
Springfield
 July 7, 2009

 Editor’s Note: This was written in the Washington Post on July 5, 2009. We believe that it is worth sharing with you the readers. Please past this on to others.

My nephew, Brian Bradshaw, was killed by an explosive device in Afghanistan on June 25, the same day that Michael Jackson died. Mr. Jackson received days of wall-to-wall coverage in the media. Where was the coverage of my nephew or the other soldiers who died that week? There were several of them, and our family crossed paths with the family of another fallen soldier at Dover Air Force Base, where the bodies come “home.” Only the media in Brian’s hometown and where he was stationed before his deployment covered his death.

I remember Brian as a toddler wandering around in cowboy boots and hat, not seeing the need for any other clothing. He grew into a thoroughly decent person with a wry sense of humor. He loved wolves and history. Most Christmases, I gave him a biography or some analysis of the Civil War. He read such things for pleasure.

He had old-fashioned values and believed that military service was patriotic and that actions counted more than talk. He wasn’t much for talking, although he could communicate volumes with a raised eyebrow.

He was a search-and-rescue volunteer, an altar boy, a camp counselor. He carried the hopes and dreams of his parents willingly on his shoulders. What more than that did Michael Jackson do or represent that earned him memorial “shrines,” while this soldier’s death goes unheralded?

It makes me want to scream.

Source: Washington Post

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

‘America the Beautiful’ on this 4 of July

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/GCC
July 4, 2009

Editor’s Note: This year, don’t just mumble through the classic tune. Teach your grandkids – and maybe yourself – how it really goes.

 

America the Beautiful

by Katharine Lee Bates

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrims feet,
Whose stem impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through
wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee!

O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice,
for man’s avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngcoastchronicle.com

Teach Kids What July 4th Means

By Grandparents
July 4, 2009

 

Talk with kids about American ideals.

Grandchildren love Independence Day. There are hot dogs, beach parties, baseball games, and fireworks. But for young kids, there may also be questions about the significance of July 4th – for starters, What does “Independence Day” mean? As you answer their questions, you can give them some great reasons to love their country, on the Fourth and all year-round. Read on for seven patriotic talking points.

 

1. What is Independence Day?

The Fourth of July is our country’s birthday. When grandchildren ask why, tell them what happened on July 4, 1776. That was the day our country’s founders declared independence from Great Britain. This meant they would no longer follow the orders of Britain’s king. To do this was extremely dangerous. At the time, Britain had one of the world’s strongest armies, and to go against the king was a crime punishable by death. But the king’s laws were unfair, so our founders decided it was worth the risk of war to win the freedom to govern themselves. In 1783, the new United States won that war, which we now call the Revolutionary War.

 

 

2. Why does the flag have those stars?

At this time of year, American flags are easy to spot. Point one out to your grandchildren. Explain that each part of the flag stands for something. The 50 stars stand for the 50 states. The 13 stripes stand for the 13 British colonies, which declared their independence on July 4, 1776. Tell the children that the flag is a symbol – a way to show the world what we stand for. It also shows that we are connected to one another – that we’re on the same team. And because the flag is special, we treat it with respect.

 

 

3. What makes our country special?
<>Tell grandchildren that one thing that makes our country special is that it guarantees us certain rights, or freedoms. Explain how you use these rights every day when you pray (or decide not to), read a newspaper, or meet and talk with friends. Tell kids that you can do these things because our country guarantees us the freedom to practice religion the way we want, say or write what we want, and go where we want. Show older grandchildren how these rights are spelled out in the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights. Ask the kids which rights are most important to them.
 
<> 
<>4. What does the government do for us?
<>Take your grandchildren on a tour of their town to show them the role that government plays in their lives. Talk about how many of the things they see represent the values of the people in their community. Explain that adults pay taxes to their local, state, and national government so that, among other things, the government can build and maintain facilities that reflect our values. Education is important to us, for example, so we build schools. Safety is a priority for us, so we put up traffic lights. And we want open places where we can gather, so we set aside space for parks. Children can also see the people who help the community, including police officers, firefighters, crossing guards, librarians, postal workers, and sanitation crews.
 

 

5. What does the president do?

Ask your grandchildren to imagine that they have been elected president of the U.S. (Make sure they understand that being a president is very different from being a king or a queen.) What would they do? Give all kids free ice cream? Make the world a peaceful place? Talk about what some of our presidents have done in difficult times; for instance, Abraham Lincoln helped lead a war to keep the country together, when some states wanted it to split in two. If grandchildren want to find out more about our presidents, share a book with them.

 

6. What can we do for our country?
<>Tell grandchildren that our country is like a family: Everyone has to pitch in or it doesn’t work. As members of the U.S. “family” – in other words, as citizens – we all have certain responsibilities, like going to school, voting, and obeying the law. Discuss how being a good citizen also means taking care of the country, by keeping it clean, looking out for people in trouble, and staying informed about the problems that we face. Of course, actions always have more impact than words, so set an example by dedicating some of your time to volunteering in the community. Find a project that is important to both you and the kids, such as helping out at a school or cleaning up a playground.
 
<> 
7. What does it mean to be American?
In countries like China or Ireland, most residents share a common culture or ethnicity. But the United States is different. Here, what people share is a common idea – that people should have the freedom to live the way they want, and to work and earn money the best way they can. These freedoms have inspired people from all over the world to come to this country and become “Americans.” This is a profound idea many children may never have considered and it might make them feel especially proud of their country, as well as more connected to other Americans of different backgrounds. It can also lead to a discussion about your own family’s journey to the United States. Why did your relatives come? Why did they stay? Every family’s story is part of the country’s story. Make sure your grandchildren know yours.

 
Source: Grandparents

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

What does 4th of July Mean?

By AT&T
July 4, 2009

Patriotic celebrations with stars and stripes, stunning fireworks shows, and parades will be underway this weekend. Let’s take a moment to remember the importance of this monumental holiday.

Independence Day (also known as the “4th of July”) is a federal holiday celebrating the United States’ independence from Great Britain over 230 years ago.  On July 4, 1776, the Thirteen Colonies were declared sovereign states as justified in the Declaration of Independence  (formally known as “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America”).

Today, common Independence Day festivities include parades, barbeques, picnics, libations, and fireworks.  Some of these celebratory and patriotic activities, such as fireworks, have been around for nearly as long as the Declaration of Independence, but they all signify the acknowledgement of the birth of the United States of America as we know it today.  Decked with red, white, and blue decorations and marked by patriotic compositions, families, businesses, schools, and municipalities celebrate this important historical event with gusto.

But how much do you really know about the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution? Try this short quiz to test your knowledge.

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Sailing on the High Seas

By Demarian Williams
June 25, 2009

Editor’s Note: Kid Reporter Demarian Williams recently interviewed author Ted Bell about his book Nick of Time. Bell’s publications are action-filled spy thrillers. His work includes Hawke, Assassin, and Pirate from the popular Alex Hawke series

SN: What other books are you working on right now?
Bell: I’m working on a sequel to Nick of Time. Have you read Nick of Time, Demarian?

SN: Yes, sir.
Bell: Did you like it?

SN: I loved it.
Bell: Well I’m glad to hear that. In the sequel, it’s going be called The Revolutionary Spy, and Nick is going to learn how to fly his father’s old World War I airplane, and he’s going be making nighttime bombing runs on the Germans that invaded his island. And he’s also going to go back to the Revolutionary War and help General Washington. So I’m working on the sequel to Nick of Time, and I’m working on the next Alex Hawke book, which is my spy thriller. And that’s going be about a problem in England.

SN: In your opinion, what’s the best book you’ve ever written?
Bell: I have to say maybe Nick of Time. I think that’s still my favorite. I don’t know if it’s the best one. That’s like asking someone to pick his favorite child. It was the first one I wrote. I think it’s still maybe my favorite. I just got the first of the real hardcover, illustrated books this morning, and it’s just great to hold it in your hand and look at it.

SN: Where do you get your ideas for books?
Bell: If I knew that, I would patent the formula and sell it. It’s just imagination, you know? It probably comes from spending your whole life reading books.

SN: How do you plan your books? What do you write?
Bell: I live in Florida, and I live on a small lagoon. I sit and look out at the water all day-that’s what my desk is. So I sit and write on my Apple, and I also have a laptop, a Powerbook, that I carry with me when I travel, so I’m writing no matter where I am.

SN: When you write a book, do you make it up as you go along or do you plot it out first?
Bell: I completely do it as I go along. A lot of writers tell me that it would be much easier to do an outline, but I don’t think it would be much fun. I like to sit down every day and not know where the book is going. I have no idea where the book is going to go or how it’s going to end as I’m writing it. About two thirds of the way through, I start to figure out how it’s going to end.

SN: Are some of your books based on real people you know?
Bell: Probably a mix, a blend of people, not specific characters-more personality traits of people I’ve met during my life.

SN: In your opinion, what does a good book need?
Bell: It needs a good story, first and foremost. It needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. A good story is the most central ingredient. It needs characters that you can believe in and be involved with and care about. Care about the characters and what happens to them; that’s the two most important things, I think.

SN: What do you think it takes to be an author?
Bell: I think it takes a lot of desire because I think a lot of people who’ve never written books don’t know quite how hard it is to stick with, to put in the amount of time and just make the commitment to just sit there every day and do it while everybody else is out having fun.

SN: What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a writer?

Bell: Read books, as many books as you can, and about as many different subjects as you can-fiction and nonfiction. That’s how you learn to write-by reading.

SN: Did you get some of your ideas for Nick of Time from recent books?
Bell: Not from recent books but certainly from all the books I read as a kid. I felt like there really weren’t any books around like Treasure Island or Kidnapped, books that I had liked when I was 9. How old are you, Demarian?

SN: Twelve.
Bell: So when I was your age, I was reading Treasure Island. But there aren’t any books like that around anymore-except available as classics-and they’re kind of hard to read because they were written so long ago. So I decided to write a modern adventure story like Treasure Island but write it for modern-day kids like yourself.

SN: Was the action setting of your book based on actual events?
Bell: They are definitely. The invasion of the Channel Islands by the Germans in 1940 that Nick is so worried about actually happened. And the Germans attacked the Channel Islands, and they captured the island and held them for the entire World War II. And, of course, the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where Nick is trying to help prevent an ambush of the royal navy so Lord Nelson can get to Trafalgar, is one of the most famous sea battles of history. It’s where the English finally defeated Napoleon on the sea.

SN: How long did it take you to write Nick of Time?
Bell: Typically, a book takes me about a year to write. I was living in England when I started writing. My daughter was 8 years old then, and she kind of ran out of things to read ’cause it was always raining, so that was when I started looking around and just realized there weren’t any books like Nick of Time available for her. So I said, well, I’ll write one myself. That kind of was the idea. So I started it living in England, and I continued writing it once I moved back to America.

 Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: Scholastic News Online

Saturdays with your Kids

by Beverly Beckham
June 23, 2009

Watching little ones play Little League T-ball is grandparent bliss.

I’ve taken more than 200 pictures. A few are okay. You take photos of little kids in baseball uniforms and you’re sure to get some decent shots. But not one of them comes close to capturing all that’s been happening at Devoll Field in Canton, Mass., for the last six weeks.

Every Saturday morning at 8:30, the field swarms with the smallest players in town. It’s Little League, T-Ball division, and the place is packed not just with kids but also with their biggest fans: their parents and their grandparents. The 5- and 6-year-olds pose in uniforms that some of he town’s businesses have supplied. They bend their knees. They cock their heads. Their shirts slip off their shoulders. Their hats slide down over their eyes. It doesn’t matter. We beam because the kids are cute and sweet and earnest. Plus they’re ours, sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters, waving and smiling and running straight past first base, sometimes straight to us.

My granddaughter, Lucy, wears No. 2 for the Athletics, and her cousin Adam wears No. 6 for the Indians. Six weeks into the season and it’s still more theater than competition for them and their friends. “Hey, Mimi!” Adam shouts from the infield where he stands holding his glove. He waves. He smiles. His best friend, Mattie, gets a hit, runs to first base, gets a high five from his coach. Then he runs to his mother for a kiss.

The Major Leagues cannot hold a candle to this.

One of the kids asks a group of us, “Do you like my costume?” and his father rolls his eyes but his mother and grandmother laugh.

The coaches are men with full-time jobs and little time for much else. But they make time for this, to show children, some who have never held a baseball bat before, how to stand, how to hit, how to field, and how to run the bases.

Parents and grandparents watch from the sidelines, some in chairs, some leaning against the fence. The kids swing and hit, a few on their own, but most with adult help. Everyone yells and cheers every time a ball makes the slightest contact with a bat and every time a kid lands near a base.

There are a few ringers, of course – kids born to the sport. They have all the moves, the grip, the stance, the furrowed brow, the swing, the ping. And it’s GONE! Over the heads and between the legs of children still in their puppy stage.

We cheer for them, too.

You can’t get this kind of entertainment even on Broadway.

My son, a grown-up now, who lives with his wife and children in Manhattan, played on this same small field many years ago. It wasn’t called T-ball then. It was Farm League and there were rules: Three strikes and you’re out. And infielders and outfielders. And no coaches helping you swing the bat. He played first for the Brewers, then the Indians, the Athletics, the Braves, and the Mariners. I remembered just one of the names, but, when I called him, he rattled them all off.

He doesn’t remember what he did yesterday. But he remembers all this.

He was serious when he played ball. Knees bent, hands tight on the bat, an almost scowl on his little-boy face. He used to slam down his bat when he struck out. He used to have to get angry so that he wouldn’t cry.

I like that nobody strikes out in T-ball – that it’s relaxed, that all the kids get to hit and all the kids get to play.

I like this annual rite of spring that is endemic to towns and neighborhoods and old fields that have been trampled by kids for decades.

And I like that from the sidelines, we grown-up kids, so many of us grandparents now, have this surprise opportunity to watch and cheer and smile and shout “Nice hit!”
And snap some pictures again.

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? If there is a story that you want to share with others. You can reach us dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: Grandparents

Kids get ready for a Disaster

By Fema ‘Zine
June 27, 2009

Every family should have a Disaster Supply Kit in their home. The kit will help you and your family during a disaster. In a hurricane or earthquake, for example, you might be without electricity and the water supply may be polluted. In a heavy winter storm or flood, you may not be able to leave your house for a few days. In times like this, you will need to rely on yourself. Your disaster supply kit will make it easier. Remember, your family will probably never need to use your disaster supply kit, but it’s always better to be prepared.

Above is a picture of a Disaster Supply Kit. It is best if these items are kept in a plastic tub or kept together in a cabinet so they will be easy to find. Click on the items in the box to learn more about the supplies you’ll need and why they are important!

 

Kids Activity Survival Kit

You may have to leave your house during a disaster and may sleep somewhere else for a while. It’s smart to put together your own Kid’s Activity Survival Kit so you will have things to do and share with other kids. These can all be stored in a backpack or duffel bag. Just make sure you can carry it easily. Some suggested items for your Activity Survival Kit:

• A few of your favorite books
• Crayons, pencils or marking pens and plenty of paper
• Scissors and glue
• Two favorite toys such as a doll or action figure
• One or two board games
• A deck of cards
• A puzzle (One with lots of pieces is good — it takes a long time to do!)
• Small people figures and play vehicles that you can use to play out what is happening during your disaster — such as ambulance, fire truck, helicopter, dump truck, police car, small boats.
• Favorite stuffed animal or puppet
• Favorite blanket or pillow
• Pictures of the family and pet
• A “keep safe” box with a few treasures that make you feel special.

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

 

Source: Fema Kids

 

“FEMA for Kids” Program Debuts in California Schools

by Fema For Kids
May 13, 2009

 

Elementary school students in Southern California are becoming “Disaster Action Kids” by participating in a new disaster preparedness program developed by FEMA’s wildfire recovery staff.  The message of the “FEMA for Kids” program is “Be aware-prepare.”

During the school-based program, students visit “learning stations” with various activities.  In one recent program in Los Angeles:

• The American Red Cross taught students how to deal with scrapes and minor cuts, administer first aid and apply warm and cold compresses.
• Local firefighters showed how protective gear helps keep them safe while fighting fires and taught “stop, drop and roll,” as students practiced what to do if clothing catches on fire.
• A pet awareness trainer demonstrated how to care for animals during stressful times. The students even learned how to transport a pet snake during an emergency-in a pillow case.
• Kids explored ready.gov at a computer station to learn how to make an emergency plan and what to pack in an emergency kit.
• Last, kids drew pictures to reinforce what they learned during the exercises. 

All students got “FEMA-Certified Disaster Action Kid” certificates.  You can become a Disaster Action Kid and get a certificate by completing the activities on the  Disaster Action Kid webpage. 

The students’ enthusiasm for the “FEMA for Kids” program was summed up in one student’s thank you note-“You guys rock.”  FEMA plans to provide DVDs of the program to schools throughout California

Source: Fema For Kids

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