Earth Month!

This month Nicholas and Jack participated in a number of activities related to their last challenge.

At the beginning of the month Nicholas, Jack and Joshua walked in the opening day parade supporting Keep Cincinnati Beautiful. It was freezing but they had a great time. I'm glad it was at the beginning of the month though!

 

Nicholas walked the entire route and overcame some anxiety he has about crowds. So, we supported a good cause and did a little self improvement at the same time.

 

Nicholas wanted to clean up his school yard as a part of Great American Clean-Up. He had told me that there was trash on the play ground (in particular cigarette butts) and he wanted to help clean it up.  So his principal put us in touch with a 5th grade teacher with the same idea in mind and we began to plan. I have to give a lot of credit to Mrs. Brackman who gave Nicholas the opportunity to feel that even as a Kindergartner his ideas are valuable and that he could be a servant leader.

 

We planned to have the clean-up on Wednesday but due to rain it was switched to Friday. Each Kindergartner was paired up for a fifth grader and they set out to clean up outside the school. Below are some pictures Mrs. Brackman was so kind to share. Gigi (Nicholas' Great Grandma was able to come volunteer)

 

 

Stay tuned for the next challenge!

 

 

 

 

Jack LOVES Germany

Jack looooooves Germany. He loves everything about Germany. He loves people from Germany, he loves talking about Germany. Jack pretends he is in Germany or flying in a plane to Germany or riding in a boat to Germany or even driving to Germany (that one is always interesting)

 

Jack says in Germany all of the people are nice, the food  is delicious (only candy and chips? because that is all he wants to eat). It never rains in Germany it always smells great and there is always music playing.

 

 

Jack loves that his Nana lives in Germantown (Ohio that is) but one day he is going to live in Germany. His aunt Korie has a friend who is a German exchange student and they came over to babysit last week. Jack stayed up the entire time she was here and then talked about her the entire day.

 

I don't know how we got 5 views on this blog from someone from Germany. If you are in Germany and reading this blog (or know someone in Germany who you can share with this blog), please leave a comment for Jack. The only thing that would excite him more would be a message from a cowboy. So if your a German cowboy that's even better.

Sign Your School Up for the Great American Clean Up!

Dare #3 is to Stop Litter and Clean-up Your Neighborhood. 

 

You can do this no matter where you live. You can plan your own event, or join another event at Keep America Beautiful. If you live in Cincinnati you can join an event at Keep Cincinnati Beautiful.  If you talk to your teachers or your school you can plan your own event.

 

If you participate in an event, send us a picture so we can include you on the blog! Each picture you send is worth 100 points!!!!

 

Stay tuned for another really fun mini dare that will be coming soon to STOP LITTER!

Dare #3 is Here!!!!!

Today we decided to present Dare #3 and we tried our hand at a little video production.

 

More to come!

World Peace isn't Easy

Mommy here:

This last challenge was a little bit harder to keep up with. We did thank our cousins for their service in the armed forces and we have been trying to focus on doing nice things without being asked. We had mentioned to each of their schools that they might do a program or little talk on bullying but I don't think it was ever done. So I think we will move on.

I wanted to take a minute to mention how proud I am of all three of my sons. Joshie is doing all of the important 1 year old things but Jack and Nicholas are turning into exceptional young men. We recently moved into a new home and in what I would think has been a time of chaos, they have  done remarkably well.

Over the past 4 weeks I would say no less than once a week is someone telling me something amazing about my boys. "Jack is such a good helper, always listens and participates" or "Nicholas is so mature for his age, very well behaved". I think as parents sometimes we can see our children as one extreme or the other. I am blessed to be reminded that mine are good boys.

Riding in the car on the way to school the other day we were listening to EWTN Radio and it was mentioned that there was a bombing in Syria where 141 people were killed and 71 of them were children. I usually avoid these reports, turn them down and dismiss questions (right or wrong, this is my approach). Nicholas heard the report and says "Mom, did you hear that 71 Children died?". I swallowed hard and said "I did, but you know that was far away from here and we don't have to worry about that" His response was, "I know that, but 71 is almost 100 children. We should pray for them" I agreed and HE then proceeded to silently pray for the 71 children, who he did not know, somewhere far away, who had died. 

I learned something from my five year old in those moments (as I often do, driving in the car with them), I learned that my fears and my anxiety are not his and that I shouldn't anticipate that they will be. I automatically thought this report would scare him and I pushed onto him my coping mechanism of reminding myself that these things happen somewhere far away and don't concern us. How quickly he reminded me that the hurt and suffering of all people is very much a universal Christian concern and that prayer and compassion are the little ways we can make a difference when there is nothing else we can do.

Dare #2. World Peace!

Thanks to Nicholas' school where they recite the Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi every Thursday we have our inspiration. We are going to Dare you to share peace.

Here are 4 "mini dares" you can try to help share peace in your neighborhood.
1. Thank someone who helps make the world peaceful, like a police officer or soldier.
2. Talk to your class about being nice and not bullying
3. Do a random act of kindness. Like taking out the trash or being nice to someone without being told.
4. Smile at or give someone a hug, just because.

Share with us, your "mini dare" and you will get 100 points for each one.

Nicholas says this is important because: It brings things that don't usually happen in this world like love for other people who don't have love. Doing things for other people like doing stuff for your friends because it is good to help your friends doing things they can't do.

Jack says this is important because: Jesus says it is good to be nice to your friends and people in the world. It is good to help your friends solve their problems. Help your friends if they can't do it.

Send us messages and pictures as you finish off your dares!

Wrapping up Dare 1

Today we are wrapping up our first dare. Nicholas brought this home from school.

These are the items Nicholas and Jack collected to donate to the hungry.  We will be taking them to the Freestore Foodbank.

Nicholas and Jack collected these items by getting one extra can or food each time they went to the grocery. They even used their own money.

 

Thank you to everyone who participated. Especially Joy Childcare and Our Lady of Lourdes School.

Here are the points after the first dare. Remember you can get more points by joining in our next dare.

 

Nick +10 cans = 500 D4D Points

Jack +10 cans = 500 D4D Points

 

JenT +10 cans = 500 D4D Points

Madelyn +3 cans = 150 D4D Points

Cheyenne +2 cans = 100 D4D Points

Ella +1 Can = 50 D4D Points

Josh +1 = 50 D4D Points

Food Connection Hope

Today was the day that Nicholas and Jack were invited to attend the Freestore Foodbank Speaker Series and Annual Meeting.

 

Let us start by saying this was a very nice event. We kids were as well behaved as could be expected. Mommy and Daddy may have expected a little too much from us. But we made it through the entire event.  And we learned a lot.

 

Here are the highlights:

 

The President and CEO of the Freestore Foodbank recognized 2 kids for their contributions. Elizabeth a four year old who used all of her allowance, birthday and Christmas money to feed the hungry. The other an eighth grader from Wyoming who came to volunteer with his class and made a wonderful video about the Freestore Foodbank. 

 

The President and CEO said something that goes along with what we are doing with Dare 4 a Difference. "We can't help everyone but everyone can help someone"

 

We also found out that Cincinnati is third in the country for childhood hunger rates. Nearly 100,000 children in our city don't know where their next meal will come from. The Freestore Foodbank provides 3,800 Power Packs  per weekend to kids who don't have access to food when they aren't in school. That is a fraction of the hungry children in Cincinnati.

 

 

The Distinguished Speaker of the evening was Buddy Larosa who talked about community and supporting our neighbors. The most moving thing he said (in addition to recognizing the Sisters of Charity and importance of our Price Hill Neighborhood -thank you very much) "When we serve others we serve ourselves." We couldn't agree more.

 

We also took the opportunity to get a picture with Buddy!

 

Freestore Foodbank held a great event. There are so many incredible people connected with this organization doing great things to feed the hungry in our neighborhoods but also to help families get resources for sustainability.

 

We dare you to feed the hungry, if you take on this dare consider donating to the Freestore Foodbank.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just another day...

Mommy here:

We had a great weekend. After a lollipop soccer game and an afternoon with our good friends on Saturday we enjoyed mass as a family and then went to Kindergarten Open House today. Finally, this afternoon we made it to the grocery store where we picked up some "goods" as Nicholas calls them, to donate.

Here are a few of the pictures sent to us:

Cheyene

Ella

Joy!

Josh

JenT

Jack here:
Be good for Jesus and make sure everyone has foods.  Because the poor people don't have that much money, we give stuff to them like food stuff. We want you to give stuff to the poor and the hungry.

Annnndddd here are our leaders!!!!!!

JenT +10 cans = 500 D4D Points

Madelyn +3 cans = 150 D4D Points

 Nick +3 cans = 150 D4D Points

Jack +3 cans = 150 D4D Points

Cheyenne +2 cans = 100 D4D Points

Ella +1 Can = 50 D4D Points

Josh +1 = 50 D4D Points

 

 

And a special thank you to JCC and OLL for doing a special drive within their organizations. If individual contributors want to send their pictures we would love to post them.

 

1 Corinthians 26: If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together



Early Leaders

We have some early leaders in this Dare for a Difference competition.

 

Madelyn +3 cans = 300 D4D Points

JenT +3 cans = 300 D4D Points

Nick +2 cans = 100 D4D Points

Jack +2 cans = 100 D4D Points

 

Are you going to make it on the leader board this week?

 

Here are some pictures to recap

Way to represent VISI!

Looks like JenT is even participating at gas stations! We like it!

 

 

Keep it up! I also talked to Kurt Reiber with the Freestore Foodbank and he says that the bins at Kroger are not out right now but if you go to the distribution center they have a drive through and they will take your donations straight from your car. There is also a food pantry at Holy Family and on in Delhi, please feel free to take your canned goods to wherever you can help the hungry.

 

AND send us your pictures, the more creative the better!

 

 

 



Nick and Jack Day 3

Nick here:

Today my teacher talked to me about this project. She said I could share with my whole class. I am excited to talk to my class. I want my friends to help us. After school my brother and me got a can of food for the hungry. I got chicken soup because I think hungry people who are sick would like it.

 

Jack here:

 

Today I gotted stuff at the grocery and I went to the grocery. Mac'n Cheese and soup. I gived it to the poor. I like to give to the poor because they don't have that much money.

Mommy here:

I promise we won't be posting everyday. We just have so much news to share I can't help myself.  Today we heard from Nicholas' school and his principal sent us a very nice message. Here is just a portion of what she had to say:

Wow…This is a wonderfully, beautiful idea. I will be an active participant too. Each time I go to the grocery, I will purchase an extra canned good.

 



We are so happy to have her involved.  His school also shared our blog on their facebook page and dared our church community to participate. I hope they play along at home.

 

We also spoke with the Executive Director at the Free Store Food Bank who agreed to let us share their address and website. If you have canned food to donate in the Cincinnati area, you can bring them to 1250 Tennessee Avenue. Also visit them at Freestore Foodbank. We received a great email from them as well as an invitation to come down to their distribution center.  Here is a little bit of that email:

Thanks for reaching out and thanks for allowing your boys to get involved and to encourage others to get involved. We have always said that every donation, no matter what the size, will have an impact on our neighbors in need.
 

 I wish I could share all of the messages and words of encouragement we have received but we don't have the time or space.

Thank you for playing along at home! Send in your pictures to jmhdunaway@gmail.com

And [if] thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness [be] as the noonday - Isaiah 58:10

 

And we have our first participant!

Mommy here...

Nicholas and Jack went back to school today. This was their first day back after the MLKJ long weekend. How apropriate that my socially minded pre-k and kindergartners had decided to start this project on such a meaningful day. 

On the way to school today (after we got past the fact that it was freezing) we talked the entire way about  Dare for a Difference. We talked about how we are going to "save the world" and "feed the world" and "dare the world to help". What beautiful thoughts from these pre-elementary minds. I heard an author on the radio talking once about how if we view social justice as being "fair" and we limit our deeds based on the limitations we know of then we are only doing part of the work we are called to do.  I am so blessed to know these innocent minds, free of limitations and open to the thought that they can help everyone who needs it.  This same author said (and I am paraphrasing because I don't remember the author or the exact words - in the car I have lots of distractions, three to be exact) "give to those you can what you wish you could give to all". A perfect lesson brought to surface by my 4 and 5 year old.

With one day under our belt I am happy to report that Jack shared this project with his preschool director and we are discussing ways to get all of the little kids and their families involved each month.  And....drum roll we have our first "play along at home" participant. All the way from Chicago, Illinois my bff Jen has committed to buying a canned good everytime she is in a grocery (which is a lot because she has clients that are grocers). Thanks Jen - according to Nicholas and Jack, you have 50 dare points and are in the lead!

The First Dare

Nick and Jack here....

1/21/2013

Today we are starting our first dare. This dare is worth 50 dare points. We dare you to buy one can of food for the poor each time you go to the grocery. Take your donations to a local food pantry or drop them in the "feed the hungry" baskets at your local grocery.


Nick: "This will help feed the poor in the whole world"


Jack: "Less hungry poor people is like what Jesus wants"

...we will be posting pictures of us completing this challenge in the weeks to come. Send us your pictures and stories and we will share what we can.

Good luck!

    
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, Matthew 25:35