The Bluebird Patch

The Hollis family live in a small town in Central Illinois and woke one morning to find their home and cars had been spray painted with words like "RETARDS." "Get Outta here" and other unprintables.  The family had been attacked because her two daughters have Down Syndrome:  "That day changed my life forever," says Anne Hollis. But her two sons said they wanted to make a video, to "Speak up for our sisters."Meet the Hollis Boys, age 6 and 7. Watch, share, join www.everyonematters2012.com and www.facebook.com/everyonematters - to create a world where EVERYONE is free to be EXACTLY who they are, without shame, apology - or attack.

Zack Matere was able to save his dying potato crop thanks to information he found online Information technology facilitates the flow of knowledge in modern society. Access to information and using that information to grow knowledge that benefits one's community is possibly the greatest benefit of the Internet and other technologies. Zack Matere, a farmer in Soy, Kenya, searched for a way to save his dying crops. What he discovered was a desire to help local farmers and businesses access information.    "It is not right that as knowledge gets more and more to be online that good, hardworking, intelligent people in rural parts of Africa and the developing world are left behind as while solutions to their problems are available in the ‘air’."

This past weekend I was invited to a tweetup at Callaway Gardens with fellow bloggers Malika Harricharan of Atlanta Restaurant blog , Oge Ekeh of Single in Atlanta and Lauren Thomas from Digital Aftershock.    Callaway Gardens is an award-winning, 13,000-acre gardens, resort and preserve nestled in the southernmost foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, in Pine Mountain, Georgia. In addition to three types of accommodations, 9 restaurants and plenty of shopping, guests at this family-friendly getaway enjoy lots to see and do. One of my kids favorite thing to do at Callaway Gardens is to watch the " Birds of Prey Show" . This show seems to be always a crowd's favorite. There are approximately one dozen birds in the program with three to five birds presented at each show so no two shows are ever alike. While these birds cannot survive in the wild, the Birds of Prey show at Callaway Gardens allow nature’s feathered ambassadors to provide ...

"Diversity is the very essence of this country. Diversity is what makes our nation unique and in many ways richer. Bloggers in many ways have a moral responsibility to use their social media power to help their communities. As community bloggers we need to make an effort and use our abilities and strengths to help people from different races and cultural backgrounds come together. We have the power to change the world. Let's educate our respective communities about tolerance, and acceptance and make prejudice, and racism a thing of the past." Liza Cardona A Puerto Rican entity PRAA (Puerto Rican Alliance for Awareness) posted on YouTube a video in response to the much criticized "Work It" episode , in which one of the  characters,  Amaury Nolasco joked with the stereotype that Puerto Ricans sell drugs.   The Puerto Rican Alliance ( PRAA), is a nonprofit organization based in Chicago that exemplify the diversity of the Puerto R...

"I feel blessed to live and raise my family in the south. Life is good in the south and it's not just the weather it's the people. The south is so much more than fried chicken, corn bread, collars greens, and mac and cheese. The south is a place where the term hospitality gets a brand new meaning. Southerns know how to live with an attitude of gratitude. They show class, and take pride on everything they do and always take criticism with grace and poise . Southerns take things slow, enjoy every day, and make the most of what they have. " Liza Cardona  

Photo: Lindsey Monroe (Special Event and PR Coordinator) and Liza Cardona (The Bluebird Patch).  Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts to finding peace of mind and happiness inside. No matter what is going on outside of us, there's always something we could be grateful for. - Barry Neil Kaufman Today I'm grateful to be able to connect with one of the best non-profit organizations in Atlanta, Camp Sunshine. You can tell a lot about an organization by their employees and volunteers. If you have never been to one of their events I can assure you is like stepping in a happiness cloud. You can feel the passion and the commitment of everyone involved. Camp Sunshine is 100% dedicated to enrich the lives of Georgia’s children with cancer and their families through recreational, educational and support programs.  Camp Sunshine relies heavily on donations and fundraisers to operate since all of their programs are free of charge. They have a spring camp coming ...

  Wash your hands, clean up the gulf - with a little help from Bird Project Eco-intelligence, creativity, and innovative philanthropy unite!! Tippy Tippens passion for sustainable growth is quite unique. She makes the objects that we live with us, work for us instead of against us and ultimately give us a greater sense of happiness.   Each black, bird shaped soap contains a white, ceramic bird, handmade by moi from Louisiana Clay, which remains as a keepsake once the outer soap has washed away. Through the daily act of washing, you will eventually free the clean, white, ceramic birds inside - potent symbols of restoration and recovery. The soap is shaped to be cradled in your hand and is a powerful representation of all creatures affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster. The soaps are made with natural, locally sourced ingredients: biodiesel glycerin, fair trade olive oil, aloe, activated black charcoal, and ...

“If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” Mother Theresa Everyday people , everyday kindness. Meet Frank, John and Jack; three “Muffin Men” who are turning retirement into an opportunity to distribute food and kindness to those in need. Sponsored by the Men's Club, the Muffin People are a group of parishioners who collect day-old baked goods and food donations from local Starbucks' and supermarkets to help feed the hungry in Oakland. The group meets on the last Wednesday of every other month at 7 p.m. For 19 years, a group of volunteers (33) from St. Monica Catholic Church in Moraga have been picking up food set aside daily by several stores, including Lunardi’s, Safeway, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, Diablo Foods and Whole Foods. The food is delivered daily to several Oakland agencies that serve the needs of the poor.  http://www.stmonicamoraga.com/index.cfm?load=page&page=194