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1st Two-Week report

As a requirement for Loyolas internship program every two-weeks I will be writing a report on how my internship at Cabrini Connections is going. Though I have been working at Cabrini for a little over a month now this report is from the first several weeks of starting my internship. Hope you enjoy. If you have any questions on how to get an internship or where internship opportunities are open please feel free to leave a comment underneath and i'll be sure to reply asap.Two-weeks ago I started my internship at Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connections. Cabrini Connections is a non-profit organization designed to enrich and further develop the lives of students who live in low-income neighborhoods such as Cabrini Green. They do this by providing tutor/mentor programs for these students after hours, which not only provides alternate learning opportunities but keeps these students out of trouble. At my internship my job is to promote the organization further through social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, volunteer forums, etc. Through this I will help expand others’ knowledge of Cabrini Connections as well as increase my own knowledge of certain social media outlets.These two-weeks I have been mostly learning about Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connections as a whole. Dan Bassil, founder and CEO of Cabrini Connections believes that it would be to my benefit to immerse myself within all that is Cabrini Connections so that I can fully portray it through my PR tactics. Other than finding out everything that there is to know about my internship I have no other responsibilities as of right now. As more days pass though I am sure that I will gain other responsibilies.The task that Dan has given me will greatly benefit me in that it will help me reach my overall learning goals for the internship. To be able to answer my learning-question and accomplish my learning goals I need to be able to fully understand Cabrini Connections as a whole and acknowledge how it operates. Without doing this, I would be putting myself at a great disadvantage and would not be able to represent how much this organization impacts the lives of many. From reading others’ blogs on Cabrini Connections and talking to some of my co-workers I have become very fond of the organization. Also, I am starting to see the struggles that non-profit organizations have with raising money and maintaining funds. I am intrigued to see how over the next several months they overcome these obstacles and what I may be able to do to help out Cabrini Connections further.These two-weeks have been nothing but a complete information overload. I have read everything that there is to know about the organization and I believe that I am now fully equipped to finish out this internship with flying colors and help them become more acknowledged within the community. I strongly believe in Cabrini Connections and their mission, I have already started encouraging all of my friends, sorority sisters, and family members to help become a part of the solution. These students need someone to be their light in a world that is so dark, Cabrini Connections needs funding so that they can provide this program for them, and through my writing I can help.
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Workplace Fundraisers

Are you looking for more ways to get involved? Are you tired of just sitting behind your desk all day? Well, do I have an offer for you! Start a fundraiser at your workplace for Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection. More and more companies now allow donor choice as part of their annual workplace fundraising campaigns. Companies such as Abbott Labs, Allstate, Microsoft, Schwarz, Sargent & Lundy, LLC and GE have used donor-option to support Cabrini Connections and the Tutor/Mentor Connection for many years.All you have to do is find out if your company allows donor choice. Then (if they allow donor choice) you can support us from any city in the country!Dollars raised from workplace fund raising are among the most important dollars any charity can have. A small donation of $2 per week, less than a cup of Starbuck’s coffee, can add up to a $100 annual donation. If ten associates do this, that’s a $1,000 donation. These are flexible dollars that can pay rent, hire staff, or provide bus passes to events for kids.If you are looking for ways to help fundraise for Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection visit a few of the sights listed below:http://www.ideasfundraising.co.uk/unusual-fundraising-ideas.htmlhttp://www.associatedcontent.com/article/415160/10_fun_and_great_fundraising_ideas.html?cat=48http://www.gapyear.com/fundraising/a_z_of_fundraising_ideas.htmlMost workplace fund raising campaigns will start in September. If you send this information to friends, family, co-workers, etc. you can help mobilize an army of workplace donors who support Cabrini Connections and Tutor/Mentor Connection. This will help us serve the teens at Cabrini Connections, while helping us support a growing number of tutor/mentor programs in all parts of Chicago and in other cities.Also, you can make an online donation at http://www.cabriniconnections.net/We are a 501-c-3 non profit. Our FEIN is 36-3893431.Mail donations to: Cabrini Connections, T/MC, 800 W. Huron, Chicago, Il. 60642
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Hi. Den. this is Kudo

Maybe you have been waiting for a long time to see the project result. Even though It's a little bit not good, Now, It's processing to complete. I attached Cabrini Connector Logo file to inform our company and to enhance our effectiveness. As you see the logo, there are five botton such as company, service, file, contact, donation. Now there is no function if we click some bottons. Now no active. So I want to get some ideas from you guys. If you need to add some functions, you can tell me which way do I have to modify. If you have any questions, I welcome it.CabriniConnector.swf
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Haiti and the United States

In October of 2009 I as well as several others traveled to Haiti with Life For the World. Our mission was to spread light and love to the people who have seldomly been abandoned for years. While prepping for my trip and talking to professors and friends about Haiti an overwhelming amount did not know where Haiti was or had they ever heard of the country. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world if not the poorest and people thought I was going to Haiti for vacation time. This came as a shock to me that those who I talked to didn't care about the extreme conditions Haiti was in or I would be told that "Haiti has been in conditions like this for years and there is no hope for them."Throughout my trip to Haiti I was greeted with nothing but love and affection from all. The Haitians are all nice, warm hearted people. And though they live in below average conditions and eat an average of 3 days a week, they still have hope for themselves, their country, and their future. These strong hearted individuals accepted their conditions and though they hoped and prayed for better conditions for themselves and their future families, they never complained. These individuals loved life even though life treated them unfairly. So, why is it that people like the Haitian community get shafted? Why does it have to take a catastrophe like a 7.0 earthquake for people to join in and make a difference? The world is finally acknowledging the cries of the Haitian people, but have we arrived too late?These are all questions that I fear for our country. Will it be too late? Could we potentially put ourselves at a disadvantage if we don't start helping out our people in need? Lets not wait for a catastrophe, lets starting giving today and helping our people. By joining programs such as Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection, we are shining a light into the world of those who are living in economically unsatisfactory conditions and helping them with their disadvantage. These students need to be shown love and be given hope and we don't have to wait for a disaster to occur to do so. Tutor/Mentor programs are essential for those living in low-income neighborhoods, it not only keeps these students out of trouble after school hours but it provides them with essential tools the need to go to college and get a job. We need your help. By donating your time and/or money you are helping ensure that one more student can get the attention he/she deserves to succeed in life. Like Haiti, Tutor/Mentor programs will need ongoing support. If you have any further questions please stop by our Cabrini Connections website. And remember programs like these are how people can become the person they were destined to become.
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Updates on Haiti

Below is a letter from Mike Fedele, founder and president of Life For the WorldPlease read all of our blogs at http://lifefortheworld.com/blogcentral or facebook "lifefortheworld"Dear Friends of Haiti,I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for all of your selfless work, all of your time, your money and most of all your heart for the broken people of Haiti and the children and adults at Maranatha Orphanage and School and surrounding villages. The children and suffering people of Haiti need you at this desperate time.As you may know by now approximately 200,000 people have died in the earthquake in Haiti from the reports I have. And the numbers are mounting because of lack of medical supplies, not enough doctors and insufficient food and good water. Many of the people are migrating north of PAP and food is becoming scarce everywhere. The UN and other organizations need to speed up the process of getting more food and medical supplies to Haiti because people are dying.I have made contact with Simon, our main foot soldier for LFTW, and Maurice, the Director of Maranatha Orphanage and School. I plan on going to Haiti next week. Simon told me that PAP is very dangerous and he wanted me to wait another week. There is a possibility I will go with another organization through the Dominican Republic and into PAP. I am still waiting to see if that is a possibility or I will still go into PAP. We have two photographers who want to accompany me.Yesterday Samaritan Purse, a Humanitarian Group, delivered a total of 400 pounds of rice, beans and cornmeal for Maranatha Orphanage and School and kids in the community of Source Matelas. We are able to receive texts from cell phones intermittently with our people there and communicate on an irregular basis. Many people are in trouble and they are starving. We are thankful for the 4-5 days worth of food. This was coordinated by Michelle O'Day and Lisa Hannenberg. We still do not have good water. We are trying to get some other children into the orphanage to be able to eat the food and be safe.Both Maurice and Simon told me that they still cannot get any money out of Western Union or Sogebank, but today Maurice is going to go and see if that has changed. So it is imperative that we get cash there somehow to buy food. There are bags of rice and beans that can be bought on the street but they have quadrupled in price. So if we had the money on the ground in Haiti we could buy food. Simon told me that a transfer company called Unitransfer might be better to transfer money to our people. We sent him some money and I have not yet heard back from him.You can now text contributions on your phone to Life For The World and PLEASE pass it along to as many people as possible. It will take out $5.00:Text Number: 20222Text Message: Support LFTWWait for the phone to respond back with "yes" to confirm and text back "Yes".At this time we need peace in our hearts as we try to work for our brothers and sisters in misery.Best Regards,Michael S. FedeleFounder & PresidentLife For The World, Inc.7618 Tapper AvenueHammond, IN. 46324Phone: 219-781-7618Fax: 219-932-3018www.lifefortheworld.comlifefortheworld@sbcglobal.nethttp://lifefortheworld.com/blogcentral
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Rebuilding the Haitian Spirit

Below is a letter from Mike Fedele , founder and president of Life For the World.This is my fourth update since the terrible earthquake shook the ground Southwest of Port Au Prince and stole tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of lives, and ruined millions of others.We founded and built Maranatha Orphanage and School in Source Matelas, Haiti eight years ago after finding unwanted and abandoned children on the streets of Port au Prince. The number of children in our school and orphanage has grown each year. Today we have over 150 children at the school and over 20 workers affected by the earthquake. As I said in my previous email, there were no deaths and only one girl with some broken bones. The properties that we have and occupy, however, are severely damaged and we will need significant funds to begin rebuilding our orphanage and school, our goat farm property and the house we live in with our Haitian friends. The workers and kids and all of the Haitian poor we know are still sleeping outside in the open. But we must continue to feed over 150 children and over 20 adults every day.Over the past eight years we have also helped other Haitians build up small business with donated capital, provided education and fed thousands of the poor in many villages. Most importantly, we developed friendships based on love and mutual respect, and treated Haitians as true brothers and sisters who have earned and deserve our respect and admiration. We enjoy being with Haitians and singing, praying, talking with each other in the villages, dancing on the streets, and playing in the markets. We love our Haitian friends and they tell us they love us too. Our work from the beginning has been about bringing healing to peoples lives: their spirits, their minds and their physical well being.Rebuilding Haiti. What does this mean to most people? It means keeping people alive. It means recreating buildings, businesses and homes. It means finding food for everyone. It means trying to put families back together as much as that is possible. These are vitally important. Crucial to life. Right now a desperate work and one that requires all of our energy. I for-see a time in the near future where several million people will be needing humanitarian food each day. There is no commerce and I don't expect it anytime soon. Rebuilding the infrastructure of Haiti is definitely a huge part of our work. And it is going to be a work going on for a very long time in Haiti, requiring a lot from a lot of people. But our work also includes rebuilding of a different sort. Physical necessities, important as they are to life, are not all of life, and should not be all that we focus on in rebuilding Haiti as we move forward.So while we are talking about rebuilding Haiti, let's think about something that has been on my mind for years: the Haitian soul. Let us not forget about the rebuilding of the human spirit. The human spirit is perhaps more important than all of the physical necessities of life. And right now there is very little discussion in the news about rebuilding the Haitian spirit, the Haitian soul. And that is what I want to talk about briefly. Because to rebuild Haiti to me means rebuilding the spirit of the Haitian, a spirit which was stolen from him over the centuries and which caused Haiti to be in the poor and unhealthy condition it was in before the earthquake. The Haitian spirit was stolen by the French in the business of buying and selling people in slavery and in the process teaching the Haitians they are worthless, only fit to be slaves. Their dignity was stolen by the French who occupied the major businesses of Haiti and withheld fair wages, building their lofty palaces in Petionville while the vast number of Haitians lived out their lives in abject squalor wandering on the streets of La Saline and Cite Soleil scouring the ground for food like animals. Their spirit was stolen by the corrupt governments of Haiti who denied the Haitian people dignity and equal access to resources and treated them like dogs fit only for crumbs from their masters table. And in rebuilding the homes and streets, businesses and schools, let us give back to the Haitians the thing they long for the most, the thing they want more than anything, and that is to be treated as a human being with equal value. To look in the eye of the Haitian, extend our hand of friendship, and tell him that he is our friend is harder than giving money or food, but it is perhaps the greatest gift we can give Haitians. It is the gift of dignity, the gift of friendship, the gift of lifting the Haitian soul out of his feelings of worthlessness and placing him along side us as our friend, companion and equal.And over the years of being on the streets in Haiti and befriending Haitians in the market, and the villages and in the poo est areas, my brothers and sisters trusted me enough to let me peer inside their hearts and show me something that is inside them. They gave me the honor of letting me see something that is deep inside their soul. Something that they don't let everyone see. Something I had to earn through many years of living with Haitians and being among them in the villages and on the streets. They let me see that they struggle in their spirits with the feeling that they are still slaves. That is because in many ways the Haitian people are still treated as slaves.There is a very severe and distinct Caste system in Haiti run by people in higher places who do not think the poor deserve a better life because they are racists and think they are superior to the poor. The existence of the poor, in their minds, is only necessary in extricating funds from other countries in order to line their own pockets and make bigger homes in Haiti. The rich French, and the rich mulattoes and blacks in government do not love the poor and do not even think they are worthy of a good home, a good job, and happy lives. And through this mistreatment, done over centuries up to and including this present day, they have continually fed the mind and spirit of the poor with the idea that they are worthless. My Haitian friends tell me: " rich la pa remen pov yo nan ayiti, you rayi yo", "the rich do not love the poor in Haiti, they hate them."Let us not forget that rebuilding lives means rebuilding human beings. Real people with dreams and hopes of life, love and happiness just like you and me. Haitians are not animals or savages who we may think should be satisfied if they find only food and shelter. Dogs and cats may be satisfied with such, but not human beings. Haitians are people who know their God and want purpose and meaning in their lives. They want to be educated. They want dignity that comes from working and making a living. They want the joy that comes from accomplishing something with their lives. They want to feel that they are regarded as equals in the eyes of white people and light skinned mulattoes. This kind of rebuilding is much harder than rebuilding homes and businesses, because it involves changing the human heart. It means we must change in our hearts toward how we think about Haitians, thinking that we are superior to them. It means changing the hearts of the rich French and blacks who think they are superior to the poor and think the poor worthless knaves. And the changing of the human heart is the most difficult work if we view human history. But if we really want to rebuild Haiti and end the injustice and end the extreme poverty, then we must end the caste system that created the feeling of worthlessness in the heart of the poor and the feelings of superiority on the hearts of the rich. Otherwise, we will be no better off, perhaps worse, than when this "rebuilding" started. We will still have the Cite Soleils and the La Salines, filled with uneducated poor who have no hope for a better life, and we will still have a caste system after all the work of rebuilding the infrastructure is done; and caste system that will surely drive the Haitian people into abject poverty again and again.Haitians are beautiful people. They are humble and patient, and can suffer very well. I have personally seen the very poor in Haiti pass seven days without food and not complain and seen this on many occasions. Haitians are generous and kind, compassionate and feel with those who suffer. Haitians are spontaneous and expressive, and love to dance with a tambou being play spontaneously and enjoy having a good time.Let us allow our Haitian brothers and sisters to enrich our lives with their presence, their humility, love and all the beautiful things that make Haitians unique people. They are our brothers you know.If you want to donate to our work, or orphange and the poor we assist in Haiti:1. Go to www.lifefortheworld.com2. Enter Site3. Click on "Donate Today" in upper right hand side of website.Thank you for your support and love for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.Best Regards,Michael S. FedeleFounder & PresidentLife For The World, Inc.7618 Tapper AvenueHammond, IN. 46324Phone: 219-781-7618Fax: 219-932-3018www.lifefortheworld.comlifefortheworld@sbcglobal.nethttp://lifefortheworld.com/blogcentral
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After-school programs

Today, millions of children return to an empty home after school. When the school bell rings, the anxiety for parents often just begins. They worry about whether their children are safe, whether they are susceptible to drugs and crime. In response to this pressing concern, many communities have created after-school programs to keep children and youth out of trouble and engaged in activities that help them learn. Recent polls have found overwhelming adult support to personally ensure access to after-school programs for children in their community.However, a chronic shortage of quality after-school programs exists. According to parents, the need far exceeds the current supply. One recent study found that twice as many elementary and middle school parents wanted after-school programs than were currently available.After-school programs provide a wide array of benefits to children, their families, schools, and the whole community. This report, jointly authored by the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice, focuses exclusively on the benefits children receive in terms of increased safety, reduced risk-taking, and improved learning.First and foremost, after-school programs keep children of all ages safe and out of trouble. The after-school hours are the time when juvenile crime hits its peak, but through attentive adult supervision, quality after-school programs can protect our children. As this report shows, in communities with comprehensive programs, children are less likely to commit crimes or to be victimized.After-school programs also can help to improve the academic performance of participating children. For many children, their reading and math scores have improved in large part because after-school programs allow them to focus attention on areas in which they are having difficulties. Many programs connect learning to more relaxed and enriching activities, thereby improving academic performance as well.After-school programs like Cabrini Connections are there to do just that, enrich their lives by improving their academic performance, giving them attention, and keeping them out of trouble. If you are having trouble looking for an after-school program for you child, please consider checking out tutor mentor programs in your area.Jordan E. Merlo
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Update on tragedy in Haiti

One of my fraternity brothers is a doctor who has go to Haiti 14 times in the past 5 years to do medical work. Thus, his connections to people in Haiti are first hand. Here's an email he sent this morning, to update me and others. If you can respond to any of the needs listed please do. --------------- We were overjoyed to hear that Drs. Merline Milien, Vladimyr Roseau, and Francise Milien (all Haitian medical students we have worked with for years) are well and uninjured from the earthquake. Our friends in Les Cayes are also well, and the orphanage at Espwa is undamaged. The devastation and chaos in Port-au-Prince (PaP) is without precedent, and I fear that things will worsen in the coming days. The news media does not seem to understand that there were almost no social services and little infrastructure in Haiti to begin with- very few ambulances, no fire departments, hospitals with few medicines and supplies, little potable water, poor roads, irregular electrical service- and now there is almost nothing. The task ahead for the relief effort is overwhelming. Hope for Haiti, whom we partnered with in Les Cayes this fall, has been active in PaP since the disaster. Mikey Stewart is their director in Haiti, and is a corpsman and a former Navy Seal. Here is an update from their organization: Dear Friends, Mikey called yesterday mid afternoon and I can't tell you how good it was to hear his voice. He was at the UN base in Port-au-Prince getting ready to participate in a logistics meeting that was about to take place. He explained that the UN has almost been paralyzed by the significant loss of their team. Many are suffering from severe shock. So many organizations have lost their staff. Many of our friends, and fellow ex-pats did not make it. The institutional knowledge that was lost in literally seconds from the death of seasoned dedicated staff and professionals is irreplaceable. Mikey has set up a Trauma Center at Villa Creole in Petionville where hundreds of people are coming for care. Thankfully another team of doctors/nurses arrived there last night and they are receiving more medical support, although they are very low on supplies. They are working on people literally on the pavement outside the hotel during the day and doing suturing and triage care by a headlamp at night. E-mail from Mikey as of this morning at 7am: "We have lost many friends. I am working with agencies who are left and trying to prep the people coming. We will need box carts with strong wheels. I need large trash cans and bags cleaners, work gloves, good class 2 mask, construction masks. if we can, 2x4 wood, 3/4 plywood, 2in and 4in nails. we ill need to build up a doorm and office. tools saws nails. etc. ask Bart zino he can make a list fast. chairs, food - non-parashable MRE type food snack ete my team don't have much. Un is trying to set up camps for NGO support but it is weeks off. I am ok and working as fast as I can still running trauma center at night. we have about 150. maybe 100 new. losing many to internal injuries that we cannot operate on. " The General Hospital in Port-au-Prince is still standing and Mikey was there this morning to talk to the director. Their staff is down to only 4 Haitian medical professionals, and they desperately need more support and leadership. Dead bodies are just lining the streets and Mikey has been working hard to move the corpses away in order to find anyone who may be still living. He spent the night triaging as many people as possible and he said that they are in desperate need of clothing since almost everyone is coming to them soaked in blood. Although relief is coming, it is not soon enough. Mikey said that unfortunately there is little on-the-ground mobilizing. Most locally based NGOs and Government are working to search for their own staff and each person is searching for their loved ones that have been lost or buried under collapsed buildings. There is nowhere for anyone to sleep and food and water is low. No electricity, phones are still down, and fuel sources are already drying up. Shock is starting to wear off and fear, hunger, and panic are starting to set in. A coordinated effort is needed to have an immediate impact and the clock is ticking as security becomes an even greater risk with each hour that passes. In Les Cayes, HFH staff met with the UN base about coordinating relief efforts in the South. About 60 injured people came from PAP to Les Cayes today and crowded the Les Cayes General Hospital. There is only 1 Doctor there at the moment -- Dr. Leger -- and no food. They're expecting a lot more patients plus families in refugee situations, and are planning to set up temporary tent housing on the main soccer field. Distributions of food, hygiene products, and other supplies will be key and a coordinated effort is being established between Hope for Haiti, UN, CRS, Terres des Hommes, and Rotary to assemble supplies and distributed.  Updates on Immediate Action from the Hope for Haiti, Naples, Fl Office: Two planes are landing in Port-au-Prince this morning to deliver medical supplies, food, water and medical volunteers. They will be transported to the Trauma Center for immediate relief.  Another two planes will be landing on Saturday morning, one 757 that is completely full of medical supplies. The plane has been donated by GE and medical supplies have been provided by Americares and generous donors to Hope for Haiti.  Emergency relief buckets containing food, water purification tablets, and a hygiene kit are being distributed, but supplies are running out fast. At this time, we at Medical Missions South Haiti do not have the resources for chartering planes and placing self-contained medical teams in Haiti. Teams will have to provide their own equipment and supplies, transportation, generators, fuel, water, food, and security. If you feel called to donate funds for the disaster relief, I would recommend you consider Hope for Haiti (www.hopeforhaiti.com), Doctors without Borders, Partners in Health, or Pwoje Espwa (www.freethekids.org). This will be a long term relief effort lasting months and probably years, and we will become more involved as circumstances allow. All of the fuel, food, medicines, and supplies must come in through PaP, and the port is destroyed. The one road to the south to Les Cayes is barely passable. Food, fuel, and other items will become in short supply in coming weeks in the rest of the country, and refugees and injured people from PaP are beginning to arrive in Les Cayes, placing an additional strain on very limited resources. Please keep the people of Haiti and the relief workers in your thoughts and prayers, as this is a situation that defies comprehension. It reminds me of the story of Job expanded to an entire nation. I will end with an email we just received from Dr. Merline Milien. Fraternally, Mike Blood On a flat mattress and a small blanquet francise and i are lying on the drive way of the Haitian academy where we spent the nights since the earthquake, just like everybody at port au prince, cabaret and all over the big south of Haiti. People used to be in the streets, walking, working, selling eveything, but now there are on the streets to sleep. Most of the time in the past they considered Haiti as a country in needs but today, need is too weak to talk about Haiti. I heard that we will find help from other countries, even i don't see them yet till yesterday, but i am sure they will come, if they don't we will have more people dying from the decomposition of the dead bodies than from the earthquake. Port au prince start to be really smelly and it is scary. In spite of anything we could ask, we need SANITATION. As a physician i can also say protection for us who escaped. If i want to list the needs, like food, clothes,toilet articles, shoes, and a roof are all important, we know that God is watching from the closest not just in the highest heaven, he is there with us. While we lost several physicians, nurses in the catastrophe, we needs hands, we also need mental assistant for those people who are there watching they lovely ones died without able to do something, even for us too,when the clinic at the HAitian Academy has half fall down, it is just after we find hundreds of people coming for help and we just say sorry, i didn't have any gloves or any other things in our way to help, and i was thinking about our limitation that become not just a limitation but impossibility, several are died before they can move to other places, 7 of the big hospital at port au prince collapsed so reffer someone is not the right word for the moment, some time later on the afternoon, we saw at the neighborhood some missionaries who have a burn center, they opened it to help people, but they couldn't take in charge the open wound and bad fractures and at this time we went over and asked them to help, we were relieved in being able to do something, they have mostly things to take care of a burned patient, but we found some sutures and we did the job even our feet get tired, we used our knees and till we can't anymore, it was the same scenarios for the last four days. We also needs pads for the ladies, as the marquets are not available we saw people wth their period and don't find pads to put on. sorry if i talk too much, i know i was in shock, but God allowed me to do well with the patients. Love Merline
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I'm Eunsoo Lee who is IIT student.

Hello. from now on, I will do intern for this company.Thanks to my friend named Peter, I can be here to work for this company.We want to share anything with you and have a good relationship.below is my Email that I used to access usually for this company.eunsoo86@gmail.comNice to meet you, everybody.Leaving some message for me would be good help for me.
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Getting Involved!

Hello,Trying to get people involved in nonprofit organizations such as Cabrini Connections can be difficult but I am impressed at what I have seen thus far. It has come to my knowledge that through networking and social media Cabrini Connections has become more well known, which gives me hope that as a result profits and volunteers will start to increase even more.We all come from different backgrounds. And from our different experiences we became who we are today. I have always found that we can always benefit from our past experiences and people who have came into our lives and the tools we were given to make the future better.Bradley Troast, recent NorthWestern graduate student is doing just that. After college Bradley joined a one year fellowship through NorthWestern University, this fellowship is a public interest program that specializes in non-for-profits, like Cabrini Connections. As part of this fellowship program Northwestern and others who are in similar programs from other schools like Princeton University and University of Chicago have weekly meetings. Former students from these schools, based on their interests, were given several non-for-profit organizations to choose from and from there they were sent to help the organization. What makes this program unique is that once a week all of the former students meet at each of their organizations and discuss the organizations purpose, their challenges, and how they are facing these challenges. I applaud Bradley for joining this fellowship as I know through this Cabrini Connections and other non-for-profits associated with the program will be given a lot of special attention.For organizations such as Cabrini Connections it is all about getting the word out to as many people as possible. To make a difference in these youths' lives we need to share our story and our mission. We currently have two students, Eunsoo Lee and Jawon Koo from IIT who will be interning here for the next six weeks. There purpose here is to use technology in a way that will visually give those who may not understand the need for tutor mentor programs in certain areas the power to be able to see our vision for the youth. In doing so it will show how Cabrini Connections and many other tutor mentor programs have impacted these neighborhoods positively.So, what is my purpose? Well, I am also an intern here at Cabrini Connections. I have been here for about a month and plan on being here till the end of March. I am currently a Junior at Loyola University of Chicago and I write about Cabrini Connections and all that it is doing to make a brighter futures for youth in low income housing in hopes that you will help be apart of the solution. It is my personal goal that through my writing I will get in touch with those who I might not run into, so that the word of Cabrini Connections can be spread further. And with 6,767,805,208 people in the world using the internet, I believe that my goal can easily be accomplished. I want those who read my blogs to want to help Cabrini Connections, so my hope is to inspire.I think it is amazing that so far we have people from three different schools participating in Cabrini Connections cause. I hope that in the future this continues to expand so that we can get more volunteers, interns, and spread the awareness of the cause even further.Getting involved though does not always have to be hands on. You can help Cabrini Connections today from the comfort of your own home. Donations are always welcome and are always a great way to contribute to the cause. Also, sending my blog to your friends and family who you believe might be interested in supporting the cause as well helps. YOU can make a difference and all it takes is just a couple of clicks!Jordan E. Merlo
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National Mentoring Month

EXPAND YOUR UNIVERSE, MENTOR A CHILDJanuary is National Mentoring Month. It is the time of year when our nation spotlights the importance of mentors and the need for every child to have a caring adult in his or her life. When serving as a mentor you not only enrich the childs life, but your own as well.Places such as Cabrini Connections who are becoming more well-known within its community are seeking more mentors as their student base begins to increase. Cabrini Connections has been around since 1992, there sole purpose is to get people like you in structured activities with youth living in economically and educationally disadvantaged neighborhoods to make a life-changing difference within these youths lives. How do we do that? All these youth need is to feel loved, needed, and worthwhile. With that alone a child simply being acknowledged and congratulated on their accomplishments can go a long way.All we need is a couple hours of your time a week to help provide a nuturing environment for these youth. If you have some free time and are up for the challenge, I encourage you to go out and become a mentor. There are tons of mentoring opportunities. If you are having trouble finding a program go onto this link and from here you can find mentor programs in your area.Good luck.Jordan E. Merlo
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10 Things to do in January

As I'm sure you all already know, this month is National Mentoring Month and if you didn't know, you do now. So, what should you do? Listed below is a list of 10 things you can do for National Mentoring Month.Dig in!1.Become a mentor in your community.2.Learn more about mentoring.3.Partner with a mentoring organization.4.Tell 5 friends about National Mentoring Month.5.Think about the mentors in your life and post a tribute to them online. (You can even post in the comments box if you like.)6.Watch videos of celebrities such as Quincy Jones, Sting, Cal Ripken, Jr., talk about the mentors in their lives.7.Read the latest research and find resources on mentoring.8.Go to YouTube on Thank Your Mentor Day™ (January 21st) and make the National Mentoring Month videos the most popular of the day!9.Serve your community on MLK Day of Service by deciding to become a mentor.10.Make a donation to a mentoring organization in your community.(This list came from www.nationalmentoringmonth.org)Jordan E. Merlo
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Volunteering and your Health

Could it be? Could volunteering really benefit your health? Well, according to Mayo Clinic, Stephen Post, director of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, and The Corporation for National and Community Service volunteering not only makes you happier, but increases your life span, lowers your rate for heart disease, and gives you higher functional ability. Now, I'm sure some of you are saying "perfect, where do I sign up?" but there is a bit of a catch. For all of this to be effective one needs to put in about 40 to 100 hours a year, thats about 2 hours a week. Though, I'm sure we can all set aside two hours a week to better our health.Researchers do believe that age has a factor in the benefits you receive through volunteer work. These major studies that have been done tend to focus on elder individuals noticing a significant increase in their health. Younger volunteer participants seem to benefit less. It is believed that these results are due to older volunteers experiencing greater increases in life satisfaction, which produces oxytocin, providing defense to the immune system. These "helping highs" that we get as a result of volunteering can also act as a de-stresser as well.From personal experience I can say that volunteering can give you a new sense of purpose and keep you active. I have even come to find that through volunteer work I can meet a variety of new people that I typically wouldn't. I can see why the elder community tends to benefit more through volunteer work as it gives them a sense of accomplishment when they don't have a job or children to fulfill that need. When people feel isolated, alone, or don't feel accomplished, it has been proved to cause depression or even other health concerns. Volunteering produces a sense of social connectedness that we all need in our lives.So, go out there and find an organization that fits your personality and start improving your health today!Jordan E. Merlo
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Finding places to volunteer

Having trouble finding places to volunteer that fit your needs and interests? Below are a few sites that can help you in your journey.http://www.volunteermatch.org/http://www.volunteer.gov/http://www.smartvolunteer.orghttp://volunteer.united-e-way.org/http://www.serve.gov/http://www.1-800-volunteer.orgGood luck. I hope you find the volunteer opportunity that you were looking for.Jordan E. Merlo
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Since it is the beginning of the new year I have decided as my New Years resolution to get more people interested in volunteering. I feel that volunteering is an amazing, life altering experience that not only helps others but makes a difference, allows you to expand your horizons, and connect with your community. There is no other activity in life that could give you more of a natural high afterwards. I personally love to volunteer because I always meet new, interesting, genuine people who I get to share the experience with.So, how does one find a volunteer opportunity?1. Well there are an extreme amounts of volunteer opportunities in every area. The trick is to find a cause that resonates with you. You want to make sure that what your volunteering for has issues in which your strong about. For instance if you are concerned about teens living in low-income housing and about their well-being and education then you could volunteer at Cabrini Connections.2. Everyone has different skills, so, use them. If you enjoy outdoor work, have a knack for teaching, or just enjoy interacting with people, you may want to look for volunteer work which would incorporate these aspects of your personality. If you are not a people person you may try doing something else for the organization, such as possibly incorporating what you do on the job during your work day for the organization (if you believe it will be beneficial), for instance, some people who prefer to be behind the scenes could do data entry, web design, write blogs about the organization, or even come up with ways to market the organization. There are always so many ways in which to help an organization, don't ever feel that you cannot help.3. Are you bored of what you already know? Learn a new skill. Consider seeking a volunteer opportunity where you'll learn something new. For example, volunteering to work on the newsletter for Cabrini Connections will improve your writing and editing abilities-skills that may help you in your career. Or, volunteering can simply offer a change from your daily routine. For example, if your full-time job is in an office, you may decide to take on a more active volunteer assignment, such as helping teens write their resumes or apply to college. Many nonprofits seek out people who are willing to learn. Realize beforehand, however, that such work might require a time commitment for training before the actual volunteer assignment begins.4. Don't over commit your schedule. Make sure the volunteer hours you want to give fit into your hectic life, so that you don't frustrate your family, exhaust yourself, shortchange the organization you're trying to help or neglect your job. Do you want a long-term assignment or something temporary? If you are unsure about your availability, or want to see how the work suits you before making an extensive commitment, contact the organization and see whether they will start you out on a limited number of hours until you get the feel of things. Better to start out slowly than to commit yourself to a schedule you can't - or don't want to fulfill.5. Give voice to your heart through your giving and volunteering! Bring your heart and your sense of humor to your volunteer service, along with your enthusiastic spirit, which in itself is a priceless gift. What you'll get back will be immeasurable! To the millions of people who volunteer and give, thank you. Just imagine what more could do.And remember volunteering is not only good for the heart but its good for the soul also.Jordan E. Merlo
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Tis the Season to Give!

While sitting in my apartment, sipping tea and watching the snow fall I begin to wonder how those who are less fortunate survive the winter. As I look out to the West at any point during the day or night I can see the three buildings Cabrini-Green has to offer. Cabrini-Green housing projects are the most infamous in the country. Decades of poverty and violence have rendered them near inhabitable. They are currently being demolished and the residents are being relocated. Some will move near-by into brand new condos, some will get placed around the Chicagoland area, and some, inevitably will become homeless.I’m saddened to hear that as the city of Chicago finishes their demolition some of these families will become homeless. Cabrini-Green has been neglected for so many years, which is why it is associated with gang violence. The school systems surrounding Cabrini have a lack of funding, which results in the heat not turning on always. Would you send your child to a school with no heat? NO, you wouldn’t. Why? Because Chicago is freezing. But they don’t have a choice but to send their child there and hope that they will be able to recieve a decent enough education in below average conditions.It’s days like today where I worry about the children in these homes that were born into this life style. They don’t know any better and typically they don’t have any good influences or people to look up to in their life. When I grew up, I looked up to my father, I wanted to be just as successful as he was. So, what did I do? I was the best I could be, to get where I am today, a second year college student graduating a year early to fulfill her dream of joining a PR firm. But, unlike some, I lived in a household where there were expectations for me to meet, I had people who believed in me who wanted to see me succeed. These children who live in low-income neighborhoods such as Cabrini-Green need positive influence, they need people to tell them that they can achieve their dreams if they try hard enough.Cabrini Connections is a tutor mentor program which was designed with these children in mind. It’s a safe place for children and teens to come after school to work on homework, play games, write college applications, among other things. One of the main keys of success is to have someone believe in you and that is excatly what we do here at Cabrini Connections. We give these children and teens the stepping stones and the guidance to succeed in the future and to hopefully one day lead a better life than that they were born into.I believe that to have a brighter future for all we need to shape the lives of the children and teens today. So please, if you see it in your heart please send a donation to www.cabriniconnections.net or www.tutormentorconnection.orgIf you don’t have the cash but you have the time please visit either of those sites and see how you can become a volunteer.I hope you have a Merry Christmas and God Bless,Jordan E. Merlo
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Open Source Software Education

One of the ways that kids can increase their chances of succeeding is computer knowledge. One great way to expose kids to the intricacies of operating systems is open source, Linux software. Simply installing Linux in VM Ware is a great way to get started. With a Satellite Internet, DSL or cable connection, kids can play with all sorts of systems. They can then learn the basic skills needed to tweak the systems, therefore increasing their knowledge in how computers work. Most open source software is free and can be a great tool to tutor kids. What do you guys think?
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