Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

This Saturday, the United States Post Office will be collecting food for its National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) food drive. This is the 14th year the NALC and the Campbell Soup Company are partnering together to sponsor "Stamp Out Hunger," the single-day food drive. Last year alone, the collaboration was able to collect, process, and deliver over 70 million pounds of food.

What to donate? Well they are looking for items like canned meat or fish. Or canned soup (hehe, preferably from Campbells, ehh?), juice, or pasta. Or canned vegetables, cereal, or rice. They ask to not include anything expired or in glass containers.

How to donate? Collect items suitable for donation from you cabinets (or go out and make a new purchase). Place them in boxes or bags near your mail box. And then on Saturday May 10th, like magic, the donations will disappear when your letter carrier passes through your neighborhood.

Then what happens? Then the post office will process the donations and deliver them to local, that means within Puerto Rico, food banks. The not-for-profit company, America's Second Harvest works with the postal service to manage the donations. America's Second Harvest operates the Nation's Food Bank Network, which is the nation's largest charitable hunger-relief organization with a network of more than 200 member food banks and food-rescue organizations, which serve all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Locally, America's Second Harvest works with Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico, which operates a food bank, numerous shelters, numerous residences, and a day care center. If you can't see yourself donating any food, they also accept donations of time and money. Call (787) 740-3663 to find out how you can help.

Did you know that 35 million Americans are hungry or living on the brink of hunger? And how about this? Did you know that the Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico distributes 4,511,228 pounds of food annually?

Revive la Musica is accepting applications

Does your school, organization, or community have a program to teach children how to play musical instruments? If so, you might be able to qualify to receive newly restored instruments to continue your efforts. The "Revive la Musica" program, which was started some two years ago by the Fundación Luis A. Ferré, Fundación Banco Popular, and Villa Music, is currently accepting applications to award musical instruments to deserving programs. The musical instruments are the result of a campaign during 2007 to collect un-used instruments, refurbish them, and then donate them to programs that support teaching music.

They will be accepting applications until May 11th, so you'd better hurry if you want your application considered. The application is available at the "Revive la Musica" web site. The application contains the eligibility rules, so before applying make sure your organization qualifies. Don't get confused if you see outdated information on the web site and the application, apparently the coordinators of the web site believe that it will be automagically get updated without any effort on their part. Hmm, go figure....

The applications will be evaluated by a committee and selections will be made by the need and by the availability of the instruments. The groups selected to receive instruments will be notified in late May, and the instruments will be delivered in August.

If you have an instrument hanging around in your house that you could part with, the "Revive la Musica" organization is always accepting donations. To donate an instrument, call (787)722-7388 or (787) 793-4040.

Looking for a scholarship?

The Kinesis organization, which has since 2004, provided scholarships to attend accredited colleges and universities at the bachelor, master, doctoral and post doctoral levels in Puerto Rico, the U.S.A. or abroad, has requested applications for their 2008-2009 scholarships. Applications will be accepted until May 31, 2008. Applications are available on the Kinesis website. There are four basic steps to apply:

Step I. Certify that you qualify before submitting your application.

Step II. Include all required documents with your Scholarship Application to Kinesis. Incomplete applications will not be processed.

Step III. Fill out and sign the Kinesis Scholarship Application. ALL fields must be completed.

Step IV. E-mail or Mail the application form to Kinesis.

The scholarships are available for Puerto Rico residents or students who consider Puerto Rico as long term residence, demonstrated by providing a valid driver’s license, passport or other identification. In addition applicants must (for complete details, please visit their website):

• Have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent)
• Plan to enroll full-time as an undergraduate or graduate student in a degree seeking program at a U.S. accredited institution in the U.S., or Abroad in the upcoming academic year.
• Be pursuing or plan to pursue your first undergraduate or graduate degree
• Demonstrate financial need.
• Have applied for federal and other financial aid. See- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Have a passion to contribute to the future of Puerto Rico after graduation
  

The mission of Kinesis is to tap the energy in our youth by helping them overcome social boundaries and providing them access to the best educational opportunities. By fueling and maximizing their potential, we will encourage students to lead the social and economic transformation required for generations to come. Kinesis is supported by Fundación Fernández-Bjerg.

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Dia de la Prenvención del Maltrato a Menores

This coming Wednesday, April 30th, is the Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse. Did you know the number of children abused in Puerto Rico….

• is five times the capacity of Roberto Clemente Coliseum,
• 13 times the population of Old San Juan,
• 4 times the population of Vieques
• would fill the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, twice?

That's a lot of children. Too many children! And we are not talking about the abuse they suffer in our public school system. That's another heinous crime altogether. Fortunately ESCAPE, El Centro de Fortalecimiento Familiar has dedicated itself to the intervention, treatment, and prevention of child abuse and domestic violence.

ESCAPE, is a non-profit organization that has been accepted this challenge since 1983. The programs of ESCAPE include services such as visits and counseling at home through professionals and volunteers, crisis intervention, counseling and guidance telephone, Program Early Head Start, parenting classes, lectures, conferences, educational development and promotion of informational materials. In addition, they also sponsor research on the problem of child abuse and family violence.

In order to raise awareness of the problem of child abuse, ESCAPE is sponsoring a ribbon wearing campaign. With the purchase of an ESCAPE ribbon, you will not only contribute to improving the quality of life thousands of children and families on the island, but you'll also demonstrate that you really care about this problem.

To purchase your ribbon, visit any of the participating Wendy's: Plaza Las Américas, Plaza Carolina, San Patricio Plaza, Plaza del Caribe, Montehiedra Town Center, Plaza del Sol, and Mayagüez Mall. The ribbons cost only $1.00. If you'd like to purchase a large quantity of ribbons, please contact (787) 287-6161.

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Bowling for better education

If you're looking for a an excuse to go bowling this weekend, then look no further. Sapientis and GlaxoSmithKline are sponsoring a fund raising bowling event at the Galaxy Lanes in the Terraza of Plaza Las Americas. For $50, four people will receive one hour of bowling, shoe rental, pizza, and soft drinks. Oh yeah, plus IVU, of course. Additional people can join in the fun for $7. Can't round up 4 people, then you can pay individually for $15 per person.

The event benefits Sapientis, who is a non-profit organization that uses its leadership programs to develop a network of people dedicated to bringing change to Puerto Rico's public schools. The organization was founded in 2003 by Kristin Ehrgood and Vadim Nikitine. Since then Sapientis has provided training to more than 450 people working in public education, including outstanding college graduates, teachers, school directors, and parents. Sapientis members have taught more than 3,000 students in 56 public schools in Puerto Rico.

If you can't make it bowling, then consider either donating cash directly to support their work, volunteer your time or participate in our listening campaign, Sapientis te Escucha. Or you can nominate yourself or your school to join one of their programs. Click here for more information, email us at involucrate@sapientis.org, or call 787-977-3230.

For their part GlaxoSmithKline will provide information on how to keep children and families healthy. The hours of the bowlathon are from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Payment can be made with checks, credit card, ATH, or in cash. To obtain tickets ahead of time, please call (787) 977-3230, ext. 222.

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April is Neuter-a-thon Month

The Humane Society of Puerto Rico, Inc. is currently conducting an aggressive spay/neuter campaign for male cats and dogs. Besides extolling the overall benefits of the procedure, the campaign offers the procedure at a lower cost as an incentive for people to sterilize their pets.

According to Carmen A. Prieto, Executive Director of the Humane Society this campaign is specifically targeted to male cats and dogs. “Pets owners are more focused on sterilizing females pets but males are the ones that look for reproduction. (It wasn't me!) In addition, the spay and neuter procedure is easier and its recovery faster in males, stated Prieto.

She added that according to a recent poll, two thirds of the population in Puerto Rico owns a pet; from which 1,188,000 are dogs and 369,600 are cats. However, as she explained not all these pets are sterilized, since sterilization is not seen by most pet owners as part of the preventive and routine health care for their pets, and because the high cost of the procedure.

The cost for sterilizing pets during April is $30 for cats and $45 for dogs. Those interested in sterilizing their pets should visit the HSPR facilities at Barrio Los Frailes in Guaynabo to coordinate an appointment from Monday through Friday. For more information call to 787-720-6038

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Wanna get a cup o' Java?

Tomorrow Starbucks Coffee (Estado Cofe) and Restaurante Picalo are sponsoring a benefit for "Forjando un Nuevo Comienzo" (SNAFU, in it's initials in English). The event, which will take place in the Restaurante Picalo in Guaynabo, will start at 3:00 p.m. That's right just in time for a coffeee break, how convenient!

Attendees will have an opportunity to try coffee from Latin Americ, Africa, Arabia, and Asian Pacific as well as help contribute to el non-profit Forjando un Nuevo Comienzo. The non-profit is dedicated to help young adults who've dropped out of school and have previous legal problems to overcome their background and re-enter the working community.

For information and tickets call (787) 603-9962 or (787) 731-5480.

Share the joy of reading

Borders Music, Video and Book Stores is sponsoring a book donation. Throughout August at area Borders stores, they are accepting donation of books purchased in the store. The program, called "Ready to Lead in Literacy" will in turn donate the collected books to children in Puerto Rico.

This program is being conducted in affiliation with Nueva Vision, an affiliate of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting CPB. The "Ready to Lead in Literacy" is an annual effort by the CPB. CPB's objectives for the Ready To Lead in Literacy (RTLL) initiative are to increase the literacy of children in RTLL station communities; provide short-term funding to Ready To Learn stations to continue and grow their Ready To Learn activities; and support public television literacy leadership in select communities where PTV stations have made early childhood education -- especially literacy -- a core competency of their local services mission.

Semana de la Lactancia Materna 2007

This week La Coalición para la Lactancia Materna en P.R. is inviting everyone to the Puerto Rico celebration of "World Breastfeeding Week." All this week in Plaza Las Américas (in the hallway in front of Borders on the first floor), La Coalición will host presentations and activities.

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is August 1st – 7th and celebrates the signing of the Innocenti Declaration** on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding. It is celebrated in 120 countries on various dates.

The Innocenti Declaration was produced and adopted in 1990 by participants at the WHO/UNICEF meeting on “Breastfeeding in the 1990s: A Global Initiative.” The document lists the benefits of breastfeeding, plus global and governmental goals.

A summary of the activities is as follows:

Martes, 31 julio de 2007

• 5:00 p.m.- Grupo apoyo, LLL Liga de la leche
• 6:00 p.m. - Lactancia y Trabajo, Dra. Ana Parrilla
• 7:00 p.m. - Lactancia y las Leyes en PR, Lcda. Tamara Sosa

Miércoles, 1 de agosto de 2007 DIA MUNDIAL DE LA LACTANCIA MATERNA

• 11:00 a.m. - Actividades de la Coalición de Lactancia Materna de P.R. Iris Roldá
  Canción: Maternidad regalo de Dios, Cuarteto de cuerdas (Sandra Rodríguez)
• 5:00 p.m. - Grupo apoyo LLL Liga de la leche
• 6:00 p.m. - Quiropráctica y Trauma del Nacimiento, Dra. Glenda Velásquez
• 7:00 p.m. - Lactancia: la primera hora salva vidas, Dra. Ana Parrilla

Jueves, 2 agosto de 2007

• 5:00 p.m. - La Importancia de Cuido Prenatal (por MCS), Edna Acevedo y Herimar Serrano
• 6:00 p.m. - Falacias Alimentarías durante la Lactancia, Vilma Ortiz
• 7:00 p.m. - Yoga para mamá, papá y bebé, Janice Falcón

Viernes, 3 agosto de 2007

• 5:00 p.m. - Grupo apoyo Liga de la leche
• 6:00 p.m. - CPR para niños, José Pérez, Carmen Aponte
• 7:00 p.m. - Desde el primer día, si los bebes hablaran, Dr. Mario Ramírez

Sábado, 4 agosto de 2007

• 1:30 p.m. - Grupo apoyo PROMANI, PROMANI Y AUXILIO Dr. Mario Ramírez
• 2:30 p.m. - Música desde el Vientre Marta Hernández 2:30 p.m.
• 4:00 p.m. - Todos somos Parteras, Rita Aparicio y Debbie
• 5:00 p.m. - Haciendo ejercicios de forma divertida con tu bebé, Little Gym
• 6:00 p.m. - Lactancia en Tiempos de Crisis, Rita Aparicio

Domingo, 5 agosto de 2007

• 11:00 p.m. - Las caras de los niños y niñas que lo deseen se les pintaran de algún animal
• 12:00 m.d. - Somos mamíferos, Dr. Mario Ramírez
• 2:00 p.m. - Premiación del concurso de fotos asiamamantoyo y clausura

Premios Carvajal Fuertes

The Francisco Carvajal foundation has announced a convocation for applicants to their Premios Hermanas Carvajal-Fuertes al Compromiso Social - 2007. They are inviting any non-profit organization to participate that has distinguished itself in their commitment to social enterprise.

The awards are meant to recognize those organizations that offer services to:

• children who are homeless, abused, autistic, or who suffer from attention deficit disorder
• men and women who are homeless, abused, elderly, or suffering from substance abuse.

The foundation is offering prizes for first, second, and third place, with the accompanying award of a $100 thousand, $30 thousand, and $20 thousand respectively. Last year's 2006 winners were:

• Hogar del Niño, first prize: $100,000.00.
• Hogar Ruth Albergue Para Mujeres Maltratadas, Inc., second prize: $30,000.00.
• La Perla de Gran Precio, third prize: $20,000.00.

Interested organizations have until July 27th to submit applications. For more informaiton call (787) 287-0405 or visit the foundation's website.

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Help Wanted: High School English Teacher

Once upon a time, when I was transitioning from "Corporate America" into the black hole that is entrepreneurialism, I was told by a headhunter that the classified advertisements for employment was just the tip of the iceberg. She told me that the underground market for jobs was significantly larger. I think she said it was something like 60 - 70% of available jobs were never advertised.

In my life I've seen this issue from many sides: I've been hired from a friend's suggestion and I've also been hired from a yellow pages ad. I've also been a hiring manager and hired people from resumes I received from a yellow pages ad and I've also hired people referred to me by current employees.

I bring this up because a friend of mine asked me if I could post something here for a position her company needs to fill. So I offered to help, but at the same time it brought back these memories and made me wonder. Is the under ground job market still bigger than the advertised job market? How has sites such as monster.com and careerbuilder.com changed this situation. Are there any referral employment sites out there? In general, I wonder how this situation might change with the advances of the Internet.

Anyway, here is the English teaching position, my friend asked me to share:

Colegio católico en el área de Bayamón está solicitando un(a) maestro(a) de Inglés para escuela superior. Debe tener licencia vigente del Departamento de Educación. Para información comuníquese al (787) 785-7150.

So here's hoping that blogs are a new way to tap into the underground market for jobs. If you know any teachers looking for a change, send them a link to this post. Know anyone who is newly graduated and licensed? Then send them a link to this blog post. Let the power of the Internet reduce the distance between us all!

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: orangeacid