How can we thank the teachers and staff who tirelessly work to educate and comfort our youth?  Whether or not we have children in school, we all want our future generation to thrive and grow.

As a simple gesture of thanks, my husband and I decided to give a gift of coffee to teachers and staff at the Lucy Laney School in Minneapolis and Partnership Academy in Richfield, Minnesota.  Perhaps as important, is the little note card we are adding to the bags of coffee which say “Someone has given you this card because You Are Awesome!”

By purchasing bags of ground coffee from the Friends of San Lucas, we’re also supporting the coffee farmers in Guatemala.  Coffee can be shipped anywhere in the USA.

Know of a school, teachers, or others who deserve to be thanked? Give a gift of coffee.

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“Today was a Difficult Day,” said Pooh.

There was a pause.

“Do you want to talk about it?” asked Piglet.

“No,” said Pooh after a bit. “No, I don’t think I do”

“That’s okay,” said Piglet, and he came and sat beside his friend.

“What are you doing?” asked Pooh.

“Nothing, really,” said Piglet. “Only, I know what Difficult Days are like.
I quite often don’t like talking about it on my Difficult Days either.”

“But goodness,” continued Piglet, “Difficult Days are so much easier
when you know you’ve got someone there for you. And I’ll always be here for you, Pooh.”

And as Pooh sat there, working through in his head his Difficult Day, while the solid, reliable Piglet sat next to him quietly, swinging his little legs…. he thought that his best friend had never been more right.”      A.A. Milne

Sending thoughts to those having a Difficult …
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A mentor often shares experiences, but rarely do they know the benefits to their own life.  Having the opportunity to mentor twin girls gave me many unexpected blessings.  When meeting at age five, I  could not have imagined the joy of sharing ice cream treats, and years later seeing them in a National Guard uniform while serving in Kuwait.

Prompted by a writing challenge to address the topic “Was It Worth It” I wrote an article titled “Mentor Times Two.”   To anyone wanting to add something special to your life, I’d encourage you to consider mentoring.  Kids ’n Kinship is the organization that gave me this opportunity.

MENTOR TIMES TWO                              

I never liked the term “empty nester.”  So much of my life was spent struggling to adopt my two kids. When they headed off to college, it felt like there was a big hole in my heart. I had …
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Children in India need warm water for showers. In Tanzania, milk cows will improve the health of orphans. For safety concerns, high school girls need a concrete wall to be built in Guatemala.

To date, 200 Orphanages Worldwide has funded more than 50 projects in 17 countries. Simply put, they provide safety and security for orphans.  While their mission is to raise awareness and funds, a vision to help build projects for 200 orphanages worldwide is what drives them.

Supporters have rallied around the needs of children by providing dormitories, dining halls, community rooms, latrines, and outdoor kitchens. In Tanzania, Africa, a sustainability project is underway to add several milk cows, a herd of sheep, and an enclosure for the animals at their Kahunda campus. This will allow the campus to provide the children with a wider variety of protein, improving their overall health. More greenhouses would result in triple …
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