Andre Johnson (Twitter)
Houston Texan wide receiver Andre Johnson spent over $16,000 on toys for children in need. The Andre Johnson Foundation hosted its annual event for 11 kids in Texas’ Child Protective Services at a local Toys ‘R’ Us.
Every child who participated received a bike and a gaming system, as well as all the toys they could grab in 80 seconds.
Former NFL Player Jason Brown tends to his fields in Louisburg, N.C. (CBS NEWS) LOUISBURG, N.C. – At one point number 60, Jason Brown, was one of the best centers in the NFL. At one point he had a five-year, $37 million contract with the St. Louis Rams. And at one point he decided it was all meaningless – and just walked away from football.
“My agent told me, ‘You’re making the biggest mistake of your life,'” said Brown. “And I looked right back at him and I said, ‘No I’m not. No I’m not.'”
So what could possibly trump the NFL?
Jason Brown gets ready for a play against the New England Patriots in 2010. (ELSA, GETTY IMAGES)You wouldn’t believe.
Jason Brown quit football to be a plain, old farmer — even though he’d never farmed a day a in his life.
Asked how he learned to even know what to do, Brown said:
“Get on the Internet. Watch YouTube videos.”
He learned how to farm from YouTube. Thanks to YouTube and some good advice from other farmers here in Louisburg, N.C., this week Jason finished harvesting his first, a five-acre plot of sweet potatoes.
“When you see them pop up out of the ground, man, it’s the most beautiful thing you could ever see,” said Brown. He said he has never felt more successful.
“Not in man’s standards,” said Brown. “But in God’s eyes.”
But God cares about the NFL, right? There are people praying to him on the field all the time. “Yeah, there’s a lot of people praying out there,” said Brown. “But, when I think about a life of greatness, I think about a life of service.”
See, his plan for this farm, which he calls “First Fruits Farm,” is to donate the first fruits of every harvest to food pantries. Today it’s all five acres–100,000 pounds–of sweet potatoes. “It’s unusual for a grower to grow a crop just to give away,” said Rebecca Page, who organizes food collection for the needy. “And that’s what Jason has done. And he’s planning to do more next year.”
Brown has 1,000 acres here, which could go a long way toward eliminating hunger in this neck of North Carolina. “Love is the most wonderful currency that you can give anyone,” said Brown.
To see video of this story, click here. article by Steve Hartman via cbsnews.com
Fifth-grader Samuel Love is holding his third annual Christmas toy drive for children experiencing tough times. The 11-year old began the drive two years ago in response to Hurricane Sandy.
In 2013, Love managed to collect 1,500 toys and gift cards for children in need. He is aiming to far surpass that this year, however, with a goal of collecting 2,500 toys and gift cards. In a speech announcing the drive, Love says, “As some of you may know, two years ago, I decided that I didn’t want anything for Christmas because I saw on TV the devastation that happened in New York with Hurricane Sandy. I thought about the kids that lived there and how they had just lost everything. So instead of receiving toys, I wanted to give toys to the kids who really needed them.”
Those in the Chicago area can donate toys and gift cards to Love’s toy drive by dropping donations off in the Studio Movie Grill Chatham Theater at 210 West 87th Street. article via thegrio.com
It’s not uncommon to see a child stop when they see another child crying and ask “why is he crying” and even go as far as to offer a toy or hug to help. Or for my own kids to offer to feed me if I say I’m hungry or for them to say “mommy are you okay?” if I stumble, get hurt or have an accident.
Children are inherently full of love and enjoy helping those around them, but if we also want our kids to become caring, compassionate and charitable adults, then we have to teach it to them. We have to teach them that caring about others is good and that it’s good to help those in need.
From hunger, to homelessness, to cancer research, the world is in desperate need of charitable people. But teaching your child to give to others is not only good for the world, it’s also good for your child. In research recently published by Harvard Business School, giving to others promotes happiness, enhances your sense of purpose and increases your satisfaction with life.
So teaching your child to be charitable is good all the way around – for the world and for your child. Five simple ways to teach your child about charity today: 1. Start a “giving bank.” A “giving” bank is a piggy bank that the whole family contributes to and when the bank is full, the money is donated to a specific charity. Doing this makes giving a family activity and makes it more fun for your child. It’s also a great way for parents to model giving to their children and for you to practice what you preach. 2. Choose a different charity every year and encourage your child to learn about it. From the flood victims of Kashmir, to families in our own communities who need clothes and furniture for their kids, there are many different people in this world who need help. By focusing your giving on a different group every year, you’re providing your child with a wonderful educational opportunity to learn about the many different causes and struggles worldwide. Choosing different people annually will also show your child that everyone with a need is equally deserving of our compassion. 3. Make giving a holiday tradition. Have your child pick out a toy and donate it to child in need this Christmas holiday. There’s no better way to make the act of giving more emotionally satisfying than to put a smile on a child’s face. It might help you to start a new holiday tradition. 4. Give through your child’s school. From food drives to clothing drives, take advantage of any charity events run by your child’s school. Getting involved through your child’s school will enhance your child’s sense of community at his or her school while teaching them about the value of helping others. If your child’s school doesn’t do charity programs, take the initiative and have your child start one. 5. Make birthdays a time for receiving and giving. Encourage your child to give away old toys that are in good condition every birthday when your child receives new toys. It will help families in need, teach your child about giving and help you to de-clutter. So it’s a win-win for everyone. To help you get started. There are many organizations that will accept your toy donations. Some of them include Room to Grow for New York residents, Goodwill, Toys for Tots and Second Chance Toys. You can also contact local family shelters in your area and ask them if they need donations. So get to it. Happy teaching and happy giving. article by Notoya Green via essence.com
Jacksonville Jaguar Red Bryant speaking to R.L. Brown Elementary School’s GRASP Choice Academy Red Bryant is giving back in the best way possible… a meaningful one. The Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end is speaking to students not about his battles on the football field, but about his personal battle with dyslexia (a medical condition that causes difficulty in language processing and reading), inspiring and empowering students with learning disabilities along the way.
Diagnosed by the third grade, Red had to overcome his own frustrations and challenges as a student to make it to college and eventually the NFL. Fortunately for Red he had a mentor in his high school teacher, Sue Brooks. Sue played a pivotal role in Red’s life and was one of the first people that helped him realize just because he learned differently didn’t mean he was not intelligent. It’s a powerful message that children and adults with learning disabilities need to hear. He shared this message when he visited students at R.L.Brown ElementarySchool’s GRASP Choice Academy, a program in the Duval County school system that focuses on children with learning disabilities. Red spoke about his personal challenges with dyslexia.
“I just wanted to let these kids know that it’s okay to learn differently and that just because you’re a different learner than everyone else, that doesn’t mean that you aren’t smart,” Bryant said.
He feels that this program in the Duval County school system is giving children the necessary tools to be successful in the classroom.
Bryant’s own connection to the education system runs deep. Sue Brooks had an incredible impact on his life and now he is giving back. The story is a fascinating one. When one person takes the time and energy to lift, push, encourage and nurture a child the effects can be life altering and astounding. Sue and Red had a bond that led her to help him not only during the recruitment process, but with getting to college and the ACT test. Sue figured out a way to verbally administer the test by getting the clearance to read it to him after several traditional tests had negative results that weren’t indicative of Red’s academic prowess. She was an integral part of Red’s success and always encouraging education and inspiring him to pay it forward.
Bryant plans on making frequent stops by the classrooms to monitor the children’s progression throughout the school year.
To watch the engaging Red Bryant speaking to students, click here: http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/Red-Bryant-in-the-Community-/bda579f5-7279-4bd5-ba01-5199c59bf3e5
Did you know….
Dyslexia is the most common learning disability and that one in five people suffer from it. Learn more: https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-dyslexia
For more information about the GRASP Choice Academy program: http://www.duvalschools.org/grasp by Lesa Lakin GBN Lifestyle/Sports Editor
Derrick Rose, pictured at the Basketball World Cup earlier this month, says his donation will help kids reach their potential.
Nice move.
Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose has donated $1 million to a program for disadvantaged teens, the team announced this week. After School Matters provides apprenticeships for Chicago students in the arts, communications, science, sports and technology.
“To have a strong community of people who believe in your potential can make all the difference in the world,” Rose, who hails from Chicago’s Engelwood neighborhood, said in a statement. “So many people have invested in me and I want to do the same for Chicago’s teens.”
The Chicago Tribune noted that Rose’s high school, Simeon Career Academy, participates in the program.
Rose’s previous charitable contributions include the Japanese tsunami relief effort.
The guard has missed most of the last few seasons with knee injuries. The Bulls begin training camp on Monday for the 2014-15 season. article by Ron Dicker via huffingtonpost.com
(Image: KYSU.edu) Raymond Burse is the epitome of a boss who has his employees best interest at heart.
As the interim president at Kentucky State University, Burse has agreed to give up more than $90,000 of his salary to help increase the pay of minimum wage workers at the university.
“My whole thing is I don’t need to work,” Burse tells Lexington Herald-Leader. “This is not a hobby, but in terms of the people who do the hard work and heavy lifting, they are at the lower pay scale.”
Burse’s annual salary had been set at $349,869, but after inquiring about the number of employees who earn below minimum wage salaries and discussing it with the KSU Board of Regents, he decided to decrease his pay to help increase the pay of other university workers. Burse’s new annual salary is now set at $259,745.
“This is not a publicity stunt,” he tells the newspaper. “You don’t give up $90,000 for publicity. I did this for the people. This is something I’ve been thinking about from the very beginning.”
Burse served as KSU’s president from 1982 to 1989, and later became an executive at General Electric Co. for 17 years. He replaces Mary Evans Sias, who served as university president for 10 years.
Burse is expected to hold the position for only 12 months until a replacement is found, but the rise in pay for employees is expected to remain in place even after his departure. article by Courtney Connley via blackenterprise.com
On the vacant lot next to Dan Davis’ house on Washburn in Detroit, there is a homemade movie screen, a bonfire pit, a swing set, a barbecue grill and weights for working out.
Across the street, Davis turned a stretch of lots into a go-kart track and athletic field ringed by a wall of tires.
It’s all part of his goal to transform his block on the city’s west side into a place where families can have safe fun close to home. He mows the grass up and down the street and makes sure there’s no trash on the ground.
“He’s like an icon around here. What he does for the neighborhood, people look up to him for it,” said one of his friends, Michael Knight, 51. Davis, 50, grew up in the area. As a child, he was always cleaning or fixing things. His mother made him clean up trash outside their house.
Inspired by an outdoor movie screen he saw at Campus Martius Park, Davis decided to build his own, using sheets of wood spray-painted white that he positioned on top of a metal stand. On warm nights, his neighbors gather around on lawn chairs as Davis uses a projector to play kid-friendly movies and music videos.
“Everybody comes out, about 10 to 15 people. … and then some people, they just sit on their porch and watch it, and it’s all good. It’s beautiful, lovely,” he said.
The same field holds a bench-press, dumbbells and a mirror. A few feet away sits a play set and swings. Basketballs and toys are scattered on the ground, and there is a sand pit for playing horseshoes.
GARY, Ind. (AP) — Plans are in the works to name a school after Michael Jackson in the late pop star’s Indiana hometown.
The Gary Community School Board approved Tuesday a memorandum of understanding with Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson. The agreement that Jackson signed last month says the district “seeks to honor Michael Jackson and to inspire children to excel in the arts and education.”
District superintendent Cheryl Pruitt said she’s working with the Jackson family on which school to rename.
“A close relationship with the Jackson family to improve the quality of programs for the Gary Community School Corp. can mean tremendous gains for the school district and the city as a whole,” she told the Post-Tribune (http://bit.ly/1luhGfp ).
Michael Jackson spent the first 11 years of his life in Gary. His family moved to California after the Jackson 5 struck it big in 1969 with the release of their first album. Jackson, who died in 2009, last returned to Gary in 2003 and received an honorary diploma from Roosevelt High School near his childhood home.
Pruitt said renaming the school came up in a conversation with Katherine Jackson, who donated $10,000 during the Gary Promise scholarship event hosted by former NBA star Magic Johnson in April.
“She’s always wanted something left here,” Pruitt said.
The district has long struggled with high poverty levels, and the school board voted in June to close six of its 17 schools because of a $27 million deficit blamed in part on declining enrollment and the state’s property tax caps. article via huffingtonpost.com
J Dilla was only 32 years old when he died in 2006, but in his too-short life, the prolific producer worked with hip-hop icons including Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, The Roots, De la Soul, Common, and A Tribe Called Quest, even earning a Grammy nomination for his work with Tribe. And now, another honor for the late Detroit beatmaker: His recording equipment will be featured in the Smithsonian.
At the ninth DC Loves Dilla tribute concert on Thursday night, Dilla’s mom, Maureen Yancey, announced onstage that she would donate her son’s custom Minamoog Voyager — one of the last synthesizers Bob Moog built for someone before he died in 2005 — and his MPC to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
“I feel it’s necessary to raise the level of art appreciation in the hip-hop sector and honor my son James Dewitt Yancey, one of the most influential individuals in the history of hip-hop,” Dilla’s mom said in a Smithsonian press release announcing the donation.
Below, watch Yancey announce the donation at the benefit concert, which raises money to battle lupus, a disease that might have played a part in Dilla’s early death.
Davis, 50, grew up in the area. As a child, he was always cleaning or fixing things. His mother made him clean up trash outside their house.
