Donate your Old Backpack on the Last Day of School!

Ditch Your Old Backpack! 

Donate your old backpacks on the last day of school!

Dirty?  Used?  That's okay!  Bring it and we’ll put it to good use!

Families Make A Difference is excited to let you know that we are entering into a new partnership with Hope Through Opportunity and this End-of-Year Backpack Drive is our first effort to make a difference across the globe!  Hope Through Opportunity is a non-profit founded in 1998 by Alice Hiatt, Grandmother of Akaisha Hiatt in 6^th-soon to be-7^th grade. 

The mission of HTO is to bring education, health and self-sufficiency to the people of Africa in order to help them create and sustain a better future. Their efforts are focused in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. 

Who will be receiving the backpacks?

Kids of the Upendo Orphan Club will get your old, worn backpacks!

These children have lost their parents and wander the area seeking shelter wherever they can find it.  There is no orphanage for them. In 2005, Alice was introduced to the orphans and witnessing the great need, vowed to help them by creating Hope Through Opportunity. Since HTO has been helping the Upendo Orphan Club, life for these children has improved.  Last year HTO provided uniforms, pencils and notebooks so they all may attend school. Assistance to the now 500+ children of the Upendo Orphan Club with food, clothing, medical care and other aid is ongoing. Believe it or not, having backpacks will greatly impact the lives of these children! Our old, dirty, worn backpacks will be part of a humanitarian supply 40' cargo container to be shipped out this October.  Alice Hiatt will be at Black Pine Circle to receive the backpacks and talk to anyone interested in the work she is doing.  She will also be in Tanzania when the container arrives in next January or February.  Patience grasshopper. 

So Ditch your old Backpacks on the last day of School!

For more information, please contact:  Rachael Jackson, rachael00@gmail.com or liz mcbee-horner, bpc.FMD@gmail.com.  And, stay tuned this fall to see what else Families Make a Difference is working on with Hope Through Opportunity!

Coach Vince featured as Bike-to-Work Superstar?

Stories from the Energizer Stations On Bike to Work Day, we learn so much about ‘energizing’ people to make the East Bay a great place to ride. Here are a few stories from this year's energizer stations: Mayor Gayle McLaughlin of Richmond rode into the energizer station at San Pablo & MacDonald and was greeted by Building Blocks for Kids, a wonderful group making Richmond a better place–it’s such a wonderful treat when the Mayor rolls in; From the El Cerrito BART energizer station: Vince, a Berkeley middle school teacher, started a bike to school ride with many of his teenage students, who join him every year on Bike to Work Day. Mayor Tom Bates was impressed when they rode thru the North Berkeley BART energizer station–so many kids on bikes!

Bicycle Coalition eNews May 15, 2012:  read on ebbc.org East Bay Bike to Work Day Breaks All Records Stories from the Energizer Stations Relive the Fun of our Bike Happy Hour Party New 2012 BART Bicycle Plan Proposes to Double Number of Bike Commuters  EBBC Rolls Out Spanish Language Bicycle Safety Classes New Adeline Street Bike Lanes on Agenda of Oakland BPAC Thursday  Richmond Ride of Silence Honors Fallen Cyclists Bike-In Movie: Breaking Away at Hot Italian Restuarant May 24 Upcoming Events

What's the best way to teach children the value of money?

That's a question that has troubled parents for years. Most use a regular allowance as the vehicle for imparting lessons about how to manage, spend and save money wisely. But there's a split among parents—and family-finance experts—over the question: Should a child's allowance be tied to doing chores?  <read the whole article on the Wall Street Journal Website>  

My family uses a free service called Moneytrail.net to track allowance- it has separate piggy banks for "Spend, Save, and Share".  - Evan

Families Make a Difference

FAMILIES MAKE A DIFFERENCE

A Word of Thanks for Daniel Barth, head honcho at Harrison House ("The Village")

To everyone i wish to thank you all for the love & effort that you put into the event this weekend at the Village. From our standpoint, it was perfect. The kids were engaged the whole way through, the families on both sides planned well and were well prepared. We had sure leadership. We had the place grooving for the whole event - the jumpie house was key for sure. It was sooo evenly paced, real refreshing.  

Minutes from the most recent Families Make a Difference Meeting

Parent Hank Maninger's bands playing in SF & Alameda May 10th & 20th

Hey Everybody. The Aqua Velvets are playing again. Come on down and check it out. The original lineup (Miles Corbin, Michael Lindner, Hank Maninger, Donn Spindt) we'll be playing together again for the 1st time in 10 years! At Forbidden Island in Alameda on May 10th, 8pm

What:  A little bit of bluegrass, a small dose of rockabilly, and a ton of classic country flavor—think close vocal harmonies, upright bass, and twangy guitar.  We’ll even treat you to a little pedal steel.  Barbecue!  Kids welcome!  It’s a Ranch Party Family Affair!

Who: The Better Haves!  Lil’ Anne Arnhym and Lynne Maes sing and play with our husbands, Greg Yanito and Hank Maninger.  

Where:  Thee Parkside in SF—and—I love saying this—parking is EASY.

When:  Sunday, May 20th, 4:00-5:15.   Yep, this is about the most family friendly gig time there is.  We’ll be sharing the stage with the Patsychords, who come on at 5:45. 

Oh, and it's FREE!  

Family Camps & Virtual Camp Fair

Still looking for Summer Camps?

See this earlier post,  or check out Parent Press' Virtual Camp Fair.

For family camps, I've heard good things about
Echo Lake Camp and Feather River Camp