MAY THEY ALL BLOSSOM

 "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service of others" Mahatma Gandhi

Choose To Care(CTC)(choosetocaresite.org) has taken the opportunity to bring joy to students of the High School drama and dance program at Aiken New Technical High School, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Their loving and caring teacher, Mrs. Lucas presented her project which she called: "You're Never fully Dressed Without Shoes" Many of her students, she stated, do not have dance shoes because their families do not have the means to provide the shoes for them.

Donors Choose(donorschoose.org), a trusted teacher-founded non-profit allows teachers nationwide to request funding for their classrooms. As a supporter, CTC will ensure that the students receive "real" dance shoes, as Mrs. Lucas asked for; in time for their upcoming spring show.

CTC was given another chance to do something that feels fulfilling and satisfies our mission to provide

a brand new pair of shoes for children in need.

Thanks valued supporters, this is a glimpse of what's possible when we come together to take action. Again, my monthly request is that we also make the health of the Environment a priority. The small steps we are willing to take, add up and will make a difference for planet earth.

Wishing you Comfort, Strength and Peace!

MAKING A WAY

 "Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart" - Seneca

Donors Choose(donors choose.org) is a nonprofit organization that allows teachers nationwide to apply for resources for their classrooms.

Choose To Care(CTC) is the organization that I founded since 2008 with the mission of providing a brand new pair of shoes for the child in need.

For the month of February and in honor of Black History Month, CTC has selected Mrs. Casimir's 9-12th grade classrooms at the Largo High School, Upper Marlboro, MD.  She wanted tap shoes for her project:Dance For Athletes.

We at CTC wish her success as she continues to engage her students in various genres of dance. Thanks to the supporters, who have made this possible. I greatly appreciate you sharing my passion to help others live a better life.

As usual we want to remind you to find ways of keeping Mother Earth in good shape, no matter how small an act.

Peace and Love

LIFTING UP TOGETHER

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear" Mark Twain

It is a new month and Choose To Care(CTC) is heading to Anchorage, Alaska, to the Mountain View Elementary School to answer the teacher's request for much needed resources for her deserving students.

Ms. Akaran has asked for gym shoes, through Donors Choose(donorschoose.org), a very trusted classroom funding site for public school teachers, nationwide. She described many of the students, not having their own pair of gym shoes. CTC is in the business of providing students with comfortable shoes to prevent aches and pain and in this case making it safe for them to run safely in the gym.

We are always thankful for our supporters who continue to give us the courage to carry on CTC's mission, to provide a brand new pair of shoes for the child and young adult in need. 

We also call upon you to find a way, no matter how small to support our planet, so it will continue to flourish.

Peace And Blessings!

OUR HARVEST

 My colleague and I have been sowing seeds and reaping a harvest that is helping our growing community of mentees, proteges and others.  We have been investing our time and energy and the amazing thing is that we both speak the same language that comes with only a few words that translates into doing our part to make a difference for someone else.

Our chain of mentees-proteges started with an act of kindness. In 2019, on a visit to Tanzania, I met a young man, who was working in a shop in the lodge where our group of travelers stayed. I was drawn to the afrocentric goods made by the Masai tribe people and asked him for a big favor to purchase a variety of merchandise from the market and send it to me in the USA. He did! And a seed was sown.

Two years later, my colleague traveled to Tanzania and I took the opportunity to introduce the first sown seed. Along came a couple who drove him to the Lodge; a bond was formed and more seeds sown. My colleague, in engagement with the couple met their offspring, who was about to enter her first year of college. Through conversations she learned of her needs and stepped in to provide much resources, to make the student's life easier to navigate.

My colleague continued on her journey to Zanzibar, on her missionary trip and met another seeker of hope. Again, she sprung into action, contributing to his desire to open a Pharmacy, with a mission to help those who don't always have the means to buy medicine. Another seed has been sown.

Together through perseverance and bravery, we continue to sow seeds. We have happily found our purpose. As long as we exist, we will continue to sow the seeds of kindness. We are supporting and encouraging our mentees-proteges and hopefully, showing them how we are suppose to take care of each other.

Sweet colleague, thanks for joining me in sowing seeds.  We are surely seeing the benefits of sowing the seeds of service. We are making progress in the work that matters to us. This is great accomplishment and we thank our supporters as we strive for a bigger harvest to come.  We will keep reminding ourselves that we will get through each project, one at a time. Thanks for your stewardship, sweet colleague, together we know that the Divine One will use us in the best way to help others live a better life. I hope they will

travel the road to prosperity and self-sufficiency and make a tangible difference in their communities.

May they all BLOSSOM!

SHINING A LIGHT

 "You can, You should, And if you're Brave enough to start, You will" - Stephen King

It is January 2023 and time for CHOOSE TO CARE (CTC)(choosetocaresite.org) to deliver on its promise to sponsor a public school each month; through DONORS CHOOSE(donors choose.org), the nonprofit that makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher to provide resources for students in need.

Caught My Eyes:   Ms. Drake's Grades 3-5, Johnson Elementary School, Mesa, Arizona

Ms. Drakes's Title Request: Change Your Shoes

Needs:  Ms Drake says that often times students need a change of shoes through the school day.

              +  The shoes break

               +  The shoes is covered in mud

                +  The shoes have something spilled on them

                +   Parents don't always have the means to buy the children a change of shoes

CTC will fulfill its mission to provide a brand new pair of shoes for children in need, putting a smile on their faces. Our desire like their compassionate teacher, is to keep the children in school, wearing proper fitting shoes.

We at CTC are forever grateful for our supporters who enable us to to provide for these classroom projects.  Please don't forget to make a real and vital contribution to the health of the environment in whatever small way you can.

Warm wishes for a healthy and prosperous new year.

Peace & Blessings!

THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR BLESSINGS

Choose To Care(CTC)(choosetocaresite.org) has stayed true to its mission.  Since its start in 2008, we have continued to provide a brand new pair of shoes for the children in need at home and abroad.

We have continued to offer support for as many children as we can and hope that these pair of shoes will help them to make progress in whatever areas they choose.  As we have often said, this pair of shoes can be magical; the wearer will see it fit to continue their education, to participate in sports, to wear with dignity and joy, good fitting shoes without holes, to protect their feet from cuts and infections and so on.

We are proud of our efforts and thankful for our supporters over these 14 years.  We know that there is so much more needed; we are just scratching the surface but vow never to give up. Each month we sponsor a public school classroom through Donors Choose(donors choose.org). This organization allows public school teachers, nationwide, to request resources for their students.  We have enjoyed journeying to bring the good news of sponsorship.

This month we have landed at Langston Chapel Middle School, Statesboro, Georgia; where the kind teacher, Ms. Jackson is concerned about the health and wellbeing of her Grades 6-8 students.  She said that wearing the wrong type of shoes can be detrimental to their health and growth on the basketball court.

We at CTC are filled with joy to answer her request for comfortable and proper shoes for the students. This month also, feeling the joy for the holiday season, CTC donated shoes to a local shelter that is feeling the squeeze from the many new families they are housing. We also remembered our families living abroad and so we contributed to Child Fund International, an American based organization, that needed school shoes for children in foreign countries. Good footwear For Good Health was their advertisement.

CTC would like you to join them in making environmental goals.  Let's do our part, no matter how small, to preserve the planet for ensuing generations. CTC values your service! Wishing you, joy, health and prosperity in the coming years.

COMING THROUGH

 "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others" Mahatma Gandhi

It is always difficult each month to choose a classroom project and answer that teacher's request for her students.  But we at Choose To Care(CTC)(choosetocaresite.org), know how important  it is to provide healthy and secure beginnings for children, even if it is a few at a time.

This month, Mrs. Ramos from A&M Consolidated High School, College Station, Texas, described her students as amazing, funny and caring.  May of her students, she said, come from low-income households and do not have access to black dress shoes, that is needed for the concerts, they participate in. The teacher is fighting for these students because she wants them to fit in with the group.

CTC is here to fill that gap.  Our mission is to provide a brand new pair of shoes for the child in need and our vision is  that the children will be provided resources and gain skills needed to rise above adversity and positively take their lives in the right direction.

We applaud Donors Choose(donors choose.org) for providing this trusted platform, for public schools nationwide; giving teachers an added chance to lift up their students, so they can learn, grow and thrive.

CTC also uses their platform to advocate for protection of Mother Earth, in whatever way possible. It is our responsibility.

Happy Thanksgiving!

With Gratitude!