Despite the trauma and tragedy of being under a federal ICE occupation for over two months, the immense need to restore our community will be here for months to come. Here are some ways you can help our immigrants and our community.
With this piece, I hope to spread the awareness a little bit further. Keep reading to see how you can help. (Author’s note: This piece was first published on Going Places.
For the past month, I’ve been volunteering at a tiny church in South Minneapolis that is providing food for over 29,000 families and counting.
While looking around at the makeshift assembly line of rice, beans, pasta, canned tuna, mac and cheese, and soup on a recent evening, the church pastor said, “It looks like we’re responding to the aftermath of a hurricane here.”
The immigration crisis happening in Minneapolis is a crisis for all Americans. The past few weeks have been brutal in our city, and as of now, we have more federal ICE agents in the Twin Cities than the combined police forces of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. there is no time than ever before in my life that his words of justice and freedom ignite my soul. I was born in Minnesota and have lived in the glorious city of Minneapolis for the past 25 years. I am a true Minnesotan, and I have never been prouder of my community than ever before. The past month has been absolute chaos, fear, anxiety, and heartbreak for those of us living in Minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs. We have seen people we care about and love being attacked, detained, and even killed in our community. No one in this city is living a normal life – we all are in fear and traumatized by what is happening to us by our own government.
Yes, these words may sound harsh to those who support the federal government. But as the Star Tribune’s editor in chief Steve Grove aptly says,” No matter your view of immigration policy or enforcement, the chaos unfolding here should concern everyone”. For it is no longer simply about immigration, it is about human rights, justice, nd our freedom as a country.
I have been peacefully protesting what is happening, following the law and using the Fourth Amendment to stand up to the injustices happening in my city and state. Many of my friends near and far have thanked me for using my voice to share information that is happening here on the ground in my city. There are so many horrific things happening that I hear about daily from my friends, neighbors, and community that are not being reported. I am trying my best to curate the news I read, examine, and hear on my Instagram stories. Yet it is a struggle to keep up. I’ve attended trainings to know my and our immigrant neighbors’ rights, have marched in the bone-chilling winds and cold of a Minnesota winter. Yet I know that I can and must do more.
In effort to get a better picture of what is happening in my city, I will share a few resources here on my blog for those who want to learn more and participate.
“As the crisis between federal law enforcement and people in Minnesota has continued. No matter your view of immigration policy or enforcement, the chaos unfolding here should concern everyone.
The view from Minnesota is this: the stunning set of events in our state is calling into question some of the basic principles of life in America.
The investigation of the killing of Renee Nicole Good has been politicized, and her wife is now under investigation for what administration officials are calling “domestic terrorism.”
These are some of the stories I’ve been sharing on my Instagram account (@thirdeyemom).
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What I love about this article is the call to action. This content again is copied from Grove’s article.
How you can help
Per Grove, “There are lots of ways to help Minnesota right now, but if you’re looking for ways to support journalism specifically, here are a few things I shared with readers in my Publisher’s Note this week”:
Pay attention to the coverage. Simply spending time with our report is an act of service. It can be tempting to ignore the media blitz, shrug off inconvenient truths, or let it all wash by you and hope it goes away. But reading local news coverage, from us and others, makes a difference. An informed public is a powerful force in our democracy.
Amplify great journalism. Please consider sharing our coverage across social media, group chats, or any other communities you’re a part of – it makes a difference. The more we can amplify the truth, the better we can fight back disinformation.
Donate or subscribe – to us or others. A free press comes at a real cost. We’re keeping as much of our journalism outside the paywall as we can right now. You can donate to the Minnesota Star Tribune Local News Fund, or to any other local media outlet you trust.
A huge thank you to the Star Tribune for your coverage of this crisis and for keeping a lot of these stories free for everyone to read, access, and make their own decisions.
My second shout-out is to MPR (Minnesota Public Radio) and the work of photojournalist Ben Jovland (@benjovland). I have been following MPR throughout it all to learn as much as I can about the situation around me. Their reporting has been incredible.
For other national outlets, the coverage has been ok. There has been a tremendous amount of fake news and AI-generated videos out there, so I’ve learned to be careful and fully research what is happening before jumping to conclusions. This is a highly divisive time in our country. Perhaps one of the most divisive times I ever have ever known. That alone is heartbreaking to me. We are not only losing our community, but we are losing our freedom and our country.
However, like Martin Luther King, Jr., I still have hope. No matter how bleak the situation, we still have our freedom of speech and beliefs. We still have the right to stand up for what we believe is right and wrong. Until that is taken away from me, I will not be silenced.
We in Minneapolis are still traumatized from the murder of George Floyd, followed by the politically-motivated murders of our elected officials and the school shooting at Annunciation right down the street this past Autumn. And now we are dealing with one of the largest threats to democracy we have ever experienced at our doorstep.
Despite the cold, legal citizens are being detained and are being taken in brutal ways often at gunpoint and in this case in his underwear at -0 temperatures.
Yet I have faith. We as Minnesotans are resilient, strong, and we persevere in our long Minnesota winters and our kindness. We will resist.
Danny Perez, the founder of Dharma Expeditions, is on a mission to bring sustainable tourism to threatened indigenous Ranchero Californio communities off the tourist map in Los Cabos by providing cactus cooking classes for travelers
Local tour guide Danny Perez was out rock climbing one day along the outskirts of the vast UNESCO-protected Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve when he stumbled upon something special. There in the middle of the desert in one of Baja’s most beautiful but least explored places outside of Los Cabos, he found El Barranco, a traditional rancho (ranch) where the Ranchero Californio people continue to live and farm their land in one of the harshest environments in Mexico as their indigenous ancestors have for centuries.
Stunned, Danny stopped to chat with the owners and learned that today there are only 102 ranchos left in all of Los Cabos. As an experienced adventure tour guide in Los Cabos for 15 years, Perez hatched the idea to launch Dharma Expeditions, his grassroots tourism program.
“The beginnings were very humble” Danny confessed. “I basically had to build everything from scratch. The kitchen, the wood-burning stove (which is made from a recycled oil drum), and the bathroom for guests. It has all been a labor of love in the hope that my tours help keep this amazing community and culture alive” Danny concluded.
Four years later, his program works with five ranchos in the area bringing tourists for a one-of-a-kind indigenous nopales cactus taco cooking class. Not only does Danny connect travelers with a rare glimpse into indigenous life and culture, but the tours also provide income for the rancho families in the hope of keeping their community, culture, and heritage alive. Dharma is one of the only outfitters who work with the rarely visited Ranchero California communities in Los Cabos.
The rancheros’ traditional way of life and culture is being threatened by climate change, mass tourism, over-development, and commercialization of Los Cabos. In the past year alone, tourism and housing prices have exploded making Los Cabos the most expensive destination in all of Mexico and pushing the local community out. A new resort is also being built right outside of El Barranco’s property line threatening to push them out. “This is part of the reason why I launched our cactus cooking tours,” said Danny. “I am worried that the ranchero community will soon be gone”.
What started 50 years ago on a plot of cattle-stripped land has grown into the only tropical cloud forest in the United States with over 100 species of bamboo, gigantic tree ferns, and many rare and endangered species affording visitors an opportunity to learn firsthand about the value of conservation
As I drive up the windy road, high above the white-sand beaches and black lava fields of the Kona coastline into an area covered by ‘Ōhi‘a trees and lush rainforest, I am struck by how ecologically diverse the island of Hawai’i truly is. As the largest inhabited island of the Hawaiian archipelago, the island of Hawai’i has almost every subclimate zone on the planet altogether in one relatively small place.
At the entrance of the 70-acre Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary, a white-haired, eighty-ish-looking man is greeting visitors. Wearing a sweatshirt that reads “May the forest be with you” Norman Bezona’s smile spreads ear to ear, crinkling the deep creases along the corners of his eyes. He can hardly wait to tell us the story behind this unique forest. It is one of 736 known tropical cloud forests in the world and the only one in the United States except for the El Yunque National Forest located in the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico.
The entrance to the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary.Tours available by appointment only.
Our small group of ten visitors follows Norman inside the entrance, stepping into a magical oasis of peace and tranquility. Statues reminiscent of Bali line the property. Norman informs us that Bali is one of his favorite places on earth, except for of course the island of Hawai’i. We sit on a wooden balcony overlooking the vast depths of the forest while Norman pulls up a chair, readying himself to start our first lesson.
“Does anyone know the difference between a tropical rainforest and a tropical cloud forest?” Norman asks the group.
One blond-haired, pig-tailed girl eagerly raises her hand and replies: “It rains a lot in a rainforest while a cloud forest feels like being in the middle of the clouds“. Continue reading →
Today, March 22, is World Water Day, a day designated by the United Nations (UN) to bring attention to the importance and need of safe water worldwide. Water is life, and access to safe water is a fundamental human right. However, 771 million people worldwide continue to live without safe drinking water affecting their health, wellbeing, education, and livelihoods. Water is so critical to life and wellbeing that the UN added it as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6), which commits the world to ensuring that everyone has access to safe water by 2030.
This year’s World Water Day theme is groundwater and making the invisible visible. Groundwater is invisible, lying underneath the dirt, yet its impact worldwide is visible everywhere. Groundwater provides the majority of the water that sustains us. As we face climate change and increased pollution, the role of protecting our groundwater could never be more important. Since the beginning, EOS has been working hard to protect our watersheds by implementing our Circuit Rider model of training, education, and sustainability of rural communities’ water systems.
The long road up before it disappeared
Even one of our motorcycles broke but that doesn't stop us from doing the work
The town coming to watch the installation
A few of the homes who will benefit from safe drinking water
Installing the chlorinator
Alicia running the safe water
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Just two weeks ago, I joined our US-based team on a visit to Honduras, and for a few of us, it was our very first time on the ground seeing our work. We watched a water chlorinator being installed in an extremely remote community called La Cañada, located high up in the mountains in Gracias, Honduras. Reaching the community was not for the faint of heart, as the roads are almost non-existent in parts and it requires patience and perseverance to make the bumpy drive up the mountain to reach the village.
It’s back! My annual Gifts that Give Back for the Holidays Guide. For the past seven years, I have curated an ever-growing list of amazing Gifts that Give Back. My guide has become so popular that I have devoted an entire page on my blog that is updated frequently and features these wonderful organizations and the causes they support. Whether it be fighting hunger, gender inequality or providing educational or income opportunities, there are a ton of ways you can use your buying power as a consumer to do good and make a difference in someone’s life.
As the pandemic continues to drag on, the giving season consumers continue to have a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on the world at a time when it’s most needed. Let’s come together to support one another in the fight against COVID-19, and make this holiday season, a giving season. Wishing you and your family health, strength, and hope during this challenging time.
Anchal [on-chal] believes design can change lives: The edge of a sari used to provide comfort to loved ones. Anchal Project is a nonprofit that uses design and collaboration to provide economic opportunities for marginalized women to empower themselves through the creation of sustainable products, holistic programs, and global market access.
It is almost unimaginable how vastly different life in the pandemic is here in the United States and thousands of miles away in India and other parts of the world. As Memorial Day Weekend comes to a close and life has bounded back to almost as it was before the pandemic across much of the United States, India is faced with a second wave of Covid-19 that is more aggressive and deadly than ever before. While the US still sightly leads the world in number of reported cases and deaths, a huge difference exists in the overall impact of the fierce second wave that is striking India and other parts of the developing world: The desperate lack of healthcare and infrastructure that was problematic well before the pandemic struck.
Due to the crowded living conditions of disadvantaged communities, lack of adequate sanitation, and proper health care services, India is very vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19 especially in its rural communities which represent a vast majority of India’s 1.3 billion people of population. Furthermore, with vaccination rates well below that of the United States (41.2% fully vaccinated) and only 3.2% of India’s 1.3 billion fully vaccinated, India has a long, difficult road ahead.
For over 20 years, the Rural Development Trust’s Bathalapalli Hospital has provided quality healthcare in rural India. Today it is on the frontlines of the fight against the pandemic and thankfully organizations such as the Vicente Ferrer Foundation and its local partner, the Rural Development Trust (RDT) in India are taking charge and doing whatever they can to save lives. While the challenges ahead are huge, there is hope.
For the past few months I’ve been volunteering at M Fairview Hospitals and Clinics at their Ambulatory Covid Vaccine clinics. I’ve done all different roles ranging from greeter, observer, labeler to patient registration, and I have truly enjoyed interacting and talking with people from all walks of life. It has been a profound experience participating in the massive effort to stop the spread of Covid-19. In the first few days of working my four-hour shift, our team vaccinated over 400 people just in the morning at the site.
Since January, M Fairview, one of the many mass vaccination clinics in our state, has provided over 300,000 vaccines to over 150,000 individuals (including me!) in the state of Minnesota. As of today, over 60% percent of Minnesotans who are eligible are totally vaccinated.
It has been an astounding feat and also for me, a very rewarding experience being a part of it especially in the beginning when people would literally be crying tears of joy because they were so happy to get the life-saving vaccine. After over a year of isolation at home and hardly any social face-to-face interaction with people, I was able to suddenly be around people again and make connections with strangers from all walks of life. As an extrovert, it has been a healing experience after so much isolation this past year.
For the past six years, I have curated an ever-growing list of amazing Gifts that Give Back. My guide has become so popular that I have devoted an entire page on my blog that is updated frequently and features these wonderful organizations and the causes they support. Whether it be fighting hunger, gender inequality or providing educational or income opportunities, there are a ton of ways you can use your buying power as a consumer to do good and make a difference in someone’s life.
This giving season is by far like none most of us have ever experienced. Despite all the hardship and challenges during this unprecedented time, this year consumers have a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on the world at a time when it’s most needed. Let’s come together to support one another in the fight against COVID-19, and make this holiday season, a giving season. Wishing you and your family health, strength, and hope during this challenging time.
Happy Shopping! And if you like this post, please share. Together, our collective buying can help change the world and make a difference. Also, be sure to check out my earlier post on Gifts that Give Back to Support the Fight Against COVID-19. There are so many amazing companies out there doing good.
Did you know that over 132 million girls around the world are out of school? This number was before the COVID pandemic began and now millions of more girls are at risk of not receiving an education this school year. As my own thirteen-year-old daughter prepares to begin her hybrid version of 8th grade, I often realize how incredibly blessed we are to have the opportunity and the resources to continue her education. Millions of children, especially girls, will miss out this year and not have the opportunity to learn. However, there is something we can do to help out and make a difference.
I’m thrilled to be partnering for the fourth year in a row with Kurandza this month for the #IStandForGirls campaign. I learned about Kurandza’s work five years ago when I started researching my popular Gifts that Give Back page and international nonprofits that are changing the world. I shared Elisabetta and Percina’s powerful story about why they founded Kurandza on the blog and have been an avid supporter of their work in Mozambique ever since.
While the global pandemic has impacted us all, it has impacted some of the most vulnerable communities around the world even more. Thanks to organizations like Kurandza girls are able to continue to receive an education and continue learning and thriving despite these new challenges. Now it is more important than ever before to stand up and support girls’ education.
#IStandForGirls because I believe all girls around the world should have equal access to education and opportunities no matter where they’re from. I believe in the power of education, and that all girls have the ability to reach their dreams when given the chance at an education.
When a girl gets an education she…
Is less likely to become a child bride
Has improved nutrition and access to better health care
Is likely to do what she can to uplift other girls in her community
In unprecedented times of COVID-19, now more than ever your purchasing power matters. In response to the coronavirus outbreak, many social enterprises, business and nonprofits are offering ways that you can use your purchasing power to help give back by either providing medical masks, supplies or your own facemasks to keep you and your loved ones healthy. Here are a few of my favorites.
Anchal [on-chal] believes design can change lives. As a non-profit social enterprise, Anchal uses design thinking to create innovative products and sustainable employment for exploited women worldwide. To date, Anchal has provided alternative careers in textiles and design to over 200 women in Ajmer, India and Louisville, KY.
Anchal is committed to producing the highest quality home goods & accessories while maintaining the integrity of our artisans and natural resources. Distinct design, craftsmanship and a personal signature connect you to the individual maker. Our eco-friendly products are entirely hand-stitched from vintage materials, certified organic cotton and low-impact dyes.
Anchal’s organic and vintage cotton face masks are made from two layers of quilted fabric. The dense weave of this durable cotton barrier provides protection and breathability. Anchal’s cotton bandanas also make for a versatile face mask option that can still be worn when COVID-19 pandemic ends. You can learn how to make your own Bandana Mask here. All masks are washable and reusable. The fabric is hand embroidered by an Artisan in Ajmer, India. The mask is cut and sewn by our team in Louisville, KY. All masks are pre-washed and delivered in polybags. Cost $20.00. Continue reading →
Today is one of my favorite days of the year. It is International Women’s Day, a day around the world to celebrate women and girls and to look at the progress that has been made and the work that remains to be done. For those who have followed my blog for a while, you know that the rights of women and girls lie near and dear to my heart. I’ve witnessed the inequities and injustice firsthand throughout my travels around the world.
Women and girls are more likely to be poor, unable to go to school, be married young and not have the same opportunities as boys and men. Women still die during childbirth at alarming rates and are being victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and human trafficking even here in the United States. The list of tragedies goes on and on.
However, the exciting news is this reality is rapidly changing. More women and girls are being empowered with education, training, and access to healthcare, mobile money, micro-financing, and technology. The future is looking much brighter for women and girls than it did just a decade ago. So instead of dwelling on the bad things, I want to honor the good things that are happening by highlighting a few of my favorite women and girls I’ve met along the way.
