Day 33

While I was at work today, I went on to facebook and saw that one of my good friend's posted a link and a video that read "Help 3-year-old Shira beat cancer!" there was a picture of a little baby girl, boiled in her mother's arms. So I clicked it, the video was in Hebrew. The story is that the BAREL family had a happy and peaceful life, the father, the mother and five sweet little children. Like in all the stories, it began suddenly one day when their daughter Shira did not feel well. At the beginning, they thought that this is one of the usual kids' sicknesses, until the worst possible blow came down on them unexpectedly. Shira was diagnosed as suffering from brain cancer and she was only 3. Ever since then, their lives have changed from one extreme to the other. Her father remains by her bedside at the Pediatric Oncology Department at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center of Tel Hashomer, Israel, and as a result, he has been obliged to resign from his work. Whereas his wife is torn between the visits to the hospital and caring for the four little ones remaining at home.
A few weeks ago, Shira underwent a brain operation. After a difficult recovery, the malignant brain tumor reemerged with metastasis spreading to the spinal cord. Now Shira needs a treatment based on medication, which is quite expensive and the Barel family does not know, from where they will get the money. Her father says : “She is so little and so sweet, she does not understand why so many instruments are connected to her body and what for. She wants to have fun in a playground and enjoy herself like all the kids of her age.”
In the near future, the Barel Family will be obliged to evacuate their apartment: because of their difficult financial situation, they cannot raise payment for the rent. Furthermore, they have to fund from their own pocket the expensive medicines, which are not included in the Health Benefits Package and for which they have to foot the bill. And to do that they have been borrowing from everyone and anyone, especially since they have both lost their jobs and thus have been left without any source of income.
Shira has a twin brother, which in the video the mother explained that at times when Shira is hurting he points to the spot on his body that she is feeling pain, incredible. Shira's mother was so embarrassed to ask for money to help her daughter, that she even breakdown in tears on national television, it just broke my heart. It's so sad.
I know there are a million stories like this everyday all around the world, but I really take each case personally, its the reason I volunteer with the RMH. This is a life, its so precious and pure. It's a baby that deserves the chance to live and see a beautiful world; learn how ride a bike, play dress up, be able to have braids in her hair, dance, sing, laugh, jump, run after bubbles and grow up. If you can please help donate even just a $1 it will help! You gotta remember that every penny adds up! This little princess is such a fighter, please allow her her the ability of the gift of life.
I just donated $20.

I had to cancel Thursday's volunteer at the RMH because I forgot that I have a health examination for the Oranim Program. It's all good, I'll be there next week.
Tonight, I saw the movie 7 Pounds, which is one of my all time favorite movies! That movies gets me every time, I cant help but to burst into tears. What an amazing movie. SELFLESS. SELFLESS. SELFLESS. If you haven't watched you HAVE TO! I also need to see the Pursuit to Happiness, I actually bought it and haven't watched it but because I know its the same director and writer, I MUST! I heard its just as an amazing movie, kinda makes it hard to believe.
After that was over, I also watched a little bit of The Secret. I know all about The Secret and have been doing it for years even before I know how to identify what I was doing. Yet sometimes I do lose the drive and motivation to keep going with different things that are in my life. So yesterday when I watched it, a part that stood out for me was writing a list of all the things you are grateful for. Tomorrow I'm gonna go to my favorite spot at the beach and write it down. I feel that it will motivate me on the path of happiness and goal achieving. I always like to share things like that with my little 14 year old sister. I actually bought her the TEENS Secret, which I personally found better then The Secret. I was telling her that I was gonna make a list and that she should too. I love her, she is my pride in joy and one of my biggest achievements at bettering someones life. I really feel like I raised her to be such a smart, open-minded, big dreamer, young lady, with such passion, love, compassion, and self awareness. She was a few steps ahead of me, she told me that she wrote a list about 2 weeks ago and that every morning when she wakes up, she writes 5 things that she is grateful for. Her list now is at about 300 and it keeps her happy, grateful, appreciative, and passionate everyday. She is amazing. I do highly recommend you do this, just to see how blessed you truly are.
I also got the chance today to send my Grant letter to the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles because I'm runnin out of time, cross your fingers for me!

“Dreams are like the paints of a great artist. Your dreams are your paints, the world is your canvas. Believing, is the brush that converts your dreams into a masterpiece of reality.”



The Article video about Shira: http://reshet.ynet.co.il/חדשות/News/Domestic/Health/Article,36974.aspx

Shira's personal website for donation: http://www.shirab.co.il/len

Day 32

What an interesting little day.
This morning, I went into work at SC and while I was at work I got a phone call from Jennifer, she is such a sweetheart. She was in shock to read my message and wouldn't stop apologizing about everything that happened. She asked me to tell her what happened, apparently the same thing happened with another volunteer a few days back. The same person that told me that they didn't need me and said there was too many volunteers, did the very same thing to another volunteer and because of that situation Jennifer was upset and called a staff meeting. She explained to me that no volunteer should ever be sent home and that there can never be too many volunteers, just as I figured. She told me that she is working on a few new project, such as events and activities and possibly a tour guide bus, maybe even a trip to Disneyland and such for the families. She said, she would love for me to be a part of it. She also expressed to me that she sees how passionate I am about making a difference, that she is grateful for having me, and that she would pay me back the $50 for the decoration if I give her the receipt, which I dont want back, it was all part of the good deed. She said she will talk to this "person" about it, and that she already forwarded my email to another staff member and that she also apologies. I then agreed to come back and set a schedule to come Thursday, and Tuesday and Wednesday next week. =) So in the end it all worked out! YAY!

Well a few days ago, I went over to one of my best friend Shelly's house, to write a letter to the Israel Federation about a grant and about this project. Of course like always, we got caught up talking about a million other things and so right before we went to sleep, I recorded an audio of her on how I should write it because she is pretty smart cookie and great when it comes to essays. Today I uploaded it onto my computer so that I can begin writing it and as I'm listening and typing, I come across a sentence that she said that didn't make any sense to me, something like "While trying to execute my plan" or something like that. So I thought to myself wait what?!?!? execute? like killing people? I kept replaying it and was so confused, so I typed it into Google, which btw Google is like my spell-check/dictionary lol, so for some odd reason I guess I clicked images! Which was the worstttt idea EVER! I'm honestly the worsttttttttt person when it comes to things like that. I cant handle scary movies, cant handle hearing stories about death or anything that just has to do with death, it freaks me out but I'll explain that another day, but I think it really comes down to me being such a compassionate person and an artist, I can't help but to store these horrid images in my head FOREVER! But yet at the same time, we are humans, and I do have this curious side, maybe because it freaks me out so much. So then I start going through some of the most horrifying images ever!!! and thannn I see an image taken somewhere in South Africa, of a man burning another man to death (you should see my face right now), this poor man is tided down and has a tire around his neck that is on fire, this is called necklacing. OH MY &*$*(&@$*&(@ G*D!!!!!!!! I was seriously mortified!!! I was stunned and still am that such horrid, beyond animalistic, behavior is going on in this world! WTF!?!? Howwww sickkk do you have to be to do such a thing! Sometimes I cant fathom some of the things that go on in this world. I swear to you, after seeing that image, I sat starring into my Microsoft Word document with not a single thing to type. I literally had to go to youtube and look at some happy music videos to get over what I had saw, it didn't help though, I even had a hard time sleeping thinking about it. I have a theory, where I believe that each and every person on this Planet has good to them, some more, some less, but I do strongly preach that and I can't in my right mind figure out how another human being can perform such an act. I guess I'm trying to understand what kind of trauma would cause someone to such a thing, I don't understand....
Do yourself a favor, don't look up that word, ever, in your life.
Well thank G*d for dictionary.com. I guess I already knew that execute also means to accomplish something but I don't why I didn't relate to that meaning when I heard it. I did actually finish the letter after a few hours.

Later on the night I met 3 Military man, who just got back to the US after being gone for 6 month. They were actually in the Air Force, I found out later, which I found interesting since I used to date someone for 3 years that was a Air Force Veteran. One of them showed me a huge scar on his upper left shoulder. He told me that when he was in Afghanistan on duty, that he was riding in a Jeep, where out of no where, the Jeep ran over a bomb and it exploded! Everyone in the Jeep died but him! He told me that the in Afghanistan they have these underground sand hiding spots and they just jumped out of them at you. The moment one of the Afghanistan saw that he was alive, he tried to stab him right in the heart and he blocked it and then his other to friends that I also met, killed him. They were so torn and said that they didn't sign up to kill people and that it was the worst feeling you can ever imagine. Naively I said, "well ya, but that's your job", they all got extremely angry and said there that job is to protect the USA and NOT to KILL ANYONE. I apologized for offending them, that wasn't my intentions. We discussed politics, I was telling them that I was going to Israel on the volunteer program, we talked about the Israeli Army, ect.
One of them freaked me out saying that Iran today said on the news that they are planning to blow up Israel. I really started freaking out thinking about my family that lives there now and my future life there. We left Israel when I was a kid during the Gulf War, because my father was recruited back to the Army. Meanwhile my mom was a 25 year old, sitting in a padded room in our house, with my brother age 4 at the time and me at the age of 7, wearing gas masks, praying to live. There was actually a bomb that exploded a mile away from our home. Til this day, I still remember that disgusting feeling of it on my face and the way it smelled. I know this program will be safe but I can't help in the back of my head to think about it.
My brother and I, in Israel during the Gulf War.

They kept repeating how impressed they were that I had such global and life knowledge at such a young age. They were really good men. I thanked them for being Heroes. My heart really went out to them, all 3 of them told me how miserable they are, that none of them have wives or children because they have been in the Military for over 20 years and no women is willing to live that lifestyle. They really believe that being a soldier is all that they are good at and deserve, it was really sad. I wish they can see that life is beautiful and that there is so much more to the world and themselves then that. I'm so free spirited and live like a Gypsy or a Hippie that I can never understand that world. I mean these poor guys are miserable and they think that there is no way out. I wish I can help turn peoples black into a Rainbow like them, because that's how I view life and I want to inspire more people to see it in my eyes.
My heart and prayers go out to them and all the soldiers all around the world.

“You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes.”

Day 31

YAY 999 visitors views!
That's my favorite number, 99 or 999! Don't guess my password now ;)
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and reading, it really means a lot to me, I know I'm really bad with not writing everyday and then writing 3 blogs in one day, I'm working on that, saaaooorrrrryyy!
Living off of the same schedule as yesterday today.
I did today get to work on more forms for the Program! I cant believe that in a month from now I'll be living in Israel! I find it scary and yet exciting!
I also got a chance to write Jennifer a message, telling her what had happened on Friday and that I took it personal. I explained to her that I wasn't volunteering because I needed social worker's hours or a school project, that I was doing this because I wanted to truly make a difference for people in need. I explained to her that although I really wanted to make the commitment of helping at the RMH, that I dont think it will work out, but I had a pleasure working with her and that she is great. Because quite honestly all this mess wasn't her, I really like her, she is great!
I'm boring today, that's all I got for ya!

“We have no right to ask when a sorrow comes, 'Why did this happen to me?' unless we ask the same question for every joy that comes our way.”

Day 30

Honestly it's been nuts trying to keep up with myself =)
Today I went to work once again at Salt Chalet from 10am-7pm and then to my other job from 8pm-1am.
Working at Salt Chalet I really feel as though it's beneficial to humanity. Today I signed up a 3 year old kid with a serious case of Asthma, a long with a 12 year boy with Psoriasis, which btw I'm not quite sure why its spelled with a P? oooh the English language lol. So I really do feel like I'm making a difference. I swear to you, I think these Salt Rooms are just magic! How amazing is it that we have a natural form of healing our breathing and skin by sitting in a room made out of salt with breathing it! AKA *MAGIC*

On a different note, I didn't realize how much paperwork I really need for this Volunteer Program, I mean from Resume, Program Regulations, Safety & Security, picking a Host Families, Passport Information, Emergency Contacts, Health History, Arrival Information, sending a photo of myself and another security deposit check, bank statements, notarized letter, providing references, phone plan, faxing forms, I mean the list basically doesn't end and then of course there is all the other personal things I need to take care of such as flight, my storage, my cell phone plan here, writing letters for grants, I mean honestly its just one big circus, =) but I like it! I think it seems a bit overwhelming because I signed for the Program pretty late and I have to have all of this done by Feb.8th, which is less than a week, meanwhile most of the other people signed up to this program months ago. But on the other end of the scale, I'm crazy EXCITED!!!! I work best under pressure! weeeeeeeee =)

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”

Day 29

I am extremely disappointed with the Ronald McDonald House. On Wednesday I got a phone call from Jennifer asking me why I didn't come. I told her I wasn't feeling good and that I forgot but it was more about the fact that I was offended with the whole decoration situation. She told me that they made a few more adjustments and not to forgot to come on Friday because they are low on staff. So I promised her that I would be there. On Friday morning I woke up extra early and drove out there, which is not close to my house at all, its about 20 miles away from where I live. I get there and the staff member that tells us what we will be doing, told me she has too many volunteers, that I wasn't on the schedule and that she doesn't really have anything for me to do. She before I left I went into the other house and then saw that more of the decoration were taken off and in the beginning we were told that we cant have tape on the walls but it turns out that we cant have tape on glass either and in result of that everything looked very different. So I took what was taken off and left, I'm thinking of donating it to my little sister's kindergarten Teacher of last year. I don't want to volunteer there anymore, I don't feel like they appreciate much. I will though, write Jen a message about what had happened, maybe I "misunderstand" something...but as far as I see things I'm really upset and most likely not going back.
“If you have much, give of your wealth; If you have little, give of your heart”

Day 28

Last year, I started working on a shoe line called Don Pedro and moved from California to New York City to study shoe design for a semester at the Fashion Institute of Technology University. Part of the requirements for the shoe design program was to take Human Anatomy, which in the beginning annoyed me and in the end, ended up being my favorite class. In the class we learned the importance of how shoes protect our feet, different foot diseases, how our feet work, and everything else you can imagine. Like did you know, that in a life time you walk anywhere from 150,000-250,000 miles, which is 6-8 times around the globe! Wearing proper shoes can allure your well being in so many ways. When I heard about what TOMS SHOES were doing I was very pleased. For those of you who dont know, for every pair of shoes that someone buys from TOMS SHOES, he donates a pair to a child in need. As I was designing my line before TOMS SHOES became popular, I was thinking of doing the very same. So when I heard that Sport Chalet was collecting "gently wore shoes" for their Soles4Souls campaign I knew I had to donate shoes! So today after work I drove pretty far out of my way to donate my fairly new pair of black uggs. At first I walked into the store feeling a little embarrassed holding a pair of shoes in my hand haha. Yet after I asked the lady in the front if they were still collecting shoes and she said sure and pointed to an insane amount of shoes piled up like a hill, I started laughing at myself.
Tomorrow is the last day! Don't be lazy, go through your closet and see what shoes are small on you and what shoes you never wear and go donate it to families that are in need in Haiti. Remember, these people lost their world, so any kind of help really counts.



"If a man does only what is required of him, he is a slave. if a man does more than is required of him, he is a free man."

Day 27

TODAY I DID IT!
I am officially enrolled in Oranim Volunteering Long Term Program to Israel.
I'm the type of person that doesn't like to say things unless I know they're 100% sure, so although I have been working strongly on this the last couple of weeks, I didn't think any information was worth speaking of until now that I have put my security deposit.
Originally I was planning on doing a 5 month Internship with a non-profit in Tel Aviv, Israel, in an apartment on the beach, that actually cost $5000 because it was so near the beach. But after doing a lot of thinking and research, I decided that the best choice for me would be to enroll in the Ness Ziona Community Involvement Program for 5 months, which is free. I figured it will give me more options to do different things with my money afterwards, such as traveling. I also choose it because of the name as well lol, Ness in Hebrew means miracle and Zoina means Israel, I like it ;) I believe that names build character and attracts to it's meaning.
Soooooooo my program actually starts March.8th-Aug.5th!!! SOOOO SOON! How exciting! Which gives me very little time to do so many things but I work the best under pressure! I will be volunteering/helping children learn how to read, help the elderly, do environmental things, work at Soup Kitchen and more. We will be getting Hebrew classes, everyday the first 2 weeks and then 2 times a week until the end of the program. We will also be going on 10 field trips, which 3 of them will be a sleep away. We'll be having group activities and lectures every week.
I can't wait to spend my summer in Israel once again, last year I had the GREATEST SUMMER EVER IN ISRAEL! Ness Ziona is 20mins from the beaches in Tel Aviv, which is great because I can't live without the ocean.
The greatest part about this all, is that I get to finally be close to my mom and my sisters that moved away to Israel 4 months ago. Yet sadly enough I will be leaving my little brother and father in the States.
I will be leaving Los Angeles at the end of Feb so that I get at least a week to spend with my family. I plan to spend the rest of Aug in Israel with my family and spend my Birthday there, which is Aug.12.
Most of the volunteers signed up for this months ago but I'm always so spontaneously random with ideas that are always soooo last minute. Which leaves me with the feeling that everything this month is gonna fly right on by. It'll be stressful at times because I have a very short amount of time to get in all my paperwork in, apply for a grant, work and make enough money for living in Israel for 6months and a plane ticket, along with other expenses. Hang out with my dad and friends before I leave. I need to do the Landmark Forum Seminar that I signed up for. I also have a Vegas trip planned, andddd stillll do daily selfless acts, but BRING IT ON!
I'm so excited! I know this experience will change me forever and so will this project of mine.
To be quite honest, I don't believe that after my program I will be returning to Los Angeles. Kind of a bittersweet feeling, I lived here for 16 years and lived LA to the fullest and I feel like now it's just a matter of where the wind takes me.

I really need me some James Blunt right now.

""Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

Day 26

Woke up this morning at around 830am, which is extremely early for me but I was just SO EXCITED! I kinda hung around the house until Party City opened up and got the balloons. I got to the house and was instructed to decorate the 2nd house. There are 2 houses, one is the main one but has only 30 rooms and than the other one which I personally like better, has 45 rooms, thats the house I was told to start with. While decorating I got a chance to play with 2 kids and talked to a family who has been staying at the house for a few months waiting for their baby to have surgery. I wish I can share some of the stories but I'm not sure I'm allowed to or think it's appropriate.
I did managed to burn myself pretty bad while brewing coffee for the house, it literally split all over my left hand.
After 2 and a half hours of decorating, I got a phone call from one of the staff members that I'm not allowed to use TAPE or have anything on the walls.
.....yaaaaa....that kinda makes it hard to hang things up on the walls or anywhere really. I was kinda upset and offended that I wasn't told this from the beginning and only after I put so much work into it. So after getting over myself, I tried to figure out how to make it work and I some how managed to do so, although I don't think it looks half as good as it did before. =/



After being there for almost 6 hours I left and went to The Landmark Forum Graduation. I've been wanting to take this Seminar for years now and always pushing it off so tonight I signed up for it. I really hope it will help me on this project and in other fields in my life. I'm all about the self-improvement section in the book stores ;) . I believe that you must be the change you wish to see in the world.
So I'm really excited about FINALLLLLY doing it! I'm gonna take it the last week of Feb! How Fab! lol I'm gonna do it the last weekend of the month because if I do go on the volunteering program I'd like to do it before.

"In my head there’s a greyhound station, where I send my thoughts to far off destinations, so they may have a chance of finding a place, where they’re far more suited than here."

Day 25

I worked at S.C. today and after I got off of work, I went to a bunch of stores to find Valentine's Day decorations for the The Ronald McDonald House.
I feel like there isn't enough colors at the house, like it's a bit dull. I wanted to add more colors, more love in the house and smiles. LOVE is Universal and after all this organization is for children and families. Plus I actually got my heart broken today, so there is nothing better else to do then to share that love with people that appreciate it.
I spoke to Coordinator Managers of the house, to see if it was ok for me to do it and they loved the idea!
I'm pretty extreme and I don't have limits, everything I see, I want to buy! Especially when it comes to anything that involves fun and art. I've always been such a festive person, I love going ALL out, I believe it makes life THAT much sweeter. So I bought many different decorations and I also placed an order at Party City for 10 heart balloons, which I was gonna pick up in the morning before going over there. I was sooo excited! I ended up spending a little over $50.

"Forget who hurt you yesterday, but don't forget who loves you tenderly today."

Day 24

It's starting to become hard to save the world lol.
I feel like I have taken upon myself a bit much, which I tend to do at times because I like being super woman. It's ok though, I think its good for the soul. I don't feel like I have really done much in the past 2 years in general, so this is completely healthy and good for me. It just gets hard sometimes, I have a full time job at night that usually starts from 7pm or 9pm and then ends anywhere from 1am-2:30am. Then I have my Salt Chalet job which is 3 times a week, from 10am-6pm and thennnnnn I've kinda taken my Volunteering position at The Ronald McDonald House as a part time job as well, which I go to 2-3 times a week for 4hrs-6hrs a day, soooo It kinda crazy at times and sometimes gives me very little time to "save the world". Although volunteering is helping humanity and my Salt Chalet job really involves helping with peoples health, sometimes I don't feel like it's enough.
I also have a really hard time committing to anything and finishing it. I like to get super excited about things and start them with a crazy amount of passion and then it kinda fades away as things get tough, I lose interest and in result, I quit. So this whole project is a harder challenge for me than most people to complete, but I WILL COMPLETE IT.
So this Sunday I worked from 10am-6pm at S.C. and then after my shift I fall asleep in the salt room because I was sooo exhausted from just a busy week. When I got home, I fall asleep for 11hours. I needed to recharge my soul battery.
I did bring into the spa a family and showed them how it works and I researched online a lot. Still trying to find the perfect volunteering program in a foreign country. IT'S SOOOOO HARD!!! It's just a really big commitment and decision to make. I'm the type of person to just do things impulsively, so this time around I'm trying to really think it out.
My mom is currently in Israel and she said that every commercial break they have commercials to adopt Haiti's children that lost their families and are in serious need of a home. I find that interesting and I guess at the same time kinda weird...I mean these are children not puppies. The normal adoption process normal takes up to a year, I don't believe that you can find suitable parents for children who has been through such trauma in such a short amount of time.

"A day will never be anymore than what you make of it."

Day 23

This morning I went to work at Salt Chalet. The owners were having a meeting with the marketing team that they just hired and because they saw how strongly I believe in what we do here they also hired me onto their marketing team which I'm excited about. I met one of the owner's mother, who is a nurse. She was asking me what else I do besides this and I told her all about the Ronald McDonald House. She was very pleased with me and asked me for more information because she would love to volunteer as well. I just love that! It's such a great feeling to have people all the time ask me what I do for fun or what I'm doing and I get to tell them, I feel like I'm making a difference by causing awareness. She gave me her email information and phone number and I sent an email to the manager of the volunteering department about her and another friend that was interested in volunteering. I just cant begin to tell you how happy it really makes me to see people out there getting inspired by my actions and wanting to do the same! It's a true blessing.
I also found the story about the 23 year-old man who survived for 11 days after the Earthquake in Haiti to be miraculous. Just WOW. Do you realize what self discipline, drive, and courage you need to have to survive something like that?!?!?!?
When your feeling the lowest, always remind yourself what someone like that would be willing to do to be in your shoes and remind yourself just how great your life really is.
Tonight I also stopped a group of people from harassing a man who had a little bit too much to drink and passed out on the couch. They were throwing things on him and taking pictures. Most people would like to find this funny but I find it NOT cool at all. I'm not sure anyone who had a lot to drink and was throwing up would like things thrown at them. Although it may appear funny for a few seconds, it's NOT FUNNY. Stand up for what you believe in or for someone that can't. It doesn't have to be someone that you know. Help is universe.


“You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle.”

Day 22

FRIDAY!!!
Well I wasn't scheduled to go into the Ronald McDonald House today but I was told from Jennifer, the volunteer Manager, that they need volunteers on Fridays so I decided to go help. On the way there, I stopped my the market and picked up some Valentine's Day cookies for the staff, children, and families. I'm SO glad I went because when I got there, there was only 1 other volunteer, but other then that no one was working the front desk which kinda made me sad because people call all day with questions and checking availabilities for housing with extremely sick children who need hospital treatment asap or I guess in general, anyone needing anything. So I ended up staying a 4 hours although I had plans because I didnt want to leave the front desk empty without anyone. I handed out cookies to everyone. Checked out a few families and helped families that needed any assistance. I also made packets for our upcoming event, which is our WALK, its going to take place on April.11 at the Universal Studio Backlot! COME! COME! COME! Also, I found out that every Friday we do a giveaway, where we give toys that were donated to the sick children, which I think is sooo nice! What a great idea! It made me so happy to see the children happy!
It's weird but I feel like I'm the only volunteer at the house that is really doing it for my own enjoyment. Everyone else that I asked, it seems, are doing it because they need volunteer hours for school =/ I mean I guess its still nice, I just wish more people did it because they WANTED TO, not because it was a requirement by a program or a class project.

Today I also found out about a non-profit organization called Cross Cultural Solutions that has different programs in different countries such as Peru, Russia, India, Brazil, South Africa, China and more. You can volunteer anywhere from 1 week to 12 weeks, its pretty neat! I was actually looking at information about maybe going to India!!! WOW India sounds so amazing! I love their fabrics, the henna tattoos, the culture, the amazing temples and building, even the food! It works for me because I'm a Vegetarian for 16 years and so are they! One of my friend's Natalie spend a few months there and said how amazing it was and that you learned how to make anything, she learned how to make clothes and bracelets. India is probably on my top 5 must see countries. Along side with ITALY! Paris, Egypt and Spain. I've only been to Israel, Brazil, Argentina and the US. I def need more stamps in my passport and hopefully by the end of my project I'll have many more. I just wish these volunteering and internships didn't cost so much =/
stillll researching though different options!
Have a good weekend!

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."

Day 21

I really enjoy helping people and it makes it even better when I can help someone who I know is kindhearted, always been good to me, cheers me up when I'm sad and a hard worker. Today I got a job opportunity that I could have very well done myself and gotten paid more for, but instead I called my good friend who I know is struggling making a living and asked her to join me and split the money. Selfless. Seeing the smile on her face was priceless. I was so glad that I could help and in return it made me smile. =)


"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

Day 20

It's been raining pretty hard these last few days, none stop, for some odd reason it makes me really HAPPY! My friend Gabi today told me it's "G*d blessing us", I asked him what makes him say that and he said "Do you like fruits? Veggies? Trees? Animals? Human? Nature? All of the above NEED water to LIVE" I love that!!! What a great point =)
Last night before I went to bed I wrote Jennifer, who's the person in charge of the volunteer's at the Ronald house, I told her what a great time I had and how I wanted to add another day to my volunteer schedule for next week and told her I had a view ideas of how to brighten up the place. While I was at lunch today with my girlfriends, she gave me a call and I told her that I would like to bring in some balloons and decorate the house with them, also maybe Valentine's Day decoration because after all its a LOVE holiday and love is universe. I gave her a few more ideas and she was so excited about them! YAY! I also shared with my girlfriends my experience at the house which they found really heart fulfilling and I asked them if they were interested in helping me set up a meal for the family sometime next week with an activity and they were happy to help! So when I got home I started writing down ideas of how I can help and add more happiness into this house. I find it soooo incredible important to make a place with children in it, especially very sick children, cozy, warm, colorful, and fun! I want the kids to focus on smiling and laughing rather than there disease.
I actually stayed in tonight and researched ideas for arts and crafts and decoration more ideas.
Today I also checked out an internship with TOMS Shoes. I studied shoes & accessory design last year in NY at FIT University. I would really like do it, maybe I'll sign up for the fall session since I'm strongly considering going on the other volunteer program, which will be over summer.
Tomorrow I'm going in to volunteer at 9am! I cant wait!!!

My friend Catherine from Germany just send me this letter, it made me smile.
Hey girl, yesterday I walked on the campus to go to my university and I crossed two people who had signs around their necks that said: free hugs. So they asked the people if they wanted a hug and everyone just dodged away and I thought that was really sad. So I went up there and let them hug me - I dunno, it made me think of you and your blog ;)

"The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the srairs...one step at a time."

Day 19

I wokeup this morning on the better side of the bed. Last night I wasn't doing so well due to an overload of emotions towards many different things, luckily my good friend talked me through it and cheered me up. I am very grateful to have someone like him in my life that knows how to keep me focused on my dreams.
Well this morning I was booked to volunteer at The Ronald McDonald House (FINALLY) from 9am-12pm, BUT I never heard the alarm go off and wokeup at 9:16am and was wondering if it was too late to go. I called the house but no one was answering so I asked my friend what I should do and he said that if I made the commitment then people are depending on me and I need to go, he had a point.
As I was getting ready, I then checked my facebook messages and got a heart warming message from my little 14year old sister. She just moved to Israel and was having a hard time fitting in at the school, so all of last week we spoke for hours and I gave her motivational words. Today she wrote me this:
Hey bon bon shell. school was actually pretty good :) i liked it and i kept the most open mind i posibly could just as you told me, and invisiond myself making alot of friends, and crazy enough, the friends in my vision actually looked like the friends i made today :D haha law of attraction shit is sooo cool. and btw, i just wanted to say thanx alot for helping. i love u ♥

AWWWWWWWW I LOVE HER! She made my morning!! So I decided to go, after getting ready, driving through traffic in the rain, I had gotten to TRMH at around 10:15am, to the main building, there are two buildings. It was my first day so I wasn't sure as to what I was suppose to be doing. The other volunteer in the front desk taught me the basic as far as what we do in the main front desk. Simple things such as answering phone calls, checking in new families, setting up paperwork for the next day's check-ins, making room keys, and helping answer questions.
When I first got there, we were helping assistant a family with transportation to the hospital who couldn't speak English. Moments later I saw their daughter who was going to surgery and I got so sad, it was hard to smile at this poor girl with a genuine happy smile when all you want to do is cry and hug her. I then was setting up the paperwork for the new patients and their families for tomorrow's check-in. Once again, noticing the children's age and their diagnose, seeing cancer checked in the box was extremely hard. I guess these are all things to get framiliar with but not necessarily used to.
I got a tour of the main house by the same volunteer who had been there a while. She showed me a tall white square empty table, it was about 5 feet high, never the entrance door. She told that anytime we lose a child there will be a rose there with the child's name. wow! =( I think that was the #1 thing that touched me and hurt me the most.
The rooms are beautiful, everyone is brand new, great size room. There is a little cafe on each floor of the residence, with a laundry room. They have 2 beautiful salt water fish tanks in both of the buildings. The main building also has a computer room, play room, a parents room, a book area, and a huge kitchen. The other house is larger and has all the same things, except it has a video game room, a gym, a meeting room, theater room and a BBQ outside.
My time was technically up at 12pm but I decided that I wanted to stay longer, so they sent me to the other house which is 10feet away. I did the same basic stuff, saw more patients and families coming in and out. There was a volunteer organization there as well, they made lunch for the families it was really nice and simply, pasta, meat balls, some bread, and salad. I really realllly wanna grab some friends to do this too one day. I ended up staying till 2:30pm and then wondered why I didn't even stay longer lol.
I've always been a person who's all about the detail and noticed that although the facility is very large and nice, I feel like its very empty, I'm not really sure how to explain it, but I kinda think that there should be more playful colors, maybe balloons, or flowers, or little things that add so much! Even something as simple as maybe Valentine's Day decorations all around the house, I'm sure the families and kids would love that! I know on Christmas they had alot of decorations all over but now its all gone and it kinda looks too empty. I wanted to speak to Jennifer, who's in charge of volunteers, activities, and events. I know the next time I am schedule to volunteer is on Thursday but I REALLY actually want to go in tomorrow morning and really start making a difference! I'M FULL OF IDEAS!! After I post this, I will actually send Jen an email regarding tomorrow.
I'm really excited about helping at the Ronald McDonald House!
xoxo

"Concern should drive us into action, not depression"

Day 18

Today was Martin Luther King's birthday, what an amazing world leader. I haven't watched his speech in many years, probably since I was a kid in school, so today I decided to watch it. Just in the very few seconds before the speech you get to see the amount of hundreds of thousands of people, gathered around all because of a single man who had a dream. It's just incredible and empowering. wow. It keeps me reminded that dreams are not just an illusion at night but can ALL be created.
Here are some of Martin's most favorable quotes of mine:
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
"A man who won't die for something is not fit to live."
"All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."

I gotta tell ya, I'm REALLY LOVIN this rain in Southern California. I love the rain! It's so refreshing!...and of course, good for the planet! I hope it helps my flowers at the park grow faster that I planted! I really need to check up on them when it stops to rain.
My mom told heard on the news that 2 weeks before or after a Lunar Eclipse, there is always a HUGE Earthquake! I actually researched it earlier and it's true, kinda insane! LOOK IT UP! LOOK IT UP! Tonight I once again donated $10 through text to Haiti today. It's estimated that 200,000 have lost their lives and 1.5 million ARE HOMELESS!!! Still wishing there is more I can do. However, I did find it wonderful that even 5 days later, they are finding survivors. I saw a story about 2 people trapped underneath a supermarket and actually survived off of food they found. It took the rescue team 26hrs to get them out but it came them hope for more. These are indeed rare cause but its great to see they exsist, once again anything is possible.

Day 17

I worked from 10am-6pm at one of my jobs and then from 7pm-12am at my other job. I think its safe to say that working 13hrs kinda gives you very little time to save the world, although one of those jobs entitles helping peoples health.
However, I did make a very generous tip today at Western Bagel before I came into work, so I figured I'd make a point about that. Many people see tipping as a routine they have to do while going out to dine but not many see it it as a form of donation and it is. Most people tip when they go to a restaurant and when valeting their car. Yet they dont tip while going into starbucks to get some coffee or Jamba Juice, a deli for a quick sandwich or a bagel, an ice cream or hot dog stand, the omelet guy at the buffet, taxi drivers, bathroom attendant, the bellboy and more. Be more alert to those tip jars, some of those people work the hardest and it goes unrecognized an awful lot. Those little tip jars really do add an extra smile on someones face at the end of the day. Tips should be earned and if someone is being kind to you why not thank them for it. A few years back I used to work as a barista at a great little cafe shop. On some nights we would have a live jazz band play but all together we had about 8 tables in the whole place, it was mainly for coffee on the go. It wasn't a very busy place but I remember my coworker Justin and I counted ever penny like it was gold! That's what we would look forward to all shift long. We would only really end up making $14 all together and splitting it but it really made our day lol. Even tipping extra at a restaurant thats dead really makes someone feel better or at a nail salon that you can tell isn't a busy place. I believe that its the little things that we do that make the biggest difference to someone else. Doing a small act of kindness such as this can make someone day and in return this person gives back the favor else where and it starts a positive pattern that goes on and on.
I also wanted to mention that Sport Chalet is actually taking shoes donation and sending them to Haiti! This is a nice cause =) so if you have fairly new or clean shoes that are small on you and are just sitting in your closet collecting dust, go donate them to people that REALLY need them! Shoes are so IMPORTANT! Dont underestimate there value.

More Information on donating your shoes:
http://www.sportchalet.com/category/soles+4+souls+and+sport+chalet.do


"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it."

Day 16

I'm sorry I disappeared, I've just been so busy. Accept my apology?
Saturday, while I was at work, I went to Yahoo images once again to see the updates of what's going on in Haiti, I was horrified.
The people of Haiti just took it to another level, I mean stealing, hitting eachother, shooting eachother, I actually saw a few photos of a man opening a coffin and taking out the body that was already in there to so that he can use it for someone else. Other photos of abandon coffins thrown in the middle of the road with bodies in them. I tend to relate natural disasters, where a massive amount of people are lifeless to the Holocaust almost always. So seeing piles of soulless bodies touches me in a way I dont even know how to describe and I cant help but to cry and feel a sharp pain in my heart and stomach.
One of the most touching and heart shattering photos I saw was of a tiny, 1 month year old baby, that a man from the rescue team had found alive in her mother's dead arms. The moment I saw this photo, I literally started bursting into tears at work. I mean what a miracle and at the same time terrible tragic. There were 700 images, which the first set, from day one I can look at but these new images I really couldn't. Watching these images unfold infront of my eyes of people suffering to such high degrees was killing me and I literally started to physically feel ill, so I stopped at 500. I almost considered not going to my best friend's birthday party because it really REALLY took such a toil on me. I cant really explain it but I take alot of sad stories extremely personal and they tend to stay stuck with me for years sometimes or even a lifetime. If not to that extend, then I would randomly relate the story I heard to everything through the day and cant get the image out of my head. Maybe its due to me being an artist, that I tend to hold such images in me with such detail.


I did however manage to snap out of it a few hours later and go to my best friend's birthday party which was at a bar. A few hours into the night, a huge fistfight breakdown in the bar. We were all hanging out on the outside part of the bar and all of a sudden a man gets kicked out the bar, yet we think nothing of it. A few more mins go by and I see a beautiful girl crying with blood covering her whole face, neck and chest. I immediately freaked out and then my immediate action is to go up to her and see if she is ok. One of my friend's told me to stay out of it but it comes naturally to me to go attend a person in need, so I did, as everyone carried on with the party. I asked if she was ok and what had happened to her, she thanked me many times for trying to help and caring. Which surprised me a bit that she so appericative, while in such pain. She told me that a guy punched her in the face, which caused another fight because moments later, someone else came out with even more blood all over them. The cops and the fire department came right after to help her and the other men that were hurt.
I really wish I could have done more, I hate seeing something like that and being helpless. I couldn't get over this poor girl the entire night, it kept replaying in my head.
Sometimes showing compassion is the greatest way to help. Humans are naturally caring so why not show it more. Asking someone a simple "Hello, how are you?" or "Is everything ok?" can really spark up a person's heart that was hurting. You may think its silly or useless but its not. You never know what someone has been through. Something so simple as that can change their day for the better. If ever I see someone crying, honestly, a complete straighter, I'll talk to them and try to help. The world revolves around love and it doesn't always have to be for someone you know. Think of all the people who went to volunteer in Haiti, all unconditional love and care. There is nothing wrong with showing that you care, it's a simple act of kindness. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around and in the bigger picture, the world.
xoxo

“The ultimate lesson all of us have to learn is unconditional love, which includes not only others but ourselves as well”

Day 15

Yesterday I had a pretty busy day, it was Friday and I was running around doing errands all over Los Angeles, from the Valley, to Hollywood and Westwood, and then I had to work until late. Kinda makes me sad to know that I didn't do any research today, I feel weird all of a sudden not doing it for a day. :)
However, late at night when I went to Ralphs, I did get the chance to donate to Haiti.
I also managed to set up two volunteer dates at the Ronald McDonald House for this coming Tuesday and Thursday morning! I'm sooo excited about this! Ya'll have no idea! I'm glad I finally get to do some hands on helping. I feel as though its more effective in my eyes. So hopefully if all goes well and I manage so to start waking up earlier in the morning, then I will set a schedule with the Ronald McDonald house to volunteer twice a week.
Yesterday I came across a few homeless people sitting outside of Rite Aid and I REALLLLY feel like I NEED to go to P.A.T.H. Shelter and get some of there business cards to pass out to each homeless person I see, I think that would be very effecting. They have a toll-free number on it and where ever this person in need is they will come and pick them up and bring them to the shelter. At the minimum they can take a nice warm shower, clean clothes and some food and leave if they dont feel comfortable sleeping there. I will do this sometime this week and see what help I can give the center.
That's all I really have to say about yesterday. I'll be leaving you here with one of my all time favorite songs by Jewel "Hands"
Have a lovely day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfsS3pIDBfw

Day 14

A picture is worth a thousand words, but what about 729 pictures?
I just went through 729 photos on Yahoo of Haiti 7.0 Earthquake aftermath, one by one, reading almost all the description. I had so much to say while going through them that I feel like I'm at a lost of words right now.
I'm extremely tired and not feeling so well, so I wont get into my whole entire theory and thoughts of the situation but I'll give you a bit of my thoughts....

Of course this is a complete terrible, horrible, shocking, heart breaking crisis our Planet has seen but I'd like to focus right now on the more positive that's going on. I know that it is "required" from the world to contribute but I do find it quite beautiful. As I was going through the photos, I got to see all the different rescue team and humanitarian aid kits being loaded on planes from all different countries such as Canada, Brazil, Jordan, Italy, China, France, and more. Obama has offered 100 million dollars in immediate earthquake aid and every element of US power to help them. Currently there are 9000 people from different countries actually in Haiti helping and that's just beautiful.
In the 1999 Turkey Earthquake crisis, my uncle was actually a very highly ranged Commander in the Israeli Defence Force and was literally in charge of ALL soldiers from Israel that went to help in Turkey. So I do have the knowledge of knowing what the duties are for the rescue teams and it's truly heroic.
I was looking at photos of people going under torn down building, looking for survivors, looking for some hope. People holding and hugging lost babies, children, and even adults. THOSE ARE THE REAL HEROES!!!! The people that dont give up and look at every centimeter for a living soul and dont give up! I really do think they deserve a gold metal *star* for being heroes.
The biggest way to help right now is to PRAY and if you can, donate.
I can't stress enough how effective and important praying is at a time of crisis, having faith and believing. Praying is a spiritual donation. It's all part of the Law of Attraction. Let's pray for MORE LIVES. SURVIVORS. UNITY. LOVE.
I know that many people have been donating, there are soooo many different ways available to donate to this crisis. Earlier today I texted HAITI to 90999 and it donated $10 to the Red Cross and it even gives you optional text messages on updates. Even donating a $1 makes a difference! The United States has the 3rd largest amount of population in the world, if ever person donated just $1, we would be able to donate $308,487,000!!! What a powerful impact!
In general I find it amazing how so many people from different cultures, religion and countries are coming together to help one country. one reason. These acts of kindness on such events, should prove to the world how many people really do care about humanity.
There are an estimate of 100,000 lost lives, please don't sit around and do nothing, get involved.
I also would like to point how blessed I feel. It's at times like this that I learn to always appreciate even MORE my life and what I was given. No one was given the "perfect" life but it's all what you make of it, not necessarily the big things, but MORE IMPORTANTLY the small things. It's the little things that you do everyday that make you a better person, the things that you notice more and improve in yourself.
I used to be a person of very short temper. I'm sure it's still deep in me somewhere and of course I have my pet peeves at times, but for the most part, its crisis and events like this that makes me laugh at my stupidity at times and say to myself whooooo careesssss. I can honestly say that in last few weeks I'm more easy going, I dont get mad at things that used to upset me, I just kinda go with the flow. I'm less picky now and pick my battles wisely. It's so much more pleasant to just smile then to sit have my hands folded with a frown. Turn that frown into a CLOWN =D

I will provide more websites for donations for this crisis for those who are interested. But if you cant afford to donate in $, praying is also a form of donation.

RIP.
G*D BLESS.


Text: HAITI to 90999
http://www.google.com/relief/haitiearthquake
http://www.networkforgood.org/?source=YAHOO&cmpgn=HMPCRS

Day 13

First of all I wanted to thank everyone who has been reading my blog daily or randomly. I've been getting some really great feedback and I just wanted to thank you all. In just a week I have nearly 400 views! Which makes me SUPER DUPER HAPPY! So thank YOU because it really means the world to me. I really want to make a difference and by you reading it, I really feel like I do.
Now although I wasn't feeling the best today because of yesterday's illness, I still decided to go to the volunteer training at The Ronald McDonald House because I had committed to it last week. They did a lot of renovating since I went there last, everything looked brand new. There were about 10 other volunteers in the training, all there for different reasons.
We were taught the the history of company, rules, basically procedure and the different types of volunteer positions they offer. I wasn't really aware of this, but only 3% of the patient can actually do any kind of activities. Most of the volunteer work is for their families and siblings.
One of the most popular activities is the Family Meal Program. It's for the families who spend all day at the hospital and when they return to the house, they have no energy to make breakfast, lunch, or dinner, so we make it for them. I would love to get a few of my friends to do something like this! I think it would be great!
andddd I found out that, there are only 8 actual staff members that work in the Los Angeles location, the rest are all volunteers. Every year 3 million different people volunteer at one of the RMH, which just goes to show how many good people are out there, for all you none believers in the good out there. Plus I found out that McDonald's only donates 10% to the Ronald McDonald House, the other 90% are all donations, which I found amazing.
I also learned that the "real/proper" way to wash your hands is by saying the ABC's twice, otherwise your just spreading germs all over your hands! How is that for a fun fact!
The training itself was 2 hours. Everyone was extremely nice, we also got snakes and pizza, and had a little quiz at the end with giveaways and I answered the first questions right ;) someone was paying attention.
So now I can start scheduling regular volunteer visits. Which I will probably start next week. I would really like to try and volunteer there twice a week.

For all of you who are unemployment right now, don't sit on your butt all day and do nothing but be on the computer, watch tv, and play video games, go and find something that interest you and volunteer! There are soooo many people that need your help and the furfilling feeling afterwards is priceless.
This non-profit organization is also part of the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day from Disney.

"Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope."

Day 12

I'm sorry I have no entry for yesterday. I had the stomach flu from 9am. I throw up twice and then went to sleep from 11am-3pm and then from 4pm-10am this morning. So I basically have nothing to post =( Hope you had a good day.

Day 11

YES!!! I got the job! I cant wait to start!

I"ve been using MAC makeup for about 7 years and after high school I went to Make-Up school, which gave me 40% off all products. I LOVE MAC! I think maybe it's because of their dramatic and wide range of colors and of course quality. I love braight colors, maybe it's because I've always been an artist. Well I shop there a lot, probably twice a month, sometimes more. I'm not sure if any of you know this, but if you bring back any 6 empty MAC products, MAC actually recycles it and in return gives you lipstick, lip gloss, or eyeshadow, your pick and for FREE! Pretty neat huh! So ladies, start collecting your empty foundations, powders, eye shadows, mascara, ect! That's what I did today, I had about 17 empty products, its a shame not 18, I could have gotten 3 free lipsticks =/ but I got 2 =)
Mac does alot of fun raisers, sometimes to donate to charities and other times for awareness, so be on the look out girls.
I wanted to remind you all that tomorrow is the event at the Sunset, House of Blues for the NOH8 campaign. This campaign is for equal rights and gay marriages. It's divided into 2 different sections. One being the photoshoot which I wanted to do for so long, but I just found out that its $40 which I personally think is a lot, so now I'm not too sure I'm gonna do it. You can also do a group photo $25 a person. Thats at 6:30pm and information is on their site. Then at 7:30pm there is the California Entertainer of the Year, which I'm not really sure what it is, I tried looking it up but didnt find much, all I know is that a few celebs will be attending and some how this all relates. The NOH8 open shoot event info:
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
The House of Blues 6PM-8PM
8430 West Sunset Boulevard
Thursday, January 14th, 2010
The Yogurt Stop 5:30PM-8:30PM
8803 Santa Monica Boulevard

That's all I got for you today. Have a wonderful week!


NOH8: www.bouska.net/noh8/events.htm

Day 10

The research continues...
Today I spoke to my brother and found out the name of the book about the crisis in Sudan, it's called "Not On Our Watch" it's also an organization and the founders are Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, David Pressman and Jerry Weintraub. The author of the book is Don Cheadle. They actually suggest writing President Obama by going on to The White House website! I think I'm actually gonna do this tomorrow! I know most people think that writing is insignificant but its kinda like voting, every vote counts, it all adds up.
I really cant seem to understand why the world isn't doing something to stop this, this should honestly be the global's number one priority!!! I believe that an animistic like act shouldn't be happening in 2010. We, as a world have came a long way let's not stop and not give up! Yesterday I spoke to a dear friend, who's in her 30's and she had no idea this was even going on. Help with me to cause awareness the more I read about this, the more it breaks my heart. If you are interested in actually writing President Obama about the matter the link is at the bottom of the page.
Today I also found out more information about the specific volunteer program I want to join, which I have till the end of the week to decide on. The program is 5 months and will start in March, so for the meantime I decided to look for a part time job that would be related to my project. So I went on a job interview today at this brand new place that opened up in Encino, called Salt Chalet. It's actually pretty interesting, helps people and is Eco-Friendly. What it is, is basically a room that's made of 100% salt, the walls, ceiling, and the floor as salt like sand, and it basically helps Adult and Children with breathing problems such as asthma, wheezing, snoring, smoker's cough, skin problems and many more. During the 45-mins treatment session, salt aerosol is scattered into the air for the patients to breathe in. These aerosolized microparticles can penetrate into every corner of the bronchi and deposit upon the surface, destroying bacteria and fungi. PRETTY NEATO! It's a very relaxing atmosper and a beautiful place. Hope I get the job!

Here is more info:


As far as researching goes I found out today about different children's organizations. Some I've never heard about and others I wanted to get more educated about. I think the one that really caught my attention was "Children of the Night" this is a non-profit organization. They assist children between the ages
of 11 and 17 who are forced to prostitute on the streets for food and a place to sleep. AHHHHHH this is just horrible! I take this category of crisis exteremmmly personal, anything that has to do with women being raped or children trafficking I just can't handle. If I had to choice 1 category of which to help the most it would be this. I think also watching the movie Taken had a big effect on me, after watching that movie I had 2 nightmares in one week!
This organization gives these victims a home. Children who first arrive are given the individual attention he or she needs. Youngsters are assigned to private bedrooms if possible (each with its own bath) until they get a chance to settle in, and receive fresh clothing and hygiene kits. Each child is designated a Primary Caseworker who coordinates medical care, psychological care, academic assessments and other social services as needed. Residents follow a highly structured program that includes attending an on-site school. With the help of caseworkers, each youngster formulates a “life plan” and attends independent living classes. This is really an amazing program that seems to really go through everything these children need, I definitely want to volunteer and donate to this organization.
Well turn out Disney is actually doing alot of give aways this year. They are rewarding volunteers with a free pass to Disneyland or Disneyworld with there Give a Day, Get a Disney Day campaign. Children of the Night is one of the many on the list. If your interested in this, you should definitely check it out as well, there is so many different volunteers jobs all over, some only take 2hrs.
My #1 favorable children trafficking organization is love146 but I will speak about them on another day.
NIGHTTTTTT!!!!


Not On Our Watch: www.notonourwatchproject.org
Write Obama: www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Salt Chalet: www.saltchalet.com
Children of the Night: www.childrenofthenight.org
Disney's Give a Day, Get a Disney Day: www.disneyparks.disney.go.com/disneyparks/en_US/WhatWillYouCelebrate/index?name=Give-A-Day-Get-A-Disney-Day

Day 9

You know there are some days that I just get lazy or busy and haven't done a single act for humanity until really late at night or sometimes I do, but I get too tired to write about it. But then I remember how important this is and I get this feeling inside of me, like a rush of caffeine, although a second again my eyes were gonna shut and I just know I cant stop. I really cant go to sleep without feeling like I helped the world in some way. I'm really passionate and driven about this project.
This entire month I've been doing so much reading about so many different things such as religion, countries, charities, global awareness and nature. I've been learning sooo much and I think that even if you personally take the time just for 30mins a day to research about one of these subjects, then you've helped educate yourself and in return you helped the world. I think its so incredibly important to just be aware and never ever stop wanting to learn!
Today I had a very relaxing Saturday day, I stayed at home with close family & friends, we laughed, talked, ate, and I actually had a few very intriguing conversation about life, Israel and Religion. Meanwhile we watched the history channel all day. I watched a few different shows, one about was 2012, another was what the world is gonna be like in details from now until 2100, and then other show was about how the world would be if all mankind died today and how the world would look and be, all very interesting shows.
I believe that if teens/young adults watched as much of the History channel as they watched MTV, we would all be living a very different and more fulfilling life. History has always been my favorite subject since 6th grade. I find it extremely intriguing how often History repeats itself no matter how many times a story is told, that's kinda what today's entry is about.
Genocide.
Many of us quickly think of the Holocaust in WWII, but what most people aren't aware is that it's happening NOW in Sudan.
Over this summer when I went visiting in Israel I went to my hometown called Arad. I heard that a LOT of the Sudonin were mainly in Arad. Now before this, I had never really heard anything about Sudan and all the madness that's been going around in the past few years. I was told from my family this summer, that Sudonin literally walked from Sudan to Egypt and the Arabs killed a lot of them on the boarder and that they came to Israel and being the supportive country that we are, we let them stay because they have no other place to go, otherwise they die. A lot of Israeli's were complaining and protesting against them because the Sudonim came to Israel ANGRY, scarred, ill, starving, homeless and empty. so they caused problems by raising the crime rate, stealing, rubbing, ect.
I actually saw a few in Arad and they were insanely tall, both women and men, I would say were all 6 feet and up, SKINNY and very dark, darker then most Africans.
Now I'm a very compassionate person and I felt terrible because walking around my small town you saw many and you looked into their eyes and you can see such hurt and sadness in their eyes.
My brother last semester actually took a genocide class and we discussed a lot of the issues, his class main focus was Sudan, he also read an amazing book which I really wanna read, I'll find out the name of it and I highly recommend you read it.
Well earlier during the day I was shown something pretty neat on Google Earth, I've seen Google Earth before but never really downloaded it and played around with all its cool features. Tonight I played around with the "Layers" I clicked "Ocean" and it seriously shows you almost every sunken ships location, date, story, photos, videos, its pretty amazing and thennnnnn I saw a "Global Awareness" layer, so I clicked it, which was like the greatest idea EVERRR! lol It started showing me all the big organizations all around the world and all their projects that they are currently working on. So I started looking into California and then figured that there would be a lot of things going on in Africa so I went to check it out and what I saw was really crazy! First it showed an orange section in bold and it read "Crisis in Darfur". When I zoomed in, it actually showed alllll the section in the towns of Darfur that were completely burned to pieces with people in them and I mean you look at this and your heart just dropped as the fire signs expand on your screen, it really broke my heart.



I mean this is just INSANE people and happening right now!

Between 2003 and 2005, at least 200,000 civilians died from violence, disease, and starvation, tens of thousands of women were raped, and more than 2.5 million people driven from their homes following attacks carried out by Sudanese government soldiers and militias! I mean this is JUST TERRRRIBLEEEEEE!!!! Currently more then a half a million people have lost their lives. =(


There are a million more stories like this.
So at least try to read more and cause awareness.
I feel that because I'm a Jew, its so important for me to set an example. I take the Jewish Holocaust very personally and emotionally. It really ripped my heart out to hear that such torture is still going on in 2010!!! It's just unbelievable. In 2010 will mark 8 years of targeted violence! Enough is enough! We are all one. Humans. Not animals!

My deed of the day was to donate money to the cause and cause awareness. I would very much like to go and volunteer in a country with so much needs but I dont think I'm emotionally strong enough to handle it but I'm still looking into it....
Sorry for the misspelling, its 720am and I'm soooo tired. NIGHTTTTT


"I met a young man who was wounded in love, I met another man who was wounded in hatred." -Bob Dylan


If you want to learn how you can get involved check out:
Jewish World Watch: www.jewishworldwatch.org
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: www.ushmm.org/genocide/take_action/action/community_in_action
Stop Genocide Now: www.stopgenocidenow.org

GOOOOOOOO DOWNLOAD GOOOOOOOOOGLE EARTH! You'll fall in <3 LOVE <3

Day 8

Today was a very hectic and stressful day! I had a million different things to do today and no room to breathe. However I still had time to recycle ;)
I went to my friend's birthday party later on tonight, which was at her house and at the end of the night after everyone left, I took all the beers, wines, champagnes, liquor bottles and whatever else there was to recycle and I recycled.
It doesn't matter how busy you are, there is always time to help even if it's something small sometimes. It all starts with baby steps and just the act of DOING. Don't say you'll do it tomorrow, get off your ass and JUST DO IT! NOW! =)

"One positive choice today could be the beginning of a great habit that could last a lifetime."

Day 7

So I've been thinking and I guess I feel the need to clarify something.
I feel that when a person decides to do a good deed, they do it from the heart and they hash about it and the good deed they did is between them and G*d, the Universe, or whatever it is they believe in. So I'm kinda having a hard time I guess "sharing" my good deeds. I'm not writing any of this to prove anyone that I'm a good person because I'm already aware of that and the people I care about know this as well.My Dream is to change the world for the better. I just want to inspire the world on doing better. I want there to be more unity, more care, more compassion, and love because I feel that our world lacks it currently.
I did take a mission upon myself and I'm not a quitter, so that's not an opinion but I feel that between me and the Universe, there needs to be a little privacy. There are a few selfless acts that are far too personal to share. That's all.

I started my day off helping out someone that's very dear to me and ended it the same way with someone else. I can tell you that through today's experience, I remembered that sometimes we are on a search and look all over for something that's right in front of us the whole time. So what I do recommend you do is before helping others, help the closest to you. First comes you, then your loved ones, and then the world. Without helping yourself first and taking care of yourself you cant take care of others. Just remember that. Don't be on the search for the homeless man when someone near you is in need of help.

Today I went to Target to get flower seeds. I've been to Target over a million times but never have I been to the Gardening section. I got to tell you, it was just a refreshing experience. There were alot of flowers and plants and something about the air was so clean and pure that I could have stayed there for hours. I didn't want to leave! I swear!
I got Sweet Pea, Morning Glory and....oops I ripped the part that has the name on it lol, well I basically got 3 different types of flower seeds, I think I chose them because of there pretty names haha, I also got one of those little shovels and guess what, it all ended up costing me like $4! Yup, thats all. Then I went to a park and sat under a tree and started digging. I wanted to plant the flowers and the plant I bought from the night before. I finally got a big hole and as I was gonna put the plant in it, a stupid big dog came and ripped it out and ran off with it! Like I said...stupid dog. The owner brought it back to me and said he was sorry. Most of the plant was destroyed so I ended up planting whatever was left from it and the flower seeds. It was still pretty fun. =D

When I went to see Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT, I'll never forget his video clip and the song he wrote called "Earth Song", that song really touched me and even made me cry in the theater. Please take care of our Earth. Watching Avatar last night made me remember how important it is to do so and also reminded me of this song.


Now on a different note, Tonight I went to a bar's bathroom and actually heard a cellphone ringing in one of the stoles, I found an Iphone and called back the last # and surely enough found the owners of the phone who came back to the bar to pick up the phone and were extremely grateful. It made my night! =)

Good Night! Totallllly falling asleep

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

Day 6

Today was a very effective day for me. I've been highly considering taking up a volunteering position in a foreign country. I've been doing a lot of research about different programs. When I first read about this program I got sooo excited and after I got on the phone and asked more question I was even more excited! But you know what happened to me a few hours later, the same thing that happens to most people, fear kicked in.
I started question many things. A few years ago I actually went to an amazing self seminar called PSI seminar (which I high recommend for people who care about themselves and want to better themselves u should GO!). Well we learned about Core Value. As children we dream of big things, but as time goes on and we get older, people, society, work, bills and other things get in the way and crush our dreams and we give up =/ We just get programed to slowly disconnect from our dream because of the things we hear from others, different opinions, and negative energy. Then the fear and doubt come. Our attitude about something we believed in so strongly about, slowly starts to change, and then our behavior/action change, we end up giving up on our dream because we were made to believe that it was out of reach and/or crazy. THAT'S SUCH BULLSHIT! Dreams are real! Dreams are reachable! Don't give up on your DREAMS! EVER! No one is worth losing your passion for! NO ONE!
I've always been a strong person in believing in my strong morals and dreams. I literally believe that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! Just like kid! I have made things come true that only in your wildest dreams you could believe. I never let anyone take that away from me. I always find ways to prove the world and society wrong. Some people call me/it crazy. I think its brilliant!
For a moment yesterday I spoke to an important person to me about what I was considering doing, they said it wasn't the best idea and I let it effect me a bit. I started questioning myself. So this morning I decided to call a few of my other closest friends and see there point of view. One of them was my brother, he also pointed out what a bad idea it is, because I'd be working for free and that I'm turning 25 this year blah blah blah...dream killer. But then I spoke to an old boyfriend of mine who made me remember how powerful and strong I am, he said go for it!!! He brought my dream back to life! He made me remember whats important to me. The other 2 people who said no don't have the same value as me and don't understand. Another few of my friends said I should go for it. Although I was starting to lean in that direction I still wasn't 100%.
But tonight I went to see Avatar for the first time on 3D IMAX. Which by the way was a beautiful movie! A friend of mine best described it, he said its like Pocahontas and Ferngully. Well there was a point in the movie which made me realize that my answer is and was YES all along! I want to go! I'm gonna do it!
I want to be a Representative for EARTH. All nature, peace, happiness, art and beauty! I wanna teach the world to dream! So I'm going!
I've realized today when I was watching the movie, that I love to help people and my entire life for the most part, I've helped people who needed help but didn't want help. So now I want to channel my energy on things and people that really want help. It's a priceless gift.

Now I know this is kinda random but I cant help it lol its just who I am, random, spontaneous, and impulsive. After the movie ended and I was dropped off at home, I actually went to market and bought a planet. I wanted to plant it tonight but I think I'm just gonna wait till tomorrow and plant it at the park =) I'm sure the people at the super market were wondering what a young girl is doing buying a plant at 3am haha.
Btw I'm proud to say that this entire week I'm refusing to take bags from places, I just have them hand it to me, if it fits in my purse and I can save on plastic bags why not ;)

Tonight I also helped my sister out, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, and 3months ago moved to Israel. She is having a hard time fitting in at school, kids can be so cruel. It broke my heart to hear what they were doing to her. I can relate to her because I moved to LA from Israel when I was 9 and had the same things done to me, I care very much about her happiness, so I take this all very personal. She has been crying for days none stop, I had a positive motivational talk with her today for an hour and she thanked me with tears for being there for her and always knowing the right thing to say and she told me how much she loved me and said being there for her was my good deed of the day =).
I'm a very friendly and outgoing person, I think I learned that because of the way I was treated when I was younger. I make friends every where I go, whether if its standing in line for the bathroom, at concerts, at a cafe shop, dance class, or wherever. It's never easy being the new kid, weather its at work or class, so be kind. It never hurts to smile at someone across the room and to say hello. Remember to the world your one person, but to one person your the world.
Good Night G*d bless! xoxo

"Love is something that you work to keep not to find" -Jay Brazil

Day 5

Today was just a great day!
It was my best friend Morgan's birthday today and every year for both of our birthdays we have this tradition of hanging out with each other the entire day. So today we decided to get our nails done, we left the car in the parking lot and decided to take a walk on the beach which ended up taking us to Venice Beach. We walked around, shopped a little, and got some matching henna tattoos. We came across fun quotes, saw beautiful art and walked. I love just walking, I find it refreshing, maybe thats why I love NYC so much. It doesnt matter where you walk, but walk. Your body needs it and so does Mr.Earth.

While we were there I got a call back from the Ronald McDonald House on the volunteering position. I was so excited and happy! I scheduled to come next Wednesday for training. After training I can come in and volunteer when ever I want! She said that most volunteers greet the new families in and help show them around. I asked about activities like reading to the children and playing with them and she said it was all up to me as what I wanted to do, it can be spontaneous or a big planned event like a Bingo night. I CANT WAIT! I have some serious fun ideas! I'm gonna be the next PATCH ADAMS!!! ;) She told me that these are the illest children in the world and that right across the RMH they have a hospital for emergencies or for daily treatments =( I strongly believe that through joy and laughter you can extend a person's life.
Morgan and I watched the beautiful sunset.

After dropping her off, I went to my interview for the ocean pollution project, which I need to come back to tomorrow morning.
On my way back, I decided to get gas from the Eco-Friendly ARCO gas station on 8770 W. Olympic Blvd. For those of you who have never been there or seen it, it's actually really beautiful! It's all made out of recycled material, it has a futuristic design that's all sliver, rainbow and funky. It's super cute! While your pumping gas, there is a tv screen attached to each station with little facts on how to save gas, energy and more. I actually read about this yesterday in my environmental book that if you cleaned out your car with all the things you have in the trunk or backseat, you can actually save 1-2 gallons each time! Now I dont know about you, but I keep an actual closet in my backseat haha, so let's save $ and gas, and clean out our cars.
Also they had little postcards, that were of course made out of recycled paper, it was actually funny feeling paper, but I loved the idea.
One of the postcard said "Activating the sleep mode on your computer uses up to 70% less electricity than using a screen saver." lol I actually read that too in my book yesterday haha. Let's save energy people and our computer's life line!
Another fun fact "Switch to cleaning products that are biodegradable and non toxic. 62% of cleaning products found in the average American home equal 10 gallons of harmful chemicals."

So that was my good deed of the day for our beautiful world!
My best friend and I came up with the idea today of going to P.A.T.H. the homeless shelter and getting some business cards from them and actually passing them around to homeless people!!! I think its a genius idea! PATH actually picks up homeless people off the streets that actually want help. I really need to do this. Especially right now with the economic crisis more people are homeless then ever and its been a cold winter at night this year, so I really want to help as many people as I can.

"Live poor so you can die rich." -Source Unknown