You've done a GREAT job providing information.  I appreciate all your research.  The info you posted regarding dental health in rural areas is accurate...based on what I see on a daily basis, I suspect it is worse than many realize.  There are young children with serious potentially life threatening problems who will never see a dentist.  Many young people in our area cannot get medical or dental care...I don't care what agencies or orgs say, the fact is, they cannot get it regardless of income. 

I'll pass along a link to your dental information in hopes it may help someone.
In Kindness,
-K

Thank you so very much.  I appreciate the information.  I will go explore based on what you've shared wtih me.  Seems there is a great deal to explore...Some wonderful folks here as well.

In Kindness,

-K 

It took me a while to learn about peace. I thought this work of mine primarily focussed on peace. I saw people seeking peace/searching for peace...which I found confusing. I knew that peace was everywhere...even inside us.  I knew that we didn't need to go about searching for her or seeking her, all we need to do is choose to embrace her in our actions and thoughts...and there are simple things everyone can do.

I soon discovered a barricade to peace.  The barricades exist in many forms and the ones we most encounter in our work (our life) are a lack of basic needs. These needs include food,shelter,medical, clothing, education, inability to make a life/follow dreams/heart, severe abuse with no apparent way to escape, and for some the barricades are as simple as not one human ever believing in them so they do not believe in themselves. When the basic needs are minimally met, a way partially cleared, some tools obtained,or someone is there to walk a short ways with them, they find her...Hope (in whatever form she is needed)and many are able to change their stars...find some happiness/joy. ...and where hope is, we found the byproduct to be the ability to embrace peace.   Neat thing about people is we are all capable of offering hope in some form.  Even a smile...I can tell a heartbreaking story about a young child and what a simple smile meant to him.

I hope you find a way to follow your heart...sounds like it is in the right place.  

Couple of questions...

Can someone explain; participating in a space....what is this space that is referred to and how does one participate?

How does one subscribe to someone's blog or space...I notice a label that seems to mean I can get email updates from someone else's blog but I don't see a way to subscribe.

I also don't quite understand the groups. I've checked a couple out and they appear to have no posts. I then notice a few tag words and will click and find posts...still not quite sure if those tags are taking me into that specific group or if they are taking me away from the group to private posts.

I'll keep exploring but if anyone has any tips or info, feel free to enlighten me.

Thank you

Below is one of the squash we grew last year. It's actually HUGE! We grow food, when we have the seed, to help feed everyone. We are desperate for used fencing (to expand the area) and any sort of tools. Half the time I use sticks. We use no chemicals or outside inputs...can't afford that kind of stuff and anyway, food is healthier this way. Usually we would be harvesting a few veggies by now but the weather here has been unreal! It won't even give us a break to plant. We no longer have a bridge and it's over a 1/4 mile up a steep hill...not a problem we manage. Sustained a lot of wind/micro tornado damage...fortunately not to any buildings.

If we can grow enough food to preserve, this frees up resources to assit the young people with basic needs. If there is an abundance, they would be able to share some of the food with others in need as well as sell some to earn a bit of income. By the way, there are no jobs in this area and discrimination happens daily(boy I have stories). Many live without tranportaion in remote rural areas.  Can anyone spare a few beneficial nematodes before the bugs wipe us out?

On my path, my days are spent on soft dirt...a few sharp stones here and there. The path is well lit and I usually see the stones and avoid them. Once in a while when I don't pay attention I may step on one, but I continue on. When another traveler comes, who crosses my path, and his days are spent barefoot walking upon sharp stones that bruise and cut his feet, I see the pain in his eyes and realize he may give up. I see his path has much overgrowth, the sun does not illuminate the sharpest of stones, and it may be so rocky the suns reflection may not matter. In the deepest core of my being, I don't want him to give up but without a moment of relief I know he may. I have only the shoes on my feet to offer...old well-worn shoes with just enough sole to buy him some time, momentarily ease his pain, allow his feet some healing. I will happily give my shoes! I want him to have the tools and ability to make it.

Greetings!

It may take a while to put this to writing, I don't have much time to spend on the computer...just a few fleeting moments here and there. I'll do my best to keep updating. Do keep in mind I am not articulate in any way. My life is spent doing, creating, helping, providing hands on. I listen more than speak. I go to bed exhausted.

I'm not seeking money. It would certainly help...it is a great tool but there are greater needs.

Small amounts of money certainly help meet immediate basic needs for food, shelter, medicine, etc. but again, although it helps, it is a temporary solution.

Larger amounts help create sustainability but best controlled by those who have skills in this area...then distribute the smaller amounts to specific projects. This too, although helpful, is not our immediate need.

Simple used items of all sorts are our key to long term sustainability...

...but what these young people need most is for me to do a better job...I can't do that (gee that hurts to admit)...I need YOU! You know, if you are feeling a tug at your heart...and YOU personally don't respond...these kids won't stand a chance because I have put my heart, my soul, my all into this...but I don't have all that it takes. YOU are the other piece of this puzzle!

I am very good at what I do. I've been doing this for over 20 years but the last few years I've been doing this exclusively, and to such an extent I've compromised my own basic needs by choice (and I'm happy to do so). I assist a specific group who otherwise...gosh...I don't even want to go there right now (sad). The people I assist/serve find me...I don't talk about what I do...don't have time or opportunity to do so. Funny, I'm fulfilling a specific promise I made when I was young (even in detail), yet I had forgotten making the promise until years after I was already doing it.

I'm seeking a person or persons. I need someone who is very good at what they do and who posses those skills I lack. Because my days are spent doing hands on work in a somewhat isolated area and because I do this work with virtually no tools, I rarely have opportunity to be in a situation where I might meet this person I am supposed to meet. My hope is the internet may serve as a bridge...a bridge to help us connect. I suspect you may be seeking me as well. It's simply a matter of connecting with each other. By the way, I'm lousy on the phone...I can make needed calls to help others but when it comes to articulating what I do, the project's needs, I just feel so overwhelmed I don't know where to start. Scattered energy is not constructive.

I need your skills! You'll know who you are. You are very good at what you do! I suspect you have a passion or are seeking passion/meaning, or an opportunity to make a real difference. We both must agree to allow each other to do our jobs to the best of our ability...Trust. You'll have to trust that after doing this for twenty plus years and seeing lives change, I may have a clue when it comes to what I am doing. I will trust that you, having done your work for however many years, are also very good at what you do. You don't have to change your lifestyle or compromise your own needs to assist me. I need what is in your brain and a bit of heart helps. I'll try to provide more of a description later. If you want references I can provide plenty.

For the past several years I've searched for another project/organization that does something similar in hopes I could glean info that I could put to use. I value learning from others. After diligently searching, I can't find any. The past two years I've put a great deal of thought and research into how best to create a long term sustainable project and I think I've come up with something(with the help of the young people). Yet again, I need Your experience/knowledge.  I much prefer 1 on 1 helping others.  I don't like the idea of starting an org but I think I've found a way to balance this...it took a great deal of thought, energy, time and hands on learning.

The only time I have to be online is when I take a break for breakfast or lunch or during extreme weather. The rest of my hours are spent creating resources, finding resources, helping rural low income/no income college bound youth and caring for those I've taken in...and NO I do not receive any type of compensation from any agency, org, or person. My hubby and I do this on a below poverty level income which must also provide for our own family. With this small income, I manage to feed (and provide basic needs/resources/shelter/etc) for 20 to 50 young people. I often feed 20 - 50 young people. For us, it is a matter of priorities...Do I need to shave my legs (1.00 for a razor) or buy a 2-lb box of elbow noodles or rice for .99? Do I buy the box of noodles or do I purchase a packet of vegetable seeds. One meets the immediate need the other is a more sustainable solution. I make this type of decision all day every day..."do I really need this". It's not easy because sometimes I must weigh feeding the hungry vs medicine or mortgage payment. Guess which always wins! The few times I've managed to save a small (very small) chunk of money the immediate needs win over the sustainable needs...I just cannot do both by myself.

...but I believe! I watch these kids change their stars! Interestingly, they usually won't remember me feeding them my last piece of bread or my hubby walking 16 miles round trip to work every day for three years (so we could feed them), what they remember is that someone believed in them. This is what they thank us for. It's such a simple yet profoundly life changing thing to give and means more to them than food or shelter. Personally I'd rather them not remember the doing without part...I want them to focus on the positive...the going forward part. When they are older they'll have plenty of opportunity to reflect on the doing without.

"The glory of friendship is not in the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is in the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him..."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Obviously, since we've been doing the job of a formal organization, that might be a good place to begin. Unfortunately we have two small issues standing in our way. Additionally, we would be just as happy to have a small outside board either shelter us or form to assist us. I understand the workings of boards and non profits...problem is there are so many needs I simply don't have the time to stop and do both. I must keep focusing on immediate basic survival needs while chipping away at the sustainable needs and helping to create long term sustainable change...difficult to explain in just a few words. Sigh...

This is a great opportunity for folks who wish to make a hands on real difference and touch a young person's life...whether it is sending a homemade birthday card, a box of mac n cheese, a few veggie seeds, a fruit tree, old magazines books (science, current events, etc), a toothbrush, or any other of a zillion needs. Overhead just doesn't exist...we can't afford to have overhead so we don't.

I really need to explain more about this area and the obstacles. Time Consuming to do so...gee. I've got to go again but hopefully will have time later this evening.

By the way, thanks for listening!