Tag Archives: philanthropy

Albuquerque’s Joy Junction Homeless Shelter Is Turning 30

July 11, 2016 The Silo Leave a comment

Joy Junction is three decades old. It is hard to believe the shelter I founded is 30 this year, and that I’ve spent more than half my life at what has obviously now become a lifetime calling. Looking back, it seems just like a short time ago that I came up the driveway of our 52-acre property wanting to reach out to homeless families with food, shelter and the love of Jesus Christ.

We’re currently sheltering as many as 300 people nightly, and providing more than 16,000 meals each month from a fully licensed kitchen. Born in England, I emigrated to the U.S. in 1978 with $50.00 in my pocket and a one way ticket. I ended up homeless in mid 1981 and early 1982, and in that same year “landed” in Santa Fe. It was there where God brought some amazing people into my life, who encouraged me and helped me begin my first ministry. My calling to work with the homeless began to emerge. In 1986, I left Santa Fe, took a few months off and moved to Albuquerque. There I ended up starting Joy Junction, never envisioning the scope of what it would become.

The vision I had was for a refuge where the entire family unit could stay together at one of the most difficult times in their lives. I wanted to ensure that husbands and wives had the support of each other, and could provide more support for each other and their kids than they might otherwise be able to if split up. I had no idea what adventures, struggles and trials would lie ahead.

Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc.

The full story is told in my book “From Destitute to Ph.D.,” but here are some of the highlights. The shelter grew quickly in the following four years, but quite often, unmanaged and fast growth can be the downfall of an organization of any kind, whether a ministry or not. Our bills were exceeding our income and we nearly folded. Due to God’s grace we stayed afloat. During those first years, I also worked a part time job to put food on my own family’s table, taught a regular Bible study at the shelter and tried to get the word about what we were trying to do. In 1991, I felt it was time I went back to school. I tried a couple of summer classes at the University of New Mexico, and earned a bachelor’s degree with a focus on journalism in 1996 and a master’s degree in communication in 1998. Along the way I also enjoyed a number of internships at various media in Albuquerque, as well as hosting a couple of radio shows.

Looking back, I can see how all these media experiences helped me better promote Joy Junction and the plight of the homeless. I have a deep appreciation for our local media. It is sad that reporters are routinely vilified and criticized but rarely praised. In 1999, I was accepted to do a Ph.D. intercultural education at Biola University in Los Angeles. I graduated in 2006, and my doctoral dissertation dealt with the way the media portray America’s homeless culture. In ( about) 1999, I also met a fellow Brit by the name of Dan Wooding, the founder of a very unique news service dealing with the plight of persecuted Christians as well as aspects of popular culture. I have written for the ASSIST News Service ever since then, and have traveled to a number of countries internationally reporting for them.

In my post Ph.D. years, the shelter continued to grow in budget and services offered. In 2009, due to the generosity of a local businessman, we added a mobile feeding unit we dubbed the Lifeline of Hope. It operates seven days a week 365 days a year, providing food, water and toiletries to people who can afford either a meal or a place to stay-but not both In late 2006 I went through a divorce and was single for a number of years. In March 2015, I got married to my wife Elma. She is the love of my life, and shares the same passion as me for helping feed the hungry and house the homeless. Elma has quickly become an integral part of Joy Junction and is loved by guests and staff alike.

The future for Joy Junction is looking bright, with numerous renovations in 2015 occurring at our aging property. For the comfort of our guests we upgraded the air conditioning at our main building, replaced windows, and put in a new driveway to help make visiting our facility a much less “bumpy” experience. In addition, we have demolished an old and unused chapel on our property to prepare the way for much needed new construction. With the Lord as my guide and my wife at my side, I look forward to the next three decades helping the disenfranchised, marginalized, homeless and hungry. I hope you will consider joining us. For the Silo, Jeremy Reynalds and Joy Junction. (www.joyjunction.org)

Reviews

Now Available In Ontario- IF You Can Find It- ‘Environment Friendly’ Boxed Water

January 18, 2016 The Silo 2 Comments

Water. It covers the vast majority of the earth’s surface. Likewise, water also comprises the bulk of the human body. The Earth and humans are each as dependent on the existence of water as the other. The earth’s environment graciously provides human beings with water, our most vital means of survival. It is our responsibility to reciprocate such generosity with the compassion we would show for our dearest friend.

Every year, about 50 billion plastic bottles of water are consumed throughout the globe. A whopping 30 billion of which are downed in the United States alone (amounting to about 60 % of the earth’s bottled water consumption) And 80 % of those plastic bottles end up in a landfill wherein the plastic breaks down into smaller fragments that absorb toxins and corrupt waterways, pollute soil and poison animals.

Even the manufacturing of bottled water is an environmental hazard. A single plastic bottle of water requires three times the volume of the water it takes to merely fill that bottle. And most of that water is rendered useless as a result of the chemicals utilized in the production of the plastic bottle. Without question, a more eco-friendly source of water delivery is an absolute necessity to the conservation of our planets resources. And now that solution has arrived in Canada. Boxed Water is an environmentally friendly and conscious brand and the answer to the drastic environmental cost extracted by the excessive consumption of plastic bottled water.

Boxed Water is new to the Canadian market and is distributed throughout the nation by RM Fresh Brands, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Legacy Ventures International Inc.(OTCQB:LGYV) Boxed Water is already making waves amongst consumers who love the product for being so eco-friendly and delicious. It is a fresh approach to remedying the environmental nightmares associated with the ubiquitous plastic water bottle.

Instead of plastic bottles, Boxed Water is packaged in a biodegradable box that’s reminiscent of a milk carton. The box is also key to the product’s brand identity. Carrying a simple message of ‘Boxed Water is Better’, this inconspicuous packaging effortlessly explains the concept of Boxed Water while attracting the attention of ecologically-aware consumers.

Benefits of Boxed Water:

(a) BPA/BPS FREE: All Boxed Water cartons are BPA/BPS free, which has been suggested as one of the leading causes of certain cancers.

(b) PACKAGING: 76 per cent of the Boxed Water packing is made from of trees, a renewable resource which renders the product a significantly more sustainable delivery source than the ecologically eradicating plastic bottle.

(c) FILTRATION: The water we drink should be healthy and refreshing. Boxed Waters 5 step filtration system process delivers pure hydration to help get the most out of life. Boxed Water is purified with UV, Carbon and reverse osmosis filtration. It is also free from chromium, arsenic, MBTE, chlorine, fluoride and trace pharmaceuticals.

(d) CONSERVATION: The trees used in Boxed Water come from Well Managed Forests.

(e) SHIPPING-WASTE LESS: Additionally, Boxed Water is shipped flat to the filler, lowering our carbon footprint which is much more efficient than shipping empty and glass bottles to be filled. Studies indicate that shipping accounts for 2.1 percent of annual global C02 and that number could increase up to 250 % by 2050. For one truck’s worth of bottled water,

Boxed Water can deliver 26 trucks’ worth of cartoned water. Boxed Water sends its cartons to its filling plants empty. A single pallet can hold some 35,000 empty, flat-packed Boxed Water cartons. Only after they’re shipped to the filling station are the cartons filled. At the plant, one truck’s worth of empty cartons can be filled to supply the 26 trucks. The space-savings ratio may be even more favorable when comparing the rectangular, easily stacked cartons with their rounded, pre-formed plastic water bottle counterparts.

(f) RESPONSIBILITY: Boxed Water donates at least 1 % of revenue annually to restoration and world water relief through partnerships with The National Forest Foundation and Water.org.

(g) RECYCLING Boxed Waters boxes are 100% recyclable at participating facilities (recyclecartons.com)

GIVING BACK: Boxed Water lessens the environmental impact and also gives back in a big way. During 2015, Boxed Water partnered with National Forest Foundation (NFF) to plant one million trees by 2020. This represents the largest single tree-planting commitment to date for the NFF and marked the start of a five year effort to plant trees in areas of our National Forests with highest ecological significance.

In recent months, Legacy Ventures International Inc. has showcased Boxed Water at major events such as the Toronto Film Festival and Holt Renfrew’s Holiday Kick Off. These partnerships, in combination with Boxed Water’s straightforward packaging, are expected to play a key role in getting the word out about the product by getting it into the hands of celebrities and other influencers.

Boxed Water represents an opportunity for Legacy to disrupt the Canadian bottled water industry with an eco-friendly, easy-to-ship, deceptively simple solution. As the company continues to identify and target additional disruptive brands in both domestic and international markets, Boxed Water represents the first step in a long term strategic plan to maximize shareholder value for the foreseeable future.

Boxed Water is available to consumers across Canada at the following select locations: Sobey’s, Whole Foods, Longos, Metro, Foodland, Pusatari’s, along with many smaller retail chains and independents. The brand has also caught the attention of non-traditional retailers including Ripley’s Aquarium and the Canadian Museum of Nature, who choose to exclusively carry Boxed Water as the only water available to the thousands of visitors who pass through their doors every year. More locations both national and local are signing up by the week to carry the brand and choosing this eco-friendly and healthier solution over traditional bottled water brands.

ABOUT LEGACY VENTURES INTERNATIONAL INC

Boxed Water is distributed in Canada through RM Fresh Brands, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Legacy Ventures International Inc.(OTCQB:LGYV) a Nevada based multinational conglomerate focused on acquisitions of proven and high-potential businesses across a variety of business sectors.

Through the strategic provision of capital and oversight to companies that have innovative products, category game changers and established fast growth brands, LEGACY VENTURES will hit the market with tremendous impact and traction.

Culture

Money Buys Happiness If You Give It Away

October 17, 2014 The Silo Leave a comment

“All of us could invest part of our ‘fortune,’ great or small, on something that gives back on a deeper human level, such as non-predatory loans to individuals from impoverished communities,” Tim McCarthy

North Americans are still choosing to hold onto their money these days, a lesson learned from the 2008-09 financial crash.

It’s good to have savings – but not to the point of hoarding, says entrepreneur and philanthropist Tim McCarthy, author of “Empty Abundance”.

Citizens in the United States of America are saving at a rate of 5.30 percent, well above the record low of 0.80 percent in 2005, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

The world’s billionaires are holding an average of $600 million each in cash, which is more than the gross domestic product of Dominica, according to the new Billionaire Census from Wealth-X and UBS. That’s up from $60 million the previous year, signaling that the very wealthy are keeping their money on the sidelines and waiting for an optimal investment time.

McCarthy diverts all of his business profits annually to his foundation, The Business of Good, which invests in socially conscious businesses and scalable nonprofit concepts.

He reviews what everyone has to gain from mindful giving.

• Money buys you happiness – up to $75,000 worth. Life satisfaction rises with income, but everyday happiness – another measure of well-being – changes little once a person earns $75,000 per year, according to a 2010 Princeton study. Another widely published survey by psychologist Roy Baumeister suggested that “happiness, or immediate fulfillment, is largely irrelevant to meaningfulness.” In other words, so many who finally achieve financial excess are unfulfilled by the rewards that come with that.

• Remember the wealth disconnection to overall fulfillment. A Gallup survey conducted in 132 countries found that people in wealthy countries rate themselves higher in happiness than those in poor countries. However, 95 percent of those surveyed in poverty-stricken countries such as Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan and Sierra Leone reported leading meaningful lives, while less than 60 percent reported the same in wealthier countries.

“While more investigation to wealth, happiness and well-being is certainly in order, I think it’s clear that while money is important, it cannot buy purpose, significance or overall satisfaction,” McCarthy says.

• Giving money reliably equals happy money. Two behavioral scientists, Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, explore in their recent book, “Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending,” what makes people engage in “prosocial behavior” – including charitable contributions, buying gifts and volunteering time. According to Dunn and Norton, recent research on happiness indicates that the most satisfying way of using money is to invest in others.

In 2010, multi-billionaires Warren Buffet and Bill and Melinda Gates co-founded The Giving Pledge, a long-term charitable effort that asks the wealthiest among us to commit to giving more than half of their fortunes to philanthropy. Among the first to join, Michael R. Bloomberg wrote in his pledge letter: “If you want to do something for your children and show how much you love them, the single best thing – by far – is to support organizations that will create a better world for them and their children.” To date, 115 of our country’s 495 billionaires have pledged.

• Anhedonia, amnesia and the fallacy of consumption. Anhedonia is the inability to enjoy activities that are typically found pleasurable.

“After making my wealth, I found that I suffered from anhedonia,” McCarthy says. “Mindful giving – intelligent and conscious giving to those who need it – turned out to be my best therapy.”

Everybody has experienced the limits of consumption, the economic law of diminishing returns. One cookie is nice and so, too, is your first $1 million. But at some point, your ability to enjoy eating cookies or earning millions diminishes more with each successive one.

“Everyone learns this lesson, yet the horror is that so many of us succeed in forgetting it,” McCarthy says. “I think that, in every moment, we need to remind ourselves that continually reaching for the next ‘cookie’ is not in our best interest.”

About Tim McCarthy

Tim McCarthy’s first business, WorkPlace Media, eventually built a permissioned database of 700,000 gatekeepers who reach more than 70 million employees with incentives for clients such as Coca-Cola, Lenscrafters and McDonalds. He sold the company in 2007 and recently bought it back.

Culture

Montreal’s top chefs prepared gourmet menu supporting Quebec Cancer groups

January 29, 2014 The Silo 1 Comment

Olivier Perret (Executive Chef), Fisun Ercan (Barbounya & Su), Alexandre Gosselin (Chez Victoire), Christophe Morel (Chocolatier), Antonio Park (Park), Matthieu Saunier (Osco) and Olivier Potier (Pastry Chef). Click here — Olivier Perret (Executive Chef), Fisun Ercan (Barbounya & Su), Alexandre Gosselin (Chez Victoire), Christophe Morel (Chocolatier), Antonio Park (Park), Matthieu Saunier (Osco) and Olivier Potier (Pastry Chef).
Click here

Brief – An exceptional event at Sofitel Montreal’s Renoir restaurant which organized a special evening combining gastronomy, entertainment and generosity to benefit the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation and The Cedars Cancer Institute, on January 22^nd 2014.

Our Executive Chef, Olivier Perret, who was touched by cancer, gathered his Montreal Chef friends who each prepared a dish as part of the 6-course gourmet menu served that night: Fisun Ercan (Barbounya & Su), Alexandre Gosselin (Chez Victoire), Christophe Morel (Chocolatier), Antonio Park (Park), Matthieu Saunier (Osco) and Olivier Potier (Pastry Chef). See Supplemental below for menu listing CP

The success of that evening was due, for the most part, to the participation of our guests of honour, Ms. Mitsou Gélinas, spokesperson for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation, Mr. Andrew Carter, spokesperson for The Cedars Cancer Institute, Ms. Heidi Hollinger, Canadian photographer and Ms. Gabrielle Destroismaisons, Quebec singer.

Many sponsors also took part in the event, including Moët & Chandon, Ogilvy, Maison Birks, Porter Airlines and Pro-Staging, as well as generous donators who contributed prizes for the raffle and auction: Atout France, Club Med, and Air Canada Rouge.

We would also like to thank the Azrieli Foundation for their generous donation, as well as our Sofitel Ambassadors whose fantastic work and involvement to this cause were instrumental in the success of this evening.

All the profits from this event as well as the money raised by the silent auction, more than 27,000$, will be donated to the two foundations.

A registered charity, the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation has a mission to fund research and innovation, support women affected by the disease and their families, and promote their interests, as well as making breast health a priority through education and awareness initiatives. In the past five years, the Foundation has granted more than $17 million for the fight against breast cancer.

Situated in Montreal, Quebec, The Cedars Cancer Institute is a hospital-based charity whose mission is to provide comprehensive cancer-care and funding to patients and health care professionals at the McGill University Health Centre specifically adult sites the Royal Victoria Hospital and Montreal General Hospital and, through its Sarah Cook Fund to Pediatric Oncology at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. For the Silo, Stéphanie Segoura

From left to right: Mitsou Gélinas (spokesperson for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation), Andrew Carter, (spokesperson for the Cedars Cancer Institute), Francine Cléroux (Chief Executive Officer, Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation), Sharon Azrieli Perez (Soprano), Stephanie Segoura (Sofitel Montreal General Manager) and Jeff Shamie (President of The Cedars Cancer Institute). — From left to right: Mitsou Gélinas (spokesperson for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation), Andrew Carter,
(spokesperson for the Cedars Cancer Institute), Francine Cléroux (Chief Executive Officer, Quebec Breast Cancer
Foundation), Sharon Azrieli Perez (Soprano), Stephanie Segoura (Sofitel Montreal General Manager) and Jeff Shamie
(President of The Cedars Cancer Institute).

From left to right: Olivier Potier (Pastry Chef), Christophe Morel (Chocolatier), Fisun Ercan (Barbounya & Su), Olivier Perret (Renoir), Alexandre Gosselin (Chez Victoire), Matthieu Saunier (Osco), Heidi Hollinger (Canadian photographer), Gabrielle Destroismaisons (Quebec singer) and the Chefs joined by Armelle Tardy-Joubert (President Atout France in Canada) — From left to right: Olivier Potier (Pastry Chef), Christophe Morel (Chocolatier), Fisun Ercan (Barbounya & Su),
Olivier Perret (Renoir), Alexandre Gosselin (Chez Victoire), Matthieu Saunier (Osco), Heidi Hollinger (Canadian
photographer), Gabrielle Destroismaisons (Quebec singer) and the Chefs joined by Armelle Tardy-Joubert
(President Atout France in Canada)

Supplemental- Menu as served-

Sofitel, World Class Hotels & French Elegance

Sofitel is the only French luxury hotel brand with a presence on five continents with 120 addresses, in almost 40 countries (more than 30,000 rooms). Sofitel offers contemporary hotels and resorts adapted to today’s more demanding and more versatile consumers who expect and appreciate beauty, quality and excellence. Whether situated in the heart of a major city like Paris, London, New York, Shanghai or Beijing, or nestled away in a country landscape in Morocco, Egypt, French Polynesia or Thailand, each Sofitel property offers a genuine experience of the French “art de vivre”.

Sofitel Legend and & Sofitel So are two labels that come to enrich Sofitel Luxury hotels. Sofitel Legend hotels are iconic and mythical; they are often centuries-old listed heritage buildings: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam and Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan.

Sofitel So hotels are new « boutique hotels » characterized by a stylish focus on contemporary design by famous architects and/or embellished by international celebrities from the world of fashion, design or art: Sofitel So Mauritius Bel Ombre, Sofitel So Bangkok and Sofitel So Singapore (2013). Discover Sofitel on www.sofitel.com

Culture

Goldie Hawn And President Clinton Foundation Focused On Malawi Farmers

June 21, 2013 The Silo Leave a comment

A group of Malawi farmers. image: ruralpovertyportal.org

Like many of us, he has a vision of a better world – one where babies are born healthy no matter where they live. One where farmers in Malawi earn enough to support their families. One where land is being reforested to support communities and protect the environment. One where everyone has access to affordable, lifesaving medicine.
What makes President Clinton different is his uncanny ability to bring together people from all walks of life and help them see that a better world isn’t just a nice idea. It’s really, actually achievable.

Of course, President Clinton can’t do it alone – and that’s why he needs people like me and you! If you’re someone who finds his vision as infectious as I do, please donate to the Clinton Foundation today and get your gift matched, dollar for dollar, before this opportunity ends June 27.

http://e.clintonfoundation.org/t?ctl=478A85A:90A3D84850EAF8295A45328549A61699662FB2E904AEC31B&

I may not be an expert on these issues. But I recognize life-changing work when I see it. The bottom line is that Clinton Foundation programs improve lives in measurable, lasting ways.

If you’re a farmer in Malawi, for example, the size and health of your crop has a huge impact on how much money you can make for your family and whether you can feed your community. The Clinton Foundation is giving farmers the tools to revolutionize their crop yields, from good fertilizer and seeds to training on up-to-date farming techniques. 21,000 farmers have participated already – and they’ve since become five times more profitable.

That’s 21,000 farmers who can now ensure that their families always have enough to eat, even in times of drought. They can send their children to school. They can really invest in their communities.

And that’s just one program, in one area. In reality, the Clinton Foundation is improving lives and changing communities all over the world! Isn’t that something you want to be a part of?

President Clinton is personally matching all gifts that you make between now and June 27.

http://e.clintonfoundation.org/t?ctl=478A85A:90A3D84850EAF8295A45328549A61699662FB2E904AEC31B&

Thanks for reading — but most of all, thanks for believing that together we really can change our world.

Sincerely, Goldie Hawn

Give Today http://e.clintonfoundation.org/t?ctl=478A85A:90A3D84850EAF8295A45328549A61699662FB2E904AEC31B&

Supplemental– http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/es/country/voices/tags/malawi

Philanthropy

Artist Is Member Of Christian Student Group Effecting Change

March 4, 2013 The Silo Leave a comment

Sara Kuiper hoping to raise 4900$ by May photo courtesy of the author

Sara Kuiper, a Zoology major at Guelph University has fueled her fire with the help of an organization trying to reach the world. Kuiper is a member of Power to Change, a Christian group for students.

Their mission is to reach the world by helping students discover Jesus.

“My first year of university I became part of Power to Change, I wanted to be part of a group that would help me grow in my faith and would genuinely help me,” said Kuiper.

“When you’re trying to figure out who you are spiritually you need to have a good support system, and while other students were going out partying and drinking there’d be alternative activities. It’s not about shoving religion down your throat, it just gives us a forum to talk about our beliefs, the challenges in our lives and what we want to accomplish.”

Kuiper travelled to Panama on a mission trip her second year of university, where she participated in hosting an English Club, and ran a sports outreach which culminated in a soccer tournament.

Compelled to continue her work, she applied to volunteer during a mission to Lima Peru, and was invited to be an intern during the one month trip.

“We would be at the universities and work with the students and make friends and offer help and share the gospel if they want to hear it,” said Kuiper.

“I need to raise $4900 by May, I’m not too worried. I’m planning on hosting a fundraiser at my church and maybe auctioning off one of my paintings.”

Encouraged by Power to Change, Sara delved further into her love of art.

“There’s a big part of me as a painter and artist and thinking about what fuels the art, and the purpose of the art and it was actually at a retreat that really pushed me to follow through with my love of creation,” said Kuiper.

“If people want to explore their own spirituality, many universities have Power to Change Clubs, just check Facebook, or look up their school’s club listings.” For the Silo by Lacie Williamson.

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