Wednesday's Woman: Works of Mommy Padawan

Last week I mentioned that Wednesday’s Woman keeps me going.  This is true.  I am grateful for all of the bloggers who willingly take time out of their schedules to share with us stories of the women who inspire them. 

There is one woman, a regular contributor to Wednesday’s Woman, who is instrumental in the endurance of this series.  She is flexible and forgiving of my lack of scheduling skills.  She is always willing to read my rambling emails and regularly responds with compassion and empathy.  Her name is Anna Mahler.    

Anna's first submission was last March honoring Lisa Shannon.  For her intro I wrote: 

This week’s Wednesday's Woman was written and submitted by Anna Mahler, of The Mommy Padawan.  I am certain you get the “Mommy” part.  But are you familiar with the term “Padawan”?

A "padawan" is a term for “student” taken from the film Star Wars.  I think the title of Anna’s blog is fitting.  She is a careful observer of life and looks to her experiences for opportunities to grow as a woman, wife, and mother.  She sees her three year old son as her greatest teacher.    

Students learn most through their experiences teaching others.  Anna is no exception.  She shares the wisdom she has gained as a wife and mother in her ebook You are Loved - Caring for Our Children, Families, and Ourselves with Loving Kindness.  

Her philosophy of self-care allows her to create a harmonious home.  Self-care also allows her to recognize the importance of sharing her uplifting attitudes with the readers of her blog.  I encourage you to spend time at The Mommy Padawan where you will find a voice of authenticity, grace, warmth and courage. 

I’d like to honor Anna today by revisiting all of her contributions to Wednesday's Woman.  They are linked below.  Be sure to thank her.  And be sure to let her know she is quite deserving of being honored as this week’s Wednesday’s Woman.

Wednesday's Woman: 
Works of Mommy Padawan

Wednesday's Woman:  A Call to Action

Honoring Lisa Shannon, author and founder of Run for Congo Women, which is a volunteer effort to raise funds and awareness for women in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  She also spent months in eastern Congo exploring the link between mining and the world's worst sexual violence.


Wednesday's Woman: Impacting Families
Honoring Dr. Jane Aronson, founder of Worldwide Orphans Foundation.


Wednesday's Woman: A New Generation of Widows
Honoring Taryn Davis, founder of American Widow Project.


Wednesday's Woman: This is a Safe Place
Honoring Diane Latiker, founder of Kids Off the Block

Wednesday's Woman: Zainab Salbi
Honoring Zainab Salbi, an Iraqi American writer, activist and social entrepreneur who is co-founder and president of Washington-based Women for Women International.


Wednesday's Woman: Christy Turlington Burns
Honoring Christy Turlington Burns, American model and founder of Every Mother Counts, a campaign to end preventable deaths caused by pregnancy and childbirth around the world.


Wednesday's Woman: Being of Service
Honoring Seane Corn, founder of Off the Mat and Into The World


Wednesday's Woman: Mildred Loving
Honoring Mildred Loving, civil rights activist. She and her husband successfully defeated Virginia's ban on interracial marriage.

WEDNESDAY'S WOMAN IS A WEEKLY FEATURE DEDICATED TO SPOTLIGHTING WOMEN WHO ARE ROLE MODELS FOR OUR DAUGHTERS. . . AND THE WORLD.

Wednesday's Woman: Mildred Loving

Today’s guest blogger, Anna Mahler, is a regular contributor to Wednesday’s Woman and blogs at The Mommy Padawan.  In case you are wondering, padawan means student.  Anna considers herself a student of life, always open to learning through her experiences as a wife, mother, friend, and woman in her community.   I am honored to welcome her back to Sperk* today with a story of courage that comes from history, her own and ours.

Wednesday's Woman: Mildred Loving

by Anna Mahler

Having the basic right to marry the person you fall in love with is something most of us take for granted. When I was single, my thoughts and emotions were far more wrapped up in wondering if I would ever meet someone special to share my life with. Whether or not marriage would be a legal option if I did finally meet “the one” never came in to play.

But that is not how the world has always worked and for some, it is still not that way.

In the 1950's, this was the reality a woman named Mildred Jeter experienced and ended up making history by helping to change the law where love and equality meet.

Mildred, a woman who was part black, part Cherokee, fell in love with her childhood sweetheart, a white construction worker named Richard Loving. Richard felt the same and was ready to settle down but there was a problem. Mildred and Richard were from Virginia, a state where interracial marriage was against the law.

In June of 1958, the couple traveled to Washington, D.C. to marry and returned home to Virginia.

Screenshot The Loving Story

Shortly after their return, local police raided their home at night. They were arrested, charged with unlawful cohabitation and jailed.

Convicted on felony charges, the couple was offered a suspension of their one-year prison sentences if they would leave the state and not return. Mildred was pregnant with the couple’s first child at the time so the Lovings decided to move to Washington DC.

Mildred never truly adjusted to life in the city and always longed for her roots and a more rural life back in Virginia.  Frustrated with the current system, in 1964, she contacted the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for help.

"I wasn't involved with the civil rights movement," Mildred explains at one point. "We were trying to get back to Virginia. That was our goal."

I can't imagine how scary, frustrating and humiliating this situation must have been for Mildred Loving, for so many reasons. Interracial relationships and marriages are not completely uncommon today and are of course, completely legal but they are still not always accepted.

The Loving Story

I know what it is to feel people's stares, hear them murmur under their breath or feel their disgust or condemnation, all based on the color of your skin and the person you are with. And I know what I have felt and experienced is probably nothing compared to what this wife and mother lived and dealt with during one of our more racially heated times in history.  

As their trial began, when their lawyer, Bernard Cohen, asked Richard whether he had anything to say to the justices, he replied simply: "Tell the court I love my wife, and it's just unfair that I can't live with her in Virginia."

In 1967, Supreme Court ruled on the case of Loving v. Virginia. In what would become a landmark case, the Court ruled that state bans on interracial marriage were unconstitutional.

While times have changed, mostly for the better, there are still people today who are fighting for this same basic right.

In 2007, 32 years after her husband died, Mrs. Loving - who herself passed away the following year - released a statement in support of same-sex marriage.

“Not a day goes by that I don't think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the "wrong kind of person" for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry.” (source)

For her strength, her bravery and her heart, today's Wednesday's Woman is Mildred Loving.

The Loving Story, a film by Elisabeth Haviland James/Nancy Buirski

Wednesday's Woman is a weekly feature dedicated to spotlighting women who are role models for our daughters. . . and the world.

photo credit: Jennuine Captures via photopin cc

Wednesday's Woman: Thank You for 2012

We honored celebrities, friends, moms, and neighbors.  We celebrated you and your children.  We recognized athletes, scientists, news reporters, survivors, those who are thriving, writers, singers, advocates and more.  In 2012 we paid tribute to approximately 35 women who are providing us with inspiration and reminding us that when we are called to action we must listen.  We also were reminded that even the smallest of actions can make a huge impact in the lives of others.  I want to thank all of the guest bloggers who helped to make Wednesday’s Woman a shining highlight at Sperk*.  I have a great amount of gratitude for all of the honorees and for all of you.

Thank you, Anna Mahler for being a regular contributor to Wednesday’s Woman and for being my friend.  My gratitude for bringing awareness of the inspiring work of Lisa Shannon, Jane Aronson, Taryn Davis, Diane Latiker, Zainab Salbi, Christy Turlington Burns, and Seane Corn.

Thank you Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms and Tara Pohlkotte for sharing your stories of women who write and who impassioned your own journey of expression.

Thank you Heidi Cave, Ashley Taylor, Galit Breen, Kristen, and aka Lavern for sharing your heart and reminding us that a Wednesday’s Woman is always right in our midst.

Thank you Delilah and Kirstin Piccini for sharing your stories of the women who pulled you through your toughest trials.

Thank you Kim Pugliano, Cat Poland, Stacey Gill, Cindy Reed and Tracy at Scribblesaurus Me for honoring your friends and bringing their stirring stories to light.

Thank you Missy Bedell and M for reminding us that our mothers or mother-figures were our first Wednesday’s Women.

Thank you Ado, Miranda and Aubrey Ortega for bringing to light the little-known works of well-known people.

Finally, thank you to Corrie Ortner, the first Wednesday’s Woman and my friend who inspired the entire series.

I am looking forward to discovering the Women who inspire you in 2013.

Wednesday's Woman is a weekly feature dedicated to spotlighting women who are role models for our daughters. . . and the world.

Wednesday's Woman: Being of Service

Honoring Seane Corn, yoga instructor and founder of Off the Mat Into the World

Today's guest blogger, Anna Mahler, is a regular contributor to Wednesday's Woman and I also consider her a regular inspiration.  Meaning, her kindness is prevailing--always present, empathetic and aware.

Anna has a passion for self-care and deep self-awareness. She believes staying on the quest of loving oneself makes us capable of loving our children and each other.  I believe she is right.  She has a great ability to shine light on women who are reaching out to help us in the quest for a full, love-filled life, and today is no exception.

Be sure to visit Anna at her space, The Mommy Padawan.  I guarantee you'll be inspired.

Wednesday's Woman: What Being Of Service Truly Means

by Anna Mahler

Off the Mat Into the World

Seane Corn is a well known yoga instructor but also a passionate activist on a mission to bring the principals of yoga – love, compassion and mindfulness, into every part of our lives and the world around us.

At 19, Seane started exploring yoga and discovered that it's benefits go far beyond our physical selves.

“I liked yoga at first because of how it made my body feel, but within a few short years, yoga infiltrated every part of my existence. Because of the practice, I quit smoking, drinking, doing drugs and eating animal products. Because of the practice, I meditate, breathe, pray and serve. Yoga created the foundation that allows me to feel connected to spirit, the world and all her inhabitants.”
Source: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Seane-Corns-First-Lesson-in-Yoga/3#ixzz28RH9oYgu

Seane went on to become a yoga teacher but also began exploring ways she could be of service to Off The Mat, Into The World. In 2007,  she co-founded the non-profit organization with the same name along with Hala Khouri and Suzanne Sterling. 

Off the Mat Into the World

others that aligned with her principals and personal beliefs. Inspired after working with YouthAIDS, an organization that provides services and products to children worldwide who are affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis, Seane came up with the slogan -

Off The Mat’s mission is to use the power of yoga to inspire conscious, sustainable activism and ignite grassroots social change.

From the very start, OTM has been active and successful in bringing the values and benefits of yoga to exactly what they state – off the mat and into the world around us today. 

Four years ago, a private client asked Seane to create a lounge at the Democratic National Convention. This became a place for people to relax in between sessions; offering yoga, massages, healthy food and meditation. After receiving a positive response as well as requests for more involvement,  OTM created their recent initiative, YogaVotes. It is an initiative to get people involved but to also bring love, compassion and connection in to politics and political discussions.

Off The Mat also partners with organizations all over the world to help create and provide safe medical and birthing centers, housing, education and training programs and raise awareness of global issues for change. One way they accomplish this is through a yearly challenge they call the Global Seva Challenge.

“Each year, Off the Mat (OTM) sponsors an international service project called the Global Seva Challenge. The Seva Challenge is a transformational journey that builds community, provokes awareness and action around global issues, and raises significant funds to support communities in crisis. Since 2007, the Seva Challenge has raised over two million dollars for projects in Cambodia, Uganda, South Africa and Haiti. In 2012 the Seva Challenge will be focused on the issue of sex trafficking in India and worldwide. “
(Source - http://www.offthematintotheworld.org/global-seva-challenge.html)

Raising awareness, providing refuge, sharing knowledge and encouraging compassion, mindfulness and love. To me, this is what “being of service to others” truly means and an awesome example of walking the walk and living the principals of what you believe. 

You can learn more about Off The Matt at http://www.offthematintotheworld.org/

And more about Seane Corn at http://www.seanecorn.com/



Wednesday's Woman is a weekly feature dedicated to spotlighting women who are role models for our daughters. . . and the world.

Wednesday's Woman: Fighting Childhood Obesity

Anna Mahler is a passionate blogger, wife and mother who generously contributes to Wednesday’s Woman on a monthly basis.  She considers herself a student of life and inspiringly shares what she learns at The Mommy Padawan.  She was recently featured at DoYouYoga.com in an insightful piece Three Reasons Why Bad Moods are Wonderful.   

Eat, Move, Live  - Healthy!

by Anna Mahler

There have been many reports in recent news about the how heavily processed and fast food along with a sedentary lifestyle is actually causing an epidemic of obesity in America, but adults are not the only ones being effected.

Today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese. In fact, it's predicted that this could be the first generation of children with a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

As serious and sobering as this news is, it is also our most preventable disease. 

It's common for mothers to to be concerned with what are children are eating and trying to make sure they are getting everything they need. Encouraging and even sneaking in fruits and vegetables to daily meals is an every day struggle for most but one mom has taken this concern to new levels.

Today's Wednesday's Woman is walking the walk in her own life, for her family and creating programs and initiatives to educate, inspire and empower families to create fuller, healthier lives.

Michelle Obama is today's Wednesday's Woman.

To encourage and educate her daughters about eating more natural home grown food as well as inspiring others, in 2009 Michelle Obama planted a kitchen garden at the White House. There were ups and downs, successes and challenges, but that garden is flourishing today. To share her knowledge from this experience as well as sharing tips about what worked, Michelle wrote American Grown: The Storyof the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America  and was published in 2012.

On February 09, 2010 the First Lady launched “Let's Move!”, an initiative to make the fight against our country's childhood obesity epidemic a serious priority.  Along with helping to empower families to live healthier lives, the Let's Move! web site includes information for schools, community leaders and even health care providers.

While some states are discussing the option to get rid of P.E. classes and looking for more ways to save money on school lunches, this initiative could not be more timely and needed.

The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report recommendations focus on the five pillars of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative:

1      Creating a healthy start for children
2      Empowering parents and caregivers
3      Providing healthy food in schools
4      Improving access to healthy, affordable foods
5      Increasing physical activity

Becoming a living example of the change you wish to create in the world is one of the most powerful things you can do. From her own garden and encouragement for her family to eat better to creating an initiative to help all of our children and families, Michelle Obama's message and hope for the next generation is clear:

The health and wellness of our future is too important to neglect or take for granted.  We can work together for a happier, healthier tomorrow.



(Be sure to check out Apps for Healthy Kids, a competitive project of Let's Move! which provides our tech savvy children with activities that support healthy food choices and exercise.)

Do you know a Wednesday's Woman?  Would you like to share her story?  Contact Sperk* for an opportunity to guest post.

photo credit: USDAgov via photo pin cc photo credit: SodexoUSA via photo pin cc

A Very Informal Wednesday's Woman

It’s my birthday!

I love birthdays—celebrating the anniversary of the day of my arrival onto the planet as a being no longer requiring life support from her mother’s womb.  It’s an important day.  It means this:   I am meant to be here.  And for that reason alone, I should live well, celebrate life, contemplate making it better, take action, and so on.

As a birthday present for myself, I am quitting smoking.  Smoking is gross.  It kills.  It’s socially unacceptable, which makes me a shameful outcast.  It’s a vice I use to stuff feelings and escape.  It’s … well…

Heart Disease is the number one killer of women in America.

It’s Wednesday!

I thought about honoring myself for Wednesday’s Woman because it’s my birthday.  My judgmental inner-coach told me that would seem very prideful and vain. 

On second thought, maybe not.

Hmmm….

Today’s Wednesday’s Woman is every woman who has ever stopped smoking!

For more interesting reading, check out last week’s Wednesday’s Woman, by Anna Mahler, spotlighting Christy Turlington Burns who is a former smoker and founder of Smoking is Ugly.

Another interesting read about women and hot off the press is from Forbes: The World's 100 Most Powerful Women 2012. 

I didn’t make the list.  But Forbes hasn't figured out just how powerful I am.  I will give them a few years.

Enjoy your day!

Wednesday's Woman is a weekly feature spotlighting women who are positive role models for our daughters and the world. . .

photo credit: ollipitkanen via photo pin cc

Wednesday's Woman: Christy Turlington Burns

Christy Turlington Burns (credit)

Today's Wednesday's Woman comes to you from monthly contributor, Anna Mahler, who blogs at The Mommy Padawan.  Anna is a strong voice for self-care.  Her philosophy is that if we love and care for ourselves we will share that goodness with others.  She is an advocate for children and women and has recently been featured at MindBodyGreen.

Wednesday's Woman: Christy Turlington Burns

By Anna Mahler

Christy Turlington Burns is an incredibly beautiful woman. She's a highly recognizable face backed by a very successful modeling career.  But there is more to her than meets the eye, another side she is not as recognized for. She is also a mother and longtime advocate for preventable health and wellness. Her concern and compassion for women’s health issues have led her to become a film maker and activist for two important causes, both close to her heart. 

After losing her father to lung cancer and conquering her own nicotine addiction, Christy began working to help educate others on the damaging health effects of smoking. In the late 1990's, she co-created anti-smoking public service announcements for MTV, presented at the SurgeonGeneral's first report on Women and Tobacco and in 2002, created the website Smoking Is Ugly.  

The site provides resources for those trying to kick the habit, information on the health effects of smoking for women and Christy's own story of loss, her personal struggle to quit and what she's learned and gained.

Her more recent and possibly more well-known work is her 2010 documentary on maternal mortality around the world, No Woman No Cry and the creation of her organization for this cause, Every Mother Counts. 

In 2003, Christy gave birth to a healthy baby girl at home. Her pregnancy and the birth of her daughter were both normal but shortly after delivery, she experienced PPH – Post Partum Hemorrage. While her midwife and obstetrician were able to manage this complication without a problem, Christy learned that PPH is the leading cause of pregnancy related death in the world, especially for those without access to pre and postnatal care, even here in the US.

While pregnant with her second child, Christy spent time traveling with CARE, a humanitarian organization dedicated to fighting global poverty with a special focus on working with women. With them, she was able to visit parts of Central America and Peru and saw firsthand some of the work being done to help lower maternal mortality rates in these areas.

Deeply effected and wanting to find a good way to share what she had seen and learned, Christy began working on her documentary, No Woman NoCry. The film includes women's stories from Tanzania, Bangladesh, Guatemala and the United States.

But more work lay ahead as Christy explained what caused her to start Every Mother Counts:

“The experience of making the film was life changing and thegeneral response since completing it has been validating in that it has proventhat the effort that went into it has been meaningful to so many. But bringingthese stories to those who previously didn’t know about any of these maternalhealth challenges was only a start. What is awareness if not harnessed andturned into action? At every screening I attended, people were asking what theycould do to help, how they could get involved. The issue was obviously touchinga nerve and I found that people were reacting exactly as I had hoped—like me.Once you know the facts, how can you ignore them? I wanted to create a placeothers could go to learn more and be a part of the solution.”

The web site for her organization provides detailed information on women's maternal health issues and ways you can help, from donations and fundraising to telling your story and supporting products that donate and support the cause as well.  Information on the organization's progress is also included online including current information on goals, partnerships and work being done to help women around the world.

Christy Turlingtons' outer beauty is undeniable, but it is her compassion for other women and mothers and her desire to educate and help that is her real beauty to me, this is what makes her shine.  That is what inspires me about her and why I choose her for Wednesday's Woman.

Smoking Is Ugly

Every Mother Counts

photo credit: anali02170 via photo pin cc

Wednesday's Woman: Zainab Salbi

Women for Women

This week’s Wednesday’s Woman comes to you from Sperk*’s monthly contributor, Anna Mahler who writes at The Mommy Padawan.  She shares my passion for recognizing women who have seen suffering and have taken it upon themselves to do something about it.  This week her choice for Wednesday’s Woman is no different.

Anna Mahler

I consider Anna my friend—a friend who not only shares the desire to bring these amazing women into awareness, but also a friend who is always there for me, even when it’s tough for me to accept and reciprocate. 

After you read her Wednesday’s Woman submission, visit her space in the Web, The Mommy Padawan.  Padawan means student.  But she is also a teacher, a teacher who has taught me a lot and I am grateful.

Wednesday’s Woman – Zainab Salbi

by Anna Mahler

"I find it amazing that the only group of people who are not fighting and not killing and not pillaging and not burning and not raping, and the group of people who are mostly — though not exclusively — who are keeping life going in the midst of war, are not included in the negotiating table.” (Zainab Salbi on women and war)

Zainab Salbi

I was introduced to Women for Women International after learning about Lisa Shannon and the work she has been doing to women in the DR of Congo. I wanted to learn more and find out what I could do to help. This is where I learned about Women for Women International and the programs they have for sponsoring women in the Congo and other countries in need.

Reading through the website, learning about their programs and even the vision of the organization is truly inspiring:

Our VisionWomen for Women International envisions a world where no one is abused, poor, illiterate or marginalized; where members of communities have full and equal participation in the processes that ensure their health, well-being and economic independence; and where everyone has the freedom to define the scope of their life, their future and strive to achieve their full potential. (source)

Screenshot via TED

Once I dug a little deeper and started reading about Zainab Salbi, I was truly blown away.

Zainab Salbi is the founder of Women for Women International and has served as the CEO from 1993 to 2011.

Zainab was born in 1969 and was no stranger to living with a war at your doorsteps.  "I was born in Baghdad and lived there until I was 19," she says. "I learned to coexist with war. You wake up with the sound of a missile hitting a neighbor, and you say, 'OK, it's not me today.' And you go back to sleep." (source)

Zainab started Women for Women at the age of 23 with $2,000 from her wedding. A newlywed, she and her husband skipped their honeymoon and flew to Croatia after hearing reports on the news of refugee and rape camps.  Once there, they spent months helping women survivors and Zainab gathered information to help her create Women for Women International.

I personally can't imagine being that young and having the strength, maturity and bravery to make the choices and take the actions this woman did. And if that is not inspiring enough, visit the home page of her website, ZainabSalbi.com: 

I was born and raised in Iraq, I lived and worked in many war zones, I encountered displacement, I tasted loss, death and pain, and I believe! I believe in the possibilities of change. I believe in joy, in laughter and in dancing until the end. I believe in love and in forgiveness, and I am a witness to the possibility of healing. It is TIME for the new story to emerge. Welcome to my website.

To have lived and seen so much pain and loss and still have that much hope, positivity and love in your heart is incredible, it is a miracle and a blessing for each person who comes across it.

Zainab Salbi also an author of two books; a national bestseller "Between Two Worlds: Escape from Tyranny: Growing Up in theShadow of Saddam” (with Laurie Becklund) that documents her life under Saddam Hussein’s rule and “The Other Side of War: Women's Stories of Survival andHope."

From Women for Women:

Since 1993, the organization has helped 316,000 women survivors of wars access social and economic opportunities through a program of rights awareness training, vocational skills education and access to income generating opportunities, thereby ultimately contributing to the political and economic health of their communities.

Zainab Salbi: Women, wartime and the dream of peace

TEDGlobal 2010

photo credit: WeNews via photo pin cc

photo credit: WeNews via photo pin cc

Wednesday's Woman: This is a Safe Place

I am grateful for the overwhelming response to the call for submissions to Wednesday’s Woman.  

Your contributions to Wednesday’s Woman are impactful to many.  With your help, we are spreading the word that transformation does happen.  If you'd like to add your name to the list of guest bloggers you can let me know via Twitter, email or by mentioning your desire in the comments section following today's feature.

Today, please welcome back Anna Mahler from The Mommy Padawan, a monthly contributor to Wednesday’s Woman.  Anna shares my passion for seeking out women who can be highlighted because of their ability to be a catalyst for positive change in the lives of others.  Anna also understands that one not always has to look across our borders for opportunities to help.  After reading Anna's feature, you'll be inspired to look right outside your front door for that opportunity you've been missing. 

Remember to spend some time at The Mommy Padawan.  Her space is warm and empowering.  Her steadfast mission to end child abuse and bring love and peace to the world inspires.  I include her within the ranks of women who have been a catalyst for my own growth and I'm certain she will do the same for you. 

Wednesday's Woman

Diane Latiker

by Anna Mahler

Video Still via CNN

Diane Latiker is an incredible woman. She is a mother and grandmother who stepped forward in her community, unafraid to help or of being judged. She believes in the potential and good in young people and recognizes the possibilities created by positive change – for the children she helps everyday and the area where they live.

Diane Latiker has lived in Roseland for over 20 years, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago.  When her youngest child became a teenager in 2003, Diane was concerned for her daughter. They lived in a violent area, surrounded by drugs and gangs, and there wasn't much for kids to do so Diane started taking her daughter and her friends to safe activities like swimming and to the movies.

Encouraged by her mother about the impact she was having and how much the kids liked and respected her, Diane decided to reach out, not only to her daughters' friends but to all of the kids in their community.

Welcoming them in to her own home, Diane made it known she was providing a safe place for kids to come any time of the day or night for food, help with homework or just to have someone to talk to. She called her program, Kids Off the Block.

Many were just viewed as “bad kids” but once they started coming to Diane, even gang members began opening up about how they wanted more for themselves.

"I invited them into my living room," she said. "They all started saying: 'I want to be a doctor. I want to be a rapper. I want to be a singer.' They didn't want to be out here running up and down the street. They wanted to be involved in something." (CNN)

As Diane began to see the positive impact of her work, she eventually left her day job to dedicate even more time to helping the young people in her area. She set up tutoring with teachers and retired educators, provided job interview skills, opportunities to play sports and even organized field trips.

When surrounded by violence and struggle, it's easy to feel like this is just how life is and there are no other options available. Having the opportunity to see that there are many other places and ways to live, different from what they see everyday on their block, can provide the hope that starts incredible, positive changes for a child in need. 

After touring her home and program, donors provided enough funding for Diane to purchase a building  and Kids Off the Block opened the doors of its new home on July 15, 2010.

Kids Off The Block  is open to children and young people ages 11 to 24, providing alternatives to gangs, drugs and violence through mentoring, tutoring, sports, job readiness skills, GED preparedness and heath and fitness programs to name a few.

They also host annual events like Safe Summer BBQ, Feed A Teen Thanksgiving Day Dinner and Champions for Teens Awards.

To me, this is the ultimate example of living the proverb “it takes a village to raise a child”.  Diane clearly shows, you don't have to be a biological parent to help a child become happy and successful.

It is also a beautiful example of how we are all connected. By providing hope and alternatives to violence and crime, Diane not only saves children but is creating a safer community and happier, more successful future adults.

Diane Latiker was chosen as a CNN Hero in 2011: 

Wednesday's Woman: A New Generation of Widows

I am beyond thrilled to welcome back Anna Mahler, The MommyPadawan, as a contributor to Wednesday’s Woman.  Because Anna is so passionate about creating awareness of the positive impact women are currently having on our world, I am excited to announce that she will be here on a monthly basis.  I am grateful for Anna’s willingness to take time out of her very full life as a wife, mother, and blogger to commit to sharing her passion for inspiring others regularly at Sperk*.

Anna is not only passionate, but she is also supportive and empathic, which is apparent in the comments she leaves for others around the blogosphere.  The scope of her support is broad and available to any who are willing to receive it.  For proof, check out her Twitter feed.  Being sincerely compassionate requires courage, which Anna definitely possesses.  Recently, she intrepidly posted her own story, I Have My Reasons, to summon support for National Child Abuse Awareness Month. 

Evidence of her far-reaching compassion is present as she brings attention to the plight of the military widow in her thoughtful story about Taryn Davis, founder of American Widow Project.  I agree with Anna whole-heartedly when she states:

"Sharing your story and feelings while hearing from others and connecting with women who understand what you are going through . . . having this kind of connection and support can also help you heal."

The above echoes the reason I value Sperk*, Wednesday’s Woman, and Anna herself.  

 Wednesday's Woman: Taryn Davis

by Anna Mahler

It always strikes me, how young most of the people are when I see anything on the news talking about our service men and women.  I often wonder if we really understand the extent of what they see and experience and how much support they need and fully deserve.

Taryn Davis, photo via AWP

Each time I have seen news reports of the loss of a hometown's military serviceman, I feel sadness for the parents who have outlived their own child, I think about the loss of one with so much left to do in life and the tragedies and unfairness of war. But I admit, one thing I don't always think about are the widows. So many young service men are also married and end up leaving behind very young wives, often with small children, to grieve for them.

This was the experience for Taryn Davis. She was 21 years old when her husband was killed in Iraq four years ago. Devastated and grieving, Taryn felt even more alone when looking for emotional support and other widows to connect with. Because of her age, she felt she didn't fit in with most existing widow groups and people around her either avoided the subject or acted as if someone so young would be able to bounce right back without understanding the depth of her pain. 

Knowing she could not be the only young war widow feeling this way and wanting to help and connect with others in her place, Taryn created The American Widow Project  in 2007 for other women around the country whose husbands have died in Iraq and Afghanistan: 

“While the service member’s sacrifice is acknowledged, many simply forget or fail to recognize the sacrifice of the spouse who is now left a widow of war. Often times the invisible wounds of military widows are disregarded due to age or a simple lack of knowledge and understanding.

The American Widow Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to the new generation of those who have lost the heroes of yesterday, today and tomorrow, with an emphasis on healing through sharing stories, tears and laughter. Military Widow to Military Widow.”

What I really loved is how they describe the groups events:

“We do not hold seminars or have speakers, we have each other. The widows come together to enjoy life the way they did when their spouse was still alive. From surfing to zip-lining, we are here to enjoy each others company and share some of our fondest memories.”

The site also offers a list of blogs by other military widows, books and additional resources from grief support forums to suicide prevention information. 

Sharing your story and feelings while hearing from others and connecting with women who understand what you are going through is a great way to building this invaluable support system. I think when you lose someone you love, there is always a part of you that is missing but I believe having this kind of connection and support can also help you heal.

I love learning about women supporting women and this is a great example of just that. 

Read more about Taryn and The American Widow Project and watch the video below:

Follow The American Widow Project on Facebook and Twitter

Wednesday's Woman: Impacting Families

 

I am grateful to have Anna Mahler of The Mommy Padawan back to guest post for this week's Wednesday's Woman.  

Anna shares my passion for honoring the women of the world who strive to make a positive impact on the lives of others.  Like last week, because of her willingness to contribute to Wednesday's Woman, Anna has brought to my attention another visionary, activist, and advocate.--Dr. Jane Aronson. 

Raising awareness of these great women and their work inspires us on our own quests to be courageous and impactful.  Help us to stay inspired!  After you check out Anna at Mommy Padawan, consider contributing to Wednesday's Woman.  Simply drop me an email by clicking the envelop below, and share your knowledge of a Wednesday's Woman.

Wednesday's Woman -  Pediatrician, Dr. Jane Aronson

Doctor Jane Aronson is a hero to me for several reasons. She's a true humanitarian and an advocate for orphaned children around the world. Her work has included evaluating children adopted from abroad and she has consulted with thousands of families on the adoption process, including Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. But what I also love about Jane Aronson is her vision for more permanent future solutions, working with entire communities to help enable families to stay together.

I first learned about Jane Aronson when she was nominated as a 2009 woman of the year by Glamour Magazine and was immediately affected while reading about what she encountered while touring overseas orphanages in the 90's, describing the smell alone as “that terrible odor of filth and illness and neglect.”

Witnessing starving, sick and neglected children would cause anyone to be upset or walk away thinking and feeling something should be done. Jane Aronson took the next step.

In 1997, she founded the Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO), a not-for-profit organization that provides direct services to orphans abroad. 

From Jane's bio on the WWO website:

“The mission of my foundation is to transform the lives of orphaned children by providing them with medical care, education, and by addressing their developmental issues. WWO acts as global parents for orphans. WWO sends students and healthcare professionals as participants in the Orphan Ranger Program to live and work in orphanages to form liaisons with orphanage educators, staff, and doctors. In addition, we also send Service Rangers, groups of families to work at the orphanage on a specific project for a limited time period. “

A favorite part of the services WWO provides that I found on the site is setting up “granny” programs where retired individuals are matched with children in local institutions. The “grannies” work  on a one-to-one basis with a child, feeding, playing, singing songs, holding and encouraging their child and the little ones respond with tremendous developmental advances, better growth, and most importantly, by learning how to love and be loved.

But more than just wanting to help children without permanent homes, Dr Aronson is concerned with finding solutions for the bigger issue; how and why so many children are becoming orphaned in the first place.

From an interview in the Washington Times Community, Dr Aronson explains:

“Every orphan is in someway connected to a community. If we can help support that community, we help the kids. We focus on the community. What’s going wrong there to create orphans? Battered families? Illness? Extreme poverty? We try to focus on alleviate the causes. For instance, we set up the Family Resource Center in Vietnam, which supports parents who are HIV positive. If we can help them stay well, we help their children stay within a family and prevent them from becoming orphans.

Adoption is obviously the gold standard. Every kid deserves a permanent family in a safe and loving home. The trouble is the orphan problem is too great to be resolved through adoption alone. There just are too many children. There has to be another solution to support these kids. To me, orphans symbolize the lack of justice in the world. These children are the victims of poor adult decisions and the big picture is that it’s incredibly sad that human beings allow this to happen. But the fact is they do, these kids exist and we have a moral obligation to do something about it.”

Every orphan is connected to a community and every child does deserve a safe and loving home. Learn about the community, help the people, heal families and keep them together. This, along with all the other work Doctor Aronson does, is what makes her an inspiration and hero to me.

In the United States, Jane still practices pediatric medicine in Manhattan as well as being a parent to her own two adopted children.

Dr. Jane Aronson

Read more about Dr. Jane Aronson on her website.
Learn more about her organization, the Worldwide Orphans Foundation at http://www.wwo.org/

Follow her on Twitter @orphandoctor