I've taken quite a step back from my phone. I've become very tired of screaming into the void and "keeping up appearances." That doesn't mean I still don't have strong feelings, do my research, have deep discussions with everyone in my circle about what's happening in the world. And of course LIVING as joyfully as possible. With that said, I'm going to take a moment to speak up. The election is Tuesday, November 5th. And I implore you to vote. I implore you to make everyone in your circle vote. Grab the "I Vote" sticker and wear it everywhere to remind everyone to vote. We may not all agree, but this is the simplest act we can do to make our voices heard. So please, please, please go vote. Sending big hugs to all of you, always. This month, 20% of our proceeds will be contributed to Environmental Defense Fund. They are a global nonprofit organization tackling climate change - the greatest challenge of our time. Their bold, game-changing solutions put people at the center of all they do. Their goals: 1) stabilize the climate, 2) strengthen people and nature's ability to thrive and 3) support people's health. Together, they are creating a vital Earth. For everyone. They have 3.5 million members supports and activities, 1,000 scientists, economists, policy experts and lawyers, 50+ years of driving real, meaningful change and 30+ countries around the world where they work. They are tackling the biggest issues and striving for maximum impact: energy transition, natural solutions, sustainable fishing, hydrogen, clean air, methane, agriculture, and safer chemicals. They bring together people from all sides and draw from deep expertise to tackle environmental issues from every angle: scientific evidence, economic sustainability, climate justice, strong advocacy, commitment to diversity. To learn more about their outstanding work, please visit their website: https://www.edf.org/
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There is always something to the start of the school year. Even if school is no longer part of your life, this time of year always has a certain heightened hustle and bustle to it. It's familiar, you can always count on it, yet it always seems to catch me in particular off guard every time. With that in mind, I want to encourage you to make sure you keep time for yourself. Block off that time on your schedule whether it's to make a yummy home cooked meal, meditate, work out, read a book, something that will recharge your nervous system and nourish your body and slow down time. It is also getting chillier and this tends to be the time of year we all revisit our wardrobe, whether it's to change out the seasons or to put the new season in a more accessible, reachable spot. As you organize, I want to give you a challenge... Donate one warm item (jacket, blanket, socks, gloves, scarf, etc) that you don't need or want anymore to an organization that will pass that item along to someone who might be sleeping on the streets. It's simple and can be lifesaving to that individual. This month, 20% of our proceeds will be contributed to Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Their mission is to prevent and cure breast cancer by advancing the world's most promising research. Breast cancer knows no age, gender or race. As the most common cancer in women worldwide, it remains a fact of life. Approximately 2.3 million women around the globe were diagnosed in 2021, and incidence rates are on the rise. That’s because breast cancer has no boundaries. It is the leading cause of cancer death in the world’s poorest countries and the second leading cause of cancer death in American women. The developing world is experiencing higher mortality rates than ever before due to a lack of screening and access to treatment, and we are seeing disparities right here at home as social and economic factors create barriers to proper diagnosis and care. They want to put an end to breast cancer. Their goal: No more fear. No more hospital visits. No more side effects or needless suffering. No more loved ones lost to breast cancer. The only way to achieve this goal is through research. Research is revolutionizing their understanding of cancer. Research is leading them to the core of this insidious disease. Research is transforming lives every day as women and men get the help they need. They believe research—and research alone—has the power to bring an end to cancer. They know what needs to be done, and they have more than 250 researchers urgently working on solutions to one of the world’s greatest problems. They invest in research that’s changing how they think about cancer. That means more answers, faster breakthroughs, and personalized treatment for every patient. With more than a billion dollars raised to fuel their mission, that’s progress. This year, BCRF is the largest private funder of breast cancer research—and the largest private funder of metastatic research—in the U.S. Breast cancer is a complex disease with no simple solution, which is why their researchers are tackling it from every angle. Learn about their areas of focus and why each is critical to knowing how to fight cancer from the start, slow its progress and one day stop it from occurring altogether. Visit their website to learn more about their impact: https://www.bcrf.org/ Have you ever heard people suggest to take up hobbies that heal your inner child? Truthfully, it's always made my eyes roll. However, this summer, I've found that I am starting to understand what that means. A few examples I've had the opportunity to do over the last few months: swimming, make collages, board games, signed up for a Paint and Sip for my upcoming birthday. I'm starting to see the value of finding activities that you have absolutely ZERO intention of being good at. (Listen, it's Virgo season, so forgive my type A tendencies.) I have found great joy and even some inner peace by purposefully choosing activities that are forcing me to silence my inner critic and simply just be. I challenge you this month to find a form of movement that doesn't force you to be so perfect (yes, even Pilates!). May this month's principle and focus be FLOW. Flow for the sake of joy and for that inner kid in you. This month, 20% of our proceeds go to New Yorkers for Children. New Yorkers for Children (NYFC) improves the well-being of youth and families in the child welfare system with an emphasis on older youth aging out of the system. NYFC provides direct educational, financial and emotional support and develops programs to fill gaps in the system in partnership with foster care agencies, community organizations and the NYC Administration of Children's Services. NYFC was founded by Nicholas Scoppetta, the former Commissioner of the Administration for Children's Services (ACS). Having gone through the New York City foster care system himself, Nick devoted much of his life to ensuring that youth in foster care have the opportunity to lead lives of value, dignity and joy. They work to enroll older foster youth in college, support them through graduation, and help them gain the skills needed to enter the workforce by providing: 1) direct academic scholarship programs, 2) innovative pilot programs, 3) youth development events, 4) wraparound supports, including one-on-one academic coaching and mental health support, 5) technology for schoolwork and 6) emergency funding coupled with financial coaching. NYFC is a safety net for our city's most vulnerable and resilient young people. For this reason, their focus is on youth who are aging out of the system and are at greatest risk of depression, poverty, homelessness and interactions with the criminal justice system. Each and every youth that we serve has touched the NYC child welfare system in some way. They're here to support them as they move forward. NYFC provides direct services and scholarship support to about 1,000 youth annually, in addition to overseeing about 21 unique programs, including 47 private grants from foundations and corporations to support education programs and pilot initiatives in partnership with agencies and organizations in the child welfare landscape. To learn more about their important work, visit their website: https://www.newyorkersforchildren.org/ I don't know about you, but I nerd out HARD for the Olympics. The dedication, the determination, the discipline, the fearlessness, the drive, the perseverance, the humanity. It is one of my biggest sources of inspiration watching these athletes have a moment of recognition for all they have already achieved to simply get there. It reminds me that maybe it's not that hard to show up for myself in small ways and dedicate myself to a sense of purpose, a goal, a routine, a habit. This is why this newsletter is a bit late this month. Yes, partially because I can't stop watching the Olympics, but I truly have used that inspiration and gotten back into good habits - removing myself from the computer and the phone screen and finding joy. I have been swimming for the first time since high school, hiked one of my favorite trails, spent quality time with family and friends, and of course, PILATES. It shouldn't surprise me, but focusing on one change and staying consistent has helped put all the other pieces back where they belong. I hope you'll find draw from the athletes' perseverance and give back to yourself this month. This month, 20% of our proceeds go to Special Olympics. Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit every day around the world through the transformative power and joy of sport. Through programming in sports, health, education and community building, Special Olympics is tackling the inactivity, stigma, isolation, and injustice that people with intellectual disabilities (ID) face. Their work goes far beyond sports events, driving social change that enables full social participation for people with ID. Special Olympics approach is to deliver, high-quality training and competition in an inclusive culture through Unified Sports, which allows for people with and without intellectual disabilities to play on the same field. They offer 30-plus Olympic-style individual and team sports that provide meaningful training and competition opportunities for athletes ranging in age from 2 to 99! Special Olympics teammates benefit in gaining quality sport experiences due to the rules set forth in Sport Rules Article 1. This premise for all Special Olympics sports is strengthened from partnerships with International Sport Federations, social inclusion opportunities through Unified Schools, as well as opportunities to develop basic skills at age 2 through Young Athletes. The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. There are as many as 200 million people with intellectual disabilities around the world. Their goal is to reach out to every one of them—and their families as well. Special Olympics does this through a wide range of trainings, competitions, health screenings and fund-raising events. They also create opportunities for families, community members, local leaders, businesses, law enforcement, celebrities, dignitaries and others to band together to change attitudes and support athletes. To learn more about their initiatives and their work, visit their website: https://www.specialolympics.org/?locale=en How on Earth is it already July 2024?! I usually view this time as the heart of summer, fully invested in summer travels and adventures. But this year, I seem to be more focused on the six month mark of the year. I'm sure it is because we are just now over the six month landmark since our apartment building fire. That brought up quite a lot of emotions as we pushed for our neighbors to receive an extension on their temporary housing (and we won that fight!). It makes me feel like WHERE has the time gone as it feels like it happened yesterday. Yet, it also goes to show how quickly time does fly and why it is so important to focus on the NOW. They say it can take anywhere between 18 days and 8 months to build a habit. With six months left of the year, that means it is not too late to build the habits you want to help you achieve your goals. May this be our community push to focus on the present and go one step at a time to build good habits that set us up for the type of success we want. And it's not too late to register to vote! https://vote.gov/ This month, 20% of our proceeds will be contributed to Coalition for the Homeless. The Coalition for the Homeless is the nation’s oldest advocacy and direct service organization helping homeless individuals and families. They believe that affordable housing, sufficient food and the chance to work for a living wage are fundamental rights in a civilized society. Since their inception in 1981, the Coalition has worked through litigation, public education and direct services to ensure that these goals are realized. The Coalition’s effectiveness derives from their unique role as both an advocacy and direct service organization. Their programs, shelter monitoring and grassroots organizing enable them to meet homeless people where they are – giving voice and hope to the most marginalized among us. Their advocacy is informed by the very real daily struggles of our homeless neighbors, and seeks practical, humane and cost-effective long-term solutions proven to work. Because every New Yorker deserves a home. For more than 40 years, the Coalition for the Homeless has developed and implemented humane, cost-effective strategies to end mass homelessness in New York City. Their model programs represent solutions that can dramatically reduce the homeless population and prevent homelessness among those most at risk. Every day, their 11 frontline programs help more than 3,500 men, women and children survive immediate crises and put them on the path to long-term stability. They witness firsthand the challenges they face and shape their services to best meet their needs, providing emergency food and clothing, eviction prevention, crisis services, permanent housing, job training and special programs for homeless youth. Their renowned advocacy tirelessly fights for investments in proven, cost-effective housing-based solutions to mass homelessness. Their first legal victory, Callahan v. Carey, established the right to shelter for homeless adult men — a crucial first step in our subsequent victories on behalf of homeless women and children. Since then, the Coalition has won a string of legal actions including securing medically appropriate housing for people living with HIV/AIDS and ensuring the right to vote for Americans without homes. The Coalition is a vocal and invaluable city and statewide resource for homeless people, at-risk populations, other advocates and service providers, policymakers and the public at large. They have earned the reputation as the most credible source of information on homelessness, its causes, and solutions. To learn more about their amazing work, visit their website: https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/ There is always something special about the change of seasons. This particular seasonal change, it feels for me as though I am coming out of a fog. The sunshine, the clear blue skies, the contrast of the bright flowers blooming against their crisp green leaves feels reviving as if I am Dorothy going from the black and white of Kansas to the bright and inviting land of Oz. And for me, that is also reinvigorating my sense of joy. So, my hope is that this is a season of JOY for all of us. With all the tragedy, fear, heartache, polarizing negative that is around us, may we constantly fight for our collective JOY this season. And what better way to do that than to celebrate PRIDE month. Happy Pride, my friends! This month, 20% of our proceeds goes to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the philanthropic heart of Broadway, helping people across the country and across the street receive lifesaving medications, health care, nutritious meals, counseling and emergency financial assistance. They are one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theater community, since 1988 Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has raised more than $300 million for essential services for people living with HIV/AIDS, struggling with COVID-19 and facing other critical illnesses in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the single largest financial supporter of the essential social service programs at the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund), including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative and The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts. They also award annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS began as two separate organizations. Equity Fights AIDS was founded in October 1987 by the Council of Actors’ Equity Association. Money raised through the efforts of Equity theater companies across the country was specifically earmarked for The Actors Fund’s HIV/AIDS Initiative. Broadway Cares was founded in February 1988 by members of The Producers’ Group. Money raised was awarded to AIDS service organizations nationwide, including Equity Fights AIDS. In May 1992, Equity Fights AIDS and Broadway Cares merged to become Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The Board of Trustees of this newly established nonprofit fundraising organization assumed the missions of the previously separate organizations. Unlike most other nonprofit, grant-making organizations, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS must raise every dollar of our philanthropic budget each year in order to fulfill our mission. In turn, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS works hard to ensure that the money they raise is spent carefully and wisely on programs where these hard-earned funds can have the maximum possible impact. Their Mission Statement:
To learn more about their incredibly organization, visit their website: https://broadwaycares.org/ I have had so many clients recently talk to me about their frustration with the ups and downs of their health journey. As soon as one finally feels back on track and in a good groove, life throws you a wrench and all forward movement stops. I hate to break it to you, but that's life. Rather than only focusing on the happy times when we are going strong in our good groove, we have to work on our resiliency and adaptability. Knocked off your routine for 3 days? A week? A month? 6 months? A year? All is not lost, you can get back to it. Is it harder to get back the longer you off? Of course. But the more we practice that resiliency, getting back to taking care of ourselves quicker after a set back, the more often we will feel like we are in a good groove and actually sticking to it this time. So, let's get to it. Whether you are someone who needs the start of a new week or a new month to create good habits for yourself, let's all take today to get back to what you and your body needs. Cheering you on as always, my friend. This month, 20% of our proceeds goes to World Central Kitchen. There are certain organizations that are on my list for multiple contributions throughout the year, and World Central Kitchen is one of those. In 2010, Chef José Andrés, ready to use his culinary knowledge and talent to help, headed to Haiti following a devastating earthquake. It wasn’t just about feeding people in need—it was about listening, learning, and cooking side by side with the people impacted by the crisis. This is the real meaning of comfort food, and it’s the core value that José, along with his wife Patricia, used at the center of founding World Central Kitchen. For seven years after José founded World Central Kitchen, the organization would focus on resilience programs, investing in longer-term solutions around food in the Caribbean and Central America. With roots in Haiti, WCK began a Clean Cooking program to support communities’ transition away from cooking over dangerous open wood- and coal-fueled fires. After several years, José and WCK built and opened École des Chefs, a culinary school in Port-au-Prince under the direction of Mi-Sol Chevallier—one of Haiti’s most respected chefs. WCK teams have served meals to people recovering from crisis every single day. Hurricanes, wildfires, tsunamis, and volcano eruptions took the team across the world, growing in knowledge and capacity with each crisis. Initially responding to just natural disasters, WCK quickly expanded the definition of disasters to which we respond—providing nourishing meals for refugees arriving at the US border after fleeing violence and extreme poverty, Venezuelan families lacking access to food in their own neighborhoods, heroic hospital staff working nonstop in the uncertainty of a global pandemic, and Ukrainian families living through an unthinkable invasion and the constant threat of attack. All of this work is made possible by working with communities wherever WCK teams go—over and over again, WCK sees the best of humanity show up in the worst of times.Over the years, José and WCK teams have continued to learn, adapt, and build responses unique to each situation and community. We have, at times, made long-term commitments in food systems following disasters. Their Food Producer Network ran for five years supporting small food producers in Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, Guatemala, and the USVIs. While cooking hot meals with locally sourced ingredients from Field Kitchens has traditionally been their goal and focus in times of crisis, sometimes fresh produce boxes or meal kits for families to cook themselves are a better fit. Partnering with local restaurants looking to help their neighbors allows us to get meals ready immediately. During their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, meals that were cooked, cooled, and could be reheated by families safely at home met the unique need of the time. The WCK approach is that they should always work with urgency, listen to communities, and adapt—all virtues that guide their work. World Central Kitchen teams across the world remain deeply committed to serving delicious, chef-prepared meals to people with the dignity they deserve. As the climate-crisis worsens and disasters become not only larger, but more frequent, they'll continue to be there—and I hope you’ll join them. As José likes to say, “everyone is a part of World Central Kitchen, they may just not know it yet!” To learn more about their incredible work, please visit their website: https://wck.org/ Adam and I started Q1 of 2024 without a home and so much uncertainty. I am excited to share that I am starting Q2 with some exciting news - I am now the Associate Manager of Pilates Education at the Equinox Pilates Training Institute. I am so excited to continue to develop curriculum and mentor the next generous of Pilates instructors. With that said, this is still such a passion project of mine and now that we are more grounded in our new home, stay tuned for some new content on the way while we still give generously to organizations doing good in the world. So with that said, let's keep moving, friends! As always, I am so grateful for your continual support. This month, 20% of our proceeds goes to Earth Day. The first Earth Day in 1970 mobilized millions of Americans from all walks of life to birth the modern environmental movement. Since then, Earth Day has evolved into the largest civic event on Earth, activating billions across 192 countries to safeguard our planet and fight for a brighter future. EARTHDAY.ORG is unwavering in their commitment to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of ALL plastics by 2040. Their theme, Planet vs. Plastics, calls to advocate for widespread awareness on the health risk of plastics, rapidly phase out all single use plastics, urgently push for a strong UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution, and demand an end to fast fashion. Join them as they build a plastic-free planet for generations to come! Some of their acheivements:
Some of their initiatives:
To learn more about how you can make a difference this Earth Day, visit their website: https://www.earthday.org/ So, let's do it. Name it - what's your excuse? And no, I don't just mean working out. What's your excuse from holding you back from what you want? We all have some kind of goal we want: a better pre-bedtime routine, waking up in time for breakfast before work, more steps in the day, one hour for yourself in the week, finally booking that doctor's check up or acupuncture session, tackling that part of your to-do list that seems to continually get ignored, achieving a run goal, a weight goal ... the list goes on and on. Sometimes, naming the goal out loud is the hardest part because our goals seem too basic or subtle that it's not worth naming them. But take it from me who has truly a whole new take on the little things in life - name it. I can't tell you how good it feels to finally make my own breakfast again, to return to my lunch walks with Zoey, to have a yoga mat again. But I had to name for myself that these were important goals that I needed to have back in my routine to feel good again and to feel home again. These small acts can be so empowering. So, get to it. Name your goal. Name your excuse. And then, go get it done. 20% of this month's proceeds will go to the Association for Size Diversity and Health. The Association for Size Diversity and Health affirms a holistic definition of health, which cannot be characterized as the absence of physical or mental illness, limitation or disease. Rather, health exists on a continuum that varies with time and circumstance for each individual. Health should be conceived as a resource or capacity available to all regardless of health condition or ability level, and not as an outcome or objective of living. Pursuing health is neither a moral imperative nor an individual obligation, and health status should never be used to judge, oppress or determine the value of an individual. Centering this definition of health, The Health at Every Size (HAES) Principles and framework are a continuously evolving alternative to the weight-centered approach to treating clients and patients of all sizes. The Principles promote health equity, support ending weight discrimination, and improve access to quality healthcare regardless of size. The Principles are: 1) Weight Inclusivity, 2) Health Enhancement, 3) Eating for Well-Being, 4) Respectful Care, and 5) Life-Enhancing Movement. As a non-profit organization with an international membership committed to the practice of Health at Every Size, ASDAH envisions a world that celebrate bodies of all shapes and sizes, in which body weight is no longer a source of discrimination and where oppressed communities have equal access to the resources and practices that support health and well being. They provide education on weight-centered bias, advocate for change at an international level, and connect like-minded people around the globe to create a world in which weight is no longer a source of discrimination. To learn more about what they do and join, visit their website: https://asdah.org/ I cannot believe it is February already! First and foremost, I will update you that Adam, Zoey and I are doing well, all things considered. We have a new home, and we are slowly, very slowly, picking up the pieces and moving forward each day. And it really is thanks to the amazing supportive community around us, so thank you tremendously for all you have done for us. I have certainly learned a lot about grief and what it does to your body on many levels. And while "self-care" always feels like a bit of a privileged word to me, there really is something to be said for what it means to truly take care of yourself: cooking a meal, washing your face, brushing your teeth, taking a long shower, feeling "put together" or the effort of getting ready for the day, quality sleep, moving your body - I took a lot of these for granted prior to this experience. JVN on the latest season of Queer Eye says that the act of taking care of yourself is beauty. And they are right. It's not about the result of it - how your hair looks, how your make up looks, how your body looks in an outfit. But the act of showing up for yourself and taking care of you, inside and out, is an act of love that is so important and really can change how you show up for others. So this month, I hope you will focus one area of "self-care" where you can improve. And approach it from that idea that if you take care of you, you will then be ready to take care of others around you. As always, sending all my love and good health to you and yours. This month, 20% of our proceeds will go to the Michael J. Fox Parkinson Foundation. In memory of my cousin Jon Schwengel who passed away last week, I would like to share the work of the Michael J. Fox Parkinson Foundation. They are dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today. They identify and fund projects most vital to patients, spearhead solutions around seemingly intractable field-wide challenges, coordinate and streamline efforts of multiple, often disparate, teams, and do whatever it takes to drive faster knowledge turns for the benefit of every life touched by PD. Their core values are optimism, tenacity, collaboration, boldness, adaptability and curiosity in problem-solving to work on behalf of the 6 million people worldwide living with Parkinson's. "We aspire to go out of business. We deliberately hold no endowment or excessive financial reserves. We act with urgency, typically deploying funds raised within a few months for the fastest possible impact." Some of their achievements so far: - 20 early-stage therapeutic programs, which have attracted follow-on funding from venture capital, pharmaceutical or government funders for continuing development - sponsored scores of clinical trials in partnership with academic and industry teams; currently, more than 15 disease-modifying interventions are in clinical trials - Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative has built the most robust dataset and biosample library in the history of Parkinson's research using brain scans (MRI, DaTscan), biosample analysis (spinal fluid protein levels) and intensive "omics" investigations (whole genome and RNA sequencing) from 1500 volunteers and researched over 1.7 million times since the launch in 2010 - Fox Insight, an online clinical study, has galvanized people with Parkinson's and their families to take an active role in research by sharing their lived experience; since 2017, more than 48,000 people have raised their hand to become citizen scientists to power PD research To learn more about their current work and needs, please visit their website: https://www.michaeljfox.org/ |
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