L’Arche communities have begun springing up around the world.  In 1964 Jean Vanier invited 2 men with disabilities to leave the institution they were living in, to come live with him.  He shifted his perspective from being able to help the men, to being able to learn from them and enter into true community with them, and it changed his life.  Vanier still makes his home in a L’Arche community in France, and other communities have followed because the power behind the communities.

L’Arche communities are family-like homes where people with and without disabilities share their lives together, give witness to the reality that persons with disabilities possess inherent qualities of welcome, wonderment, spirituality, and friendship.

Perhaps an extraordinary notion in our fast-paced and consumer-driven society, L’Arche believes that these qualities, expressed through vulnerability and simplicity, actually make those with a disability our real teachers about what is most important in life: to love and to be loved.

From the first community begun in France in 1964, many communities have developed in various cultural and religious traditions around the world. The first L’Arche community in the United States was founded in 1972 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Today, L’Arche USA has 16 communities and two projects nationwide.

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Not-for-profit and cause-related marketing campaigns are having to fight hard in the current economic climate to stand out from the crowd in order to raise awareness of and support for the causes they promote. That is not to say, however, that many are failing to do so. In fact, arguably some of the most creative, effective and mission-focused communications out there today are coming from the nonprofit sector. It is becoming a great passion and interest among talented designers and marketers to champion campaigns that benefit causes. “Designing for the Greater Good” by Peleg Top and Jonathan Cleveland is an excellent book that captures many recent creative approaches to design for cause-related projects.

The book is split into seven sectors: Family and Community, Animals, Health and Wellness, Human Rights, Environmental Awareness, Spirituality, and Arts and Culture. Interspersed in the snapshots of designs within each sector are 24 more detailed case studies about creative problem solving through the collaboration of certain firms and nonprofit organizations. Actually, one of the case studies is of the design for an organization Plywood People recently featured on our blog: Project 7. The study details how Project 7 came out of Tyler Merrick’s Texas-based firm 29Agency. And with the firm’s focus on environmental and social concerns for Project 7 in addition to their ability to think creatively about product package design, they came up with really simple design ideas that make a good impact: from different materials for shirt production to the water bottle and box designs that fit more product to allow for more efficient shipping.

The book is very approachable for those not trained in design; it is by no means a technical examination of cause-related design, but instead a showcase of inspiration for communicators wanting to visually display messages in the nonprofit realm. I would recommend it to leaders in social innovation everywhere. But more practically, the book prompted me to wonder, “What am I doing for the ‘greater good’?” Sure, I’m a designer, and so the easiest answer is that I can continue to design things for nonprofit, do-good organizations like in the subject matter of the book. But I think that the question can go deeper than that, if we so desire. How can we leverage our talents on a regular basis for the benefit of the greater good? What unique skills, abilities, leadership positions, or relationships do we have that could be powerful opportunities to contribute to the gain of our communities – locally and globally?

What are your talents? What are you doing to use them for the greater good?

Jeff and Andre Shinabarger started Gift Card Giver 3 1/2 years ago based on a great idea they had.  They collect unused or partially used gift cards and then give them to people in need!  This year $50,000 should be given in gift cards based on this simple concept!

For Gift Card Giver, since they deal primarily with gift cards and not cash, they think of innovative ways to collect actual dollars so the work can be continued.  For every $1 collected, they are able to turn that into $4 in gift cards to help people who are in great need!

This is why they have an annual Silent Art Auction! They’re getting all ready for it again! Last year it was a great time getting to know artists in the city, viewing and bidding on amazing pieces of artwork, and spending an evening with friends!  On GiftCardGiver.com they’ll be posting information about contributing artist and businesses who are being very generous to give to the cause.

The event will be on Friday November 12, 2010 beginning at 7:00 PM at The Solarium in Oakhurst.  Please put it on your calendar, and plan to join us!

If you are an artist, know an artist, or have other silent auction items you would like to contribute, please contact info@giftcardgiver.com!  Pieces and silent auction items are still being collected!  It would be great to have you apart of the event!

We found out about this unique artist on Facebook!  A group of friends were all talking about his talent, and the great cause he supports.  David Ilan’s artform is called pointillism.  He creates entire drawings one dot at a time.  He is a celebrity artist, who has chosen a unique way to raise awareness about sexual abuse and exploitation.

If you have been raped or sexually abused you can join the project here (It’s free), giving your real name or an alias, and have the option of sharing your story. There is also a place in the drawing for people who want to support survivors. David adds one dot for every person who joins until the drawing is complete. The final drawing will be of a woman looking confident, proud and beautiful. By joining the project, thousands of people with a shared tragic experience will work together to form a work of art meant to show others who go through similar experiences that they too can feel confident, proud and beautiful again.

Every person involved will have a dot drawn to honor them.
Up close we see individuals with a story.
From far we see a woman who has overcome and grown.

Kelly Rook is the Operations Coordinator of Street GRACE, a non-denominational alliance of churches dedicated to the eradication of the commercial sexual exploitation of children in Atlanta.  As such, she provides logistical support for advocacy and awareness events along with administrative support to colleagues, board members, and donors.

Prior to working with Street GRACE, Kelly worked at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Patient Services.  She also has years of experience working in Health Education at local Atlanta hospitals.  Kelly did her graduate research work with World Relief in Mozambique and studied how church-based networks assisted people living with HIV/AIDS and orphans and vulnerable children.

Kelly holds a Master of Public Health in Global Health from Emory University and a Bachelors of Arts from Furman University in Health and Exercise Science and Spanish.  She enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Plywood People: What is Street GRACE doing in Atlanta to address the issues of human trafficking?

Kelly Rook: Street GRACE is a non-denominational alliance of churches, community partners, and volunteers dedicated to supporting, enlarging, and allying with those individuals and organizations working toward eliminating the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). Street GRACE mobilizes the resources within the community — financial, human and material — toward those organizations and individuals who have demonstrated effectiveness in battling CSEC in the areas of advocacy, aftercare and mentoring.

Our ultimate goal is the elimination of this problem in the city of Atlanta and duplication of these efforts in other cities across the United States.

Plywood People: To some it comes as a huge surprise that sex trafficking is actually a problem in our country.  Would you share some statistics of how this issue is affecting our children?

Kelly:

• The average age of child sexual exploitation appears to be 14, but girls as young as 10 and 11 have been exploited. Source: Hidden in Plain View, 2005 Mayor’s Report.
• Approximately 500 adolescent girls are commercially sexually exploited every month in the state of Georgia. Source: Georgia Governor’s Office for Children and Families, February 2010
• An estimated 7,200 men knowingly or unknowingly pay for sex with adolescent females in Georgia each month. Source: The Shapiro Group, Inc. in conjunction with The Women’s Funding Network and A Future. Not A Past., 2010.

Plywood People:  Could you share a story with us that has especially impacted you in the work you’re doing?

Kelly: One of the first large events I was a part of was Lobby Day this past February. Over 400 college students, church members, community partners, and other interested individuals rallied together at the Georgia State Capitol to provide a unified voice against CSEC in Atlanta. For many people, it was their first time at the Capitol and the first time they had spoken with their legislators. It was inspiring as people figured out what district they were in, who their representatives were, how to submit their requests, and finally getting to speak to their legislators. Outside the House and Senate chambers, the hallways were lined with citizens expressing their concerns to their legislators and speaking with one unified voice about the importance of protecting Georgia’s children. It was an exciting day and I think everyone walked away feeling empowered to make a difference!

Plywood People:  Could you talk a little about the short film Street GRACE is helping to create and what you’re hoping to accomplish through the release of the film?

Kelly: Approximately 500 adolescent girls are commercially sexually exploited every month in Georgia and those who abuse them often refer to these children as “candy.” Street GRACE, in partnership with Whitestone Motion Pictures and 12Stone Church, is part of a project that gives a voice to the voiceless. The Candy Shop is a modern-day fairy tale which speaks to the social evil of child sexual exploitation through a film that can be viewed by children and adults alike. This 30-minute film tells the story of a girl who is changed forever by evil, a man who’s not really a man, and a boy who becomes a man as he uncovers and fights a terrible wrong. Save the date of November 8 (7-9pm) at the Fox Theatre for a public screening of The Candy Shop.

Despite the sickening reality of this evil, there is hope: raising awareness of CSEC may decrease demand based on a recent study conducted by The Shapiro Group in conjunction with The Women’s Funding Network and A Future. Not A Past. This film will be an opportunity to raise awareness and mobilize individuals to get involved.

Plywood People:  It feels like such an overwhelming task given the numbers.  What is something we can do to engage in this issue?

Kelly: Everyone can get involved in this issue and make a difference whether it is through hosting an awareness party, donating to the cause, running a race, talking to your state legislators or volunteering your time. Street GRACE has over 45 community partners around metro-Atlanta who serve children vulnerable to this issue. Volunteer opportunities include everything from landscaping to mentoring. Visit www.connectstreetgrace.org to sign-up and learn more!

We are back with our Social Innovators List.  It was hard narrowing it down, but we have chosen 5 people who  are actively working to address issues that have previously either not been given attention or have been ignored.  These are people and organizations that have inspired us, and spurred others to action by their innovation.

Davis Guggenheim // Director and screenwriter of Waiting for “Superman”.  This documentary discusses the education crisis and gives a name and a voice to children with big dreams and a desire to learn.

Mike Foster // Co-Founder of People of the Second Chance. They are a community  challenging the common misconceptions about failure and success and stand with those who have hit rock bottom in their personal and professional lives.

Darrius Snow // Winner of TeenNick Halo Awards.  The first in his family to graduate high school, he is currently in his freshman year at Voorhees College. He was the President of BTEAM (Bankhead Teens Encouraging Action by Motivating others), a group of teens organized to transform their neighborhood into a positive environment.

Daniel Lubeztky // Founder of Kind and Peaceworks. He has not only started a successful and delicious snack line, he also is actively seeking to promote peace through business partnerships around the world.

Levi Maestro // Founder of Maestro Knows.  Maestro Knows is an online show documenting life through his eyes and experiences.  His travels, friendships, and interests take him to some fascinating places!

In my group of friends we have a tradition that we call “Words of Wisdom.”  Whenever someone is celebrating their birthday they have to share their words of wisdom with everyone that is celebrating with them.  We all begin with a hesitation.  We seem to all wonder if what we learned really was worthy of the year it took to learn it.  Maybe we should have grown more.  What if no one will resonate with our words. In my friends sharing their path to wisdom, their journey makes me wiser.  Often what made us wiser was somehow inextricably tied to each other, or some massive experience we had through the year.

I just celebrated another birthday of my own, and I celebrated with many of my friends, including another friend with whom I share a birthday.  We both were able to stand with our friends and share our bits of wisdom.  Kerry spent the last year with Mission Year living in Chicago.  She learned a LOT, and I’m so inspired by her!  What stuck out about her words was what she learned about simplicity.  With having $.70 a meal, and 1 day to herself a week, she learned a lot about dependance on the community around her, and living simply.  Her words reminded me of an article I read this week on CNN about what really brings happiness.  It’s surprising the things that cause us to grow, learn, and bring us the most fulfillment in life.  It’s often not one bit what we expect!

My bit of wisdom was related to community as well.  I’ve learned over this year to give and receive love from those around me; even if I’m giving and receiving it from those I might not normally choose, or even if I think that they might not be able to provide love how I think I need to receive it.  Really, the weight of the love offered from those around us is transformational, motivating, and happiness inducing. When I learned this year to receive love from my friend’s children, and from my friends and family who daily show their love for me in a million ways, I started behaving as though I was loved.  I have had an abundance of love to give to others because of the love I have recognized in my own life.

What are your words of wisdom?  What might you have to share that the rest of us need to hear?

We have a friend who does HIV research in Atlanta.  Some of her work has been used to try to develop a vaccine, and her work is an extraordinarily important part of working towards a solution to the AIDS crisis around the world.  We were talking recently about volunteer opportunities, and she was really excited about beginning to volunteer at AID Atlanta.

AID Atlanta, Inc. has been saving and transforming lives since its inception in 1982. The agency was founded as a grass-roots response to the devastating and fatal impact HIV/AIDS was having on the Atlanta community. AID Atlanta quickly began expanding to offer a broader range of services, and has since grown to be the largest and most comprehensive AIDS Service Organization in the Southeast United States.

The mission of AID Atlanta is to reduce new HIV infections and improve the quality of life of its members and the community by breaking barriers and building community. AID Atlanta has proven itself a leader in the fight against the AIDS epidemic in Atlanta.

AID Atlanta has a total of 99 employees, 83 % of which provide direct HIV services.  At AID Atlanta they are providing HIV testing, prevention counseling and referral to appropriate agency and community resources as needed.

Our friend’s excitement in working with AID Atlanta, reminded me how there are countless opportunities in the cities in which we live to give of the skills, resources, and talents that each of us has, to better the communities around us.  What’s your skill? What can you do that no one else can?

So if you haven’t seen the movie “Inception” yet, you should stop reading this post and go watch it right now. Seriously. The rest of this article won’t be any fun for you if you haven’t seen it. Plus, the movie is absolutely incredible. So go watch it, then come back and resume reading. I can wait.

Okay, so you’ve seen it now, right? Great.

Wasn’t it amazing?! Wow! I mean, those fight scenes were ingenious — what with the physics of the characters crawling around the walls and ceilings. And the idea of the majority of the movie taking place while the van is falling off of a bridge … mind-blowing! Of course, the question on everyone’s mind after watching it, and the question I’d like to think-out-loud through in this space is, “Does the spinning top fall?” Was it real? Did he make it back to his kids? Or is he still dreaming?

I can see both sides. There are some things that happened that made me think “Dream” and some things that happened that made me think “Reality.” And, to some of my readers’ angst, I do not have a strong enough argument to give you a concrete answer that would allow some peace at night. I’m more interested in we, the viewers, and our obsession with knowing what is real and what is a dream, and pitting the dream world at odds with the real world; the conscious versus the subconscious; finding clear-cut lines between the two. Wasn’t the point of the movie that sometimes our dreams become a part of our reality — that our dreams eventually define who we actually are when we wake up? That sometimes our dream world and our real world are not at odds, but are desiring to work together, overlap, and interlock? Let me explain.

For the characters in the scene in the basement of the apothecary, the goal was to find drugs powerful enough to keep them sedated in order to exist in their dreams rather than their reality. For others, including Ariadne before she becomes a part of the inception mission, reality is most important and dreams are an arbitrary happening that have little effect on real life. But the movie shows another way of viewing dreams and reality. Through Cobb and his team, in the task of planting an idea in Robert Fischer, we see that sometimes our dreams are a vehicle of influencing our reality. Cobb implants the notion that Fischer should dismantle his father’s company so deeply in Fischer’s dreams that the idea takes root and becomes actionable upon waking.

Though I do not want to sound cliché and full of existential wonderings, after the credits rolled I began to wonder which way I saw dreams and reality — not necessarily my sleeping-dreams, but the dreams that I have for my life: the goals and benchmarks, the things I want to do and be a part of before I reach the end. Do I revel so much in the thoughts of my dreams that I fail to really live my life? Or do I pay so little attention to my dreams that they do not play enough of a part in where I am going? What if I began to shift my thinking about my life’s dreams and present reality? What if, like “Inception,” I chose to use my dreams as a means to influence my reality?

I want to have dreams and goals and ideas. But until I attempt to bridge the gap between ethereal creativity and what I actually do with my thoughts, great concepts will only exist in my dreams. And the same goes for you: until you invest in your dreams, and then in making them reality, you deprive the world of what could have been some incredibly transformative ideas.

And we are dying to know what you’re dreaming up.