Upon leaving the Seva Cafe this week, patrons were handed envelopes containing a five-dollar bill and the following message:A man there wasThey called him madThe more he gaveThe more he had.- John BunyanHappy New Year!In the spirit of giving, someone has gifted you a $5 bill, with one small request...that you use it to spread beauty and kindness in the world.If you feel moved to, you can share your experience by leaving a comment on the bethecause.org blog post entitled: "A Beautiful 2009"Wishing you a BEAUTIFUL new year,Your Friend.

What I love about Be the Cause is that these aren't just service projects.Of course I want to help other people, but ultimately I am the one who benefits the most.We're beginning to plan our Awareness Monologues where the format is similar to the Vagina Monologues but in this case our topic is domestic violence.We just had our first meeting and when Supun read aloud the domestic violence checklist, in my head I was thinking check, check, check, check check check and check.Immediately I said to myself don't be dramatic. Every relationship is going to have problems. No one is perfect. I was never locked in a closet or beat with a golf club, unlike someone I know. It was never like that. Sometimes things happen, but I was never one of "those girls."I'm not trying to say I know better than them-- its just that I would know, or I think I would know, if it was happening to me, right? I would know the difference, I hope.When does a crappy relationship become domestic violence? A few of us will be going through a 40 hr domestic violence training course in preparation for this event. I know that whatever we learn will help us put on a really great, meaningful show, but more than anything else, this is for me. This will help ME define that line so that I have no doubt when it's being crossed. For future reference.

The Walk for Hope is a reflective journey that leads the walker along a tree-lined path decorated with lovingly created handmade quotes, all selected with great care for their insight and inspiration. In addition to these beautiful quotes, there are several activity stations along the way to give each walker the opportunity to pause, interact, reflect and sow seeds of change and growth. Here is a brief description of each activity station: Activity Station #1: Our Vision of the WorldImagine, what do we want our world to look like? Let's draw it! Markers, crayons, pencils and paint will be available for us to collectively draw our unique vision for the world. Is it world peace? Unity? Diversity? Green power? As walkers encounter this activity they will see what those who came before them have created and build upon this vision. The finished masterpiece will be presented at the main stage at the closing of the Walk for Hope.Activity Station #2: Tree of ForgivenessEach new day is an opportunity for us to be the change we wish to see in the world. With this in mind, when you enter this activity station, you will be given a paper leaf (or leaves) to write a personal message(s) of forgiveness. Whether it is an expression of forgiveness toward a world leader, someone in your community, a family member, a friend, or yourself, the messages we create will cause us to ponder upon and plant the seeds of change deep within our hearts. By the conclusion of the Walk for Hope, this amazing Tree will have been magically transformed with hundreds of colorful leaves of forgiveness, each with its own inspiring message to be shared by all whom participate. Activity Station #3: Garden of KindnessThis activity was inspired by the Walk for Hope poster, which depicts a walker moving forward in her journey through life, unaware that her actions have left a feeling of kindness blooming in the hearts of all whom she has encountered. With this in mind, on the last mile of the walk, each participant will enter into the Garden of Kindness and pick a beautiful, handmade daisy to take as a remembrance of their experience ... turn the daisy over to reveal a Random Act of Kindness to be performed at your leisure. To continue spreading joy and beauty in the world, you will then create and plant an act of kindness flower for the next walker.Although we may never fully know how our own lives and the lives of many others on our path of service may be touched by the things we do ... keep doing ... keep walking ... keep serving!! Additional Activities:- Path of Silence: A brief stretch of the 5K walk route will be dedicated to walking and reflecting in silence.- Free Hugs: Yes, enthusiastic Walk for Hope volunteers will be awaiting walkers at the finish line with arms wide open!- Live Art: Artists are scheduled to demonstrate live painting throughout the day.

Hello Everybody,I just want to thank all of you who participated in the Celebrating Human Greatness session on last Saturday . It was truly a inspirational evening full of with positive energy. I can still feel the waves of positive energy in me , every time I think about the session.I got quite few requests to conduct these sessions for some of your family and friends . I will be more than happy to facilitate Human greatness session for your gathering. Is one of the simplest ways to recognize the greatness in each one of us .Please check out the pictures of the session here :http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=soo1skv.avaiyb93&x=0&h=1&y=jdwoms&localeid=en_USThanks again..Regards and in Service..Vivek

Cause the BE.Below are suggestions from the 'New Concepts' breakout session at the All Hands On Meeting. We'd like to open it up to you to discuss these ideas or to share a suggestion of your own. (Thanks Srikanth for the summary!)Ann asked the question of how BTC can reach out to more of the mainstream society, not just socially conscious, eco-environmental friendly people, or service oriented individuals. Vivek: Wants to host a "Human Greatness Night" where ordinary people share their success stories and inspire each other. He has already done it with other groups, wants to bring it to BTC.Jesse: Katrina Concert in August, Peach 4 Kids involvementBill: shared story of family that came from Philippines and now living in Socal. He says kids/young teens don't have a avenue to channel their energies or grow and adapt into their new social environment. E.g. WFH was one of the few events that allowed them to do that. Possible project is a Youth Mentorship Program between BTC and kids in O.C. area? Jesse was asked about a Peace 4 Kids chapter in O.C. that could serve this need?Carolina: We should dialog with existing orgs. who are already doing similar outreach programs.Bharti shared her experiences about CASA and working with youths. Laura said it would be nice to have some kind of BTC leadership development for youths so they can come into BTC, get mentored, and eventually lead some of our projects. Dwight-Catholic Worker needs researchers to find out what other cities are doing on homelessness.

Be The Cause HoustonI want to say thank you to all those wonderful volunteers and supporters that made Cuddle Kits drive possible. It was a wonderful success. From Cuddle kits family and the families. Millions thanks for the help. Keep up with the good work.....................-Tammy Chan

Below are some powerful statistics (collected by Sonali) that gave us something to think about throughout the Change of Heart Weekend. * We have the means! The financial costs to end hunger are relatively slight. The UN Development Program estimates that the basic health and nutrition needs of the world's poorest people could be met for an additional $13 billion a year. Animal lovers in the United States and Europe spend more than that on pet food each year. Bread for the World, 2008 * The poorest and most marginalized groups in the world are small-holder farmers and rural landless people in the developing world; they make up three quarters of the undernourished or hungry people in the world. Bread For The World, 2008 * If all the food produced worldwide were distributed equally, every person, man, woman, and child, would be able to consume enough calories per day that no one would have to go hungry. "Imagine," as John Lennon said. But of course, food is not distributed equally; it's hardly even close. Bread For The World, 2008 * In 2006, about 10 million children died before they reached their fifth birthday. Almost all of these deaths occurred in developing countries – 3/4 of them in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the two regions that also suffer from the highest rates of hunger. Most of these deaths are attributed, not to outright starvation, but to diseases that move in on vulnerable children whose bodies have been weakened by hunger. Bread For The World, 2008 * 4 percent of U.S. households experience hunger. Some people in these households frequently skip meals or eat too little, sometimes going without food for a whole day. 11.1 million people, including 430 thousand children, live in these homes. Bread For The World * In 2007, an average of 26.5 million people used food stamps each month. Bread For The World, 2008 * 1 = 10. For every minute that you eat, ten children die of hunger and malnutrition. * More than 800 million people go to bed hungry every day. Of these, only 8 per cent are victims of famine or other emergency situations. More than 90 per cent are suffering long-term malnourishment and micronutrient deficiency. UN Millennium Project. www.unmillenniumproject.org * More than 2.6 billion people – over 40 per cent of the world's population – do not have basic sanitation, and more than one billion people still use unsafe sources of drinking water. UN Millennium Project, 2008 * Every year, six million children die from malnutrition before their fifth birthday. UN Millennium Project, 2008 * Today, the silent killers of poverty, hunger and easily preventable diseases, claimed the lives of some 26,500 children in the world. That is equivalent to: • 1 child dying every 3 seconds • 18 children dying every minute • A 2004 Asian Tsunami occurring every week • An Iraq-scale death toll every 15–36 days • Almost 10 million children dying every year Some 60 million children dying between 2000 and 2006 In spite of the scale of this daily/ongoing catastrophe, it rarely manages to achieve, much less sustain, prime-time, headline coverage. Globalissues.org * To satisfy all the world's sanitation and food requirements would cost only $13 billion, hardly as much as the people of the United States and the European Union spend each year on perfume. Ignacio Ramonet, "The Politics of Hunger." * Around 27-28 percent of all children in developing countries are estimated to be underweight or stunted. The two regions that account for the bulk of the deficit are South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. If current trends continue, the Millennium Development Goals target of halving the proportion of underweight children will be missed by 30 million children, largely because of slow progress in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. United Nations, Human Development Report, 2008. * In the U.S., 40-50% of all food ready for harvest never gets eaten; the impact of this waste is not just financial. Environmentally this leads to: • Wasteful use of chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides • More fuel used for transportation; • More rotting food, creating more methane — one of the most harmful greenhouse gases that contributes to climate change. "Costing the Earth," BBC Radio, 2007 * 26,500-30,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they "die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death." UNICEF, 2006 * Worldwide, almost two in three people lacking access to clean water survive on less than $2 a day, with one in three living on less than $1 a day. United Nations Development Report, 2006 * Approximately 790 million people in the developing world are still chronically undernourished, almost two-thirds of whom reside in Asia and the Pacific. World Resources Institute, 2004 * About 25,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related causes. This is one person every three and a half seconds. United Nations, 2007