service that uplifts...ideas that inspire
A Gift of the Heart...
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
- Antoninede St. Exupery
So, “What is this?” You may ask. It is about the character - building benefits of a giving heart, the soul... if you will, of Pazazz.... service that uplifts..ideas that inspire.
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Heart is dedicated to presenting Service Learning projects for our kids and family too. It is our long experience with such ideas that has been so informing and powerful.
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But first.. some quick definitions…
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Community service – Volunteer work intended to help people in a particular area. Think beach clean-up; canned food donations to help the under privileged; helping to build homes through the efforts of Habitat for Humanity.
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Service Learning - Extended community service which provides a more quality experience. Here our kids are tackling a real life issue, planning; acting, reflecting and sharing. What super preparation for life! Presenting such opportunities for kids and families together provides huge rewards and is such a fun way to grow so many qualities we diligently strive to nurture in our kids.
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Patti and Carol at Canfield Elementary sharing Big Shaggy Max
Bake Sale for a Personal Cause
What do you get when you add together a teaspoon of KINDNESS, an ounce of RESPECT and an infinite amount of FRIENDSHIP ? A Bake and Treat Sale worth Celebrating!
When the children of Mrs. Katz's 3rd grade, Port Washington, NY, learned about the death of the father of one of their classmates, they wanted to DO something. Guess what they raised for the American Cancer Society? $1600!
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Read more here: https://patch.com/new-york/portwashington/dish-best-served-together
Palm Beach County teen helps seniors with technology during COVID-19 pandemic
"17 year old Sam Friedman, from West Palm Beach, Florida is our 'Rad Human!' For the week!" Kelly Clarkson Show, March (Click here to watch the interview)
Sam has created the non profit, South Florida Tech for Seniors (SFTFS) to provide free tech assistance to Seniors in the area.
It is our hope that "Rad Human Sam" may be an inspiration to your young ones. May they share their passion and give of their heart. Such a win - win all around!
As Sam explains "I've always been to the Go To" person in my family when it comes to technology, and I realized there was a great need 'out there' for this kind of support. West Palm has a lot of older folks, and the need really skyrocketed with the Covid lockdown, with the increased isolation and the widespread use of Zoom and Skype. Then this January came the vaccine and the necessity to be able to appointment schedule online."
Sam has incredible patience and non stop creativity. Whether it's drawing pictures of devices with step by step directions on how to use them, or making how - to videos for using Zoom, Sam and his ever expanding team of volunteers are there to help and encourage.
From the many Seniors you serve, and from me, Patti, your very proud aunt, we THANK YOU for this important service to others!
To go to SFTFS.. https://www.sftfs.org
Random Acts of Kindness Bring Joy
During the Coronavirus Outbreak
by Julia Hettinger/ Dojo New for Kids for Grades 3-12
We LOVE this article. It is so full of HEART! It’s about some of the MANY Random Acts of Kindness for total strangers,and is guaranteed to lift your spirits. It may even inspire you and your Little Ones to come up with your own idea to help during these unprecedented times.
It talks of CAREMONGERING – a new word that has come into being. These caring groups are popping up all over. It began when two random Canadian residents helped deliver 100’s of meals to those in need and made numerous trips to the supermarket for those who must be home-bound.
It’s about a neighborhood that organized a Drive By Honk to lift the spirits of little 4 year old Aiden who had to cancel his 4 year old birthday celebration due to the virus.
It’s about 7 year old Jimmy Dean Hudson who used his pocket money to purchase 70 rolls of toilet paper and donated his stash to the elderly after witnessing their panic at seeing their market shelves emptied.
A Magic Penny
Parents are always telling us how they are hungry for experiences that will help nurture such values as ... kindness, empathy, gratefulness, responsibility... We are very excited to share an organization, A Magic Penny, that is dedicated to just that!
The founder, Lauren Alon, is a licensed social worker and mom of twins. She, like so many of us, was always on the search for the kinds of experiences that A Magic Penny provides. Unsuccessful in her quest, she began her own organization! It is A Magic Penny. Bless her! So joyously, her organization seamlessly aligns with PAZAZZ! Service that Uplifts.. Ideas that Inspire. We are grateful for this new and rich association.
Every few months they curate family activities .. non profit "play dates!" Here families can become aware of and get involved with a rich variety of organizations. They are making it sooo easy! Just show up. Please, stay tuned.
Here's to Family Fun and Growing BIG Hearts..
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Bedtime with Books
Mighty congratulations to Ryan Dubin, an incredibly resourceful and caring junior at Beverly Hills High School.
He has married the very successful Beverly Hills High School District PTA program, Bedtime with Books, to Books and Projects in a Box (BWB). The demand is growing for this simple but powerful program that combines the importance of literacy and creativity with the enjoyment of group story time.
It all starts with a Box! He places three themed picture books, an art project for 24 students and a pillow for the reader. These are the simple ingredients enabling schools, churches, temples and youth groups to host a story time event in their community.
He is building up a network here in Los Angeles. The Department of Family Services has connected him with 93rd Street Elementary and the teachers are hungry for BWB boxes, as are teachers in Chicago; Israel; Costa Rica; Puerto Rico where he made a connection when visiting recently. The kids LOVE the story times.
His website, www.bedtimewithbooks.com, posts some staggering statistics…
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80% of children in low income families are not reading proficiently;
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the student who is not reading up to grade level is 4x more likely to drop out of high school;
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and only 38% of children (6-8 years are read to)
We are so incredibly proud of young Ryan, his commitment and his success. Now, he needs us! Please join us in adding whatever you can. Each box costs $2.50 per student. The all in price is between $65 -$75 depending on mail expenses.
Thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration.
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To donate, go to www.bedtimewithbooks.com
Meet Riley... a little person with a BIG idea
Riley and her sister
My name is Riley. My family and I organized a Christmas Pajama Drive because we think more children should get a new pair of pjs for Christmas. We chose 5 different charities to help get them out there. It was so-o-o fun! Our living room was wall to wall pajamas. There was hardly any room for our Christmas tree!
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With Mom's help, we made a video telling all about what we were doing. Then she sent it around to all her Facebook friends. We made cards for the kids and made sure to take lots of pictures. Mom says the pictures really help sell our idea.
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Can you believe it? In the end we delivered 817 brand new pajamas to 5 organizations in Ventura County, CA.
GIANT kudos to "Ms. Riley and Associates."
Just in case Riley has piqued YOUR interest. Here are the organizations they researched to be their recipients.
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Clean for Care
How about a Garage Sale?
This could be an exciting project for the 1st and 2nd grader who could practice basic arithmetic with "real life" application, but definitely appropriate for older kids too.
Cadet & Tux
The Problem – raise money and encourage our kids to share some of their belongings with those less fortunate. Then determine what to do with the money; for example, they might purchase new books for a local Head Start school. The recipient kids will be ecstatic!
The Action – plan the sale that could be during lunch, after school, or at home on the weekend. Gather the goods, create advertising posters, price and sell.
The Very Best – Hand -deliver the books and read with the little children. They might plan something special for you, to thank their gracious donors.
But, by all means, if time doesn’t allow, arrange to have your treasure trove of books delivered. It is all good.
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Organizations we love...
One Voice
Heart also seeks to share social organizations deserving of special attention.
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One Voice, helps families and students struggling against poverty through family, hope and love. It is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.
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From www.onevoice-la.org... Our programs change lives and give people hope. By inspiring action and compassion, we have a lasting positive impact on our community.
Jaylen & Darlet
Los Angeles, December 2019
Maximus the cat
Pearl the mermaid
Ethically produced, hand-knit dolls that help feed children. Here's what their website had to say...
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There's nothing we love more than being parents. We think nurturing our three children is the most important, rewarding and sometimes challenging job in the world! With a background in health, we recognize the crucial role nutrition plays in a child’s development. As parents, we believe all children should have enough food to eat and the opportunity to thrive, so when we saw a documentary on the devastating impact of childhood hunger on millions of children around the world, it inspired us to help. On that day, we decided to start a company whose purpose is to help improve the lives of children and to make a difference.
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We created cuddle+kind because we wanted to make beautiful hand-knit dolls that help feed children. So for every cuddle+kind doll sold, we give 10 meals to children in need.
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Our goal is to provide one million meals a year.​
Happening Now!
Do you have an event that you'd like to showcase? Is it service-learning oriented? Even if you aren't sure, give it a try and contact us. We'll be happy to consider it!
Highly recommended... Enlightening insights to understanding the differences between boys and girls.
