Finding Ourselves in Participation of Life
Participation of Life
Finding Ourselves in Participation of Life. There is so much to say about the last few months and this upcoming month but please indulge me as I take a moment to celebrate our son, Lukas… October of last year, Lukas made a decision to take a chance on himself. He asked if we could move him to Florida for a new school and an opportunity to immerse him in golf training. Lukas had found golf as an outlet once the depression fog began to clear, 2 years after the murders of his grandfather and older brother. None of us knew Lukas was actually good at golf. We were just elated that he wanted to be outside and came home happy from the golf course. We obliged his request, hopeful that this may be his onward.
Lukas will travel home this weekend for the first time since we moved him into his apartment, school, and golf academy on January 5th. He comes home a different young man, for sure. He is an advocate for himself, mature past his years, loving, caring, and thoughtful, happy beyond our dreams, with good manners, good grades, and a lower golf score. He just turned 16…we are not only proud of him we are grateful to so many people who have been on “team Lukas” for encouragement, care, and prayer. It takes a community to survive and thrive. He has found his personal onward.
SevenDays® Make a Ripple, Change the World
Three more items to mention to you and they all fall in the category of SevenDays® Make a Ripple, Change the World! You can each make a difference.
Announcing SevenDays® Online Learning
The youth planning team for SevenDays® Make a Ripple, Change the World (SevenDays®), the signature event for The Faith Always Wins Foundation, has designed an online learning guide via LRNG which engages interfaith literacy and social awareness. This learning platform is not just for youth, it is meant for adults, too. By completing a playlist, you earn a badge. This badge can be added to your LinkedIn profile to present that you have earned professional development.
How to begin our online learning experience with LRNG and SevenDays®:
Step 1: Visit www.lrng.org and create a profile as “I’m a Youth” – no matter your age. When choosing a network, choose the closest large city to you. If you are outside of the United States we request you consider using Kansas City (KC) as your network.
Step 2: Verify your new LRNG account within your personal email account.
Step 3: After going back into the LRNG site, search for SevenDays in the search bar, on the top right of the page.
Step 4: Choose a playlist to start learning and reflecting!
For any questions, contact Clare Stern at clare@faithalwayswins.org
Registrations and Volunteering
Visit our website, www.givesevendays.org to register for any or all events we are hosting during the month of April. Our prequel begins April 4th with a Kendra Scott fundraiser and we are hosting our second annual SevenDays® First Fridays Art Show on Friday, April 6th in partnership with BicMedia.
Beginning April 10th we are hosting and co-hosting over eight (8), yes, eight events for the community to engage with one another! Registration links are on each calendar event. We highly encourage registration for all events and some events REQUIRE registration because seating (also known as how much food to have on hand) is limited.
Our VOLUNTEER opportunities are open and ready for selection. Find the button on the top of our website that says VOLUNTEER and go from there! You can do it.
One month from today, my family and all participants of SevenDays®, will be remembering, celebrating, and honoring the lives of my father and son (Bill and Reat) and Terri LaManno. The four years span seems like a matter of minutes and then it seems like a lifetime. I recall not wanting to survive during the first few months of living without them. I recall the physical and mental anguish that encapsulated our lives for months on end. I recall the love, the outpouring of love that nurtured us, cared for us, and helped us keep moving onward. Thank you.
Join us for our fourth annual SevenDays® Make a Ripple, Change the World! We hope to engage as many community members as we can to help us all move onward with faith, hope, and love, in our personal journey called life. You can make a ripple.
Making a ripple,
Mindy
