MEND

Two weeks ago, I took a tour of MEND Poverty in Pacoima. Among other things, Mend is a food bank and job center for impoverished people. The center was inspirational and after hearing from one of their many volunteers I believe they can make their vision ("All residents of our community living in poverty attain self-reliance and contribute to society as caring human beings.") a reality.

The last time I toured a food bank, I was in girl scouts, about 20 years ago.  While I remember being in awe of the many shelves of grocery bags filled with food ready for people to pickup and take home to eat.  I don't remember thinking past the idea of receiving a full bag of free food.  I never thought about the reasons why people were in need of the food, or how it would feel to be in a situation where you had to actually go to a food bank to ask for help.

MEND does an amazing job of treating everyone who visits with dignity.  They don't limit the food donations to the specifics of what they deem people need.  They take everything and using the kitchen staff's immense creativity and abilities to make delicious and filling food for people to eat.  I never thought that I would say this, but it seems to be a place where people would want to hang out.  I mean, the situations people are in are very depressing, but this isn't a sad place.  There is a feeling of hope.

Okay, and I really loved that they were planning on teaching a kitchen skills class that would focus on making marmalade.  I wonder if I could sign up for that class?

http://mendpoverty.org/

Historic walk thru Little Tokyo

A few years ago I was hired by the JET programme to teach English to elementary and middle school kids in rural Japan. It was one of those experiences that completely frustrated me while i was in the middle of it, but in hindsight was a wonderful adventure. I loved the food, the sights, and the blissful ignorance of complete illiteracy (okay, in all honesty, being illiterate was the most painful part of my time there). When I returned to Los Angeles, i had a realization that I didn't have to go half-way around the world to experience the delights of Japan, I just needed to pop down to Little Tokyo for a short afternoon visit.

I admit, I'm a regular at the ramen shop and I often pick up my favorite soda (Gokuri) at the Marukai. But i never contemplated the history of that little neighborhood. So recently, while skimming my JET newsletter, I saw a notice to do a Free Historical tour of Little Tokyo. I immediately signed up and was pretty excited about the overall experience. Did you know that there is a beautiful Japanese garden in the basement of the Japanese American cultural center? Or that Fugetsu-do mochi store is 100 years old? Or that during the period of time that Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps, that the African American population moved into the Little Tokyo neighborhood? And when the JA's were released from the camps, the African Americans gave them back their neighborhood and moved closer to South Central LA? Little Tokyo like many ethnic neighborhoods, has its share of great stories and hidden sights.

After our 2 hour walking adventure, my friend Caroline and I headed to Shabu Shabu. It was a delicious meal and the perfect end to a great afternoon.

Fundraising

In 2 weeks I will be joining my cousin and 2 aunts in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in San Diego. I've participated in walks like this before and usually donate $100 of my money, and that's the end of it. But this year, I decided to challenge myself and see how much money I could raise, just by reaching out to my closest friends and family. I made it really easy on myself and simply sent out an email, put an ad on my Facebook page, and gently tossed it in to conversations when it seemed appropriate.

Anyhow, I have been overwhelmed by the response I have gotten from friends and family. I know they generally support me in all the crazy things I do (Ukelele lessons, online dating, skeet shooting) but none of my usual endeavors requires much more support than a simple, "Hey that's cool, you are trying (fill in the blank!)." To ask people for financial support (even if it is tax deductible) is hard and awkward. The fact that so many people donated more than the $1 I suggested makes me really proud of my friends and family's support.

All that, and I never had to explain to anyone why I was walking. Actually, that is the thing that bothers me the most. I don't think anyone asked, because I think, like myself, most people I know have been effected by Breast Cancer in some capacity. And they are donating, because they are thinking of their loved one. I wish this was a cause that effected a smaller population, but it effects everyone. And that is sad.

Here is what I learned from this experience: I don't have a future in fundraising, because I don't feel comfortable asking people for donations. Good to know, I can check that off my list.

If you would like to donate to the cause click here, anything you can give ($1, $5) is appreciated.


Thank you.