Love Speaks Fall Tour

[sarita louise]

Love Speaks is going to be actively supporting Brett Dennen's tour in the fall.
So far we'll be in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, LA, Denver, Chicago, Baltimore, NYC and Boston. Please let us know if you have ideas for great non-profits that we can support!

xoxo,
Sarita!!!

[Aaron]

If you come to Ohio in the fall, partner up with the Ohio Environmental Council...

http://www.theoec.org

[Amanda]

I know of a non-profit organization that would be aligned with Love Speaks. Have you ever heard of the Peace Alliance? Or the Student Peace Alliance? Well, as of today there is a piece of legislature: bill H.R. 808; which is for the United States to initiate a U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence. The Peace Alliance is a grass-roots organization that formed to campaign for this piece of legislature to pass. So, that is awesome right! But more importantly since the youth are our future there is a Student Peace Alliance (SPA). The SPA is made up of both high-school and college students spreading this movement at their schools or campuses. Jack Johnson is also supporting the SPA on his current tour, but you can never get too much support and coverage for a good cause. I think that this would be something Love Speaks would fully support. Check out the website:
http://www.thepeacealliance.org/content/section/17/187/

[sarita louise]

Thanks for the tips... keep them coming!
By the way,
Brett's really passionate about working with kids promoting diversity and peace.
Let us know if there's anyone working on that where you live.

[Melissa]

There is a ton in Portland you can support!

[sarita louise]

what are you passionate about? as brett's fan we want to support your interests too! give me some names :)

[Brandy Nightingale]

The Gentle Barn Foundation in Santa Clarita, CA (Los Angeles) is a wonderful foundation involving children, diversity and peace (http://gentlebarn.org). With their Peace Enhancement Program, The Gentle Barn is host to abused children, kids recovering from substance abuse, kids on probation, foster kids and children and adults with mental, emotional and physical challenges.

Through the interaction with animals the kids learn forgiveness, courage, strength, leadership skills, trust, empathy and kindness. Children become protectors rather than abusers. The healing that takes place when the kids get together with the animals is miraculous.

Ellie Laks and Jay Weiner have done an incredible job running this program. Unfortunately, the state's funding to bus children to special programs have been dissolved, therefore it is up to us to help raise the funds to provide these kids with the opportunity to visit the program. A little awareness will go a long way!

Thanks for your support. :)

b.

[Brandy Nightingale]

I have a wonderful organization to point you to in the Melbourne, Australia area as well: Aardvark Worldwide: All About Really Determined Very Amazing Rocking Kids

Mission Statement:
“Giving young people who have experienced adversity a place to discover and share creative self expression, friendship and a love of the arts”

These folks have done an amazing job at helping young children to find their talents and use them to inspire, despite their physical or mental challenges.

From their website (http://www.aardvarkworldwide.org): Past Projects

"Aardvark Worldwide started with a group of kids and staff who met through the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Together they wrote two beautiful songs. Thirty Mill Studios then volunteered time to record these songs in their professional studio.

At the recording sessions the kids were surprised by a visit from Australian bands Spiderbait and The Living End. The guitarist Whit, from Spiderbait, even put down a guitar solo on one of the songs! So much fun was had by all during these projects that no one wanted them to stop. The kids found friendship, a sense of community and a place to express themselves through the arts.

They also found a place where they were able to use their talents to inspire others and shift the focus away from their past adversities. The studio staff and bands found a group of amazingly positive and talented young adults that enthused them no end. So all these people drew together decided to call this community: “Aardvark Worldwide” and keep it growing!"


I just returned from Melbourne, visiting Sarah - Creative Director, and Bel - General Manager of Aardvark Worldwide. Both are huge fans of Brett Dennen, and in fact a have a photo hanging on their refrigerator of Brett and friends at an LA show!

Would love for you to check these guys out. My pals there are very excited about Brett's Melbourne show.

[Israel Guajardo]

Hi

South Texas really needs to expierence the wonderful message of my friend Brett Dennen. I would love to see Him here on South Padre Island for a couple of days anytime is a good time here. So if you would relay the message to management and I will talk to Brett a little more I`m sure the Love Speaks Tour would not only be good for us, it will also be a New place for the tour to spread it`s message.

[sarita louise]

hi is!

it's me!!!

i'll let the guys know brett's wanted in south padre, and you find an amazing organization for us to support.

xoxo

[Kristen Bakalis]

If you guys decide to make a little detour to Phoenix, I have a great non-profit that would be very blessed by your support. I am part of the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS. I have had the privilege of working here for the past couple of years and I can be 100% honest when I say that when I came to this organization, I felt like I was part of another family. Everyday I get to be part of sometime great, I love my job.

We offer our community prevention services, naturopathic medicine, nutritionists, behavioral health, support groups, educational classes and events, clinical trials, volunteer opportunities, and family programs to name a few….almost all free of cost. If you have ever been part of the non-profit world, you are no stranger to the phrase, “I’m not in this for the money.” Even though we are the largest HIV/AIDS org in Arizona, we struggle daily to keep our clients quality of live elevated due to the hardship in keeping the programs that we have afloat. We are one of the only HIV/AIDS orgs in the nation that offer alternative naturopathic therapy to offset many of the negative effects of HIV meds. Many of our clients contribute their longevity to our wellness program….this program is a constant burden to keep alive because of lack of funding. Another program that we struggle with is our annual family camp, Camp Incredible. This camp is INCREDIBLE, as well as is filled with INCREDIBLE campers. The families who attend camp don’t live ordinary lives. Many children are taking care of their parents and other siblings in their house due to their parents health. Youth that are infected struggle with their own health as well as coping with the very real fact that they may not live to see their 25th birthday. At camp there is love, at camp kids are free to be kids, at camp families are free of stigmas, discrimination, and hate crimes, at camp parents can feel safe talking openly about their illness, at camp there is HOPE. Camp is a gift to our families and staff alike, but is another program that we struggle financially with.

The take home point about our agency is that we are an agency full of HEART. The need for our organization is GREAT, but the funding is little. Still we scrape together funds to make dreams come true and new program ideas take form. As HIV and AIDS does not discriminate by age, gender, sexual orientation, or skin color, neither do we. We support our clients until the last dollar is spent. Our agency could greatly benefit from you getting our name out into the community. So, like I said, if you guys end up being in the neighborhood, please consider checking out our agency.

Brett, it will be great seeing you again in town tomorrow friend. Safe travels and I thank you for getting the community involved with your tour. I am proud to celebrate your successes with you.

Kristen

www.swhiv.org

[Lindsay]

Hey all!

I just created groups so we can organize our community based on locale. If you live in one of the contributing areas, please join that group over on the left side of the main page. There you can discuss organizations and charities in your city, and find out more about other things going on in your town. It will also help us reach out to fans more easily when we come through your town.

Thanks!

Lindsay

[Aaron]

Here's another GREAT group to support in Columbus, Ohio. Should be right up Brett's alley too!

http://www.local-matters.org

Local Matters receives a "Victory Aganist Hunger" Award
Monday, October 6, 2008

Celebrating outstanding efforts in fighting hunger through promoting or creating innovative farm to school programs, Local Matters, a nonprofit organization in Columbus, Ohio, which plays a key leadership role in ensuring that the entire community of Central Ohio has easy access to local, nutritious foods, was recently awarded a Victory Against Hunger Awards by the Congressional Hunger Center (CHC), Victory Wholesale Group, and National Farm to School Network.

“From California to Maine, we applaud the efforts and energy across the country of organizations like Local Matters who are working to increase nutrition in schools and provide children with lasting education in agriculture, health, and the environment. Each of the 25 nationally selected organizations, including Local Matters, has successfully worked to restore the connections among the cafeteria, classroom, and community,” said Marion Kalb, Co-Director of the National Farm to School Network.

“As witnessed by the quantity and quality of submissions, farm to school is moving to the center of the plate and demonstrates the ability we have as a society to provide a healthy meal for our children,” stated Ed Cooney, Executive Director of the Congressional Hunger Center.

“Local Matters is honored and humbled to receive this award and wishes to thank Senator Sherrod Brown’s office for nominating our organization,” says Local Matters Executive Director Michael Jones. “We look forward to continuing to promote healthy and nutritious foods for our school children through our continued support of the National Farm to School Network and by implementing our ‘Three Sisters Project, a part of our Local Food to School Program, in six local Columbus schools in January of 2009.”

The annual VAH Awards were established by David Kantor, President of Victory Wholesale Group, to recognize outstanding organizations in the United States that work to end hunger and improve nutrition and health at the local level. The National Farm to School Network is extremely honored to have the 2008 Victory Against Hunger (VAH) Award’s theme be Farm to School.