Category Archives: impact news

Shaun Robinson’s Passion for the Social Good

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This post was co-written by bloggers Ann Tran and Glen Gilmore. It’s cross-posted in the Huffington Post Celebrity Section.

The words, “believe in yourself”, have always played a strong part in the character and essence of celebrity journalist Shaun Robinson. The phrase infuses her professional pursuits, which have taken her around the world, and anchors her charitable activities that help engender a greater sense of self among a new generation of girls and young women. Needless to say, we’re awed and impressed by the way she uses her status as a journalist to the stars to help encourage women of all ages to love themselves just the way they are.

 Her best-selling book, Exactly As I Am, provides readers with empowering advice about developing a positive self-image. Robinson reinforces the concepts of personal empowerment and developing a strong feeling of self-worth through her multi-media messages and fundraisers for organizations, such as Girls, Inc. 

Robinson recently allowed us to ask her some questions about her wonderful charitable endeavors and commitment to helping girls and women accept themselves without compromise:

Picture Courtesy of Shaun Robinson

You launched your “One Girl, One Voice — A Million Ways to Make a Difference” campaign earlier this year. Please tell us a little bit about what inspired your book and video, Exactly As I Am? 

I was inspired to write my book, Exactly As I Am, because I wanted girls to know that everything they need to believe in themselves and develop a strong self-esteem is right inside of them. It doesn’t come from being popular, being skinny, being rich, or having a certain skin color. It comes from, as Oprah says in my book, “… knowing that you are valuable because you were born.”

 Because I interview celebrities for a living, so many girls ask me about the stars they see on TV, in the movies, or on the covers of magazines. They want to know if “so and so” is as beautiful in person as she is on TV, or if their lives are as perfect as they seem. I wanted girls to know that nobody is perfect and that everyone — no matter how rich or famous — has feelings of self-doubt now and then, just like you and me. I wrote, produced and directed the video, Ten Rules for Girls with Strong Self-Esteem as a mini rulebook for girls to follow. All the “rules” came from the dozens and dozens of teen girls I interviewed for Exactly As I Am. I love it because it’s girls giving girls advice like, “I will never stay in a relationship with a guy who disrespects me.” That is so important!

Your job is so glamorous. How do you convey your message to these young girls? With so many negative media images of young women today, please tell our readers about how you’re using your media influence to bring awareness to girls and their families? 

My mom has always told me to use my platform for good — never make it about me — but to make my mission about helping others. And that’s what I’ve always tried to do. I am well aware that the media, in general, must take responsibility for the many images girls see that make them question their own self-worth. Being in the entertainment industry, it’s a constant balancing act for me and I try never to compromise my integrity. Reporting on entertainment and your favorite stars is definitely fun, but it’s when girls internalize those images and use them as a measuring stick for their own value and how they should act — that’s where the danger comes in.

As a celebrity, do you find it’s easier, or more difficult, to effectively impact the lives of your target audience?

Certainly as a celebrity, I have a voice that is easier heard than if I wasn’t in this position. I want to make sure I use that voice for positive change. That’s why I started the One Girl, One Voice: A Million Ways to Make a Difference movement. In my book, we talk a lot about “giving back” and that one of the quickest ways to true self-esteem involves taking the attention away from yourself and putting it on someone less fortunate. We want to get one million girls to pledge that they’ll use their voices to “change the world.” I want to inspire girls to volunteer their time to various causes and pledge to make the lives of others better.

With the advent and popularity of social media versus traditional media, have you seen a tremendous, monumental change, regarding effecting positive change in the world?

Social media can be a wonderful thing and a not-so-wonderful thing. Cyber-bullying is on the rise and we must find a way to stop it and make people responsible for the things they put online that can hurt others. But, social media can be a powerfully positive force in helping others. When we all band together and promise to change the world, nothing can stop us.

Where do you see your campaign, say, five years from now? 

Five years from now, I see the One Girl, One Voice movement five million girls strong! We want to thank Shaun Robinson for her generosity and for taking the time to share a little about her world-changing pursuits with us and our readers. What an inspiration she is and what a magnificent gift her campaign is to the next generation of young women. Thank you Shaun, from the bottom of our hearts, for using your voice for change.

Writer’s Note: This video, courtesy of Shaun Robinson, captures her passion for positive and empowering self-images. 

WATCH:

   

 A Story for Inspiration and Ann Tran’s Final Thoughts 

Twitter represents a powerful medium that anyone can use to inspire, inform and educate. I shared Shaun Robinson’s video, Exactly As I Am, on Twitter and one of my followers shared it. He sent me a direct message and thanked me for the link to the video; informing me that he intended to share it with his daughter. I suggested he share part of our conversation with Ms. Robinson as well, since she is very engaging. He did. And the next thing I knew, I saw a picture of a signed book held up proudly by his daughter from Ms. Robinson displayed on John Feskorn‘s page.

With social media becoming such a pervasive force in our culture, it presents an awe-inspiring, powerful way to change the world — one tweet at a time. How are you using Twitter, or other social media platforms, to change the world? Share your stories below. For more information on Shaun Robinson and her charitable activities, visit her website and follow her on Twitter.

For more information in Shaun Robinson and her charitable activities, visit her website and follow her on Twitter.

The Art of Healing Our Wounded U.S. Veterans

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This is my recent piece, cross-posted in the Huffington Post Impact Section.

Russell Simmons once said, “Art allows people a way to dream their way out of their struggle.” The co-writer of this post, Lori McNee, couldn’t agree more. Her work is extraordinary. As an artist, she gives back to her community through the expression of art. Recently, she had the unique honor to convey the healing power of art to a group of veteran women who have been severely wounded in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

 This opportunity was made possible through Higher Ground, an amazing nonprofit that taps into a network of resources to aid long-term rehabilitative efforts for veterans with traumatic brain injuries, blindness, severe burns, and much more.

Because we are particularly supportive of charitable efforts to look after veterans and their families, art therapy for wounded warriors is something to really get excited about. In fact, McNee’s art session was a huge success. The majority of the women warriors had never painted before. So in order to alleviate any of their anxieties, they were assured that they were not there to impress anyone with the end result.

One healing factor of art is that it gives the participant some measure of control over what they do. It also allows the creator to focus on something positive, which takes them away from their discomfort and benefits their health in the long run. A safe environment was provided where the women could explore and courageously express their intuitive feelings on their own canvas, in a non-verbal way with the support of Higher Ground therapist, Cara Barrett.

Lori McNee and Women Veterans. Photo Courtesy of Higher Ground

The women were distracted at first, and some had a hard time listening to some of the instructions. This behavior is a common symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, once they started freely playing with the beautiful acrylic paints, brushes and other fun tools, the ladies became engrossed in their art.

They were taught about the hidden meaning of color and how artists can use color to express themselves, and to create a mood in their paintings. Some of the ladies chose cool, calming colors like blues and purples that represented the peace they were feeling during this art activity. A few of the others gravitated toward the warmer tones like red, orange and yellow to represent their courage, determination or optimism.

One lady even depicted an emotional memory of her late Troop Leader, while others painted abstract designs. Each woman enjoyed the process of creating her own work of art. Afterwards, the project was assessed and the women were asked how they felt while they were painting. The majority of them said painting felt wonderful; they didn’t think about any of their injuries, pain and stress.

Another awesome activity from Higher Ground! Their summer and winter camps in the picturesque mountains of Sun Valley, Idaho are extraordinary. The veterans leave the camps with a restored sense of independence, a desire to improve work and school performance, and an increased ability to cope with combat related stress. Indeed, our veterans should also be cared for when they return home, and not simply on the field of battle.

This post was co-written by Lori McNee. To learn how you can help, please contact Sun Valley Adaptive Sports and Higher Ground.

Famine in East Africa Moves Mom, Female Bloggers to Act

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This is cross-posted in the Huffington Post Impact Section.

I am a huge fan of everyday people who push the boundaries of convention to raise awareness for causes that matter. And few causes are as urgent right now as the deadly famine in east Africa.

 A population equivalent to entire state of Ohio is at risk of starvation in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and other parts of East Africa. Hundreds of thousands refugees have fled the drought-stricken region, and in the past three months, nearly 30,000 children have died.

 Now, one mom is using social tools like video, blogs and an unconventional fundraising platform to change that.

 Blogger Sarah Lenssen decided she had had enough of watching a famine unfold – and get buried – in the news. So she dreamed up a powerful campaign to help people take action, called #Ask5for5. It works like this: you donate $5 to provide food and water in east Africa. Then, you get five of your friends to give $5.


Ask5for5 and help save a life! from Ask 5 for 5 on Vimeo.

Sarah’s an inspiring change-maker that models what it means to be a citizen philanthropist. She likes to imagine what would happen if that circle got extended out 9 times (5 x 5 x 5 x 5…). In just nine iterations, the campaign would raise over $2.4 million dollars. 
I had a chance to ask her a few questions about what motivated her to start #Ask5for5 and how female bloggers worldwide have powered her campaign. Here’s what she said: 
 Why did you start #Ask5for5? I have two children who were adopted from Ethiopia in 2007 and 2010 respectively, and both of them were born in the regions that are experiencing extreme drought. The situation is very personal for me. It could be my son or daughter suffering. The idea that they would go day after day without food or water is a thought I want to push fromy mind. But the thing is, I have to imagine it — because although they aren’t mine, they are many daughters and sons suffering.
 
John Harrison, BlueSkyhill Creative.
I knew I couldn’t sit by and let the news overwhelm me (although that’s hard when you see the grave images of what’s happening). It was time for me to do something. But I knew that in order to make an impact, that it couldn’t just be me. And that’s where #Ask5for5 was born. 
 If you could tell people one thing, what would it be? 
I’d want to tell people about Khaleed. Last week, his mom took him and his siblings on a harrowing 15-day journey through Somalia in search of food. Two of his siblings, ages 2 and 4, died on the way to help. After arriving at a camp for internally displaced people, 6-year old Khaleed was on the verge of death. Jon Warren, a friend and staff member at the development NGO World Vision, has seen too many children die, and he was worried. While Jon left on a two-day assignment elsewhere in Somalia, his colleagues treated Khaleed with rehydration salts and Plumpy Nut, a peanut-based food that rushes nutrients into the body. When Jon saw Khaleed again, just 2 days after he started receiving treatment, he said the difference was night and day.
   
When Khaleed arrived, he couldn’t move. Now, he had the energy to sit up on his own. The vomiting and diarrhea had passed. He had made it through the worst. So if I could tell people one thing, it would be that there is hope. We can make thousands of stories like Khaleed’s come true. We have to work together.
What inspired you to recruit female bloggers to your cause? 
I’ve been blown away by the number of moms who resonate with what’s happening, and who want to step in for the forgotten voices of other mothers and children. Blogging is a grassroots way of getting the word out to people that we CAN do something. I’ve connected with many other adoptive moms who’ve blogged over the last five years since I began blogging. And over 25 moms (adoptive and non-adoptive) I asked to join me by allowing me to guest post about #Ask5for5 last Thursday, did so with enthusiasm. I think many people are just waiting for the opportunity to do something, and #Ask5for5 has been just that: an easy way to DO something rather than feel overwhelmed. One more reason? Research done by The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press reported Wednesday that 4 percent of Americans were primarily following the story of the famine. But five times as many said the stock market was their top story. Bloggers are stepping up and using their influence to spread the word about causes that normal channels of media often struggle with. 
If people can do one thing next with their five minutes, what should it be? 
They should go donate $5. Then, they should email all their friends and ask them to get involved. It’s simple, fast and effective. I’m telling everyone I know: we may not be able to change the world on our own, but together, we absolutely can. 
What’s next? 
You! Please join us. 
We need your help. Last week, over 30 bloggers joined with me to spread the word about Ask5for5, and it was so successful, we want to get hundreds more! I’m looking for at least 200 bloggers who will allow me to guest post on their blogs during Social Media Week – the week of September 19th- 23rd. If you’re willing to use your blog as a medium to spur action and help save lives in East Africa, please email me at this address! And by the way, while it’s been mostly women who have jumped at the chance to allow me to guest post, men are equally powerful advocates and we’re so grateful for that. 
 For more info, on #Ask5for5, visit SeeYourImpact.org.