July 3, 2020 Celebrate Life!MIRACLE MOMENT®
“Just living isn’t enough,” said the butterfly. “One must also have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” Hans Christian Andersen A Message from Founder, Cynthia Brian It’s the 4th of July weekend and I know you want to be outside, even if you are alone, sheltering-in-place, wearing a mask when you walk, and remembering the “good ‘ole days” before pandemic. Much has happened since our last newsletter, but I’ll make our announcements short and sweet.
1, For Middle Schoolers: Check out The Hope Challenge (Helping Our Passions Emerge) from student-led nonprofit, Seattle Advocates for Education (seattleadvocatesfe.org/): The HOPE Challenge is a free entrepreneurship competition for middle school students, providing an opportunity for students to learn entrepreneurship by allowing their ideas to come to life. The PROMPT: Develop a solution that seeks to solve an arising problem that COVID-19 has created. Students are expected to respond to the prompt by submitting an elevator pitch video (1-3 minutes) proposing their product or service. View the Competition Guidelines to learn what to include in your video! Visit the website https://www.thehopechallenge.org for more info. Deadline soon. Win awards from $25-200. 2. New Teen Reporter: Welcome to our awesome new reporter on Express Yourself! Teen Radio, Andrea Smith. Her segment is titled, In the Spotlight. Andrea is a senior at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Southern CA. She loves swimming and participating in everything ocean related. She is also extremely passionate about Model United Nations and knows the ins and outs of living a happy and healthy lifestyle! www.ExpressYourselfTeenRadio.com
3. Thank You: The California Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the Cares Act have just awarded me a small grant to continuing producing Super Smart Sundays on Express Yourself! Teen Radio showcasingauthors, musicians, artists, actors, creatives, and more who have had their work, appearances, concerts, etc. cancelled during this pandemic. My paid personal appearances have all been canceled and I know how they feel. I’m thrilled to be able to support fellow artists.
4. Free Women’s Summit: Want to find your superpower? REGISTER for the FREE Passions into Profits Women's Summit hosted by Jane Applegath at http://JaneApplegath.com. Be the heroine of your own epic life. Watch and learn from a league of leaders and trailblazers to help you to lead a life you love.Your dreams can be your reality! I was the featured guest on June 25th and Jane is incredible FREE registration, http://www.janeapplegath.com.
5.WEDNESDAYS with Writers and SUPER SMART SUNDAYS As part of our Be the Star You Are! Disaster Relief Outreach program (https://www.bethestaryouare.org/copy-of-operation-hurricane-disaste), StarStyle® Productions, LLC and Be the Star You Are!® have collaborated with the Authors Guild to showcase the new books launched by many authors from around the country in a variety of genres. We are showcasing artists, actors, and musicians, all of whom had had their gigs canceled and are out of work. We believe in supporting creativity that provides escape and joy, especially during tough times. Tune in to both StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® on Wednesdays at 4pm PT for “Writers Wednesdays” LIVE http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2206/be-the-star-you-are as well as our teen program, Express Yourself!™ airing on Sundays at 3pm PT for “Super Smart Sundays” https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2014/express-yourself Both programs broadcast on the Voice America Network, Empowerment Channel and will be archived on that site as well as iTunes, Stitcher, etc.
6. Summer Reading Our Star Teen Book Review Team is busy reading and writing reviews for you to enjoy this summer. Reviews are honest and the personal experience of each writer. Check them out at our website, http://www.btsya.com/book_reviews.html, and at our partner, The Reading Tub, https://thereadingtub.org/books/be-the-star-you-are/. Many thanks to our Book Review Coordinator, Stephanie Cogeos, for keeping us on track. If you are interested in joining our team and you are genuinely interested in being of service to others, you can find the info at http://www.btsya.com/book_reviews.html
7. Nurture with Nature If you need a bit of sunshine and flowers, visit https://www.cynthiabrian.com/gardening where you’ll find loads of photos and gardening articles (https://www.cynthiabrian.com/gardening-articles) that will inspire you to get off the couch, power down the gadgets, and enjoy nature bathing.
Before I leave you to your popsicles and barbecues, I want to repeat what Beyonce said when she received her Humanitarian Award recently “vote like our life depends on it.” Voting is our ultimate freedom to choose. It's FREE. Just do it.
Have a healthy, safe, and happy Independence Day. Care, share, be fair.
Celebrate Life.
Living with gratitude,
Cynthia Brian
Founder/Executive Director Be the Star You Are!®
PO Box 376
Moraga, California 94556
Cynthia@BetheStarYouAre.org
We invite you to volunteer, get involved, or make a donation. Make a DONATION through PAYPAL GIVING FUND and PAYPAL with 100% going to BTSYA with NO FEES: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504
THE IMPORTANCE OF BLACK LIVES MATTER
All Lives Matter should be true but it is a current lie. This is why it’s important to emphasize that Black Lives Matter. I’m not sure that it would make some people feel more comfortable if it were neatly wrapped in a box, tied with a bow, and titled titled Black Lives Matter Too. Which is the problem. Why does Black Lives Matter make some people feel uncomfortable? Those who operate in treating people fairly have the hardest time grasping this. Perhaps they have a naïve interpretation of the world by having been sheltered. Perhaps they have developed a defense mechanism to cope. In their minds it’s, “Hey, if 7 out of 7 billion people in the world are good then all people are good.” A clear mathematical imbalance. The Black Lives Movement has demonstrated it is more powerful than any opposition. We have joined together with Caucasian, Asian, African, Latino and all Lives around the world to make this statement a giant. Let’s do the right thing and respect each other, protest peacefully, and appreciate one another. Black people here in Washington D.C. where I live, were wrought with pain over the death of George Floyd. Once the protests calmed, for once in my life, my black experience was that Black Lives Mattered. My own people were more conscious of being kind to each other by intentionally supporting one another’s businesses. We even look at each other totally different now. For a long time I’ve been mistreated by my own race. For the first time, I can see a different soul in the eyes of my people. This matters to me. We have become the Black Lives that Matter to Black Lives. Priscilla Mac is volunteer with Be the Star You Are!® and Christian Television Talk Show Host of a program called "Still Learning Still Developing" which airs on Preach The Word Worldwide Network.During her 5 years of service in the U.S. Army she specialized in Logistics and is currently a Digital Systems Analyst for Voice of America International Broadcasting.. www.priscillamac.com
A SWELTERING SUMMER DAY Some call it a sweltering summer day. I like to call it a scattering kindness opportunity! What kid, of any age, doesn’t smile with their first lick of a frozen popsicle on a very hot day? You can be a super hero by simply picking up a box of popsicles and searching for a nearby shelter to drop them off. Hint -- shelters are everywhere. You'll feel cooler just imagining when the paper comes off that first popsicle. Give a kid joy and sweetness today! Karen Kitchel who penned two chapters in the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World, is the Kindness Coordinator volunteer with BTSYA. She serves meals to the homeless and is a volunteer teacher, writer, job coach, and mentor. www.scatteringkindness.com
PLEASE DONATE Since BTSYA receives no government or corporate support, we count on YOU to help us help others. During this pandemic, all of our fundraising events have been canceled, yet we continue to support those in need. We appreciate a direct donation most of all via PAYPAL GIVING FUND at https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504 Checks can be sent to PO Box 376, Moraga, California 94556 http://www.btsya.org
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1. AmazonSmile donates .5% of purchases https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3333882
2. Discounted books at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shops/be_the_star_you_are_charity
3. Giving Assistant: Shop. Earn. Give! Use Giving Assistant to earn cash at 3500+ popular online stores, then donate a percentage to BTSYA:https://givingassistant.org/np#be-the-star-you-are-inc & buy from your favorite stores.
4. Search and GoodShop: Choose Be the Star You Are as your charity to support. You can log in with Facebook, too! https://www.goodshop.com/nonprofit/be-the-star-you-are
5. Shop at over 1300 stores on IGIVE: http://www.iGive.com/BTSYA
6. Buy “Read, Lead, Succeed” black tanks $19.99 and books at StarStyle® Store: http://www.starstylestore.net/
7. Are you a gamer, lover of new software, or other digital content? Buy all of your favorites at Humble Bundle. http://ow.ly/cYs130iN6n4
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We invite you to volunteer, get involved, or make a donation.
Make a DONATION through PAYPAL GIVING FUND and PAYPAL with 100% going to BTSYA with NO FEES: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504 Be the Star You Are!®
PO Box 376 Moraga, California 94556
Info@BetheStarYouAre.org https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org
Happy 4th of July!
Be Safe! Be Smart! Be Strong!
CELEBRATE LIFE! CELEBRATE FREEDOM!
