Inspirational Stuff | A Deaf Mom Shares Her World

Blog Action Day–Taking Action to Make a Difference

The day is here: Blog Action Day. Today, over 10,000 blogs will spotlight the issue of poverty and raise funds to make a difference. Kudos to Easton Ellsworth and the team behind Blog Action Day.

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to blog about today. My kids are deaf and hard of hearing and they attend school in a district that is well paid for by taxes. They are receiving an education that is lacking very little in terms of resources and access to projects. They have access to digital hearing aids, interpreters, FM systems and itinerant teachers.

A couple of years ago, I attended a conference where I met an educator for the deaf from New Mexico. He described an educational system that was quite different from what my children are receiving. Many of the families with deaf and hard of hearing children were scattered in very rural areas. Many were living in what we would call deep poverty in the United States. Some of the families came across the border. He talked about how families had very limited access to the many choices that families in bigger cities take for granted.

Mrs. V's classroom

I tried to think of a way that I could ask my readers to help make a difference, a tangible difference for deaf and hard of hearing children–today. I have a project that I’m supporting over at the Chicago Moms Blog which is part of the DonorsChoose.org Bloggers Challenge. It is a fundraiser for a classroom in New Mexico for deaf and hard of hearing children in an area of high poverty: Bugs, Crystals and More for Hands On Scientists. Just $546 dollars will fund this project and make a difference in the lives of several deaf and hard of hearing students (and the future students to follow). The project has raised $125 dollars so far and the deadline to fund this project is November 21st. Perhaps my readers, today, can help this project reach its goal.

It only takes a minute to make a contribution, and make a difference. The learning that these students will reap from this project will help shape future minds.

Won’t you make a difference today?

Update as of October 15th in the afternoon:

I’m sitting here amazed, totally amazed. This project is now fully funded. A special thanks goes to all the donors: Karon, Davis, Jessica, Deborah, Joanna and Eileen. Joanna and Eileen gave today and helped to fully fund the project.

You all are amazing!

Update: Thank you from Mrs. Vogt:

Dear Karen,

Thank you so much for your donation towards hands-on science materials for our classroom with deaf and hard of hearing students. We are so excited to start using the supplies to do science experiments. We have seen some different science supplies in books and I am thrilled that the students will now get to explore magnifying glasses, lenses, microscopes, and color paddles for themselves! I have been reading lots of books and websites to find experiments that are good for kindergarten and first grade kids. Now, we will be able to do the experiments. By the way, I showed the kids pictures of the supplies we are getting, and they said to tell you that they are the most excited about the growing crystals kit! Thanks again so much!!

Other bloggers who are making a difference:

Five Minutes for Mom: Blog Action Day: Poverty

ProBlogger: Reflections on Poverty

Remarkable Parents: The Scoop on Blog Action Day

The Broad Brush: Poverty

Karen Swim: Blog Action Day: Poverty

Middle Zone Musings: It’s Time

Joyful Jubilant Learning: How Much Can We Learn in a Day?

Liz Strauss: Personal Environmental Action

Joanna Young: Words That Make a Difference

CopyBlogger: Why Jesse Won’t Go to College

Meryl.net: Blog Action Day: Poverty

If the World Had Wheels: Disability and Poverty

Face Me, I Read Lips: Blog Action Day: Help Those Who Need Hearing Aids

Amy Derby: Look, See, Do Something

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What I Learned from Stress–Middle Zone Musings

Over at Robert Hruzek’s place, Middle Zone Musings, the topic of today’s groupwrite project is:

Now see, I could have stressed myself out and agonized over what picture to put up there, but what’d I do to eliminate the stress of finding one? Why, I lifted Robert’s cute little stress picture right off his site! Of course, that would be called, ahem, borrowing, wouldn’t it?

It seems like everywhere we turn nowadays, the topic of stress pops up left and right. “Ten Steps to Eliminate Stress from your Life!” screams one magazine. “Live a Stress-Free Life,” urges another. It’s no wonder that so many magazines are tackling the topic of stress: with the stock market in the pits, food and health care soaring, and the housing market basically flat–these are stressful times, indeed.

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to experience a relatively stress-free weekend. I got in the car and drove up to my parents’ house for the weekend. I left behind the hubby and children (they were completely ok with that!) and it was my first time up at Christie Lake without them. I was able to blast my John Denver/Kenny Rogers/Lonestar music without anyone imploring me to turn it down, or worse, to turn it off.

Let me give you a glimpse of why it is so peaceful up at Christie Lake. This is the view from my parents’ kitchen window:

Peaceful, indeed.

I spent the weekend painting the decks with my Dad and sis. I had planned to winterize the jet ski and put it away for the winter after we finished up with the painting. During all of Saturday morning, I was enjoying the sun and the paining was moving along. The weather was incredible. On Saturday afternoon, I started to feel some stress. My neck was aching and my jaw was tensing up. I was trying to figure out what was causing it and then I realized what it was: I didn’t know how to winterize the jet ski and I was running out of time to figure it out. I had read the owner’s manual over and over earlier in the week, but it might as well have been written in Greek. Here’s an example of part of the winterizing process:

Prior to inserting the ignition coil to its location, apply some Molykote 111 grease (P/N413 707 000) around the seal area that touches the spark plug hole. After installation, ensure the seals seats properly with the engine top surface.

Ignition coil? Seals? And where the heck were the spark plugs located? No wonder I could feel the stress mounting that afternoon. I had texted Leaders Marine the day before and asked if I could stop in so they could walk me through the process. Sure, they said.

I borrowed my Dad’s truck and hooked up the jet ski and drove to the marine shop. My Mom came with. Along the way, we talked about a bunch of things and ironically, the subject of stress came up.

“Remember that piece of advice you gave me a long time ago,” I asked my Mom. “You told me that you used to worry and be stressed out and then you realized you were wasting a lot of time worrying.”

And then Mom finished the thought. “Yes, everything always has a way of working out, it just always does. So why get all worked up about it. I look back at all the years that I was stressed out about something or other. I didn’t have to worry so much.”

Well, Mom’s advice has stuck with me through the years and when I find myself stressed out, I have to ask myself– what is the solution? What is the worse possible thing that could happen? What can I change right now to ease the way I feel?

So much for being stressed out about the winterizing process. The mechanic from the marine shop walked me through the steps a few times until I felt confident that I could do it. Dad helped me finish the process and we put the jet ski back in the shed and put all the neighbor’s boats back in.

“I just hope I did this right,” I said to my Dad.

“Well, no use worrying about it,” he said. “We’ll find out in the spring.”

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The Importance of Fundraising And Getting Involved

I love what I’m seeing on the web today– people working together–raising awareness, funding non-profit organizations and supporting causes. Today, I want to share a few things that are important to me and I hope you’ll take a moment to get involved as well.

I’ve long been involved with supporting Hands & Voices and you may have seen the link on my blog, Donate to Hands & Voices. We don’t actively ask for donations, but our project is there for anyone who wants to support families with deaf and hard of hearing children. After four years of being involved with this non-profit organization, I can see how hard our leaders are working at the helm to make changes for deaf and hard of hearing kids today.

Over at Chicago Moms Blog, we are participating in the Bloggers Challenge to raise funds for various school projects. There are several projects there that involve funds for deaf and hard of hearing kids. Several teachers that I know have shared with me that they often dip into their own pockets to fund their classrooms and to expand opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing kids to learn more. Check out the projects: Chicago Moms Blog Bloggers Challenge.

We have another big opportunity coming up to make a difference: Blog Action Day 2008–Poverty. I learned about this from Easton Ellsworth, whom I met at the SOBCon ‘08. Take a moment to take a look (it is captioned):

Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

The issue of poverty is something that we in America often do not come to experience, for even the most poor often have their immediate needs taken care of if they choose to participate in government programs. I live in an area where poverty cannot possibly compare to poverty in areas around the world. Even the homeless man who lives in a nearby town has full internet access in his parking garage home.

So join me and thousands of other bloggers on Blog Action Day on October 15, and together, let’s make a difference.

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