You know you have made an impact on your community when:

I had a truck following closely behind me this morning and thought, “oh I should move over because he will want to pass” (I was in the left lane). Just as I put on my signal light, he did as well and went around me on the right hand side. I thought he was going to be upset because I didn’t move over to the right lane and let him pass. As he drove past me, I turned to look at him and he was giving me the Challenge Day I love you sign….!!!! It was awesome!!! (I have the Be The Change bumper sticker in my back window, so he must have been familiar with Challenge Day!) It felt wonderful! Then yesterday, someone had written “Be the Change” in the dirt on the window of a van. I smiled all the way home.

Our wishlist represents items we are seeking for our Concord office. Please take a look at our list.

Our Wish List:

• Couch and Chair set for our front office lobby
• Conference Room Table and Chairs for 4-8 people for the Compassion Conference Room
• Building-wide carpet and installation

Below is the text from the PROCLAMATION:

CITY OF WILLIAMS LAKE

PROCLAMATION

“PAY IT FORWARD DAY”
April 29, 2010

WHEREAS the aim of the Pay It Forward concept is to promote community spirit through intentional acts of kindness; and

WHEREAS the Pay It Forward novel, written by Catherine Ryan Hyde in 2000, has inspired the creation of a movie, a non-profit foundation, and a movement that has been vital in inspiring many thousands of good deeds all over the world; and

WHEREAS Pay It Forward Day was created in 2007 in Australia to further the altruistic movement of goodwill; and

WHEREAS Pay It Forward Day is a worldwide effort being supported by more than 15 countries, including Australia, the United States, Canada and Mexico; and

WHEREAS Pay It Forward Day encourages people to do between one and three good deeds for others without asking for anything in return except to pay it forward to someone else in need; and

WHEREAS together we can make a difference by creating positive change in our community and the world – one good deed at a time; and

NOW THEREFORE I, Kerry Cook, as Mayor of the City of Williams Lake, do hereby proclaim April 29, 2010 as “Pay It Forward Day” in the City of Williams Lake.

Signed by MAYOR KERRY COOK

CITY OF WILLIAMS LAKE

450 MART STREET, WILLIAMS LAKE, BC, V2G 1N3

You can help put shoes on the feet of the victims of the Haitian earthquake. Drop off your new or gently used shoes at our office at 2520 Stanwell Drive, Suite 160, Concord. Yes, they will take any wearable shoes, including heels! Challenge Day offices are accepting donations between 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. through February 28. Happy Birthday Yvonne!

Here’s a little bit about Jenna:

If you really knew me you’d know that giving back is my passion.   At age 6, I gave my only dime to a homeless man on Pier 39 and when he said, “God bless you child,” I felt so empowered; that catalyzed my love for serving others. Growing up on a farm deepened my love for animals, so at age 18, I became a vegetarian and haven’t looked back since.

I have a deep love for the Hawaiian Islands and have traveled there over a dozen times. Several years ago, I changed my name to reflect this love. My new name, Jenna Mahina, is loosely translated as Paradise Moon and reflects the affinity I feel for the islands. It’s been a place of refuge for my spirit, where I’ve swam with dolphins in the wild, been loved by Aunty Angeline, a Hawaiian kahuna, hiked to see the lava flow and had many spiritual teachers and experiences that have shaped my life.

If you really, really knew me you’d know that I still miss my Dad who died of leukemia in 1999. Even after years of fundraising and walking for his cause, his medication was not the right dose and he left us at the early age of 55. During his last days, he shared that his hope is that I would continue to follow my dreams. One of my dreams was to swim with whales. In Dad’s honor, my mother and I swam with whales in the Dominican Republic in 2009. It is an overwhelmingly humbling feeling to be eye-to-eye with a Mama Whale and her Baby, and be trusted to share their space!!! My love for the ocean has been the inspiration behind my photography art. I long to help create peace on this planet and I’m bubbling over with joy that my new job at Challenge Day will help me do just that! There is so much more about me so please just ask!

Way to go Lindsey! Your compassion and kindness really made a difference. Thank you so much for being a model for all our young people today!!

Beginning in January of 2010, MTV began filming the acclaimed day-long Challenge Day program at selected schools across the United States. Over a series of twelve episodes, young people and adults will be shown experiencing the innovative workshop, which is designed to break down barriers and promote understanding, acceptance, and love in schools and communities. If You Really Knew Me will allow viewers to follow students before and after the workshop. The show will be produced by Arnold Shapiro, Producer of the Oscar and Emmy-winning film, “Scared Straight!” and the CBS reality series, “Rescue 911,” hosted by William Shatner. With over four decades of experience producing network TV documentary series and specials, Arnold has received an Academy Award and 16 Emmys.

Six Challenge Day Leaders are participating in the filming of the first season, along with the teenage students, teachers, school counselors, parents, and members of the communities. Leaders Vinny Ferraro, Sean Flikke, Chris Foster, Sela Gaglia, Berenice Meza, and Jennifer Wilson will be featured in the show, guiding participants through a carefully-designed series of games, activities, and trust-building exercises that break down the walls of separation and create new levels of empathy and respect.

Motivated by a vision that love and connection are possible in schools, Rich and Yvonne Dutra-St. John created the Challenge Day program in Martinez, California in 1987. Through their years of professional experience with teens and families, Rich and Yvonne recognized that teasing, bullying, and other forms of social oppression are symptoms of a greater underlying problem: separation, isolation, and loneliness. Rich and Yvonne designed the Challenge Day program to build connection and forgiveness between young people, and to inspire youth to become positive forces of change in their schools and communities. Challenge Day has also been featured in the New York Times best-seller Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, in the Emmy-winning documentary Teen Files: Surviving High School, and on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Attached is their recent press release:

MTV EXPLORES TEEN LIFE AND BREAKS DOWN SOCIAL BARRIERS IN NEW SERIES GREENLIGHT “IF YOU REALLY KNEW ME” AND

“TEEN MOM” SEASON TWO

NEW YORK, NY/SANTA MONICA, CA – (January 29, 2010) – MTV speaks to today’s youth through a new series greenlight, “If You Really Knew Me” and a second season of “Teen Mom,” it was announced today by Tony DiSanto, President of Programming for MTV. “If You Really Knew Me” reflects the drama and authentic life struggles of high school – whether it’s fitting into different cliques or struggling for acceptance and support from peers and family.

After breaking series records, MTV greenlit the second season of “Teen Mom.” Told firsthand by cast members from season one, the series will give viewers a deeper look into the first and second year into motherhood and depict the varied challenges young mothers face, balancing adult responsibilities, while trying to hold on to a semblance of teenage life. The “Teen Mom” season-one finale delivered a 3.5 P12-34 rating and over 3.6 million total viewers. Since its premiere on December 9, 2009, the series was also the #1 original cable series on Tuesday’s among viewers P12-34 for eight consecutive weeks. “Teen Mom” season two is scheduled to air this summer.

“Both series share an unfiltered and unique look at different aspects of teen life, and the transition to adulthood. We are thrilled to continue to tell the stories of these teen moms, and to work with Arnold Shapiro on this new documentary series that breaks down the walls of cliques in high school and brings kids together,” said Tony DiSanto, President of MTV Programming.

TEEN MOM – Season 2 premieres summer 2010 with 8 episodes

Season one moms give viewers a deeper look inside the lives of teenage parents. Told by each girl first hand, the series will depict the varied challenges young mothers face. From relationships to education to financial hardships, these young parents are learning to navigate life with adult responsibilities.

Credits: “Teen Mom” is Executive Produced by Morgan J Freeman. Tony DiSanto is President of Programming for MTV. Liz Gateley and Lauren Dolgen are Executive Producers. Kenda Greenwood is Supervising Producer. Jessica Zalkind is Executive for MTV. Concept by Lauren Dolgen.

IF YOU REALLY KNEW ME – Series premiere Q4 with 12 episodes

Like a reality version of “The Breakfast Club,” “If You Really Knew Me” follows five high school students from different cliques as they experience Challenge Day – a transformative one-day program that breaks down barriers between cliques, curbs prejudice, and profoundly changes the way the students view both their school and each other. Each episode takes place at a different high school that, like most schools, has a fixed caste system of winners and losers, and a student body that labels everyone – jock, freak, brain, etc – whether they like it or not. But through this program, all the preconceptions about who they are will be turned on their head. Amazingly poignant, this series is a shockingly authentic peek into the minds of real teenagers as they step beyond their cliques, reveal their most intimate feelings for the first time, and truly change. MTV has ordered 12 episodes.

Credits: Arnold Shapiro is Executive Producer for Arnold Shapiro Productions. Angie Day is Executive Producer.

About MTV Network:

MTV is the dynamic, vibrant experiment at the intersection of music, creativity and youth culture.  For over 28 years, MTV has evolved, challenged the norm, and detonated boundaries — giving each new generation a creative outlet and voice that entertains, informs and unites on every platform and screen.  On-air, MTV is the number one rated full-day ad-supported cable network for P12-24. Online, MTV.com averaged 8.5 million monthly unique visitors during the first quarter of 2009 — up +6% from Q4/2008 and up +6% year-over-year. Total video streams for the first quarter of 2009 increased 21% over the same time period last year. And MTV’s successful sibling networks MTV2, mtvU and MTV Tr3s each deliver unprecedented customized content, super-serving music fans, college students and young American Latinos like no one else.   MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Wanna know more?  Come on in… www.mtvpress.com

Ariana Urbont
MTV
310-752-8079
ariana.urbont@mtvstaff.com

Simone Pero
MTV
212-846-6406
simone.pero@mtvstaff.com

Did you know that up to 25% of U.S. students are bullied each year? According to PBS.org, as many as 160,000 students may stay home from school on any given day because they are afraid of being bullied. Our young people are in crisis, more than ever before, and you can help.

Over the 2008-2009 school year, tens of thousands of students were taught about connection, love and respect in Challenge Day workshops. This year, we have 725 programs scheduled already, but there are still many schools that aren’t able to afford this important work due to cuts of already-tight school budgets.

Challenge Day, as a 501(c)3 non-profit, relies on your donations to keep bringing this crucial work to young people all over the country. With your donation, you not only help us to continue awakening young people to the possibilities of acceptance, compassion and understanding, but you will be experiencing the joy of charitable giving!

Your donation is tax-deductible, and makes a great gift! We are happy to send an acknowledgement letter to the person of your choice. To make a donation, please go to our website and Donate Online!. Thank you so much for your continued support. We would not exist without you!

Each year, John F. Kennedy University selects five alumni — one representing each school of the University — to honor as the University’s Alumni of the Year. Rich, who received his MA in Clinical Psychology from the school in 1985, was chosen to represent JFK University’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology.

Steve Stargardter, President of JFK University, had this to say about the recognition of this year’s five esteemed alumni: “We welcome this opportunity to applaud these individuals who are excellent role models for both our alumni and students. Each has gone on from JFK University to apply the knowledge and insights gained to the benefit of their fields, society, as well as themselves.”

Past Alumni of JFK University include: Debbie Ford, New York Times #1 best-selling author of The Dark Side of the Light Chasers and founder of the Ford Institute for Integrative Coaching at JFKU and the Essentials Coaching program, Martin J. Reed, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis for the Internet search engine Ask Jeeves and current Vice President of Finance and MIS for CoolSystems, Inc., Joseph Canciamilla, former member of the California State Assembly, and many others.