Thanks Urban Christian Ministries for another great season.
We look forward to the Playoffs next week.
JLYASDW
Block Club Basketball is nearing the end of another spectacularly successful season. Yesterday several games were played on the Belle Center Court. The YWAP Team plays their home games here although they were ofF yesterday. A Team form the Hope Center on Paderewski staged an amazing comeback and took the lead in with a couple of seconds left. They won with some heroic team play and outstanding hustle.
Thanks Urban Christian Ministries for another great season. We look forward to the Playoffs next week. JLYASDW
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MENTOR FORCE TIP of the WEEK
Mentor Force is a collaboration of Mentors who work with teachers to reinforce study skills needed for a satisfactory education. Through the Common Core of Character Education, we help students deal with social and emotional issues that are barriers to learning. Our team approach to mentoring helps to raise grades, reduce suspensions and minimize behavioral problems. We mentor in the mountains. We mentor in the classroom. We teach mentors. mentorforcebuffalo@gmail.com Friday, August 8, 2014 The Drowning Mentor Drowning is the cause of death for thousands of people every year. According to the Center for Disease Control, drowning is the fifth leading cause of death unintentional injury deaths in the United States.¹ Several years ago I watched a man save a 2 yr old girl who was drowning in a small pool at a hotel. In the midst of a large group of people, no one noticed her struggling until it was almost too late. A Man grabbed her and immediately initiated CPR, the little girl survived. Unfortunately many thousands of people drown every year. There is a wealth of preventative information posted on the CDC Website. They mention several key focus areas that can help prevent drowning. Here is some helpful information to help keep you and your family safe around water: Tips to help you stay safe in the water
http://www.aging.com/preventing-falls-in-older-adults/ Have you ever felt overwhelmed as a Mentor? Have you ever felt like you were drowning in an ocean of deep responsibility? Let's copy some of the safety tips for preventing drowning and paste them into a plan to help prevent Mentor Drowning.
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Bob Kuebler Founder / Mentor Force Mentor Force is an organization of initiators. We help young people who are at risk of leading impoverished and violent lives. We teach teachers, mentors, coaches, parents and youth leaders how to build healthy relationships that make young people feel valued. Our goal is to ensure that every student has the benefit of being guided by a Mentor. If we can help you reach your potential as a Mentoring organization please contact us: 716-830-8240 mentorforcebuffalo@gmail.com. www.youthwithapurpose.org We are available for school assemblies and educator conferences. References
MENTOR FORCE TIP of the WEEK Mentor Force is a collaboration of Mentors who work with teachers to reinforce study skills needed for a satisfactory education. Through the Common Core of Character Education, we help students deal with social and emotional issues that are barriers to learning. Our team approach to mentoring helps to raise grades, reduce suspensions and minimize behavioral problems. We mentor in the mountains. We mentor in the classroom. We teach mentors. mentorforcebuffalo@gmail.com Tuesday, August 5, 2014 MENTORS, HOODIES & PIT BULLS Pit bulls can be very dangerous dogs. A poodle can be a very dangerous dog. Danger comes in various sizes and breeds. Dogs do not breed themselves to be dangerous. There are certain character traits in animals that would give them a greater propensity to become vicious. Humans breed a greater viciousness in animals. The ownership of pit bulls has been legislated as illegal in many areas. Here's an example from Florida: Pit Bull Law It is illegal in Miami-Dade County to own or keep American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, or any other dog that substantially conforms to any of these breeds' characteristics. For more information, view the Miami-Dade County ordinance, Chapter 5, Sec. 5-17. http://www.miamidade.gov/animals/pitbull-law.asp Breed-Specific Legislation was enacted in many places all over the world targeting "bully-type dogs." By targeting the ownership of certain breeds, folks thought they could help reduce the violence caused by those breeds. The term pit bull is applied to many inter bred bully-type dogs. Is it fair to generalize and use the term "dangerous" on all breeds of pit bulls based on statistically documented violence? That's a question designed to make you think about yourself and your relationship with the person you are mentoring. Laws that target certain animals based on Breed-Specific Legislation are on the decline. People are beginning to examine the root causes of behaviors. Society has too often enacted legislation based on "knee-jerk reactions" to life altering events. Working together in collaboration is always the best practice to remove the cause with harmful effects. "Building safer and more humane communities requires multifactorial approaches focusing on improved ownership and husbandry practices, better understanding of dog behavior, education of parents and children regarding safety around dogs, and consistent enforcement of dangerous dog/reckless owner ordinances in communities. National Canine Research Council. (2013). Causes and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dogbites/causes-and-prevention/2 Patronek, G.J., Sacks, J.J., Delise, K.M., Cleary, D.V., & Marder, A.R. (2013). Co-occurrence of potentially preventable factors in 256 dog bite-related fatalities in the United States (2000-2009). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 243(12), 1726-1736. Another interesting study was done by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. They found a correlation between vicious dogs and their owners. It seems many people with anti-social tendencies have a tendency to own dogs considered to be dangerous. The following information was taken from Wikipedia:
Let's go back and visit Miami and Dade County for another look at generalizations with roots embedded in knee-jerk reactions. Trayvon Martin was a young man in a hoodie who died at the hands of someone who thought he looked suspicious. There's many sides to that story including racial profiling and generalizations based upon race and clothing. Many folks including President Obama believe that creating new laws will help balance racial inequalities. Making new laws could have an impact. Maybe we need a law that would prohibit volunteer neighborhood watchmen from carrying a gun. This isn't an article about anybody's guilt or innocence. Nor is it an expose' on the tragedy surrounding the death of Trayvon Martin. This is an appeal for you as a mentor to look deeply into yourself and examine your motives for becoming a mentor. This is an appeal for you as a mentor to look for any profiling tendencies in your own character. George Zimmerman bought a gun because of several altercations with a pit bull. He was advised by an animal control officer to get a gun for protection instead of pepper spray. Nobody has blamed the pit bull for causing the death of Trayvon. George became a neighborhood watchman because of a string of robberies in his neighborhood allegedly committed by young African American men. It seems to me that Trayvon fit the profile of Zimmerman's preconceived suspicions. Trayvon could fit the profile of thousands of inner city young men all over this country; Basically good hearted young guys who sometimes make bad decisions based on their immaturity who need a mentor. Laws do protect people. Mentors help people grow more compassionate so they don't break laws. "Suspicious Minds" was a song made famous by Elvis Presley. If you have a suspicious mind regarding the behavior of the person you are mentoring, what are your suspicions based on? Is there evidence in their actions that suggests a reason for you to be suspicious? "Be aware that a suspicious mind will manufacture suspicions and place them like labels on the hearts of other people. Something that never existed can manifest itself through suspicion." I was a teenager at football camp during my sophomore in high school. I was in the restroom with a friend who was smoking a cigarette. I did not smoke at the time. My friend asked me to hold his cigarette while he washed his hands. The Coach walked in and saw me holding the cigarette. I was accused of breaking team policy and I was suspended. Nobody believed that I wasn't smoking. To teach those "know-it-all's" a lesson, I decided to start smoking. I smoked for about sixteen years after that. As a young man my decision making ability was impaired by immaturity. The suspicions of adults based upon generalizations had a hand in my bad decision. I do not blame them but I do see a better way as an adult mentor. All children are equal. All children deserve compassion. All children deserve a mentor. MENTOR FORCE REFLECTIONS
The picture above is the cover of the book: "Wisdom From The Hood." The book may be found at: http://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-From-The-Hood-Lessons/dp/1492178039 Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Bob Kuebler Founder / Mentor Force Mentor Force is an organization of initiators. We help young people who are at risk of leading impoverished and violent lives. We teach teachers, mentors, coaches, parents and youth leaders how to build healthy relationships that make young people feel valued. Our goal is to ensure that every student has the benefit of being guided by a Mentor. If we can help you reach your potential as a Mentoring organization please contact us: 716-830-8240 mentorforcebuffalo@gmail.com. www.youthwithapurpose.org We are available for school assemblies and educator conferences. A brand new school year will begin soon. Some students are afraid to go back. Here is the Mission/Vision Statement for Youth With A Purpose Inc:
MISSION STATEMENT We believe that all children are gifted on both sides of the womb. We exist to identify, nurture, protect and empower young people to use their gifts to become the world changers that God meant them to be. VISION STATEMENT In partnering with the education and media community, we will reinforce the study skills needed to attain satisfactory levels of achievement while providing the life skills needed to overcome obstacles to learning. Our program will be delivered to students of all ages through interactive presentations via the radio, television, the internet, newsprint and assembly style format in schools, churches and community centers. Through positive peer influence, we will empower young people and mobilize them to work with adults and involve them in the process of social change. We will show young people how they are targets of the media and advertising agencies and how they are viewed as consumers and not young people. We will gather a core group of young people ages 8-24 who will serve as co-hosts for radio and television interviews with other young people. These interviews will include but not be limited to discussions on drugs and alcohol, bullying, sexuality, peer influence, media manipulation and victims of violence. Our long term goal is to start a 24-7-365 positive radio station for young people in Buffalo, New York that will reach the world. Bullying is unnecessary and unacceptable. The YWAP No Bullies Allowed program is an interactive and humorous assembly program for Grades 4-8. Be proactive in denying bullies a stronghold in your school. Call us now and bring the YWAP N/B/A Program to your school or community center. 716-830-8240. Here are some resources on bullying: https://www.inpatientdrugrehab.org/cyberbullying-substance-abuse/ http://www.pacerteensagainstbullying.org/#/home http://www.pacer.org/bullying/video/player.asp?video=63 Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. If you have never had the pleasure of volunteering to help Kingdom Bound you are missing a great opportunity for some "Servanteering." Our young folks spent two days working hard to help set up the 28th annual version of Kingdom Bound. The light seemed to cascade into the Worship Tent as the YWAP Crew and friends readied the place for thousands of folks who will arrive beginning tomorrow. We will be back to visit and receive more blessings as God never fails to deliver in extravagant ways at Kingdom Bound. Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody (like take them to KB!)
JLYASDW We took a group of young folks to Darien Lake today to help set up for Kingdom Bound 2014. Our volunteers worked hard setting up fencing and cleaning parking lots that are used for KB tents. There's only three days left until one of the greatest shows this side of heaven. We'll be back tomorrow to put the finishing touches on the worship tent.
We've been gone for a week, hanging out at a life changing camp. Boy Scout Summer Camp at Schoellfopf gave some young guys a lifetime of friendship memories along with some life skills. Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho!
It's off to Scout Camp we go! Clean socks are packed in the backpack with care, In a few days they'll smell bad enough to chase a bear. Fishin' poles, sleeping bags and hiking shoes, Having fun while learning, these guys can't lose. We will see you in about a week and yeah - we will have lot's of pictures! The YWAP ballers lost in a valiant effort against the Shoreline hoopsters. The halftime message was about the NBA MVP KD - Kevin Durant. He wears a bracelet that says: "i Believe." The YWAP Director asked the players and the crowd a question: "Do you believe in what KD believes, do you know that he believes in the good news of Jesus?" About ten folks raised their hands to indicate a desire to begin living a new life.
Kevin Durant reads the Bible and goes to a Chapel to pray before games. He has his priorities in life straight. He knows that a basketball career is like life, either one can end at any minute. We gave out Bibles to anyone who wanted one. We were blessed with the ability to give folks Bibles by Leroy Wiggins from The Chapel. Thanks Leroy Jesus loves you and so do we! |
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