As a way to be of greater service in this time of limited bucks, I'm going to be emailing, me-to-you, with messages about these challenging times we're all weathering. If this message puts a bit of spark into your day, do send it on to your electronic network, so the sparks can multiply. And please put the office@giraffe.org in your address book, so I don't end up in your spam can. If you don't want to hear from me, just hit "unsubscribe" at the bottom of this page--although I'm hoping that you'll see things between here and there that so interest you that you'll change your mind. ~ Ann Medlock

I don't know about you but I'm gravitating to every glimmer of goodness I can find these days. The news provides a few bright spotsnew initiatives from the White House, stories of people taking in neighbors who've lost their houses, reports of business executives actually cutting their own salaries when their companies layoff employees.

And then there's all the painful-to-enraging stuffthe job losses and foreclosures, the outrageous behavior of too many corporate CEOs, banks buying each other instead of lending out those taxpayer-provided bucksit's as if the operant motto were The Common Good Be Damned.

I'm luckier than mosteveryday I work with the stories of people who are sticking their necks out for the common goodGiraffes. They are constant reminders that humans can and do act with concern for their fellow beings.

As long as there are Giraffes, there's hope. So let me share that luck and hope with you, on your screen, weekly. And be sure to check www.giraffe.org for an array of heroes' stories that could definitely make your day.

Here's a humorous report of good-news "glimmers" from Project member Mary Grace Butler: "According to MSNBC, more people watched the President's press conference than watched the season opener of American Idol. In other good news, Muzak has just filed for bankruptcy."

Personally I'm not holding hope for a return of the Old Days--the ones that screeched to a halt so recently. I'm looking toward something better than the bloated, self- indulgent culture that we're watching crash and burn. My hope is for a future in which we sustain people's needs, in which we understand that helping each other is the Prime Directiveit's not looking out for Number One. If many people share that hope and walk it, we could make that road.

We're looking at how we can help in the call to service from the new White House. Here's what we put up on our home page ~

Mary Lou DiCaprio, a parent/volunteer who leads Giraffe teams at a school in Mountain Lakes NJ sent this response:
 
"Having heard Pres. Obama's announcement about increasing the number of math and science teachers, and taking into account my B.S. in chemistry, I believe that I'm being called to be a part of the new spirit of hope, with Giraffe as my guiding light."


What's your response? If you have any concerns about moving into service, about what might happen if you do, check out the useful free advice in our Coach's Corner.

Teacher/leaders in 117 countries can now download Giraffe materials from the website of our partner nonprofit, Teachers Without Borders. Led by Giraffe Fred Mednick, TWB is dedicated to the idea that teachers are the world's largest group of educated professionals, all of them in position to influence their communities for the good. TWB provides them with in-service trainings, classroom materials, and a community of fellow educators around the world.

... and haven't done an update in the last year with one of the Project's stalwart interns, please check in with us and let us know what you're up to. We're working on new ways to let people know what you're doing.