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Be together, not the same. An inclusion and diversity conversation with CEO of Brigade of Mercy Ambreen Rizvi

Be together, not the same. An inclusion and diversity conversation with CEO of Brigade of Mercy Ambreen Rizvi

When I walk daily, I intentionally “unplug”. There is nothing on my body to indicate how many steps I have taken during my four-mile walk. I listen to the birds singing and ducks honking as they make love to spring. I notice new flowers in bloom. I am at peace. Yet sometimes, today, for instance, unwanted thoughts insert themselves as a result of something I heard on the news. Today it was the concept of “Othering.” I wouldn’t say I like it and I like even less the fact that it is being intentionally used in this season’s political lexicon.…
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REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES. This movie changed me. A Conversation with NPR movie critic Lily Persy and guest commentator, Virgie Tovar

REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES. This movie changed me. A Conversation with NPR movie critic Lily Persy and guest commentator, Virgie Tovar

“Jimmy, Ana’s boyfriend, says, “You’re not fat. You’re beautiful.” She is both. “Real Women Have Curves” doesn’t argue that Ana is beautiful on the “inside,” like the Gwyneth Paltrow character in “Shallow Hal,” but that she is beautiful inside and out–love handles, big boobs, round cheeks, and all. “Turn the lights on,” she shyly tells Jimmy. “I want you to see me. See, this is what I look like.” Ana has learned to accept herself. It is more than her mother can do. There have been several movies recently about the second generation of children of immigrants–Indian, Filipino, Chinese, Korean,…
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REWIND:Were it not for those who care with Second Story’s Abigail Brougher

REWIND:Were it not for those who care with Second Story's Abigail Brougher

From an outsider’s perspective, it looked like “Santiago” was simply a rebellious kid. At Second Story for Teens in Crisis, however, counselors worked on getting to know him and learning why he was acting out. He opened up and the counselors were there for him, helping him rewrite the narrative for his future. When Timothy began attending Second Story’s Safe Youth Project he was struggling in school. The program coordinator worked to tutor him in the subjects he found especially challenging, and at the end of the school year he won an award for his hard work and progress! When…
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The Voices of Women of Vietnam. Thank you for your service.

The Voices of Women of Vietnam. Thank you for your service.

My goal in November is to share varied war stories across the spectrum of age, gender, and race to include family impact and cultural legacies. I am celebrating veterans and active-duty military who keep us and have kept us out of constant harm’s way, often at high costs. We are reminded that war is a part of human history. The Vietnam war was my coming-of-age war. I became immersed in and confused by the concurrent war at home about the necessity of US involvement while at the same time grieving over school friends who paid the ultimate price. There were…
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REWIND: What About the Children? Dr. Roz, Child and Family Therapist, Considers Their LandscapeToday

REWIND: What About the Children? Dr. Roz, Child and Family Therapist, Considers Their LandscapeToday

The challenge for us today is to be a lighthouse in the next generation’s lives. Be on the lookout for lost souls in this season of intense uncertainty and unrest. Be alert to those who may be in need and have nowhere to go or no way to get there. Be sensitive to children who are left out, leftover, or left behind. Be a lighthouse to a child. Show children protection and guidance. You don’t have to say much; just let the child know you are there should the need arise. Roselyn V. Baker-Black, affectionately known as Dr. Roz, has…
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Legacy is about life and living featuring Col. Arthur R. Nicholson Ret.

Legacy is about life and living featuring Col. Arthur R. Nicholson Ret.

A legacy may take many forms – children, grandchildren, a business, an ideal, a book, a community, a home, or some piece of ourselves. How many of us live so that our legacy reflects all that we genuinely hold most near and dear? How many of us are living with integrity and courage? The world isn’t connected by molecules. It’s joined by stories, traditions, memories, hopes, and dreams. We are bound by the legacies passed down from those who came before us and the gifts we pass down to those who come after us. Legacy is an interconnection across time,…
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Reflect, Restore, and Reposition with Brandon Cosby of OAR

Reflect, Restore, and Reposition with Brandon Cosby of OAR

JAIL is event-driven, choice involved, power stripping, and a visible shift. However, inside each inmate’s jail cell is the power of transformation. Transformation is process-driven, choice involved, and resides internally. Opportunities, Alternatives & Resources (OAR) is missioned to rebuild lives and create a safer community with options, alternatives, and resources for justice-involved individuals and their families. OAR is a local non-profit restorative justice organization providing human services since 1971. Its history has its roots in the highest principles of human rights and the most practical applications of a community’s enlightened self-interest and citizen action. Its origins can be traced to…
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The Face of Homelessness With Tom Barnett, Director of Fairfax County Office To Prevent And End Homelessness

The Face of Homelessness With Tom Barnett, Director of Fairfax County Office To Prevent And End Homelessness

According to one estimate, nearly 570,000 people nationwide were homeless on a night in 2019. It is estimated that over 3,000 people sleep outside every night in Seattle. By Associated Press, Wire Service Content April 10, 2021, at 9:30 a.m. Man Sentenced 4 Years for Poisoning 8 California Homeless People, By Associated Press, Wire Service Content April 9, 2021, at 9:48 p.m. No Address, No ID, and Struggling to Get Their Stimulus Checks. LOS ANGELES (AP) — It is easy to walk past the homeless, to disregard the guy lying on the street, or ignore the woman standing at an intersection holding a handwritten…
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Were it not for those who care, featuring Ron Riggins, Chairman of the Board, Catholic Charities of Arlington.

Were it not for those who care, featuring Ron Riggins, Chairman of the Board, Catholic Charities of Arlington.

There is a saying I read somewhere that stated, “if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” This journey called life seems necessarily codependent. What if you believed the most outstanding service you could offer in life is to be a light on the path? Your affirmation might say, “Today, I am devoted to shining the light of compassionate support and service on those who may be in need.” Since 1947, when it first opened its doors as an adoption and children’s service agency, Catholic Charities has served the needs of the…
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Meet phenomenal woman and physician, Dr. Tiffany Simpson.

Meet phenomenal woman and physician, Dr. Tiffany Simpson.

This month Frankly Speaking is focusing once again on phenomenal women and how we embrace and manage our universal experiences, our rainbows and clouds, and our courage and resolve. We are a journey, not a destination, a process, not an event. Even when we are still, we are motion, loving, serving, nurturing, encouraging, and empowering. We are love and love does. But sometimes, sometimes we get stuck between our no longer the familiar, the habits and our not yet, who we were created to be, and we may ask the question: “Am I enough?”   By the way, the right answer…
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