To Love and Be Loved

For what other reason are we on this Earth? One particular organization argues, little more than to love and be loved. I recently became aware of a young organization that is doing great things. To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit group that strives to increase the assistance and awareness of those affected by depression and suicidal thoughts.

Started as the brainchild of a single individual, TWLOHA has become an international campaign that brings difficult conversations to the forefront and reminds people they are never alone. By creating this dialogue of acceptance and unity, the organization has been able to assist thousands of individuals in nearly 50 countries.

And the campaign is gaining traction. TWLOHA produces merchandise with varying messages of LOVE and HOPE and the mere site of these words helps remind people that they are out there. Backed by many bands on tour, the group was just covered in the most recent Rolling Stone Magazine. There are so many great organizations out there doing incredible things and they stand to learn from each other.

More awareness translates into more support, more support changes the world. To support TWLOHA, check out their website, donate, purchase some of the well-messaged merch, and most importantly, be there. Be there for yourself and for each other. So often as priviled students, so absorbed in the seemingly inexhaustable drama of our own lives, it is easy to overlook the smiles that aren't there.

If you're reading this, then you're still there and that means a lot. So smile, take a deep breath, look people in the eye, tell them what they mean to you, and mean it. I dare you.

Lifeline for the Old

I noted in my first post that I was planning a trip to Israel. With the passing of the Winter holidays, this is something I am no longer doing. From December 18 through 29, I had the pleasure of spending some quality time in the Holy Land with my lovely mother.

While in Jerusalem, we had the opportunity to dine with an individual I had met only once before. The rabbi from a close friends wedding is studying in Israel and over some great shwarma, he opened our eyes to some of the answers for which we had been looking.

His wife, who has accompanied him on his venture in the Middle East has sought out ways to become involved in the community and she introduced us to one of the perfect examples of responsible business, Lifeline for the Old.

The group hosts a facility for workers above the age of 60. Workers are divided by skill level and task preference and then the work begins. From their workstations donning their pictures, the elderly individuals do arts and crafts ranging from embroidery and jewelry making to the creation of stuffed animals and pottery painting. The work is not enduring, 3-4 days a week and only in the mornings. The goods are sold in an on-site gift shop, and the workers are paid a small stipend. Additionally, the workers are rewarded with a hot meal and optical benefits.

But the facility provides more than a job, it is a great harbor for the elderly to interact with others their age, talk about their experiences and apply their skills. After lunch, workers are not required to work, and can simply stay and socialize. The organization lends itself well to many great partnership and helps raise the comfort and support that is often missing from the lives of the elderly.

The visit was so moving that it has spun some wheels in my head. I would love to help launch one of these organizations locally. I have already begun assembling the plan.

Students Helping Honduras

Toni Morrison states, "At some point in life, the world's beauty becomes enough. You don't need to photograph, paint or even remember it. It is enough." The note resonates with me as I reflect on the amazing places I've seen and people that I have met. I hope to see this experience list continue to grow and know that every place and person I have come to know has shaped the eyes with which I see the world. And of the pain and difficulty that these eyes have also seen, those are images that cannot be unseen. The solution is not to punish yourself for these facts, but rather to improve and dedicate yourself to their eradication.

No one I have known has done this more effectively than my friend and fellow Mary Washington Eagle, Shin Fujiyama. Since visiting Honduras for the first time, Shin has dedicated himself to the plight of women and children in the region. Groups build schools, housing and learning centers, as well as work to develop safer sources for clean drinking water. With his sister, he established Students Helping Honduras, an organization that has raised nearly a million dollars for the cause and even more awareness to the trouble in the region. For his dedication, Shin was recognized as a CNN Hero.

Recently, I had the opportunity to work with this non-profit organization. With three classmates, we worked with Shin to understand what help we could offer. We were able to compile some literature focused on fund raising and acclimation for both students and parents. We also assembled a list of target schools that Shin can use to take a more deliberate approach to growth, as well as marketing plan to assist the growth of the org's merchandising strategy.

The impact generated by a single individual is remarkable. Please visit the links above to understand how you can become involved.

Homelessly Walking

I guess twice makes it a tradition. For the second consecutive November, I spent a Saturday morning walking for the DC homeless. The event was sponsored by Fannie Mae and had a tremendous turn out. I don't mind the walking, and I was happy that nearly 40 of my classmates woke up early to join the cause, most fashionably, Alan and DVK in their lovely snuggies.

The event offers a good chance for the different programs and cohorts and years to mix in a non-alcohol induced setting.

When participating in such events, I am always drawn to certain questions. One, for all the dogs participating, do they feel the same level of appreciation for the cause? Second, and more seriously, why must these three hours of my life be commemorated with a t-shirt? I have to believe that the effort to aid the homeless would have been further empowering if the production of thousands of t-shirts that won't see the light of day was forgone. Think of the energy, labor and capital resources that were involved in this production, delivery and distribution.

With that, I know folks like to have a tangible reminder of the day. To that, I offer, just bring a snuggie and your camera.

At the depths of commerce…

Not everyone is aware of what goes on in the basement of the Commerce Building. While floors above share the mission “to foster, serve, and promote the Nation's economic development and technological advancement (Commerce Dept. website),” the sidewalk acts as the proverbial sea level. DC’s National Aquarium makes its home here and for just $7, guests have the privilege to share the afternoon with some of the world’s most peculiar marine life.

It seems a stark contrast to the bureaucracy contained in the walls above. The dimly-lit field trip destination offers a great sanctuary for civil servants and students alike. Looking through the thick portals, guests are taken on a journey around the great seas to lay eyes on the most colorful creatures.

I have traveled the world to see historic and natural monuments. I use ballgames, parks and concerts as my guiding compasses. Visiting the aquarium offered a greater understanding for those who choose their destinations by the rivers and coast lines. There is serenity in the quiet walls containing the marine characters that resemble cartoons. It is cool to make eye contact with the creatures that seem to thrive nearly motionless in the middle of the water.

My education is not in science and I claim to know little about the domain. But as a student of business, visiting the aquarium and reflecting on what must be millions of varieties of fish gives me a better perspective of what beauty we need all need to work to preserve. I wonder how often the workers above make the trip.

“If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else”

On Friday, September 18, I spent a few hours with Washington Parks and People. WP&P is a DC-based non-profit organization dedicated to...parks and people. Together with about ten classmates (a poor conversion), I rode the Blue Line further east than I ever had, to Capital Heights. I was tasked with navigating from the metro station to the RiverSide Center, the WP&P homebase, where we'd be receiving our directions for the day. As I rode the long escalator up from the metro's depths, I admittedly had no idea what to expect when I surfaced. It could be corn fields, it could be inner-city; I could be coming up in a different city. Naturally, this area of SE DC takes the appearance of much of the rest of the city's periphery--a little aged, a little rundown and overgrown, but still ripe with character.

We walked the nine blocks through Marvin Gaye Park (labelled with a hand painted sign) and were met by some helpful workers at the RiverSide center, where we received the very generic legal rundown and very unique history of the project. We learned that over 18,000 needles had been removed from the park. As a cynic, I had to wonder if the decimal point was misplaced.

We also learned that the center in which we were sitting in a circle (closely resembling a dance studio), was originally a night club. It was, in fact, THE night club in which Marvin Gaye had gotten his start as a performer and where he was eventually discovered. As a avid music fan, this fact blew me away. I was at an historic landmark that most of the city, and the country, has overlooked. It falls short of Graceland and Abbey Road but music lovers deserve to know about this place and it should be marked with a plaque at the very least.

Like many service projects, we were put to work moving brush from point A to point B. We cut piled branches into more manageable sizes and after the first hour we were struggling to find viable tasks. We returned to the center and collected trash bags and galoshes to go clean up the stream.

What we found is that picking up trash is one of the easiest and most significant ways to make a noticeable difference in a park, on the street... or in one's apartment. In addition to imagining the countless tales that likely surround the bizarre items we collected, one can see a marked difference between when we arrived and when we returned home.

It occurred to me that this type of service does not require organization or guidance. Individuals often sit around with a desire to help, and they just don't know how. Here's how: Pick up trash. We all have bags, we all live in areas that deserve to be cleaned up. Take an hour, take an afternoon, take a friend and go pick up trash. Laugh about the bizarre items you find, recycle the alcohol bottles you'll inevitably find and know that you've made a difference.

Today's title is a quote from Marvin Gaye.

"Treat My First Like My Last"

My name is Andrew Dawson and those close to me bypass my first name. I am a second year student of George Washington University's Global MBA program and have a May 2010 graduation date on the horizon. My view of business in society has taken turns since I was young. It changed while I was wearing a white collar and once more when I returned to the classroom. With this blog, I’ll be looking at how organizations and people (including myself) interact, reflecting on how each can make a difference and letting you know how I feel. I will also offer firsthand accounts of experiences that I find pertinent, whether as a VA/DC resident or as a GW Business School student.

Separate from this campaign, I am learning to cook, planning a trip to Israel and battling insomnia. I welcome assistance on any of the three. Today's title is care of Jay-Z.