Everyday Superstar: United Negro College Fund

Hey Y'all:

Here is another installment of Everyday Superstar. Today I'd like to highlight The United Negro College Fund.

We all know that motto "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste" and are familiar with the "Lou Rawls Parade of Stars" telethon to benefit the UNCF. Over the past few years the major event is the televised An Evening of Stars®, which recently aired on BET/Centric and honored Lionel Richie.

Here is a little bit about The United Negro College Fund

The UNCF enables more then 60,000 students to close the educational
gap between African Americans and the majority population by providing operating
funds for its 39 member colleges, administering 400 scholarship and internship
programs, serving as a national advocate for the importance minority higher
education by representing the public policy interests of its students and member
colleges, and by using print and electronic media to carry out the mission
implicit in its motto.

The UNCF symbol resembles a torch. Traditionally, torches have been used to
represent knowledge and enlightenment. UNCF uses a flame and torch base to
represent how the organization lights the way for advanced learning and
leadership. The flame represents the light of knowledge that all UNCF students
seek.

The UNCF was incorporated on April 25, 1944 by Frederick D. Patterson (then
president of what is now Tuskegee University), Mary McLeod Bethune, and others.
In 2005, the UNCF supported approximately 65,000 students at over 900 colleges
and universities with approximately $113 million in grants and scholarships.
About 60% of these students are the first in their families to attend college,
and 62% have annual family incomes of less than $25,000. UNCF also administers
over 450 named scholarships.

I celebrate the UNCF because "A mind is a terrible thing to waste" and through this organization many African American young men and women are using their gift of education to better their communities and the world!

Please check out the BlackPlanet page that UNCF is sponsoring to promote it's latest scholarship contest with Verizon. Not in need of a scholarship? Well you can upload your spoken word on the UNCF motto here and enter a contest to win $1,000.

Don't forget to send me your Everyday Superstar.

Until next time...

MUAH!

Celebrate Valentine's Day 2010 with the Kiddies

Hey Y'all:

Valentine's Day is this Sunday! I've searched the internet (so you don't have to) and found some great ideas for a kid friendly Valentine's Day.

• Create a word search puzzle here using fun Valentine's Day words and of course the names of each of your family members.


• Make Breakfast together. Try this YUMMY Baked French Toast Recipe here


• Create fun Valentine's Day activites like cards, coloring pages, word scramble etc. so much fun!


• Make up a fun family story, poem or song

• Have a family portrait taken and send them out to loved ones. Try Target, Kmart or Sears for inexpensive portraits.
  

Happy Valentines Day!

Until next time...
MUAH!

Twin Tuesday: Terrible Twos!

Hey Y'all:

While searching the web for assistance with the terrible twos stage for the twins I came across a terrible twos countdown calculator this is what it says:

You have 418 days - 12 hours - 9 minutes - and 0 seconds until your child is out of the terrible twos phase.

Folks I'm not sure if I'm going to make it. My babies have become little, tiny, super cute "NO" yelling defiant crumb snatchers! They say NO to everything, they fight, they cry for no reason, they don't want to go to the potty and they don't even want to kiss me anymore...

Here is what happened last night:

Me: Myles please eat something
Him: No thank you
Me: Come on eat the sweet potatoes and chicken
Him: No
I then proceed to try and put it in his mouth but of course he spits it out and then asks me to wipe his arm off.

--------
Me: Leah please put the candle back
Her: No
Me: Leah put it back now
Her: OK Mommy
Then she gets the plug to the cell phones to drape around her neck.

-------
They fight with Erick and each other...

Leah: Mywooooooooos (Myles in Leah speak) give meeeeee pacifiya (that's pacifier in Leah/Myles speak)
Myles: Noooooooooooo
Leah: Give me
Myles: Noooooooooooooo, mine
Leah: Mommmmmmmie
Me: Will you PLEASE stop fighting
Erick: Mommy Myles just punched me in my stomach

It's non stop from the time I walk in the door until they are finally asleep.

What happened to my babies? I want them back and this stage to be OVER.

Any seasoned twin parents out there who can get me through this???

Until next time... (pray for me)
MUAH!

Everyday Superstar: Mother Clara McBride Hale

Hey Y'all:

Welcome to my second edition of Everyday Superstar in honor of everyday people doing extraordinary things. Today I would like to spotlight a very inspirational individual

Mother Clara McBride Hale April 1, 1905 - December 18, 1992

If you are native New Yorker you would have heard about Mother Hale at some point in your life. Mother Clara Hale was a day care provider turned foster mother to underprivileged children in Harlem NY. Mother Hale is inspiring to me because of my love for children and the life's work my mother has dedicated herself to... the nurture of children that she did not birth into this world.

I remember reading a book about Mother Hale when I was in Jr. High School. She was a very loving and caring person who went beyond the call of duty when it came to children in need. Mother Hale was influential in providing homes and safety for children who were homeless and those born drug addicted. This story was so powerful and still stands out in my mind. We need more Mother Hales today, there are still so many children who are in need of her love, attention and care.

Here is a bit more about Mother Hale directly from the Hale House website:

In 1969 at the age of 64, Mother Hale was prepared to retire when one day her daughter, Lorraine, encountered a woman on a street corner having difficulty holding her baby and obviously in need of assistance. Lorraine stopped and explained to the woman that if she needed help caring for her child that Mother Hale would happily lend a hand. She gave the woman her mother’s address, and on the next day, the mother and child appeared at Mother Hale’s door.

It was evident to Mother Hale that the mother was a substance abuser; and so that baby became the first of many babies born exposed to drugs or alcohol to be nurtured by Mother Hale. Within six months she was again caring for babies in her small apartment. This marked the birth of Hale House.

A few years later, Mother Hale, with the help of her daughter and some very supportive local elected officials acquired a brownstone in Harlem. Mother Hale and the children she cared for at that time moved to their new home, which is still the site of Hale House today.

During the 1970’s, the scope of work initiated by Mother Hale increased to include many programs for at-risk children and their families. In the 1980’s, as the urban drug problem gave way to the AIDS crisis, Mother Hale responded by taking in children who had lost their parents to the disease or who were themselves born infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Read more here

Be sure to email your Everyday Superstar to deveterb@gmail.com

Until next time...

MUAH!

This and That:TGIF

Hey Y'all:

You might be wondering, why the radio silence from MrsDeveter this week? Well honey there has be A LOT going on. So here's a little bit of this and a little bit of that going on with me.

Monday was great... I came up with the idea to host Everyday Superstars which will highlight the lives of influential African American's in our community. My first Superstar is Ms K. O'Neal please check it out here. Be sure to send me your superstar to be profiled.

Tuesday started off great... and then we had a major issue. I always thought my first visit to the ER would be with one of my boys most likely Myles. Boy was I WRONG. While hanging out at their great grandmother's house Leah fell and hit the back of her head on the hard cement floor. I was sitting right there so I know there was no one to blame. She was screaming in pain, when I picked her up I rubbed her head and kissed her boo boo. I thought she just bumped it really hard UNTIL... I saw red! Ugh my baby girl had a gash the size of a thumb nail in the back of her pretty little head in the middle of a braid. I had to undo the braid to get to the gash and find out how deep it was. When I realized it would require stitches I freaked out. Didn't know how to find an urgent care center, couldn't remember who had the medical cards; I was just a mess. Thankfully my sister in law and grandmother were there to help me pull it together for Leah's sake. Long story short after stopping by an ER in the 'hood' that was packed with people; off to Long Island we went, where my little girl was taken care of. Three staples, a banana and cute little white teddy bear, a mother's resolve to forgo the cute little beads in Leah's hair later; we were headed back to great grandma's where Myles and Erick greeted their sister with hugs and kisses.

Wednesday started of pretty good... decided that I wanted to stay home and hang out with my little girl to make sure she was ok. I realized that she was fine when she yelled 'ohhhhh God' to Myles about something he had done. I ended the night with a rather heated discussion with my brother. We came to a conclusion that I think we are both satisfied with and are now moving forward.

Thursday was a great day... walked into my house after work and was greeting with the kids singing my name and Erick jumping up and down because it was bath night.

Today is Friday and I am so thankful... I'm planning for my trip to Disney's Dreamers Academy next week and can't wait to get to Orlando. Looks like I'm going to have some free time before my plane takes off to come back home on Valentines Day so I'm feeling like I might spend some quality MrsDeveter time hanging out with the Mouse!

Until next time...

MUAH!

Everyday Superstar: Ms Kaeisha O'Neal

Hey Y'all:



My Everyday Superstar is Ms. Kaeisha O'Neal. KO and I currently work together and I think she is a phenomenal and inspiring young woman. I asked if she would write a short biography to share, here we go.

I am so excited to be thought of as an Everyday Superstar.

As much as I want to be modest about it, it feels great and ensures me I’m on the right
track. I have to start with thanking my mom for all the inspiration and
encouragement. As far as I can remember I have always been a busy body having my hand in anything I can put my energy into. My childhood was filled with academic
activities and dance; teen years is when I was introduced to contributing to
my community with various volunteer projects and college taught me about
making serious commitments to both myself (personally and professionally) as
well as continuing my service contribution.

This brings me to present day; I am still busy as ever and loving every bit
of it. I am a proud lady of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for the last eight
years and counting. In the past several years I have aligned myself with
other organizations and worked to stay involved consistently and grow
steadily within them. They include Step Up Women’s Network; Advertising Women of NewYork; New York Urban League Young Professionals and my Alma Mater (UVA) Young Alumni Council.

I am proud of all my commitments and each of them has a positive impact on my
growth. Trying to be the best that I can be, I also make sure that I don’t
over commit myself and ensure I can actually give as much as I can take. In
being consistent I have seen and experience the benefits of it. As I mature
I find that I don’t always have to ask to be involved with various projects,
but I am being tapped to do so. That is an awesome feeling. It means someone
is watching and they like what they see and what I have proven.

What’s next for me? That will be dedicating more time to my blog http://www.tellmekc.com/; working really hard to really train for a fitness competition and finally to start to put
my passions into true action. I have contributed to various organizations and efforts;eventually I want to spearhead my own. So look out for my etiquette school/program for girls and hopefully my own spa.

My advice before I go is: it's ok to dream but put it on paper. Grab that pen and write it out and right it over and over again until it is engraved in your head. Treat each new day like it is a new year this way you give 100% with each sunrise. I hope the spark from my superstar (thank you Mrs. D) inspires you, because so many other super duper stars inspired me and continue to do so everyday.

Ok y'all now that you've seen the first post please send me your Everyday Superstar for next weeks edition.

Until next time...

MUAH!

Black History Month 2010 - "Everyday Superstar"

Hey Y'all:

In celebration of Black History Month I'd like to profile "Everyday Superstars." These are ordinary men, women and children doing extra ordinary things in their community such as mentoring, spearheading a charitable cause or just that person who's willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. The "Everyday Superstar" can also be a church or community organization that is making a difference.

If you have an Everyday Superstar you'd like to profile please email me deveterb@gmail.com with your superstar's story and detailed information on what they are doing to make a difference in their community. Also include a picture of your superstar to be displayed on the post.

Profiles will be published every Monday of this month. Please be sure to let all your friends and family know about this wonderful opportunity to share the good things that Everyday Superstars contribute!

I look forward to reading about your Everyday Superstar!

Until next time...
MUAH!