Sunday, July 30, 2017

Creating Connections With Today's Youth


  1. Be open - Being open is extremely important to building healthy student to mentor relationships, and giving the young person a safe place where they can really discuss their struggles is important. Make sure to make it clear to the student that you're providing them with a no judgment zone, and that you can be trusted as an adult to have their best interests in mind. Unless they express a desire to do harm to themselves or others, allow them to talk out the tough issues with you as you build a strong foundation of trust.

  2. Provide relevant advice - As an adult, it's possible that you've experienced just what they're experiencing now, and that you have some useful information when it comes to what to do next. Providing advice to students who come to you for help is a great way to build a healthy relationship, but it's important to do so as an equal, and not as a person who may be speaking down to them and their concerns.

  3. Treat them equally - If there is one thing that many young people despise, it's being treated childishly, and talking to or treating today's youth in a mature manner can do a great deal in building respect. When providing advice, or an ear to talk to, it's important that you respect the student just as you would wish to be respected, and to speak to them in a mature manner appropriate for their particular age group.

  4. Go to them - In many cases, a student or young person may not feel comfortable initiating a relationship, which is why it's important for the adult to extend the line of communication. Engaging the young person or simply allowing them to know that you have a willing ear should they need someone to listen is a great way to offer the opportunity for a mentor type relationship.

  5. Appropriate Self-Disclosure- This is one of the many keys to connecting with disengaged students and youth. With more than 15 years of working with at-risk youth, I've learned that it's important to let them know that we experience or have experienced many of the things that they are going through. Loss, confusion, and anger, etc. However, it is not enough to simple say, "I've also been angry." or "I've also lost a loved one." When sharing bits and pieces of your life that you believe can change the belief of the young person you are working with, you must be specific. "I may not understand exactly how you feel, but I remember losing my uncle when I was 16. I never forget him and what he meant to me." or "I can remember getting angry at my mother when I was 16 and saying something inappropriate. I didn't sit down for a week!" Not only will some of your stories get a laugh, they will be memorable and will also let the student know that we all at some point have been where they are.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ian_Humphrey

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8866448

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Our Eighth Annual Golf Tournament is October 16th - Register Today!


Monday, October 16, 2017 
9:30 am - 5:30 pm 
at Green Valley Country Club 
35 Country Club Drive, Fairfield, CA 94534


The Matt Garcia Foundation on is pleased to announce one of our most exciting events of the year. Our 8th Annual Golf Tournament is an opportunity to ensure that the impactful youth and community programs that we support throughout the year will continue. Our late city councilman, Matt Garcia, was a young man with a vision. With the help of generous individuals and companies such as yours, our foundation on has been able to raise the essential funds needed in “Keeping the Dream Alive.” Your participation on sends a powerful message that you are partnering with us to make our world a safer and more meaningful place. The event itself is an opportunity to network with many potential customers and clients. All of our sponsors’ names will be prominently displayed on our event publications and your donation is tax-deductible. It is our mission to support youth, help stop crime, and strengthen our community. Thank you in advance for celebrating this hope of creating a better Fairfield for tomorrow! The MATT GARCIA FOUNDATION Golf Tournament is scheduled for October 16, 2017, at the beautiful course of Green Valley Country Club.

This year’s tournament will be supporting the 2018 Northern Solano Babe Ruth Teen Baseball Clinic. We are excited to partner with our local Babe Ruth Baseball League and bring a comprehensive 2 day Baseball Clinic to our community’s youth & teens. The clinic will be held in March 2018 with college coaches & former ball players as instructors. Your partcipation on in this Golf Tournament will support this amazing opportunity and we thank you!!

Monday, July 24, 2017

Join Us For Our Monthly Community Clean Up on Saturday!

 
When: Saturday, June 29th, 2017 at 9am 

Where: Starbucks Downtown Fairfield 700 Jefferson St Corner of Jefferson & Texas (map)

Description: We meet every last Saturday of each month (weather permitting). We clean up different locations and neighborhoods. Please join us. All are welcome

At the Matt Garcia Foundation we don’t want to complain about this, we want to create solutions to problems. It is with this spirit that we began our Monthly Community Clean Ups.

On the last Saturday of every month, volunteers get together and clean up a neighborhood in Fairfield. We pick up trash, work on landscaping paint windows, fix fences – all in an effort to improve our community. This is another example of community coming together to help make a difference.

The Matt Garcia Foundation Dream Team, is all about stepping up and stepping out of ourselves to serve others and our communities to be a part of the solution. Matt would say ” if you see a piece of garbage on the ground, please just pick it up” How simple is that! So, that is what we do.

Friday, July 21, 2017

Support The Matt Garcia Foundation Through AmazonSmile!

Click the logo above to start shopping!

You can help support The Matt Garcia Foundation by shopping through AmazonSmile.

  • Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Matt Garcia Foundation whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
  • AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same Amazon Prime benefits.
  • Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

When You Feel Like Giving Up, Do This!


Entrepreneur Network partner Ben Angel breaks down 3 key daily habits you can do to get back on track and use the power of your mind to refocus your thoughts to your advantage.

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Our Eighth Annual Golf Tournament is October 16th - Register Today!


Monday, October 16, 2017 
9:30 am - 5:30 pm 
at Green Valley Country Club 
35 Country Club Drive, Fairfield, CA 94534


The Matt Garcia Foundation on is pleased to announce one of our most exciting events of the year. Our 8th Annual Golf Tournament is an opportunity to ensure that the impactful youth and community programs that we support throughout the year will continue. Our late city councilman, Matt Garcia, was a young man with a vision. With the help of generous individuals and companies such as yours, our foundation on has been able to raise the essential funds needed in “Keeping the Dream Alive.” Your participation on sends a powerful message that you are partnering with us to make our world a safer and more meaningful place. The event itself is an opportunity to network with many potential customers and clients. All of our sponsors’ names will be prominently displayed on our event publications and your donation is tax-deductible. It is our mission to support youth, help stop crime, and strengthen our community. Thank you in advance for celebrating this hope of creating a better Fairfield for tomorrow! The MATT GARCIA FOUNDATION Golf Tournament is scheduled for October 16, 2017, at the beautiful course of Green Valley Country Club.

This year’s tournament will be supporting the 2018 Northern Solano Babe Ruth Teen Baseball Clinic. We are excited to partner with our local Babe Ruth Baseball League and bring a comprehensive 2 day Baseball Clinic to our community’s youth & teens. The clinic will be held in March 2018 with college coaches & former ball players as instructors. Your partcipation on in this Golf Tournament will support this amazing opportunity and we thank you!!

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Scilla Elworthy: Fighting with Non-Violence



How do you deal with a bully without becoming a thug? In this wise and soulful talk, peace activist Scilla Elworthy maps out the skills we need -- as nations and individuals -- to fight extreme force without using force in return. To answer the question of why and how non-violence works, she evokes historical heroes -- Aung San Suu Kyi, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela -- and the personal philosophies that powered their peaceful protests. (Filmed at TEDxExeter.)

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Compassion is a Foundation to Understanding Others


As a mediator, and someone who teaches conflict resolution skills, I'm often encouraging others to look toward all forms of responses and possibilities to resolve problems. Often, especially with matters where there is a strong relationship, empathy, compassion, and forgiveness are foundations to resolving the conflict. I'd like to share a story I learned from Thomas Crum that provides a lesson in compassion.

Long ago there was a monastery that was very poor materially. The only precious possessions were three beautiful scrolls, that were always left open on a table in a small study.

One day a monk came out of the study, screaming, "Someone is stealing the scrolls!"

The abbot of the monastery came running to the study and saw that two scrolls were missing. He happened to notice that the third scroll was lying atop the window sill, where it had been apparently dropped by the thief.

The abbot grabbed the third scroll and dashed off in the direction of the fleeing thief. After a long chase, the abbot finally caught him near a small stream.

The exhausted thief collapsed on the bank and surrendered himself to the abbot. He awaited the subsequent severe punishment rendered to thieves in those days.

Instead, the abbot stood in front of the man and handed him the third scroll, exclaiming, "I have been chasing you all the way from the monastery. I wanted to give you this third scroll. You forgot to take it and it is the most important one. The teachings would be incomplete without it."

With this, the abbot bowed and walked back to the monastery.

Shortly thereafter, the thief returned to the monastery with the scrolls, totally committed to becoming one of its monks.

This story parallels the story of Jean Val Jean in my favorite novel, "Les Miserables." In both tales, the compassion shown to the thief, turned the person's life around. The compassionate response transformed the individual and had reaching effects much farther than the return of the stolen items and punishment in prison could have ever achieved.

In practical terms, increasing our awareness and compassion of others helps heighten the sense of connectedness, which improves the quality of our relationships. With compassion, comes understanding. With understanding comes a willingness to spend time and energy to collaborate and co-create solutions to conflict. You can choose to understand. You can choose to be compassionate.

Regardless of how incorrect or upsetting a person's action my be to you, the key to resolution is often to acknowledge your relationship with that person and understanding their positions and interests. Having compassion is the beginning.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alain_Burrese

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4781471

Thursday, July 6, 2017

What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness



What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? If you think it's fame and money, you're not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you're mistaken. As the director of 75-year-old study on adult development, Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. In this talk, he shares three important lessons learned from the study as well as some practical, old-as-the-hills wisdom on how to build a fulfilling, long life.

Monday, July 3, 2017

Why Arent We All Good Samaritans?



Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, asks why we aren't more compassionate more of the time.