Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Matt Garcia Community Art Sculpture Unveiling Ceremony | National Crime Victims Right's Week 2017


The Matt Garcia Foundation and local Fairfield California Artist Mr. Chad Glashoff unveiled the Community Art Sculpture in Honor of Matt Garcia and ALL those that have been affected by Violence. The video showcase the full Event with the speakers in the following order. District Attorney Krishna Abrams, City of Fairfield Mayor Harry Price, Assemblymember Jim Frazier field representative Aeriel Silva, Matt Garcia Founders Teresa and Raymond Courtemanche, Matt Garcia College and Academy Teacher Jameson Harrigan, Local Artist Chad Glasshoff, Violent Crime Survivor Corrie Chavez, Reverend David Isom, Victim's Voices (Justice for Jessie) Vernalisa Gutierrez, Mission Solano Program Manager Cindy Bradford, and Local Artist Zachary Young.

Video Produced and Edited by Kristian R. Medina
Matt Garcia College & Academy Fairfield California
April 4, 2017 Cochitta Films & Media Production.

Sunday, May 28, 2017

How I Learned to Read -- and Trade Stocks -- in Prison | Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll


Financial literacy isn't a skill -- it's a lifestyle. Take it from Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll. As an incarcerated individual, Caroll knows the power of a dollar. While in prison, he taught himself how to read and trade stocks, and now he shares a simple, powerful message: we all need to be more savvy with our money.

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Join Us For Our Monthly Community Clean Up on Saturday!

 
When: Saturday, May 27th, 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.

Monday, May 22, 2017

Support The Matt Garcia Foundation Through AmazonSmile!

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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.

Friday, May 19, 2017

Dolph Lundgren | On Healing and Forgiveness


The movie Rocky IV turned Dolph Lundgren aka Soviet boxer Ivan Drago into a Hollywood star. Exactly 30 years later the Fulbrighter Dolph Lundgren shares his personal fight worth fighting with a live audience at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. “If you heal yourself you can heal others” is the message of this surprising TEDxFulbright talk about a fighter who became a social activist.

Best known for his performance in Rocky IV as Ivan Drago, Dolph has starred in over 50 films. He was awarded a Fulbright to MIT after graduating at the head of his class in chemical engineering at the Royal Inst. of Technology in Stockholm. He also completed an exchange program with the University of Sydney.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

A Tale of Two Americas. And the Mini-Mart Where They Collided.


Ten days after 9/11, a shocking attack at a Texas mini-mart shattered the lives of two men: the victim and the attacker. In this stunning talk, Anand Giridharadas, author of "The True American," tells the story of what happened next. It's a parable about the two paths an American life can take, and a powerful call for reconciliation.

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Why Not Put the Gun Down?



At the age of seven, in Chiapas, Mexico, Yoni was shot during the uprising of the Zapatistas. Immigrating to the United States, Yoni was bullied at school and sought protection from a gang when he attended Watsonville High. Yoni's life story and message: Why Not Put the Gun Down? is relevant for youth involved in gangs and adults involved in war. Yoni's life is a story of triumph and courage.

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

The Science of Compassion: Dr. James Doty



James R. Doty, M.D. is the founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University of which His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the founding benefactor. He collaborates with scientists from a number of disciplines examining the moral, social and neural bases for compassion and altruism.

Sunday, May 7, 2017

How Does Forgiveness Heal?



Deepak Chopra explains the healing power of forgiveness.

When you have a resentment, grievance , feeling of hostility towards someone or if you have any of the other toxic emotions like guilt, shame, depression or fear, these emotions release hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones have effects on the cardiovascular and on the immune systems. You become immune compromised, even your platelets get jittery with the high levels of adrenaline and they start the clotting cascade leading to cardiovascular illnesses, heart attacks and stroke. On the other hand when you forgive and let go the burden of judgment, everything settles down and your body starts to return to homeostasis, which is self regulation and self healing.

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Anger, Compassion, and What It Means To Be Strong


While anger can feel powerful in our bodies, many of us use angry behavior to avoid dealing with things that make us uncomfortable. Compassion gives us a way to be strong that helps us courageously face the things that scare us—about the world, and about ourselves—and help make them better.

Monday, May 1, 2017

Theaster Gates: How to Revive a Neighborhood: with Imagination, Beauty and Art



Theaster Gates, a potter by training and a social activist by calling, wanted to do something about the sorry state of his neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. So he did, transforming abandoned buildings to create community hubs that connect and inspire those who still live there (and draw in those who don't). In this passionate talk, Gates describes his efforts to build a "miniature Versailles" in Chicago, and he shares his fervent belief that culture can be a catalyst for social transformation in any city, anywhere.