On their return visit, Ryan and Rich experienced Honduras in a new way by visiting a home for the elderly and two orphanages. Rich loves to perform magic and to see people smile, so he took the opportunity to wow the crowds with a few magic tricks.

Both men also spoke of the relationships they developed with the people of Honduras. Despite the language barrier, it was easy to connect on a human level. The Redwoods message of “Love. Serve. Transform.” resonated with this community. The love in their hearts helped Ryan and Rich to serve and transform the community. This created a ripple effect, drawing more volunteers from the local community than were present on their first trip.

See below for photos of Ryan and Rich’s time in Honduras.

So, why are 12- and 15-passenger vans dangerous?

High Center of Gravity:
The high center of gravity makes passenger vans more likely to roll in a crash. The center of gravity is raised by adding the 3rd and 4th row of seats, and raised even more with passengers.

Flat Sides and Structural Rigidity:
This adds to the vehicle’s instability and causes more severe injury in a crash or rollover. These vehicles were not originally built for human transportation. Benches were added to a cargo vehicle without altering the structural safety of the cabin for humans.

Uneven Tire Pressure:
The seating configuration adds excessive weight to the back tires. Because of this, the rear tires require a higher tire pressure. The danger of tire blowout is significantly increased in vans, especially with 15 passengers and when a trailer is attached.

Passenger vans may seem appealing to program directors, volunteers or new hires. They are often less expensive than buses and do not require a commercial drivers license to operate. The average person that has never been exposed to passenger vans may not be aware of their dangers. This is why it’s important to educate everyone in your organization. Please share the resources below with anyone that makes transportation decisions.

And if your organization still uses passenger vans, talk with your Redwoods risk manager about creating a plan to remove these vehicles from your fleet. Most of our customers have accomplished this by removing the seats and converting the vans to use for hauling cargo.

Redwoods Resources on Passenger Van Safety:

• 15 Passenger Vans – Still in Use, Still Deadly (2010 – Download)
• 15 Passenger Vans – Still Not a Viable Option (2008 – Download)
• Van with Canoe Trailer Overturns (2007 - Download)
• 1 Student Dies, 7 Injured in Van Crash (2007 – Download)
• Unsanctioned Use of 12- and 15-Passenger Vans (2005 – Download)
• 15 Passenger Vans…Use or Not Use? (2002 – Download)
• Are Vans a Viable Transportation Option? (2000 – Download)

Additional Resources

• Van Angels – A non-profit committed to preventing future 15 passenger van accidents.
• SaferCar.gov – National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) site on passenger van safety.

What other resources have you found on passenger van safety? Share your own in the comments section.

Camps’ Evolving Role to Change the World
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
2:00 -3:30 PM Eastern Time
Register Now

In this webinar, we’ll introduce the concepts of social enterprises (or camps that use business practices to help society). Many camps already operate as social enterprises, and ACA believes this is the role all camps should play.

Kevin Trapani will be leading a session on “Scaling Social Impact: Making the Camp’s Case for Social Enterprise” on Wednesday, February 22nd at 2:00 PM. Attendees will learn how camp professionals can be a powerful force for transformational change. By focusing on mission, camps stay relevant and engage staff, volunteers and donors in meaningful work. Camps are developing leaders of consequence, who will be able to make the hard, right decisions when it matters most.

Then Howard Longino will be leading a session on “Bullying and Sexual Abuse Prevention” on Thursday, February 23rd at 11:45 AM. Howard will discuss how bullying and sexual abuse put campers, staff, camp and mission at risk. This session will focus on practical and sustainable practices, which can be implemented to prevent a child from being abused.

I’m going to film both sessions, so look for a blog post in the coming weeks that highlights these great sessions. If you’re going to be at ACA National, stop by and see us at booth # 1003. Kevin Trapani, Josh Heimowitz, Howard Longino, Dan Moore, Mark Kennedy and I would love to talk with you.

Here are the basics:

1. Determine your organization’s purpose. The first thing you need to do is figure out the primary reason you want your organization to be on Facebook. Is it to build brand awareness? Build your community? Enhance community? Further your mission? It’s critical that you know your objectives before creating a page.
2. Create a content strategy. Once your page is live, you’ll need to add content to it. Whether you’re asking your community questions, sharing blog content, or running a promotion, you need to make sure you are creating content regularly.
3. Setup or review your personal profile. Most of us have our own profile at this point, but if you don’t have one yet sign up with Facebook for an account. Once it has been created, make sure you have the basics covered. Facebook walks you through establishing your profile, and you’ll want to make sure you include a professional looking photo, and that your profile reflects how you want a representative of your organization to appear.
4. Setup a Facebook page. After you’ve got your own profile where you want it to be, then you’re ready to setup a business page.
5. Select your business type. There are several options, including local business, company/organization/institution, and brand. Select the one that’s most appropriate for you.
6. Choose your category. After you select your business type they’ll want to know what category of business you are. Find the best match, and then type in your organization’s name.
7. Fill out your company’s profile information. Facebook will prompt you to upload your organization’s logo, and add some basic information about the organization.
8. Invite your contacts to join your page. An easy way to do this is to send out an email to your membership base and invite them to like your page. Let them know you’ve created it and what kind of content they can expect there.

Now you should be set up to get started. Begin implementing your content strategy, and make sure you stay engaged!

The women saw that “people in other countries are literally dying for what we throw away.^” Medical professionals in developing countries don’t have basic medicals supplies. So, in 1989, they started Global Links, a non-profit that sorts, refurbishes and donates medical surplus to countries throughout the western hemisphere. Many of the recipient countries are recovering from natural disasters.

If you attend the North American YMCA Development Organization (NAYDO) conference, you have the opportunity to volunteer on April 25^th at Global Links. You will engage in environmental stewardship by sorting donated medical supplies. Supplies include suture kits, baby products and nebulizers. You may also clean and paint IV poles, and repair wheelchairs. In a few hours you will help people in developing countries benefit from basic health care and live more productive and enjoyable lives.

I hope you will consider joining us in the morning or afternoon at Global Links. To register for Philanthropy LIVE! select one of the Optional Events on your NAYDO registration form. If you are already registered, email info@naydo.org to sign up.

Here are steps to take to help a child heal and feel comfortable socializing after they have been bullied. These recommendations come from our guidance, the guidance of Dr. Joel Haber and resources like Livestrong.

Step 1: Stay Calm

Whether it’s your own child or a child in your care, try to calm yourself and talk to the child when you are calm. They already feel ashamed and humiliated from being picked on by a bully. Your distress could upset them more and make them shut down.

Source: Dr. Joel Haber

Step 2: Be Supportive

Tell the child that you will help. Let them know that you understand it’s difficult, but you want to listen.

Source: Dr. Joel Haber

Step 3: Connect

Relate with them by sharing a story of your own about bullying if you can. This shows them you know what bullying is about.

Source: Dr. Joel Haber

Step 4: Work With Them

Don’t take over and solve the problem for them even though you may want to. Tell the child that you will work on a plan together that won’t make the bullying situation worse. You want to empower the child to solve the problem next time.

Source: Dr. Joel Haber

Step 5: Reassure Them

Tell the child that you will be there to help them every step of the way, and they are not alone. Make sure they understand that you will help solve the problem.

Source: Dr. Joel Haber

Step 6: Help To Remove Them From Danger

Make sure the bully is stopped, and try to ensure that the child is out of contact with the bully. Talk with teachers, the program director, coworkers or the parents to help intervene and resolve the issue. If violence is involved, then you should  make sure the child is removed from harm immediately.

Source: Livestrong

Step 7: Help Them Build Up Their Self-Esteem

Find social opportunities that capitalize on the child’s strengths. If the child is great at art, help them engage with an art program or encourage them to pursue their love of art in other ways. Be inclusive, and help design activities that will build on their strengths. Bullying tears down a child’s self-esteem, so look for ways she can make friends within the program with similar interests and begin to rebuild her confidence. Having a positive group of friends helps to strengthen the child against the negative impact of a bully.

Source: Livestrong

Step 8: Seek Counseling

According to the Hamilton Fish Institute at George Washington University, children who have been the victim of a bully often benefit from speaking with a qualified counselor or therapist with experience helping children recover from traumatic experiences. Be a resource for the parents and help encourage counseling for the child involved.

Source: Livestrong

By working with the child and making sure they feel supported you can help them recover from bullying. Have you had experience helping a child after they were bullied? What did you do that helped the child to heal?

In response to this problem, the Hazelwood Y built a 10,000 square foot urban garden in an abandoned lot. Community residents dig, till and tend the garden, and share the organic produce with the community. The improved diet will help lower obesity, diabetes, heart conditions and several other heath problems in the area. Without the Y, this community would be forced to rely on fast food chains for their meals, or possibly go hungry.

At NAYDO 2012, you can help this community and broaden the impact of the Hazelwood Y. We are hosting a volunteer opportunity, called Philanthropy LIVE!, at the Hazelwood Y. Volunteers will build garden boxes, plant vegetables and cultivate the garden.

Please watch this video and consider how a few hours of your day can impact a whole community. We hope you will participate in the day of service.

To register for Philanthropy LIVE! select one of the Optional Events on your NAYDO registration form. If you are already registered, email info@naydo.org to sign up.

Diana is one of today’s best resources on philanthropy. Her social enterprise, Ashoka, invests in other social enterprises to “shape a global, entrepreneurial, competitive citizen sector: one that allows social entrepreneurs to thrive and enables the world’s citizens to think and act as changemakers.”

Join our session to learn how your Y can transform a community, and join us before the event to help transform Pittsburgh. We’re teaming up with Y Development Officers to show Pittsburgh what we’re made of. Philanthropy LIVE! is our volunteer project to give back to the host city. You can join two volunteer projects:

Hazelwood YMCA – This Y is a community outreach site and offers programs to keep youth off the streets and engaged in positive activities. Their community has limited access to affordable, nutritious food. In the past year, the community developed a garden for Hazelwood residents. Volunteers will dig, pull, plant, build and till in the garden, and paint a community room.

Global Links – This medical relief and development organization dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship and improving health in developing countries.  Global Links’ collaborative efforts include redirecting still useful medical materials away from U.S. landfills to public health improvement efforts in underdeveloped countries and educating partners and volunteers on issues of global health and environmental stewardship. Volunteers will sort and pack medical supplies, and clean and paint IV poles.

When you register for Philanthropy LIVE! you’ll automatically become a NAYDO VIP and receive an invitation to the after-party with Kevin and Diana. Sign up for this great service opportunity when you register for NAYDO. The registration has a section titled “Optional Events” where you can choose one of these service projects.

We hope you’ll join us in transforming Pittsburgh!

P.S. If you’ve already signed up for NAYDO, but not for Philanthropy LIVE!, it’s not too late. Email info@naydo.org to get registered.

Coach Sanders: http://youtu.be/EMqtgyEdXeA

Uncle Al: http://youtu.be/xkpWwA5u1-4