October Meeting Minutes

Heartworks meeting October 11, 2009- written by Julie, thanks!

Held at the Kelly home in Dorset, huge thank you to Diane Kelly for her warm hospitality!

Attendance:
Lisa K, Julie R, Julie C, Carol D, Victoria, Gail S, Francesca G, Elizabeth

First, we’d like to welcome all new members! We’re thrilled to have you on board!!

Lisa opened the meeting and shared her gratitude by lighting a candle, she also lit a separate candle in honor of those serving overseas. She then invited members to light their own candles as an offering of love and support. Candles were lit to honor those that have recently passed, those who are ill, gratitude for our lives and all that we cherish, as well as for those who are struggling, hungry or challenged by a negative life circumstance.

During our first point of discussion Lisa brought up the climate awareness group: 350.org a grassroots organization that is working to raise global warming awareness, this October 24th through a day of action (see blurb below). We encourage everyone to check out their website to learn more about how 350.org is working to raise awareness in our global community one town at a time.

What is the day of action?

On October 24, the International Day of Climate Action will cover almost every country on earth, the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet’s history.

There will be big rallies in big cities, and incredible creative actions across the globe: mountain climbers on our highest peaks with banners, underwater demonstrations in island nations threatened by sea level rise, churches and mosques and synagogues and ashrams engaged in symbolic action, star athletes organizing mass bike rides--and hundreds upon hundreds of community events to raise awareness of the need for urgent action.

Every event will highlight the number 350--and people will gather at some point for a big group photo depicting that all important message. At 350.org, we'll assemble all the photos for a gigantic, global, visual petition.

The thousands of events on October 24 will drive 350 and all that it represents into the human imagination, and change the negotiating environment as we head towards the crucial UN Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen in December of 2009. Copenhagen may well be the pivotal moment that determines whether or not we get the planet out of the climate crisis, and your actions on October 24 will help our leaders realize we need a real solution that pays attention to the science.





Gail proposed that our community project could be to organize members and friends to make 350 napkin holders to encourage the use of cloth napkins instead of paper. By asking 35 families to make 10 napkin holders we can achieve our goal to support 350 awareness.

How will this help?
Gail’s environmental tidbit for the day was:
Switching from regular paper napkins to cloth napkins for just one meal a day would save enough trees to wrap around the world. If we move forward with this idea, we can contact the website and put this project into action with the 350.org organization, exciting stuff!!!.


Gail will contact schools, art teachers and volunteers to recruit holder makers. The members attending the meeting all volunteered to be the first 7 to participate.

Gail’s other two environmental tips were:
Try to limit idling your car. For every 10 seconds a car isn’t idling, it’s equivalent to 150,000 cars being taken off the road for a whole year.

Tip 2. Planting just 5 trees per person in a lifetime will offset your carbon footprint for life.....that’s a pretty good deal, so get digging ladies!

Thanks Gail for some great advice!

Our Opportunities for the next few months:

Our next project on the agenda is to help a couple in Arlington to re roof their house. They have been working through personal and financial crisis that has been difficult lately. Our group decided that they would be an ideal recipient for our opportunity. Our final roofing estimate is in, and the job will start sometime in the next week. Heartworks will pay for 1/2 of the $4800 job. Donations would be so appreciated. You can also make checks out to Hearworks and send to POB 2072 Manchester, Ctr. VT 05255


Annual Clothing drive:

Clothes From the Heart

We will begin to collect clothes for our annual drive “Clothes from the Heart” to take place on November 14th.

This year we will hold our sorting time as our group meeting time on November 8th.

Please drop off bags to Jan Kelly at New Morning, Carmel Furtado at Leaves of Gold, or at Maple Street to Lisa Kelly. All sizes are welcome and sexes too, but please make sure that clothing is clean and in decent condition (no holes or stains). We would also love any winter accesories, including, hat’s, scarves and mittens.

We are hoping that Carmel has a copy of last years PR, and we will create posters to hang around town to announce the event. We will also contact Martha at the Food Cupboard to help us further connect with locals who may be in need of clothes for the winter months.

Finally, will also welcome any warm blankets that can be passed along at the drive as well.

Teen Heartworks:
We discussed opening a separate chapter of Heartworks directed by and for teens . Some suggestions were monthly bake sales at the schools held by the various sport teams. Half of the money raised can be saved to support the team’s effort, and the other half would go to a charity of their choice. Gail mentioned that at the Long Trail School they already have a group started called the kindness group, which she believes can be morphed into a Heartworks based group.

December Opportunity:

Helping with the Community Share project in town. This group creates Angel tree ornaments. Each ornament has the first name of a local child, their age, and the clothes they need for this winter, plus the sizes that will fit them. People in the community then adopt an Angel/child for the season. We’re hoping that Heartworks will raise awareness for this group as well as adopt our own Angels as part of our December opportunity.

We also thought that this would be a good way for the Teen Chapter of Heartworks to get started.

Future events:

Farm day was such a big success 2 years ago, we have been invited back by Julie Crosier for another day of sharing in the joys of her amazing farm animals. We considered doing this during the fall, but realized that with the clothing drive we would not have time to plan an event. We hope to pull together an even better, cooler farm day event exploring the simple beauty of a small Vermont farm in the Spring.

Parting words:

Lisa shared quite eloquently her experience at the Omega institute and her inspirational weekend with Caroline Myss whose message to our culture is that life is about service and gratitude.
Andrew Harvey, a colleague of Myss happened to be at Southern VT college shortly after and Lisa was fortunate to attend his speaking engagement. His new book “The Hope” has inspired Lisa. His thoughts on “Sacred Activism” and networks of grace touches on the core philosophy of Heartworks and the message we’re trying to share with our neighbors. Lisa has many of the books written by these inspiring scholars and is lending them through the Heartworks lending library to those who are interested.

Finally:
Carol Donnelly, shared with us two lovely thoughts to close out our meeting:
1. A loving heart is the truest wisdom. Charles Dickens

2.What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. Albert Pike

Peace out!