We’d like to thank Michele, one of our readers, for this suggestion. Keep ‘em coming!

Tom Nardone is the founder of the Detroit Mower Gang.

Nardone started the group just under a year ago to mow parks in the city of Detroit, many of which have fallen victim to budget cut backs.

“We’ve done about a half dozen parks including the Veledrome at Outer Drive and Mound Road,” Nardone told WWJ’s Marie Osborne.

The Mower Gang is now in the process of replacing swings at a number of City of Detroit parks. Their next event is July 16th, when the group plans to mow a park in the dark. Nardone said the group is only out to supplement what the city can’t do.

To find our more about the Mowergang, including how you can join, visit this link.

Members of the group show up at the appointed park with riding lawn mowers or weed whackers and proceed to clean up the park. Members who don’t have a mower are given one.

“There are about 90 parks in the city of Detroit and each one could use a little help,” said Nardone. The group sends out notices through their Facebook page.

Source: CBS News

Home is where the heart is…or is it? Home can mean many different things to people.

Here’s a sampling:

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do… but how much love we put in that action.
Mother Teresa

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.
Maya Angelou

A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.
Benjamin Franklin

At home I am a nice guy: but I don’t want the world to know. Humble people, I’ve found, don’t get very far.
Muhammad Ali

Say there’s a white kid who lives in a nice home, goes to an all-white school, and is pretty much having everything handed to him on a platter - for him to pick up a rap tape is incredible to me, because what that’s saying is that he’s living a fantasy life of rebellion.
Eminem

Ten men waiting for me at the door? Send one of them home, I’m tired.
Mae West

An artist has no home in Europe except in Paris.
Friedrich Nietzsche

I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can’t truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.
Zig Ziglar

If my world were to cave in tomorrow, I would look back on all the pleasures, excitements and worthwhilenesses I have been lucky enough to have had. Not the sadness, not my miscarriages or my father leaving home, but the joy of everything else. It will have been enough.
Audrey Hepburn

Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.
Robert Frost

Analogies, it is true, decide nothing, but they can make one feel more at home.
Sigmund Freud

If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.

Dale Carnegie

I had a lot of dates but I decided to stay home and dye my eyebrows.

Andy Warhol

A girl phoned me the other day and said… ‘Come on over, there’s nobody home.’ I went over. Nobody was home.
Rodney Dangerfield

What an amazing story of a community realizing a need and then stepping up to the plate to meet it. Read more about how you can help (at bottom of piece.)

Inside Whitney Elementary School in East Las Vegas, nearly 85 percent of the children are homeless. That’s 518 kids out of 610.

Learn more about the Whitney Elementary School

Principal Sherrie Gahn says, “I thought that I saw the ultimate poverty when I got here eight years ago and every year it has gotten worse and the recession made it ten times worse.”

Gahn knew she had a problem that a traditional public school could not fix. “When I saw the children eating ketchup for lunch, and wanting to take it home,” she says, “it just crushed me.”

So Gahn came up with a plan involving the kids, their parents and the community.

“I told the parents that I would give them whatever they need,” Gahn says. “All I need them to do is give me their children and let me teach them. In turn I will give you food and clothes and we will take them to the eye doctor. I will pay your rent, pay your utilities, but keep your child here.”

The children get free clothes, free bread to bring home and even free haircuts. Almost all of it given by 500 donors and local businesses who drop off donations daily. Gahn creates a wish list, and her army of volunteers makes it happen.

The contributions are large and small. One woman in Philadelphia sends $20 per month. A gambler gives $2,000 monthly - a portion of his earnings. This is Vegas.

Las Vegas has long been the city of bright lights and broken dreams. But especially now - with 12.1 percent unemployment, and the highest foreclosure rate in the country. One in every nine households receives a foreclosure notice.

Like most of her classmates, Charlee lives in one of the many rundown crime-ridden motels in the shadow of the Vegas strip.

Her family lost its home to foreclosure three years ago. Her father Chad is a construction worker. He hasn’t had a fulltime job in two years.

“There is not a lot of people moving dirt right now in the Vegas valley,” Chad says. “That’s what I do. That’s what I love to do.

As for Charlee, she dreams of being an actress. Principal Gahn has a bold dream of her own.

“I tell every 5th grade class if you make it through junior high you make it through high school and you can’t afford to go to college come see me and I will make sure that you go to college,” Gahn says. “We have a small trust fund that we started.”

Gahn says the children are worth the big promise. She defines success as “The look in their face that I made their life better. That’s my success rate when they hug me and thank me for the food, the clothes. Then I know it’s a good day.”

Today is especially emotional for Gahn - it’s the last day of class. Many of these kids and their families will be on their own until September. So next fall, she hopes to open an after-school program. So Charlee and her classmates can have a safe haven when the school day’s done.

Homeless children of the recession one year later

60 Minutes: Homeless kids: the hard times generation

60 Minutes: Hard times generation: How you can help

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/09/eveningnews/main20070437.shtml#ixzz1Pp650Mff

Please take a moment to watch this touching video of sportstar Ray Lewis, who is mentoring a child seriously in need: La’Shaun Armstrong.

Armstrong was in the vehicle that was driven into the Hudson River last month, along with his three younger siblings, by his mother. La’Shaun was the only survivor, escaping the vehicle through a passenger side window and swimming to safety.

The statistics speak for themselves. Kenyan children - especially girls - are susceptible to widespread abuse. But schools are a safe haven, where they can thrive and grow. This MSNBC story and accompanying video are well worth your time.

Dreams are a luxury few can afford in Kenya’s largest slum. That is, until you turn the corner, walk down a small alleyway and arrive at a bright pink and blue makeshift building. Little girls in bright red sweaters and bright blue skirts are running around, giggling and playing, indoors and out. And when you look at the mud on their shoes, or the tin houses that surround the school, you come to realize that 60 little girls are getting the chance of their lives and they know it. This is the Kibera School for Girls – a refuge from abuse and hunger. http://shininghopeforcommunities.org/projects/ksg/

Girls in Kibera generally don’t have a lot of reason to sing or play. Like most young girls in extreme poverty all over the world, they have little value in their communities. They mostly can’t afford school, are highly vulnerable to sexual crime at any early age and, up until recently, http://www.girlup.org/have received the least amount of attention from international NGOs. The cover of the ECONOMIST in 2010 was stark:  GENDERCIDE What happened to 100 million baby girls? http://www.economist.com/node/15606229

Maria Menounos and I were shocked by the statistics, especially because the solutions can be so simple.  If they are lucky enough to have access to a school, and to stay there, girls have less risk for exposure to HIV, are less likely to get married early or get pregnant, and are more likely to fight for their own rights, raise healthy children of their own and enter the workforce. This very concept has been highlighted in a compelling campaign by the NIKE foundation.  http://www.girleffect.org/video ‘The Girl Effect” campaign argues that girls can be game changers in the economic development of a country if they get help them bypassing the extreme challenges they face from birth. It’s also what many other organizations including CARE, the organization we traveled with, are focused on entirely. http://www.care.org/

Read more.

A friend of mine bemoaned her single status several nights ago over dinner. After a few glasses of wine and a heavenly dessert, we can up with a list of perks to being single. So this Wednesday, I dedicate these quotes to her, and to all the “singles” out there! May your dessert be delicious.

I’m dating a woman now who, evidently, is unaware of it.” - Garry Shandling

“You do not need to be loved, not at the cost of yourself. The single relationship that is truly central and crucial in a life is the relationship to the self. Of all the people you will know in a lifetime, you are the only one you will never lose.” - Jo Courdert

“I must learn to love the fool in me the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries.” - Theodore Isaac Rubin

“You can explore the universe looking for somebody who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and you will not find that person anywhere.” - Unknown

“I celebrate myself, and sing myself.” - Walt Whitman

“He is his own best friend, and takes delight in privacy whereas the man of no virtue or ability is his own worst enemy and is afraid of solitude.” - Aristotle

“To be exempt from the passions with which others are tormented, is the only pleasing solitude.” - Joseph Addison

“I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.” - Henry David Thoreau

“I’m single because I was born that way.” - Mae West

“Some people are settling down, some people are settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies.” - Sex in the City

“I don’t like to be labeled as lonely just because I am alone.” - Delta Burke

“He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened.” - Lao Tzu

“When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.” François de la Rochefoucauld

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.” - Dr. Seuss

“By persistently remaining single a man converts himself into a permanent public temptation.” - Oscar Wilde

“Being single is pretty good. It’s a nice sense of irresponsibility.” - Michael Douglas

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” - Carl Jung

“I think, therefore I’m single.” - Liz Winston

“I don’t need a man to rectify my existence. The most profound relationship we’ll ever have is the one with ourselves.” - Shirley MacLaine

“Sometimes you have to stand alone to prove that you can still stand.” - Anonymous

“Maybe some women aren’t meant to be tamed. Maybe they just need to run free till they find someone just as wild to run with them.” - Sex in the City

Excuses are always easy to come by. We have great imaginations and we’re quick thinkers. But people (and animals and institutions and organizations) need your help now! This article got me motivated - hopefully it will do the same for you!

The next time we find ourselves falling into these six negative mindsets, we should repurpose them as motivational tools instead.

1. I have no time/I’m so incredibly busy.
This is the most common excuse people give when asked why they do not volunteer. First of all, if we were all really as busy as we pretend to be, we would barely make it to the bathroom on a daily basis. Get started by picking apart your week. How many hours do you watch TV? Can you donate two of those hours to your community? Consider starting small. Pick one Saturday, Sunday, or evening a month to volunteer. Look at your priorities and evaluate how you spend your time. How much of your week is dedicated to giving back to your community?

2. I’m so tired after working 9 to 5, Monday through Friday.
Getting out of your apartment, interacting with others, and actually doing something besides watching America’s Next Top Model marathons on VH-1 every weeknight will reenergize you. You’ll become more centered and cultivate a greater sense of purpose in your life. It’s like working out; we all complain we’re too lazy and tired to work out, but once we get in the habit of it, it becomes an invigorating part of our lifestyle.

3. I don’t have anybody to go with me.
You know that girlfriend who always says you never have time for her? Bring her. Bring your mother, bring your partner, or bring your pessimistic coworker. Think of it as an opportunity to reconnect with your favorite people in a way that doesn’t include spending money. Better yet, do it alone. You’ll definitely meet other fascinating individuals with similar interests. My friend Sara met her fiancé when volunteering at Houston’s Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. If you’re in a new city and looking to meet new people, volunteering is an amazing way to make connections.

4. I don’t care about helping other people; nobody helps me.
Take this opportunity to affect your karma. Karma is the belief that, for every good or bad thing you do, something good or bad will come back to you. If you start helping others, maybe somebody will notice your unique radiance and help you. If it worked in the days of ancient Hinduism and Buddhism, it will surely work today.

5. Tell the homeless to get off their butts and get a job.
I can’t convince you in one sentence that it just isn’t that simple for a homeless person to pick up and get a 9 to 5 job. Why not volunteer at a shelter and meet some homeless people? Ask them how they became homeless. I bet your attitude toward homelessness will change.

6. I can’t make a difference; I’m only one person.
Yes. You. Can. In the words of renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

It is abundantly clear that we have no real excuses to not volunteer. Now all we need is to identify how to get started.

Shelby Jennings, an avid volunteer since childhood, turned her passion for serving up some love to her community into a career. She moved to Washington, DC from San Diego, California in order to work for the Corporation for National and Community Service. She lent us her expert advice on how to start volunteering. “Find a place where you will use your skills, learn new ones, or learn about a new issue. Figure out not only what you want to get out of it, but also what you want to give back—this will help you sustain your efforts. Commit yourself to a timeline—stick to it. Also, if you have a particular cause or organization you’re interested in, just ask!” Shelby also advocated volunteering in fields that you’re interested in working in as a resume builder or in a position where you could build skills that could help you get a job in the future.

Sometimes the sheer number of organizations that need volunteers can be daunting. A simple three-step process to figure out the best way to commit ourselves to helping others can help ease any overwhelming feelings.

1. Choose causes that make you excited.
If you love to travel, volunteer with an international organization; if you love to garden, find an environmental organization; if you adore spending time with kids, volunteer to tutor students. There is an abundance of need for your expertise, time, and love all over your community.

2. Find events that match your needs.
After you have selected the type of organization you wish to volunteer for, choose a specific opportunity that fits your skills, interests, and schedule. Once you find a non-profit that fits you, go ahead and introduce yourself.

3. Surf the Internet to find out what’s out there.
Volunteermatch.com is an incredible Web site to start your volunteering endeavors. They have an immense online network of organizations eager for your help. It is incredibly simple to register and begin your search immediately. If you register with an organization through VolunteerMatch, an automatic email will be sent to that organization notifying them of your interest. They will then contact you and you will be on your way. A great feature of VolunteerMatch is the ability to be a virtual volunteer. The Virtual section offers volunteer opportunities from your home or desk. That means you can volunteer using your computer, Internet connection, phone, and/or fax.

1800volunteer.com is another outstanding Web site to embark on your quest for volunteer opportunities. You can start by searching for volunteer opportunities that match your interests. Next, you create a free account that enables you to easily sign up for volunteer opportunities. And finally, you can start volunteering!

Volunteer centers will hook you up! The best part is that pretty much every city has one. Google your city’s volunteer center, call them up, tell them you’re interested, set up a meeting, and you’ll be on your way. They are knee-deep in your community and keenly aware of the opportunities available to you.

We all lead lives full of commuting, conference calls, and social engagements. But imagine how much better we’d feel if we dedicated just a few hours out of our hectic schedules to causes that truly need our help. Some people are driven by selfless ambition. Some are on a quest for social equity, or want to bring a sense of purpose and fulfillment to their own lives. Others view the opportunity to volunteer as a chance to give back to their community. However we find the motivation, volunteering has the potential to improve our lives and the world around us.

By Shyla Batliwalla for Divine Caroline

Source: Gimundo.com

Years ago, I frequently attended a movement class in Philadelphia held by Manfred Fishbeck and Group Motion. He still holds weekly movement classes and they are pure transformation. Live musicians supply the rhythms while a group of strangers move and dance and laugh and express. By the end of the night, you feel free, light and back to your core self.

You don’t need to know how to pirouette or tap; you just need to know how to move. We all know how to, though we often convince ourselves we’re cursed with “two left feet.” The truth is, movement is there at your disposal at any time.

So turn on some music. Close the curtains. And allow yourself to express yourself through YOUR form of dance. It doesn’t have to be right or pretty, just authentic. It can be slow, it can be erratic. Just let your body do the talking. After 10 minutes, evaluate how you feel. I’m going to lay money on “better. Much better.”

Photo Source: Jessica Florence at Flickr

Self-control…ah. What’s there to say about this elusive concept? Apparently, plenty. Read on:

Being forced to work, and forced to do your best, will breed in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle will never know.
Charles Kingsley

By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character.
Grenville Kleiser

God is waiting eagerly to respond with new strength to each little act of self-control, small disciplines of prayer, feeble searching after him. And his children shall be filled if they will only hunger and thirst after what he offers.
Richard Holloway

Industry, thrift and self-control are not sought because they create wealth, but because they create character.
Calvin Coolidge

It’s okay to be a fat man. It’s prestige and power and all of that. But fat women are seen as just lazy and stupid and having no self-control.
Camryn Manheim

Punishment may make us obey the orders we are given, but at best it will only teach an obedience to authority, not a self-control which enhances our self-respect.
Bruno Bettelheim

Self-control means wanting to be effective at some random point in the infinite radiations of my spiritual existence.
Franz Kafka

Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control; these three alone lead one to sovereign power.
Alfred Lord Tennyson

Tell him, on the contrary, that he needs, in the interest of his own happiness, to walk in the path of humility and self-control, and he will be indifferent, or even actively resentful.
Irving Babbitt

The cyclone derives its powers from a calm center.  So does a person.  ~Norman Vincent Peale

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/self-control.html#ixzz1I67oDsYR

No, Charlie Sheen did not invent the idea of winning. Winning is a concept that is personal and powerful to all of us. And Sheen may be on to something when he instructs us to just say “winning” and we’ll feel better. Here’s what others have to say:

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
Michael Jordan

Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.
Vince Lombardi

Winning isn’t everything, but the will to win is everything.
Vince Lombardi

Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is.
Vince Lombardi

One should always play fairly when one has the winning cards.
Oscar Wilde

By letting it go, it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning.
Lao Tzu

Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward; they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.
Arnold Schwarzenegger

Whoever is winning at the moment will always seem to be invincible.
George Orwell

Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown.
Ross Perot

There is nothing to winning, really. That is, if you happen to be blessed with a keen eye, an agile mind, and no scruples whatsoever.
Alfred Hitchcock

You’ve got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing.
Arthur Ashe

Arthur Ashe - Winning!

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/winning_3.html#ixzz1HRn2U0Ep