Thursday, September 3, 2009 by Planet Janet.

Due to overwhelming community support and interest, Wolfman Pizza is extending Birthday Blessings’ “Goodies for Good” campaign through Labor Day.  So head to Wolfman Pizza with your kids and teach them a lesson about giving, while enjoying some uber-delicious pizza!

Read the details below.

9-1-2009 press release (Wolfman Pizza Goodies for Good) 

Posted in CHARLOTTE, N.C., Philanthropy, nonprofits and volunteerism - CHARLOTTE,, Birthday Blessings, Cusine, N.C., Around town - CHARLOTTE, N.C., Business and retail - CHARLOTTE, N.C., Cuisine - CHARLOTTE, N.C., Parenting - CHARLOTTE, N.C. | Print | No Comments »

Thursday, September 3, 2009 by Planet Janet.

My post rounds out a swell two weeks of blogging.  Thanks to MomsCharlotte.com  for hosting Birthday Blessings’ first blog, “Birthday Blessings and Beyond.”  Sharing our Birthday Blessings stories was such a gift, so thank you so much for reading and getting involved!  It really does take a village.

Blogs | MomsCharlotte.com

Posted in Philanthropy, nonprofits and volunteerism - CHARLOTTE,, Birthday Blessings, CHARLOTTE, N.C., MomsCharlotte - CHARLOTTE, N.C., Getting personal, Parenting - CHARLOTTE, N.C. | Print | No Comments »

Thursday, August 20, 2009 by Planet Janet.

Thanks to  for debuting Birthday Blessings’ first blog!  Click here to take a sneak peak into one of the fastest-growing nonprofits in Charlotte, NC.   Get volunteer executive director Amy Cervantes’ take on why she gives so much of her time to the homeless community, and learn why the Blessing Baskets program means so much to Charlotte philanthropist Heather Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing.   I’ll give you a hint:  To teach invaluable lessons about giving to their children.

Blogs | MomsCharlotte.com

Posted in CHARLOTTE, N.C., Philanthropy, nonprofits and volunteerism - CHARLOTTE,, Birthday Blessings, N.C., MomsCharlotte - CHARLOTTE, N.C., Around town - CHARLOTTE, N.C., Business and retail - CHARLOTTE, N.C., Parenting - CHARLOTTE, N.C. | Print | No Comments »

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 by Planet Janet.

As some of you well know, I volunteer a lot of my time with Birthday Blessings.  Well, I am at it again, and I have another great way for Charlotte families to pitch in and help our struggling homeless community.  Did you know that as of May 2009, there are 2,989 children enrolled in CMS who have no place to call home?

  Well, Birthday Blessings coordinates with A Child’s Place (who compiled those stats, by the way!) to help make birthday dreams come true.  For more information about our partner, A Child’s Place, click here.

For details about how you can help starting today from 12-4 p.m., click here.  

Thanks, Charlotte MomsLikeMe, for the free press!  And, while you’re checking out the cold, hard facts (get it?  “Cold” Stone Creamery) , check out the site while you’re there!

Posted in Philanthropy, nonprofits and volunteerism - CHARLOTTE,, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Birthday Blessings, CHARLOTTE, N.C., N.C., Around town - CHARLOTTE, N.C., Business and retail - CHARLOTTE, N.C., Getting personal, Parenting - CHARLOTTE, N.C. | Print | 1 Comment »

Friday, August 14, 2009 by Planet Janet.

Many people in south Charlotte, NC, have been touched by the near drowning of Ian Shaver (see my original post about Ian here), and many thoughts and prayers have gone out to the Shaver family.  Now I’m happy to report some good news.

As of yesterday, Ian is off the ventilator and is doing remarkably well!  Folks, please keep that positive energy flowing.  Hopefully soon we’ll hear that Ian is getting ready to join his friends at school

Posted in CHARLOTTE, N.C., N.C., Spirituality and religion, Around town - CHARLOTTE, N.C., Parenting - CHARLOTTE, N.C. | Print | No Comments »

Wednesday, August 12, 2009 by Planet Janet.

With the Charlotte unemployment rate hovering around 12%, something just has to be done.  Well, The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County is doing its part to help.  They will be opening a Job Center at the Main Library in December, but job-related training and assistance will start at PLCMC locations in September.

If you appreciate PLCMC and want to help them make room for the new Job Center, read the details here.  Or, if you can’t help out Aug. 24-29, I’m sure there will be more opportunities coming up in the future.  Way to go, PLCMC, for doing your part!

PLCMC: About Us: Press Release - Library launches new initiative to help jobless in Mecklenburg County

Posted in Philanthropy, nonprofits and volunteerism - CHARLOTTE,, CHARLOTTE, N.C. | Print | No Comments »

Saturday, August 8, 2009 by Planet Janet.

The following is an email I just received about 13-year-old Ian Shaver, who nearly drowned in Park Crossing’s pool in just 3.5 feet of water.  His condition is critical, and the family is asking for your help.  So for those of you who pray, pray.  For those of you who do not, send Ian all the positive energy you can muster, and let’s witness a miracle!

{Read email below}

Good afternoon friends & family,

I have an immediate prayer request on behalf of our friends, the Shaver
Family. Young Ian is fighting for his life right now in the Levine
Children’s Hospital Pediatric ICU. Our families are friends and Dan and I
also are involved with the Youth Sports as coaches in our community.
Yesterday at 10:45 am EST his oldest son Ian was playing a game with friends
in their neighborhood pool located in the Park Crossing Subdivision in
Charlotte, NC. It’s just like when we were kids, they were trying to see who
could hold their breath the longest underwater. Ian won the game but lost
much in the end. Ian was found unconscious in the Park Crossing Neighborhood
Pool in 3 ½ feet of water.          

His Father Dan has asked me send this to everyone I know and requested that
everyone forward it to their prayer lines immediately. Again, your prayers
are requested by the Shaver Family. It has been determined that Ian’s heart
did stop, and there could be brain damage. But right now there are bigger
issues. He is currently on a breathing machine and they are keeping his body
temp at 94 degrees to keep the brain from swelling. It is estimated that he
was under water for approximately 1 minute and he took in some pool water
that went right into his lungs. The chlorine and other chemicals have
dissolved the lungs interior lining which protects the lungs. His levels of
carbon dioxide increased in his blood yesterday afternoon and they had to
have an emergency procedure done at 7:00 pm EST last night. This was a very
hard decision as he only had a 50/50 chance that he would survive the
procedure. But without it, he wouldn’t have lived through the night due to
carbon dioxide poisoning. At 10:00 pm EST last night we were informed that
Ian survived the procedure and it was slated as a success!

Ian currently is in a medically induced coma and will remain there during
his recovery. He is on a type of bypass machine where his blood is going out
of the body, being cleansed, and then placed back in the body. He is also on
a ventilator as his lungs are not working at all. This is where they need
your immediate prayers!

Ian’s lungs must start working again in order to take him off the breathing
machine. His parents, Dan and Lisa, along with their other two sons, Zach
(10) and William (6), need your prayers. Please be specific and pray that
Ian’s lungs are going to recover and begin to work again. Please join me and
the many others that are seeing this e-mail request and pray for Ian Shaver
to have a complete recovery! This is very serious and I an is in a very
critical point in his recovery process. Both Ian and his family need your
prayers as his life is 100% in God’s hands. The Shaver’s know this and have
handed Ian over to God and wish that He would allow them more time with
their son if it is His plan.  

Thanks in advance from the Shaver Family and mine……..

Eddie Blanton

Posted in CHARLOTTE, N.C., Spirituality and religion, Parenting - CHARLOTTE, N.C. | Print | No Comments »

Saturday, August 8, 2009 by Planet Janet.

Some people know this about me, and some don’t.  My first baby, Cooper, died on his due date in February 2001.

> Read Cooper’s story, as I told it at KinderMourn’s Memorial service in December 2007.

KinderMourn literally saved my life.  If it weren’t for their Empty Arms support group and my grief counselor, Christine Crawford…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty.  So when I opened the paper to see KinderMourn featured in the Observer today as a focus of Charlotte Mission Possible, I jumped for joy.

> Read a snippet of the Observer article.

The United Way debacle has really hurt this organization, and that directly hurts local families who really need KinderMourn’s guidance through grieving.

> Want to help? 

Charlotte non-profits are all tightening their belt straps, and some are even closing.  There’s no easy answer, but I think there’s hope.  If only each of us would vow to do one charitable activity or make one charitable donation per month (don’t focus on size or amount, now — just do whatever you can), can you imagine how Charlotte would look in 2015?

Posted in Philanthropy, nonprofits and volunteerism - CHARLOTTE,, CHARLOTTE, N.C., Getting personal, Pregnancy and neonatal loss | Print | No Comments »

Thursday, July 30, 2009 by Planet Janet.

You’re a mom with another baby on the way.  Your friends and family want to throw you a baby shower.   As far as you’re concerned, you have all you need and don’t want any more.

Have a baby shower anyway, and donate the proceeds to Birthday Blessings, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit that is taking flight, with opportunities for affiliate chapters to start up across the U.S.!

To celebrate the expansion of their Blessing Baskets program, which benefits homeless babies, I propose a challenge.

Bring gift cards and baby-care essentials to any Charlotte Monkey Joe’s this Friday, July 31, where your kids can “jump for a cause.” Discounted admission and food, with 20% of the proceeds going to Birthday Blessings.

I can’t tell you how impressed I personally am by Monkey Joe’s.  My PTO did a fundraiser there last year and made a ton of money!  I’ll be at the Pineville location at 10 a.m., so come say hi!  Read full details here.

Let’s show the world how Charlotte can rally for the homeless.

Posted in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Birthday Blessings, Philanthropy, nonprofits and volunteerism - CHARLOTTE,, CHARLOTTE, N.C., Parenting - CHARLOTTE, N.C., Business and retail - CHARLOTTE, N.C., Kiddie Chaos | Print | No Comments »

Saturday, July 25, 2009 by Planet Janet.

I wrote a story for University City Magazine last year about the Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church’s Mindfulness Sangha (a.k.a. meditation group). My personal experience with this group was transforming, and I just love the venue.  Imagine a large, open room with a wall of windows, overlooking the nature outside.  Very conducive to meditation.

> > > Read the story, Aware in mind and body

Well, the group’s facilitator, Darla Davis, has organized an event led by Daigaku Rummé, an ordained Soto monk.  If you’re into meditating, come check it out!  See Darla’s details below…

DAIGAKU Rummé TO SPEAK IN CHARLOTTE

AUGUST 4th AT 7pm

Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church

9704 Mallard Creek Road

“Zen Within Activity: How Zazen Relates to Everyday Life” 

Please join the Piedmont UU Mindfulness Sangha and the Charlotte Zen Meditation Society on Tuesday, August 4th at Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church to hear Daigaku Rummé speak on “Zen Within Activity:  How Zazen Relates to Everyday Life.”  Meditation will begin at 7pm and be followed by Daigaku’s talk.

Daigaku Rummé was ordained a Soto monk by Harada Sekkei Roshi in 1978. For more than twenty-seven years, he practiced under Harada Roshi at Hosshinji Monastery in Fukui , Japan . Since March 2003, he has been on the staff of the Soto Zen Buddhism International Center located in San Francisco . He resides at the San Francisco Zen Center and is the translator of The Essence of Zen by Harada Roshi, which was republished by Wisdom Publications in 2008.

Please arrive promptly and enter quietly.  There is no charge but a donation basket will be available for expressions of generosity.  For directions to Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church, please go to www.puuc.org

Posted in CHARLOTTE, N.C., Spirituality and religion, Around town - CHARLOTTE, N.C. | Print | No Comments »