In the Memory of the Young

The death of a child is happening more and more these days and for no reason.  Whether it directly affects you or indirectly it is a cause for adults to fight for.  But during this holiday season there are some parents who have lost their children to the pandemic that is plaguing our cities.  Not every case is an absent father, or cracked out mom. Despite popular belief there are parents doing the best they can by their children, but for whatever reason, their children CHOSE to do something different.  Then there are the innocent bystanders that are caught in the mist of the societal destruction at the hands of youth idiosyncrasies.  Is it right? NO! Is it fair? NO! Is it happening? Absolutely.

Easing the pain that a parent feels is not an easy task and for some will never happen.   But thanks to Patricia Loder, a twice-bereaved parent and executive director of The Compassionate Friends, a national self-help bereavement organization for families going through the natural grieving process after the death of a child, says there are many ways others can help the grieving family to remember that child during the holidays.

1. Write down memories -- especially funny stories -- of the child to give to the family. Try to get others who knew the child to write a story and then make a scrapbook for the family that can be added to in the future.

2. Encourage the family to talk about the child, while understanding that some tears may fall -- a tribute to the child who died.

3. Share photos or videos of the child with the family that they may not have seen before.

4. "Adopt a child" for the holidays by giving gifts in remembrance of the child who died. Notify the family.

5. If you send a card, make certain to mention that you're thinking of the child (by name), even if it's been many years since the child died.

6. Give the family an ornament that in some way will remind the family of the child.

7. Give the family time and space so they can handle the holidays in a manner that works for them. Be understanding.

8. Invite the family to participate in The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting the second Sunday in December, whether by attending a service or lighting a candle for an hour at home.

9. Make a donation to a favorite charity in honor of the child.

The Compassionate Friends has nearly 625 chapters in the United States offering support to bereaved families during this difficult time of the year and all year long. The organization, in conjunction with other groups globally, sponsors a Worldwide Candle Lighting the second Sunday in December with hundreds of services open to the public. Visit TCF's national website for a list of what will total more than 500 services submitted from around the world that are open to the public. Call toll-free 877-969-0010 or visit them on the Web at http://www.compassionatefriends.org. Also on Facebook at The Compassionate Friends/USA.

So The Daring Show would like to show our support for these families by listing the child’s name In Loving Remembrance. So every time you watch the news or listen to the radio and you hear of a child’s life who has expired list their name on this discussion board. You never know who this touches and during the holiday season, we don’t want families to feel alone. 

Thank you for your support.

In Loving Remembrance

Donating Gently Used Toys

Consider being a bright light in an otherwise dim tunnel.  As you prepare for the gift giving season, we are constantly reminded that some children will not be able to celebrate Christmas with toys.  Either the parent isn’t working or isn’t making enough.  

Short story:  My mother called me to tell me that a kid just came by the house and wanted to rake the leaves….. (First just the fact that a kid now-a-days wanted to EARN money by doing something domestic was a surprise to me)…..  So I asked her had she seen him before and how much was he charging.  She said $5 and no he didn’t look familiar.  So I went home to see this youngster and to my surprise he was doing a good job.  He went to a neighborhood public school and he still had on his uniform. He wore braids and he was about 4 feet tall. The rake was bigger than he was.  I asked him if needed a bag and he sheepishly said no and pulled out a roll of plastic bags from his pocket.  

He told me he was in the 4^th grade, which would make him about 10 or 11 years old.  As he keep raking and taking a break and raking and breaking I couldn’t help but wonder why he needed the money and at $5 a lawn.  We know that other people charge $10 a week and they blow the leaves away.  But something about this little boy got my attention.  At the rate he was going he would only be able to do 1 maybe 2 houses a day. So I asked him what he was trying to earn money for and he said (wait for it)………………. “I want to earn money to buy my family some Christmas gifts”. Tear.

I was hooked. This young lad, was trying to do something that a lot of grown people won’t do or are too proud to do and that was EARN his way until he could do better.  And for that and his earnest effort to do things the right way, I gave him $20 and told him don’t tell the lady in the house, just consider it a gift. Even with that money in his pocket he continued to finish the job.  When I told my mom about what the boy told me she gave him $10.  So for a days work and lifelong ability of using his brain that boy earned $30 from one house.  I’m appreciative of what he provided to me that day and that was hope that all isn’t lost.   

Sooo, since the season is coming and most of us can’t afford to contribute to every toy drive and yet want to do our part to help others…. give to other kids what that child gave to me, Hope!

Here are some feel good ideas that would not only help those that need it, put a smile on a kids face and de-clutter your home…..

Donate Gently Used Toys:

Police, Fire Stations & Hospitals: Call your local fire station or police department. Often, the officers carry a stuffed animal or two with them in the vehicles to give to upset or scared children as a way to calm them and distract them from their situation.

Women's Shelters & Homeless Shelters: Call your local shelters to see if they have a need for gently used toys at their facilities. Often times, they have a play room or allow kids to "check out" various games and toys to use in their area during their stay.

Charities: Service charities often have a play room that is stocked with gently used toys to keep children amused while parents meet with the staff.

Schools & Libraries: Schools and libraries can often use books and puzzles if they are in good shape with nothing torn or missing. Call ahead to ask if they can put your items to good use.

Salvation Army, Goodwill, other charities: Donations to these types charities help out greatly. The money raised from the sales of items goes to support the organizations programs and areas of interest.

Animal Shelters: Sometimes, animal shelters find small stuffed animals useful for their animals as cuddle toys. Stuffed animals provide comfort to an animal that may not get as much attention as it needs due to staff shortages or lack in other areas.

Dine in New York for the Holidays

New York City Restaurants Offer Multi-Ethnic, Value-Centric Thanksgiving

Press Release: NEW YORK, As America's favorite holiday, Thanksgiving is embraced by the country's melting pot of races, nationalities, cultures and religions, now being reflected by the multi-ethnic orientation of restaurants offering celebratory meals incorporating traditional "Turkey Day" elements, while including nods to their culinary focus.

Especially in New York City, where ethnic restaurants that formerly ceded Thanksgiving dining to their more mainstream counterparts are remaining open this year with value-centric menus. 

Witness Pera Mediterranean Brasserie, the city's most celebrated Eastern Mediterranean restaurant, with its first $49 three-course Thanksgiving celebration featuring pumpkin flatbread with house-cured lamb prosciutto offered as an appetizer option and honey-lavender glazed leg of lamb, stuffed with seasonal dried fruits, pine nuts and rosemary, accompanied by feta-cheese gratin as an alternative to the more traditional roast organic turkey; caramelized Brussels sprouts, chestnut and sausage stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy, also on the menu. 

Or the $42 four-courser from Fiorini, an Italian charmer, with butternut squash-filled ravioli with light brown butter sauce and shaved Parmigiano cheese as a starter. And Brussels sprouts lend the green to Petite Abeille's family-style service of customary roast turkey with chestnut and sage stuffing, sweet potato puree and pumpkin pie presented with a healthy side of bargain at just $25 from this popular Belgian boite.

At Pera, other Thanksgiving appetizers are pumpkin bisque with cranberry compote and grilled kale Caesar salad, Parmigiano Reggiano and imported Spanish anchovies, while hickory-grilled wild salmon with preserved lemon, crispy fried oysters, roasted tomato and pickled onion relish joins the turkey and lamb as the third entree choice. Cinnamon whipped cream adds an Eastern Mediterranean touch to the pumpkin pie dessert option; chocolate brownie Sundae, candied walnuts, and candied pumpkin vanilla ice cream is another.

For Fiorini, roasted corn squash soup with crab meat is the alternative to the ravioli for the first course. Two salads compete for second course palates - baby spinach with radicchio, pears, crispy walnuts or arugula with roasted pepper, grilled onions and Portobello mushrooms. The main event is roasted free range turkey with mushroom and sage stuffing, fresh cranberry compote, whipped sweet potatoes, harvest wild rice with mushrooms and honey glazed carrots with a plethora of pies for dessert.

And should the second helpings promised by the family-style service at Petite Abeille not satisfy Thanksgiving appetites, butternut squash ravioli with pea shoot and ham hock in split pea broth is an $8 add-on, making a three-course feast just $32.

Midtown Manhattan's Pera Mediterranean Brasserie, 303 Madison Avenue, will celebrate Thanksgiving on November 25 from 12:30 to 8:30 p.m.; call 212-878-6301 or visit http://www.peranyc.com/.

Fiorini, 209 E. 56th Street, will serve from 3 to 9:30 p.m.; call 212-308-0830 or go to http://www.fiorinirestaurant.com/.

Petite Abeille will present its family style Thanksgiving from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; call 212-727-1505,http://www.petiteabeille.com/.

ReGifting Goes High Tech

Press Release: Embarrassed to REGIFT? Don't be. REGIFTing has become a global phenomenon. In fact, two out of three adults have already either REGIFTed or plan to REGIFT in the future.

Instead of cluttering up your closet or plunking unwanted gifts in the trash, you can use REGIFT, a new iPhone and iPod Touch App from New Jersey-based Cold Cuts Media, to keep track of them, and pass them along on your next gifting event.

Newlywed with a house full of cuckoo clocks you didn't register for? New parent with baby clothes Junior has already outgrown? Die-hard coupon clipper who hates to waste anything? REGIFT can help!

REGIFT 1.0 is the first application of its kind that will catalog the gifts you want to REGIFT, and keep record of who not to give it to. The App costs $0.99 at the iTunes App store and is available worldwide (in English for the 1.0 release).

Simple to use, REGIFT will allow you to enter a gift you've received, who gave it to you, when and why. But more than that, you can also enter who not to give it to in the future, and who you did give it to.

REGIFT will also prompt you to check for personal information in the gift, such as a card, engraving or other tell-tale signs of REGIFTing -- before you REGIFT it -- ensuring no more embarrassing REGIFTing moments.

You can finally put all those unwanted gifts, toys you already have, clothes that don't fit, and products you don't need, to good use. No need to worry about returning items, gift receipts or exchanging for something else -- simply REGIFT them -- without embarrassment! You not only save time and money, you also save face.

Feature Highlights:

-- Keep track of gifts received that you want to REGIFT
-- Add a photo of gifts to each entry
-- Keep track of who gave you each gift
-- Manage what occasions you received gifts from
-- Add notes on who NOT to give the gift to
-- Categorize all your gifts into easy to find categories
-- Mark a gift as "REGIFTed" and store it in the archives

REGIFTing Tips:

1. Never REGIFT used items -- trust us, you'll miss
that stain on the sleeve, but the recipient won't!
2. Always make sure you've removed all personal aspects
of a gift, including that store receipt from 2007!
3. Rewrap your REGIFT in attractive packaging and paper
-- never reuse the wrinkled paper you received it in!
4. Use REGIFT to keep track of your presents and avoid
embarrassing REGIFTing moments. You'll never be stuck
without a gift again.

Requirements:
Compatible with iPhone 3G/3G S and iPod Touch. Requires
iPhone OS 3.0 or Later.

Pricing and Availability:
REGIFT 1.0 is offered at the introductory price of $0.99 USD
and is available worldwide in English exclusively through
the iTunes App Store in the Lifestyle category.

Cold Cuts Media is a small, privately held company founded
in 2009 by Tina Nacrelli. Located in Jersey City, New
Jersey, Cold Cuts Media, a technology company, is focused on
iPhone and iPod Touch applications that emphasize
convenience and ease of use by delivering real, practical
solutions.

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