Tuesday, March 29, 2016

"Horror in Suburbia"/ Universities donate excess food

Mar. 2, 2016 "Horror in Suburbia": This is an article by Erika Kinetz in Seventeen magazine on Nov. 2004.  Hope is not her real name:

It was about a 12 yr old girl named Hope and her step mom Marie Nirva who is from Haiti.  Hope's mom died of AIDS when she was 6, so Hope moved in with her step family.   In Sept. 1996, Hope moved with the Nirva family to the US.  She got a fake passport and moved to Miami.

Hope was a maid and had to clean the whole house everyday.  She often ate alone.  Willy Pompee Jr., her step brother was 18 and started sexually abusing her.  Hope is now 12 yrs old and she saw a commercial of John Casablancas Modeling and Career Centre about self-esteem and self-confidence and she called the number on the screen.

Tiffany Harmon was a 16 yr old receptionist who answered the call.  Tiffany thought Hope wanted someone to talk to and not be a model.  Hope called the agency every other night and talked to other workers there like Randy Katz and Renee Falsetto.  She called for a few weeks.  They didn't totally believe Hope's stories of her abuse.

Renee then overheard Hope talking to Willy Jr who said to her: "What do you want now?  More sex?"  Renee was horrified and started to believe Hope was telling the truth.  They called the Florida Department of Children and Families.  2 cops went to the Pompee home twice and Hope said nothing was wrong.

On Sept. 18, about 18 days after Renee called the police, Hope's teacher Sonia Mitchell called the police because she suspected Hope was being abused.  A detective Cheryl Odom picked up Hope to go to the Sexual Assualt Treatment Centre and have Hope examined.

Hope called her step cousin Varanka and the women at the agency for help like a toothbrush.  They brought other things like magazines, shampoo and pajamas.

Pastor Jimmye Larkin, a black woman took her in.  She had 2 foster daughters.

Willy Jr. has been charged with 10 counts of sexual battery and is still on the run.

Here's some more news on it:


Here's a 2006 article:

Now 19-year-old Williathe Narcisse, once an anonymous victim whose story first made headlines seven years ago, is a young adult with hopes and dreams.

"I had a rough childhood, but I thank God I'm trying to make it now," Narcisse said in her first public comments on her ordeal.

These days, Narcisse lives on her own in an efficiency apartment in Hollywood. She works part-time at Target, and interns at WEDR 99 JAMZ radio station.

Maestro Powell, the station's marketing director, said Narcisse began hanging around the station and Powell was so moved after learning about her life, he gave her an internship.


Mar. 8, 2016 Homeless man helps woman:

A young woman who was left stranded after she missed the last train from London was looked after by a kind homeless man who saw her crying.

Nicole Sedgebeen had gone out for the night in the capital but when she arrived at Euston Station to go back home to Milton Keynes, the doors were closed.

With the rain pelting down on her and temperatures plummeting to zero, a drunken Nicole broke down in tears as she tried to work out what to do in a strange city.

But a homeless man called Mark stepped in and ended up becoming her hero.

Taking her to an all-night cafe for a coffee and a chat, Mark promised he would return at 5am to take her back to the station.

Despite Nicole’s doubts, he did exactly that - even getting a bus to reach her - and it changed her perceptions of homeless people forever.

Posting a selfie with her new friend, Nicole wrote on Facebook: “It got past 5 and he was a no show. As I got round the corner my homeless friend Mark was running down the street towards me.

“Not only did he turn up but he had to get a bus to come get me.
“This man who I probably would of avoided eye contact with if he asked for spare change, completely changed such a negative event into the most eye opening event in my life.

“Mark you are one special man, I will never look down on a homeless person again.”
She later said Mark told her it was “a father’s duty to get another man’s daughter home safe”.



Mar. 23, 2016 Rob Ford: He has passed away yesterday.  That's sad.  I knew he had cancer. 


Now I'm going to use my "parking lot" email to write about more news.  I know it may seem kind of random, but they are all news- related: 

A cop uses his own money to pay for a hotel room for a homeless woman and baby: Here is an excerpt:

A hungry, homeless woman and her baby took refuge in the lobby of a Hyattsville police station in Maryland saying she had nowhere else to go and that she was a victim of domestic violence.

Thanks to Cpl. Che’ Atkinson’s kind actions, she ended up spending the night at a hotel instead of the street.

Now, thousands have taken notice of his good deed on Facebook after a few photos were posted on the police department’s page.

“I’m a little overwhelmed and shocked,” Atkinson told WUSA9. “And the reason why is it didn’t seem like a big deal to me because I see other officers do stuff like this all the time.”


Edmonton dancer on Janet Jackson tour:

A popular hip-hop dancer from Sherwood Park will be gracing the stage at Rexall Place this weekend as a back-up dancer for Janet Jackson.

On Friday, Taylor Hatala, 12, will be in Edmonton as part of the Janet Jackson Unbreakable World Tour, which officially kicked off in Vancouver on Monday.

“To have the opportunity to work with the biggest female icon in the music industry is the most amazing feeling in the world!” said Hatala, in a written statement. “This is beyond my wildest dreams. Thank you to Janet and her team for this unreal opportunity! I am so so grateful!”


Male dancer: This is an old video, but I really like the enthusiasm and attitude when he's dancing:



Universities donate excess food: I found this on Facebook:

Combatting Food Waste and Hunger is Simple! See How!

                                      
GreaterGood is proud to partner with the Food Recovery Network, a dynamic, student-led organization which donates surplus dining hall food to those in need.

To celebrate the University of Maryland’s entrance into the Big 10, the Food Recovery Network’s important work was recently highlighted in this moving video clip. Their commitment to tackling both food waste and hunger is an inspiration to us!



Buy Nothing Project: Of course I like this, it's about anti- consumerism:


We all know that America is a land of excess, and we all want to spend less money. But what if we could actually survive without buying anything? Thanks to the amazing power of social media, that’s becoming a reality for communities around the world.

It’s called the Buy Nothing Project, and it began in July 2013 as a neighborhood Facebook group on Bainbridge Island, WA. Locals began posting photos of items they were interested in giving away, and grateful folks in need replied. No exchange of money, simply gifting and receiving.

The concept was such a hit that the movement quickly grew, now appearing in neighborhoods around the U.S., Canada, and a handful of other countries. There are more than 300 groups in all, and that number is growing. (If your town doesn’t have one, you can start one up.)

There’s no limit to what can be exchanged. According to the Buy Nothing blog, “People give clothes, dinners, crock pots, plants, rabbits, snakes, rabbit-eating snakes. We’ve seen used and clean Ziploc bags offered, laundry detergent, antiques, bicycles, antique bicycles, canoes, kombucha, branches, flowers, cement blocks, eggs, beds, broccoli, custard, and crickets.”

But it’s more than just a donation system. The simple act of giving has torn down walls between neighbors. It’s created community in spirit, not just in name. It’s a social movement, “enabling people and communities to commit episodic acts of daily good together.”

It even helped a couple have the wedding of their dreams without spending a penny. See their story in the video below.




Surfer saves 13 yr old from drowning: This was a happy news video:


Cookie Love: There was a cookie store on 124 street.  Now it closed down, but there is still one in downtown:



World's longest tongue: Here's a light and fun video where a young woman shows her long tongue:


No comments: