Hunger in Working Families, Reality or Myth?

One day as I was cooking dinner I was looking at Diane Sawyer on World News Tonight. One of the stories she was doing was hunger in America. At first I was just cutting up the broccoli, cleaning the pork chops and doing what I normally do in the kitchen. I just assume she was talking about homeless drug addicts with mental issues. But as I stopped to really listen she was not talking about homeless drug addicts with mental issues. She was talking about working families, mothers and fathers who get up every day to go to work. I was simply shocked, but not at the thought of hunger in America but at the type of people that are hungry. We have 49 million American families who do not know where their next meal is coming from. That is alarming!
That night as I called my son for dinner we had pork chops, rice and broccoli. This is a typical dinner that I threw together because this particular evening it was very hot and I was ready to get out of the kitchen. But today as we finished our dinner I notice that my son and I still had meat on the pork chops, we left rice and broccoli in the plate which I just threw away. Why did this bother me today that I threw food away? I have thrown away food before and it never hit me like it hit me today. Then I realize how many families would welcome some of the wasted food my son and I just throw away and take for granted. How dare we be so disrespectful about food? We say grace and yet we waste!
This entire situation had me thinking. Who is helping these 49 million families? What organizations are gung ho in helping feed our Americans? What can individuals do in the meantime? We have business owners who donate to charities all the time to combat hunger in our country as well as individuals.
We have Matt Cohen, CEO of Kidfresh who is donating $80,000 worth of food to City Harvest and he still donates a portion of the profits to Save the Children. We have people like Florence Davis from the Starr Foundation which supports the fund for NYC Hunger Relief, a program to strengthen the infrastructure of emergency feeding services in New York City. I could go on and on about the many people who are making a difference in feeding an American.
I decided I wanted to do something. So I decided to have one entire week of “I Fed an American Today Event”. Starting December 12 to December 16 this will be a week of awareness and focusing on feeding Americans.
I have decided that the proceeds for my book “All about Me Fitness” will go to two organizations, Feeding America and Toys for Tots. When you purchase my book or if you just want to make a donation, (no matter how small) we want you and every American to wear a piece of grocery bag on your clothing. Just doing this one thing will bring awareness that we have over 49 million families that do not know where their next meal is coming from. It may look silly but to a family without groceries, having a bag full of groceries is truly a blessing.

Bringing Sexy to Green Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpA9YhmJ6yA&feature=player_profilepage

Why We Need To Teach Entrepreneurship in Every High School?

 

As you look at the news lately you see some of the major cities having protest called Occupy Wall Street. They are fed up with Wall Street giants making billions when so many Americans (99%) are jobless, losing their homes and quite frankly losing their dignity. I know what it feels like to be unemployed. It sucks, I mean it really sucks. The phone is constantly ringing from bill collectors. You feel like you are not contributing to society, a failure.

Well as I see, things are going to get better but in a different way. No, you are not likely to get another job making 75k with all the perks you so enjoyed in your last job. Yes, some jobs have been permanently phase out never to return. We see 40, 50 even 60 years olds  out of work and have gone through their savings and 401k plans so they can have a roof over their heads and food to eat. People we have to wake up and realize things are going to be different. Gone are the days when we purchased houses and fixed them up and sold them for a nice profit. Gone are the days when we used our home equity money to invest in businesses to make more money. Things are different now and will remain different.

So, what do we do? First of all I think we should all demand that the school system geared our students for entrepreneurship. The schools need to offer entrepreneurial classes as regular courses and not as electives. I should go on and say the professors in colleges should train the students to not only pursue  their dreams of being a lawyer or engineer for instance but teaching them to master whatever it is that they want to do and create a business around that.

Face it folks, if our kids are not prepare and they graduate from college in 80k worth of debt or graduating high school without any skills we are really going to be in a heap of  trouble. If their mothers and fathers can’t find work how are they going to find work?

But we can change that folks. Once we get the students thinking about owning their own business, once we get them engaged and getting the right mindset then and only then will we see businesses created thus jumpstarting the economy and getting people back to work. Will entrepreneurship be for every student, of course not but it will be a start. The trick is getting America back to work and eventually it will rest on our children.

 

Denise L. Jackson is a Certified Life/Career Coach and a Certified Green Consultant. She has worked in the banking and finance industry for more than 15 years training interns and new graduates. She decided to embark on a new career coaching teens and young adults and soon started Enhance My Skills, an e-mentoring/e-coaching online company preparing teens and young adults for the marketplace. Quickly afterwards she created Mo-Active Learning Series which is a series of workbooks that combines motivation, activation and skill building for the marketplace. Denise also has a heart for the environment and teamed up with Green Business League offering high schools, workforce agencies, training centers and non profits Certified Entry Level Green Jobs Training. Denise also started the Enhance My Skills Coaching Academy for those who want to become certified life coaches. We like to hear from you. Visit us at www.deniseljackson.com or www.enhancemyskills.com. Visit her blog at www.deniseljackson.wordpress.com. 

 

How to Save 30% to 50% on Your Utility Bills!

 

As unemployment soars and the economy weakens, everyone is trying to save money. The last thing any of us wants to do is pay for outrageous utilities bills. If you pay electric, gas or water whether for business or your home, making these inexpensive changes in your home or business should save you big bucks!

A home or business energy audit is one of the first steps in making your space more efficient. An energy audit also pinpoints weaknesses in your home and business and how to minimize or eliminate them. Our utilities bills have been increasing steadily for years now and with the economy and folks unemployed, helping to reduce cost is imperative. You can do simple things to reduce cost for water, gas and light bills

#1 Flow Restrictors or Aerators on Faucets

The top favorite tip will save you on water and heating bill and the cost is less than $5.00. Please run not walk to your nearest hardware store and start to add aerators to all of your faucets and see a mark difference in your utilities bills.

Aerators reduce the water coming through the faucets by mixing it with air. The aerator acts as a sieve, sending a separating single flow of water into many tiny streams. This introduces the air into the water flow. Also because there is less space for the water to flow through, the water flow is reduced. The water pressure is maintained that is why you will not notice a difference in the amount of water coming out. You can also get an aerator with a flow restrictor. They are so cool because you can just flip the switch to stop the flow of water and flip the switch again to start it.

#2 Thermal Curtains

Who could ever think curtains can save you money in the winter and save you money in the summer? Thermal curtains have insulations properties that lower heating cost and prevent drafts around windows. This saves money and is energy-efficient. People living in older buildings with older windows can continue to benefit from adding insulated linings to the curtains. If you happen to have single pane windows thermal curtains are a must have until you are able to purchase energy efficient windows.

Thermal curtains are lined with a fabric that traps a pocket of air between the window and the curtain prevents heat from entering or leaving the house. Thermal fabric blocks light and muffles sound, ideal for a sound sleep.

Thermal curtains are very stylish now and can be found in any department store.

#3 Seal Air Ducts

You can seal all joints with joint tape and insulate ducts exposed to the weather. This could be a pretty big job since you may need to go into the attic but until you can get an energy auditor this will help. Did you know that a quarter of the energy used for heating and cooling is wasted through duct system energy losses?

In many places in the country the ducts (and the furnace and air conditioning coils) are located in attics, crawlspaces, garages, basements and other locations outside the heated or cooled parts of the house. Ducts in these locations not only leak air to and from outside, but any heat lost through the walls of the duct (by heat conduction) is also lost to outside instead of heating and cooling the house. This combination of air leaks and heat conduction losses means that a great deal of the energy (and money!) used to heat or cool the house actually ends up outside.

#4 Efficient Lights Replacing

Efficient lighting replacing has become the number one thing most households will do first in an effort to going green and saving energy. The old bulbs are the incandescent bulb which makes heat and very inefficient. In order to see a major difference in your light bill begin to use fluorescent which uses less power, longer life, and now the cost is relatively the same. The down side is the bulb contains a small amount of mercury so you have to follow manufacturing standards of disposing.

We also have the LED lights which are brighter than fluorescent, energy reduction, and a longer bulb life. The downside they can be costly and you may have to retrofit your existing fixture. But in a manner of months the savings on your bill could equal the price of retrofitting insulation. As the days go by we are finding so many companies stepping up to the plate and training young people to retrofit in older homes and businesses. This has jumpstart the economy in some areas like Detroit and California. Induction lights can be retrofitted as well and is best suited for high ceilings and hard to access places.

#5 Programmable Thermostats

A programmable thermostat is a thermostat which is designed to save you money and adjust the temperature according to a series of settings that you program at different times of the day. They can be called setback thermostats or clock thermostats.

Heating and cooling losses from a building become greater as the difference in temperature increases. A programmable thermostat allows reduction of these losses by allowing the temperature difference to be reduced at times when the reduced amount of heating or cooling would not be objectionable.

America, Bringing Sexy to Green!

The United States of America is known for many things like restaurants, sports teams, Wall Street, NY, Hollywood, banking, diversity and a host of other things. To top it all, the Unites States of America is one of the top countries that most people want to live in. But the United States will be known for one more thing if certified green consultants have their way, a country that is bringing sexy to green with the most certified Green businesses!

 

What does bringing sexy to green mean? It means innovation, transparency, resiliency, people building skills and the anticipation of something greater to come in the green industry. We are not just talking light bulbs and solar panels; we are talking about major exciting changes that are going to make the world take notice. The green industry is sexy and the United States will lead the way.

 

Certifying and preparing businesses for green practices creates jobs, creates transparency and creates sustainability. If a business is overpaying in utilities and other wasteful practices, how can the CEO justify hiring. But all of this is about to change. Any business in the United States can go on a website and use free software called “green path assessment” which list different green practices. They are divided into pull-downs by category and you need only check the ones that you have accomplished. A point calculator will calculate the pending Green Points for your effort. Once your company has progressed to the first 100 points you are ready for an in house audit by a certified green consultant. Once the audit is done and your company is rank certified, your business will now be listed as a Certified Green Business that reduces carbon footprints, makes the CEOs and stakeholders happier, saves money, and has increase the hiring process.

 

Chamber of Commerce, business associations, environmental committees, and city and community leaders should encourage others as well to use this free software. If we train students and displaced workers in entry level green jobs, businesses that are certified green will more than likely want to work with green skilled workers, thus jobs will remain plentiful along with skill workers. We need to help our schools, non profits and other organizations embrace training teens and adults in entry level green jobs.

 

There are roughly 23 million small businesses in the United States of America. If every small business was certified green how much water wouldn’t be wasted or electricity being used and the amount of time employees are out on leave because of Sick Building Syndrome. We could reduce asthma and respiratory diseases in half as well as other ailments. Simply adding plants to the work area could dramatically reduce bad air quality. Little green practices like this goes along way and that in itself is sexy!

How Charlotte will Bring Sexy to Green!

How Charlotte will bring Sexy to Green!

Charlotte, NC is known for many things like restaurants, sports teams, banking, festivals and a host of other things. To top it all, the Democratic National Convention will be heading to this world class city in 2012. But Charlotte will be known for one more thing if Denise L. Jackson has her way, a city that is bringing sexy to green with the most certified Green businesses.

Denise L. Jackson is a certified green consultant and trainer who knows firsthand how certifying and preparing businesses for green practices create jobs, creates transparency and creates sustainability. If a business is overpaying in utilities and other wasteful practices, how can the CEO justify hiring. But all of this is about to change. Any business can go on the website and use this free software called “green path assessment” which you will be able to access a series of assessment sheets. They are divided into pull-downs by category and you need only check the ones that you have accomplished. A point calculator will calculate the pending Green Points for your effort. Once your company has progressed to the first 100 points you are ready for an in house audit by a certified green consultant. Once the audit is done and your company is rank certified, your business will now be listed with the Green Business League, another highly regarded organization such LEED, ISO or Energy Star.

Certification can be done within 30 days and once certified your company can add-on a variety of additions such as LEED, ISO or Energy Star. We invite the Chamber of Commerce, business associations, environmental committees, and city and community leaders to use this free software. Denise L Jackson says, “If we train students and displaced workers in entry level green jobs, businesses that are certified green will more than likely want to work with green skilled workers, thus jobs will remain plentiful and the skill workers will already be in our city.” We need to help our schools, non profits and other organizations embrace training teens and adults in entry level green jobs.

Charlotte will bring sexy to green because this is a world class and innovative city. Charlotte will have an enormous skilled green workforce and hundreds of Certified Businesses. Business owners who are transparent, who are innovative, embraced by the community and can hire, will draw attention to this city especially during the Democratic National Convention. There’s still time. This is what bringing sexy to green will mean and maybe just maybe other cities will follow our lead and jobs and green practices will be abundant in this great country. Sage Spa and Salon in Wilmington, NC is the first Green Certified Salon in Wilmington but who will be the first restaurant, hotel, school or dental office to be Certified Green in Charlotte? Certifications are celebrated because it is a big sexy deal!

Denise L. Jackson is a Certified Life/Career Coach and a Certified Green Consultant. She has worked in the banking and finance industry for more than 15 years training interns and new graduates. She decided to embark on a new career coaching teens and young adults and soon started Enhance My Skills, an e-mentoring/e-coaching online company preparing teens and young adults for the marketplace. Quickly afterwards she created Mo-Active Learning Series, a compilation of workbooks that combines motivation, activation and skill building for the marketplace. Denise also has a heart for the environment and therefore starting training others to become certified in entry level green occupations. She can be reached at 704-910-2250 or email at info@enhancemyskills.com. Please visit www.deniseljackson.com.

“I Have to Do What to Get into College?”

In case you haven’t notice school has started and now is the time for juniors and seniors who are preparing for college to get in gear. Time management is critical now because this is the time you will be filling out so many applications, forms, essays, etc. They all have a cutoff time or deadline. It is imperative that every student who is interested in college purchase a calendar big enough to write information inside the date. Hang the calendar up so family members can see what is going on as well just in case they have to remind you of some important deadline that is looming around the corner.

This simple guide is a mean to keep you on track but please be aware the months and time listed could or has change. Chances are if you use the calendar and make good use of your time the college preparation will be smooth sailing. Managing your time during your senior year will be critical since you will have the prom, senior trips and a host of other things. If for any reason you may feel overwhelmed or stressed please inform your parents or your counselor for added help.

Juniors

 

September

• Meet with school counselor, career specialist or graduation coach ( meeting should address how to get financial aid, searching for scholarships, and testing dates for PSAT)

 

October

• Take the test for PSAT (prepares you for the SAT)

 

November

• Start researching for private and government financial aid

 

December

• Probably receive results from PSAT
• Sign up for ACT (319-337-1270ph) test which is in February

 

January

• Make a list of colleges you may be interested in

 

February

• Sign up for the SAT (866-756-7346) test which is in March
• Go over the list of colleges with your counselor

 

March

• Visit college campuses
• Take SAT
• Keep researching for scholarships, especially local ones

 

April

• Should sign up for May/June SAT
• Take ACT
• Look for summer job

 

May

• Attend college fairs and ask questions about financial aid, curriculum, student life, etc
• Volunteer
• Enroll in a local college for a class
• Make your summer count, do constructive things

 

June

• Take ACT

 

July/August

• Work on your resume
• Write for private scholarships applications
• Make copies of all documents and date them
• Build a portfolio, now is the time to brag about oneself, if you can dance-video tape, if you can write-put samples together, begin to show your personality, now you will be prepare just in case a college needs these types of things
• Practice writing your essays while you are not in school, senior year will be very busy
• Practice time management skills so you will not feel overwhelm when you are a senior
• Contact for example dance directors of colleges you would like to attend and inquire about dance scholarships

 

Seniors

September

• Meet with guidance counselor and career coach to talk about your scores from last year tests
• Talk about financial aid with parents and guidance counselors
• Sign up for the ACT in October or for the SAT
• Check your transcript and medical records for errors and make sure they are updated
• Begin to write to colleges for applications

• Get your recommendations from teachers, employers, coaches, etc (Give ample time for them to do the recommendations)
• Pick up a copy of CSS Profile Registration Guide from your counselor
• Give all forms that colleges require and follow up to make sure the letters are mailed on time.

 

October

• Begin to send in applications
• Go to college fairs to narrow choices
• Make sure test scores and transcripts have been sent out and received by the college
• Check over your essays
• Continue to make copies of everything and date them

 

November

• File for FAFSA at www.fafsaonline.com

 

December

• File for the last of college applications
• If you file for early decision you should have your answer by now

 

January

• Tell guidance counselor to send in your transcript of grades to colleges you are applying to
• Finish up the work on FAFSA with your parents, no later than February 1

 

February/March

• Review your SAR (Student Aid Report), if you have not received it yet within 4 weeks of filling out FAFSA please call 1-800-4FED-AID
• If you have errors in any of your applications please fix immediately

 

April

• Should receive reward letters for financial aid
• Finalize your decision on what school you are going to
• Notify other colleges of your decision (whether you accept or decline)

 

May

• Get all funds ready for school tuition
• Complete housing/meal plan if you are staying on campus
• If you are in AP Program, take AP exams

 

June

• Request your school send in final transcript to the college you will be attending
• Notify the college of your private funding or grants you will or have received
• Enjoy your graduation, the parties, the gifts