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| Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter. Keats Photography by Denise Blasor |
HELPING REFUGEES AT CHRISTMAS
Za'atari is a refugee camp that was built in Jordania in July
2012. Today it is home to 120,000 refugees escaping the
mayhem taking place in their homeland, Syria.
"In Za'atari, the dispossession is absolute. Everyone has lost his
country, his home, his equilibrium," wrote New Yorker Magazine
Editor David Remnick in a story published in August 2013.
His harrowing piece describes what it's like to live in a refugee
camp and the horrors experienced by its residents. At one point,
Remnick mentions a couple with three children.
"They had come from Homs, where their house had been shelled.
'The mother had just given birth, and two of the kids, their faces
were completely deformed - and the father's arms, too, as he tried
to save them from the fire. These children are disfigured and their
lives are scarred forever. The mother refuses to let them go near
any mirrors.'"
To be a refugee is surely a brutal experience and unfortunately
it is one that is becoming increasingly familiar in our current
troubled times as people escape the vicious violence and
political turbulence engulfing many countries.
The International Rescue Committee is a global humanitarian aid
and relief organization devoted to helping refugees around the world.
As with most charitable groups it depends on the financial kindness
of people to fund the amazing work it carries out with such dedication.
This Christmas, as you enjoy the pleasures of the season
and shop for family and friends, consider sharing your good fortune
with those who don't have it as good as you. Making a donation
that can help alleviate somebody else's hard life takes no effort and
you don't even have to spend a whole lot of money.
IRC has a whole list of "lifesaving, life-changing gifts" that one
can choose to make. They range from emergency care for a child
($23), mosquito nets ($18 for one) and a solar lamp & charger
($25) children ($68), a safe delivery ($24), a new classroom ($240),
lifesaving cholera treatment ($190) and women's small business
training ($192).
The most popular gift costs $58: one year of school for a child.
An education is a wonderful gift. In the stirring words of Nobel
Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, "One child, one teacher, one
book, and one pen, can change the world. "
Ninety two percent of all funds raised by IRC go to programs,
with only 5% going to covering administrative costs and 3% to
fundraising, a high benchmark for a charity.
Donate online at Rescue.org/gifts or call 1.855.9RESCUE
to make a donation by phone.
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| Photography by Denise Blasor A heart in love beats the same at 14 as at 80. Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba |
TIMBIRICHE WEEK-END
San Juan: The Timbiriche Fair brings artists
and craftsmen together in a celebration of creativity and it's
back again at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico
in the historic Rafael M. de Labra building at stop 18 in Santurce.
If you are looking for special gifts to give this holiday season,
this is definitely the place to come. Last year's edition of the
crafts fair offered a wide array of gift options and this year is
sure to be no exception. Areas covered include jewelry,
furnishings, clothing, books and more.
The fair runs from Dec. 19 through 21.
This is a wonderful opportunity to support local artists.
Don't miss it!
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In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on. Robert Frost |
A SIMPLE TIP
Baby powder comes in handy when grease gets on your
cotton clothes. Dab the spot generously with powder, leave
overnight, and by next morning the spot should be gone.
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☛ EYE ON PRODUCTS:
Hilary's Eat Well Veggie Burger
The best foods are those made from scratch, of course, but
sometimes, either because you are in a hurry or maybe you
are curious to try something new, you turn to a packaged
product.
Hilary's Eat Well Veggie Burger touts itself as the "world's
best" veggie burger and hyperbole aside, this product is
not only tasty but all the ingredients in it are real and organic.
Here is the list: millet, quinoa, expeller pressed coconut oil,
sweet potato, greens, onion, psyllium husk powder,
arrowroot powder, apple code vinegar, garlic, salt and water.
The package includes two patties that are easily cooked in a
pan on a stove top. The burgers are free of corn, gluten, yeast,
dairy, egg, soy and nut. They are non GMO verified and are
available in San Juan at Freshmart stores.
Hilary's World Best Veggie Burger made its debut at Hilary
Brown's restaurant Local Burger in Lawrence, Kansas.
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| Photography by Denise Blasor "He wanted to pack his heart with gunpowder and blow it up." E. L. Doctorow, "Ragtime" |
© 2014 Lorraine Blasor all rights reserved
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