Youth use their creativity to plant hope in Anacostia for the 20th Annual Global Youth Service Day

Creative Cause, Youth Service America, and State Farm Foundation join youth on this day

WASHINGTON, DC (April 23, 2008)—Last week during the Pope's visit in our nation's capitol, he spoke of ‘America as a land of opportunity and hope; yet it has become elusive for some.’ This Saturday, youth are planting hope in the community east of the river through volunteer service to create a community of hope.

Hosted by Creative Cause, the 2nd Annual Plant Hope in the City event commemorates Global Youth Service Day in partnership with Washington Middle School for the Girls and DC Young Women’s Leadership Committee.

This Saturday, April 26th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the home of Washington Middle School for the Girls in the Washington View Apartments’ Community Room, youth and volunteers will be joined by Steven A. Culbertson, president of Youth Service America and State Farm Foundation staff.

At the free community event, youth, mentors, and volunteers will develop a youth-driven arts project using the “Plant Hope” theme reflecting the community that they wish to see and live. Also they lunch, certificates, giveaways and a chance to win Plant Hope t-shirts will be available.

“As the Pope mentioned, we have a choice to plant the seeds of hope in our community and create opportunities of community empowerment through service leadership and creativity,” said Tambra Stevenson, resident of Ward 8 and founder of Creative Cause. “For us, hope means helping other people everyday. Creative Cause encourages hope in people to use their creativity to make a positive impact in their communities.”

Creative Cause and well over 120 national organizations are helping organize Global Youth Service Day this year along with Youth Service America and 32 international organizations.

Creative Cause’s Plant Hope project, a recipient of the State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grant is proud to participate again in Global Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world involving over 3 million youth in highlighting their contributions to the betterment of their communities through voluntary service.

"When it comes to changing your community, creativity is key. I am proud to team up with Creative Cause in their effort to provide a fun, creative outlet for young people in Southeast that will give them a chance to begin rebuilding their own neighborhood," says Loryn Wilson, the 2008 youth ambassador for Plant Hope and George Washington University student. "Plant Hope is about thinking globally while addressing the local issues youth face, such as crime and pollution. My hope is that the youth today can not only have fun and use their creative gifts, but will leave with the responsibility of giving back to their communities.”

“The State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning grant winners demonstrate unprecedented global caring and initiative, showing the world that young people can be leaders today, not in some distant tomorrow,” says Steve Culbertson, president and CEO of Youth Service America.

"Young people around the world are experiencing fundamental necessities of democracy - the ability to serve and give back to their community - while gaining academic and workplace readiness skills that are valued by State Farm. We share a common belief that our young people are not tomorrow's leaders, they are leaders today,” says Edward B. Rust Jr., Chairman and CEO, State Farm.

Limited visitor parking and seating is available. Please register in advance at www.planthope.eventbrite.com or via email info@planthope.org. More information about this event can be viewed at www.planthope.org.

Creative Cause is a Washington, DC-based social enterprise dedicated to using creativity to raise awareness and action on social causes and encourage the next generation of leaders to harness their creativity to address social issues in their community. We accomplish this by hosting educational, outreach and community service events throughout the year. To learn more about how to get involved and support Creative Cause, contact Tambra Stevenson at tambra@creativecause.org and visit www.creativecause.org.

The 20th annual Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), the largest volunteer event in the world, will be held April 25-27, 2008. GYSD is the largest service event in the world, engaging millions of young Americans and focusing national attention on the amazing leadership of young people. Serve DC has led the citywide event for the sixth year in a row, mobilizing District youth and their families to participate in various creative community service projects

Plant HOPE in Anacostia

What does hope look like when firmly planted in a community filled with poverty and despair? Let's find out together when we hold the 2nd Annual Plant HOPE project on Saturday, April 26, 2008 in Washington, DC for Global Youth Service Day.

With support from Youth Service America and State Farm, Creative Cause and young professionals will work on creative projects capturing the theme of Plant Hope in Anacostia with students from Washington Middle School for Girls. To get involved with Plant Hope and Global Youth Service Day, email info@planthope.org.

Last April at McKinley Technology High School young professionals from the community volunteered to lend their creativity working with students from the YouthBUILD USA program on various projects including community gardening.

"Plant Hope is an opportunity that each of us have an opportunity to make a positive impact--small or large--in other people's lives and our own to be shining example of hope," said Tambra Stevenson, founder of Creative Cause.

Creative Cause is a Washington, DC-based social enterprise dedicated to using creativity to raise awareness and action on social causes and encourage the next generation of leaders to harness their creativity to address social issues in their community. We accomplish this by hosting educational, outreach and community service events throughout the year. We work to find creative innovative solutions to significant domestic and international problems and develop campaigns and foster a community and creative industry that is "socially responsible."

Global Youth Service Day is the largest annual celebration of young volunteers, where millions of young people in countries everywhere highlight and carry out thousands of community improvement projects.

The Tale of Two HOPEs

Originally when I developed Plant HOPE, I focused on what we needed to do for ourselves by having optimism, perserverance and enthusiasm on life. After my father passed, it took on another meaning of helping other people everyday. Given the overall shift in morale in America, I still believe as I did post-Katrina that we need both kinds of Plant HOPE.

Most recently HOPE took on an issues of HIV: HIV Outreach is a Path to Empowerment. With HIV/AIDS on the rise in our nation's capitol, we must create an environment of empowerment. When we think about the stigma that still exists in our communities that drives some people out of town in fear of perception, we must plant HOPE in people. We must not allow our lack of education on this issue to hinder the peace, dignity and humanity that we all deserve.

The essence of humanity is value the spiritual being as we travel through a human experience. Sometimes we loose sight of that but have the opportunity to regain and give what we wish to have in return, which is more hope. Because without hope, there is no future. We see this 'lack of hope' in family members, friends, colleagues, and classmates. That 'lack of hope' can turn into destructive use of energy such as violence to oneself or others. And in other cases, people look like the walking dead. They are physically free, but mentally enslaved. Two ways to break those chains are by planting hope in ourselves, which I believe is the foundation that blossoms into the second kind that plants hope in others. Frankly we can't fully give what we do not have. So if you have no hope for yourself, how can you truly have compassionate hope for others?

April, a Month for Hope

The saying, "April showers bring May flowers," must have some truth. Because April has been a challenging month for many people across America and the world. Today marks the anniversary of Columbine tragedy where two teenage students carried out a shooting rampage killed twelve students and a teacher as well as wounding twenty-four others, before committing suicide.

This day also marks 14 days since the funeral of my father, retired Corporal Hill of Oklahoma City, on Good Friday. And yesterday was the anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City. While off duty, he volunteered that day and was commended for his valiant efforts. That's my dad always helping other people every day. Also today has been declared by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association as Hokie Hope; community supporters are wearing orange and burgundy, the school's colors. Given all that has occurred just in America alone, I think we need some hope. So tomorrow, April 21, we are going to plant hope in the city through arts and park beautification at McKinley Tech high school in Washington, DC. Learn more at www.postcardsfromkatrina.com.

Plant Hope in the City this Saturday

In the wake of tragedy on the campus community of Virginia Tech, the Plant Hope initiative becomes even more relevant and important. We must help and provide hope to communities, families and students. We can do this through taking time out to talk, give a hug, a smile, and a thank you.

Hope doesn't cost much and goes a longer way than dope. Everyone can plant hope from teachers, students, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers. We will still the hope from a child, there is no future or consequence for them to think in their moment of chaos that leaves a sustained depression in the soil of the community. So if we to grow a future we must plant hope. Otherwise weeds will surely grow indeed. Hope means helping other people everyday.

This Saturday we will kick off the Plant Hope pilot initiative at McKinley Tech High School starting at 9AM in Washington, DC. To learn more and become a volunteer register at www.postcardsfromkatrina.com. Send questions to tambra at planthope dot org.

Remembering a Community Servant of Hope

Oklahoma City firefighters express what fellow firefighter,

Calvin C. Hill, Jr. meant to the community, family, friends and brethren.

View news story as aired on KSBI-TV

http://www.ksbitv.com/home/6828287.html?video=YHI

Why plant hope?

When there is hope, there is a future. - Tambra Raye Hill Stevenson

With the surge of violence sweeping across our communities, one must raise the question of what are they doing about it. Violence doesn't happen on it's on...it represent a sympton of root shock (as written by Dr. Mindi Fullilove of Columbia University). Traumatic events like issues surrounding Hurricane Katrina and personally the death of my father may trigger elevated stress and impeding progress on a personal and community level if one allows. I choose hope. I choose to plant hope in me, family and community.

Violence (including that which is self-inflicted) is merely an outward expression of the lack of love within (one's self). Through my family, faith and God within my soul, I know I am loved; consequently violence doesn't win. Love truly can concur all. This discovery didn't happen over night. It took countless hours of meditation, journaling, spending time with family, self, reading and creating art and thinking about the world around and my internal world.

That's why I wrote the poem, Plant Hope. to use the earth elements (soil, flowers, watering, etc) as metaphors to cultivating the hope, faith, love, joy and peace within and from the soul (soil) love and hope can grow reaching wide and high into the community ultimately impacting positively all those who come near to the plant called HOPE.

What is root shock?

Root shock is the traumatic stress reaction to the destruction of all or part of one’s emotional ecosystem. This metaphor is taken from botany. Plants suffer from root shock when they are relocated from one place to another. The loss of the familiar soil–with its particular texture and balance of nutrients–and the inevitable damage to the root system cause the plant injury or early death.

Top Ten Ways to Plant Hope

•Smile today.
•Create art.
•Volunteer in your community.
•Mentor a student.
•Write a support letter for youth programs.
•Think and talk positive.
•Journal your thoughts.
•Be the change you wish to see in your community.
•Develop a community garden.
•Start a community coalition.

These tips are just a few ways you can plant hope. There are countless ways to make a difference. Simply think about an issue in your life, work, school and community. Then ask yourself if you don't do who will. And your answer has arrived: YOU! Yes you must be the change you wish to see. Hope starts here with me and you. So let's plant hope together.

What is an issue that you have? And what are you doing about it?

My start of planting hope

With majority of my family in the South helping Southern communities through public service is very important to me. That's why I am came to Washington, DC to learn how to make a difference for my community on a national landscape. The voice of rural America sometimes appears underrepresented and undervalued in the North. So I like to call myself an unofficial 'ambassador' of Oklahoma. Note: Yes, Oklahoma is technically Southwest Central (mainly the South by US Census.)

However working at the national level wasn't enough for me. So in January 2006, I traveled with my alma mater, Tufts University, gutting homes, painting, removing debris and most importantly planting hope. After volunteering in the Gulf region with rebuilding efforts over the past year (which ultimately influenced my job change), I can only reflect on what the mere presence of volunteers meant to the residents of the Gulf coast (where I have family) .

From then I created Postcards from Katrina to collect stories of hope and help from people impacted by Hurricane Katrina. From Katrina survivors I received gratitude from keeping the memory and message going when they felt to weary. The 2010 x 2010 goal is to collect 2010-plus postcards by year 2010 for the Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina to have on display as an art exhibit online and offline. So far I have over 300-plus cards. I have outreach events, art healing workshops to address issues of post traumatic stress and have people make postcards or simply have them sign a large community postcard of hope.

Sometimes while in the moment we may not recognize the little deeds we do and how they can impact others. But the lives we touched have been left with a soothing impression. With every pain there must be a gain. And our little deeds represent the 'gain' or better yet a hope for a better tomorrow. So never doubt what a smile, a hug, a nice note, flowers, kind words or just time can do for someone.

Just in the past few days my family and I have received and out poor of condolences, comments, concerns and compasionate care from friends and thoughtful people. I am truly thankful for their outward pour of expression.

I hope through my small deeds that my spirit lives beyond my human frame as my father has touched so many others. I look forward to posting photos, video and comments.

What does it mean to plant hope?

"Plant HOPE" means to help other people everyday. You can serve, give, support, care, and help in so many ways. My father served as an Oklahoma City firefighter for 26 years including the Oklahoma City bombing, helped in the community to improve housing conditions, and gave his time to support causes that he cared about like Toys for Tots. I am continuing his legacy to plant hope through Creative Cause's programs like Postcards from Katrina and Plant Hope. In the words of Gandhi, I believe we are the 'change' that we wish to see in the world.