Lil' Oprah's Do-Gooders

Michelle and the African orphanage

2008-04-24T23:55:00.000-07:00

A word from Lil' Oprah about Michelle:

Michelle's nick name is "Bella" - beautiful - and she is, from the inside out. The first time I met her she was saying a powerful prayer to bless our mutual friend Danielle before she went on stage. She's got a laugh that makes you feel like you're 12 again, and a zest for life that is exciting to be around. She's the best parts of being girly and grown up all rolled into one.

Michelle's Story:

I’ve known Kalimba for a few years now. She’s the best friend of my close friend Danielle. I’ve always known she was talented, passionate and nice but I had no idea that she was also philanthropic. And, of course, like a true giver she never said anything herself. Recently, she sent me an email and I noticed her Lil’ Oprah blogspot signature at the bottom. Curious, I checked it out … I was feeling a little low that night. I was feeling very sad because a relationship I cared about had just ended. I was really in my head and feeling sorry for myself. As I clicked onto her link, I didn’t know what to expect. But as I read through her mission and then a few of the posts, I was touched. Then I read a post that made a huge impact. It’s the one from Greg where he gave the $20 to the homeless man who gave him and his daughter Shree so much more in return. I’m not sure why that post hit my deeply but it did. I felt my heart crack open and I started sobbing. As I cried I realized how self absorbed my life had become the past few months. I had been going through a lot of transition with career, home and relationship and was totally consumed with things that suddenly became unimportant as I read through Kalimba’s blog. I was inspired.

That night I made a commitment to serve, give back. And, the place I wanted to begin was with TunaHAKI (www.tunahaki.org), a nonprofit benefitting orphans in Tanzania that my friend Scott Fifer founded. TunaHAKI is an orphanage where the children don’t even have basic needs like food and shoes. Scott found this organization when he went to Africa on a “Volunteer Vacation” where he was assigned to the orphanage. He fell in love with the kids, came home, quit his high profile Hollywood writer career and has been devoted ever since. Alone, he has raised over $500,000, bought land to build a new school and retained “green” architects to begin this year. His life is an example of what one person can do.

I had always wanted to help him but never followed through. I contacted him that night and asked where and how he could use my help. He told me the timing was great because he was just about to begin planning a black tie Ball for TunaHAKI and would like my help. I was happy to help and we made a plan to meet the following week. To date, we’ve had a couple meetings as we plan and organize a beautiful event for the worthy children of TunaHAKI. But that’s just the beginning …

Once Kalimba and I started corresponding about how much her blog moved and inspired me, she passed along an application link to Oprah’s White House Project and suggested I would be a perfect candidate for the conference. She was right! As I read through, it I got chills because I knew I had to be there – networking with different types of amazing women (just like kali) who all want to make a difference. The problem was that I didn’t have an idea that was “just right” for this conference. So, I passed it along to my TunaHAKI friend Scott Fifer and it turned out he had another project perfect for this conference, and that this could be the perfect venue to launch from. Together, we worked on the application for about eight hours and then clicked SEND! I will know by May 2nd if I was selected out of over 3000 applicants but regardless of the outcome, it felt so good to work on it.

I found that when I got out of my own story and into the act of helping others, I felt alive. None of this would’ve happened had I not clicked on Lil’ Oprah’s blogspot. So, Kalimba’s $20 goes to TunaHAKI and I’m matching the amount.

In gratitude and appreciation for opening my heart, Michelle

Clark and The Conservatory

2008-04-24T23:32:00.000-07:00

A word from Lil' Oprah about Clark:

Clark is a fellow southerner and for that reason alone I adore him. Fortunately for all that know him, his charm extends far beyond this simple fact. He's patient beyond all reason, he's a fantastic cook, and he's got one of the most unique writing voices I've ever read. He's both gifted and a gift and I love being in his presence.

Clark's Story~
I attended public schools in the 1970s and 80s when arts education programs were strong and diverse. Yes, even in deep-fried Alabama, the state legislature recognized the importance of the arts. They even established the Alabama School of Fine Arts, my alma mater.

I've always made my living as a writer. I chalk that up to my early exposure to various arts disciplines, all of which made me well-rounded when it came to expressing myself. I never particularly excelled at drama or music, but acting in plays and blowing saxophone in the high school band showed me how being a team player can express one's individuality. It helped me understand how difficult yet rewarding it can be to create something.

In today's school systems, arts education is often put on the chopping block for budgetary reasons. Short-sighted, numbers-oriented bureaucrats fail to recognize that exposure to the arts makes for smarter, happier, more productive people. Instead, too many of our public schools are being reshaped into worker education camps for future Wal-Mart employees. That means I probably won't have much competition for writing jobs in the future, but forgive me if I still think it's a cryin' shame.

Until we reorient, refocus, and re-fund arts education in America, we'll depend mightily on any and all extracurricular programs trying to take up the slack. One of the most amazing examples is the Silverlake Conservatory of Music here in LA. http://www.silverlakeconservatory.com/silverlakenew2.html

Founded in 2001 by Flea, the bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the non-profit Conservatory's goal is to get children playing music. Flea says that without his school's music programs, he might've picked up knives or guns instead of the bass. The Conservatory is his amazing way of providing similar opportunities for today's kids.

Classes are open to adults and children for just $25 per half-hour, but the focus is providing free music classes (and instruments) to children year-round. Operating costs come from donations fundraiser concerts. Artists like Eddie Vedder, the Ditty-Bops, Jack Black and Damien Hirst have given their time and talents to these showcases. And there are recitals throughout the year, featuring student ensembles such as the Not More Than 20-Peace Orchestra, the Funk All-Stars Workshop, and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble.

This weekend I grabbed a fine cuppa joe from Intelligentia next door and sat a while watching the traffic in and out of the Conservatory. A mom trailed her young shaggy-haired son as he marched in, drumsticks rapping a mean rhythm on his thighs. A thin teenage girl sat nearby, studying sheet music while her fingers moved absently on an invisible keyboard. Later, an old lady strode purposely down the sidewalk carrying a battered violin case. She was smiling as she anticipated her upcoming lesson. Had she played the violin when she was younger? Or had she owned this violin for years, and was now finally enjoying the opportunity to take lessons? Maybe she was just here to donate the violin to a child who didn't have one.

Inside the Conservatory, you hear the distant plink of a piano, the low rumble of a brass horn being tuned, and the piercing squeak of someone learning to play a woodwind. I hadn't had a saxophone lesson in decades but already I felt at home.

I spent time talking to a nice staffer, who was immensely grateful when I presented my $20 donation. She said it would go to the summer scholarship program for children. And damned if she didn't convince me to do something more than donate. It appears that I'll soon be taking up
the saxophone again after all these years.In a Conservatory newsletter, I found this amazing testimonial:

"My name is David and I am 10 years old. I love music because it is fun and relaxing. When I was in the hospital I always thought about playing the guitar. I am home now and I am enjoying the guitar lessons. Playing the guitar is a new experience for me in my life because I was sick for eight years with leukemia. Now I'm so happy!"

We all need the opportunity to make music in our lives. Thanks, Kali, for reminding me of that.

Jake and the Small Business

2008-03-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

A word from Lil' Oprah about Jake:

Jake has come in and out of my creative life for the past eight years, always with unbridled enthusiasm and an amazing smile on his face. Whenever I hear from him he's about to hop on a plane, give to some great cause or participte in a fantastic project. He's a fire eating wild child, a travelling artist, and a kindred spirit.

Jake's Story:

El Batey is a local grocery store in Echo Park, owned by a Latino family for 30 years. The owner - one of the nicest women I've ever met, and who asked not to have any pictures taken of her, nor her name used - is an Echo Park legend. She knows everyone, and seems to really care about the local community and its well being. The store has great prices, and great selection, but ever since the gentrifrication of Echo Park started several years ago, business has been down. This is due to two issues - 1) the increase of corporate supermarkets (i.e. Vons, Ralphs, 7/11, etc.) throughout the Echo Park area, and 2) the fact that she cannot afford a credit card system, and thus takes cash only. Most of the new residents in Echo Park tend to use their credit cards, and thus she loses out on a ton of business.

My original idea was to give her the $20 towards a credit card system for the store, and put out a donation box for just this purpose. Running the idea by her, she said that she had been saving up for one, but did not want to ask for any type of donations. She is probably one of the most prideful people I've ever met, and thus it is understandable why she would not be comfortable asking for any type of help with this necessity.

After much convincing, she finally did take the $20, and thanked me profusely. It was a great feeling to not only help local, small business, but also a woman that I have grown very close too in a short period of time.

Jennifer and the Dalmation

2008-03-04T16:06:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' Oprah about Jennifer:

Getting to know Jennifer over the last 6 or so years has been like slowly unwrapping a wonderful present. She's an incredible portrait artist, throws a fabulous party that is planned perfectly to the tiniest detail, and is killer on a tambourine. Each time I spend time with her and her husband Andy, I feel wrapped up in goodness and am charmed by her gentle spirit and her awesome sense of humor.

Jennifer's Story:

When I first got Kalimba’s email about the $20, my immediate thought was that I’d turn her down, thinking that I didn’t have time to come up with a plan for the money. Then an idea popped into my head. From time to time at work, when I need an escape, I enjoy going to the website of a SoCal Dalmatian rescue organization and looking at the Dalmatians who are up for adoption. I look at their sweet, innocent faces and dream of the day when Andy and I have the home and financial resources that will allow us to adopt a rescued Dalmatian. I particularly remembered one Dalmatian girl, whose story nearly made me cry when I read it a few months ago:

“Beautiful Violet was found the day before Thanksgiving 2007 emaciated, starving, drinking dirty water off the city streets and barely able to stand & walk. She was about 24 hours away from death. There were people all around but everyone ignored her until a wonderful kind hearted soul turned her car around and rescued her. She then contacted Save the Dalmatians for help. Once we heard Violet's story we knew immediately we had to find a way to help this poor girl, who was also covered with infected sores and was blind in one eye. She obviously had a strong will to survive. For all that she has been through Violet has one of the sweetest and most loving temperaments anyone could ask for.

Save the Dals brought Violet to the vet and found that she is approximately 7 to 8 years old. She was put on antibiotics to help clear up her infected sores. We had blood work performed on her and she was seen by an eye specialist. It has been determined that she has glaucoma (a painful condition) in one eye and is completely blind. She is currently on medication that hopefully is alleviating her pain. Glaucoma is not common in Dalmatians and it is believed she may have had an injury to the eye that was left untreated. The best course of treatment for her is to surgically remove the eye. While her care and surgery will be costly at nearly $1,000, we are compelled to help this beautiful and sweet tempered Dalmatian find another chance at a wonderful and pain free life and ultimately adopted into a loving permanent home.”

After remembering Violet’s story, I knew I wanted to give Kalimba’s $20 to this organization, a non-profit group run solely by volunteers. Though Violet has already had her surgery, I know the $20 will go towards helping another precious doggie in need.

Kristina and the Pilot

2008-03-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' Oprah about Kristina:

Being in Kristina's presence is like eating the finest piece of dark chocolate in the world. She's sensual, and sweet, powerful, and totally and completely unique. I always leave spending time with her feeling totally indulged and wanting a little more. She's amazing. Not only is she a teacher at the "S" Factor, but she's a serious theatre lover and a gifted director. Here's what she did with her $20.

Kristina's Story:

I paid it forward by doubling what you gave to me and sending a care package along to one of our hard-working soldiers in Iraq found through the website http://www.anysolder.com/ . She's a female helicopter pilot working with a bunch of guys, her name is Jennifer. It felt great to do it and was really fun. Thank you!!

Cynthia the "American Mom"

2008-03-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' Oprah about Cynthia:

Cynthia has the gift of "getting it done". When she puts her mind to something, consider it accomplished. She can be tough as nails, but she is also one of the most sensitive people I know. That duality was a huge blessing during our trip to Asia last October and I felt incredibly blessed to have her as my travel companion. It was a life changing trip for both of us.

Cynthia's Story:

A few months ago, Kalimba and I went on a fantastic adventure to Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. While we were at the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia, we ran into 2 sweet children selling postcards. Although we resisted buying their trinkets, we did end up inviting them to have lunch with us so they could practice their English. Somehow Angelina, I mean, Kalimba, picked up 2 more children along the way. We quickly decided to ditch our sightseeing plans and spent the rest of our time in Cambodia with the kids (who now included 2 siblings, bringing our flock count to 6). We committed to send the children to English school (only $120/year for each child) and upon our return, Kalimba and I sent out e-mails to family and friends to gather donations. I formed a charity, Davana Foundation, for the children as well as other projects close to my heart.
Now, Kalimba and I are the proud "American Moms" of 8 children (yes, we added 2 more!), who are now attending English language school in Cambodia. All the joys of parenthood without the stretch marks! My $20 went to Davana Foundation. Thanks Lil Oprah!

Dennis and the Chef

2008-03-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' O about Dennis:

I've found that it's rare to have a long term friendship in Los Angeles. I met Dennis at a party 10 years ago that neither of us were invited to, and somehow, we've been friends ever since. Maybe it's his biting wit, or his adventurous personality. Perhaps it's his love of travel, or his sweet, sweet moves on the dance floor. Or perhaps it's his beautiful red hair. I'll never know for sure what's kept us in contact for so long, but I do know that I am SO grateful to have him as a friend.

Dennis's Story:

so i have a friend named doug. he is a great guy who loves to cook for his friends. his food is great. doug has been a bartender at a bar he hated since i have known him - about 6 years. after many times trying to get him to quit his job and do something else, hopefully cooking, i had given up and thought that he would continue working as a bartender and living a life he did not enjoy. it was not good for his health.

then he quit. then kalimba asked me to be a part of this. then i could not think of anything super cool and unique and incredible to do. then i remembered the whole idea of a small drop of water...namaste. so i told doug about this and that i wanted the money to go to a fund to get him into culinary school or to cooking classes of some sort. he was into it. his roommate said he would give to the fund too and that his parents were coming to town and they would too. after i gave him the initial twenty i added a twenty of my own. so it begins to hopefully fund a new life for a good friend, chef, and man.

Brent and Our Next President

2008-02-13T12:05:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' O about Brent:

I have never seen Brent in a bad mood and he's one of the most consistently supportive people I know. If that doesn't make for a good man I don't know what does. He has come to every event I have ever produced and does the same for all the people in his life who he loves. One of the most beautiful things about him is that all that love and support come with absolultely no strings attached. He's the kind of person you always want on your team, and I'm blessed to have him on mine.

Brent's Story:

Like many of the Lil' Oprah participants I struggled to figure out the best way to use my $20. In deciding how and where to use the twenty bucks I placed a priority on helping to make a difference in people's lives. I wanted to do something that could make both Oprahs (Lil' and Big) proud. So I put the $20 in my gas tank. Yes, that is correct. I used Lil' Oprah's money to purchase a little over six gallons of 91 octane for my gas-guzzling Infiniti. You are probably wondering why I am using Lil' Oprah's money on fuel and how I could possibly think it would make the two Oprahs proud. Well, I used that six gallons of gas for a good cause: for a trip to Vegas.

Even though I didn't spend one cent at the slots or the tables, I cannot honestly say that the wasn't for a gamble. You see, I went to Nevada, along with thousands of others from around this great nation, to volunteer for Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The Nevada Caucuses were held on Saturday, January 19th and I was there as an active participant. It was one of the most moving experiences of my lifetime thus far.

My journey began around 3 am on my birthday, Thursday, January 17th. That's when I "donated" my Lil' Oprah money to Arco. I made the trip in about four hours. I was assigned not to Vegas proper but to Henderson, a suburb about 15 miles south of Vegas. Henderson is kind of like Vegas with less casinos and a lot more old people. It's a big-time retirement community. Not exactly Obama-country if you've been looking at the election results. Obama tends to do best with people 55 and younger and Henderson is full of 55+ restricted communities. It was in these communities that I spent Thursday through Saturday, knocking on doors for twelve hours each day and making phone calls for a few hours after that.

As daunting as that sounds, it was actually a lot of fun. Even though I had to deal with my share of rude people, most were very courteous and were impressed to see people out going door-to-door for a candidate, even if it was for one that "needs a little more seasoning" as I was told by one nice elderly Edwards supporter. I had some very interesting and lively discussions with people as we politely debated which candidate had the best chance to win in the fall, who had the best ideas, and whether or not America was ready for a black (or a woman) president. It can be be very disheartening to have a door slammed in your face or to futilely deal with someone over the phone who believes the email they received telling them that Barack Hussein Obama is a sleeper muslim jihadist who refuses to salute the flag to be the truth. But it only takes one small victory - one person signing a pledge card to caucus for your candidate - to lift your spirits and keep you moving.

On Saturday, I got up at 5 am and starting putting doorhangers on the doors of supporters reminding them to go Caucus. At 11 am, the Caucuses began and, though as a California resident I could not Caucus, I did participate as an organizer. The Caucus system is very foreign to someone used to primary elections. For one thing, it is very public: no secret ballots here. You are in a room and everyone stands or sits together in groups divided by candidate preference. In order for a candidate to be viable (for them to earn any delegates) they must have the support of at least 15% of the people in the room. In my precinct (a precinct is basically a neighborhood), there were far more supporter of Clinton than Obama. But we were viable and Edwards, who had not yet dropped of the race, with only about six supporters was not viable. I was able to convince five of those Edwards supporters to move over to Obama. The other one went home rather than Caucus for either Obama or Clinton.

We lost our precinct and the overall popular vote of the state of Nevada: 51 to 45%. Still this was something of a small victory given that Obama trailed Clinton by about 20 points in the polls only two weeks before the Caucus. In a less positive light, my Caucus experience was also notable for the large amount of dirty tricks that I and other volunteers witnessed. All this for a state with only 25 delegates at stake. I won't go into detail but you can read more about it here: http://tinyurl.com/3ytaks . I am sad to say that these things actually happened in a Democratic contest in the year 2008. But I don't want negativity to be the theme here. Overall, I had an amazing experience in Henderson, NV. I felt like part of an extraordinary movement and I will always have fond memories of my time there. Thank you, Lil' Oprah, for the gas money.

Kelleia and Tantra

2008-02-13T11:50:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' O about Kelleia:

I have had the pleasure of knowing Kelleia for almost a year now. The first time I met her she had on a glittery silver dress and a white furry hat that made her head look like it was a dandelion. The next time we met I watched her dance in one of the most amazing burlesque shows I have ever seen. She is a dancer, an actress, a writer, a giver, and one of the most direct communicaters I have ever met. W-O-M-A-N, that's her.

Kelleia's Story:

The deeper I take myself into my journey of what it means to be a woman, the experience of sex and sexuality has become a mind-boggling arena of exploration, healing and true intimacy. A few years ago, a book came sailing into my life. An amazing book that offers a new paradigm (or rather, a very, very old one). A paradigm which resonates as truth and brilliance inside my..... well, let's just leave it at inside me.

The book is "Tantric Orgasm for Women" by Diana Richardson.

When searching my heart for how I wanted to share the abundance provided me by the brilliant Kalimba Bennett, I was inspired to pass this book along to a young man with whom I am currently dancing, as it were. He is, to say the very least, divinely inspired (in many arenas) and has vast potential at understanding the subtle energy exchange that can flow between two bodies, two hearts, two spirits. And just as this book was giving to me, I wanted to pass it along, knowing that it can change a life in unimaginable ways...... Thank you, Kalimba!!!

Lars and the Music Girl

2008-02-05T23:39:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' O about Lars:

Lars is one of the most excited people I have ever known and he finds things to love wherever he goes. Within a month of being in Los Angeles, he already had a routine of favorite places to go and favorite things to do. He's a people person like I've never seen before and he has an enthusiastic energy that is totally infectious.

Lars' Story:

Kali B and I met in Sydney, Australia working at the Olympics together in 2000. I always knew that our kindred paths would cross again in a later chapter of our lives and love that we are now neighbors in the LA area. She puts the fa-la-la into this lala land and makes every day feel like Valentine's day. Her 20 bucks are just a creative extension of the love that she naturally emits.

While Kalimba and I have global roots, I felt it important to act locally in passing on her unexpected gift. I live a short walk from the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica and think of it as my playground. I'm often struck by the dichotomy of the affluent and beautiful people who stroll by by day and our homeless neighbors who try to find comfort on the benches at night. Not knowing how best to support those in need, I found someone who is already doing this work for us, transcending what divides us and uniting what is within all of us with her song.

My musical muse is named Chelsea Williams and as a street performer she touches the lives of anyone who hears her angelic voice. Whether dancing with the kiddies or laughing off the awkward advances of the elderly homeless, Chelsea plays the heartstrings of each passer by, rain or shine. This girl was born with a singing soul and has a future so bright you need sunglasses to watch her play that guitar. The other day I was out for a run and ran into her between sets and she bought me a drink with some money from her tip jar. She told me that her car had just broken down and that things were tough as she and her mom are just trying to make it. Kalimba's 20 bucks made their way into Chelsea's tip jar a few weeks later along with a quick story about the matriarch who was passing on the kindness and support. Chelsea was truly touched and added a footnote of her own delivered with a sly smile, "I feel so honored, tell Kalimba that I won't blow it all on blow!"

Sallie the Balloon Girl

2008-01-15T06:50:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' O about Sallie:

Top three things about Sallie: 1) She's wonderfully, wildly creative 2) She's always up for an adventure 3) She's a fantastic friend. Add these to a a mile long list including beautiful, kind, sarcastic, hard working, smart, and you've got yourself a "Sallie". The way she decided to dispurse her $20 is a perfect expression of what I think is fabulous about her.

Sallie's Story:

I received Kalimba's invitation and immediately started brainstorming ways to spend my twenty bucks. I decided I would buy ten silver Mylar balloons to give to various people, with a note attached asking the recipient to pass their balloon to someone else, but not before donating whatever they could to someone in need. Basically, I wanted the balloons to exponentially expand the twenty dollars and reach as many people as possible in a concentrated amount of time. And I would even create a website so people could log their experiences. It was a little overzealous, to say the least.

Back home in Santa Monica, I thought the Promenade would be a great location for my experiment; it was December, people would be out shopping, feeling the holiday spirit. So I created the website (http://www.passtheballoon.com/),bought the balloons from a local party shop, and wrangled my hesitant husband to help distribute them.

It didn't go as well as I'd imagined. First of all, there was this really annoying guy following us around, saying "You can't tie balloons to posts or rails." Assuming he was some sort of Promenade security, we politely agreed we wouldn't and offered him a balloon. He backed away from it as if he saw Satan in its Mylar reflection.

And he wasn't the only one with that reaction. People were highly suspicious of the balloons, and when they saw there was a note attached, they practically ran away before we could say it's for charity. Sometimes we said "Want a balloon?" (sounds too pedophilic), "Human charity experiment!"(sounds strange enough that people would listen for two more seconds), and"Can I give you a balloon to give to someone else?" (worked best, though for some this demanded too much of a commitment).

We eventually found ten people to take the balloons, some excited, some hesitant, some confused. One of them was Kalimba who just happened to be on the Promenade, and at that point I was so frustrated by the lukewarm reception, I forced her to take one. I believe I said, "This is all your fault."

As we walked down the street, we saw balloons floating alongside people we hadn't given them to, so presumably we thought the experiment was going well, people must have been passing them to others. Then we saw some balloons had been abandoned, tied to bike racks and tree fences. Remembering the earlier warning (don't tie balloons to posts or rails) we rescued them.

That¹s when we met the Balloon Man, an elderly gentleman who works on the Promenade selling balloon animals. He asked if we had a permit. We, of course, didn't. He said he was going to call the police. We told him we were just giving the balloons away for a charity experiment. He told us that was illegal. We said ...What?

Then the annoying Promenade security guy marches up. I actually panic for a moment -- but then realize he's not security at all. He's the Balloon Man's overgrown presumably home-schooled son, and it turns out they're both just looking out for business by keeping competing balloons off their street.

A nearby petitioner/busker steps in and says to us You're trying to do something good for people who need it. That [balloon] man's just trying to make money. And your balloons are prettier. We gave him the last balloon and went home.

Over the next few days, I watched the website, waiting for the comments to pour in. They didn't. Days passed. Nothing. Nada. Until finally there was a comment! It was from Kalimba. Of course it was.

Finally realizing the experiment was a bust, I sat down to write this entry.I checked the website one last time, just to be sure, and there it was: the second comment. This time it wasn't from Kalimba, nor was it spam, as I worried it might be. It was from a complete stranger who gave 10 dollars to another stranger all because of a balloon. Balloon number six to be exact.

Ernessa and the Bubble Monkey

2008-01-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' O about Ernessa:

Ernessa T. Carter is shy and can be quiet with new people but has one o f the bawdiest laughs known to man and is a tornado on the dance floor. I have had the GREAT pleasure of working with her creatively. The woman is a genius with comedy and will break your heart with her dramatic writing. There's nobody like her on the planet and I'm lucky enough to call her my friend. Here's what she wrote on her blog about the experience~

Ernessa's Story:

As many of you know, I'm not a huge fan of kids. In fact, I could count on my hands the number of kids I actually like, and only one of the those fingers belong to some one who's not related to me through genes or marriage.So, when my lovely friend Kalimba sent me $20 in the mail and told me to do something "good" with it, I was just as surprised as the next person to find myself picking out toys for The L.A. Derby Dolls' Toy Drive.The thing is that I didn't get a lot of toys as a kid. I've spoken about my mother's general disdain of Christmas, and in this consumerist culture, I go back and forth about whether my husband and I should indulge our future children with non-educational toys.In fact, when I walked into the store, I planned on getting something educational.But then I saw the monkey that blew bubbles.
And though, I was a rather grown-up kid, even I would have freaked out if I got this. I mean the monkey blows bubbles out of it's mouth. C'mon... how magic is that?So here's me buying the monkey and a miniature pinball machine (the 20 in my hand is the one Kalimba sent)......

and then here's me being directed to the Toy Drive box by two Derby Dolls in short skirts.

Yes, I got a beer first. What? Yes, I realize that I'm pretty much all hair in these pictures.And yes, donating toys did somehow make me feel like a kid again .Thanks, Kalimba!To see the rest of Kalimba's giving experiment, go here, and you know, think about doing somethin' nice for somebody in 2008.Much love,etc

Greg, Shree, & Gregory

2008-01-13T12:23:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' Oprah about Greg:

Have you ever known a person who could make anyone laugh? That's Greg. He's rough and tumble, quick, witty, smart, kind and can light up a room like few people I've known. One of his lovliest qualities is that he is an AMAZING father as evidenced by his daughter who is a divine expression of all that is good in the world.

Greg's Story:

I’ve always had a good rapport with homeless people. When I lived in New York I knew all of the transients in my neighborhood and would often stand on the corner and chat it up with them. It never really bothered me that they were there and it certainly didn’t bother me that they were homeless. I used to give change and food almost daily. When I moved to LA and no longer had student loans, scholarship, and help from my folks, I began seeing homeless people a little different. Why help someone when I my self am struggling? I began to realize that we all have choices in life to make that will in the end, keep us afloat in the game of life, or that may cause us to sink to the depths of poverty. I have been poor, or “just getting by”, for about a decade. I’ve always managed to stay afloat. It is my belief that some folks just can’t play the game. Sure, there are those that are homeless because they have some kind of addiction, and there are those that have a genuine mental disorder that keeps them from being able to contribute to society in the norm. However, I think that there are many homeless people that simply can’t play the game. They don’t fit into the rules and parameters of society today. They lack the social skills or work ethic that is needed to keep a job, mix with the fray, pay bills and hold down a home.

The recipient of the 20$, I view as that type of man.

I have seen and known this man for about 8 years now. He spends most of his time sitting on one of the 3 benches on Melrose just south of LA City College. He is a big man that has a shopping cart with his belongings. He wears a lot of clothes no matter the time of year. He has beautiful, bright, dreamy eyes and he radiates kindness. It began as just saying hello to one another as I rode by on my bike or passed him on foot. We would chat from time to time but it was always quick. He is always alert, available, nice and polite. He has never seemed drunk or on any drugs, nor does he seem the least bit crazy. I can, however, see and understand why he is sitting there on the bench and not crammed into some cubicle. He just couldn’t hang.

When Shree, my angel-faced daughter, appeared on the scene in 2005, my encounters with him became more frequent. Shree and I are often on foot or cruising about on our bike. He immediately took to her and treated her with great kindness and love, and as Shree seems to do with everyone, she loved him right back. It is important to me that Shree makes her opinions on people based on who they are and not what they are, and so far, it seems to be working. We never knew his name, we just called him, “our friend”. When we set out looking for him yesterday, and I kept saying, “where’s our friend”...she knew exactly whom I was talking about from the get-go.

I’ve been a bit down in the dumps with money of late, so, when I received this challenge of giving 20 bucks to someone in need, it felt a little silly to me and even a bit wrong. I’m paying bills with credit cards and scrambling for change to buy a cup of coffee. I’ve had to borrow money for gas and diapers. I’ve had to buy a new car and it’s been nothing but trouble. I simply couldn’t think of anyone more “in need” than my self. As for our friend on Melrose, I felt like I wasn’t too far from being just like him...on the streets with a shopping cart. In the end, I had put it off long enough, and I simply needed to fulfill the obligation that I had committed to.

It was dark by the time we walked to our friend with Shree in the stroller. As we walked near to him he was staring with kindness at Shree without realizing that we were someone that he knows. We haven’t seen him for months. We stopped to say hello and he was radiant and as kind as ever. He kept asking about if Shree had a good Christmas. He spoke directly to her. She was carrying a pink flower that she had picked and was showing it to him. He reached out to grab it and it was so beautiful that I asked to take a photo and he said I could. We hung out for a while before he got up and began rummaging through his cart for a present for Shree. He said he had a little toy phone that he wanted to give her and as he searched, he commented on “all the junk” he had. It was getting late and we had to go but I couldn’t find a way to slip the 20$. I liked how we all just felt like friends that were on the same level, and I didn’t want to put him down with a hand out. Unable to find the phone, and desperately wanting to give Pod something, he pulled out his wallet and handed me a dollar bill for Shree. Hilarious...I’m struggling to find a way to give the man some money and he instead, gives us some. So there it is...as it stood, before even giving him the cash, I realized that he had more money than us. I had wanted to go by the Ice Cream shop on the way home to get Shree a treat and I didn’t even have enough money to buy a single scoop. I took the dollar with one agreement, that we do a trade...he agreed, I took the buck, he took the 20$. He didn’t seem surprised, overly grateful or at all taken back. He just took it with the same smile he always has and said, “okay.”

We took our dollar to “Scoops” and dropped it in the employees tip jar before getting a series of sample bites. I’m not sure where our friend gets his money and I really don’t care. I know he doesn’t have a lot of it and that he truly, just gets by. I was happy to give to him as he has given to me for years. There’s little genuine kindness around these parts, and he brings it everyday. I have a nice apartment, he has his bench...I work as often as I can, he watches the world go by...I have many friends, he is alone...we got the dollar, he got the 20$. I feel a kindred connection with this man. I could be like him, and if he could have made different choices to be living more like me. Or may be he couldn’t. Either way, we aren’t very different other than that his kindness seems to flow more readily than mine.

And after all these years, I finally got his name... “Gregory”

Danielle and Diyana

2007-12-27T00:21:00.000-08:00

A Word from Lil' O about Danielle:

Danielle was the first friend I made in Los Angeles 10 years ago - in many ways I feel as though we have grown eachother up. She's a rare combination - equal parts beauty and silliness. She's a complex woman who inspires me and pushes me to be a better person, friend, and human. Here's the letter she wrote to the organization she donated the $20 to~

Danielle's Story:

I have been donating $25 monthly to a little boy through Plan USA for the past 8 years or so and have always wanted to donate to a little girl.

What inspired me to take action was my best fried Kalimba who started a "pay-it-forward" type of experiment.
Basically she gave 6 of her closest friends $20 each and challenged us to see just how far that $20 could go in making a positive change in life of someone in need. She also recently visited Cambodia Thailand and Laos. She met some very special children in great need out there and has collected money to help these children pay for food, supplies and schooling. She inspires me greatly.

And so I have finally took action on something I have been "saying" I wanted to do for quite some time. I had heard another incredible out reach program (much like Kalimba's) helping woman and children in Africa called "Healing Bridges" which was started by a dynamic and soulful woman named Zebiba. Healing Bridges was founded to help women and children in the poverty stricken and war torn African nation of Eritrea. Their mission is to create jobs in Africa for women to support themselves and their families.
Their sponsorship program will provide individual children with a U.S. sponsor to facilitate health, education, family support and a chance to succeed.

I choose Diyana because my mother's name is Diana and I just found her demure and shy spirit in this photograph to be all together sweet and heart-breaking at the same time. I feel that my two monthly sponsored children hold the spirit of the 2 children I plan on having one day.

Warden and the Streets

2007-12-26T23:56:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' O about The Warden:

David A. is a character like no other. He's odd and funny, elusive and sensitive, talented, and genuine and I have come to call him "The Warden" for reasons that are not nearly as funny as the title itself. Here's what he created for the street of NYC with $20~

The Warden's story:

Well, I decided to split the money in two and create a NYC Homeless Helper Package, a package filled with intensity and support. for 10 dollars each (with a few extra dollars from me for each guy) I was able to put together a nice package: -Mainly food-water-multivitamin packs-emergenC packs-sampler size moisturizer-some dentyne ice chewing gum the first guy, who refused to give me his name, is the guy who's wrapped up in the newspaper hat and coat... I asked him what kind of food he wanted and he said he'd just take the cash, but not so fast, this is not a handout for malt liquor or smokes it's for a NYC Homeless Helper package. he finally said he'd just take a couple of helpings from the nearby hotdog vendor cause he was really hungry. i then added those vittles to the existing goodies and tried to talk to him some more but he got really belligerent and ended up telling me to back off and that next i'd wanna know his "dick size" and that i could just "suck on one of the Italian suasages" I got for him. I ended up leaving him to his own privacy.

Sadly, a lot of questions on mental health of the homeless arise here. I hope he had a good meal and uses the other stuff and feels a little better. the second guy, is the tallish gentleman, who told me his name is Garland Wright. He wasn't picky but I recomended he have something hot and hearty and something he'd either never had or something he hadn't had in a long time. So he could really get a kick out of it and feel the warm nourishment entering his system, and the goodness of a delicious meal. He was kind of indecisive. He said he used to really like fish, so I went around the corner to whole foods and got him a huge piece of roasted salmon on a bed of corn and black bean salad and some tomato eggplant bisque and some tortellini. I also stopped and got him some neosporin cause he was telling me how F'd up his feet were, swollen and infected. so i got him some ointment to put up in his game. He was a really nice guy who was originally from Chicago. He used to work in construction but an accident left him injured and down on his luck. I send him the best and hope he gets in to a better situation. i know this brightened his day...

Karen and the Opera

2007-12-26T23:29:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' O about Karen:

Karen has been my best friend since college. She is one of the most brilliant people I know. Her mind is fascinating, she's endlessly funny and you could wrap the whole world up in her heart it's so big. Her aunt Lanie is a beautiful opera singer and her partner Paula is a composer. Here's where her $20 went~

Karen's Story:

I donated your $20 to a workshop for Paula's new opera, The Bridge of San Luis Rey (based on the magnificent Thornton Wilder novel). Lanie reports that the workshop last weekend in Amherst, Mass. was extremely invigorating. So Paula thanks you, Lanie thanks you, and I, as always, thank you. I've also attached a picture of the lovely evening at Lanie and Paula's apartment when I first donated the money to the opera.

Stacy, Shree and the Clinic

2007-12-26T23:21:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' O about Stacy:

Stacy and her daughter Shree will blow your mind with their beauty both inside and out. Shiney, soulful, mischeivious. My life in LA would not be nearly as full if they were not in it. Here's their story of $20~

Stacy's Story:

when kali asked me to do the 20 $'s for good, it didn't take me long to come up with what i wanted to do. i have medi-cal insurance which is a low income healthcare with no co-pay. one saturday night shree had such thick congestion and harsh coughing that i took her into a 24 hr clinic. I was under the impression that the clinic was always covered by my insurance, but it turned out that weekend visits cost fifty dollars. This was a ton of money to me that particular month. I decided to trust and spend the money, not able to bear listening to my sweet shree's wheezing through her congestion, even if it put us further from paying the already daunting rent.This story almost immediately came to mind when kali challenged me to do good with twenty bucks. I brainstormed for a a situation where the twenty bucks could have a large impact. I came up with the clinic.

I decided to go look for a family with a sick child to share the good with. i came to the clinic on a sunday quickly found a family with 3 kids and stopped them on there way in. They were hispanic and spoke little english. i tryed to explain to them what i was doing and asked if i could share the twenty dollars with them. they were confused and turned down the money, seeming a offended by the offer. they approached the desk and i watched as the mother of the kids talked with the woman at the clinic. They spoke in spanish so i couldn't understand every word, but i could comprehend enought to understand when the mother was taken aback that her full coverage medi-cal insurance wasn't going to wave the fifty dollar fee.

After a string of questions, the mother looked defeated. Finally, she shyly looked over at me and without words, asked me for the money. I smiled and gave her the twenty. She thanked me in english. The family did not want their pictue taken, but their son was happy to pose next to his sick baby sister. He was the only one who spoke english in the family. he says he is a good older brother and helps out his mom and dad alot.the experience was a sweet one, and a sad one too. i am grateful i was a ble to play a part in helping a little girl receive the healthcare she needed.

Andy and the Peruvian

2007-12-26T23:11:00.000-08:00

A word from Lil' O about Andy:

Andy is my dearest male friend in the world. He is sweet, tender, one of the best listeners I've ever met, a superbly talented actor, and an incredible song writer with one of the sharpest and dirtiest wits around. Here's what he did with his $20~

Andy's Story:

I gave my $20 to Luis, a Peruvian man that works at the Chevron station up the street. I get coffee there each day, and he makes me feel like I'm walking into his establishment, on Main St., in 1950's America. He gives me a rowdy "Hey, my friend, how are you doing?!?!?" then shakes my hand, every time I walk in the door. He works for minimum wage for an enormous, faceless corporation, and puts an inordinate amount of energy into making everyone he comes in contact with feel a little bit better. He always tries really hard, with his broken English, to find American bands from the 80's that we both dig. He always tosses out a new one each time I'm there.

I see him hustling around the store all the time, obsequiously performing whatever task his manager asks him to do with absolute pride. He's poor, and he works a lot of overtime to try to better his situation. I see him at the end of a 9 or 10 hour shift a lot, beat to hell. His "Hello! How are you doing?!?! is a little more mellow then, but just as heartfelt. He was so unbelievably appreciative of and surprised by the gift. I showed him a picture of you, then told him a little about you and what you wanted to accomplish by giving away money, and he was riveted. He's quite a guy. He's the type of person who, by having more resources at his disposal, the entire community is better off.