Nancy Gort | Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 2:00AM Today, I became a member of the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany, NY. My mother has been shopping there for local vegetables, cheeses, meats, spices and organic products for years, but until recently had never thought about becoming a member. We decided to join together and today I signed us up! What is a food co-op, you ask?
TIffany Winbush | Sunday, March 22, 2009 at 2:00AM Celebrating You! means a number of things to me. It could involve shopping for new shoes, getting a manicure and pedicure or splurging on a lavish vacation to a tropical destination with my husband. These all sound like wonderful things to do, but what if instead I decided to celebrate myself by helping and uplifting others? This is exactly what I’ve decided to do.
I’ve always been passionate about volunteering. But when I relocated to New York City almost four years ago, I became occupied with getting acclimated to the city. I needed to learn how to accomplish simple errands, such as navigating from my apartment to my office and finding out where to purchase groceries and household items. I felt overwhelmed with becoming a New Yorker. Days turned into weeks, those weeks turned into months and the months turned into a year. While I felt as though I was beginning to fit in and meet new people, I felt disconnected. I soon realized I needed to get back to my core of volunteering and giving back to the community.
I found myself once again becoming heavily involved in the sorority I joined while in college, Delta Sigma Theta. Through my sorority, I committed to mentoring up to 10 girls several times a month. As a mentor with the Delta GEMS program I’m able to connect with high-school girls in the NYC community.
Most of these young ladies live in the inner-city and deal with more responsibility than most adults I know. It’s a joy to share with my mentees the delights and headaches of becoming a woman. In the program we focus on self-esteem, academic excellence and financial fortitude. But our sessions don’t involve me lecturing to the girls about the do’s and don’ts of womanhood. I learn a lot from them as well. The pressures teen girls face today are completely different from when I was in high-school almost 10 years ago. It’s humbling to be in their presence each month and it’s a pleasure to Celebrate the Power of Giving through them.
Celebrating You! means a number of things to different people. To me, Celebrating You! is simple. It equates to helping others and affecting their lives in a positive way. It means giving before you expect to get. It means making a path and breaking down barriers for others to follow in your footsteps and hopefully create their own paths along the way. Giving of yourself unconditionally is the best way to celebrate others as well as yourself.
Tiffany Winbush is a 26 year old Public Relations Specialist focusing on corporate accounts, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. She’s also the creator of Women Making Moves, a blog highlighting the outstanding achievements of women. A native of Louisiana, Tiffany relocated to New York City to further her PR career.
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