Engaged Life

Engaged life was created as an experiment to share stories, art, pictures, and experiences. Along the way we’ve heard from bracelet makers, writers, entrepreneurs (here and here), and more. One thing they all have in common is a sense of community in the areas they are passionate about.

You don’t have to be a mayor of a city, or world renowned painter to live a life of engagement, but one thing is for sure – you need community. Living an engaged life requires you to reach out into the unknown and support and be supported by the people around you.

That brings up the question:

What does community mean to you?

Let’s Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by First Lady Michelle Obama, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation.  This laser focused goal was created so that children born today will will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. Since March is National Nutrition Month, featuring Let’s Move! seemed like a no brainier.

Supporting communities

This campaign focuses on education for all ages and integrates current health campaigns into their messages to reinforce healthy living. For instance, when the USDA unveiled the new ‘My Plate’ food icon - taking over the food pyramid  - Let’s Move! promoted this change.

Let’s Move! will give parents the support they need, provide healthier food in schools, help our kids to be more physically active, and make healthy, affordable food available in every part of our country.

[Video about 'food deserts' from the White House]

By providing community, support, education, with a splash of fun, this campiagn has been implemented in schools and homes around the nation. In fact, leadership of Let’s Move! have been known to break out into something called ‘The Platypus Walk’.

How are you setting a healthy example for those around you?

Please visit LetsMove.gov or below for more information:

Sometimes people think Lent is just a time for depriving yourself of chocolate, coffee, or (gasp!) Facebook. But what is Lent’s intention?

Engaged Life is here to share stories and experiences on how people are living with a purpose, making a difference, and answering the call. Now, that call can be in several forms. Some people have a sense of call to serve in a church or synagogue, while others have a call that has them raising children, growing vegetables, or mentoring.

One thing they all have in common, and what Engaged Life hopes to bring you, is a sense of community.

Lent does that.

We’re all called to something more. Some people are called to political office while others are called to flower bomb. It doesn’t matter the call, what matters is that we need community, and during the time of Lent, we come together to share together.

We share our sorrow, humility, give to others, and prayers knowing we can’t do everything alone.

The video below covers Lent in two minutes. By 1:52, you’ll see where community and Lent come together.

Lent in two minutes:

What are your community plans for Lent?

Church goer or not, participate. Take this time to reflect and look around and serve your community and how their support has had a direct impact on you.

Emma (12) and Claire (10) host a bracelet making party to raise money to dig a well in Africa

When you first talk to 7^th grader Emma (12) and 5^th grader Claire (10) you realize that they are wise beyond their years. For these sisters, they have set their sights on the bigger picture by making it their mission to raise $10,000 to dig a deep well for a village in Malawi. This well will provide clean drinking water for an entire community.

Sound like a lofty goal? Well, they’re approximately half way to their goal already and don’t show any signs of slowing down.

Through multi-family garage sales and bracelet making parties, they are diligently working to bring clean water to a small village in a country an ocean away by 2013. They plan to visit the village that will be breaking ground for the well and are excited to hear about where the well will be located.

“The well is going to be right by a school and it’s amazing to hear how it’s going to help the community” said Emma cheerfully. “I can’t wait to see the smiles on the children’s faces,” Claire says.

Claire and Emma first heard about the project from their grandfather’s role with the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin.
This isn’t the first time this family has raised money to help their fellow man in Africa. When they were younger, the sisters would take their piggy banks at their grandparent’s house and donate the funds to buy mosquito nets to help prevent Malaria.

Sample bracelets Emma and Claire have made to raise money for Mission Malawi

Where did they get the idea to make bracelets? While Emma was out shopping, she saw some bracelets at Kohl’s and said ‘We can make this.’ The rest, as they say, is history.

From Minnesota Viking and Green Bay Packer themed sets to plans on expanding their philanthropic empire to make bracelets for younger kids, these young women are learning how to serve others while keeping up with a demand.

This duo isn’t just about bracelet making. They also love horses and sports. Between homework, riding, volleyball, and church, this family stays busy.

These budding philanthropists have been able to sell the bracelets through church and family. With the prices of the bracelets ranging from $3-$5, these affordable pieces have been making great presents. The proof: their production couldn’t keep up with demand, and as a result, they have been asking for help from their friends and family to keep up the momentum.

Malawi

Recently, when they spoke in church about Mission Malawi, a visitor came up to them after hearing why they are spending so much time raising money for others. The visitor said that she attends another church but doesn’t see why her community couldn’t do something similar.

These girls are setting a community on fire.

Not only are they selling the bracelets, they are developing an awareness to their community about the need for clean water in Africa. They are teachers, creators, and now marketers. From passing out business cards, their blog, and word of mouth, they have already learned life lessons on how to reach and build relationships with people in order to make a difference in the world. Emma and Claire know they can’t do it alone, so they have reached out for help and the community has graciously responded.

If you’re interested in learning more about Mission Malawi, please visit their blog to learn more. Oh, and if you’re wanting to order the bracelets and you’re not in Wisconsin, they’ll ship to you.

Second chances aren’t just for people. OrthoPets in Denver, Colorado is working to give animals a second chance at mobility.

Amy and Martin Kaufmann started OrthoPets inadvertantly in 2003 in response to a plea from their cousin. Their cousin’s dog had a stroke and lost control of one of his legs. Normal protocol is to amputate, but before surgery, they tried physical therapy and saw that their dog still had control of some of the muscles in the leg. When physical therapy wasn’t working, Martin used his background in human Orthotics and Prosthetics and offered to make a brace similar to what they could use for a pediatric patient.

(From left to right) Amy & Martin Kaufman - Founders of OrthoPets

“It really snowballed from there,” said Amy, now President of OrthoPets, moving from their cousin’s dog, to working 2-3 cases a month. By 2006, this new venture had started to take over the house. With Amy and Martin both working full-time jobs, Amy teaching and Martin in orthopedics, schedules and workloads were getting heavy. They sat down and said ‘are we going to stop OrthoPets or will one of us stop our full-time job work and do OrthoPets full-time?’

The Kaufmanns prayed and consulted with family, who poured out complete support in the OrthoPets venture. Amy ended up quitting her teaching job, and started working full-time on the growth and development of OrthoPets. Since then, they’ve gone from working in a 400 square foot garage to a 5,000 square foot facility with 16 employees.

“Today, people’s animals are their kids,” explains Amy “OrthoPets has been able to help communities by giving animals what they need while the owners don’t go bankrupt [from surgery]… If you’re a vet and you have a client that can’t afford surgery, the only option wold be to put the dog down or deal with the injury. [OrthoPets] offers another option to help with that process. Most vets see us as a good friend since we’re offering services to help their patient.”

Naki'o, the 1st four-legged prosthetic dog in the world!

OrthoPets isn’t just a business. They take on pro bono cases, work with with rescue centers in Colorado and Colorado State University (CSU) by donating and giving time for research. They partake in research to help and improve solutions for animals.

When asked what OrthoPets story really tells the story of what OrthoPets is about, the first animal that comes into Amy’s head is ‘Naki’o’.

Naki’o was a dog from Nebraska that had been found as a puppy frozen in a puddle. He was adopted by Christine Pace and was nurtured back to health. Even with Christine’s tender care, Naki’o had problems walking since he lost all his paws when he was a puppy. By the time Naki’o was a year old, Christine realized that something had to be done.

OrthoPets came to the rescue. Over $1,000 was raised and Naki’o was able to get donations to cover the rest of the costs, to be the first 4-legged prosthetic dog in the world.

‘Here’s a dog that could hardly walk, and now he’s able to get around and have a fully functional life,’ said Amy.

To learn more about OrthoPets, you can find them on Twitter, Facebook, and follow their blog.

November is National Novel Writing Month. While I may not be a novelist, I can’t ignore the community that pops up surrounding story. No matter who you are stories are what bind us together and help us get through tough times.

Originally stories were passed down in an oral tradition. Now pass we pass on tales through writing, art, pictures, movies, quilts, books, and several different methods to tell and display a story.

Each method of story telling sheds light on an aspect that could have been overlooked in previously.

The wonderful thing about the world we live in today is that we are able to have an international community through online forums, community boards, and live chats. And National Novel Writing Month is no exception. Through their site, they have created a community within communities, giving writers the option to join a region where they live. From there they can encourage (aka ‘pep talks’), swap story ideas, check on name connotation and much more. This gives the story tellers a place to hone in on the craft of storytelling.

Let’s face it, the art of telling a story is an important one. Today, in a social society, everyone has a story to tell, draw, animate, video tape, publish, write, sing, etc. But there is one thing that separates the story tellers from the screamers, is the understanding of audience and delivery.

Real story tellers know it’s not really about them. It’s about the audience, and from there, it’s how you tell your tale.

A social world has leveled the playing field, but it’s also drowned the system. Anything can be made public, for better or for worse. The important thing to remember is that it’s not for us to judge what’s the best and worst out there, because there might be a person somewhere, that finds a piece speaks to them. A story that’s not heard in one room, will be echoed and repeated in another.

Either way, all stories need to be told.

Photo from the Womens' Intramural Softball Championship semi-final game

Moving away from friends and family for jobs and school isn’t as uncommon as it once was. We move for better opportunities, heath care options, jobs, to be closer to love, for culture and sometimes just because we need a change. However, people don’t always think about how difficult it can be to create a new community.

Being in a new place means new opportunities for service, engagement, and learning. Here, we’ll focus on finding your place in your new community.

First, think about what brings you joy. Is it talking about business? Mentoring students? Working in radio? Cooking? Take your talents and hobbies and think about ways you could give back.

We’ll take a peek at 3 ways you can seek out community in a new place:

1. Professional groups

2. Community Sports Teams

3. Service Clubs

Professional groups:

Professional groups give you the opportunity to grow and network in the field(s) you are interested in. This is great if you are looking for work or needing some room to grow! Make sure to check out the local chamber of commerce events and the businesses associated with the chamber to see what groups they are part of.

Community Sports Teams:

Everyone benefits from teamwork! It’s not just for 4th graders and corporate events. Community adult sports teams give you the opportunity to get exercise, meet people from various backgrounds, and practice working with others. Remember that you’re there to meet people and have fun.

Service Clubs:

Merge your talents with people and organizations in need! It’s important to put your gifts to work in your community. A great way to share your gifts is through a service clubs. Groups such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Junior League give opportunities for service in your community while meeting other service minded people.

How do you find a community in your city?

Sometimes it’s hard to stop and think how what we do or what we’re studying can change the world for the better. One Arizona State alum is taking his architecture education and putting it to good use serving refugees.

Arizona State University alum Kobina Banning always wanted to be an architect. During his time at ASU, he learned to apply that dream in a way that would improve the lives of others. Now he applies his work as an architect to improving the lives of immigrants.

Where in your community is change happening for the better?

Let us know! Shoot an email to kristina[at]engagedlife.org to have your community’s story featured on Engaged Life!

Ira (left) Nick (right)

Bitters: Liquor that is flavored with the sharp pungent taste of plant extracts

Nick Kosevich: I grew up in Faribault, MN. I lived in Minneapolis for 11 years before moving to Milwaukee where I’ve been for the last year and a half developing the Bittercube brand with Ira. I’ll be moving back to Minneapolis in July.  Bittercube not only creates a line of small batch hand crafted bitters but also consults on beverage programs throughout the Midwest as well as plans and facilitates events with the emphasis of cocktails.  We plan small intimate seminars with thirty or so people and give them techniques and recipes to create cocktails at home as well as create cocktails for thousands of people at expos around the Midwest.

Ira Koplowitz: I grew up in Norman, OK.   I worked in a college bar in Norman before moving to Chicago, where I  worked in just about every capacity in a restaurant/bar environment.  I worked in Boston as well for a couple of years, and Nick basically covered the rest.

“…local spirits support the local economy by utilizing local grains and fruits, as well as supplying jobs.  Beyond that, spirits give a drinker a glimpse into communities around the world.”

What is the story behind bittercube?

Bittercube as a company began with a focus on consulting.  We originally moved Milwaukee to open up a craft cocktail bar but soon realized that we could effect a larger demographic by consulting on other people’s bars and  by facilitating larger events.  Our first consulting client as Bittercube was Bacchus, a Bartolotta Restaurant in Milwaukee, WI.  This is where we started to finalize what would become the lineup of Bittercube Bitters and when our contract expired in June of 2010, it was time to put our full efforts into producing larger batches of our slow-crafted bitters for distribution.  Since the launch of the brand at the end of August 2010 Bittercube has distributed the bitters around the country and consulted on bars and restaurants throughout the Midwest.

How did you become engaged in ‘spirits’?

Spirits are obviously an important part of crafting cocktails. When we train a bar staff we focus on the importance of understanding everything that goes into the cocktails. It’s important to know where you’re ingredients are from, their history, and their flavor profile. We’ve been crafting balanced, thoughtful cocktails for a number of years, so that information starts to build up and become more and more a part of the story of the bar.  Now we take that information on the road through cocktail seminars and spirit classes, of course with a bit of humor.

What exactly is a ‘spirit’?

A spirit is distilled beer or wine.  Okay, that’s not entirely true, but it gets to the basics.  Basically, fermented grains (beer) or fermented fruits (wine) is put into a big pot and heated.  Alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water so alcohol turns to vapor faster than water, and once those majestic alcoholic vapors are condensed they are much higher in proof.  Those condensed vapors become a spirit of some form or another.  The spirit produced will depend on what (fruit, grain, sugar cane, agave) was distilled (put in a pot and heated).

Who do you look to for inspiration?

It’s not always ‘who’, but what, how, where, and why as well.  Sometimes a cocktail becomes solidified simply from a memory, or a smell, or a previous cocktail, or a classic that we’ve tweaked.  We also look to our colleagues for inspiration.  There are so many great bartenders throughout the Midwest creating amazing libations, and sipping something fresh can be extremely inspiring.

How do spirits serve a community (when used responsibly)?

First of all, they get the community drunk!  But seriously, local spirits support the local economy by utilizing local grains and fruits, as well as supplying jobs.  Beyond that, spirits give a drinker a glimpse into communities around the world.

What is your favorite spirit or drink?

Bourbon is the quintessential American spirit and one we both love.  Its history is long, its story is perplexing, its flavor is unmatched, and it makes for amazing cocktails… and shots.

If you weren’t engaged in spirits, what do you think you’d be active in today?

We both love to teach and to entertain.  So we’d probably be high school History teachers, or in rehab…