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:

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!

By Casey Fuerst

Casey Fuerst, at right with a camera, talks to campers at Christo Roi de Corail, outside of Leogone, Haiti.(photo credit: Allison Shelley for Lutheran World Relief)

[Casey Fuerst is currently serving as the Director/Marketing & Communications for Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries. Casey, and her husband Dave, have two children and recently moved to Savage, MN. She continues her employment from her home office.]

I have always felt on the fringes of the people who really make a difference. You know the type – the ones who work directly with kids, go on mission trips, build houses for Habitat for Humanity and on and on. Those are the people who have real impact, right? I’m just a communicator. The one who employs words and images to get people involved in these efforts and share their stories.

Well, this past month, I saw and embraced my communications role in a new way. The organization I work for, Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries, is wrapping up a big project with Lutheran World Relief.  The campers at our summer programs put together 32,000 health kits for the people of Haiti. This project was a response to the January 12, 2010 earthquake, but was completed on the heals of the cholera epidemic in Haiti.

Since the beginning of the project, a trip was planned to document the delivery of the health kits and see the project to its completion. I wasn’t the first choice to go, as there were others who had a much more hands-on role that needed to be involved. However, because of some changes in staffing, I landed a secretly hoped for spot on this trip. I can’t tell you what a blessing that gift has been.

From the day I was assigned to go on this trip, I was anxious. The fact that I wasn’t a first choice for the trip, plus the fiscal value of such an experience weighed heavily on me, and I wanted to make sure that I provided value for the organizations I was representing.  In the end, I feel great about the work I did. We’ve garnered media attention, capitalized on social media opportunities and engaged many of the campers, parents, donors and congregations that were involved in this project.

The lessons I’ve learned are too numerous to write about here. But, there is one lesson that I seem to need regular reminders of. It’s true of most of us, I think. We downplay the impact that we can have because our role isn’t the one we see as instrumental in the success of whatever our project is.

1 Corinthians 12 has always been one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. Go read it, so I don’t have to type it all out! The point of it is that we all have a role in the kingdom of God. And, each of us is uniquely qualified to do our part. No part is more important than another.  Further, by coveting the roles of others, we decrease our own ability to have impact.

I am not JUST a communicator. I am the link between the story and the people who need to hear it. That is how I make a difference.

Social movements are informal groups of people and/or organizations that are focused on specific political or social issues.

What makes people and organizations stand up for issues and problems they’re facing in their communities? What makes them say ‘enough is enough’ and take a stand for what they think is right?

Currently, there are social movements happening around the world from Egypt to Wisconsin and from Africa to North Korea.

Social movements are started on the ground, from one person refusing to move on a bus, to groups of people standing up for poor working conditions, and countries fighting for democracy. Movements get people engaged in their community, health, social justice, government, and much, much more.

How can social movements afford to organize, make fliers, and have phone-a-thons? Luckily, there are organizations that support people working for change.

Headwaters Foundation for Justice is a non-profit organization that supports grassroots efforts. Headwaters engages and partners with a committed community of donors and allies who work for justice by providing grants to support the people and groups making a difference right on the ground.

Social movements come from people and groups that are sharing their contagious passion for change and a better world.

What movements do you support?

Service learning and community service are sometimes thought to be interchangeable.

They both serve the community, put people in a place to serve others, and give communities a boost with engagement. However, service learning gives educational systems and communities the opportunity to learn from one another. A time to share, grow, and serve one another.

For college professors, high school teachers, and secondary classrooms, having a service learning opportunity allows students to get outside of the classroom, teach other students, and put the theories they’ve learned into practice.

Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.

By teaching others, the students are becoming better students, teachers, stewards, and community members.

Service learning can be done in a variety of ways. From supporting an anti-bullying campaign, to promoting literacy, environmental initiatives, and many, many more regardless of your community role, demographic, or setting.

Learn more about how schools are using service learning by taking a peek at Sage Hills School:

For more information and resources, check out the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse for tips, toolkits, project ideas, support and more.

How are you enriching learning experiences in your community?

[Today's Engaged Life Feature is with Jill Hokanson current AmeriCorps VISTA and former Lutheran Volunteer Corps member. Jill is a lifelong volunteer and a proud supporter civic engagement.]

Why don’t you introduce yourself?

[Today's interview is with Anna Guest-Jelley, the founder of Curvy Yoga based in Nashville, Tennessee. Anna is a dedicated yoga student, certified yoga instructor, and lives an engaged life by giving fellow curvy people a community to practice and learn yoga.]

First, let us get to know you! Please introduce yourself.

Hi, everyone! I’m a curvy yoga student and teacher, puppy wrangler, and professional Yahtzee winner (at least in my own house, when I’m playing my husband).

Why did you start Curvy Yoga?
Practicing yoga with a curvy body can sometimes feel like being that weird kid in gym
class—yeah, that one. Through a few fabulous teachers and the development of my
home yoga practice, though, I started figuring out how I could practice yoga safely and
enjoyably. Once I realized that practicing while curvy is not only possible but fun,
I really wanted to share that experience with others, which is why I got my teaching
certification and started Curvy Yoga.

How’s it going so far?
I always found practicing yoga as the biggest person in the room very isolating. And,
it turns out, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way! Since I started Curvy Yoga, I’ve
found so much community both locally and online. I’m constantly amazed by the
incredible work curvy yogis are doing around the world!

For you, what’s the best part of Curvy Yoga?
It’s hard to choose just one thing! The community we’re growing is so inspiring, though,
that I’ll have to go with it. Not only are people plugging into Curvy Yoga, they’re also
connecting with each other—swapping stories, questions, ideas, and strategies. They’re
pretty much the coolest people around, and I’m so delighted to be in cahoots with them.

What is difficult for you with this project?
The hardest part was really taking that first step into teaching and writing. Curvy people
are often taught to hide or apologize for their curves, so it was kind of like stepping out
onto the ice when I began. Once I got going, though, and saw how many people were
looking for a great place to practice yoga and collaborate with others, I got my feet under
me and went on my way.

What’s your goal for Curvy Yoga?
I really hope Curvy Yoga will continue to create opportunities for a few things: (1) For
people who never thought yoga was for them to experience the benefits, (2) For yoga
teachers to learn how to create a welcoming space for curvy students, and (3) For people
to share their experience and learn from others about body positivity and how yoga can
contribute to that.

Are you partnering with any other people or organizations?
Definitely! It’s my honor to blog for several different sites, especially The Magazine
of Yoga, where I write on a regular basis. In addition, I’m partnering with a local
community center in Nashville to offer some free Curvy Yoga classes.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Living an engaged life has been such a catalyst for me—personally and professionally.
It’s a spirit that infuses Curvy Yoga, and I hope it will continue to inspire people to give
yoga a whirl, love their bodies even on the days when nothing seems to fit, and develop
incredible plans to share body positivity with others!

How could someone get engaged with Curvy Yoga?
Oh, there are so many ways!

People can engage with Curvy Yoga via the website, Facebook, or Twitter. In addition, for curvy yoga students and teachers, we have a listserv to swap ideas. If any curvy yoga teachers are reading, I also host a list of teachers on my site. Many of these venues grew from the fantastic ideas of people who are already engaged on the site, and I’m so appreciative of them for that.

Want to learn more about Curvy Yoga? View the FAQs here.