Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Top Issues Facing Immigrants

For the next few weeks we will begin discussing the top issues facing immigrants. Our goal with this blog is not to discourage anyone from immigrating, it is to educate and inform to help make it easier to settle down.

According to research prepared for the Robert Wood Johnson foundation and conducted by Lake Snell Perry Mermin, these are the top issues facing immigrants. While there may not be one solution that fits all, our goal is to point to the resources available to help people dealing with the following issues
  1. Legal status (lack of legal documentation)
  2. Language—lack of proficiency with English
  3. Exploitation and Discrimination
  4. Stress
  5. Undiagnosed and untreated mental health conditions
  6. Problems with the schools
  7. Lack of job mobility and low-paying jobs
  8. Lack of transportation and physical isolation (especially for women)
  9. Safety

The researchers in this study found that though immigrants come from such diverse backgrounds with different cultures, they all share similar challenges. You may not be experiencing all of these challenges or even any of these challenges right now but having the information may help you become a connector in your community for immigrant families coming to your area. Keep reading this week as we tackle the very complex issue of legal status.

To start learning more about how to handle immigration issues read Immigration Attorney-Christina Cruddens's blog. Here are some of the titles of her tops posts




If there are other issues that top your list, please post a comment or email us at themakutilounge@gmail.com. 

Monday, May 30, 2011

In Honor Of Memorial Day

As we celebrate this Memorial Day let us never forget that the freedoms we enjoy are a result of the many brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for our country.


Freedom Is Not Free by Kelly Strong

I watched the flag pass by one day.

It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it,

and then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform

So young, so tall, so proud,

He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him

Had fallen through the years.

How many died on foreign soil?

How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?

How many died at sea?

How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?

No, freedom isn't free.


I heard the sound of TAPS one night,

When everything was still

I listened to the bugler play

And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times

That TAPS had meant "Amen,"

When a flag had draped a coffin

Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,

Of the mothers and the wives,

Of fathers, sons and husbands

With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard

At the bottom of the sea

Of unmarked graves in Arlington.

No, freedom isn't free.


Source: www.thememorialdaytribute.com

Sunday, May 29, 2011

8 Things We Can Learn From The American Spirit

1. No matter how many times Americans are knocked down, they always get back up. 
2. Americans believe in freedom and letting people express their individuality.
3. Americans celebrate entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.
4. Americans do not only take opportunities, they create them.
5. Americans are not afraid of failure.......they keep trying.
6. American do it big....look at the super bowl!
7. Americans are givers and respond when their community is in need. 
8. American believe in the greatness of their country. No one embodies the American Spirit more than the soldiers who fight for their country. We salute them for their courage this memorial day. 

Have a Happy Memorial Day Weekend. 

Saturday, May 28, 2011

The Power of the $50 Fine!

A few weeks ago I shared with you the details of our Accountability Group and my own personal goal (click here for the details). 34 days ago I pledged my first goal - to wake up every morning by 7:00am. Why? I felt that it would force me to make better use of my day instead of working late into the night, like I regularly do.

So how have I done so far? For the first 25 days of the challenge, I had not achieved my goal. In fact I am embarrassed to say that after offering up excuse after excuse, I had wiggled out of my original goal and negotiated with the group to allow me to change my goal to a later time of 7:30am. In those first 3 weeks I only managed to meet my new revised goal 3 out of 7 days a week. Pretty pitiful, if you ask me. After all, what’s so hard about waking up at a certain time?

Fortunately for me, the others in the group weren’t exactly falling over themselves in achieving their goals. We took turns on the weekly conference calls alternately poking fun at each other for our miserable efforts and encouraging each other to do better the next week. And yet, we had not imposed the dreaded $50 fine on anyone.

Week 4 into the challenge, one of us earned a solid “A” from the group for achieving her goal that week. Suddenly, it was a reality check for the rest of us. As one member said, it was time to fine the members who had failed to achieve their goal that week; if only out of respect for the one member who did set a goal and achieve it. 4 out of 6 members were fined that day. Needless to say, the very next day I was up at 7:30am!

What had changed? I could not justify the fine to myself at a time when I am under a very tight budget. Could I really afford to lose $50 a week just because I was not disciplined enough to wake up at 7:30am on weekdays? No, I could not!

This was supposed to be an Accountability Group, yet previously the group had not held the members accountable for their actions or lack thereof. By one person rising above the pack and the others finally held accountable for their actions, suddenly the stakes were higher.

On the next weekly call, everyone reported success on their goal. Clearly we had not done each other any favors by not implementing the fines immediately. We would all have made more progress if the fines had been implemented the very first week.

We would love to hear from you. Do you have any accountability measures that have worked for you!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Talk about it: Lessons from Oprah

This was quite an eventful week. The tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri which caused a lot of destruction and death and the end of the 25 year era of the Oprah show. Neither of these events can be compared and we certainly send our thoughts and prayers to the people of Joplin. Everything fades when there is loss of life. 

On that note, I am glad that the Oprah show ended on a somber note reminding us what really matters. It is not the money, the fame or the lifestyle.....it is the power to make a difference no matter who or where we are. No matter what we think about Oprah and her philosophy, we cannot deny that she touched millions and made a difference in so many lives with her generous spirit. That is something we can all admire. Here is what my friends had to say about Oprah on Facebook

Rafiki
Just curious...What did you learn from the Oprah show?



    • Jo Know what ur gift or talent is because the passion within u will wake u up each day and go for it - the result is that u will affect people positively... i used to cry when - i watched her show because of the stories told but the people used to leave there encouraged and full of hope. GO AND CHANGE THE WORLD WITH UR GIFT. Also the wow ..of the gifts she gave.. give and it will come back to u...


    • MM Dreams do come true. :)


    • EN I learnt my boss can't
      stand the show so I had to be opposite and see the other side if it. U can do anything as long as your heart, mind and soul in it.

      Here is a clip of her last show



      Join the conversation and let us know what you thought of her last show and what you lessons you have picked up  over the years. 

Thursday, May 26, 2011

How To Stop Junk Mail From Taking Over Your Life

Yesterday, I was chatting with a friend who mentioned that the amount of junk mail she receives seems to have increased dramatically.

I don’t recall the last time I ever responded to a marketing offer through a junk mail effort and I am sure many people also toss them in the shred pile without even opening them. But that takes time and effort and frankly we all have better things to do than deal with junk mail. There are a couple of things you can do to stop the junk from even hitting your mail box.

The first think you should do is submit your request on the "Direct Mail.com National Do Not Mail Registry" that can be found on their website. Now don't be fooled by the name "National"; this is not a government regulated registry like the "National Do Not Call Registry".

I think "Direct Mail.com" uses the term to try and make us believe that we have more protection than we really do. Basically the industry that is responsible for creating all that junk mail in the first place is trying to police itself. Direct Mail.com asks its member companies to use the Do Not Mail Registry to clean up their distribution lists, but since it is voluntary they do not have to comply.

What that means is that there is no legal recourse for you should the junk mailers continue to fill your mail box. But it's a first step, so start there.

Next, you have to attack the individual companies who disregarded your request to the Do Not Mail Registry. You have to contact each company directly and as you can imagine some of them make it very difficult for you to find out how to get your name of their lists.

The organization "Volunteer Guide" has some very helpful information to help you get rid of junk mail.Here are a few tips from their website that you may not be familiar with:

  1. Always say "No" when companies ask you if they can share your name with their marketing partners. Once you give them permission it is not considered junk mail.
  2. For Valassis/Red Plum coupons, you can submit the request very easily on their website. When I submitted my request, I got a message saying I should expect to wait 5 to 6 weeks before I drop of the mailing lists.
  3. For Valpak coupons, you can also submit the request on their website.However, when I tried it, I found out that I have to submit the information exactly as it appeared on the junk mail I received. Sadly I have to save this junk mail the next time I get it before I can get rid of it forever.
  4. For catalogs, submit your request to Abacus which is a cooperative of retail members who share their customer information with each other. To contact Abacus, click here for their email and phone number.

Are there any other effective ways to deal with junk mail? Please share with us.

Have a junk free day!