Tag Archives: outreach

Girl Who Is Changing the World: Brenda Rodriguez

18 Nov Brenda

“Happiness hit her like a train on a track”

~ Florence and the Machine

Hi everyone! Now that Brenda is fully immersed into Fall Into Adventure we’ve taken over the blog to wish her a very special birthday by honoring her as the Girl Who’s Changing the World. Brenda is the most giving, loving, and absolutely amazing person I know. Not only do I consider her my mentor, but one of my best friends. I’m a better person just by knowing her, and I think a lot of us at LIP would agree with that statement. She followed her heart and hasn’t given up on her dreams – in this process she brought us all together. Thanks to her I’ve found my tribe of sisters and best friends.

Brenda – you’ve changed my world a million times over. Happy Birthday, and here’s to another year of wishes coming true! -xoxo-  Noelle

I’m thrilled to take part in this very special Brenda’s Birthday edition of our Girl Who Is Changing The World feature!  I’ve wanted to write about Brenda Rodriguez (who you know as the founder of the Love Infinitely Project!!!) for months, but as she moves into the next year of her beautiful life, it now feels truly appropriate.  In addition to being one of my most admired heroes, Brenda is absolutely one of the best friends I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing.

Her determination, her optimism, her refusal to accept mediocrity, her passion for compassion, and her bravery in attempting to change the world in a dramatic way ALL inspire me daily.

I met Brenda at Animal Acres, a farm animal sanctuary outside of Los Angeles.  At the farm, we bonded over our mutual love for the goats and piggies and our dream of creating a vegan world, but once I got home and tracked her down on Twitter, I found we have much more than animal activism in common.  We were both borderline obsessed with one of our favorite musical artists, Tristan Prettyman (a constant source of inspiration for us both!), we both regarded Joyologist Tricia Huffman as a spiritual guru, we both had an inappropriate crush on 71-year-old James Cromwell, and we can both quote Love Actually more than is healthy.  We became immediate friends and started attending live music shows and volunteer events together, and within a few weeks I knew she would become a permanent fixture in my life.  I feel so blessed, because if you asked me to describe my ideal friend using the best of my imagination, I’m not sure I could even come close to describing Brenda; I would never believe that such a person could exist!

As you probably know, Brenda is currently celebrating her birthday volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand (after which she’ll be spending the next month helping other needy animals and children across Thailand and India).  Her devotion to selflessness amazes me daily.  While I already miss her so so much, I am ecstatic for the countless lives that will be touched by her generosity of spirit.  When she returns, she’ll be continuing to grow the Love Infinitely Project with the ultimate goal of creating a global network of volunteer activities that will transform the world we live in.  I hope you’ll all take time to support her work, shop the Love Infinitely store (my Love Infinitely apparel has practically become my uniform!) and share her story!

In closing, I’ll offer five final words that have come to epitomize the way I feel about Brenda.  I’ve been able to sing them to her when prompted as part of a crowd sing-along at countless Makepeace Brothers concerts, but I don’t say them directly to her nearly enough:

Brenda: “I want to thank you.” ~ Jessica

♥∞

~ Jessica & Noelle ~

Follow B on Twitter in Thailand: @iamsunshine78

Follow Jessica on Twitter: @jlschluet

Follow Noelle on Twitter: @NoelleBobo

 

**If you know a super rad girl that you would like to nominate for our ‘Girls Who Are Changing the World’ feature, send them to us at: loveinfinitelyproject@gmail.com

2 More Days: The Viengping Children’s Home

6 Nov

After my adventure with the Elephant Nature Park, I get to spend some time volunteering at the Viengping Children’s Home.  It will be nice to spend my days laughing with children. The home cares for more than 600 children who have been abandoned or abused, or whose families cannot support them.  Their mission is “to protect and care for abandoned and orphaned children, defending their rights, guarding their health, and teaching them to be generous, healthy, and successful.“  Their children range in age from newborns to 22 years old.  They seek to give the highest quality of care and provide a secure and loving home.

The children take part in a wide variety of activities intended to enrich their lives, their growth and their character.  They also attend local schools:

“All school aged children are enrolled in schools in the community. We augment their studies with tutor and study sessions and, for those who are far behind, supplementary Saturday and summer classes.”

Not only that but they also take part in community projects that “instill in them a value for showing the same generosity to others that their community has shown to them.”  The Viengping Children’s Home does their best to find the children foster parents and of course, legal guardians.  Sometimes placing 5 to 7 children at a time in a smaller group settings.  They are also home to  children who are infected with HIV/AIDS.

“Our HIV and AIDS infected children are given the same love and care as all our children; they know they are an important, equal part of our family. We hold activities and workshops to help them manage their health and live with hope, happiness, and dignity, despite having a terminal disease.”

Volunteers are put to work in a variety of ways.  From maintenance work around the home (gardening, painting, etc.,) to taking care of the babies (babies!), to participating in activities with the children, the days will be full!  We are also encouraged to come up with our own activities for the children.  I would love to organize a group outing with the older kids, a field trip of some kind.  To get them out and about…

But what I really want to do (shocker) is organize some kind of dance/arts camp for the kids.  Goodness knows if there is one thing I am good at is keeping kids entertained in a dance class!  Plus as my friend Jim said, “the language of dance is universal“.  So as long as I learn how to count to 8 and point out my left foot from my right, I should be okay to teach.  Plus, one of the facets of the Love Infinitely Project will be to bring arts camps to children who otherwise would not have the opportunity.  This is my chance to test it out.

I will, of course, remain open to whatever they have me do.  I’ll be ready with activities, field trip ideas, choreography and ready to participate in any way.  Whether I’m helping with cleaning or just being a high chair for a baby, I will be happy.  I know it will be hard to leave this place.

We are inching toward our fundraising goal!  Infinite love and thanks to all our wonderful donors!  You will be making a huge difference!

2 more days.

Donate to Love Infinitely here: wepay.com/x19wqt1

Click here to ‘like’ the Viengping Children’s Home on FB.

♥∞

~B
  Follow B on Twitter: @iamsunshine78

3 more days: The Elephant Nature Park

5 Nov

The floods in Thailand have been severe and volunteers at the Elephant Nature Park have assisted with the rescue of animals affected by the floods.  Here is a message sent today by the Founder of the ELP, Lek:

Dear All friends and supporters

This is the first time since Thursday that I have had the chance to send a message.

Our team finished work very late yesterday and some days we could not get finished until 3am. The situation is worse and we have to work quickly trying to save as many animals as we can each day. We see more animals drowned by the floods.

Today it is easier to move and we received help from the Wild life fund Thailand. They let us borrow their motor boat to carry the animals and we can get help to more of them each day.

Any one who needs to contact me today, please leave you text message or contact me at my staff office, I can’t take any phone call while we work at the rescue areas but I will get back as soon when I come out of the water.

Thanks for all volunteer who work hard and restless work that has saved hundreds of helpless animals.

Lek

The park itself is fine as they have a strong river wall that protects the park and its inhabitants.  However, they have made several trips down to the Bangkok area to help as much as they possibly can.  As Lek writes in a post from a few days ago:

It was horrible to see so many dogs and cats drowned from flooding; some of them were left inside submerged cars; some of them died in their cages. We manage to release so many dogs and cats from their homes where they had been abandoned.

Many suffering animals went on top of the roofs and we brought food for them. We released so many birds from their cages and I am so happy about that, but the poor dogs and cats were so traumatized that some of them went into shock and could not breath; some were in critically poor condition and lung problems along with pneumonia was common.

During evacuations, the government did not allow residents to take their pets with them on the boats and so many of them were left in a rush.  Not just pets but all the animals that live in the area have been affected; cows, pigs, monkeys, elephants, crocodiles and more.  All of them in need of dry land and food.

 

I feel like the Universe has been preparing me for this upcoming trip.  In the past few weeks I’ve experienced an extreme number of animal rescues and horrific deaths.  It seemed just last week that I couldn’t go 2 days without an animal dying in my arms.  There have been dogs that I’ve watched be hit by cars (one of them was VERY pregnant and we didn’t catch who purposely hit her with their SUV) to some of our own rescues here that didn’t make it.  From new babies to old friends, both here at my parent’s animal rescue center, to the streets of San Francisco, Bakersfield and Los Angeles, I have been tested to see how well I can handle tragedy.  I’ve cried a lot.  (A lot.)  But I feel ready to go to Thailand and help with the rescue efforts.

I know that what I’ve experienced here in the last few weeks won’t compare to what I will see and experience in Thailand and I’m ready for that, but if I can help in the rescue of even one creature, I know I have succeeded.

3 more days.

Donate to Love Infinitely here: wepay.com/x19wqt1

♥∞

~B

  Follow B on Twitter: @iamsunshine78

In lieu of birthday gifts…

3 Nov

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”
~Lao Tzu

My 33rd birthday is in exactly 2 weeks (11-17) and I could not be more excited for the way I will be celebrating my day this year, volunteering with elephants at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  Last year on my birthday I had just come off my adventure in India with VegNews Magazine and didn’t do much on my special day besides teach and go to yoga.  Even though my day was lovely I knew I never wanted to spend another birthday not being of service to others.

So this year, for my birthday instead of birthday presents or the always awesome gift card I would LOVE a donation to the Love Infinitely Project!  Even the smallest donation will make a big impact!  The funds will be going to some really incredible organizations like, Animal Aid Unlimited and the Viengping Children’s Home.  It’ll be my birthday present but thanks to our new donation site We Pay, you get a present too!**

Check it out:

Pretty cool right?!  And for the big donors:

It’s a winning situation for everyone!  And with exactly 6 days until departure, I am ready to bring our donations from 15% of our goal to 150%!

Even a small donation can make a big impact!  Help make my birthday wish come true!

Infinite love and thanks!

♥∞

~B, the Birthday Girl

  Follow B on Twitter: @iamsunshine78

**Love Infinitely presents will be sent out to donors upon my return from the adventure when the Love Infinitely Shop will be back up and running with a bunch of amazing new stuff for the New Year!

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