May 13 - This Week

May 11-17, 2008
National Nursing Home Week
National Police Week
National Stuttering Awareness Week
National Transportation Week
National Women's Health Week

National Nursing Home Week
According to the American Health Care Association website:

Activities are designed to foster intergenerational relationships, collect and preserve patient's reminiscences, strengthen relationships with family members, celebrate quality, and recognize all staff members who demonstrate excellent care giving.

Nursing Home Week has, by far, the most fun activities suggested on their website.

National Police Week
This observation honors...
...fallen officers and makes the citizens of America aware that every 57 hours another law enforcement officer gives up his or her life for perfect strangers.

National Stuttering Awareness Week
Hey, you (former) bullies! Remember those poor stuttering kids you used to make fun of in school? This is a great time to make up for that.
Stuttering affects 1% of the population. There is no instant miracle cure, but the earlier you can detect a child's problem and get him/her some help, the better chance he/she has of overcoming this problem.
James Earl Jones, Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, and King George VI all were affected by stuttering.

National Transportation Week
Kind of a lame duck, this one. From the NTW website:
National Transportation Week provides an opportunity for the transportation community to join together for greater awareness about the importance of transportation. National Transportation Week also focuses on making youth aware of transportation-related careers.
Yawn.

National Women's Health Week
Women's health is one of the most talked about topics on the news these days. It is hard for me to think there are women out there who are not concerned and/or taking steps to improve their health. Nevertheless, as a woman, I want others to know what they can do to improve their mental and physical health.
According to 4women.gov, this week is to

educate women about steps they can take to improve their physical and mental health and prevent disease, like:

• Engaging in physical activity most days of the week
• Making healthy food choices
• Visiting a healthcare provider to receive regular check-ups and preventive screenings
• Avoiding risky behaviors, like smoking and not wearing a seatbelt

Today is also:
National Library Legislative Day (May 13-14)

March 10 - Salvation Army Day

March 10 - Salvation Army Day
Official Site
US Site

On this day in 1880, the Salvation Army arrived from London, ready to spread the gospel and to help all who needed it.

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination. - The Salvation Army mission statement.

To locate a Salvation Army thrift store near you, enter your zip code here.

December 2 - International Day for Tolerance

December 2 - International Day for Tolerance

Tolerance and acceptance are ideas we should not still have to worry about. Yet our culture is to be insular and to shut out those that come from an unfamiliar background.
There are a number of sites with ideas and ways to help fight hate. Here are some ideas:

From Close the Book on Hate

• Begin at Home
• Share your heritage with others
• Invite friends from different backgrounds than yours to experience your traditions and customs
• In School
• Establish a diversity club
• Encourage representation of all students on every board and committee
• In the Workplace
• Utilize diversity training
• Learn about coworkers' backgrounds and share yours with them
• In Your House of Worship
• Urge leaders to condemn all forms of bigotry
• Invite clergy from other religions to take part in your services
• In the Community
• Establish a human rights group in your town
• Plan a community walk/run against hate to benefit anti-hate or other human rights groups

Tolerance.org shares 10 Ways to Fight Hate. Appropriately, the first step is to Act. Don't just stand there shaking your head in disgust when you see hate in action. Do something about it. Do something to prevent it.

Let's all try to be even a bit more tolerant toward others this week. Find a small way to start fighting hate in your world. Don't just stand idly by when others are using hateful epithets or sharing racist jokes.