IndieModels

Miracle Flights for Kids is one of the most moving organizations I have come across in recent years, founded single handedly by a woman who started out as a teacher for children with disabilities.  Their bio is simple: ‘We fly sick kids for free all over the US.’  Ann McGee, the president and founder of this organization, is the ideal example of what it means to be an Indie Model – a person with a great humanitarian vision who made it her life’s mission to prevent suffering children from succumbing to life threatening illnesses, by providing thousands of families with the resources to seek crucial medical attention.

Ann Mcgee

Miracle Flights for Kids started as a grassroots program over twenty years ago, when Ann realized the urgent need for aviation services in providing timely medical care and transportation of blood and donor organs, as well as flying sick children of limited resources to notable medical facilities and specialists.  What started out as an effort to help out local kids, the program grew from providing just a handful of flights into a nation-wide effort to connect those who might not otherwise have a great chance at survival without the ability and means to travel.  Over the years, Anne has taken pride in the fact that no child has ever been turned away, and has guaranteed as many flights as needed to those seeking multiple diagnosis and and various stages of treatment.  The numbers speak for themselves: as many as 70 times flown per child, encompassing 63,000 free miles over two decades, and summing up 33 million miles flown to date.  For parents who could not obtain the proper or specialized medical care in their immediate cities or communities this organization has been a heaven sent.  Standing the test of time, Ann McGee remains as firm as ever in her belief that ‘money should never stand in the way of children getting the best medical treatment – no matter how far away it might be.’  And we wholeheartedly agree!

To learn more, and hear the touching stories via video testimonials of the lives Anne’s organization has touched, log onto www.MiracleFlights.org.  Likewise, you can ‘Request a Flight,’ ‘Make a Donation,’ and ‘Become a Sponsor.’  You can also follow Miracle Flights for Kids on Twitter!

What do you call a woman who eludes all stereotypes and defies warped American cultural taboos, while taking the music world by storm and making a big, bold, and fierce statement on what true talent and beauty is all about? We call her an Indie Model, but in the real world she’s better known as Beth Ditto.

Image of Beth Ditto as cover of London's ''LOVE Magazine,'' all rights reserved.

This Arkansas bred chanteuse and lead singer of the band Gossip has earned a lot of accolades for her honest, no-nonsense ways of speaking her mind and having the courage and confidence to express herself as an artist despite the odds stacked against her.  You see, Beth Ditto is not just any singer, she is a full-bodied, punk loving, natural smelling, gay and lesbian advocating femme fatale.  She has too often been dubbed obese before being acknowledged as an artist, some critics going as far as accusing her of endorsing being fat and serving as a negative role model to a society that oddly enough advocates superficiality over authenticity. Her resilience and sheer determination to proudly stand in her power and follow her true calling, despite not fitting an ideal stereotype, has earned her a fan base that has elevated her to an iconic level. She is a role model for every young man and woman who may think they don’t stand a chance of making it unless they look a certain way. She is like Susan Boyle to a certain extent whose common appearance and age defied gross stereotypes – although Ditto is anything but an overnight success.  Every time Ditto takes the stage she beckons us to take a closer look at our own hang ups, and perhaps face the ugly truth surrounding our need to judge and label someone based on external factors.  Our social mores are almost non-existent having been replaced by toxic notions that gratify our egos instead of our souls, in a country that was nonetheless founded on the premise of individual freedom.

Growing up in Arkansas Beth Ditto had a dream to become a singer, but she had reservations due to her appearance despite her baby doll face and fantastic voice.  She expressed her apprehension to a mentor one day, who told her something to the extent of ‘No one told Aretha Franklin she can’t sing!’ That had a profound influence and her and became the impetus to her rise to fame.  Before making it big – although Gossip is by no means a mainstream type band – Ditto performed in small venues and bars becoming a popular performer especially in the gay community.  Her Dolly Parton cabaret like impression is a written testament to that claim to fame.  With great passion and perseverance the band gained attention in the UK, touring with the White Stripes, and finally being signed up to a label.  The British opened up their arms to this poster child of a new era, and Ditto hugged them right back. She was featured on the cover of the British magazine Love posing in the nude, and looking exquistly beautiful and undeniably iconic.  In an interview for Paper Magazine she nonapologetically says: “I honestly think America has some of the worst taste in the world.  It’s just not in our culture to take a risk.  We’re subjects of a commercial, corporate world.  I don’t think we know anything about art!”  This comes straight out of the mouth of someone who will either shock you or make you fall completely head over hills.  Below are two comments posted in response to one her You Tube music videos, from two fans that have apparently fallen…as have We!

‘When I first heard her I was trying to imagine how she looked like because she sounded so terrific. My respect for her as a singer just got higher when I saw her live. She is ubercool and a terrific performer.’ ‘This is soul, this is energy and passion. She is beautiful.’

Here’s to you Beth Ditto for rocking it out and keep it ALL real! Here’s a video of the song Heavy Cross to put it all in perspective.

Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers From All Four Corners Of The Globe Have United To Heal the Earth With Their Prayer, Sacred Knowledge And Wisdom. Together They Form The Grandmothers Council, And We Are Blessed To Be Their Grandchildren!

Photo by Mirasol Villanueva courtesy of www.grandmotherscouncil.com

They came together from all walks of life. Thirteen remarkable women from different indigenous backgrounds – from as far as the Arctic Circle, the Amazonian Rainforest,  Nepal, Gabon, and The Americas – sharing the wounds of past legacies that threatened to dismantle their ancestral traditions, and a mission to heal, preserve, and educate future generations.  They were told in prophecy that nothing will change unless we change, and that Mother Earth was suffering and its children needed to be healed. They bonded in unity from various tribes and traditions – Dakota, Tibetan, Cheyenne, Amazonian, Lakota, Omyene, Tamang, Yup’ik, Takelma, Hopi, Mayan, and Mazatec – and they formed the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers.  Their heartfelt message and Statement of Alliance below sums it all.

“We, The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, believe that our ancestral ways of prayer, peacemaking, and healing are vitally needed today.  We came together to nurture, educate and train our children. We came together to uphold the practice of our ceremonies and affirm the right to use our plant medicines free of legal restriction. We came together to protect the lands where our peoples live and upon which our cultures depend, to  safeguard the collective heritage of traditional medicines, and to defend the Earth Herself.  We believe the teachings of our ancestors will light our way through an uncertain future.”   A beautifully conceived feature-length documentary was completed in the summer of 2009 on the work and ceremonial gatherings of the Grandmothers by For The Next 7 Generations, the not to be missed trailer of which can be seen on www.forthenext7generations.com.

Through a great philanthropic organization called Flow Fund Circle, which contributes donations to social visionaries and ensures the flow of money towards their charities, the Grandmothers have been able to contribute over $200,000 to such projects as the Tibetan Nun Project, Brave Heart Society: Regeneration of Initiations for Dakota Youth, Tantanka Oyate: Saving The Buffalo, and The Institute of Natural and Traditional Medicine Seed Bank in Pojoaque Pueblo, New Mexico, among many others.  We should not only be inspired by the dedication, love, and commitment of these women, but rather be moved to the point where we are willing to take action ourselves and become involved in our communities and in our world.  There are so many ways we can support the traditions for which the Grandmothers are fighting to keep alive.  We can support natural healing practices and remedies.  We can become youth mentors.  We can stand up and make our voice heard in the preservation of our natural resources.  We can refuse to waste and to buy things that do not serve us or the planet well.  We can even sit still and listen to the voices of our own ancestors and become connected to the pulsating ebb of life and energy that flows through us all.  We can become one with Spirit, because we are of Spirit – this our Grandmothers will like.

Between October 10-15 one will have the rare opportunity to pray and reflect in the company of the Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, during a special week of prayer, meditations, and ceremony at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York.   This is truly a once in lifetime gift to give to oneself, and to perhaps share with the ones we love, or even the wise elders in our own lives.  For more details on fees and accommodations visit the Omega Institute site.  I look forward to seeing you there!

“True health is only possible when we understand the unity of our minds, emotions, spirits, and physical bodies.”  Christiane Northrup, MD

courtesy of www.drnorthrup.com

Not too long ago a friend of mine was kind enough to lend me a book on women’s health which goes far beyond medical advice, and for which I cannot give enough thanks as it has become an invaluable source in reclaiming my feminine wisdom and the power that I hold over my health, my mind, my body, and my spirit. The book is called  Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, and it is written by Christiane Northrup, MD, an extraordinary woman and pioneer in feminine health studies and integrative medicine. Northrup demystifies the medical practice and its violation of the female body, having long been established, led and controlled by a patriarchal society through to the present time. She imparts how in her many years of practice she has witnessed countless unnecessary procedures and surgeries performed on the female body, especially the reproductive organs, which often ‘mutilated’ or stunted a woman’s ability to truly heal rather than cure disease.  Dr. Northrup finally makes the connection of how a woman’s state of well being and her life choices are directly linked to the cause of disease and many common feminine ailments, the majority of which stem out of  unresolved emotional issues and psychological traumas.   She urges medical practitioners to take the time and connect to their patients taking into account their life history, personal relationships, and emotional states by asking what is ‘really wrong’ rather than just looking on the surface.  Dr. Northrup is also the author of the ground-breaking book Mother-Daughter Wisdom: Understanding the Crucial Link Between Mothers, Daughters, and Health among other publications, and contributes to dozens of charities worldwide among them counting the Children’s Hunger Fund, Women Unlimited, The Red Web Foundation, Mercy Ships, and Girl Scouts USA.  For more information, and also to tap into a great online community and source of indispensable and motivational information, go directly to Dr. Northrup’s website www.drnorthrup.com, or become a fan on Facebook!   And as always, pass this information on to the beautiful women, mothers, friends, and daughters in your life…and be Well!

Zainab Salbi Co-Founder and CEO of Women for Women Is Committed to Rebuilding Women’s Lives Worldwide and Shows Us How We Can Change A Life by Getting Involved!

photo courtesy of WomenforWomen.org

Zainab Salbi, and Iraqi and former survivor of war herself, is at the helm of an outstanding grassroots international humanitarian and development organization which helps women survivors of war put back their lives and rebuild their communities and families.   Salbi co-founded this organization in 1993 at the age of 23 and hundreds of women since then have joined globally to help the lives of other women and promote change.  Over the years almost 250.000 women war survivors have helped rebuild the broken lives of other women in their respective societies promoting political and economic improvement and awareness.  Women for Women International has directly impacted more than 800,000 communities and family groups, distributing more than $79 million in direct aid, credit loans, and other program services.

Bill Clinton nominated Zainab Salbi a 21st Century Heroin in Harper’s Baazar December 2009 issue, saying, “What makes Zainab one of the most inspiring women I’ve met is not her amazing personal story, but what she has done with it”.

Her inspiring story is recounted in the memoir Between Two Worlds, which she co-wrote with Laurie Becklund.  Publishers Weekly calls the book ”the most honest account of life within Saddam’s circle so far. It’s an enlightening revelation of how, by barely perceptible stages, decent people make accommodations in a horrific regime.”

Zainab was only 11 years old when her father was chosen to serve as Saddam Hussein’s personal pilot, and as a result Zainab and her family were closely watched by the former tyrant and often forced to spend weekends in his close circle. Zainab was eventually sent by her mother to America for an arranged marriage with the intention of freeing her daughter from her forlorn life in Iraq.  The marriage however turned out to be even more oppressive than the life she had escaped, and after endless abuse at the hands of her husband Zanaib started over and forged a new identity.  As a result she became a champion of women survivors of war and founded Women for Women International.

Log onto WomenForWomen.org to see the many ways you can get involved and contribute to the welfare of other fellow women, and  perhaps share in their success one day!

Selling Silk Scarves To Combat Sex Trade: An Oustanding Retired Episcopal Priest Makes a Difference in the Life of Cambodian Women

www.bluesilk.org

December 29, 2009 “Silk Scarves Combat Sex Trade”  (WPLN Radio via NPR)

“Ann Walling is a retired Episcopal priest who linked up with a socially-conscious Cambodian woman selling silk under the label Mekong Blue. The weaving operation goes from silk worm to scarf and has grown to 40 looms and more than 100 women. Walling says the business still relies on donors like her family.

The Episcopal priest in Nashville wanted to help keep Cambodian women from being drawn into the sex trade. She enlisted volunteers for an Internet venture designed to help Cambodian women earn a living by making silk scarves.  They still do need some donations, but very close to being self-sustaining. So the answer to becoming self-sustaining is to sell more silk.

Walling is no Web expert herself, but this grandmother helped create a distribution site for Mekong Blue called Bluesilk.org. Since launching in October, more than $25,000 worth of scarves have been sold.

Chantha Nguon runs the looms in Cambodia and says online sales already represent more than half her business.  The weavers earn as much as $150 a month – nearly what a Cambodian doctor makes.  Nguon’s weavers spend a year in literacy training before learning the silk craft. For scarves with fine stripes, just setting up the loom takes more than two weeks. Nguon says she has a high standard for quality because she wants the women to create something with real value instead of asking people to buy junk out of charity.”

Copyright ©2009 National Public Radio®. All rights reserved.