Local Thousand Oaks Moms Create Service-Learning Summer Camp That is Fun-Filled and Community Inspired

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Thousand Oaks locals, Meredith Madnick Cornelius and Anne Byer Marquart decided to create a summer camp focused on service-learning after they wanted to send their own children to one and realized there were none available for younger children.

From that realization, Camp Helping Hands™ (CHH) was born. CHH is a co-ed summer day camp for kids ages six to 13 with service-learning as its core theme.  Service-learning emphasizes both service and learning and requires participants to use their knowledge and skills to address real-life needs in their own communities.  

At Camp Helping Hands, campers will do just this by following the four phases of the service-learning process: investigation, planning, taking action, and reflection. When campers are led through this collaborative process, they share and invest their ideas and skills and feel truly committed to the project and to making a difference. Local organizations from the community will join as service partners, and local college students will lead the groups as CHH counselors.  

The theme for 2011 is “Living: Our Place in the World,” and the three-week session will be hosted at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.  During week one, CHH campers will work with Waste Management to see firsthand how a landfill can be transformed into a pollinator garden. After a brief facility tour, which includes an up-close visit with Avian Entertainment falconers and their bir

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An Angel Watching Over

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Guest post from one of my favorite local bloggers, Leslie Rosenthal, who grew up in Agoura and now resides in the San Fernando Valley. She is a single mom who writes in a way that I think any parent can really relate to.  Check out her blog at www.leslierosenthal.wordpress.com.

There’s a line in the movie Rocky V where Rocky talks about Mickey being an angel watching over his shoulder and  there is a flashback scene where Mickey says, “If you ever get hurt and you feel that you’re goin’ down this little angel is gonna whisper in your ear. It’s gonna say, ‘Get up you son of a bitch ‘cause Mickey loves you.’ “

I know this because I have seen every Rocky movie  about a zillion times and if you know me, you know that I am a hard-core Rocky addict.

The movie series Rocky is a classic underdog tale where incredible people come into Rocky’s life and make a difference forever.  Mickey, Apollo, Adrian….to name a few.  Perhaps that is why I like it so much. The notion of people making a difference in one’s life.

As you all know, my daughter and Coach Wooden had a special relationship which I have chronicled here before.   It would give me great joy to think that perhaps he is whispering in her ear his infinite wisdom on a daily basis; “Be quick, but don’t hurry.”  Or perhaps he is just reminding her how to tie her shoe laces the right way…or his way.

Today, I think that angel of Coach Wooden might have been present.

I took Shayna out to an unexpected lunch today to where else…yes, our favorite neighborhood coffee shop, VIP’s.  Also known as Coach Wooden’s favorite coffee shop.

It was quiet there and we had the place almost to ourselves. Karen, our favorite server was there and she knew right away what Shayna would want because it was after 12 noon, which is Shayna’s cut off time from cheese eggs and turns into time for a Patty Melt.

When the yummy Patty Melt arrived on rye bread, I had a feeling something might happen. Something big. Something that would make this meal one we would never forget. Shayna just might lose that loose tooth – which would be her first tooth ever.

A few bites in, it happened. Just like I thought. I looked over and the tooth was officially “snaggled” and there was some blood in her mouth. I didn’t say a word to her. I waited. Quietly. Patiently as she chewed on that meat.  And then it happened!

“MOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!”  I turned casually to her as she screamed,  “MY

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Teletubbies Dance Video: Walk it Out

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I sat my 3 year old on the computer to check out some Spongebob videos when all of a sudden this loud hip-hop music comes outta nowhere.  I look down and see Teletubbies moving and grooving in front of him. We got a good laugh out of it. Then I notice the video has over 10 MILLION views!  Wow, is it the Teletubbies or the music!!??  Hmmm...

Help a Local 8 Year Old Boy Diagnosed With Brain Cancer

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UPDATE:  With sadness, we report that young Thomas Hearne passed at 4:30 p.m. today, March 19, 2009.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

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Thomas Hearne, an 8 year old boy from Camarillo, was diagnosed with brain cancer on July 8th.  Initially emergency room workers thought it was a virus.  An MRI proved otherwise.  The next day Thomas was in surgery at Childrens' Hospital in Los Angeles to remove a tumor at the base of his brain toward the back of his head.  However, the cancer had already spread to his brain and spinal cord and Thomas is receiving chemotherapy.  Not only that, a contractor paid to remodel the Hearne house bailed out, leaving the Hearne family home in need of major work.

Please reach out if you can to help Thomas Hearne and his family in this time of need.  Visit www.thomashearne.titlereptom.com to learn more and to make a donation.  Or make checks payable to "The Hearne Family" and mail to Tami Tackett, 4829 Paseo Montelena, Camarillo, CA 93012.  Or make a deposit at any Washington Mutual branch into the "The Hearne Family" benevolent account.