At 36 Days to Go, Say Hi to Sven!

This posting every day thing is no joke. Here goes. Just briefly: training continues, for the most part - I biked to work a few days this week and tomorrow I'm doing the Bronx 10 Mile, assuming I wake up in 5 hours. Wish me luck.

Today's profile is Sven, my dormmate during Freshman year, a fellow Econ major (okay fine, not fellow, I was an Econ concentrator), an awesome new recent reconnection (thanks, Facebook!), and an overall great person. I'm looking forward to learning even more about Sven, but here's a start!

MC: Diaspora's mission is to empower families and individuals, starting with young people. What's one of your favorite childhood (or teenage) memories?

ST:  Hmm...so, the road on which I grew up in small-town Germany had like a dirt patch in front of a set of garages, and we used to play in the mud after it rained. Earthworms would come out of the ground after it rained, and we would build them some houses to live in. Try as we might, they never took to the houses we built them, which didn't stop us from trying again the next time it rained.

MC: No matter how many times I finish a marathon, it still seems a bit implausible. What advice would you give to someone tackling a difficult and seemingly insurmountable goal?

ST: Hmm. Maybe it's easier to try it if it does indeed seem impossible; after all, you can't help but fail? Kinda takes the edge off.

MC: What is a cause that you feel passionately about? (Feel free to promote a particular organization or organizations.)

ST: Lots of. But I'll reference Habitat for Humanity in particular, because I go there a lot. So I guess that means I'm passionate about them. Habitat's real accessible, meaning the bar for participation is low, because all you really do is swing the hammer or something. Also, there is ostensibly a tangible benefit that is created for someone else. I say ostensibly because, shh, don't tell anyone, but they can get the house up without your showing up, after all, so really, you go there to exercise a certain "muscle" of your own, not to benefit anyone else. But shhh... that's a secret. (It's okay to quote that, I'm being... is it facetious?)

Anyway, my theory is that that then leads to other things.

MC: An interesting theory, Sven. And definitely interesting stories. Thank you for sharing with me, and for your support!  As always, you can go here to join me and Sven in supporting Diaspora.

38 Days to Go! Diaspora Client Spotlight: Ty

Today, with 38 days to go, I am proud to feature Ty, a client of Diaspora's Medical Benefit Assistance Program (MBAP).  Click here to read Ty's story and click here to make sure even more people in need receive Diaspora's support.

With 39 Days to Go, Let's Meet Miraida!

The glamorous Miraida.

As I mentioned, this year I want to put the focus on Diaspora's programs, clients, staff, and donors rather than just my run. Today's Diaspora profile is of Miraida, a PhD candidate at Rutgers University’s School of Communication and Information, a Diaspora donor for almost as long as me, and one of my best friends.  I'll let her speak for herself!

MC: Diaspora's mission is to empower families and individuals to maximize their ability to succeed through culturally sensitive health promotion, family support services and advocacy. What's one of your favorite childhood memories from a time when you felt particularly powerful?

MM:  If being a teenager counts as childhood, I'd say my favorite memory of feeling powerful as a kid was the first time I flew an airplane. I had decided I wanted to become a pilot, so I enrolled in flight school and got an afterschool job to pay for gas for the plane.  I got my student's pilot license and for about 2 years, flew all over northern NJ and parts of upstate New York. I even landed in Poughkeepsie once.  Their airport has a control tower, so I had to radio in for permission to land and everything. It was the best.  I need to take that up again.

MC: No matter how many times I finish a marathon, it still seems a bit implausible. What advice would you give to someone tackling a difficult and seemingly insurmountable goal?

MM:  Don't think about the end--take it one mile at a time. And drink lots of water.

MC: What is a cause that you feel passionately about?

MM:  I feel passionate about supporting the arts in our community and making sure everyone has access to the arts.  To support this, I'm on the board of En Foco, an organization that supports minority artists and helps make art available to everyone by exhibiting in public places.

MC: THANK YOU MIRAIDA! Click here to join me and Miraida as supporters of Diaspora's work.

40 Days to Go!

Me and Beth
(thanks for letting me use the pic, B!)

I've started this blog to feature supporters of Diaspora Community Services, but also to chronicle my progress towards the Marathon. This year's race is also a part of my commitment to live a healthier life and take better care of myself, so I'll post about that too.

Finishing a marathon is something I've done many times before. The real challenge going to be writing a post every day! 

Sasha (picture courtesy of
Diaspora Community Services)

Today's Diaspora profile is of Sasha, a dedicated student and volunteer in Diaspora's Safe Teens Acting Responsibly (STAR) Program. Read Sasha's story on Diaspora's site by clicking here and join my campaign for Diaspora by clicking here.