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SUMMER 2001 NEWSLETTER
It is not now, and has never been, our
intention to send this free newsletter to anyone who does not want it.
If you received this in error, please respond with "REMOVE" on the
subject line. Forward this to anyone who you think may be interested in
its contents. If this was forwarded to you, and you want to receive it
monthly, reply with "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line. Visit our web
site at http://www.bethestaryouare.org.
Please note, by responding to this email, you do not reach the charity.
To reach Cynthia Brian directly, email her at cynthia@bethestaryouare.org.
Thank you.
FEEDBACK
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Ah,
summertime! How we all look forward to the warm days, long nights,
swimming, barbecues, camping, and family outings. May this summer
be joyful and energizing for you. Let the stars shine in your heart.
Dream it! Do it! The best way to start is to start!
KIDS
NEED MENTORS!
By Cynthia Brian, Founder
Research has proven that
teens with adult mentors are less likely to participate in high-risk
behaviors. A survey of 294 youth between the ages of 12 and 23 who were
patients at a community-based teaching hospital in suburban New Jersey between
August 1995 and March 1996 showed that teens who enjoyed a positive
relationship with an adult were less likely to engage in high risk behavior .
Researchers looked at five major categories of risk behaviors including
tobacco use, alcohol use, drug use, violence, and sexual intercourse.
Participants were asked about the onset, duration, and intensity of each risk
behavior. Sixty-eight percent of the teens reported having an adult in their
life to whom they could turn to for help and advice. Fifty one percent
of these "mentors" were the mothers of the young people, while
sadly, only 5 percent said it was their father. Twenty-three percent of
those surveyed reported that they had no adult as a mentor and nine percent
did not respond. In every case, the youth who had a trusted adult mentor
partook less in 4 out of the 5 risk factors. Alcohol consumption was the
one risk factor that was not significantly impacted by association with a
mentor.
In order to assess whether parent mentors played a different role in
preventing risk behaviors than non-parent mentors, researchers examined data
from a subset of higher risk adolescents. They concluded that
connectiveness to a trusted adult, regardless of whether it is a parent, makes
a positive contribution to the life, development, and behaviors of an
adolescent. However, mothers and fathers play the most vital role in
being a role model and mentor to their children. Parents need to be
approachable and set the standards by which their children will live.
All adults can be mentors and be a key strategy in working with adolescents to
decrease certain risk behaviors and their consequent morbidity and mortality.
For more information on this important study: S. R. Beier, et.al., "The
Potential Role of an Adult Mentor in Influencing High-Risk Behaviors in
Adolescents," Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, April
2000, vol. 154, no. 4, pp. 327-331.
At our charity, Be the Star You Are!™,
all our volunteers work hard to be mentors and role models to others. Besides
providing positive life-affirming books to many other charities, our
volunteers read books to children and teens in many venues with our popular
program, Reading Spells SUCCESS-a literacy outreach endeavor. We want people
to become the stars of their own lives and write their own scripts.
In order to help parents be mentors to their children, I am writing a new book
called, "Daddy's Hands, Mommy's Heart,
Children's Memories...a tribute to great parents everywhere by the children
who were loved by them." This book will be a written
portrait of what incredible parents look like, how they behave, and
demonstrate their unconditional love to their offspring. The goal
is that people contemplating parenthood will read this book and literally
"see" what a memorable parent does in order to have a positive,
profound influence on a young child. I'm looking for specific events,
traditions, or behaviors that painted the picture for progeny that can help
prepare people to be parents. With so many single parents, divorces, and abuse
in families, many young adults have had no positive parenting role models to
emulate. Hopefully the stories in this book will spark ideas for
creative care-giving and increase the numbers of great parents in our society.
The book will have a number of my own stories, but I will be including a few
selected stories from contributors around the world. If you don't like
to write, but would like to recount an incident to me for consideration,
please email me your experiences. If you like to write, send me a story
and it may be selected as a featured story for the book. Perhaps your kids may
want to write a short story about you! If you were raised by
wonderful parents, grandparents, or a parental figure and want to share your
story, send submissions of 200-1200 words by email to: cynthia@star-style.com.
Please include a 50 word bio. Also make sure to include your name, address,
phone number and email address which will be kept confidential. For more
information on this project, visit http://www.star-style.com.
"Be the Star You Are!™ 99 Gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference" published by Ten Sped Press and authored by our Founder, Cynthia Brian, hit the bookshelves on June 1st to much acclaim. Dr. Bernie Siegel wrote a beautiful foreword to the book and endorsements were received by 91 of the world's experts in personal growth, business and success. Deepak Chopra wrote: "Cynthia Brian's advice will make a big difference in your life, so you can have more fulfillment and fun everyday." Brian Tracy calls it "a handbook for happiness and personal joy!" A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book benefit out charity. Books are available everywhere...at your local bookstore or online bookseller. Autographed copies can be purchased by buying the book through our charity office. Books are $15.95 plus tax which totals $17.30. Add $3.50 for shipping for the first book ordered and $1.75 for each additional book. Books are also available at discounts for premiums and large quantity sales. Inspire your employees, friends and relatives. "Be the Star You Are!™ 99 Gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference" is the perfect gift for all occasions. Mastercard and Visa also accepted. Here are the easy ways to order while making a donation:
1. call our office at
877-944-STAR
2. email us at: info@bethestaryouare.org
3. Fill out the order form at the end of this newsletter and send your check,
money order, or credit card information with the number of books requested,
your address and phone number to:
Be
the Star You Are!™
PO Box 376
Moraga, Ca. 94556
ON THE BEST SELLER LIST!
Be the Star You
Are!™ charity is a
beneficiary of the best selling book, Chicken
Soup for the Gardener's Soul. The book was on the New
York Times Best Seller list for 19 weeks! Support this charity and enjoy
the bounty of a fantastic book by buying copies of Chicken
Soup for the Gardener's Soul. CD's and Audio
cassettes of the book are wonderful entertainment while commuting. The
products are available at all bookstores and online book sellers as well as
through our charity office. Every book purchased through the charity
will be autographed and you will get a packet of Renee Shepherd's fine seeds
FREE, a $2.29 value. If you haven't planted Renee's Garden seeds, you are
missing a real treat! Fill out the order form at the end of this newsletter,
email us, or call as above. Chicken
Soup for the Gardener's Soul is also available as a premium
sale or in quantities.
COMING EVENTS:
T.J. Van Buren is organizing a fall GOLF TOURNAMENT to be played at Lincoln
Park in San Francisco overlooking the Pacific Ocean. For details on how to
register and more information, check out our web site at http://www.bethestaryouare.org
at the end of July. Fantastic prizes and a fun day overlooking the
Bay!
Bill Snider, new owner of Moraga Hardware and Lumber will be celebrating an
Open House in the Fall with Be
the Star You Are!™ charity as
part of the festivities. As soon as the event is organized, our web site
will have all the information. Make sure to visit us often for the latest
happenings involving Be the Star You Are!
Beneficiaries
of Be the Star You Are®!
This
past week, we received a packet full of beautifully handmade thank you cards
from the youngsters in juvenile hall facilities. These kids took the
time to tell us how much receiving the books have helped them improve their
lives. For some, this was a first gift of a book. Over and over
the kids felt inspired. A teacher at one of the youth facilities has
created a class for the kids based on the books we donated authored by Ellen
Rohr called "Where Did the Money Go?" Ellen graciously donated
hundreds of books to our charity and we are delighted that her book is
truly making a difference in the life experience of our future leaders.
Thank you, kids for writing us, and thank you for all the authors and
publishers who donate books to Be the Star You Are! so that we can distribute
them to people in need.
Thousands of dollars in books, tapes, videos, CD's, art, and magazines are
donated each season to several agencies including:
Born Free for Teenage, Unwed Mothers and their Babies,
Boys and Girls Club, A Safe Place for Teenage runaways,
Children's Literacy Program,
Children's Hospital,
Community Substance Abuse Center,
Safe Haven for Little People (Homeless and Abused children)
Northern Calif. Family Center SAFE PLACE (runaway teens and crisis
center)
Community Substance Abuse Center (alcohol and substance abuse)
LITA (Love is the Answer) for people in Nursing Homes
Children's Hospital (children and teens)
Reach Out and Read (childrens' literacy)
Juvenile Hall Auxiliary (kids-at-risk)
Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF)
Chris Adams Girls Center (troubled girls)
The Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility
The Edgar Transition Center (Teens)
The Summit Center (forgotten young people)
We want to expand our base and welcome your suggestions for other charities.
At this time all donations are delivered by our volunteers, however, if we can
get monetary donations for shipping, we are delighted to ship to charities in
other areas. If you can support us in donating dollars so that we can
serve more people, please contact our office toll free at 877-944-STAR or send
contributions to PO Box 376, Moraga, Ca. 94556
Reading
Spells Success—an outreach literacy program:
The
Be the Star You Are!™
"Reach-Out Reading" Program has been changed to Reading Spells
Success-an outreach literacy program. This program has seen such positive results that we felt that
the new name reflects what the program is really about. Volunteers continue to read books to children in hospitals and
make sure the child goes home with a book of his/her own.
Doctors are also given new books to give to their patients. Reading
Spells Success will be expanding to facilities for at-risk children and teens.
If you would like to volunteer your time for an hour a week or an hour a
month, contact our office at 877-944-STAR. Volunteers take books from our
library into assisted living residences, hospitals, senior housing, shelters,
and children's groups to read
appropriate stories for about one hour. We
believe that positive stories can change lives and we want to do our part in
improving literacy in our country. For
more information, contact us at info@bethestaryouare.org.
In
order to make a difference in communities, our country, and our world, we need
your support. Financial
contributions assist Be the Star You Are®! in its mission to provide,
promote, and distribute positive message programming to groups in need of
hope, inspiration, and tools for daily living.
Our
number one need at this time is DOLLARS.
It costs an enormous amount of money to keep our offices open and
operating and to facilitate the free services we offer.
Please take a moment to write us a check. ANY AMOUNT IS APPRECIATED AND IT IS 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE.
Buy Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul books for all your friends
and employees from our offices and get autographed copies.
Our
second most important need at this moment is a person or company to donate
printing services of our color brochure which was lavishly designed by our
talented volunteer, Kim Carlson. It
is a three fold brochure which can easily put put into an envelope. We would like to get 1000 or more copies off set printed and
donated. Are you the chosen
donor???
Here are some other specific ways you can sponsor or financially support Be the Star You Are®!:
*Send a tax deductible contribution (every dollar is appreciated)
*Advertise on our radio program, Be the Star You Are!™
*Donate air miles
*Donate a portion of your sales to our charity
*Donate goods that can be auctioned off at an event
*Sponsor an event making Be the Star You Are!™ the charitable beneficiary
*Ask your company to match your donation or make a contribution
*Purchase books, tapes, and video through the non-profit
*Make Be the Star You Are!™ a beneficiary of your estate or Charitable Trust Fund
*Volunteer time
Sharing
Your Wealth...it’s a time for giving
Here is a convenient tax-effective strategy for supporting Be
the Star You Are!™.
Use a Charitable Gift account through a brokerage firm such as Charles Schwab,
or Fidelity. Here's how it works:
Contact the brokerage firm of your choice and ask about their Charitable
Giving Account. Each firm has a special name for their charity account
but they are basically set up the same as an independent, nonprofit charity,
earning the donor immediate tax deductions. Choose the investment pool
you are interested in such as growth index, balanced index or gift
preservation where the assets appreciate tax free.
Advise the fund that you want to nominate Be the Star
You Are!™
as the beneficiary of your contribution. The fund then ensures that the
charity is registered as an IRS-qualified non profit organization (which we
are). Once that process is complete, the fund sends the charity a check.
Donors can remain anonymous, or the fund will provide their names to us.
Donors can also ask the fund to direct their grant towards a particular
project or division of our charity. For example, if you wanted to fund
our radio program, you could direct your dollars to go to that endeavor, or if
you wanted to fund the distribution of books. Fund donors benefit by the
ability to give more with contributions growing tax-free, so you have more
money to grand. If you are in the 39.6% tax bracket, a $10,0000
contribution costs you only $6,040 after taxes. In the 36% and 31%
brackets, a donor would pay $6,400 and $6,900 respectively for that same
post-tax donation. Your contributions to the charitable gift account is
tax deductible in the year you make them. You also pay no capital-gains tax on
appreciated securities that you donate to a charitable gift account and you
also reduce the amount of holdings in your estate as money in a gift account
are not part of your estate, therefore your heirs won't have to pay tax on
them. For more information about charitable gift accounts, call
our office at 877-944-STAR or your favorite broker. Charles Schwab is
800-746-216 and Fidelity is 800-544-7272.
Be the Star You Are®! 501(c)(3) is a volunteer self help media library
Thank you to all our dedicated volunteers and to you, our outstanding supporters around the world. We value you and couldn't do what we do without you. Please tell a friend about us and have them tell a friend. Send this newsletter to everyone you know! If you would like to volunteer or get involved with our charity please contact us at volunteer@bethestaryouare.org. (PLEASE NOTE, BY REPLYING TO THIS EMAIL YOU DO NOT GET TO THE CHARITY). If you wish to reach Cynthia Brian, send to cynthia@bethestaryouare.org.
All donations are 100% tax deductible according to law. It's the end of the year so what better time to make a tax deductible donation. We appreciate all contributions. We care.
Until we visit again, remember, you are a wonder of creation. Just Be the Star You Are!
Be the Star You Are!™
PO Box 376
Moraga, Ca. 94556
877-944-STAR
http://www.bethestaryouare.org
Be the Star You Are!™
a 501(c)(3) non profit organization
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ORDER
FORM:
PRODUCTS AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR CHARITY. Donations are tax-deductible to
the full extent of the law.
PRODUCTS CAN BE ORDERED DIRECTLY!
PRICE LIST
Be the Star You Are! Book
$15.95 plus $1.35 tax=$17.30
Miracle Moments® Book
$9.99 plus $.86 tax = $10.85
Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul book
$12.95 plus $1.10 tax = $14.05
Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul CD
$11.95 plus $1.05 tax = $13.00
Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul tape
$ 9.95 plus $ .85 tax= $10.80
CASH, CHECKS, VISA OR MASTERCARD ACCEPTED. SHIPPING ADD $3.50 FOR FIRST BOOK,
$1.75 FOR EACH EXTRA BOOK
Make checks out to: Be the Star You Are!™
non profit
PO BOX 376
MORAGA, CA. 94556
925-376-7126
ORDER FORM:
NAME OF
BOOKS/TAPES/CD'S:____________________________________
NUMBER WANTED of each:_______________________________________
AUTOGRAPHED TO WHOM_______________________________________
SHIP TO:____________________CITY_________STATE____ZIP________
BILL TO: VISA____MASTERCARD______ CHECK:____
CREDIT CARD NUMBER____________________________EXP.__________
PHONE NUMBER_________________________
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YOUR FEEDBACK
If you have comments, questions or suggestions for this newsletter, please
write to Kim Carlson,
your Be the Star You Are!™ newsletter
coordinator at: bethestaryouare@hotmail.com
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
It is not now, and has never been, our intention to send this free newsletter to
anyone who does not want it. If you received this in error, please respond with
"REMOVE" on the subject line.
If this was forwarded to you, and you want to receive it monthly, reply with "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line.
To subscribe to the text-only version of this newsletter, reply with "TEXT-ONLY" in the subject line.
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FORWARD
TO A FRIEND
Forward this to anyone who you think may be interested in its contents.
Keep the special people in your life informed as to what is happening in the
world of positive programming!
Visit our web site at http://www.bethestaryouare.org.
Please note, by responding to this email, you do not reach the charity. To
reach Cynthia Brian directly, email her at cynthia@bethestaryouare.org.
Thank you.
Be The Star You Are!™
PO Box 376, Moraga, CA 94556
Tel: 877.944.STAR or 925.376.7126
Fax: 925.376.7142
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