The Be the Star You Are!® Motto “To be a leader, you must be a reader. Read, lead, succeed.” Cynthia Brian, Founder, Executive Director Autumn has fallen with shorter days, cooler nights and leaves turning umber, amber, and gold. Kids everywhere are planning their costumes for Halloween. Life has been busy as families settle into the back to school routine with the frenzy of homework and extracurricular activities. Festivals and fairs of the summer offered exciting opportunities for camaraderie and exploration. Now it’s back to work. I am grateful for the dedication of our volunteers who continue to add their own unique talents to the outreach programs of Be the Star You Are!®. A special shout out of appreciation is due to our newsletter creator, Elizabeth Aguilar in Geneva, Switzerland and our Teen Event Coordinator, Chelsea Pelchat who have really done stellar jobs. In addition, our teen radio reporters and hosts continue to grow as top notch media talent on Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio, interviewing a myriad of fascinating guests. Just in time for a haunted October, guests on both Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio and StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® offer bone-chilling books to keep you looking over your shoulder for those scary hallowed eve nights. Thanks to everyone who supports BTSYA with your donations. Stay safe and enjoy the tricks and treats of the season. Most of all, continue to shine as the STARS you are. Read the full newsletter: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/672296/2749e99314/288055965/ac7221bc2f/ In the Limelight: Acting student of Cynthia Brian is showcased in the new film “Love Twice” premiering at the Mill Valley Film Festival directed by award winning director Rob Nilsson and veteran actor , Carl Lumbly. Click on her name for more information. For more information visit http://tickets.cafilm.org/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=240147%7Eb5ffc240-184b-4172-a0fd-0f56eabee2d5& A New On-Line Fundraiser-Accessories $5 or less Want to get a jump start on Christmas shopping with items under $5.00 with 45% of the profits going to Be the Star You Are!® charity? Rebecca Podio, owner of Paparazzi is excited to partner with Be the Star You Are!® Paparazzi is a line of jewelry, headbands and accessories that are all $5. The fun thing about Paparazzi is that is affordable and very trendy. Paparazzi does not have a set catalog so the items are always changing with new seasons and fashion trends. The items are perfect for anyone on your list, and they even have lanyards for those people in your life who wear name tags to work. Also with the party as a thank you to everyone who helps make this a success for Be The Star You Are!®, the person who invites the most other people to the party will be given the hostess rewards. You have the chance to win free items without even having to make a purchase just by inviting others to help Be The Star You Are!®. Shop at https://www.facebook.com/events/1654000164845459/ Happy early holidays! Pear Festival a Juicy Success! With the talented vision of our event coordinator, Chelsea, Pelchat, and the devoted and artistic Be the Star You Are!® volunteers, the Pear Festival was a roaring success. Here’s what Chelsea had to say about the day: “After about three months of planning for our booth at the Moraga Pear Festival, it brings me such joy to proudly announce its phenomenal success. Among the many attractions provided by our charity’s booth, we provided a day of FREE activities with a Kids’ Korner reading circle, face painting, cookies, and a give away of beautiful hardbound copies of the award-winning children’s book, The Adventures of Blue Ocean Bob by Brooks Olbrys. Our face painting activity set off a chain reaction. As each parent waited for their children’s face painting to finish, our volunteers took them aside and explained a little bit about our charity and the work we do. Most parents donated a few dollars after learning about our cause to increase literacy. As each child met up with their friends and told them about our booth, an increasingly large crowd gathered and formed a line that eventually reached ten feet outside the tent. It got to a point where there were so many people, that we were forced to borrow more chairs from other organizations. Our volunteers’ faces lit up with delight at the popularity of our booth. What was once a vision, became a reality. Thank you to our generous sponsors MB Jessee Painting, StarStyle® Productions, LLC, Lamorinda Weekly Newspaper, and Michael VerBrugge Construction, and Children’s Success Unlimited for making the BTSYA booth possible. And a big thank you to the volunteers who shared their expertise and fun-loving personalities: Maria Wong, Zhara Hasanian, Pamela Rose, Christina Tippie, Shafigheh Rassi, Katie Choo. Be the Star You Are!® will be organizing more exciting events so check our web site for updates . If you are interested in volunteering or sponsoring an event, please email: info@BetheStarYouAre.org. Thanks everyone!” Chelsea Pelchat Making Your Dream Come True A Post from Karen Kitchel At a business meeting many years ago, everyone was given a notepad which said "Make A Dream Come True." At the time, I thought it was a nice saying so I kept it on my desk. I knew for a long time that I wanted to adopt a baby girl since my adopted son brought me so much joy. I also knew the process wouldn't be easy as a then single parent. My wishes seemed pretty simple. I wanted a healthy baby born anywhere in the world, and I planned to name her Maria. My initial research led me to a program in Mexico, so I began to get excited thinking about how I was making my dream come true. After many months of completing paperwork and waiting, I received a phone call one day only to find out they closed the program in Mexico. No explanation -- just they had to close. Being determined to find my Maria, I searched some more and discovered a program in Honduras. After several months and more paperwork, I was sent a photo of an 18-month old girl who they said would be mine. While I was hoping for a younger child, I had a lot of faith that whomever was chosen for me would be the daughter I would cherish. Then came a letter in the mail a few weeks later explaining that there was some confusion and the child I thought was going to be mine had already been given to someone else and at that time they didn't have any more waiting children for single parents. Many people experience heartbreak, and I knew I couldn't just give up. Then I learned of a new program opening in Paraguay and found I could apply to adopt a baby girl. The challenges were more than I ever imagined, but on one of the most wonderful days of my life, I brought home my beautiful baby Maria. My notepad reminder to "Make A Dream Come True" helped me to stay focused during those three long years of searching, and today, 27 years later, I still have that little notepad on my desk so that I never forget how challenges are something to be met, and dreams do come true! What's your dream and how will you make it come true? About the author: Karen Kitchel is a Community Volunteer who is passionate about helping those who are homeless or disadvantaged. Previously she served as President of Cheerful Givers, a nonprofit organization, and Director of BI University at BI Worldwide. She can be reached at karenkitchel@comcast.net Be The Star You Are! has launched a fantastic blog page that features the voices of volunteers, celebrities, and guests from our radio shows. Check out our exciting work and latest interviews! We also have a Twice Weekly BTSYA where you can also get updates from our Radio Shows! If you'd like to be a part of it and contribute your thoughts and memories, please contact eaguilar_2018@depauw.edu on how to get involved! Shop, Give, and Get Connected If you love to shop online, you'll love the ways you can be donating to Be the Star You Are!® without spending a penny more, and sometimes saving a lot. The next time you want to buy ANYTHING, click on one of our links and you'll be supporting BTSYA while getting the best value for yourself! Ways to Help 1. AmazonSmile donates .5% of purchases http://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3333882 2. Discounted books at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/shops/be_the_star_you_are_charity 3. Buy or Sell on EBAY:http://givingworks.ebay.com/charity-auctions/charity/be-the-star-you-are-501-c-3/1504/?favorite=link 4. Use GoodSearch to search the web & buy from your favorite stores,. Choose Be the Star You Are as your charity to support. You can log in with Facebook, too! http://www.goodsearch.com/goodto-go/be-the-star-you-are 5. Shop at over 1300 stores on IGIVE: http://www.iGive.com/BTSYA 6. BTSYA Logo Store: http://btsya.rylees.net 7. Giving Assistant: Shop. Earn. Give! Use Giving Assistant to earn cash back at 1800+ popular online stores, then donate a percentage to BTSYA: https://givingassistant.org/np#be-the-star-you-are-inc If you would like to make a direct donation to our giving fund, please visit our Paypal page! https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3 Links you can use for Be the Star You Are!® Positive Results: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/positive-results About Us: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/about_us Programs: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/programs How to Help: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/how-to-help Blog:http://www.bethestaryouare.org/blog Events:http://www.bethestaryouare.org/events Contact us: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/contact GREAT NON PROFITS REVIEWS: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/ We love connecting with so many great people on the air and it would be fantastic if you could listen in as well! Please join us on Star-Style Radio and Express Yourself! Teen Radio. www.StarStyleRadio.com Please also visit our calendar to find local events. Care to see what other people are saying about us? See our reviews at Great Non-Profits! http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/ Read the newsletter: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/672296/2749e99314/288055965/ac7221bc2f/ Be The Star You Are! 501(c)(3) PO Box 376 Moraga, CA 94556 http://www.bethestaryouare.org/ info@bethestaryouare.org