Lessons here and there

Summer is over, and we didn't write a thing about it! Looks like we were busier than we thought. Even when we appear to be idle, there's a lot going on--you just can't see it unless you're with us.

Back in mid-July, we had another lesson day. We always say that our meetings are like throwing a party: You can send out the invitations, but you never know if anyone is going to show up. The size of our group was just right.

Two new volunteers joined our group, Carol Amato and Amanda Czarnecki. They have a steep learning curve ahead in terms of learning to make jewelry and learning about the many aspects of A Little Something. For Katrina, Jaime, Anna, Susan and I, it can be a surprsie to realize how much we know and how much information we actually have stored in our heads. It's when we set out to share our knowledge that we can really see how we're each like a different volume in our unique set of encyclopedias. Let's hope Amanda and Carol weren't too overwhelmed on their first day.

The first order of business--before the women arrived--was to create a "Yes/No Board." Since the overall English level of our members is very low, we wanted to create a display of clear exaples of good jewelry and problematic jewelry. Every piece on the board was a real-life example. When it was all laid out, it was evident that although there was a lot unorthodox technique in front of us, our women are consumate and creative problem solvers.


The four women from Iraq had finished work they brought for us to look at. Quality control revealed that we need to schedule a lot of lessons in the next few months. Technical issues aside, the jewelry was beautiful, original, and highly marketable. We told Hind and Zainab they'll definitely make some money when we resume our sales.

Beda is a petite woman from Bhutan who already knits but also wants to learn how to make jewelry. She said she hadn't been making anyting at all because she can't see. It took some careful listening, but we finally figured out that Beda needs glasses. There is no money for an exam or prescription lenses. A quick trip to the nearest ESL classroom proved to be worth the effort. Beda tried on four or five pairs of reading glasses (we buy them when they go on sale at Walgreen's) and when she found a pair that worked for her, we were back in business.


The time flew by, and we had to pack up and call it a day long before we were finished. Many thanks to the security staff and Saturday custodians at Emily Griffith Opportunity School for their hospitality.

About a month after our group meeting, several of us gathered at HQ (Sharon's basement) for some bead sorting, organizing, and planning. There is always far more to do than it appears at first glance. We dream (often) of the day we have our own dedicated office and studio space so the tasks related to keeping the project running wouldn't have to be put off until we can all synchronize our schedules.

We never actually stop working on this project, even though it may appear that way. We have big plans for the future of A Little Something. In the meantime, at least one of us will be at the Denver Bead Renaissance show on Sunday, while others will be taking care of other business. There is a full schedule of sales and craft fairs coming up in the near future, plus new members to welcome into the family. So much to do, so little time.

Borrowing a wrist to measure a bracelet's size.

Susan and Hajia enjoying the moment

Anna helps Fatuma conquer the crimp tool.

Our newest teen--from Congo.

Anna reviewed finishing techniques with the Iraqi women.

Jaime works with Zainab on a refresher lesson.

Overheard as I was passing by: "You. Children? You have children?"

Anna teaches.

Hajia is always ready to try a new technique.

Smile! Look at our awesome yes-no-board!

Beautiful

About two months ago, we attended the Bead Bazaar sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Bead Society. As usual, we met up with the generous Betcey at Beyond Beadery. She told us that she had some donated beads for us that were actually from Raven's Journey. (I can't include the Beyond Beadery link right now--they're having server problems, but you can find them on Facebook!)

After the beads were in my home, I set about rinsing them off and setting them out to dry. Awhile later, I walked past the beads glittering in the sunlight and I was delighted by how beautiful they were. I felt compelled to take a picture that just needs to be shared. Czech glass beads are so stunning--we can't get enough of them!

(To see this picture full size, click on it.)

Under the radar

Sometimes, the busiest people are behind the scenes. Jean has been handling sales for us, but met the disappointment all of us have faced since the inception of the project: A windy day with no foot traffic and abysmal sales. The worst, but not the only way it goes. Thank goodness.

Katrina, Anna, Susan, Jaime, and I have been working out some new plans for the women in the group. Our membership grew so fast, we were caught off-guard. We all do this in addition to our real jobs, so we can't dedicate the time we'd like to. Still, we get together every two weeks to talk about how best to proceed so we can go ahead with a plan that will best suit the needs of the women. All fifty of them.

We're going to implement a contract for the participants. Everyone in the program will agree to learn more about different aspects of the project, including financial literacy. They'll have to agree to help with at least one sale or sale preparation per year. They'll also have to agree that, since this is a co-op, they will not sell their creations outside of the program. All supplies are provided to the women for free, but when they are paid, a percentage goes back to the project to pay for supplies and other expenses to keep it viable. We hope that by adding this formalized structure, those who are truly interested will take a greater role in making this a member operated project.

Our biggest news is our imminent incorporation. Yay! Once that's complete, we'll need to put together a Board of Directors and start the process of becoming a recognized nonprofit. In the meantime, we'll have the purchasing power of business owners, and that should save us some money when we buy our supplies.

Supplies. Women who come into our program receive about $75 worth of supplies to get set up, but at no cost to the member. Here's an example of how our supplies--donated and purchased--are used. A jewelry maker receives a bead box with enough beads and findings for at least ten projects. This includes wire, beads, earring wires, head pins, different types of clasps, crimp tubes, accent beads, and stretch cord.

In addition, we assemble a full set of new tools: round nose pliers, chain nose pliers, wire nippers, flush cutters, and a crimp tool. To help with design concepts, each woman also gets a new design board, a bead mat, and alligator clips.

Finally, everything goes into a flat-bottom tote bag. Trial and error have shown that the bags sold at Lowes work the best. They are wide, sturdy, and very inexpensive at about a dollar each.

It takes one person about an hour to assemble one starter kit. We also assemble refresher kits and color coordinated project kits for those women who are color-matching challenged.

Over the course of the first year, we learned a few lessons that still hold. We don't buy cheap quality tools. We only buy 49-strand (sometimes 21-strand) wire because the women are not always gentle in handling their supplies and lesser wires kink far too easily.

There are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. The basement at my house is under construction as my husband attempts to install better overhead lighting and an upgraded sink to make the space more A-Little-Something-friendly. It has been a slow process since funds are tight at our house and we still need to hire an electrician and a drywall finisher.

We're always looking for eager, dedicated, competent volunteers and some skilled teachers who can help us on the Saturdays when we teach and correct our eager students. Our email address is at the top of this page, on the right. Let us know if you can join us in some of the many tasks that keep this project going.

For now, it's time for bed. Katrina is coming over tomorrow to learn about our customized system of bookkeeping. Not enough hours in the day...

Board position open

As we go through the process of incorporation, we are required to assemble a Board of Directors. We have a good team put together, but there is one position we haven't yet filled.

The Board needs a member who has a legal or financial background. Ideally, this would be an attorney, specifically one who deals with financial matters, or else an accountant or someone who works in a similar discipline.

This position is not compensated; at least, not monetarily.

We need to file our articles of incorporation imminently, so if you or someone you know would like to help out and be on our working Board, please contact Katrina Wert via our main email address: beadwomen@gmail.com.

A Little Update

It might appear that we've been quiet, but that's because we've been so busy, there hasn't been a whole lot of time to write about it. Here are the highlights:

Shopping for our cause


Last Sunday, Sharon and Katrina made a trip to the Rocky Mountain Bead Society's annual Bead Bazaar. Due to financial and scheduling constraints, we weren't able to bring any of the women this year. Instead, we devoted our time to buying beads--much-needed beads! Now we need time to wash and sort them so the women can replenish their supplies. It was a busy afternoon for us, but we knew it was time to quit when our debit card waved the white flag in the middle of a sale. After checking the bank balance, it turns out we have only $65 left to our A Little Something name.

Curb your enthusiasm, ladies
Many of the women who came to the "big" meeting in February still need jewelry making lessons. Unfortunately, that hasn't any effect on their enthusiasm, so they're trying to make jewelry without first earning how. On the upside, most of what we've seen is very good--beautiful, in fact. On the downside, the women have no idea what their tools are for, how a crimp is used, or how to actually finish a piece or attach findings. Most have just tied the wire in knots where findings would go. It's an ugly situation and we desperately need some help recruiting experienced jewelry makers who would like to donate some time instructing the new women in our program. We just don't have enough ours in the day between the five of us!

Dotting the T's, crossing the eyes
About four months ago, we started the process of incorporating. All this time, our organization has never officially existed on paper. We had tried to figure out the process on our own, but in less than five minutes on the state's business Website, it was obvious that we were going to be in waaay over our heads if we tried to go it alone.

Enter Laura and Kami, our wonderful attorneys. Thanks to their support and knowledge, we'll soon be an official business with nonprofit status to follow. Katrina and Jaime are working with the attorneys to get through this complex and often confusing process. There are so many variables to take into consideration, so much language, so many scenarios, so many complicated documents, so many head-spinning moments! Stay tuned for the day we can announce our official officialness.

There are sales coming up this month, and probably more to follow. We still aren't in a position to sell online, but we'll let you know when that's ready to roll out.

More news soon!

When our group presented at the TESOL conference last month, we had a slide show running as we were setting up and folks were coming in. All together, the pictures are a retrospective of our work, a short history of A Little Something from the summer of 2007 to three days ago.

These pictures are not in any particular order, but even randomly selected they tell our story pretty well.

For best results, move your cursor off of the picture screen while viewing. To see the photos full size, click on the picture, and when a new window opens, select slide show. Slow the speed to five seconds so the pictures have time to load completely before advancing. The entire show takes a little over 10 minutes to run in its entirety.

Enjoy!

Remember when you asked if you could help?

Now that our program just had a major growth spurt, we're having some growing pains. We need to get many of the new women up-to-speed on learning to make jewelry using basic-to-intermediate techniques, understanding mistakes and quality control, and working through design issues (there are many).

We plan to hold a series of Saturday instructional sessions for the new BeadWomen throughout the spring.

If you live in the Denver area and you have the skills we need plus a lot of patience and a willingness to help across cultures, please contact us at beadwomen@gmail.com, or call Katrina at 720-289-9090.

We look forward to meeting you!

April 1 - May 2

A Little Something, The Denver Refugee Women's Crafts Initiative, is excited and honored to be part of a new new exhibit at TACtile Textile Arts Center in Denver.

Worldly Open House
Sunday, April 19
1:00 - 4:00

Meet the women of A Little Something as well as the founders of the participating humanitarian groups as they share information about their work and the artisan crafts from the many developing countries featured...North and South Laos, Vietnam, Uganda, Guatamala, and Denver refugee women. Private collectors will also speak about the exquisite works they have chosen from many more countries around the globe.

In addition to the exhibit of private textile collections, textile items will be for sale from six Colorado non-profit humanitarian assistance organizations that see textile work as art that can elevate lives.
Other participants include:

• Indigo Threads, working in rural Laos to help with the sale of traditional crafts and to provide opportunities to school-aged children.

• Bridging Hope works directly with underprivileged women and children in Vietnam helping them attain sustainable living conditions.

• Silks of Laos provides sustainable income for silk weavers in northern Laos, South-East Asia. Training equips them with the skills needed to participate in fair-trade projects in northern Laos and to avoid human trafficking that is so prevalent in these rural areas.

• Cielo Maya (Maya Heaven)is a Guatemalan economic development association led by Tz'utujil Maya women. The sales of their handwoven wearable art provide decent wages, leadership development and educational opportunities for the artists.

We hope you'll come to see us at the open house on April 19 or, if you can't, at least stop by the exhibit sometime this month. Escape the stress of your days with a relaxing stroll through the world of textile workmanship and beauty.

Accomplishment and a sense of relief

The idea was ambitious, for sure. A presentation at a large conference of English Language Acquisition professionals--more than 6,000 teachers, researchers, policy makers, grad students, community program managers, publishers, writers, software developers, UNHCR and IOM language and culture trainers...TESOL is the who's who of the ESL world.

Given the very large number of proposals submitted, the rigor of the adjudication process, and the somewhat off-the-wall nature of the proposal we were putting up for consideration, I could only come to one conclusion about the possibility of presenting: No way.

Way. The proposal was not only accepted, but scheduled as part of a well-promoted group of sessions in a new category of an experimental/experiential genre. Suddenly what looked so feasible on paper was striking me as impossibly ridiculous. Sigh. We have faced challenges before and met them head on, and we could certainly do it again, right? There was nothing on the line at all, really, just my professional reputation and credibility. Oh, that.

Here is how the session abstract appeared in the program book:

Stringing Together Benevolent Enterprise and Basic Skills for Refugee Women

When a group of refugee women and ESL volunteers collaborated on a crafts empowerment project, the context for English and math skills, critical thinking, and business basics came naturally. In this experiential session, presenters explain the project while participants bead and sell under the instruction of the refugee artisans.
Presenters: Sharon McCreary ; Anna Hebbert ; Susan Renick ; Jaime Koehler ; Haiffaa Ali ; Khadiga Ali ; Fatuma Ali

The logistics of getting ready for the session were enormous. Almost anything that could go wrong, certainly did. The end result wasn't quite what I had envisioned, but it was still nothing less than...wonderful.

First, kudos to Katrina Wert for stepping in at the last minute to help fill in some presenter gaps--and for sharing valuable insight she has about the pre-literate refugees she taught so competently and compassionately for the years we worked together. Katrina also assisted Susan with the formidable transportation duties and logistics. Getting the women there was a job in and of itself, but Susan and Katrina got everyone delivered safely and on time.

When it was time to start, the room was full. Haiffaa opened the session by explaining to everyone what we hoped to accomplish during the evening, some of the things the participants would be doing, and then she introduced all of us in our group. And she did it all in Arabic so the group could get a sense of what it must have been like for our BeadWomen when we had our first meetings and lessons.

After some project background and several PowerPoint slides, it was time for Haiffaa, Htee Ku Paw, Sharifo, Fatuma, and Khadiga to be the teachers. Each woman worked with a group and presented lessons in basic jewelry making technique--but each woman did this while speaking no English. It was time for the participants to get a feel for what it's like to learn something fairly complex without the benefit of common language. Htee Ku Paw is not a jewelry maker, so she gave a lesson in basic crochet.

After the crafting lessons, each of the refugee women had the opportunity to address the group and tell her own story or talk about her experience as a member of A Little Something. Haiffaa is a talented public speaker, and she almost brought the group to tears. Khadiga talked about how much she has enjoyed learning something new that she does just for herself. Htee Ku Paw's voice cracked when she said that although she has been weaving since she was eight years old, she never had money before. Being a part of A Little Something has given her a chance to help her family while preserving a treasured cultural art.

At the end of our two-hour session, something amazing happened--almost nobody left. It was after 8:00 p.m., yet most of the attendees stayed to talk to the women and to help us pack up our bajillion beads and the props we used in the presentation. This project seems to foster a sense of community for anyone who spends time with it.

Fatuma rode home with me, and although she's normally pretty quiet, she was nothing short of exuberant during the drive. She talked a lot, and repeatedly thanked me and thanked me for inviting her to be part of the presentation. I had never seen her so confident or happy.

The next morning, at 8:30, my phone rang. It was my boss, who was a conference co-chair. The managers had just finished a breakfast meeting. Apparently, our session was the talk of the meeting. At least two TESOL co-chairs attended our session--but we didn't know that. They were so impressed with the entire presentation, the women, the activities, they made it the topic of the two-hour breakfast meeting.

We should be proud and I realize that, but I was so stressed out by the many obstacles we faced up until the moment when we started, I can only feel relief that the session is over with. The pride I feel is for Fatuma, Haiffaa, Htee Ku Paw, Sharifo, and Khadiga. They brought everything they had to share with the people who attended our session, and they ended up giving more than 100 percent. I know that this job challenged them but they all put their anxieties aside and showed nothing but confidence, patience, and personal strength. I couldn't possibly be any prouder of them. Well done, ladies.

To see these pictures full size, just click on a photo and a new window will open. For best results, manually advance pictures--don't choose slide show.

Full circle and a bit dizzy, Part II

Writing in the wee hours of the morning usually means I stray from the thought that prompted me to blog in the first place. At a more reasonable hour, the original thought comes back, perhaps with some lucidity.

It was deja vu. Saturday had a familiar but distant feel. I was back in the community room at Grace. Refugee women were eagerly leaning in to see what I was demonstrating with my tools and somewhat shaky hands. I am self-conscious about my hand tremor, and the original group of women don't even see it anymore. New women, new self-conscious moment for Sharon.

I picked up each tool as we needed it, and I said its name slowly and clearly. Round nose pliers. Repeat: Round...nose...pliers. Say it with me.

A few minutes later I asked the name of the tool and was met with puzzled looks. I drew a circle in the air. I touched my nose. "Circle face tool!" Reviewing material is so underrated.

Jump ring. I think they pretend to forget just to see me act it out. A plump middle-aged woman jumping around is not to be missed.

We laughed a lot. I cursed the hand tremor, especially on a day when there was no one else there to demonstrate what I cannot so easily. The women asked the same questions those first women asked in the summer of 2007. The mistakes were the same, and the smiles born from success were just as beautiful.

I wanted to be a better teacher. I wanted the women to feel satisfied with their lesson. I wanted them to fall madly in love with jewelry making right from the start. This was familiar territory, but no less exciting on the return trip.

I could see it so clearly: It was possible that this project that started with four women and grew like a healthy, loved baby, could keep repeating itself. This scene unfolding in the community room really could happen again and again. The faces and cultures would change, of course, but the ideas that brought the first group together were sound and they were heartfelt.

Creating beauty in the wake of horror soothes a place deep within the spirit. Learning something new and persisting despite challenges builds confidence. A woman who earns money for herself sees new possibilities in a world fraught with uncertainty. Empowerment is more than just a trendy word; it is a fact and in our project, the women themselves are helping those who come after, who will help the next group and so on.

Here's to many more Saturdays explaining the use of the circle face tool.

Life beyond beads

Fatuma sat in on the Saturday beginner's lesson. She was very quiet despite my attempts at engaging her in conversation.

Fatuma has come a long way in her jewelry-making skills. Still, she needed the refresher lesson. She tried so hard to get everything perfect, she started making more mistakes in frustration. She really was doing well, and by the time she was ready to leave, her work was OK. She said she had something else she needed to do, and out the door she went.

Once the Bhutanese women had tidied up, I headed outside and put my things in the car. I spotted activity in the community garden, so I wandered over to see who was there. Htee Ku Paw, Fatuma, and a couple of the other ALS women have plots in the garden.

Fatuma was hard at work hacking at the dry, compacted soil. Watching her, I saw a stark contrast to the peaceful and gentle jewelry making we had just done together. Fatuma was now bent over, working extremely hard. The jewelry lesson and all things bead-related seemed so frivolous now.

Fatuma's work was unbelievably difficult. She showed me the plot she had last year, where someone had already prepped the soft soil. Fatuma's new area had obviously been neglected. It didn't look promising in terms of drainage or sun exposure. This year's drought hadn't helped the soil any, either.

I noticed that Fatuma was wearing flip-flops. She rubbed her hands and I saw that she had no work gloves. When I said that she needed better gardening shoes, Fatuma looked at her feet for a second and just shrugged. I scanned the garden and realized that almost everyone there--the Somali Bantu group--was working in flip-flops and no one had gloves. It seemed particularly hard for the kids. They haven't grown up farming so their hands are the soft hands of school kids who watch TV when they get home. One of Zahara Mahmud's sons was in obvious pain. Like Fatuma, Zahara also worked without comfort items as she swung a pick into the hard soil. Another jewelry maker in need of decent footwear and some sturdy work gloves.

When I asked Fatuma what she planned to grow in her garden, she said, "Everything!" Upon further questioning, Fatuma decided she wanted to plant cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, broccoli, and maybe corn, plus a few things she can't remember in English. I looked at her woefully neglected garden space and wondered if it would be ready for planting in May. I asked Fatuma where her children were. Why weren't they helping? I thought, This family desperately needs the food that will come out of this garden. Shouldn't everyone contribute to Fatuma's gardening efforts?

Fatuma chuckled and told me that this was her "alone" time; it was quiet for her head. That makes sense--she is the mother of eight children.

Flip-flops. No work gloves. Shared tools. I will never complain about how hard my own garden work is. I work in luxury compared to the A Little Something women scratching at the earth for the same reason they make jewelry: So their families can eat.

Full circle and a bit dizzy

We asked the women who received bead boxes and tools at our big meeting to get together this past Saturday for a jewelry-making lesson. Anna was otherwise busy, Jaime was getting ready for a conference, and Susan had chauffeuring duty to tend to. That left only Sharon. No problem. It's only a couple of women...

Five women were waiting when I arrived, and two more came later. We went over making simple loops for earrings and such, crimping with a crimp tool, attaching findings, and more. It was like speed-reading. We covered several lessons worth of material in a couple of hours. OK, three-and-a-half hours.

The Bhutanese women are jewelry animals. They don't want to wait, so they've been guessing about the technical aspects of jewelry making. Their guesses have been mostly wrong, unfortunately. One teacher was woefully inadequate to work with this incredibly eager group. On the other hand, they have an excellent sense of color, and their designs are gorgeous. I hope that going forward we'll have more teachers to work with this very lovely and spirited group.

Fatuma and Khadiga sat in. I was surprised to see them waiting at the table. I tried to enlist their teaching help, but they wanted to review the skills they'll need to teach on Friday.

Friday. Anna, Susan, Katrina, Fatuma, Khadiga and I--and possibly Haiffaa and Sharifo, are going to do a daring and experiential presentation at the TESOL conference, which happens to be in Denver this year. You can read about our presentation topic here. Wish us luck. This has the potential to be great or else an unmitigated disaster.

Loaves and fishes

For some time now, we've been hoping to have a big meeting with all of the women who participate in A Little Something. After careful planning, we came up with a plan to invite all current members and new women who wanted to join so they could meet in one room and help string together a plan for the future of the project.

We hoped that at least 20 women would come. We sent invitations via mail and word of mouth. We ordered lunch, made activity kits, and hoped we wouldn't be there alone.

We were so not alone. The room was packed. As more and more women arrived, Katrina, Anna, Jaime, Susan, Jean, and I started to get nervous. We didn't have materials for this many women. We certainly hadn't ordered lunch for this many women. How were we ever going to stretch out the supplies and food to accommodate all of these women? Yikes!

It was a busy, creative day. The women mingled, talked, learned about the program, and tried their hand at making stretch bracelets. We distributed jewelry making supplies, lots of yarn, weaving fiber, advice, and encouragement. The rush of women wanting to get started was overwhelming.

In the end, we abandoned the concept of project kits and just dumped beads onto styrofoam trays, two per table. IT fostered sharing and cooperation. There was enough stretch cord so that everyone could make a bracelet and take a spool of the cord home. Somehow, Katrina and Jaime made food for 35 transform into lunch for 50. Don't ask me how they pulled this off but they did and no one walked away unfed. It was some sort of crafty miracle.

Now we just need to conjure up clones of ourselves so we can manage 50 women, go out and give jewelry-making lessons, help the knitters get on track, figure out our ever-perplexing weaving fiber confusion, keep track of everyone and what they're making and what they need to keep making it, and, and, and...I think my head is going to explode.

We need 19-strand wire. We need beads. We need crimp tubes. We need everything. Mostly, though, we need time. Hey, we were able to defy the laws of physics and matter with our beads and a catered lunch, so who knows what we can do with the laws of time? Can someone please conjure up Dr. Einstein?

Here are the first pictures from Saturday. The women here are from Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Burma, and Bhutan. Special thanks to Beadalon for helping us out with rolls of Elasticity cord.

Team A Little Something kicks off the meeting.

Getting acquainted across cultures.

Susan getting caught up with Haiffaa, an orignal Beadwoman.

Meeting our sisters.

More mingling.

Bhutan checks in.

Cooperative bead stringing with Yashoda and friends.

Their moms couldn't come, but the Bantu girls joined the group.

Htee Ku Paw tries a different craft in the company of Bhutanese friends.

Sharing laughter and wrist sizes.

Namaste.

Find us on Facebook!

We are pleased to announce that A Little Something is now on Facebook. Find our page at A Little Something (The Denver Refugee Women's Craft Initiative) and become a fan today!

There is really no shortage of media coverage about good people doing extraordinary things. I make a point of watching the last five minutes of the national news every Friday night--any broadcast network will do--because those few minutes of the week highlight the contributions of normal people making a remarkable difference in the world.

CNN devotes a whole year of stories to this concept, culminating in distinguishing honors for a group of ten people every year. Not all are from the U.S., but some are. The reason I mention the geography comes from a bit of frustration I tend to harbor. In the course of the year, the volunteer coordinators in the Colorado Refugee Network attend nonprofit fairs throughout the metro area. When people approach our booth for information about our programs, we are frequently asked the same question: "Do you have volunteer positions overseas?" Or, with a measure of disappointment, "Oh. So, you only help people who are here?"

All three of us are quick to point out that a refugee arriving on American shores has just begun a whole new struggle. There are plenty of ways to contribute to world peace and international relations right in the town where you live. Many people are surprised to find out refugees are here at all. If you aren't aware of their presence, it's because they're often all but invisible...Except to those of us who devote our waking hours to this particular cause.

Even those who are familiar with the refugee resettlement program are often unaware of just how truly grassroots most of the programs are. Our programs cannot exist without community support, church partnerships, devoted teachers, tutors for adults and kids, mentors, first friends, a small army of volunteers, plus all of the people who donate money, furniture, household goods, and time setting up apartments and taking refugees to their many appointments. Refugee resettlement works because it takes a community to welcome a new one to the mix, and communities have a way of knowing what to do.

One of CNN's 2009 Heroes is Carolyn Manning of Phoenix, Arizona. I'll say this for CNN: The network has consistently shown a commitment to telling the story of refugees and the resettlement process. That Ms. Manning was chosen to be honored by CNN this year is one more example of CNN's understanding that this work matters.

Carolyn Manning started an organization called The Welcome to America Project. Her program assists newly arrived refugees by furnishing apartments and providing support and guidance in the time immediately after arrival. To find out more about The Welcome to America Project and Carolyn Manning, click here to visit CNN's Website. This link takes you to an entire web page with videos dedicated to this topic.

Congratulations to Carolyn Manning and her team of volunteers. They do the same work as many other people assisting refugees throughout the U.S., so as a 2009 CNN Hero, Ms. Manning carries the torch for all of you who volunteer your time and open your hearts to refugee newcomers every day--even if it's by donating beads and craft supplies to A Little Something. To the volunteers in refugee resettlment programs around the world, congratulations to you, too, for your fine work! You are all my heroes every day.

One step forward, two steps...sideways

There is a statistic about blogging that claims more than half of all blogs haven't been updated in two months or more. I don't want us to be a statistic, so it's time for an update.

The Bead Women are in an interesting phase. We have always operated without any one of us "at the helm," really, so sometimes our project just rests a bit until someone initiates action. It's one truth that exists in a world of busy lives and hectic work weeks. The refugee women have their share of busy days, too. Also, they get sick, we get sick, they have family crises, we have family crises...We're not so different in terms of what distracts us from building an enterprise.

Our meeting with our new attorneys at Holland and Hart (we have attorneys! From Holland and Hart!!), gave us a lot to ponder about how our project is moving forward. Becoming a formal organization that exists on paper will bring tremendous change and a lot of responsibility. Do we have the time and resources to do that? Can we learn all of the tax-related rules we'll need to know? Can any of us file a business tax return? Do we need to be more diligent about our accounting? Do we even know how to do that or how to manage important papers?

Starting a business--not to mention a nonprofit--involves a lot of things. We need to assemble a Board of Directors. Since it will need to be a "working Board," we need to find people who can help us through our growth period. We need to think about the tax implications that incorporating will have for the refugee women. Also, we continue to have the potential for rapid growth. Although it's tempting to do everything we can while we can, we also need to consider if bigger is better. For our group, maybe not. We don't get paid to work on this project, and we still need to tend to our real jobs. There aren't enough hours in the day.

The women in our group are doing well, for the most part. Haiffaa has graduated from our project and is now selling her handmade jewelry on her own. Khadiga got a job at a discount store, and her depression seems to be lifting (she had a rough year). It looks like Sharifo has been teaching other Bantu women how to make jewelry, and she and several of the women who live in her complex are getting together for jewelry-making sessions. One of the girls we took to the bead show last spring, Arbay, has blossomed into a creative, skilled jewelry maker with a keen eye for design and beauty.

Our Bhutanese knitters made some, uh, original hats this year. OK--they might be a bit bizarre. Nevertheless, their creations showed us that these knitters are skilled craftswomen with a desire to work hard on their projects. None of the Bhutanese jewelry makers have started yet--we just haven't had the time to make up starter kits and get them distributed.

On the more productive side, I spent most of my Christmas break reorganizing the basement of my home to make it more of a A Little Something warehouse and less of a repository for things we don't use. Now, if I could just get the other women to come over and sort and organize beads with me!

We are fortunate that we continue to have friends around the U.S. and beyond who remember us and send us beads and beading supplies. Someone else just donated 300 yards of purple cotton fabric (thanks, Alyce). We'll probably teach some of the women how to sew tote bags, and we'll make fabric panels for our booth along with a lot of other purple things. Omhagain is our resident fine artist with a degree in textile design from a university in Darfur. She hopes to teach some of the women the process of block printing on fabric. We will create a world swathed in purpley fabulousness!

So many ideas, so few hours in the day.

A few weeks ago, we had a business meeting to look at what we've accomplished, what we need to change, and what we should do to ensure a healthy future for A Little Something. this could be big. It could be a substantial organization that helps much larger numbers of women than we can do now. We aren't nearly as interested in being big as we are in being the right support for the women involved.

We have some changes on the horizon, including within our group. Your chief blogger has been "unwell" with an increasingly agitated central nervous system. I've learned more about the human nervous system(s) in the past year than I ever wanted to know. If I am to discourage my body from short-circuiting and acquiring permanent nerve damage and immunity problems, then I must take a breather and not do so much. Stress is taking a very high toll on my health. Frankly, I thrive on "doing," and I do not consider my work with refugees to be stressful, but apparently, my nervous system disagrees. This change in my participation is a direct, strict doctors' order, otherwise I wouldn't change a thing. I can't bear the thought of leaving the project completely, so although my official exit date is March 31, I definitely plan to stay involved in some way--I'll still be here in some capacity, although what that will be remains to be seen. There's a lot to be done yet.

Our friend and colleague, Katrina Wert, will be working with us for awhile to help coordinate our incorporation. She'll also help me transition out of the project (or at least downsize my repsonsibilities) while making sure that the things I do are well documented and reassigned within our group. If only we could just connect a computer to my brain and do a simple data download. It would be easier, but Katrina is very capable and competent, so I'm sure all of the stuff in my head will be sufficiently extracted. In any case, you'll be hearing less of my voice here and more from Jaime, Anna, Susan, and Katrina (I hope).

Looking ahead, our post-holiday hiatus is behind us and now it's time for Team A Little Something to jump into our next round of group gatherings and lessons, English/parenting/life skills classes at Anna's school for the moms in our group, sales, presentations, connecting and partnering with other nonprofits in the community, and incorporating our project into a legitimate business.

Anna has been having health troubles of her own, but as soon as she's back on her feet, we'll have updates from the field once again--with pictures!

Stay tuned!

Anyone can make a difference

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. --Margaret Mead

Recently I had a conversation with someone who showered praise upon the group of us who founded A Little Something. She said we must be incredibly special people to take the initiative and make a difference for so many women and their families. She went on to say that the world needs more people like us.

Here's the thing. We are all pretty darn normal and average in most ways. I think if you met us in line at the supermarket, or if you sat with us at one of the many meetings we sit through for our jobs, you'd find us to be smart, funny, and personable, but not extraordinary. And that's the point.

As a new year is ready to unfurl its days, people around the world will make resolutions to do more, to do better, to try harder, to make a difference. Many won't follow through because they think the task is too daunting. The task may, in fact, be huge, but you start off thinking not about what you can't do, but what you know you can do for sure.

It is the ordinary people who make a difference in our world every day. We are everywhere. I stayed up very late a few nights ago and found out (much to my delight) that each day, Oprah! is shown for a second time after The Late, Late Show. On this particular program, a group of teens discussed their service project wherein they raised money to build a school in rural Kenya. At first I thought, "Well, that's nice. They probably pooled their money, had some car washes and bake sales..." and while I was having that thought, the story unfolded to reveal that these kids--regular high school kids--also traveled to Kenya to live in the village for three weeks while they built the school themselves.

Now they had my attention. The story was compelling on its own, but watching those kids become aware of the complexity of need--the domino effect of aid or neglect--gave me goosebumps. The kids were flummoxed by the work--none had ever done any construction work at all before this, and after receiving oral instructions and only a very rough idea of how to construct a building from the ground up, they set about building something that would make a better future available to an entire community. They didn't know what they were doing, but they had faith that they would figure it out.

During the trip, the students figured out a lot about the world and about themselves and about the capacity to effect change within and outside of oneself. A group of smart, sharp, high achievers got on a plane and went to Kenya. A group of considerate, aware, compassionate, critical thinkers came home less than a month later. It was obvious that by being physically present in the midst of need, by seeing that there are answers--although not easy ones--these kids were profoundly changed. I would bet that their experience in Africa will continue to affect them for a lifetime. As a result, these kids will find a way to make everyday actions have meaningful impact. Isn't this the true essence of education? Do any of us know what we're capable of until we're knee-deep in new challenges and commitments?

When you sit down to make that list of New Year's resolutions or just a wish list for personal change, don't set out to change the world. Instead, think of how you can incorporate mindfulness, meaningful gestures, compassion, and the talents you already have into any given day of your life. If you keep at it, you'll be in the midst of significant change before you even realize what's happening before you.

Several months into the creation of A Little Something, I was reminded of the story of the starfish on the beach. Perhaps you know it. I believe it is the perfect metaphor for how we found ourselves up to our eyeballs in entrepreneurial benevolence. We weren't setting out to start anything; we were really just trying to help some women we already knew.

The Starfish (an exceptionally abridged version)
An old man walked along the beach early on a summer morning. During the night, the tide had washed in thousands of starfish that were now hopelessly stranded on the sand. The tide was going out and as the sun climbed higher in the sky, the chances of the starfishes' survival was waning.

As the man made his way along the beach, he walked bent over, picking up starfish after starfish and throwing them back into the ocean. A young man walking the opposite way approached him. "Old man," he said, "are you crazy? There are thousands of these things out here. You can't possibly save them all. What difference does it make if you throw a few back into the water?"

The old man didn't break his rhythm. He picked up a starfish, looked at the young man, and tossed the starfish into the waves as he said, "Made a difference to that one."

My advice to you: Start where you are. The opportunity to make a difference is there. Let it find you.

For an inspiring story of a young person making a difference for the women of Darfur, click here. It's two minutes of very worthwhile reading.