Interfaith Leaders in New Mexico Support Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change

Reprinted from New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light site   Here is the original link

A letter supporting the Papal Encyclical, Laudato Si, that is signed by some 100 New Mexican Interfaith Religious Leaders, was released Tuesday, July 28, 2015 by New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light and the New Mexico Conference of Churches.

The letter was presented at a press conference attended by multi-faith leaders including Rev. Dr. Donna McNiel, New Mexico Conference of Churches; Allen Sanchez, Catholic Conference of Bishops; Sr. Joan Brown,osf, New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light; Necip Orhan, New Mexico Representative, Dialogue Institute of the Southwest; Rabbi Min Kantorwitz, Jewish Leader; Msgr. J. Voorhies, Ecumenical Ministry; and Donna Illerbrun, Principal of St. Therese School.

In part the letter reads: "As the undersigned faith leaders we work with our religious communities and our civic leaders to understand the meaning of Laudato Si/ Praised Be!...As faith leaders we support the Clean Power Plan and initiatives like the Green Climate Fund which will assist brothers and sisters suffering most from the effects of climate change."

Sr. Brown, Executive Director of New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light said "Support and enthusiasm for Pope Francis' call to address environmental degradation, climate change and related realities of economic disparity and poverty are palpable across New Mexico. People are feeling impelled to new actions small and large."

Executive Director of the New Mexico Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishop's, Allen Sanchez noted, "Our Holy Father Pope Francis is calling us to make part of our spirituality a value for God's creation. Spirituality is the deliberate discernment of ethical values that are concretized into attitudes that govern our actions. This value of stewardship is not just Catholic but can be universal for all members of our common home, Sister Mother Earth. We can began this journey together by entering a conversation about values which embraces stewardship of earth. These discussions should include the situation of the poor and the resources gifted to all on earth."

"Pope Francis reminds us all, Christians, people of faith, human beings on the planet, of our central purpose." Dr. McNiel stated, "We have been made to be care takers - of one another, and of the planet - not consumers. This reminder could not come at a more timely moment."

More signatures from faith leaders in New Mexico are needed. There are many ways to add your name to the list. Send an e-mail to Sister Joan Brown (joan@nm-ipl.org), check the website of the  New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light  or  download the entire letter: letter for NM faith leaders to sign

The letter will be shared with civic leaders in the state along with an invitation to read the encyclical and consider the moral and ethical teachings as decisions affecting the common good, water, air, climate, land and communities are made within the state.

'Don't Let the Children Be Hungry'

Children from All Saints Lutheran Church, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church and St. John XXIII Catholic Community participated in their congregation's 2015 Offerings of Letters. They wrote messages on paper plates urging Congress to protect child nutrition programs and to address hunger and homelessness. The children at the three congregations sent a total of 106 paper-plate messages to Congress this year. A few weeks ago, we posted some of the photos from the children at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church. Here is a sampling of the paper plates from St. John XXIII Vacation Bible School.

A Blessing of Letters

When our committee planned the blessing of the letters written at St. John XXIII Catholic Community on protecting and expanding child nutrition programs, we simply picked the Sunday after the Offering of Letters. We had not looked at the readings for this particular Sunday. By the grace of God, the reading from the Old Testament and from the Gospel, 2 Kings 4:42-44 and John 6: 1-5, were perfect for this occasion. They were all about finding enough food to feed everyone. We brought 182 letters and 88 paper plates written at Vacation Bible School for Father Ark Biczak to bless.  

This is the prayer provided by Bread for the World for the blessing of letters.

O God, our creator, we give thanks that you preserve and sustain all life through good government and other public and private institutions. We ask you to bless our letters to Congress. May this expression of our democratic rights be part of your work of ending hunger. We pray also for our nation’s decision makers. Grant them compassion and wisdom so that all children in this nation receive the nutrition their young bodies and minds need to learn and grow. We ask these things in the name of the Risen Christ, who teaches us to pray that your will be done on earth and that all may have the daily bread you provide. Amen.

Comedian John Oliver Takes Issue with Food Waste in America

A recent report from The Natural Resources Defense Council found that 40 percent of the food produced in our country is never consumed. According to that report, we throw away about $165 billion of food each year. "Reducing food losses by just 15 percent would be enough food to feed more than 25 million Americans every year at a time when one in six Americans lack a secure supply of food to their tables," said the NRDC report. "Increasing the efficiency of our food system is a triple- bottom-line solution that requires collaborative efforts by businesses, governments and consumers."

The report prompted comedian John Oliver to dedicate a 17-minute segment to the topic in his show "Last Week Tonight," on HBO. "This is not a story about the food we eat, it's about the food we don't eat, because there is a surprising amount of it," Oliver said after playing snippets from several gluttonous commercials. Read article in Los Angeles Times. 

 

Dorothy Day: Removing the Weeds to Attain Peace

We plant seeds that will flower as results in our lives, so best to remove the weeds of anger, avarice, envy and doubt, that peace and abundance may manifest for all. 

-Dorothy Day

If One Hand-Written Letter Makes a Difference, How about 150 Letters?

Molly Lannon & Ginny Flanagan write to Congress

It’s mid-morning on a school day, and Sophia is trying to pay attention to her teacher. But all she can think about is food. Her parents both work, but they don’t earn enough to pay for housing, utilities, and transportation–and enough food to feed their family.

In Sophia’s own community and across the country, churches are doing a lot to help. They sponsor food pantries and host community meals. But these and other private charities provide only one out of every 20 bags of groceries that feed people who are hungry. The federal government provides the rest.

That’s why Ginny Flanagan and Molly Lannon and nearly 80 other members of St. John XXIII Catholic Community in Albuquerque took part in Bread for the World’s 2015 Offering of Letters on July 18 and 19. They urged Congress to renew our federal government’s major child nutrition programs, including those for school meals, summer feeding, and the WIC nutrition program for pregnant and new mothers along with their small children.  Parishioners wrote more than 150 letters, mostly to Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Sen. Martin Heinrich and Sen. Tom Udall.  A few letters also went to Rep. Steve Pearce and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan.

Every five years, Congress must re-authorize the law that funds these programs, which have helped so many children over the years. Thanks to the leadership of Bread for the World and its church partners, the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act expanded and improved these programs. Even with those changes in 2010, only a little more than half of children receiving school lunches benefit from breakfasts. Summer meals are available for less than 10 percent of those children who count on lunches during the school year. Overall, one in five children lives at risk of hunger.  According to one study, 30% of children in New Mexico lack reliable access to healthy and nutritious food.
(Text adapted from Bread for the World's 2015 Offering of Letters bulletin insert)

Infographic: New Work Requirements for New Mexico SNAP Participants Would Hurt Families

Photo: New Mexico Voices for Children

The New Mexico Voices for Children prepared an infographic in response to a proposal from  the state of New Mexico to expand work requirements for food stamp recipients. Under current law, childless adults ages 18 to 50, who are physically and mentally competent are required to enter an employment and training program to be eligible for SNAP benefits. The New Mexico Human Services Department would widen the range, making it ages 16 to 60, and add people with children over age seven who currently are exempt from the employment requirement. Opponents argue that the administration’s proposals go beyond what federal law requires and aren’t appropriate for one of the nation’s poorest states. 

Petitions and Produce at the Albuquerque Downtown Growers Market

Check out this great video that New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps volunteers put together following a visit to the downtown growers market in Albuquerque last Saturday. Volunteers were collecting signatures for a petition asking Congress to support efforts to reform U.S. food aid programs to better meet the need of recipient countries. The video was originally posted on Facebook.

Albuquerque Downtown Growers Market #FixFoodAid Oxfam America NM Oxfam Action Corps
Posted by NM Oxfam Action Corps on Sunday, July 19, 2015

Child Poverty in New Mexico Rose to 31 Percent in 2014

 "New Mexico’s child poverty rate was 31 percent, an increase from 29 percent in last year’s Data Book, and the percentage of children living in high-poverty areas increased to 24 percent, up from 22 percent."  -from the 2015 Kids Count Report

“It’s disheartening to see New Mexico still ranked so low in child well-being...We’ve made progress in some areas and we’ve gotten worse in others but, when you look at the long-term trends, we’re simply not seeing enough change...,When our children aren’t doing well, it’s an indication that our whole state isn’t doing well. Our future workforce is being shaped now. Poverty really holds children back. We can help kids in poverty reach their full potential, but only if we take intentional action and we take it early...” Veronica García, New Mexico Voices For Children

I'm not a big fan of measuring our demographics and statistics against those of other states. While the comparisons are useful to provide some perspective, the more important measure is comparing our current situation against our past performance. 

If you look at the 2015 Kids Count report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, you might notice that New Mexico experienced a slight improvement in the overall well-being for children. Our ranking improved to 49th in 2014 from 50th in 2013. And yet, our rate of child poverty increased to 31 percent from 29 percent the previous year.  However, our ranking improved only because conditions got much worse in Mississippi, the state that has the dubious distinction of ranking 50th in the 2015 Kids Count report.  

“Over the last several years we’ve seen 38,000 children fall into poverty in New Mexico. That is simply not acceptable. Poverty has very detrimental effects on children. If we want them to succeed in life—to be the next generation of doctors, entrepreneurs, teachers and leaders—we need to ensure that they have the opportunities that will put them on the right path early in life,” said Veronica C. García, executive director of New Mexico Voices For Children.  See full statement from organization.

Rather than repeat other findings in the report, I'll pass on the following links

• New Mexico Indicators in the Kids Count Data Center 
• "Creating Opportunity for Families: A Two-Generation Approach" (Report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation)
• Article in Albuquerque Journal

Urge Reps. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Ben Ray Lujan and Steve Pearce to Co-Sponsor Global Food Security Act

Photo: Bread for the World

A bipartisan group of 50 members of the House of Representatives that had co-sponsored the Global Food Security Act, H.R.1567. This initiative seeks to advance women's leadership in agriculture, promotes policies that improve their opportunities to use and own land, and strengthens their access to financial services.

None of the three members of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico had cosponsored the Global Food Security Act as of Monday, July 20. Please take a minute to contact your own New Mexico House member and ask him/her to cosponsor H.R. 1567.  Bread for the World has provided this handy link to send your message. 

(And if you live outside of New Mexico, and your representative is not on the list of 50 cosponsors, please use the link to contact him/her).

"We need 100 cosponsors before the House adjourns for its August recess," said Bread for the World. "You can help us get there!"

Child Nutrition Programs and the Goal to End Hunger in America by 2030

Offering of Letters at St. John XXIII Catholic Community

"If we want to have adults in 2030 be hunger-free, the children those adults are now need to be hunger-free today. The fastest, most direct way to reduce child hunger is through existing child nutrition programs. However, ending hunger for good requires a sustainable solution to poverty. Children are hungry because their families are struggling economically.

As stated in Bread for the World Institute’s 2014 Hunger Report: Ending Hunger in America, a long-term solution to hunger requires good jobs, investments in people, a strong safety net, and strong public-private partnerships. Child nutrition programs are a critical component of our country’s federal safety-net programs. Strengthening them is critical to meeting the goal of ending hunger by 2030." -From 2015 Offering of Letters main booklet

'A Powerful Invitiation'

Quotes from Friday's Hearing on Governor's Work Requirement's for SNAP Participants

Below are quotes taken from coverage of the Albuquerque Journal and the Santa Fe New Mexican of Friday's hearing on the proposal by Gov. Susana Martinez administration to expand the work requirements for participants in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Food Assistance Program (SNAP).

Under current law, childless adults ages 18 to 50, who are physically and mentally competent are required to enter an employment and training program to be eligible for SNAP benefits. The New Mexico Human Services Department is proposing to widen the range, making it ages 16 to 60, and add people with children over age seven who currently are exempt from the employment requirement.

Opponents argue that the administration’s proposals go beyond what federal law requires and aren’t appropriate for one of the nation’s poorest states. They warn the action could end benefits for tens of thousands of people and cost taxpayers millions of dollars. Some of these same concerns were raised in a town hall meeting in Albuquerque on July 8.

The South West Organizing Project provided a bus for people in Albuquerque to attend the hearing in Santa Fe

“These requirements are punitive, costly and ineffective, and will only make it more difficult for our already beleaguered poor to jump through hoops." Frank Quintana, a minister at the Blessed Oscar Romero Catholic Community in Albuquerque. 

“The problem is not people sitting at home watching TV.  The problem is there are no jobs.” Bill Jordan of New Mexico Voices for Children. 

“If you have not gone hungry … you have no moral right to weigh in on another person’s hunger.”  Marlene Grant, a teacher at Valley High School in Albuquerque.

“Recently, my wife and myself have needed food stamps. And naturally, a Republican would despise food stamps, to be honest with you... " Santa Fe County small-business owner Ryan Brightbill, who testified that her wife lost her job and could not find another one for 20 months despite an intensive search. If not for Medicaid and SNAP, the couple would faced foreclosure on their home, said Brightbill (who supports the work requirements, but only if the state provides direct employment assistance and help with transportation costs).

"We do wonder if we’re just being put through the motions. Yesterday I was in the Las Cruces hearing of the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee, and I heard administrators there talking about gearing up for October, as if this is already in the works and this is just a token hearing here, so that’s very concerning for us.” Javier Benavidez, executive director of the Southwest Organizing Project.

"We're objecting to expanding mandatory work requirements to thousands more SNAP participants when it's not required by federal law,"Louise Pocock, attorney, New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty (quoted a few days before the hearing).

"[Our goal] isn’t to kick people off the program...We’re here to help people. Our mission is to provide public assistance to people who need that assistance. Part of providing that assistance is to help people find the job to help people become more self-sufficient.” Matt Kennicott, Human Services Department spokesperson.

Read full articles on the hearing in Albuquerque Journal, Santa Fe New Mexican  and KOAT-TV.
Other coverage:  Article in Public News Service, Opinion piece from State Sen. Jacob Candelaria (D-Albuquerque) in New Mexico Political Report, Letter from Patricia Boles, Santa Fe County Community Services Department in Santa Fe New Mexican 

Mobile Market Offers Fresh Produce to Residents of Albuquerque's South Valley and International District

Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthy diet but are not often as available to lower income families. That is why the Bernalillo County Community Health Council, Presbyterian Community Health, The Storehouse, Agri-cultura Network, and Street Food Institute have joined forces to ensure that locally grown produce is available at affordable prices in two neighborhoods of Albuquerque: the South Valley and the International District. A mobile market will be set up in those neighborhoods every other Tuesday between now and the end of October.

"Any resident can come and purchase fresh produce at low prices," said Sara Nelson, a spokesperson for the inaugural  Mobile Market project in Albuquerque. "They just need to register one time and then they can shop."

Here is information about the Mobile Market in each of the neighborhoods:

International District 
(July 21, August 4, August 18, September 1, September 15, September 29, October 13)
First Nations (5608 Zuni SE map) 12:00-2:00 p.m. 
UNM SE Heights Clinic (8200 Central SE map), 3:00-5:00 p.m.

South Valley
(July 14,  July 28, August 11, August 25, September 8, September 22, October 6, October 20)
Presbyterian Medical Group Clinic (3436 Isleta Blvd SW map) 12:00-2:00 p.m.
First Choice (2001 El Centro Familiar SW map) 3:00-5:00 p.m.

So what do the residents get?  Chances are there won't be a lot of tomatoes in July, but they might be more available in August and September.  "The produce changes as the harvests change but we're always trying to provide a variety of vegetables and fruits. Depends upon availability," said Nelson.

And there is a bonus. "After shopping, residents can enjoy a free sample of food that the Street Food Institute prepares," said Nelson.

Residents only need to register one time to shop for the produce and enjoy the food samples.  The Mobile Market accepts cash, credit, and EBT Cash Card. EBT SNAP will be coming soon.

The project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and by a REACH grant provided via through Presbyterian Healthcare Services. 

Here is the flier that was circulated to residents of the South Valley. A similar flier was prepared for residents of the International District.

Changing Our Mindset (A Tweet from Pope Francis)

Saintliness

Do not think that saintliness comes from occupation; it depends rather on what one is. The kind of work we do does not make us holy, but we may make it holy.

-Meister Eckhart

Anti-Hunger Advocates Urge You to Oppose Gov. Martinez's Proposal to Expand Work-Related Requirements for SNAP

Image from SWOP

This past Wednesday, a group of anti-hunger organizations hosted a town hall meeting to to allow the public an opportunity to make comments on a proposal by Gov. Susana Martinez's administration to expand work-related requirements on low-income New Mexicans to qualify for food stamps. Under the plan, the state would restore a 20-hour-a-week work requirement for an estimated 26,600 childless adults to get food stamps.

In conjunction with the town hall, the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico, the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, the South West Organizing Project (SWOP) and New Mexico Voices for Children are all urging their supporters to contact the governor's office to oppose the new SNAP rules.  The action alert below was sent out by  New Mexico Voices for Children, but all three other organizations are asking supporters to take take the same action.

Call the Governor Susana Martinez’s office before Friday, July 17, to Oppose Expanded Work Requirements for the SNAP Program in New Mexico

What You Might Say: “Please don’t require parents, kids under age 18 and adults over 50 do unpaid work to get SNAP benefits. New Mexico has the third highest rate of hunger in the country and we cannot afford policies that unnecessarily limit food assistance for our families.”

Contact Info: Email HSD at HSD-isdrules@state.nm.us or call Governor Martinez’s
at 505-476-2200.

Image from Lutheran Advocacy Ministry

Background: New Mexico has the nation's third highest rate of child hunger. Despite our hunger problem, the state is proposing to make it even more difficult for families to provide for their children. The state Human Services Department (HSD) has proposed new regulations that would require unemployed parents to work 20 hours a week—and if they can’t find paid work, they must volunteer—in order to continue receiving food stamps. The proposed new regulations go far beyond what the federal government requires and will place an additional burden on parents who are already struggling to find work and put food on the table.

New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty

The expanded work requirement is proposed for parents with children over age 6, young people ages 16-18 who are not in school, and adults up to age 60. The state plans to spend $1.5 million of your tax dollars to implement this new work requirement. There are several problems with these requirements, not the least of which is the state’s continued poor economy and jobs market. Requiring parents who cannot find a job to do unpaid work puts financial strains on their families. And youth should be encouraged to stay in school—not to go to work.

In collaboration with our allies in the nonprofit and faith communities, we are organizing a campaign to ensure that the people are heard regarding these harsh and harmful rules. 

Register Now for End Hunger in New Mexico Summit

It's not too early to register for the End Hunger in New Mexico Summit, which will take place at the Marriott Hotel in Albuquerque on Wednesday, September 23, and Thursday, September 24. The conference will look at many aspects of hunger in New Mexico via workshops and presentations from anti-hunger and anti-poverty experts.  The registration cost for the two-day conference is $20.  Register Here  (Printable Registration Form on page 4. Tentative Program on Page 5).  Check for updates on the End Hunger in New Mexico Summit website.

A Town Hall Meeting: 'Fight Hunger, not the Hungry'

Last year, the Human Services Department presented a plan to bring back and expand work-related requirements on low-income New Mexicans to qualify for food stamps. Under the plan, the state would restore a 20-hour-a-week work requirement for an estimated 26,600 childless adults to get food stamps. Advocacy groups like the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty (NMCLP) and the Lutheran Advoacy Ministry-New Mexico (LAM) came out strongly in opposition to the proposal. The NMCLP has worked tirelessly to protect SNAP benefits for New Mexico families.

Gov. Susana Martinez's administration postponed the implementation of the plan, which was due to go into effect in October 2014. However, in May of this year, the HSD again announced its intention to put the proposal into effect. The decision again prompted an outcry from community activists. The South West Organizing Project (SWOP) and the NMCLP have organized a Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, July 8, 6:00-8:00 p.m. (this evening) to allow the public an opportunity to make comments on the proposed SNAP rules. The event will be held at the South Broadway Cultural Center, 1025 Broadway SE (map).  Join event on Facebook.

Advocates point out that federal guidelines already have some sort of work requirement for SNAP participants, and that the regulations proposed by the state go far beyond what is reasonable.
"Federal law already requires work activities as a prerequisite to receiving food assistance, in certain areas of the state, for able-bodied adults between the ages of 18-50 who do not have children," said organizers of the town hall. "However, New Mexico intends to impose work activities on parents with children over the age of six, teenagers ages 16 to 18 that are not in school, and adults between ages 50 to 60 who participate in SNAP. The state estimates that over 62,000 adults would be subject to these requirements."

"Most other states exempt these groups of people because they are often more vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition. Moreover, 28 states and territories have completely voluntary work participation programs for all SNAP participants," added the organizers.

Advocates worry  that the unnecessary requirements will lead to increased hunger in New Mexico. Our state already has some of the highest rates of food insecurity and unemployment in the country.
“My concern from a nutrition standpoint is that these proposed changes to the SNAP program will push people off of SNAP, including children, which will lead to increased hunger and food insecurity and its negative consequences," said Patty Keane, president-elect of the New Mexico Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Rather than setting children and families up for success, this proposal may be setting them, and ultimately all of us, up for failure.”

Read other comments about the latest proposal from the NMCLP, SWOP, New Mexico Voices for Children and others.

Oxfam Advocates for Land Rights in Paraguayan Community

Photo: Revista Superficie

As religious leaders and members of faith-based communities in the United States, we are writing due to our interest in the well-being of those living in poverty around the world, most of whom live in rural areas, in this regard the situation of the families in Curuguaty has come to our attention, and the purpose of this letter is to express our concern regarding the losses they have suffered and our hope that the land dispute affecting them, which involved the territory of Marina Kue, can promptly and justly be resolved.   -Excerpt of letter from religious leaders in the U.S. to President Horacio Cartes of Paraguay

So why would the president of Paraguay listen to a group of religious leaders (pastors and lay members) in the United States about a land conflict in the mostly poor South American country? "Paraguayan organizers have specifically requested a letter of support from US Catholic and other faith leaders," said Oxfam America, which is leading this campaign. The organization put together the letter demanding that the Paraguayan government give the farming families of Curuguaty the land they need. Tens of thousands of people in the U.S. and around the world have signed this appeal to the Paraguayan government. See full letter

Photo Revista Superficie

There is no word on how the Cartes administration reacted to the letter, which was sent to coincide with a June trial against the farming community. Oxfam has put together information about the issue.  Here are briefing papers from Oxfam America (Land Human Rights in Paraguay) and Oxfam International (With no land to cultivate, young people in Curuguaty, Paraguay, have no future.

"The trial against the campesinos who are currently in custody has come under question by several nongovernmental organizations in Paraguay and overseas," said Revista Superficie, an online news site published by journalists, editors and photographers who cover issues of social justice in Latin America.

According to the magazine, the UN and Amnesty International have demanded publicly that  the Paraguayan government launch an investigation into the deaths that occurred during a crackdown on protestors, adding support to Paraguayan organizations that have made the same request. Read full article in Spanish from Revista Superficie.

Christian Community Activist Noel Castellanos to Speak in Albuquerque on July 26

Community activist and author Noel Castellanos has worked in full-time ministry in Latino urban communities since 1982, serving in youth ministry, church planting, advocacy and community development in San Francisco, San Jose, and Chicago.

Castellanos, who is CEO Of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), will share his experiences about his ministry at a CCDA Café in Albuquerque on July 26, 5:00-8:00 p.m.  At the program, which is sponsored by East Central Ministries, Castellanos will also discuss his new book Where the Cross Meets the Street. "Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about Christian Community Development and the inspirational story behind his new book," said organizers at East Central Ministries.

The event, which will be held at East Central Ministries, 134 Vermont NE (map), will begin with dinner at 5:00 p.m. and a talk by Castellanos at 6:00 p.m. Admission is free, but registration is requested.  Register Here For more information, contact East Central Ministries

Castellanos is also co-author of A Heart for the Community: New Models for Urban and Suburban Ministry (along Dr. John Fuder, director of Justice and Compassion Ministries at Moody Bible Institute). He has contributed to various other books and publications, including Deep Justice in a Broken World, A Heart for the City, and Crazy Enough to Care.

Stillness

To meet everything and everyone through stillness instead of mental noise is the greatest gift you can offer to the universe.

- Eckhart Tolle