E&J Gallo Does It Again

For the second year, E&J Gallo Wines has partnered with us to go out into the community and make a difference. Here is a video of our day together. Gallo is an amazing company that definitely understand the definition of Corporate Social Responsibility. Thank you for all that you do… it is a pleasure working with you.

We also want to thank all of the members of the Gallo Marketing Team for their hard work and amazing spirits. You made a big difference. You matter.

Enjoy the video…

E & J Gallo reaches out… again. from Every Monday Matters on Vimeo.

EMM on NBC News.

Check us out on NBC News!!!

The Elko County has made it official. Let it be stated. Mondays are now officially Every Monday Matters Day in Elko County, Nevada. Thank you to all of the EMM Elko Team that made this happen.

Is your city or county next? We hope so.

EMM on NBC. from Every Monday Matters on Vimeo.

Elko County, Nevada … Officially Declares EMM Mondays!

I just spent three days in Elko, Nevada. That’s right … The City of Elko. Ever heard of it? I hadn’t. But let me paint a picture for you. A picture that hopefully makes you want to visit.

I was contacted by a woman named Jesse James who asked if I would come out to Elko because she wanted to make Every Monday Matters a city or countywide campaign. First of all, I have never received a phone call from a “Jesse James” before, so she immediately had my attention. Secondly, I have never had a city/county want to officially proclaim the first Monday of every month the “Every Monday Matters Monday.” Lastly, I have never been to Elko and it sounded like an interesting adventure.

I flew from Los Angeles to Reno, Nevada, rented a car (they gave me a pick-up truck), and drove for four hours through some of the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen. It genuinely felt like I was driving on a snow-covered moon … with a bunch of trains and riverbeds on it.

Elko, Nevada is a gold-mining town of 20,000 residents. Actually, one of the goldmines in Elko is the largest goldmine in Northern America and the second largest goldmine in the world. I was told that it has the lowest unemployment in the country and the average salary is $70,000. Most of the men work at the local mines, and 90% of the population, male or female, drives a pick-up truck (so I fit in nicely with my rental). Recently, Oprah voted Elko, Nevada the “Best Small Town in America” and their Chamber of Commerce building is an old log cabin built over one hundred years ago. Hopefully this is enough of a Wikipedia-style description to give you an idea of where I spent those three days.

But Elko also offered something else that was so refreshing and addictive. I have never experienced such a “love your neighbor” mentality in all of my life. I believe Elko’s slogan should be “Elko, Nevada – The City of Huggers.” There is a genuine appreciation for one another in Elko. It felt like a family of 20,000 people. They all knew one another by first name, greeted one another with a smile and a hug, and genuinely cared about each other’s life.

I never had to struggle to change lanes on the road. In fact, I think that fellow drivers would actually brake to even give me more space in order to change lanes comfortably. I never had to wonder where a disappearing waiter or waitress went; they were always there to make sure you were ok. Crossing the street at a crosswalk was never a life-threatening experience, as cars would gladly stop to let you walk across. And, I have never had so many people walk up to me to introduce themselves and ask genuine questions about me and my life.

Now, for some people, it might have felt a little strange, but not me. I thought it was beautiful, because it wasn’t just towards me (the guest in town) it was something that they all do with one another. They care, and it showed. They love doing life together. And, if twelve hugs a day is what we need “for growth,” they I grew quite a bit in those three days.

I understand that Elko might not be the destination of your next vacation, but just know that there is a pretty awesome town out there on the Interstate 80 (halfway between Reno and Salt Lake City) that would welcome you with open arms. They might even teach you a few things about Cowboy Poetry, Basque Food, Gold, and the power of hugging. Elko Matters.

Perfect Storm or Perfect Opportunity? … Your Call.

The Perfect Storm of the holidays is nearly blown over.  We are still feeling the third and final stage, but that usually doesn’t last for more than a few weeks.  Let me explain…

Stage #1:

Thanksgiving – A time for family, friends, and loved ones to come together to be grateful and celebrate life.  In theory, sounds like a day to enjoy and be thankful to have; but, in reality, it means long delays at airports and increased traffic on the roads.  It means eating way too much food and asking over and over why we went for seconds.  And, it means waking up at 4:00 am to get in line for Black Friday to spend money we don’t have … especially this year.

Slightly weary and a little bruised from this first punishment, but having survived, we travel back home to get ready for the much heavier onslaught of Stage #2.

Stage #2:

Christmas – Another time for family, friends, and loved ones to come together to be grateful and celebrate life.  In theory, also sounds like a time to enjoy and be thankful to have; but, in reality it means even longer delays at airports and even more traffic on the roads.  It means eating way too much food on multiple occasions.  And, it means spending money we don’t have on many different shopping sprees, not just one.

This one hit a lot harder and started to rattle the foundations of our peace and happiness.  And, if we listened closely, we could hear the words “It’s over!” muttered by those around us.  “It’s over!” … said with so much relief and satisfaction.  I don’t think that even leaving the dentist’s office gets this kind of enthusiastic response.  Bruised and battered, we staggered and swerved our home again to get ready for the knock-out punch of Stage #3.

Stage #3:

New Years – A time for family, friends, and loved ones to come together to be grateful and celebrate life.  In theory, also sounds like a time to enjoy and be thankful to have; but, in reality it means that most us are wiped out from the first two parts of the storm.  We are tired, broke, overweight, and sick of traveling.  It has gotten so bad that most of us actually look forward to getting back to work again.  The old “Grind” sounds fun and fresh again. 

To make matters worse, this final stage of the holiday storm seems to linger on for a bit and doesn’t offer any relief, because it carries with it a whole new set of dreadful tasks.  And, today is the first Monday of 2010, so most of those tasks start today.  In theory, a time to be grateful for another year past and excited about the promise of a new one; but, in reality, it means starting a diet and joining a gym.  It means quitting smoking … again.  It means making more money than last year.     

With all good intentions, we pull ourselves up by our bootstraps today and start on the “new us,” but this often fizzles out after a few weeks and we beat ourselves up again for failing to achieve our unrealistic, misdirected goals. 

And, finally, after about 8 weeks of getting pelted by the self-imposed Perfect Storm of the holidays, we are back to our normal everyday life.  Slugging it out, wishing for me, working for the weekends, and searching for soul.

Now, I understand that I may have written an over-dramatization here, but I am not sure how inaccurate it is.  Actually, I don’t think it is inaccurate at all … and this kind of bums me out.  Somehow, someway the holidays have gotten completely off course.  We have created a monster out of them … a Perfect Storm.  But, unlike the weather, this is something that we create ourselves and impose upon our life.  And, for what?  Why do we do this to ourselves?  What is the benefit?  Why do we ruin such an inherently good thing? 

These are questions that I think each of us needs to ponder on this first Monday of 2010.  We can’t change the past few weeks, but we can change the next 52.  And, that starts today.  Spend some time this week making of a list of the things that matter the most to you.  Hundreds of people have emailed us this exact list or have posted it on our website and here are roughly the top 10 items we get:  Family, God, Friends, Health, Joy, Love, Happiness, Pets, Peace, and Purpose.

I couldn’t agree more with this list.  I truly believe that a life spent focused on these 10 items is an amazing way to spend life.  And, I do my best to live by this exact list.  I am not perfect, and I have my days, but, for the most part, this list is my compass throughout the year.  And, for this reason, this is why I LOVE the holidays and I don’t see them as a Perfect Storm.  Actually, I see them as a Perfect Opportunity to express everything on my What Matters Most list. 

And, I think that we should all see life this way.  Not just the holidays.  Life is a Perfect Opportunity to do what is most important to us.  To live and focus on our What Matters Most lists.  To be fulfilled and excited about the direction we are going and to enjoy every moment.  To see all of the promise that this New Year has in-store, and to be grateful for everything we see, hear, smell, taste, feel, receive, give, and do. 

So make your list today and start to live it out.  I promise that the holiday season will never be a Perfect Storm again.  And, everyday this year will present itself as the Perfect Opportunity for you to just be YOU … as defined by your What Matters Most list. 

Have fun being YOU this year.  And, have the best year of your life.  You Matter.

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE ON YOUR “WHAT MATTERS MOST” LIST. 

http://everymondaymatters.com/1/

Gurrie Middle School EMM Club

The EMM Club at Gurrie Middle School does it again.  They hit their goal of doing 1,000 positive things as a club.  So, they celebrated by volunteering at two homeless shelters in downtown Chicago, having dinner, and ice skating.  What a celebration.

Thanks Gurrie Middle School EMMer’s.  You rock.

A 7-year-old’s Birthday “Party with a Purpose”

We just got a great email from a proud mother. Her name is Lana. She wanted to share with us a newspaper article, from the Merced Sun-Star, that was written about her daughter, Raine. Raine decided that instead of getting gifts for her 7th birthday, she wanted to have an EMM “Party with a Purpose.” Please read the article below. What a beautiful little girl…who already understands how much she matters. It doesn’t get any cooler than that, in our opinion.

By CAROL REITER

Raine Sloan likes cats.

The 7-year-old Atwater resident has a cat named Serafina, a feral kitten that found a home with Raine and her mom, Lana Sloan.

Raine likes cats more than most folks, though. She likes them so much she gave up getting gifts for her seventh birthday a couple of weeks ago. Instead, her party guests brought donations to the Last Hope Cat Kingdom, a local nonprofit cat rescue.

“I’ve always been someone who wants my daughter to be aware of the world,” said Lana. “I want her to know there is more to life than just presents.”

Raine learned about cats from her friend, Jasmine Schmitz. Her grandmother, Renate Schmitz, and her mom, the late Ramona Schmitz, gave Last Hope its start.

“My daughter knew Jasmine because they both go to St. Anthony’s Catholic School, and they are good friends,” Lana explained.

The friendship led to a lot of playtimes together, including some at the cat rescue center in rural Atwater.
“My daughter just absolutely loves cats, and when I asked if she was interested in raising money for Last Hope, she jumped on it,” Lana recalled.

Jasmine’s mother, Ramona, was murdered by her boyfriend in June 2008. Lana had to talk to her daughter about the tragedy because the two little girls were friends and Raine knew Jasmine’s mother.

“When I talked to Raine about helping the cat kingdom, I reminded her that Jasmine’s mommy started it, and that’s all it took,” Lana said.

Staging a party with a purpose isn’t the first time Raine and her friends have helped others. The little girl trick-or-treated for UNICEF at Halloween, along with other students from St. Anthony’s.

Raine is an only child, and her single mom adopted her when she was 9 months old from China. The 7-year-old has reached the age that she wants to help others, and first Lana thought that maybe Raine could hold a party for children in China.

“But then I thought about it, and she doesn’t really have strong ties there,” she said. “But she loves cats and always wants to help them, so this worked out well.”

Now other students at St. Anthony’s have jumped on the “party with a purpose” bandwagon. One little boy is going to have a party soon where children bring a book and a bear, or a stuffed animal.

“The books and the stuffed animals will go to the Atwater Police Department,” Lana said. “They can keep them in their car trunks, and when they come across a child in need, they can give them a book and a bear.”
Renate, Jasmine’s grandmother and one of the founders of the cat rescue, said the money Raine raised has been a solid contribution.

“We got more than $350 in money and donations,” Schmitz said. “Think about it this way: $350 feeds 200 cats for two weeks. That’s a huge help.”

Lana Sloan is pretty sure her daughter isn’t going to stop helping others.

“She didn’t really want the presents this year,” she said. “She’s old enough that she gets it now. It’s not all about her.”

Raine’s own cat’s name, Serafina, comes from the Latin, “seraphim,” or fiery ones. Like Raine, they too were angels.

Mya wears a YOU MATTER Tee on “Dancing with the Stars”

We were pleasantly surprised when someone emailed us that they just saw Mya wearing a YOU MATTER T-Shirt on “Dancing with the Stars” last night. And then the text messages starting coming in…and more emails…and phone calls. What a nice surprise.

Here are some of the screen grabs.

And, of course, thank you Mya. Our resident dancers here at EMM say that you are by far the best and they hope you win it all. Thanks again. You matter!

If you want to buy a shirt for yourself or someone that matters to you, click here.

JS West Matters

On October 2, 2009, JS West joined us and did our EMM Corporate Social Responsibility Program. It is a one day event that focuses on “team building through making a difference.” We spent the day with 30 JS West Execs and went out into the community and volunteered for four hours. They painted bathrooms and hallways, removed bushes, built houses, sorted clothes, and anything else you could imagine.

It was pretty awesome to watch these men and women step up to the task and fully commit to do whatever was needed. In the end, everyone had a great day and benefitted from the event: the employees, the company, the non-profits, and the people who rely on those non-profits.

It was a pleasure for us to work with such a great company that truly understands what it means to give back. Enjoy this short video of our day together.

Every Monday Matters and JS West from Every Monday Matters on Vimeo.

A Toy Drop in Mexico…Mom’s Greatest Gift.

The story that follows is one of the many stories we have received and certainly falls under the “YOUR DAY” category of our book. It is a story about Irene Martinez from Rialto, CA.

“I grew up in a very poor town in Mexico,” shared Irene. “We were so broke that my brothers and I had absolutely nothing…no toys, video games, bicycles, or books. But it also taught us a lot about the importance of relationships and kept us humble to this very day.”

Now an adult, living in America with two of her own children, Irene struggles with the concept of raising spoiled children with an inflated sense of entitlement. She has always wanted to give them the world and worked very hard to be able to afford the things that they wanted, but she was concerned she wasn’t being a good mother.

“One day,” she said, “I looked down and saw all the toys that my boys never play with any more. The house was cluttered with electronic gadgets and games that I never even knew existed. This is when I realized that maybe one of the things that I wasn’t giving them was an appreciation for how fortunate they are.”

Irene went to bed that night with a heavy heart and without any answers. But the next day, right in her front yard, Irene found the answer for which she was looking…an old blue bicycle with two flat tires.

The old blue bike brought back memories from when Irene wanted a bicycle as a little girl growing up in Mexico, but her parents couldn’t afford it.

“Toys were hard to come by and, if one of our friends happened to get one, we all played with it until it broke…and then we played with it some more,” shared Irene. “That old blue bicycle was my dream as a little girl, even with flat tires.”

With a flicker of inspiration and nostalgia, Irene went outside, got the old blue bike that had been left for trash, and planned to fix it up and take to her home town. The inspiration didn’t stop there however. She shared her idea with the boys, Casey and Ryan, and got them involved. Together, they went through all of their unused and mis-fit toys and came up with several boxes of toys they were willing to take and donate as well. Since then, she has even had neighbors and friends drop off old bikes and toys.

Irene smiled saying, “This trip to Mexico is going to be such a special time for us. Not only will be blessing a lot of families in my home village, but it is going to teach Casey and Ryan so many important life lessons. And this all happened because of an old blue bike.”

We know there is a blue bike out there for all of us. Something that speaks to our hearts and inspires us to make a difference. Your inspiration might not be that far from your front yard. It could be as simple as taking care of yourself, doing something for someone in need, protecting the environment, volunteering your time, giving from your heart or donating your possessions. This is “YOUR DAY.” Every day is “YOUR DAY” to go out and make a difference. So go make it happen and share it with the world.

Our Supplies Don’t Represent Us…Not Even Close.

Last week, I received two messages…two very profound messages that I feel the need to share. I think you will understand why. There is a big issue out there that needs our attention.

The first message was from a family whose son was born with Leukemia. His name is Hunter, and he has stolen our heart. Hunter is now 4 years old and still in the fight of his life. The message I received was a text from his mother. It read: “Thank God, we just found out that Hunter has zero Leukemic cells in his bone marrow. It’s a miracle.” There were a few other celebratory expletives in there as well, but I took the liberty of removing them. (Although, I must admit that I can’t blame her…sometimes they add an extra punch and they have been through a lot.) I immediately called her to share in the excitement and to congratulate the family. It was an emotional conversation, but it doesn’t end there…not even close.

Hunter’s body cannot handle one more chemotherapy treatment. This was the final one. If it didn’t work, “there was nothing more the doctors could do.” Fortunately, it worked…that’s the good news. The tougher news is that Hunter needs a bone marrow transplant. This last round of chemotherapy was just to prepare him for the transplant. If his results did not come back as zero Leukemic cells, Hunter could not have gone forward with the transplant, which means he would not last through the end of the year. For months the family has tried to find a donor, but Hunter is part Cherokee Indian, Asian-American, and African-American. Not a common mix, therefore not a lot of good matches. In fact, after going through the 6 million names on the bone marrow donor list, they determined that there was not a good enough match. Not one. So they are now going to use chord blood and hope that Hunter’s body will adjust to it and manufacturer the missing pieces to produce healthy bone marrow. So, it was a big day for Hunter and his family, because now at least he has a chance…and that is something to celebrate.

The second message I received was an email from a woman whose best friend was just diagnosed with Leukemia. Her email reads:

“My friend Nick Glasgow was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) in March 2009. He has had two chemos, both of which have not worked in putting his cancer in remission. He is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant to save his life! After learning of Nick’s ethnic background (1/4 Japanese and 3/4 Caucasian), Stanford doctors told him he has a 0% chance of finding a matching donor due to the lack of minority registrants in the national bone marrow database. We are determined to beat the odds! If you or anyone you know is an Asian/American, you may be the donor that can save his life! You do NOT need to be Japanese/Caucasian…all Asian-Americans should register. To register is easy…you can order a free kit sent to you in the mail by registering at www.aadp.org. Thank you so much.”

Two messages in one day. Two people/families reaching out to us…the world…for our help. Just so they can have a chance. They just want one swing of the bat, one shot at the lottery, lightning in a bottle. And we hold the answer for them…right in our bones. Our country’s bone marrow supply does not represent the ethnic mix of our culture. America is known and celebrated for its racial diversity, but with this diversity comes a responsibility to honor and respect it. That means helping one another in any way we can. You matter. People matter. Your bone marrow matters. These are just two of many stories. Register today.

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