The Issue: Prevalence of Bullying in Public Schools
Thousands of teens wake up every day afraid to go to school because of physical, verbal, and psychological bullying, according to a report from the Los Angeles Unified School District. Bullies often target those they see as different, using their strength of social status to put themselves in control and belittle their targets. Heal One World aims to teach youths targeted by bullies the art of yoga, meditation, and self defense so that they can overcome, avoid, and help prevent bullying.
The Campaign: Teaching Youth Mental and Physical Exercises
If 75 people donate $8, $30, or $60, then Heal One World can sponsor two or more youths in a 16-week Strength-In-Zen program. Each additional $300 raised enables one more youth to participate in the program. People who donate $60 and register with Heal One World will receive a 60-minute massage from Knead Wellness; those who donate $30 and register their donation can attend four classes at Laughing Frog Yoga.
The Strength-In-Zen program teaches youth physical and mental exercises to help them overcome fear and increase their sense of self-worth. These newfound skills—from meditation and yoga to Tai Chi and self defense—can empower the young people to prevent and avoid bullying in their schools, thereby boosting their self-esteem and their chances of academic success. Each participant receives a yoga mat and a CD for home practice.
Donations matched up to $2,000 by Aware Singles.
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Heal One World
Heal One World empowers people with the knowledge and techniques to help themselves. Through classes, the organization teaches people skills and natural, noninvasive treatments they can use to ameliorate illness and injury and prevent further ailments from arising. Most of these classes impart self-help techniques and are therefore not covered by insurance, so the organization provides them on a sliding scale. Its programs range from yoga and tai chi to acupuncture and Feldenkrais treatments, drawing from ancient, time-tested practices that have often been cast to the wayside by Western culture. Heal One World also maintains a database of care providers who help people from low-income backgrounds attain stability of mind and body.
Yet beyond the individual, Heal One World focuses on strengthening the community. On weekends, it organizes vegan potlucks and film screenings on green opportunities and charity projects, and every May it holds a film, music, and arts festival in order to raise awareness of pressing environmental issues and include the community in artistic endeavors.