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MEET & GREET CHANGE!

Blessed Autumn World!-As we begin to transition from warm to cooler weather we'll learn of opportunities to rededicate ourselves in community initiatives. I've listed some common and perhaps unknown ways to participate in this post. Did you know that your local Police Precinct has meetings with the community each month? In all five boroughs of New York City there is a Community Council. Check your part of the world for meetings and engagement with local police departments. Learn what the department has achieved, ask your questions, learn how you might even be able to participate in some initiative. You'd be surprised what you may learn! The local police department usually has representation at your Monthly local Community Board Meeting . New businesses, road work, zoning issues and more are discussed at these important meetings. Local elected officials and/or their reps attend these meetings as well. You'd get info about their initiatives in your community. Remember

GET THINGS DONE!

Happy Thursday!-I got this certificate via email today! I remember when I first said these words in August 1997! I was in Massachusetts and the late Senator Ted Kennedy was the keynote speaker the day I took this oath. Now you can do the same, 'In Spirit of AmeriCorps, 'Click here ! Pledge to GET THINGS DONE for America! or wherever you are in the world. The Edward M. Kennedy Institute where Students, Teachers, Government Officials,and Life Long Learner can be engaged in educational programing in democracy and public service is set to open in March 2015! Click Here for the video . This weekend I had the opportunity to attend AfroPunk . I'm a member of the Brooklyn NAACP and serve on the Civic Engagement Committee. We partnered with Progressive Pupil , a sponsor of the event on Activism Row. I was able to register attendees to vote, engage them in signing petitions against brutality (especially that of African American Men, and new members that signed up got free ts

Sweet Sixteen of Service!

Hello World! Maybe I'll call new posts Testimonial Tuesdays !:) I checked my email this morning to find that I've been accepted to serve in the 2014-2015 NYC Civic Corps ! "The NYC Civic Corps, an AmeriCorps program run by NYC Service, unites a diverse group of professionals to serve full-time with partnering organizations, working to increase their organizational capacity to engage volunteers and build sustainable volunteer initiatives."-NYC Service This is awesome news and timely as well. "AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 Americans in intensive service each year at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country. Since the program’s founding in 1994, more than 900,000 AmeriCorps members have contributed more than 1.2 billion hours in service across America while tackling pressing problems and mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve." - Americorps. Americorps is celebrat

The Power of Today!

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” -Mother Teresa My name is Melanie Shaleya Lewis. My purpose on this blog is to make you want to get up and swing into positive action! Especially those of us in Faith. We all know that many churches are not connected in communities as years ago. We'll continue to uphold the assembling of ourselves in fellowship, yet we need to invite and be involved in the communities in which we serve God. 'Love they neighbor as yourself' is the second great commandment.- Mark 12:31 . No worries though.-'The time is always right to do what is right'-Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. I have a passion for service, events, international relations, politics and education. Yet Faith is my foundation. It all began as a child. My mother would take my siblings and I to many interesting places. We'd be exposed to great diversity in our City of New York. Camps in China Town, excursions to protest in

United Nations of Brooklyn!

United as 'One Brooklyn' Sunday the borough in all it's diversity joined together for the First Annual Celebration of International Day of Friendship at Borough Hall in Brooklyn, New York. (Pic- Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Deputy Borough President Diana Reyna ) Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams hosted his signature event Sunday as the community covered the steps of Borough Hall. The entire building was surrounded in love with delegates from many nations of the world. (Pic- Yours Truly with Mini me#2-Legacy Lewis ) Attendees enjoyed a free international cruisine tasting, back to school giveaways and cultural performances throughout the day. My daughter and I enjoyed getting our sodas from Coca-Cola (aren't those new cans cool?) and tasting Italian and Panamanian foods. Book bags from Healthfirst and school supplies of crayons, glue and dial and teacher resources from the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) were much appreciated. (Pic- Fan d

Service is as Service Does

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is one in which I love to serve with City Year in my home state of New York . I'm a proud alumnus of the City Year Boston Americorps Program . I've learned how big our work is and the impact it has in the community on MLK Day. On this special day we see the community, service partners and corporations all pitch in during our dedicated service year. So on Monday, January 20th my daughters and I took the train to Newtown High School in Elmhurst, New York . We were assigned to a team whose project was to write inspirational letters to accompany care kits for a local women's shelter. Some other projects of the day included: Book shelves being built on the spot by corps members, cool posters of the school's namesake by some of the high-school students, awesome colored bulletin boards and murals which could be found on most floors of the school. I took the girls around to see the impact of service. The volunteers, partners a

To do, or not to do, that is the question-

Welcome to Thresholdworld 2014! This year is already surprising me. I reached out to a longtime friend that was going to be celebrating her birthday. Since our high school senior ski trip to the Poconos, we always knew how to get it in our dance! So I asked her where the party at? She sent me an email about where she'd be Saturday night. “House of Idle,” -Launch party for LAZYMAS.COM . –The online platform that allows adventure seekers to Book, Manage and share their Carnival Experience. I pondered about this one. “Slackness is mandatory.” -What? Google it ! I attend events where I need to dress up and prefer to be where people will be respectful, (though one can’t determine potential actions of strangers anywhere.) I wondered; what kind of party will this be? I guess I sort of identify with Genese Jamilah of I Don’t Do Clubs . After toiling off and on for hours if I should go and what I’d wear, I decided -since I reached out to my friend to attend, I should go and experience