ThresholdWorld

It's Wednesday! SMILE :) I want to invite you to join me on Saturday, August 29th 1:00-7:00pm as I host the 3rd Annual S.M.I.L.E. event at Saratoga Park in Brooklyn. (S.M.I.L.E.) is an acronym for So Much Inspiration, Love and Empowerment. ‘ It’s about connectivity; People partnering with the past, present, and future of our evolving communities ,’ says S.M.I.L.E. Visionary, CEO/Sr. Pastor Michael T. Lewis of Rapha Evangelistic Worship Center, Inc. The last Saturday of August is set for various musicians, artists, educators, city agencies and public elected officials to be in attendance. Some guests include recent American Idol Contestant Quaasim Middleton , Hampton University graduate and artist, Aliya Pierre, Curtis Flow of Curtis Flow Music, NYC Emergency Mangement , Poet Joshua Bennett, Pastor Jamel Lewis of Can't be Stopped Movement and so much more! Bring the family early with your lawn chairs and picnic blankets. Facepainting, food and fun starts at 1:00pm w...

Happy Thursday! Do you remember when you first learned to ride a bike? For me it was the concerete sidewalk outside my apartment building. Training wheels definitely helped with the confidence though I recall the excitement of taking them off! Block parties were always cool cause you had the whole street to enjoy riding your bike. -The earlier the better before all the cool festivities!-FYI: Block parties on Putnum between Lewis and Stuyvesant were awesome in Brooklyn back in the day. :) If you never learned how to ride then it's time to learn and if you know how to ride, then maybe you can teach someone! Today New York has CitiBike . Who would've thought we'd be able to keep bikes anywhere overnight? In addition to the convenience of riding and returning to different locations around the city. I hadn't rode a bike in years but my daughters convinced me to rent one this year. It was a comfortable ride that bought a smile to my face. I look forward to this experien...

Hello World! Yours truly and members of Transit Police District 32, Crown Heights Brooklyn On Tuesday, August 4th I was able to catch National Night Out in my Community Board 9. 'National Night Out is a cohesive effort to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships, neighborhood camaraderie and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.'-NATW.ORG . -This year Police Precinct 71 and Transit District 32 teamed up on President Street between New York and Nostrand Avenues. They blocked the street, had rides for the kids, 71st Pct. barbequed burgers and Dist. 32 registered bikes and phones in case they become lost or stolen. Pct. Community Council President Karl Cohen likely reminded attendees of monthly meetings on 3rd Thursday nights at 7:30pm before recruiting more neighbors like yours truly to serve on the council. Local elected officials like Assembly Member Diane Richardson...

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 ...

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...

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...

"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...