Our Daughters’ Voices June 7, 2009
Posted by circledeluz in Home.Tags: Circle de Luz, Latina, Latinas, statistics, video
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These are the stories and statistics that inspired Circle de Luz. Thank you for visiting.
Run M’ija Run November 2, 2009
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On March 6, 2009, our goal is to have at least 32 M’ijas and friends (they don’t have to be M’ijas and they do not have to be women) run the Corporate Cup race in downtown Charlotte as a celebration of raising funds for Circle de Luz. If you aren’t in Charlotte or can’t travel to Charlotte, keep reading because we have an option for you, too. Here is how it will work:
If you decide to go for it, what happens? Well, first, you’ll receive a packet from us of information on training for the run, registration for the run (which will take place after January 1), and how to set up your fundraising web-site. Want to check one out? Look at Rosie’s here. You will also get a sample first letter to send to your friends and family to begin your solicitation for the run. Finally, as things get underway officially in January, we will organize group runs for whoever can participate on Saturdays in January and February and provide any additional help you might need leading up to race day.
Don’t live in Charlotte but would like to participate? First, we’d love to have you so feel free to think about making plans to join us here on March 6th. We are happy to help with the details of your trip if you think you might want to come to town to participate. If you aren’t able to travel here but would like to do a run or walk in your community this spring to raise money for Circle de Luz, just let us know via email and we’ll help you work out the details and find a race that works for you in your area!
Party with a Purpose October 28, 2009
Posted by circledeluz in Home.Tags: fundraiser, Jennifer Rahrig, Mary Kay, philanthropy
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From Jennifer Rahrig, a 2015 M’ija for Circle de Luz
Party with a Purpose
Hello Ladies! Are you interested in using America’s #1 skin care and cosmetics while supporting the young Latinas in our communities? I am a Mary Kay consultant, and also a Circle de Luz M’ija, and I am offering to donate a portion of my sales directly to Circle de Luz!!
Here is how it works: Email me at jrahrig@marykay.com or place an order online at http://www.marykay.com/jrahrig between now and December 31, 2009, and enter code “Circle” in the comments section. I will donate 15% of your purchase to Circle de Luz!
Want to do more? If you live in the Charlotte area, you can host your very own “Party with a Purpose” with yourself and 2 or more guests, and I will donate 20% of your party sales to Circle de Luz! Email me to schedule your event!
I offer FREE facials and make-up application lessons to M’ijas living in the Charlotte, NC area. I also offer FREE shipping for those who don’t live in Charlotte!
Class of 2014 M’ija featured in The Philanthropy Journal October 1, 2009
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Magdalena Maiz-Pena translating our Class of 2014 Recognition Ceremony
The opening of the Philanthropy Journal article by Elizabeth Floyd:
Magdalena Maiz-Peña’s inspiration to give back draws from an unavoidable part of her daily ritual.
“I feel myself very privileged to be a professor in Davidson College, and every time I open the door to my office, I feel that privilege,” says the chair of the school’s Spanish department.
Those morning reminders of the luxury of education have driven Maiz-Peña to ever-widening efforts to enrich the educational opportunities of youth in her community.
More Press for Circle de Luz August 30, 2009
Posted by circledeluz in Home.Tags: Circle de Luz, Crossroads Charlotte, press
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Thanks to Crossroads Charlotte and writer Rhiannon Bowman for sharing Circle de Luz with their readers.
Bowman’s piece begins…
Rosie Molinary, author of “Hijas Americanas: Beauty, Body Image, and Growing Up Latina,” didn’t mean to start a non-profit organization.
But after the research for her book about growing up within two cultures confirmed her intuitions about the struggles the Latinas face, she couldn’t help herself. “I felt that I couldn’t put my head in the sand on this,” she said.
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Campaign to End Teen Pregnancy, Latino students have the highest dropout rates of all races. A third of the Latinas who dropped out of school cited pregnancy or marriage as their reason.
On book tour, teachers would approach Molinary and say things like, “I wish you could talk to my Latinas.” Others would ask, “What can I do to help?”
A former teacher for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, Molinary said she knew she wanted to offer mentoring, scholarships and programs for the girls but wasn’t sure how to get started.
So, in March 2008, she gathered her friends and asked for their ideas and support. Many of the women in that first meeting are still on the board of directors for what is now known as Circle de Luz, which means “Circle of Light.”
The organization aims not only to empower girls and encourage their interests, but also to introduce them to people, places, ideas and activities they may not be able to access otherwise.
Check out the rest of the article and Crossroads Charlotte here.
Press for Yoga Matters August 25, 2009
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The Charlotte Observer ran this piece on the Yoga Matters event hosted by Yoga for Life this past Friday to benefit Circle de Luz. It’s by David Perlmutt.
Giving comes in all forms.
For Karen Williams, it comes in forms of bodies twisting and stretching into exotic-sounding postures – for good causes.
Williams owns Yoga For Life, a studio on Morehead Street. Since March, she’s held benefits there on the first and third Fridays to raise money for a different cash-strapped charity.
She calls the events “Yoga Matters,” with participants paying as much as they can afford for a 75-minute class and a talk from a member of the particular organization that is being helped. Williams donates the space. Teachers donate their time – all the proceeds go to the charity.
The next benefit is 6 p.m. today. Yoga for Life has two studios, and there’ll be two teachers for beginning and intermediate students.
“It’s important in the yoga community that we give back,” she said. “What I love about ‘Yoga Matters’ is that it gives back on so many different levels. It gives back to the students. It gives back to the community and to the organizations that are so financially challenged in this economy.”
Today’s benefit is for Circle de Luz, the organization that helps young Latinos in Charlotte through extensive mentoring, programming and scholarship funds for education.
