Fall Newsletter - October 2008
Hello to you all!
By now, many of you have already heard the news of my new professional transition. For those of you who haven’t, here it is:
Just over two months ago, while lounging on the deck of the beautiful house in which I live, I received a phone call from one of my oldest friends, and dear colleague, Henry Lozano. Henry has been a bit out of touch over the last couple years as he has been busy serving as Deputy Assistant to the President, and in charge of the USA Freedom Corps (translation: he worked in the West Wing of the White House taking care of projects like Peace Corps, AmeriCorp, Faith Based Initiatives and much, much more). Needless to say, he’s been a little busy. And now, as we as a nation, are ready to say farewell to this administration, Henry has completed his duties in the White House and has accepted a fabulous opportunity to work with a Foundation that is based out of San Francisco. The organization is called the Shinnyo-en Foundation (www.sef.org). And their mission statement is as follows:
The mission of the Shinnyo-en Foundation is to bring forth deeper compassion among humankind, to promote greater harmony, and to nurture future generations toward building more caring communities.
In their philosophy, “building more caring communities” means supporting programs and projects that engage and inspire people into meaningful acts of service. This means everything from service-learning projects in schools, to grass roots volunteerism in communities and everything in-between. That‘s where the call from Henry comes in…
Henry is now the Director of External Affairs for Shinnyo-en. That means he is charged with networking, supporting and representing the Foundation in all sorts of service, educational and community volunteer programs nation-wide. This is a HUGE job -- and so he wanted someone to undertake this challenge with him. He called me. I said “yes!”.
This past month we became part of a nation-wide group of individuals asked to help co-create a training program specifically designed to assist communities in coordinating, creating and enhancing their individual volunteer programs. We spent two days in Atlanta, GA at the Design Summit. It was an exciting, inspirational and motivating event. We worked with a wide range of groups, and hashed out an exciting agenda designed to really get volunteerism moving in a big way. I will be assisting with the first pilot training in Detroit, MI on Nov. 7 & 8, 2008. Shinnyo-en will also be hosting the next pilot training in Oakland in early December. Henry and I would like to put out an open invitation to y‘all in hopes that you‘ll come join us at this training. Whether you are an old pro at community mobilization and volunteerism, or just beginning, or wondering how the heck you can make things happen in your community, we want you to come join us. If you‘re interested just drop me a line or give me a call –- you all know how to reach me. You can check out the formal invitation and description here.
I’m excited and inspired by this new opportunity, and the other good news is I do not have to relocate to get the job done. I’ll continue living in Ashland and working from my little office on “A” Street. I look forward to hearing from you, so drop me a line.
Kim & Henry… back together again!
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what this world needs is people who have come alive."
~ Howard Thurman
On a personal note...
Much has happened since last I wrote
A short 6 months ago
So here’s a list of important happenings
That you may just want to know:
Kayla had a baby
Her name is Isla Rose
And Rowan will be two soon
And there is nothing cuter than his toes
Rowan and I we have weekly sleep overs
It’s a highlight in my life
He wriggles and kicks throughout the night
And it doesn‘t cause me a minute of strife
We dance and sing and eat a lot
Rowan and I we do
We take the stroller to the park
And sing Beatles songs too
The wedding was in August
Kayla and Ande looked aglow
The family came from far and wide
Mom stayed for a month, don‘t you know
“A wedding at the tipis?” you ask
Oh yes! it was quite a site
We feasted and danced and sang a bit
Way late into the night
And as for Matt
His dream he‘s met
Found a job he loves
Like Y2Y for the corporate set
Watch a couple of videos there
And you‘ll easily see
Why the jobs just right for him
As right as right can be So those are all my updates
Hope you clicked on the links to see
All the invites, links and photographs
Of my friends, my family and me
“Many paths lead to God. I have chosen that of music and dancing.”
~Rumi |
Nothing stays the same
Our lives are in a constant state of change
My challenge has not been to prevent the shifts
But in learning to navigate the movement
~Kim
Kim Keller 258 A Street, Suite 16 Ashland, OR 97520 541-201-0168 |
Birth of a Babe
May 9, 2008
Kayla woke me at 5:30 a.m. and said, “hey mom, we're gonna have a baby today.”
I will forever hold dear sneaking off to the kitchen with her to make our old favorite comfort food of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwiches. The midwife had told us Kayla would need to be sure to eat while she was still feeling like eating. The midwife also told us it would be HOURS after labor actually starts before the baby would be delivered. She recommended we go about our day as usual and not make too big a deal about it all. The idea of “life as usual” was to help Kayla NOT feel anxious.
The morning progressed quickly and with ease. The midwife said she would check in later. The birthing tub had been set up and readied in the living room, the friends who were present made breakfast, and Rowan only wanted to follow his mama around as she labored and walked around the house.
Kayla‘s labor progressed rapidly. Somewhere around 8:00 a.m. we were all shocked when she announced her water had broke. I was talking to the midwife on the phone at the time and when she heard Kayla in the background she said, “Oh my, she is having that baby right now, I am going to miss the birth.”
Kayla quickly climbed into the birthing tub. Two pushes and less than 5 minutes later, a beautiful little baby girl was in the water. Those of us assisting with the birth simply sat around the edge of the tub and sang and cried and laughed and marveled at the miracle we had all just witnessed. The midwife arrived 10 minutes later. (It was, she said, the first birth she had ever missed.) Rowan got to cut the cord, and I got to take Isla Rose from the tub.
I am forever imprinted with the arrival of this beautiful new soul.
I am forever impacted by the love in the room.
I am forever grateful that I was present.
I am forever in love with this little being named Isla Rose. 
"Having a child is like deciding forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."
~Elizabeth Stone
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