February 2018 Newsletter

Student Spotlight: Hasya


Basketball player, music lover and dedicated JKL student are just a few ways to describe the incredible Hasya from our Animo South L.A JKL program.
Hasya is a junior and is in her first year of programming. She has already shown great progress from decreasing her sugar intake, drinking more water, signing up for every community service opportunity and having perfect attendance in the program. Her teachers say “She is a core member with a big heart for the underdog!”
Hasya’s favorite components of the JKL program are the guest speakers and community service events. Through our guest speaker series, she has been challenge to goal set, think outside of the box and live better with a positive attitude. The community service events have become something near and dear to her heart, because she loves to give back and meet new JKL members in the process.
After high school she has aspirations to study forensics at UC Davis and eventually get accepted to Julia Arts to explore performance arts with an emphasis on directing. We look forward to watching her grow and achieve her dreams!
 


 

Gratitude Quote of the Month

“I’m grateful for JKL because it has taught me that my body is an amazing machine that can do anything I want it to if I treat it well.”
-Tim, Warren Easton
 


 

Check Out Camila’s New Website!


We’re excited to spread the word about our very own Camila Alves McConaughey’s newly updated website, www.womenoftoday.com!
Camila has done an amazing job creating this online community for women, founded on the believe that women need to support each other, share our stories, and find strength in numbers. On the site, you can find Camila’s recipes, fitness tips, Do-It-Yourself crafts ideas, motherhood and relationship advice and more. Check it out!
 


 

Lady Bird Lake Clean Up – Austin


On December 9th, in partnership with the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department , our JKL program at Akins High School volunteered at Lady Bird Lake to help with their initiative to tackle trash along the shoreline.
The JKL students and staff joined Keep Austin Beautiful volunteers as well as other students from around Austin in this annual Clean Lady Bird Lake event. Our Akins JKL staff also assisted Keep Austin Beautiful with preparing lunch for all the volunteers as well as with space provided at the Austin Youth Hostel.
At the hostel, students were also treated to a Christmas cookie decoration activity. Afterwards, the students walked off their lunch with a 2.5 mile hike around the Lady Bird Lake and bike trail picking up trash. This was a wonderful event where our students were able to join with other community members to help keep the park clean!
 


 

Peru Community Service Trip


We are beyond thrilled to announce that some of the JKL students from EAC Prep in Austin will be working with Peruvian Hearts, a non-profit organization founded by Ana Dodson. She was born in a small, poor village in Cuzco and adopted when she was an infant. She visited Cuzco when she was older and witnessed the poverty and lack of education that plagues Peru, especially among women. As a result she decided to take action!
Our JKL students will be spending ten days in Cuzco, working with the many different projects that Peruvian Hearts sponsors for women and their families, including a Women’s Empowerment group made up of teenagers the same age as our students. We are so excited to see what our students make of this experience and it is our hope that it opens up their hearts and mind to their own possibilities and potential to help make this world a better place, filling it with gratitude and service.
 


 

Cleveland Program Visits C-Town Fitness


This past month our new just keep livin program, Martin Luther King Jr Career Campus in Cleveland had the chance to participate in an amazing workout at a local gym in the community.
JKL Students and staff attended C-Town fitness, a unique health and fitness platform focused on creating change through a variety of channels: Therapeutic & rehabilitative services, education-mentoring, group coaching and many more. C-Town Fitness Coach, Aaron Clark, led a great innovative workout using both body weight and free weights to create a high energy environment. Our students were definitely challenged, but got through the workout just fine.
Aaron Clark and the entire C-Town fitness team were very professional and did a great job at encouraging and assisting our students during the workout. Our staff and students were so grateful for the opportunity and look forward to establishing a partnership for great workout trips in the near future.
 


 

Tip from Camila


“We all have moments in life when we regret saying something — Nobody is perfect, and we are all human and say things we regret every once in a while. My Mother in Law has an amazing expression: ‘let’s put White Out over that’ — Meaning, I wish I hadn’t said that, I feel badly about it, and would really appreciate it if I could apologize and we could move forward. When you do this, you are owning your own words, being transparent with the other person, and improving communication. It’s such an easy relationship tool to use, and makes a big difference!”
 


 

Recipe of the month – from Beller Nutrition

Pumped Up Oats
Did you know that a serving of oats on average costs about 15 cents?! Yes, you heard me right – 15 cents. Just think about all the delicious bowls of oatmeal you can make for $2 a month. Now, that’s an awesome deal!
And you know what, a bowl of oatmeal doesn’t have to be a bore – you can totally add some fun to it like fruits or berries, flax or chia seeds and cinnamon. I mean, whole grains, fiberlicious fruits and seeds, healthy fats and protein – all in one finger lickin’ combo?! This will definitely keep you pumped in the morning and all the way til lunch (no crashing). Here is how you make it:
Servings: 1 (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Ingredients:
• 1 cup cooked steel cut oatmeal
• 1 small apple, diced, or any fruit of your choice (bananas are my favorite!)
• 1 tablespoon chia or flax seeds (found in almost any grocery store)
Optional Ingredients:
• Pinch of cinnamon
Directions:
Warm the oatmeal, mix in the diced fruit, add the chia seeds, and enjoy!
 


 

Swag of the Month

JKL Beach towels 
Regular $40, but for the month of February get yours for $35!
A portion of the proceeds goes to support the afterschool programs at the just keep livin Foundation.
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