Sure & Unsure...

It is Christmas Eve 2010, and I'm now sure and unsure.





I'm not sure what the future is for Invisible Youth Network.  Russell wants to take things in another direction.  He told me that he will be revealing new plans in February (his estimate).

One thing that I am sure of is that there are several thousand  young people in San Diego alone who are homeless.

Another thing I know for sure is that children and teens are getting bullied in school while it seems as if the faculty and staff just kinda nod and wink.

I know that there is something wrong with this picture, and something needs to be done.

What direction we're going with this in our organization is still up in the air at this time, so all I can tell you is to stay tuned...

From One Bad Situation To Another. . .What Comes Next!?!

Smell the coffee! 

It's seldom about running off because you're angry about having a 9 p.m. school night curfew. 

It's more about having school day bullying experiences and/or even having a homelife that goes FAR beyond the term "dysfunctional." 

Even if it's about neither of those, there is, more times than not, a legitimate reason to want to get into a different environment. 

Have these kids jumped from the frying pan into the fire or from the fire into the frying pan? 

Either way, they need something better--MUCH better!

Invitation Sent!!! 9/11/10

Below, find a copy of an invitation I've just sent to friends on my Care2 list who aren't yet members of the representative group for IYN there.  Just recently, Russell made a post at said group that conveyed the message that we're marching forward with our mission and are ISO people who are willing and serious about helping us to help our kids.

If you would like to check out our group, please click here.

Scroll on down to read what I've written as an invitation to do so...

Our army is totally-volunteer,
and we don't rely on violent weapons
in our quest of winning a very important war.

Remember how--nine years ago today--so many people were MORE than willing to go onto foreign soil to fight against unspeakable acts of violence that had occurred earlier that morning in New York City, near Washington, D.C., and over some farmland in Pennsylvania?

Are we at least as willing to fight another kind of war right on our very own soil--this time, a war that doesn't involve the spilling of blood but, instead, the extending of hands so that over 1.5 million young people in our country alone might be able to get the help they need to get off the streets.

Not only that, but we also need to implement weapons of prevention so that our invisible youth will have a strong voice against things like abuse (physical, emotional, sexual) going on right in their own homes, bullying at school, and poverty that end up driving them to leave behind their homes and communities in the first place.

Our representative group at Care2 isn't a place for sharing recipes (and such will be removed if posted).  However, it might be a place to get inspired to make our recipes to sell at fundraising bake sales and/or directly feed homeless youth.

Please join us in order to become more and more inspired to take action and make this tragic problem history p.d.q.

Yours In The Quest--

Ainsley Jo Phillips

Advisor & Consultant

Invisible Youth Network

Our Sick Society--And What Is Being/Can Be Done About It. . .

Russell wrote:

Everytime I watch the news there are reports of children being murdered by their parents, child abuse, children being molested by school faculty, children being shot down on the streets and children being abducted on their way to or from school.

 
And much more!
 
What kind of sick society have we become?

If you feel so angry/frustrated/tense that you feel that there's even the slightest chance that you might take it out on your child or a child in your care, please contact Parents Anonymous or (if there isn't one in your area) a similar group that will help you through this rough patch in a sympathetic, non-judgmental way.

Even if you have already lost control and have taken/are taking your issues out on your child/child in your care, don't hesitate to seek help before the situation gets really out-of-hand.  There is no shame in letting people know that you need help. 

If you or anyone you know have never dealt with issues like these before, consider yourselves to be fortunate and do more than point fingers at those who do.  The ills of society will be better solved through the use of extended hands instead of pointing fingers.

We need places for our kids to go and enjoy constructive activities as opposed to being left to their own resources and getting mixed up with gangs.


We need for school to be a safe and positive experience for our kids instead of one of fear, discomfort, and hurt feelings.


We need for our kids to believe--and rightly so--that there are trustworthy people to turn to and that these people will truly listen to what they have to say and do their best to offer them solutions.

We also need for troubled adults (people of any age, in fact) to know that it's okay to ask for help when dealing with negative, antisocial emotions--and we need to make sure that there are places out there where they can turn and know that they will be seen/treated as people with issues that they need help in solving instead of being seen as "bad" people.

I've said many times, and I'll say it again that it's good to imagine that you have two grown children who are both loved dearly, unconditionally, and in equal measure by you.  One is the victim of a terrible crime, and the other one has committed a terrible crime.  Think about what outcome you would want for each of them, and you will be well on your way to designing a society that offers real solutions to the problems we face.

Put your prayers, love, positive thoughts, time, money, and good words behind organizations such as Parents Anonymous, Invisible Youth Network, Operation Respect, Boys & Girls Clubs Of America, and others that are offering positive and empowering solutions to a troubled world!