Building Relationships and Healthy Habits – The Y

Healthy Living and Relationships at The Y

If you set inside a Y facility you will see what they do and if you attend an event or program you can see why their necessary for a community. The Y is community based gym facility that hosts events and programs to enrich and cultivate the community.

The YMCA stands for the Young Men’s Christian Association but has evolved in to “the Y” due to its outreach to everyone. The organization was founded by George Williams in 1844 in London. It was built as a place of refuge for the young men from the harsh city life at the time.

Now over 160 years later the Y is still around but has now become an important part of the community it serves. Once a Y is established in a community, they become a vital part of a community’s growth through their activities and programs. With the help of the Y, people can realize their potential in volatile communities by becoming a safe drug free environment.

But there are more to just the Y then its facilities. Here are just a few more reasons why you should volunteer or join.

• You become part of a community – By becoming part of the Y you build relationships with people in your community and become part of the overall good in the community.
• You can become a mentor in a child’s life – Thousands of at-risk youth are being helped by the Y. Through the help of families and volunteers it is possible to give a child a future.
• Get in shape – Becoming a member gives you access to gym facilities and access to a variety of exercise programs such as Zumba, yoga, and martial arts.
• Gets kids off the streets – The Y’s engaging after school programs fosters learning and exercise which gives the ma healthy outlet as they get older.

You can be a part of your Y by becoming a member or volunteering. Find the one nearest you and if there is none, you can always donate.

Have you been to your Y?

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Santa’s Tugboat Arrival

Santa‘s Toot-Toot in Fells Point

Looking for something to do this weekend?

Want to get into the Christmas spirit?

Then come down to Fell’s Point for their 9th Annual Olde Tyme Christmas for a whole weekend of festivities.

This weekend marks the holiday season in Fells Point and marks the start of the Christmas Market, the one stop shop for all your holiday arts, crafts, and favors.

Some key events happening tonight are horse sleigh rides, Christmas music by Mix 106.5, holiday beer and wine tastings, and an address from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

And what better way to celebrate the 1st of December than with Santa’s arrival on a tugboat! Saturday is also sung with live Christmas Caroling and music with Santa’s arrival, gingerbread house making, Christmas Tree lighting, pub crawls, and more.Sunday ends with pet costume contests, wine and beer tastings, and studio dance and art.

The event is free and proceeds from the Olde Tyme Christmas will go to the Baltimore City Police Explorers Program, a police youth mentor program. The program exposes thousands of Baltimore youth to anti-crime and pro-education messages.

Check out Olde Tyme Christmas for details of each event. Also look at Santa’s entrance last year.

Resources
Olde Tyme Christmas
Baltimore City Police Explorers Program

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Support Your Community Today – #GivingTuesday

11/27 – #GivingTuesday. Day to donate online to support the local United Way of Central Maryland. All proceeds stay local.

Help Your Community Shine

On November 27, United Way of Central Maryland and many of its local funded partners will join #Giving Tuesday™–a national effort that will launch the giving season and that is transforming philanthropy into something easy, achievable and trendy.

We all know about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and how those two days continue to grow every year. For the first time this year, more than 400 nonprofits across the nation are committed to making #Giving Tuesday as big for charitable organizations as its older siblings–Black Friday and Cyber Monday–are for retail.

For years, shoppers have crowded stores on Black Friday, the first day of the holiday shopping season. More recently, Cyber Monday became the nation’s biggest online shopping day.

This year, for the first time, charities have put their stake in the ground to create a new tradition that celebrates giving back with #Giving Tuesday™— the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, when organizations, families, businesses and individuals come together to support the causes they care about most.

Locally, United Way of Central Maryland (UWCM) will serve as the giving portal for its own programs, which include the Access to Healthy Food and Family Stability initiatives as well as 2-1-1 Maryland at UWCM, and for its local funded partners—health and human service organizations serving people living at or near the federal poverty level in central Maryland.

“While no one person acting alone can solve tough social issues like homelessness and hunger, United Way consistently demonstrates that, acting together, people can make a real difference in the lives of the less fortunate,” said Mark Furst, president and CEO of UWCM. “Individuals giving to United Way of Central Maryland on #Giving Tuesday™ can rely on the money being directed to help those facing poverty locally get and stay out of crisis and move to self-sufficiency.”

#Giving Tuesday™ is becoming a digital phenomenon, and is an indication of how charitable giving is changing in the world of new media. Giving transactions will occur primarily online, and promotion of the effort has come to life mostly via social media. Giving among young people, many of whom are new to the world of philanthropy, is also expected to be high on #Giving Tuesday™.

“The days following Thanksgiving historically have centered on buying gifts for family or friends—or shopping for yourself,” said Elise Lee, UWCM’s chief development officer. “#Giving Tuesday™ is a national celebration of generosity to kick off the holiday giving season. There is nothing more powerful for our neighbors in need than the impact of the collective.”

It’s not only an easy way for local individuals to support the causes they care most about in their community, but it is an interesting case study as to how technology is shaping the future of philanthropy and giving back, making it more accessible to more people.

It’s not only timely, but will help promote the effort to support our most vulnerable neighbors, thereby supporting our whole community during this holiday season.

See all the organizations that your donations will support. Every little bit helps and will affect the city we live in.

Participating Central Maryland Organizations (As of November 16, 2012)

You may support these following organizations on #GivingTuesday at uwcm.org/giving-tuesday

▪  American Heart Association
▪  Anne Arundel County CASA
▪  Arundel House of Hope
▪  Associated Black Charities
▪  Baltimore City Health Department
▪  Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County
▪  Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore
▪  Bridges to Housing Stability
▪  Caroline Friess Center
▪  Carroll Food Sunday
▪  Civic Works
▪  Community Action Council of Howard County, Maryland
▪  Domestic Violence Center of Howard County
▪  Food Link
▪  Good Shepherd Center
▪  Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation
▪  Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna
▪  Habitat of the Chesapeake
▪  Harford Community Action
▪  Harford Family House
▪  HealthCare Access Maryland
▪  House of Ruth Maryland
▪  Legal Aid Bureau
▪  Light House
▪  Living Classrooms Foundation
▪  Marian House
▪  Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training
▪  Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault
▪  Maryland Food Bank
▪  Maryland Society for Sight
▪  Mason-Dixon Community Services
▪  Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland
▪  Middle Grades Partnership
▪  Neighbor Ride
▪  Night of Peace Family Shelter
▪  Partners in Care
▪  Project PLASE
▪  Prologue, Inc.
▪  Salvation Army, Greater Baltimore Area
▪  St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore
▪  The Arc of The Central Chesapeake Region
▪  The Samaritan Women
▪  The Sexual Assault/Spouse Abuse Resource Center (SARC)
▪  The Women’s Law Center of Maryland
▪  TurnAround
▪  Urban Alliance
▪  Women’s Housing Coalition
▪  YWCA of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County

Be One of The Many Who Will Support on #GivingTuesday. 

The following was from the press release of the United Way of Central Maryland. Strictly Baltimore supports their efforts for #GivingTuesday and wish to aid in their efforts for this day. 

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Giving Tuesday

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Early Known Santa Sightings in Baltimore

Where is Santa?

Next week is Thanksgiving which marks the start of the holiday season. But if you’re in the holiday spirit already, then you’ll want to find the person that embodies the season of giving, Santa Claus.

So, where can you find that holly jolly St. Nick around Baltimore? 

So to get everyone in the mood for the holiday season. We tweeted Santa and he told us where he’s going to be this season. Here’s where he and his little elves will be around our charmed city this weekend.

Inner Harbor –
Watch his arrival tomorrow, Saturday, from 5-7 as he brings his merry workers down to his downtown workshop. Right in the heart of the Inner Harbor, Santa’s put his workshop for all to see. While people are touring the city they can stop by and talk to good ol’ St. Nick.

While your there check out the light show spectacular at the Power Plant. The iconic Power Plant has been transformed to give a Holiday Light Show to get anyone in the holiday mood. Check out the times the lights will come to life.

Towson Town Center –
While your checking off your grown up Christmas list and check it twice, stop and drop it off to Santa personally at Towson.

Arundel Mills –
Take a break from gambling, movie watching, and spend some time with Santa right near the food court.

Also if you’re looking for more Holiday events around the city check out It’s a Waterfront Life. It lists a lot of holiday events around the city.

Resources
It’s a Waterfront Life
Baltimore Visitor Center

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Finding Strength to Take the Leap

Take Your Leap

Taking That Leap

Since this site and blog is talking about following your passion. It may mean that you may have to conquer some of your fears and personal anxieties at some point and what I want to share is one of the stories where I did that. 

I have acrophobia. I am afraid of heights. Looking down a spiral staircase 3 floors up makes my stomach churn. I get scared when I wait by the stairs in line on a water ride and a breeze comes by.

So being afraid of heights, the thought of a rope and a knot is the difference between me and a 50-foot drop is frightening to say the least. Yet for some reason I let my fears go and let the instructor tie my harness. Body shaking, shortness of breath, and anxiety kicked in moments after she told me that I was ready to climb.

Here I am, this medium-built, six-foot tall, 200-pound guy about to climb this wall and I have a little petite freshman half my size harnessed to the ground to prevent my imminent doom. Still I decided that if I didn’t face my fear of heights that day, I would find another excuse later down the road and never do this. Despite her size, I still pressed on.

As I placed my hand on the first feature on the wall, I started to see the trajectory I needed to get to the top and I was intently focused on following it. Not taking a second to look down I would just feel where my feet and its placement would go and just keep my eyes on going up. I felt as though if I stopped or focused at the bottom, my adrenaline would drop and my eminent fear of heights would kick back in.

So I just kept going higher and higher. 

Finally, as I reached the top I realized that I have finally conquered my fears and rock climbed. But as I realize that I know that, thanks to gravity, what goes up must come down. Which means I would eventually have to take my grip away from the wall and trust my life on this rope and this girl who I don’t think can support my weight.

As she gives me the okay to let go, with all of her hands on the rope and feet grounded to slowly let me go, I catch a glimpse of just how far I have climbed.

It was a feeling of accomplishment and terror all at once. 

My arms were tiring from the climb. My adrenaline was beginning to drop and the anxiety was beginning to set. At that moment of exhaustion and anxiety, I decided that I needed to take another leap and just trust the rope and this little lady.

So I let go.

But as I let go and hung on the rope, she gently started lowering me down the wall. As my fear passed and touched the land that I wish I hadn’t left, I realized what I had accomplished.

Now even after that moment I still have a slight fear of heights. The stairs still scare me a little. But when I am faced with an obstacle where I am afraid to do something, I think about this moment and how I felt. I have conquered my fears, this feeling, before and I can do whatever I put my mind to.  (I still rock climb with some friends when we get the chance and urge.)

So with that said:

Where do you find your strength to overcome your fears?

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Ravens, The Irish, and The Paranormal

Just a Normal Weekend in Baltimore

The weekend has finally arrive and we just want to take the time and list three events going on this weekend. Two that people will be talking about around the water cooler and the other is something for the thrill seekers.

Maryland Irish Festival

Enjoy the luck of the Irish in November. The Maryland Irish Festival is this weekend, November 9-11, at the Timonium Fair Grounds. A weekend full of events designed for people to learn and enjoy the Irish culture. Enjoy authentic cuisine and drinks. Learn about the Irish culture and history while listening to Irish music. Fun for everyone. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, $5 for ages 12-17, and free for children under 12 and active military. Click here to learn more.

Historic Federal Hill Ghost Tour 

Learn what goes bump in the night in our city. This Saturday there will be 2 tours @ 6 and 8:30 PM showing which houses are brimming with paranormal activity. This tour will last an hour and walk through the city and retell the stories of these haunted houses. The price is $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. These tours end next week. Click here to join.

Oakland Raiders @ Baltimore Ravens

This Sunday, the Ravens have a home game against the Raiders @ 1 PM. Looking to get their 15th consecutive home game victory, head down to the stadium for the full tailgating experience. You don’t have to buy those pricey tickets to enjoy the game, just wear a Ravens jersey and walk down to the parking lot with some meat and buns. If you don’t want to brave the weather, walk over to Fed Hill or the Inner Harbor and watch the game in one of the many bars in the city. Just follow the black and purple.

What will you be doing this weekend?

Let us know!

Resources

Maryland Irish Festival
Historic Federal Hill Ghost Tour
Baltimore Ravens 

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Talk Thursdays – What Will You Do To Make Life Worth It?

What Will Make This Day Worthwhile?

Thursday gets a bad rap. It’s the eve before Friday. There’s not much to do unless you have something special planned.

There’s no popular song or place about Thursday. There’s Ruby Tuesday’s, TGI Fridays, Never On Sundays (Great local restaurant in Mt. Vernon, try their “STS” when you get the chance. It’s called that for a reason), but nothing cool for Thursdays.

So today what we want to know is what do you do on Thursdays?

But today instead of learning about a cool place around Baltimore to check out or showcase another Baltimore organization, we want to hear from you?

If you’re in college and today marks the start of your weekend, you’ll probably hit the local bar with your friends. Which one?

If your taking a dance class, yoga, spin, martial arts, run, hike? Tell us know!

On this mundane Thursday:
What will you do or want to do after work to make this Thursday worth it?

Let us know!

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Vote On Election Day!

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Today is election day!

So, if your registered go out and vote. Let your voice be heard. It doesn’t matter if you vote for Obama, Romney, Johnson, or Stein, as long as you know what your voting for is all that matters.

Don’t know what all the issues are about or want a refresher course? Click here to learn all you need to vote. Google shows polling places, sample ballots, and all the information about the candidates.

There are a lot of issues that are going to affect Baltimore. How we spend money, what our city is going to look like in the next few years, and equality. Be sure to read up on what is going on before you go out and vote.

Once you’ve voted wear your sticker proud. Also bring your sticker to the closest Charm City Yoga to get a free magnet!

Voting is cool! Did you vote yet?

Resources

Google Voter Information
Charm City Yoga

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Rediscover Baltimore

Walk Through The Life of Baltimore in One Mile

In this historic city, every building has a story but few have the knowledge to tell them. Now you have the chance to learn more about the city around you.

This Sunday, November 4, and on the 18th, there will be a walking tour that will uncover the historic tapestry of Baltimore. Starting at the corner of N. Gay St. and E. Saratoga St., people will be walking a mile around the heart of Baltimore learning about the rich history and notice the struggles and triumphs that Baltimore has gone through to become what it is today.

Starting at 9:30 AM, the walk will only last 75 minutes and will start and stop at the Farmer’s Market under 83. This gives people the chance to stock up on great local produce and meals before and after the tour.

It is $5 for adults and children under free are free.

Learn about Baltimore through the buildings standing today. From being one of the thirteen colonies to becoming the Baltimore you see today, you can rediscover Baltimore through the buildings that are still standing today.

WHERE: The Corner of N. Gay St. and E. Saratoga St., Farmers’ Market
WHEN: Sundays – 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM – November 4, 18
WHAT: Discover the rich and historic tapestry of Baltimore. $5 for adults and under 16 are free. 

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Baltimore Heritage

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All You Can Yoga

yoga (Photo credit: GO INTERACTIVE WELLNESS)

Unlimited Yoga Classes

 

Charm City Yoga has been bringing yoga to the people of Baltimore for years. Their 6 yoga studios around Baltimore have made it convenient for beginners and yogis to find a yoga class near them.

 

While Charm City Yoga offers affordable yoga, particularly with their $5 community classes, they also offer a work-study program. For 4-5 hours a week you can attend any yoga class at any time. The positions are front desk and cleaning and are looking for exceptional applications that will uphold Charm City Yoga’s high quality service. But after six months you will also receive discounts on merchandise.

 

Take care of your mental and physical health with yoga by taking advantage of this offer. Applicants are many but spots are limited. 5 hours a week for unlimited yoga and meditation? Why not?

 

To learn more about this work-study program click here.

 

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Charm City Yoga

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