Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Opportunity for Community Service

I received this e-mail from community activist Alfonso Todd. This is a great opportunity to reach out and help the women in our community who may be struggling.

"Hello my name is Ben Nicholson. I’m here to introduce you to Life-styles of the Grown, Sexy and Sober. Life-styles of the G.S.S. (Grown, Sexy and Sober) has been an idea for some time. I was talking to an associate, Alfonso Todd, who told me to put this out to the public and let them see what your doing! Let them learn from the good choices that others make.

I shot my first video with a friend of mine, “George” He, at the time, had only a few months clean, yet he had managed to state something that caught my ear, which was “Just don’t pick up!” Those words he has repeated on many occurrences and it’s keeping him clean and off drugs and alcohol.

My second interview was with “Becky” who is a survivor of breast cancer! She endures the effects of her regular cancer treatments and working a full time job. She is, also, responsible for the management of six Oxford houses that are inhabited by women and men. TALK ABOUT LEADERSHIP ABILITY!!!

Currently, I am I hearing about how down right dirty Allentown is, and how corrupt the streets are; and that people only want welfare /disability checks, free food, soup kitchens and a life without responsibilities. Yes, that is true for some individuals “but” when you’re out in the community and you’re rubbing elbows with these men and women, talking, relating, and experiencing, first hand, the accounts of their struggles and plights, you learn the need to be creative and somewhat manipulative. One learns simple survival skills in a society that has rarely taken hostages in any circumstance.

Pride and honor needs to become fashionable, once more; and it’s time to stop the glorification of fast money and recognize the benefits of self employment, schooling, and self-respect.
There are many businesses that I have encountered that are willing to help and they are open to the suggestions I have offered. They want to be a part of more grassroots activities which will allow them to grow closer to the community they serve. The excitement has grown so much among local businesses that many have agreed to assist the G.S.S with the creation of its’ first SINGLE MOTHER AND CHILDREN APPRECIATION DINNER which will be a bi-monthly event. It’s our goal to expose the attendees to guest speakers who will be professional, intelligent, and successful women. Hopefully their words may inspire and show the ladies in the crowd that they are still valuable, special, and can make a difference in their lives, as well as their children’s."

So if you would like be a guest speaker/sponsor/volunteer at one of these dinners/events please e-mail me :

Bestimpression4u@yahoo.com
Call: 610 351 3975
See: http://www.lifestylesofthegss.piczo.com/

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post! Love it how you Villas actually DO things (Chen, MC Advertiser Boycott, etc., etc.) instead of just complaining!

Bill Villa said...

This post's headline says it all-- i.e., do we as citizens want to be part of the problem or part of the solution?

Anonymous said...

apathy is part of the problem

Angie Villa said...

Thanks Anon 10:02. There are many people who are actually DOING things to help our community and our schools. We don't always read about it in our newspaper. I encourage people to get involved in any way they can. Communication is so important.

I am proud to be part of a group of wonderful people (Chen Arts) who have been so successful because of their VOLUNTEER effort to improve our city through the arts. And the movemement keeps growing and evolving.

Kudos to Ben and Alfonso for being out there on the streets and reporting on REALITY, not perception. These are the people who make a difference by doing.
There are many positive things happening in Allentown and getting involved can be a very rewarding experience.

Angie Villa said...

RE: "movemement" OOps, I meant MOVEMENT.

Anonymous said...

"The movement you need is on your shoulders." -Paul McCartney, "Hey Jude"

Bill Villa said...

"All you need is love.
Love is all you need."
-John Lennon

Anonymous said...

apathy is part of the problem


so is expert-ism

Anonymous said...

Just Do It.
-Nike

Angie Villa said...

BE your work.

Bill Villa said...

FYI everybody,

I have an email and a phone call in to Alfonso Todd regarding getting together with him for the purpose of launching an Advertiser/Subscriber Boycott of The Morning Call, the goal of which would be to leverage the "newspaper" into finally doing something about the rabid and racist HATE on its website's comment "Forum."

I'm awaiting Alfonso's get-back to me ...

Bill Villa said...

"Rehired," I agree completely, O'Hare's a total fraud, but let's stay on topic ...

Anonymous said...

Sure, sure (sorry Bill), I just get cranked up at that O'Hare guy's slithery-ness sometimes, back on topic it is.

Bill Villa said...

Merci.

Bill Villa said...

UpDate

Readers, I got this email from Alfonso Todd at 12:34am this morning:

I had another idea. At the moment, I have a consulting gig and am working alot of crazy hours, BUT I think there is something you can do that will be more effective than any boycott than we can attempt to put together. USE THE HATE TO SPREAD THE TRUTH. Go to the Evelyn Rivera story in the MCALL. It was posted on Monday. It's about a lady who has put together a great step team. She literally created something out of nothing and has won a community award for doing so; anyway, go into the comments for her net article and you will see some of those crazy/racist comments, but if you keep scrolling you see a good one, MINE. READ IT and you will see that it took everything to ANOTHER perspective. Not only that, but it drove traffic to my site which, in turn, EDUCATES everyone else that comes to the MCALL blog. Due to the freedom of speech act and the fact that these hateful comments create traffic and conversation, (I truly believe that there are actual MCALL employees who plant it to keep the traffic flowing) I believe that going to all of these articles that you believe may cause hateful responses and battling the writers on an INTELLECTUAL and FACTUAL level (no name calling or childish responses) we can shut down the hatemongers, which I have done before, and create traffic to our sites, thus, FIGHTING AND USING THE HATE TO OUR ADVANTAGE. I hope it works for you as it is for me.

Alfonso Todd

Bill Villa said...

Thanks for emailing me, Alfonso.

I thought we’d be having an in-person meeting on this ... or a phone conversation ...

In any case, I’d like to keep our conversation public, as it has been from the start, so that people interested in Stopping The Hate at The Morning Call Forum can follow along.

I still believe an "actual" Advertiser/Subscriber Boycott of The Morning Call would be better than the “possibility” of one.

And regarding the “another idea” you’ve unexpectedly suggested, that is, comment-countering (debating, arguing with, battling) the racist commenters at The Morning Call’s website, my thoughts on this are:

1. Unfortunately, I am banned from achieving the same “success” you’re having with this strategy, since my comments are routinely deleted and/or blocked at The Morning Call Forum … and at all Morning Call-sponsored blogs … as was documented and reported on HERE ...

... back in those heady “good old days” of healthy local blogosphere dissent against The Morning Call, which, as you may have noticed too, has vanished completely with the very clever dissent quashing creation known as "Valley Blogosphere at The Morning Call Forum."

2. Because I’ve been comment-countering (debating, arguing with, battling) hate-mongers Bernie O’Hare, Mike Molovinsky, attorney (for now) Dave Najarian, AJ Cordi, and their numerous alias and “anonymous” (wink wink) characters for the past 6 months, Jesus, the last thing I wanna do is blog-battle more hate-mongering idiots (4, I can handle).

Alfonso, I’m busy too (wonderful wife, challenging job in Manhattan, 2 great kids who are still alive, wrongful death litigation, ludicrous blog “harassment” litigation, daily blog provocations from hate-mongering idiots, etc., etc.) but I’ll find a way to organize and execute an actual Advertiser/Subscriber Boycott of The Morning Call myself or with the assistance of anyone who’d like to join me in Stopping The Hate at The Morning Call Forum.

My email address is alacarbv@aol.com.

Alfonso, thank you for the interest you once had in helping me organize an Advertiser/Subscriber Boycott of The Morning Call. You are always welcome back on my team, should you decide to change your mind again.

Anonymous said...

Mrs. Dotty, I notice niether Ben nor Alfonso ever thanked you posting their G.S.S. info so I will.

Thank You.

Itz Me Dave said...

Hey Bill.... as you might recall, I suggested an organized boycott to you last year ;) I am still behind you and 'on your team' so to speak. Whatever I can do to help, you know you can count on me.

Sorry I was unable to make the Chen gathering last weekend. Working nights is such a hassle, but O/T is important in this economy.

Anonymous said...

You are right , ANON 4;08, THAT was RUDE and I appreciate the reminder. THANK YOU for the
'shout out" about G.S.S. movement. It is appreciated.

Alfonso Todd
www.lehighvalleyflavor.piczo.com

Ben Nicholson
www.lifestylesofthegss.piczo.com

Bill Villa said...

Thank you, for publicly pledging your support, "Itz Me Dave." Mrs. Dottie and I have received an incredible number of back-channel emails on all this. More on the Morning Call Boycott later this week.

Bill Villa said...

EXPOSING HYPOCRISY DEPARTMENT

The same local blogger who once championed me when he figured out I was right about The Morning Call deleting and blocking my Morning Call-dissenting comments at its website ...

commenced to doing the same thing to me, only much worse, after he became a lapdog/attack dog for Glenn Kranzley.

Have a look ... here's what he does:

1. He self-pens loony and poorly-written anonymous comments and confidently tells his readers they're from "Bill Villa," in an attempt to discredit me.

2. When/If I show up to defend myself against his lies, he launches into vile personal attacks against me and my grieving family that many persons with less self-restraint than I have would likely break his jaw in 7 different places over.

3. He then pusillanimously "Disables Comments" so that further defense of myself and my family is not possible.

He started doing this proactively to provoke me HERE ...

... and he has continued doing it as recently as last week, HERE.

Very easy to say, "Oh just ignore him," until you are the target of his sadistically cruel amusement.

The guy's a bully and "Somebody" must stand up to him and keep knocking him on his ass.

It's my pleasure.

Anonymous said...

He can dish it out
but he can't take it.

Anonymous said...

You got that right.

Anonymous said...

I second that.

Anonymous said...

I second your second.

The Blanker

Anonymous said...

Hey, wait a second ...