5-Year-Old Sparks Good With Backpack Drive

“What is a risk we can take together as a family to make the world a better place?”

This became an inspiring “car conversation” with our five year old as we discussed what we could do together for a Spark that week.  Xander was getting ready to start kindergarten so we talked about kids needing school supplies so they can succeed in school.  We decided that we could put together one backpack full of school supplies for a kid in need!

However, when I started looking around, there really weren’t any places that just accepted one backpack.  Organizations that helped kids needed lots of backpacks.  The conversation continued.

“Xander, what if we got together with our friends and instead of just helping one kid, we asked others to join us so we can help a lot of kids?”

His response: “We need a team, Mom!  We can all work together and really help!”

So, that’s what we did.

I contacted a leader at our church who works with non-profits.  We chose to partner with School on Wheels, an organization that provides educational services to homeless kids here in L.A., to do a backpack drive with our church.  Xander set a goal of 100 backpacks full of school supplies.  The adventure began!

We had Xander draw a picture for the promotional material we were going to use and he even got to help announce the backpack drive at the Mayan, our church’s downtown venue.  Soon, the backpacks began coming in, filling up our boys’ bedroom!

In three weeks, we collected 156 backpacks and were able to deliver them to School on Wheels!  It took three cars, absolutely full, to transport them all!  While we were there, we got to tour the facilities and our boys played with the kids who were there for after-school tutoring.  It was a reminder to all of us to be thankful for what we have and that we can make a positive difference in the world.

More than anything, I want to raise men who have compassionate hearts for people in this world.  I want them to know that they can change the world by “sparking good” whenever they can.

It is one thing to tell them this…it is quite another to experience it.  A lesson learned through action is a powerful one. 

We are already plotting our next “family Spark!”  Together, we can change the world!

Mandy Inchaustegui is the founder of Hot Nites™-- an underground symposium designed to help married women cultivate unbelievable sex lives.  She leads Celebrate Recovery at Mosaic Mayan-- Mosaic's flagship gathering in downtown Los Angeles.  She is married to Anthony and has two kids, Xander and Elijah.  To read more from her click here. 

Spark With 'A Good Night Sleep'

Jennifer Kenning is busy.  By day she manages the wealth of some of highest net worth individuals around the country.  By night she helps some of the poorest have a place to rest.  Jennifer is the founder and CEO of “A Good Night Sleep,” a 501 c(3) non-profit that provides new beds and bedding for individuals and families making the transition from homelessness to permanent housing.  Her goal for 2011 is to raise half a million dollars and put more than 600 new beds in the hands of those who have never had one.  But, according to Jennifer, “Without Sparks, it might have been just a good idea.”

Inspiration can strike at any moment.  That moment came for Jennifer while watching “The Blindside” in theaters November of 2009.  “When I left the theater, I couldn’t decide if I was more disturbed that there were people who had never slept in a bed, or that I had never been thankful for my own.  I had known for a while that I was supposed to be making a difference in the world for people other than my clients, I just really didn’t know how or what.  Finally, I felt like God was saying, ‘You can do something about this.’”

How exactly did Sparks help Jennifer make her dream a reality? “I took on forming the corporation and all the legal paperwork, as well as meeting with the largest homeless organizations in LA in weeks two and three. When you look at anything worth doing, it always seems overwhelming at first.  I made it through focusing on just one thing at a time.  Sparks was the perfect outlet for me to get this idea out of my head and into action,” Jennifer says.

Jennifer’s advice to anyone looking to do something similar? “Find the people who can help you make it happen, and do one thing at a time.  Don’t worry if it seems like too much in the beginning.  It always does.” 

There are a lot of good ideas in the world.  We’re thankful Jennifer took the risk to make hers a reality.  Spark on.

To connect with Jennifer or find out more about “A Good Night Sleep,” email her at jkenning@agnsfoundation.org or visit www.agnsfoundation.org.

David is a Sparks Consultant, musician, writer, beard-grower, and male nurse extraordinaire about to finish a Master's degree in Global Leadership from Fuller Seminary.  He and his wife Brittany live in the Eagle Rock district of Los Angeles where they are currently trying to learn urban farming.  He is also self-conscious about the fact the he has neither a blog, nor a website.

Sparking Good: Homeless But Not Hopeless

For five weeks women living in the PATH Shelter in Los Angeles met every Monday evening to spark good for themselves, and those around them.  From reconnecting with fathers they haven’t seen in decades, to pampering themselves, to serving homeless youth; the women in temporary housing at PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) may be homeless, but they are anything but hopeless.

Meet Ellen.  Originally from Jamaica, and in Los Angeles by way of NYC, Ellen took to sparking good with gusto. Ellen’s weekly sparks have run the gamut from getting her hair done (in order to make her feel good about herself before going to meet with caseworkers about finding an apartment).  She followed up with doctors so that she can get new glasses. She applied for jobs. But none of these sparks compared to the feeling she got from volunteering to serve dinner to homeless youth and their families at the Bresee Foundation, the week before Thanksgiving.

“I miss my family, so to be able to work with other families was such a joy.  To do something for someone else, it brought back memories for me.  The warm connection of being able to reach out and serve others felt so good.” 

Well stated, Ellen; we couldn’t have said it better ourselves…sparking good feels good. 

Jen Hadley is a publicist and writer in Los Angeles, whose favorite hobbies include laughing and learning. Leading the Sparks Women’s Group at PATH provided the perfect combination of these passions, ensuring that she’ll be Sparking Good for years to come.  You can email her at jen@sparkgood.com

Spark Good in China

Sam's friend sparking good in Hangzhou, China.

Fellow Sparker Sam Pike is leading a Spark with college students at Zhejiang Financial College in Hangzhou, China.

Here's his story:

"The urge to do a China Spark group grew out of a desire to engage in meaningful conversations with the students surrounding me."

"Often, they allow their excitement at speaking with a foreigner to overload all other thoughts or emotions. While normally hilarious, such responses also get tiresome and leave [my colleagues] and I looking for ways to move beyond those jittery interactions."

"We started holding it at a tea house next to the dorms, normally drawing an interested and engaged crowd. While there are certainly better weeks than others, the group is gaining confidence and continually choosing more meaningful sparks.  In fact, last week we had a girl decide to call up her father who has refused to talk with her for the past four years."

To learn more about how to spark good at your university go to http://www.sparkyouruniversity.com

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Meet Emily.