I go by many names, depending on the location: Kelly N Patterson (my "professional" name); KALI (*on the playa); Kelly of the Pattersons (IT world); The Goofy Guru; The Nonprofit Guru; Tornado Maker's Daughter (La Kota Sioux name); Anacheka Oksijeni (East Africa, "She who LAUGHS at Oxygen"); "Kerry" (in NE Asia); "Kali" (Central America and the Caribbean); and most recently, the Radically Honest ART Cheerleader (Miami)
Wise Heart Books is actively seeking “Wise Friends” to independently sell our value-based books: Earn money, while at the same time, supporting the Women’s Wellbeing and Development Foundation children’s educational programs. NOTE: In the vein of Hair Club for Men, I don’t just work for Wise Heart Books, I am a member! (I am already a Wise Friend, myself.)
A little background:
Wise Heart Books is a socially conscious company designed by educators, parents, and artists to create books and educational materials that nurture the whole child: body, mind and spirit. Each book contains an important message for children, such as building a strong and healthy body or cultivating positive thoughts and habits, or developing love for oneself and the world around them.
Wise Friends are our special Wise Heart Books representatives, introducing our value-based books and our holistic mind-body-spirit philosophy to family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and their local communities, while earning money at the same time. This is a grassroots, stress-free, fun way to earn some extra income for you and your family, selling life-enhancing books and educational materials.
Wise Friends can easily earn commissions from 20-40% of retail value-- all while working at home, when it is most convenient for you and your family. Wise Heart Books can be sold online; at local community events; at local religious institutions and schools; at a local farmer’s market; via local businesses; or even at a neighborhood party—we are calling them “Wise Reading Parties.”
Wise Heart Books provides Wise Friends with practical, effective online and traditional marketing resources, tools, and support to assist you every step of the way. And yes, it is free to become a Wise Friend—there is no start-up investment cost. In theory, you could sign up today—announce it on your FaceBook today; sell some books today; and start making some commissions today!
For all the details, please visit our sitehttp://wiseheartbooks.com/ and click on “Join Wise Friends and earn!” Then read through the Wise Friends 101 and you will get how it works and will also see all the ways you can market these books online and/or old skool, at your convenience.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@wiseheartbooks.com And even if you are not interested in becoming a Wise Friend, but decide to buy one of our books, know that my code is 1201! And of course, please pass this onto anyone you think might be interested!
Over the past few weeks, I have been working with the good folks at Wise Heart Books to engineer, compose and implement what we are calling our “Wise Friends” program.We are simultaneously about to launch a series of value-driven children’s books (first in English,Españolel próximo mesque viene! ) known as Wise Heart Books, as an income-generation tool for women, and simultaneously, to generate funds for our women and children’s community and education center in La Carpio, the slums of San Jose, Costa Rica.(For more information about our work in La Carpio, visit here.)
Wise Heart Books is a socially conscious company designed by educators, parents, and artists to create books and educational materials that nurture the whole child: body, mind and spirit. Each book contains an important message for children, such as building a strong and healthy body or cultivating positive thoughts and habits, or developing love for oneself and the world around them.
The idea is that women “join” or sign-up as a “Wise Friend” (it is free!); Wise Friends are our special Wise Heart Books representatives, introducing our value-based books and our holistic mind-body-spirit philosophy to family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and their local communities, while earning money at the same time. This is a grassroots, stress-free, fun way to earn some extra income for a woman and her family, selling life-enhancing books and educational materials.
Wise Friends can easily earn commissions from 20-40% of retail value-- all while working at home, when it is most convenient for them and their family.Wise Heart Books can be sold online; at local community events; at local religious institutions and schools; at a local farmer’s market; via local businesses; or even at a neighborhood party—we are calling them “Wise Reading Parties.”
Thus, I have spent the last few weeks putting together a comprehensive but simple, user-friendly training manual which covers everything from making a business plan 101 to hosting a “Wise Reading Party” to online marketing 101 to help women get their businesses up and started.And of course, these tools can be used for any business.
All sales of Wise Heart Books go directly to the Wise Friend who facilitates the sale, and to support children’s holistic educational projects around the globe by The Women’s Wellbeing and Development Foundation.
“I write about whatever interests me; whatever makes me giggle or cheer; whatever disgusts me or befuddles me.I write about topics I am passionate about, and every once and a while, I try to draw attention to an issue that I think needs some more public contemplation.”
Here’s the story: I am former Reuters Health and Sciences Reporter (Sub-Saharan Africa division.) Yeah, ever heard of AIDS in Africa?!! Well, then, you already know my work; but please do not hold this against me—ask anyone at Reuters, I went AWOL.
I was also one of the original (read: paid, regular) writers for Sodahead.com, but as it turns out, I was too “liberal” and “cerebral” for the audience they ended up attracting. Sodahead.com readers and users preferred to read about Brittney Spear’s latest nail polish for dogs, or question clichés like “Does size really matter?”, rather than appreciate the irony of Obama nominating a former pesticide lobbyist, Islam Siddiqui, to be Chief Agriculture Negotiator, or read my praise for Sherman’s Travel taking on the Gay Love Boat advert campaign.
To demonstrate the breadth of my writing style and tone, not to mention topics, I have put together a little Kelly montage:
Damn you environmentalists! Now I have to re-plan my funeral!
And here is another interesting fact: I have been the Alternative Recreation Reporter for the San Francisco Examiner for 2 years now. Therefore, I already have a huge following of hippies, Burners, Eco-heads, Rainbow Family members, Indigo Children, artists, Tantra teachers, yogis, and other various sub-cultures:
Current Work: Part-time Communications and Development Coordinator of Women’s Wellbeing and Development Foundation, Costa Rica (http://www.wwd-f.org/index.html) and Marketing Coordinator for Wise Heart Books (http://wiseheartbooks.com/ )
We could not have asked for better weather conditions on Tuesday, DEC 19—sunny and warm, our first blessing of the day—perfect for our Annual Children’s Christmas Party at the Centro de Recreo UNA, located in Barrio Santa Luiza, near Heredia.As early as 7 AM, volunteers (our second blessing!) began to trickle into our house and load up 4 vehicles, including two trucks donated by Himalaya Aryuveda Distributors, worth of donated gifts, food, decorations (thank you, Haley Cooney!), and about 8 volunteers.Again, so many blessings!
Over 160 children, and their mothers, arrived on 3 festive buses from La Carpio (the slums of San Jose, Costa Rica) just shy of 9 AM.Several group games, a mini-moon bounce, and a huge inflatable slide, with a side of cookie and juice snacks, were ready for the onslaught of excited (this is a gross understatement!) kids.The children were divided into two groups—half went to participate in outdoor group games and the playground first, while the other half went to the pool!
Gratefully, several other volunteers joined us later in the morning, including Craig and Agnes Lamb, and our “official” party-photographer, Ellen Lazare.While the kids were playing and mothers cooking lunch, we set up the “sala” for the afternoon Christmas Music Show (a beautiful performance by students of the University of Costa Rica orchestra); for Santa’s visit; and of course-- the distribution of gifts!While the children were swimming in the pools, flopping around on large inflatable things, or playing fooz-ball and ping pong in the recreation room, the mothers prepared and served a lunch picnic of arroz con pollo and juice.
After lunch, everyone gathered in the sala for a sing-a-long Christmas music concert and the much-anticipated visit from Santa, with two of his helpers.During the concert, ice cream and cake were served.A special little birthday cake was made for Fabiola who just happened to turn 15 yesterday!Then the madness began… as Santa handed out over 170 gifts to each child!Each present was individually wrapped and addressed to each child.CHAOS!
The party ended about 3 pm—each child armed with a gift, a little snack bag of candy and fruit, and a HUGE smile on his or her face.Just so you know, the children were truly grateful—endless “Gracias” and lots of hugs, even tears both from kids and mothers in gratitude.It was truly a special day, not just for the kids and their mothers, but for us as well.This is what love looks like.
A heart-felt thank you to everyone (and there are many!) who contributed in some way to this very memorable event.
I cannot recall any of the holiday gifts I received when I was 2, 3, 4, or even 5 years old; however, I do vividly recall the books that were read to me over and over (and then later, the books I learned to read with), and I even remember their message. For example, “Green Eggs and Ham”, by Dr. Seuss, is one of my life mantra’s: Try everything at least once (even cliff-diving in Hawaii, or moving to Africa when you are 18 years old!) Or , what about a book as simple as “Goodnight Moon”? And who can forget “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein, or Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are”?
I know you are all being flooded with holiday gift discounts, sales and such, but this year you have the opportunity to give a brand new, conscientious series of early children’s books, called Wise Heart Books. People cannot buy these books at Borders, Target or Wal-Mart, so no worries about a gift faux-pas!
The Wise Heart Books’ “Smart Values Series” is a collection of five delightful stories that help children understand the positive and transformative nature of good values. Each story describes how certain values – such as generosity, cleanliness, and honesty – can change us for the better and just for the holidays: you can get all five books for only $24.99. Or you can buy them separately for only $6.99 each (but this does not include shipping and handling—which makes me question, what exactly do they mean by handling?!!!).
To take a peek for yourself of these artistic new books before they hit Borders, please visit: http://www.wiseheartbooks.com/
On top of your gift to your favorite niece or your colleague that just had a baby boy, the proceeds to go to the Women’s Well-Being and Development Foundation (http://www.wwd-f.org/index.html) youth educational programs in La Carpio, the slums of San Jose, Costa Rica. We are currently in the process of developing 3 slum houses into an eco-friendly community play, learn and community center.
And only until Christmas, are we offering this deal:
5 books for only $24.99 (this is 20% off the regular price!!!)
On DEC 17, we, at the Women’s Well-Being and Development Foundation (http://www.wwd-f.org/index.html ), are holding our annual Children’s Christmas party for the children we work with in La Carpio, San Jose, Costa Rica.
The children look forward to this event all year round, as well as their parents.And this year, we are expecting a total of 200 children and parents!We still need resources to purchase food, decorations, rent buses, and of course, gifts for the kiddies.
Donations of gifts, worth no more than 5,000 colones (or $10 USD) each please (so the kids feel they all get “equal” value gifts) and this year, we are trying to individualize gifts, so each child feels individually acknowledged.
Donations of pastries, chocolates and sweets for the kids.
Party decorations (even if we can just borrow some Xmas decorations!)
Music: A sound system with DJ (but live music is preferred!)
Face Painters, clowns, magicians, balloon artists, children’s entertainment, games
Photographer and Videographer
Set Up and Clean Up for the party
If you have any questions, concerns, or brilliant ideas as to how to make this the BEST Christmas EVER for these kids, please contact me directly at kellyofthepattersons@yahoo.com
I would love to do a survey of tourists and Costa Ricans (who live outside of San Jose), and ask them if they have ever heard of “La Carpio”?I suspect most of them, both visitors and Ticos alike, will answer “no.”“La Carpio” is basically the “slums” of San Jose and like most slums, unless you live there or have family there, no one ever visits, much less wants to accidentally end up there while trying to find the San Pedro Mall.The Women’s Well-Being and Development Foundation (WWD-F) is one of the few local women-designed and operated; non-profit, community-based organizations specifically addressing the well-being, internal and external development, and quality education and empowerment of women and children living in La Carpio. (Just my cup of coffee!)
Previously, I was just a fan and supporter of the quality work of WWD-F; now, I am a volunteer member of this extraordinary, international team of powerful, inspired, and resourceful women.WWD-F might be new to you, but I have done some pro bono consulting with them in the past, as well as actively promoted last year’s big children’s Christmas party.
This is Keilyn, she wants to be a singer or doctor, when she grows up.
This is the 3rd building that WWD-F is hoping to be able to purchase for their women and children's alternative community education center and play ground
Every Tuesday, we all go out to La Carpio to play with the kids, do some workshops and then eat!
A typical street in La Carpio, San Jose, Costa Rica
They do not have playgrounds in La Carpio, so this is where kids play
For the time being, I am taking on various roles with WWD-F which range from promoting this year’s Annual Children’s Christmas Party (more details to come shortly!); working on their new website (http://www.wwd-f.org/index.html) as well as assisting in the design of an integrated social media communications and marketing plan; and marketing their new series of children’s books, called Wise Heart Books, which focus on teaching values to children in a fun, memorable way—again, more about this soon!
Current projects of the Women’s Well-Being and Development Foundation (WWD-F):
Experiential, uplifting children’s education program called Ilori Educational Program, which includes “playshops”, fieldtrips, and events/activities outside of La Carpio.
Educational Center Canto Al Sol: a preschool located in Lomas de Tepeyac, San Jose-- with programs such as yoga, swimming, music and the arts, in addition to early childhood development education.
Wise Heart children’s books—which will partially fund all current WWD-F projects
Women’s Support Group called Granos Solidarios, which is currently working on putting together a small group business, in addition to training and support in conflict resolution; parenting skills; nutrition; self-esteem development; community organization; and holistic health care.
The Sattva Vita ComplementaryHealth Care Center, located in Guadalupe, San Jose, which is staffed by certified Aryuvedic practitioners and other professional alternative and holistic health providers.
WWD-F just purchased two buildings in La Carpio (and intend to purchase a third building) and are actively in the process of transforming this series of buildings, in the middle of the slums, into an eco-friendly, safe, welcoming, and most importantly, fun women and children’s community education center with everything from an organic garden and playground to classrooms, library and computer lab and more!For information about WWD-F:http://www.wwd-f.org/index.html
Ahora, en mal Español…
Me encantaría hacer una encuesta de los turistas y los costarricenses (que viven fuera de San José), y pedirles que si alguna vez han oído hablar de "La Carpio"? Sospecho que la mayoría de ellos, tanto los visitantes como los ticos por igual, se responde "no". "La Carpio" es básicamente el "barrios bajos" de San José y como la mayoría de barrios pobres, a menos que viva allí o tiene familia allí, nadie visita nunca mucho menos quiere acabar accidentalmente allí tratando de encontrar el Mall San Pedro. La mujer Bienestar y Fundación para el Desarrollo (WWD-F) es uno de los pocos locales de mujeres, diseñados y operados, sin fines de lucro, organizaciones de base comunitaria que aborden específicamente el bienestar, el desarrollo interno y externo, y la calidad de la educación y el empoderamiento de las mujeres y los niños que viven en La Carpio. (Sólo mi taza de café!)
Anteriormente, yo era un admirador y partidario de la calidad del trabajo de WWD-F, y ahora, soy un miembro voluntario de este extraordinario equipo, internacional de mujeres poderosas, inspirado, y con recursos. WWD-F puede ser nuevo para usted, pero he hecho algunas consultorías pro bono con ellos en el pasado, así como el año pasado promovió activamente la fiesta de Navidad de los niños grandes.
Por el momento, estoy asumiendo diversos roles con WWD-F, que van desde la promoción anual de este año la fiesta de Navidad para la Infancia (más detalles a venir en breve!), Trabajando en su nuevo sitio web (http://www.wwd-f. org / index.html), así como ayudar en el diseño de una red de comunicaciones integrado de medios sociales y plan de marketing, y comercialización de su nueva serie de libros para niños, llamado Sabio Libros del Corazón, que se centran en la enseñanza de valores a los niños de una manera divertida y memorable de nuevo, más sobre esto pronto!
Los proyectos actuales de la Mujer, Bienestar y Fundación para el Desarrollo (WWD-F):
• Experiencial, edificante programa de educación de los hijos llamados Ilori Programa de Educación, que incluye "playshops", excursiones, eventos y actividades de las afueras de La Carpio. • Centro Educativo Canto al Sol: una escuela preescolar ubicada en Lomas de Tepeyac, San José - con programas como el yoga, la natación, la música y las artes, además de la educación temprana de desarrollo infantil. • libros sabios hijos del Corazón-que en parte se financiará todos los proyectos actuales
• Grupo de Apoyo de Mujeres denominado Granos Solidarios, que actualmente está trabajando en armar un negocio pequeño grupo, además de la formación y apoyo en la resolución de conflictos, habilidades de crianza, nutrición, desarrollo de la autoestima, organización comunitaria y la atención de salud integral. • El Sattva Vita Complementaria Centro de Salud, ubicado en Guadalupe, San José, que es atendida por profesionales certificados Aryuvedic y otros tipos de profesionales y otros proveedores de salud integral.
WWD-F acaba de adquirir dos edificios en La Carpio (y la intención de comprar un tercer edificio) y se activa en el proceso de transformación de esta serie de edificios, en medio de los barrios bajos, en un eco-amigable, seguro y acogedor, y lo más importante, las mujeres y el centro de diversión de los niños educación de la comunidad con todo, desde un jardín orgánico y un parque infantil a las aulas, biblioteca y laboratorio de computación y mucho más! Para obtener información acerca WWD-F: http://www.wwd-f.org/index.html
Kelly Recipe: 1/4 Indiana Jones; 1/4 Mother Teresa; 1/4 Hunter S Thompson; 1/4 Dr. Seuss--with a side of wasabi. Originally from Washington DC, Kelly has 20 (OMIGOD!! 20?!!! already?) years experience serving international nonprofits, development agencies, academic institutions, the arts, and social entrepreneurial enterprises on four continents--mainly in East and Southern Africa, Central America, NE Asia, and North America--on all levels. Kelly's personal and professional mission is to EVOLVE and therefore, transform the world... and have a DAMN good time while doing it! How does she do it? By showing people how to integrate JOY, PLAY and LAUGHTER into ALL aspects of LIFE! When she is not working, Kelly can usually be found in someone's baby pool with a pomegranate margarita.
