New Skills, New Lives

The Bread Project in the San Francisco Bay Area is a Rex grantee working to provide job skills in the culinary field to adults who have trouble finding work--and along the way, life skills to help them achieve the goals they once thought impossible. The program's been so successful that the Project has been forced to turn many eligible students away, but an upcoming expansion to larger headquarters will allow it to train even more.

Recently we heard from Bread Project Executive Director Dagmar Schroeder-Huse, who shared a few of the program's success stories. We were delighted to read them--and happy to share this example of the good work the Rex community makes possible.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals Join Rex Music Caravan

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals graciously supported the Rex Foundation by joining the Music Caravan with a show at The Fillmore in San Francisco. They also attended the Rex pre-concert reception greeting fans and enthralling board members with their open minds and kindness. Grace Potter is one of the sweetest musicians we have met in years. Rex board members thanked Grace for her participation, but it was the Rex Foundation who Grace thanked for allowing her and the Nocturnals to be involved. As a young band on the road establishing their audience, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals appreciated the opportunity to associate with a well established organization like the Rex Foundation. They realize and acknowledge the valuable support Rex Foundation provides to grassroots efforts that have continued making a difference in the world. It was wonderful to meet these talented musicians and even more fun to discover and experience their music live! Thank you Grace Potter and The Nocturnals for stepping on board the Rex Music Caravan. We appreciate being associated with you.

For more information and photos go to the Rex website for A Little Night Music for Rex.

Rex grant keeps giving in Africa

Rex Foundation provided Burners Without Borders a grant in November 2009. Burners Without Borders is a service group of individuals who are Burners, a sub-culture like Dead Heads. Instead of attending Grateful Dead shows, or jamband shows, the Burners work year round on the Burning Man project held every summer in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, 130 miles north of Reno. Some Burners are in fact also Dead Heads and presumably attend jamband shows.

Burners Without Borders was founded at Burning Man in 2005 during the onslaught of hurricane Katrina and consequent destruction in New Orleans and Mississippi. A call throughout the Burning Man event was intitiated to raise money and send a crew of Burners with heavy equipment to help as an act of kindness and civic engagement. Burners Without Borders has since conducted further acts of kindness and civic-minded engagement to assist throughout the world on various projects where the government or local authorities have either failed, or are reluctant to provide assistance.

Two days after receiving the Rex grant, Burners Without Borders' executive director, Carmen Mauk, received a request from a Burner working in Africa named Will Ruddick. Will is assisting citizens in Kenya with their cultural art of fire spinning. The project is called the Moto-moto Circus. The Kenyan troup had been invited by the Kenya National Museums Counsel to a three-day national festival in Lamu, Kenya, to perform for three nights. They did not have the money to send ten people to Lamu let alone stay in another city for three days. Carmen worked out a budget of $500 which would allow the troupe to travel and stay in Lamu to perform their art. An unexpected serendipity; it has been learned that this trip will reunite a Kenyan mother and son who have not seen each other in many years.

The power of grassroots giving is powerful when people like Carmen and Will connect to help those less fortunate than ourselves.

Rex Helps Shine a Little Light in Tanzania

Children born with disabilities or medical problems in remote villages of Tanzania face a bleak future, made worse by prejudice and poverty. Rex grantee Mwangaza Tanzania ("Mwangaza" means "beacon" in Swahili) seeks out these children and matches them with the best medical resources. They also conduct health education classes to address preventable diseases and medical problems. David Large recently had a conversation with Mwangaza founder/director Paula Gremley, which we're pleased to feature as our latest Food for Thought.

Renewal, Community and Conversation

Earlier this month, Rexfoundation.org editor Mary Eisenhart and I sat down for a conversation about the rebirth of the Rex Foundation in 2001, our ongoing renewal, and our community of supporters. We hope you enjoy these video clips and find them informative, and we invite you to share your thoughts and comments here!

--Sandy Sohcot

Well-Deserved Kudos for Dune Lankard

Now on the Rex Web site is a great article from Indian Country Today about Dune Lankard, the founder of Rex grantee Eyak Preservation Council (EPC).

This photograph of me with Dune Lankard and Carol Hoover, EPC Executive Director, was taken on August 10, 2009 at the 5-Mile House in Cordova, AK, home base of EPC. I had been visiting for four days, experiencing firsthand the positive force of Dune's thinking and energy, as well as the vast and deep beauty that motivates his actions.

Reading the article inspired me to write more about my reflections on how Dune and the work of EPC connect with all of us seeking to do our part as members of the global community.

Let us know what you think about these reflections: Post your comments here or email us at info@rexfoundation.org. Thanks!

Sandy Sohcot

A Heartfelt Tribute

We recently heard from Philippe Vezina of Rhode Island, who suffered the loss of his friend Mark Calo earlier this year and is putting on a fundraising concert this weekend to pay tribute. Philippe, who is sure that Mark would approve, will be donating the proceeds of the event to the Rex Foundation.

Philippe writes: “I have been a supporter of the Rex Foundation since the late 1980s as a result of my Grateful Dead connections. I feel it is an excellent charity that year after year makes a difference in the challenging world that we live in today.”

Our deepest condolences to Philippe and all Mark’s friends, and our heartfelt thanks to them for deciding to honor Mark by furthering Rex’s work.