Newsletter Issue #55
FEBRUARY 2021

BLACK EXCELLENCE PERSONIFIED - CICELY TYSON

Cicely Tyson was a celebrated American actress and model born on December 18, 1924 in Harlem, New York.  Despite coming from a society that ridiculed black women, Cicely Tyson was in the mind of many the embodiment of black womanhood.  Naturally gifted, Tyson is often credited for inspiring black American women to embrace African standard of beauty.
 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

Happy Black History Month! This month we are reminded to stand in our power, greatness and excellence every day. Our Black History is our richness and legacy as a people. Even within our lifetime we continue to deliver some of the greatest events, heroes and heroines that will define black history for years to come; Obama, Kamala Harris, Black Lives Matter are living legacies sure to lead that list.

Within our programs and in the world we are making our impact, developing the voices of our young people to usher in a new generation of greatness in an online age that has transformed the speed at which the world communicates. Expanding our online presence continues to be a larger part of our outreach efforts to combat the effects a Covid-19 world, which clearly will be the challenge of our lifetime.

Greatness however has too often been born out of our greatest challenges. Today we face a worldwide pandemic that has unfortunately and disproportionately negatively affected our black and brown community’s health the world over. And while the world has moved on to a vaccine centered solution our community has been slow to trust the science nor the facts preferring a wait and see approach further accelerating vaccine disparity and death rates already 2.8 times that of white Americans.

As a trusted institution of this community we would be remiss if we are not a part of the leadership that will ultimately overcome this deadly challenge to our communities’ health. We will begin by shining the light on the Facts and Myths at the root of the distrust and encourage our vulnerable community to get the vaccine now. Please join us in our outreach efforts to share the facts as if you and your loved one’s lives depended on it.

I hope this edition will remind you to stay centered and continue to recognize the greatness within you and those around you.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• COVID-19: THE MYTH AND THE REALITY FOR BLACK AMERICA
  MAY 26,2020 / CONTRIBUTED BY CLARENCE SPIGNER

2021 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

Sesame Flyers International is pleased to announce the release of its 2021 Scholarship applications. The scholarships are supported in part by the Campbell/Benjamin fund established by Dr. Camille Nelson a long time major donor. The 4 scholarships have different eligibility criteria so please read carefully prior to submitting an application:

CHAD MAGLOIRE SCHOLARSHIP (CLICK FOR APPLICATION)

Created in the name of the late Chad Magloire (1998), who was our first Winthrop Beacon Youth Council President. This scholarship is awarded to a member of the Youth Council at our Beacon Programs who is graduating from High School and going on to College.

Eligibility Requirements

Must be a 2021 Graduating High School Senior
GPA - 80 and above
Plan to attend an accredited four year college or university
Demonstrate commitment to community service and leadership
Complete Scholarship Award Application
Complete Scholarship Essay
2 Letters of Recommendation
 

MELISSA HUNTE SCHOLARSHIP (CLICK FOR APPLICATION)

Created in the name of the late Melissa Hunte (2005), who was an advocate for deserving youth. This scholarship is intended to provide assistance to a young person currently enrolled in college who is active within our agency, who volunteers time to the community, and who has an unwavering desire to succeed in life.

Eligibility Requirements

Must be enrolled in college or university
Must be an active member of Sesame Flyers Youth Activities
(Steelpan Orchestra/Cultural Dance/Youth Council)
GPA – 3.0 and above
Demonstrate commitment to the Sesame Flyers mission
Demonstrate financial need
Complete Scholarship Award Application
Complete Scholarship Essay
2 Letters of Recommendation
 

CHAIRMAN'S AWARD SCHOLARSHIP (CLICK FOR APPLICATION)

Created by the Sesame Flyers International Chairman, Raymond A. Luke and recognizing the importance Information Technology and the improvement it has made to the lives of many citizens of the world, this scholarship is awarded to a student pursuing a college degree in Information Technology who is also a participant and contributor to Sesame Flyers programs in an active or volunteer role.

Eligibility Requirements

Must be a 2021 Graduating High School Senior
GPA - 80 and above
Plan to attend an accredited four year college or university
Intention to pursue a major in Information Technology or any of the STEM majors
Demonstrate commitment to community service and professional achievement
Complete Scholarship Award Application
Complete Scholarship Essay
2 Letters of Recommendation

JUMOKE McKENZIE SCHOLARSHIP (CLICK FOR APPLICATION)

Created in the name of the late Jumoke Mc Kenzie (2009), who was always resourceful and reliable, and an avid steel pan player and Youth Council member. This scholarship is awarded to an active participant of Sesame Flyers Youth Activities (Steelpan Orchestra/Cultural Dance/Youth Council) who demonstrates these leadership qualities.

Eligibility Requirements

Must be a 2021 Graduating High School Senior
Must be an active member of the Sesame Flyers Youth Steelpan Orchestra
GPA - 80 and above
Plan to attend an accredited four year college or university
Demonstrate commitment to community service
Complete Scholarship Award Application
Complete Scholarship Essay
2 Letters of Recommendation

The application deadline is April 5, 2021. Awardees will be presented at the Cultural Heritage Gala on June 6.

For questions or more information contact: development@sesameflyers.org
 

RECURRING DONOR SPOTLIGHT - SUE FOSTER IS MAKING THE DIFFERENCE !

We want to thank Sue Foster as a proud member of our Recurring Donor Family. Sue has been connected to Sesame Flyers since the 1980s as a volunteer from time to time. Sue always had the desire to do more for the organization, but was unable due to her work schedule. Sue believed once she retired she would be able to give more time, energy, and focus to our mission, because she believes, when you are a part of something you have to make a commitment.

Once she retired, to her surprise, she became even more active with a successful business project. She became an entrepreneur and started selling alkaline water machines. Since Sue still was unable to give her time, she decided to make a financial commitment as a recurring donor. Her goal is to go to the next level in her business and she wants to increase her monthly donation. Thank you Sue for being a demonstration of love, commitment, and a dedication to excellence!

We invite you to consider making your own commitment and joining our recurring monthly donor family. To do so, please hit our Donate button and choose “monthly” when making your donation.
 

A LEADER OF TOMORROW - WILLOWMA NELSON

Willowma Nelson is a vibrant 9-year-old leader here at Sesame Flyers. She has attended the Bildersee Beacon program since she was in the 1st grade. She is now in the 4th grade and is proudly demonstrating leadership ability in our online classes. Willowma has assisted the program with recruitment, orchestrated her own Among Us Zoom meeting with the participants, and taught various components in the online classes. We are so proud of the character she is developing as we are watching greatness before our eyes. Her dream and aspiration is to become a teacher and we believe Willowma is definitely on the right track!
 

IN HONOR OF SOCIAL WORK MONTH - THE CENTER FOR FAMILY SUPPORT

Sesame Flyers International, Inc., Center For Family Support (CFS) Beacon Preventive (PPRS) Program continues to make a great impact with the families being serviced. As essential workers, our program continued to service families throughout the pandemic. We were successful with opening, closing and transferring cases throughout the 10+ months.

Our Beacon PPRS is originally located within a school and we immediately shifted to virtual individual and family counseling sessions. Our dedicated case planners conducted face-to-face field sessions prior to the pandemic and after the flattening of the curve. CFS has been in existence for over 20+ years. The mission of the program is to prevent placement or replacement of children in the foster care system, via case management services. The CFS staff provide individual and family counseling, referrals, advocacy, crisis management, etc., along with monthly home, field, and office sessions.

The Center For Family Support has faced various obstacles in the past, but remains steadfast in the community and committed to its mission. January 2021 has gifted our program with two new CPs, Ms. Cook and Ms. Ogungbenro, who joined the team which includes Ms. Harte/Senior Case Planner (CP), Ms. Polanco/CP, Ms. Corbin/CP, Mr. Osborne/Supervisor and Mrs. Rahaman, Program Director.

We are on a committed path and remain dedicated to empowering our families. The program is currently hiring and in search of additional candidates, dedicated to child welfare, to join our team. The available positions include Case Aide, Office Manager, Family Team Conference Facilitator and a Quality Assurance Specialist. All interested candidates can forward their resume and cover letter to Mrs. Rahaman at lrahaman@sesameflyers.org. Come join our team as we “Love a Kid Today and Every Day!”
 

CATCH YOUR BREATH WITH THE “5-3-3” MEDITATION

The 533 meditation is a practice to develop intentional connections between the mind and body for the purposes of energy and focus. Try this breathing technique to calm your mind and spirit. A minimum of 2 rounds is always recommended for first timers.

5 DEEP BREATHS

Fill the body with air centering the mind bringing its focus to the breath. Inhale through the nose until full air is achieved, hold for 3-5 seconds (depending on ability) exhale through the mouth. Repeat 5 times. Eyes closed throughout the entire meditation is strongly recommended and encouraged.

3 FAST BREATHS

Accelerate the body, excite and stimulate the mind through breath. Fast breath is comparable to breaths taken for track sprinters; its intention is to endure and energize the mind and body connection. Inhale through the nose until full air is achieved, hold for 3-5 seconds (depending on ability) exhale by pushing the air out of the mouth, contracting the stomach (diaphragm, lower abdomen). Repeat 3 times.

3 LOUD BREATHS

Loud breaths are to release sound and air. It may resemble that of a grunt or chant, by unclenching the jaw, ensuring the roof of your mouth and tongue are separated. Inhale through the nose until full air is achieved, hold for 3-5 seconds (depending on ability) exhale, relaxing the air out of the mouth, jaw is relaxed and mouth is opened wide so sound is released authentically. Repeat 3 times

To watch a short video of this meditation please follow this link https://youtu.be/zfUev09fuPk
 

DAHVED LEVY LAPTOP GIVEAWAY! - DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION MONDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2021

Dahved Levy of 107.5 WBLS and Caribbean Fever with his trademark catchphrase, “Dahved Levy, Rockin’ you! Rockin’ you!” a benchmark in Caribbean radio, is a trailblazer and innovator in the field of broadcast media. He was the first person to host a Caribbean focused show on mainstream radio in New York. While many people know Dahved for his possessing an easy charm, quick wit and a distinctive voice, what some people may not know is Dahved’s commitment to investing in the youth of our community.

This month Dahved is looking to give away laptops to deserving high school students ages 14 -18 who have an interest in journalism and broadcasting. Young people should write a one-page essay detailing why they are interested in this field, what their future career goals are, and what the laptop would help them accomplish. If you know a young person who is eager to take advantage of this opportunity, please have them complete an essay and send to development@sesameflyers.org for review. Winners will be announced in our next newsletter.
 

SESAME FLYERS INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR 2021

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