(NewsUSA) - Financial planning is about helping individuals and families make sound financial decisions that enable them to achieve their life goals. When financial planners provide these services to diverse clients, they help bridge the gaps between different communities.

A growing body of research shows that minority communities in the United States are both increasing in size and building greater wealth. However, studies have also found persistent racial gaps in wealth, financial literacy and access to or use of professional financial advice.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has found, for example, that African American and Hispanic individuals tend to score lower on financial literacy tests than Asian American and White test takers. African American and Hispanic adults are also more likely to experience unexpected drops in income, be unbanked or underbanked, and have difficulty making ends meet or saving for future expenses, according to FINRA.

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM professionals play a vital role in helping to close those gaps. CFP^® professionals guide clients through building wealth, managing financial challenges and securing their families’ financial futures. Depending on the client, that work could be as simple as helping a family create and stick to a monthly budget, or as complex as developing a diversified investment strategy to save for retirement. In either case, a CFP^® professional helps their clients build financial knowledge along with their wealth — both of which can lead to greater equality among diverse communities.

Thousands of CFP^® professionals around the country also partner with organizations that provide free, quality personal financial advice to individuals who cannot otherwise access financial planning services. The Foundation for Financial Planning, for example, connects volunteer financial planners with individuals and families in need through a variety of programs. These programs provide the many benefits of financial planning to people who might not be able to afford professional financial advice, those who live in an underserved community or those who have other personal challenges.

CFP^® professionals help to promote financial literacy and awareness of financial planning within their communities, too. Many of them share this knowledge by participating in community events or by leading workshops or other educational programming at community centers. One program offered by Rock the Street, Wall Street has enlisted CFP^® professional volunteers to provide financial literacy and investment instruction to high school girls and to encourage them to consider financial services careers.

With a career as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM professional, you can help improve people’s financial lives and make a real difference in your community. To learn more about what financial planners do and the benefits of a financial planning career, visit CFP.net to download CFP Board’s free “Guide to Careers in Financial Planning.”

(NewsUSA) -  

(NewsUSA) - February is American Heart Month, and what better way to show yourself a little love than by enjoying some delicious and nutritious blueberries. Blueberries from Chile are in season now through March in your supermarket, so taking advantage of this super fruit is as easy as blueberry pie.

Maintaining a healthy diet is essential to keeping your heart healthy, and blueberries pack a tasty nutritional punch. Blueberries are rich in vitamin K, which is important to promoting heart health, and they are among the best natural sources of antioxidants, which can help support a healthy immune system. One cup of blueberries contains 25% of the recommended daily value for vitamin C and 4 grams of dietary fiber, but only about 80 calories. Blueberries can benefit your brain, too. Some studies also have shown that eating blueberries regularly may improve memory and slow age-related cognitive decline, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Blueberries are easy to fit into your diet. Eat a handful just as they are, stir them into yogurt or oatmeal, or incorporate them into any number of recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. Blueberries add sweetness and a nutritional boost to muffins, pies, or other baked goods, and they work in savory sauces and salads, too.

Try this quick and easy recipe for Blueberry Power Superfood Bites:

You need:

1 cup rolled oats

10 pitted dates

½ cup roasted and salted almond butter

½ cup dark chocolate chips

¾ cup fresh Chilean blueberries

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Pulse oats in a standing blender or food processor until coarsely broken down. Add dates and almond butter, and pulse again until coarsely blended. Add dark chocolate chips and ½ cup of blueberries; blend thoroughly. Scoop the batter into a medium mixing bowl. Slice remaining blueberries into quarters and gently fold into the batter. Form the batter into approximately 15 1.5-inch balls and roll in the shredded coconut. Refrigerate in a lidded container and enjoy within 2 days for a tasty and nutritious energy boost.

Help keep your head and heart healthy with blueberries from Chile. Visit fruitsfromchile.com for more information and recipes.

(NewsUSA) - People can become homeless at any time and for any reason, including people with pets. These individuals often face additional challenges of food and health care for their pets, and some are turned away from possible shelters or rent situations because pets are not allowed.

 “The animal-human bond is especially strong for people experiencing homelessness because those animals are with their people 24/7,” explains Genevieve Frederick, who founded the nonprofit organization Feeding Pets of the Homeless after observing the love between a homeless man and his dog on a street in New York City.

Feeding Pets of the Homeless believes in the healing power of companion pets and of the human/animal bond, which is especially important in the lives of many of the homeless. Homeless people find solace, protection and companionship through their pets, but they care for these animals on limited resources, often at the expense of their own needs. The mission of Feeding Pets of the Homeless is to provide food and basic emergency veterinary services for these animals, to help relieve some of the anxiety and anguish of their homeless companions. 

One of the organization’s success stories is Lucy, a Belgian Malinois living with a homeless armed services veteran in California. Lucy fell into a gopher hole while running through a park, and fractured several small bones in her leg. Her veteran companion learned about Feeding Pets of the Homeless, and Lucy was able to receive care through a partnership with a local animal hospital. Feeding Pets of the Homeless was able to provide financial assistance in the amount of $817 for the initial visit and diagnostics, and to pay for bandage changes once a week for seven weeks at $159 each. 

In 2021, Feeding Pets of the Homeless provided assistance to 1,263 homeless individuals and 1,379 pets, an increase of more than 50% since 2020. 

Feeding Pets of the Homeless also provides pet food and basic supplies to the homeless through donation sites that work with homeless shelters. 
The bond between pets and people doesn’t depend on a roof and a yard. Feeding Pets of the Homeless helps keep people experiencing homelessness and the pets they love together and cared for.

Feeding Pets of the Homeless does not received government subsidies and relies on donations to further their mission. Visit www.petsofthehomeless.org to learn more. 

(NewsUSA) - This may be difficult to read, but did you know:

• In the last 15 years, 15 million students graduated from high schools testing below the basic reading level.
• One in five college students enroll in remedial reading classes in their freshman year.
• More than 42 million Americans are functionally illiterate; they can’t follow the directions on a can of soup.

Now, a cognitive developmental psychologist with more than 30 years in the classroom has scoured the research, made her own professional observations and notes from personal experience, and put together a fascinating book that takes aim at what’s wrong with the learning process – reading in particular – and has set out to offer solutions.

The book certainly has an appropriate title: This May Be Difficult to Read. Within it, the author, Dr. Claire Rubman, breaks down myths about reading, separates fact from fiction, and works to get parents and educators on the right course. Choosing the right strategy for children to read, Rubman believes, is “the most politicized topic in the field of education.”

“I’ve watched my children succeed and fail with phonics, reading, reading comprehension, and learning,” she says. “I’ve seen our collective children hurting, and I’ve also seen them succeed beyond their wildest dreams. I have such a passion for watching them develop a love for reading and learning that I wanted to share it with parents, educators and anyone else concerned with helping our children read.”

Dr. Rubman hopes this book will serve as a catalyst for change that will disrupt early childhood education so that children of all ages and backgrounds will fall in love with reading. This, in turn, will allow children to learn to use the printed word to think, grow, and challenge the status quo.

This book is designed to alleviate some of the frustration we often experience when trying to teach our children. The book looks at the learning process through a child’s eyes to more fully appreciate how children think, learn, and process information within the context of learning to read and comprehend the written word.

To that end, Dr. Rubman offers solutions to combat reading comprehension failure, perhaps foremost the task of transforming one’s home so that reading becomes as natural as speaking. Parents must create a “need to read’ in their homes and make learning a byproduct of fun.

Dr. Rubman’s writing style is both scholarly and relatable. She knows her stuff, is quite thorough, and supplements her learning points with personal examples of the how and why, often using her own family as her “characters.” She takes a complex topic and makes it user-friendly and readable so that it can be processed by a larger audience than just literacy professionals and learned parents.

“I have watched some students struggle badly,” says Dr. Rubman. “These are clearly highly verbal students, but their reading comprehension skills sell them short in the classroom.”

“Will your child be one of the success stories or struggle with textbooks and comprehending the printed word? This book is about inspiring the greatest number of children to love reading and the comprehension process so that they can’t wait to pick up a book.”

Learn more at https://difficulttoread.com.

(NewsUSA) -  

If Someday Comes 
by David Calloway

A true story of the author’s great grandfather George Calloway, a slave in Cleveland, Tennessee, before and during the Civil War. It is written as historical fiction, based on George’s life, and stories the author heard growing up. It is a tale of determination, perseverance, and achievement.

“Calloway’s elegant prose effectively captures the tension and textures of the period…He shows himself to be such a talented writer of historical fiction that the biographical element of the work barely registers.” – Kirkus Reviews

George protected his family through war, famine, and plague; he risked his life repeatedly to protect his owner’s family, and thus his own wife and children. George was then, and remains, a hero of his family.  Five-star reviews on Amazon. 

Purchase at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMJ6DTPC .

Born to Rise
by Lorna Blake

A young woman's journey from abandonment, abuse and rejection to her empowerment and success. The story of a young girl who felt counted out, discounted and knocked down by the hand she was dealt at birth. From being abandoned by her father to abuse by her mother, the death of her beloved grandmother and sexual abuse by a stepfather, she felt she had been walloped by life.

With the strength of her ancestors encoded in her DNA, she refused to stay down. She found a way to courageously rise from obscurity to infinite possibility. The author shares her story with humor, eloquence and wisdom to inspire others to recognize they too have the power to climb out from under and create a fantastic comeback from life's setbacks. 

Purchase at http://bit.ly/3T0IABW.

Extreme Vetting
by Roxana Arama

Immigration attorney and single mom Laura Holban is an immigrant herself, guiding clients through a Kafkaesque system of ever-changing rules, where overworked judges make life-shattering decisions in minutes. Laura’s newest client is Emilio Ramirez, who was arrested in front of his sons at their high school and thrown in detention.

When Laura files for Emilio’s asylum, the world turns upside down. False criminal charges prevent his release, someone is following his family, and an ICE prosecutor threatens to revoke Laura’s US citizenship. None of it makes sense—until she uncovers a deadly conspiracy involving ICE, stolen data, and human trafficking.

Now the man at the center of it all is coming after Laura and Emilio, who must find a way to survive—and keep their families safe.

Purchase at https://bit.ly/3iNlFxH.

The Cherokee Bride
by Stephen A. Enna

This story keeps readers on edge as they follow three people in their 2,000-mile trek across the U.S. Territories to the California Gold Rush in 1850. Seventeen-year-old Maggie Carter is an out-of-control kid who is half Cherokee Indian and half white. When she hears about Major Peter Jenkins organizing a wagon train heading for the California Gold Rush, she signs up and is selected to be one of the scouts for the train.

When the wagon train arrives in Grand River Oklahoma, Peter recruits five Cherokee Indians as scouts. Their knowledge will help lead the train across the long prairies, around the huge mountains in the path and across deserts. The lead brave selected as Chief Scout is Jimmy light feather Chawkta, who was practically born on a horse. Follow Maggie, Jimmy and Peter as they travel 2000 miles across the country and face all the difficulties that a trip of this nature will bring. Try to imagine if you could do it. 

Purchase at https://bit.ly/3QA2dkN.

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If your New Year’s resolutions include maintaining a clean and tidy home, fulfilling that goal is made easier with pr

(NewsUSA) - Toys for Tots, the U.S. Marine Corps’ premiere Community Action Program, distributed over 24.4 million toys, books, and other gifts to 9.9 million children in need in 2022. The incredible support we received from the American public and our Corporate Sponsors enabled the Program to achieve astounding results and celebrate the Program’s 75^th year of spreading Christmas cheer to underprivileged children across the Nation.

Marine Toys for Tots has supported children in need at Christmastime since 1947, but, in recent years, the Program’s support reaches beyond Christmas. The Marine Reserve Toys for Tots Program now includes year-round initiatives to support disadvantaged children experiencing challenges and exceptional circumstances, with books, toys, and messages of hope beyond the holiday season.

The Toys for Tots Literacy Program delivered 6.3 million books to disadvantaged children as well as to Title I funded schools, while the Toys for Tots Native American Program supported over 200,000 children on remote Reservations. Our most recent initiative supported over 447,000 children in foster care with educational toys, books, games, and school supplies. We also provided one million toys, books, and games to non-profit partner Good360 to be distributed to families across the country facing hardships that restore hope and self-worth outside of the holiday season.

“I believe that these distributions outside of the holiday season continue to provide significant comfort and relief to impacted families, but it also means that we needed to work extremely hard to replenish our toy supply before the holiday season,” said Lieutenant General Laster, President & CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.”

He continued, “we were astounded by the support provided by our Corporate Sponsors and individual donors.  They helped us not only accomplish the mission, but greatly exceed ALL expectations.”

The year-round and Christmastime distributions reassure families, who face adversity and exceptional circumstances throughout the year, that Marine Toys for Tots stands ready to assist when emotional support is needed most. Although we partner with many local non-profit organizations outside of the holiday season, it's our 830+ local Coordinators that are the "Hometown Heroes". They are responsible for the success of each local campaign and dedicate their time to delivering gifts and hope to those less fortunate within their communities.

The American public and a record number of organizations serving as Corporate Partners “answered our call to action and made significant contributions allowing the Foundation to augment local toy drives with over 12 million toys valued at over $127 million,” says Lt. Gen. Laster. 

Today’s children are tomorrow’s future, and Marine Toys for Tots is dedicated to ensuring it’s as bright as possible for children living in challenging circumstances. The assistance given was astronomical, and we are grateful to the American public, our National Corporate Sponsors, and our Coordinators that allowed the Program to reach incredible milestones in its 75^th year—and deliver messages of hope to nearly 10 million less fortunate children.  Visit toysfortots.org to learn more about Marine Toys for Tots and to donate to any of the Programs.

(NewsUSA) - Whether you’re planning a honeymoon, time away to rekindle romance, or simply an opportunity to make new memories together – planning ahead can save you money.

To get started, decide on the type of trip you want to take and the best time to go.

Best Time to Get Away

Do you want a calm, relaxing stay at the beach, a couples’ trip to Europe, or a skiing vacation in the mountains? 

All vacation destinations have peak seasons, often summertime, when hotels, restaurants and attractions are at their most expensive. Traveling in the off-season can mean big savings. Try hitting the slopes in January when it's not as busy. Or if you want to visit a warmer, southern destination, consider going early in the new year or between Labor Day and Christmas. You’ll find smaller crowds and lighter lines. 

If your dream is a romantic getaway to a city like Paris or Rome, consider going during the week of Thanksgiving. Europeans don’t celebrate the holiday, so most attractions are open.

Mapping Out Your Money

Anytime you travel, vacations can be costly. But if you plan in advance, you’ll know what you need and can alleviate a lot of stress. Here are some things to consider:

• Decide on the maximum amount you’re willing to spend. The cost will depend on where you go and what you plan to do. For example, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional Grace Yung explains, “Going to an international destination will likely cost more than heading to a beach or campground here in the U.S. Likewise, lodging in larger cities tends to be higher-priced than in rural areas.”
• Start saving now, even if the trip won’t take place for some time. Once you have an overall amount you'd like to spend on your trip, break it down and start setting money aside monthly. If you get a bonus at work or a tax refund, add it to your vacation fund. Look for other small ways to cut expenses (subscriptions you don’t use, etc.) to add to your savings.
• Find alternative ways to pay for travel-related expenses. If you have a credit card that offers airline miles or hotel points, use these to reduce out-of-pocket expenses.
• Track your spending. Calculate your costs as you go. If you’re spending more than you planned, make adjustments. Instead of dinner out, have a picnic on the beach. Or instead of paying for a guided tour, do a walking tour on your own.

Are You Financially Prepared to See the World?

A CFP^® professional can help you strategize for savings and plan your next vacation. To find a CFP^® professional near you, visit LetsMakeAPlan.org. 

(NewsUSA) - Theatrical essence, we know, relies upon a shared experience of space and time. How else does one describe the crescendo between the stage and stalls during a curtain call?

In Presence, the Play, William E. Jefferson’s protagonist puts it like this: “So many years, scripts scripted, performers performing, music scored, songs sung — it’s live, it’s real, it’s present. The theatre — what can be better, tell me? You can’t.”

Presence, the Play is an allegorical tale woven across multiple levels: Christian theology, media critique, the hero’s journey, poetic reimagining of classic works, and sheer entertainment. The work vigorously explores the concept of presence and its many manifestations, both divine and mundane.

This timely, captivating novel speaks to a growing hunger for a way of life that’s real and tangible -- the opposite of an artificial existence lived in a realm of mediated connectivity.

The novel’s meticulously crafted storyline evokes the imaginative prose of J.R.R. Tolkien, the spirited perception of C. S. Lewis, and the dramatic flair of Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Setting

On the Isle of Estillyen (an enchanting isle described in masterful and concise detail on the author’s website), lives a community of monks renowned for storytelling. One of the monks, named Script, has written a stage play, titled Presence, the Play. On opening night, a packed crowd eagerly awaits the performance while Script hurries to claim his balcony seat.

Amidst all the excitement, Script has a terrible fall. Medics rush the playwright to the sanatorium, where he lapses into a deep coma. The novel plays out in Script’s comatose state. Readers join Script on an epic mission to save the Isle of Estillyen from the forces of darkness, experiencing many daunting adventures along the way.

Script is a lovable, relatable and somewhat quirky character, and there’s much humor to be found as our unwitting protagonist bumbles his way to hell and back.

“The motivation for writing Presence, the Play was not a spark, or an idea that suddenly pressed upon my mind,” says the author. “Over time, the idea maturated until one day I began to view presence itself as an aspirational antidote to the distant mediated connectivity spurred on by social media platforms. It’s been said that the greatest gift you can give someone is your presence. I wholeheartedly agree.”

While Jefferson calls upon the works of Frost, Chaucer and Poe to add depth to the story, it is Dante’s Inferno and biblical texts that inform the novel as a whole. With each trip to hell, Script must pass through one of five doors that open onto a scene related to stories from the Gospels. He must observe the characters and their interactions, then find and follow a path to hell.

Jefferson’s visions of Hades are wildly imaginative, populated by armies of tussling swarms of demons and vast numbers of sinners getting their (often ironic and thoroughly modern) comeuppances.

All in all, Presence, the Play is a satisfying read for lovers of the spiritual, the literary and the fantastic. We invite you to venture forward.

Purchase at https://bit.ly/3iA9Wmn.

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