Cherry Blossom Shakes to help add trees to D.C. school campuses

Please see the following press release from Casey Trees.  I cannot think of better weather to take a bike ride down the Met Branch Trail to NoMa and a better community group to help- all by having a milkshake!

Cherry Blossom Shakes to help add trees to D.C. school campuses
Potbelly Sandwich Shop’s limited time only shake purchases to green 22 D.C. schoolyards.

(Washington, D.C. — March 15, 2012) From now until May 1, Potbelly Sandwich Shop’s 22 District locations will donate 20 cents from every Cherry Blossom Shake purchase to Casey Trees. With this partnership, each of the District shops will pair up with one school in D.C. to support the planting of trees. Potbelly is introducing Cherry Blossom Shakes for a limited time only as a part of its Cherry Blossom Festival celebration.
     
“We are thrilled to partner with D.C. Potbelly locations to green schoolyards across the District with trees,”  Executive Director Mark Buscaino said. “With each Cherry Blossom Shake purchased, Potbelly customers will be helping to increase opportunities for recreation and outdoor environmental education, make schools more welcoming for students, parents and faculty and reduce facilities' energy costs.”

Students at the 22 schools receiving trees this spring through Casey Trees’ Community Tree Planting program are also invited to participate in Potbelly’s “Artists in Bloom” poster contest. The grand prize winner will receive a $250 Potbelly Sandwich Shop gift card, lunch for his or her entire class and fun Potbelly merchandise.

Potbelly shops in the Washington D.C. suburban area will also donate 20 cents of each Cherry Blossom Shake purchased in those locations to the Arbor Day Foundation.

For a complete listing of neighborhood shops, visit Potbelly.com.

To learn more about Potbelly, contact Alicia Aldrich (media contact) at 847.945.1300 ext. 246 or Carrie Simms (local contact) at 202.600.6102.

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About Casey Trees:
Casey Trees is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit established in 2002 committed to restoring, enhancing and protecting the tree canopy of the nation’s capital. To learn more about Casey Trees, visit www.caseytrees.org.

About Potbelly Sandwich Shop:
   
Potbelly has built a passionate, loyal following of fans who spread the word about the fun, energetic atmosphere and great food. The unique Potbelly experience is defined by its combination of toasty warm sandwiches, hand-dipped shakes and friendly, lively people. For more information, visit the shop’s web page at www.potbelly.com.

Guest Post: Introducing a Neighborhood Healing & Arts Practice

Introducing a Neighborhood Healing & Arts Practice
By Melanie St. Ours

As a little girl, I accompanied my mother on more than one occasion to welcome a new neighbor who'd just moved in to our subdivision. Mom would always bake something and walk over to the our new neighbor's house with kind words and a treat. It was an early lesson that building community and a sense of trust in a neighborhood begins with kindness, sharing, and consideration. It was a lesson in giving.

So today I am practicing what I learned from my Mom all those years ago and writing to introduce myself---and to share something with you, too. I'm a brand new neighbor at 4th and Franklin NE. My life's work is as a healing & arts practitioner and I've just opened a beautiful home studio here where I practice massage therapy, herbal medicine, personal training, and community-based theater arts. You can learn more about me and my practice at http://www.MelanieStOurs.com . Instead of bringing over a tin of cookies, I'd like to share with you five of my best tips for healthy living. My goal is to be a resource for the community. Please let me know how I can be of service through
my newsletter, blog, and through my practice itself. I'm looking forward to meeting you and sharing this neighborhood with all of you.

So with no further ado, here's the list!

Melanie's Top 5 Natural Health Tips:

Get enough sleep. Chronic sleep debt causes incredible hormonal shifts in the body that affect everything from our metabolism to our mood and mental performance. Going without sleep sets you up for weight problems, depression, anxiety, poor performance at work, increased stress hormones and a decreased tolerance for pain. The average person needs 8.5 hours of sleep each night. Our chronic lack of sleep (under 6 hours for most Americans each weeknight!) contributes directly to the epidemics of obesity, heart disease, and mood disturbances like anxiety and depression.
       
Take action. Make an effort to get to bed just 15 minutes earlier aach night. Work up to getting enough sleep so that you wake up feeling rested. If you have a hard time winding down and getting ready for sleep, drink a cup of chamomile and lavender tea with dinner and another cup about 30 minutes before bed to help aid with relaxation.

Add before you subtract. When people decide to clean up their diets, they often start aggressively, removing every food and drink that could be considered unhealthy. They clean their cabinets of packaged treats, skip their morning doughnut, cut out coffee, swear off sugar and dive headlong into dietetic purity. Even the most resolute of dieters will almost inevitably succumb to cravings or overeating on these same foods that they've banished. To make a real change we have to address why we reach for those foods in the first place and slowly transition away from them. Fatigue, stress, nutrient deficiencies, insulin resistance, and emotional eating are often at the root of poor eating. If unhealthy foods, cigarettes or caffeine is a crutch for you, the way to permanently recover is to build up your strength so you don't need the crutch anymore. It's no use to throw your crutches away when your legs are still broken; you have to recover your strength first.

Take action. Increase the nutrient dense foods in your diet. Add as many green leafy veggies as you can, and be sure to include a wide variety of natural foods that are brightly colored. Consult with a qualified provider to see if you could benefit from any supplements or special foods. Get the good stuff into your diet each day and after a few months of better nourishment you'll be amazed at how much easier it is to let go of the cookies, chips, and soda. When you are ready to start letting go of unhealthy foods, start with the ones that you're least passionate about. Love chocolate but can live without chips? Then let the chips go and let yourself enjoy small servings of chocolate.

Move your body every day. You already know how beneficial exercise is for almost every parameter of human health. Why is there such a large gap between our knowledge about the benefits of exercise and the amount of exercise that most of us do on a daily basis? I think it comes down to one thing: joy. When we exercise because it's another obligation, another “must do” to check off the list, it's easy to want to skip your workouts.

Take action. Find an activity that you enjoy---and that's challenging enough to bring a flush to your cheeks and some sweat to your brow. Focus on how good it feels to move your body---or how good you feel when your workout is over. If you still don't look forward to your workouts, build in some social support. Try something new with a friend. You can motivate each other and enjoy spending time doing something that's good for both of you.

Give and receive nurturing touch. The cascade of “feel good” hormones that your body releases when you give and receive nurturing touch is truly impressive. Massage, hugs, back scratching, light touch with the fingertips---all of these produce major benefits in terms of mental health, feelings of love and acceptance, and even boost your immunity. Don't wait to be in a romantic partnership to get the benefits of nurturing touch. If you're single, find a friend to trade backrubs with or get a professional massage.

Take action. Give and receive hugs. Get a  massage. Exchange massages with your partner. Give your best friend a backrub when her shoulders hurt and ask her to do the same for you. And yes---petting your dog or cat counts, too!

Connect to something larger than yourself. This is by far the most important of all. Human beings are seekers, meaning-makers. We naturally long to be connected to something larger than ourselves, whether that is a Higher Power as we understand it, an inspiring project, or a sense of service to others. Health is not an end in and of itself; the purpose of health is to allow us to be as strong as we can be in order to make a difference in the world and give the unique gifts that we are here to give.

Take action. Remind yourself of what matters most to you. Connect to your spirituality. Seek out activities, people and places that make you feel whole and alive. Enjoy the beauty of the natural world. Play with a puppy or a child. Embark on a creative project that excites your spirit. Dance. Give generously of yourself. Remember your ancestors, your mentors, the people who have supported you. Practice gratitude for all that you have, all that you are, all that you've
learned, and all that is coming.

Thank you for welcoming me into our neighborhood and for taking the time to read this post. I hope that you've found something here that will inspire you to take even better care of yourself and I look forward to meeting and working with you in the near future. 

Friends of Edgewood Update/Gar​den Planting Today

Dear Friends of Edgewood,


Today (Wednesday) we will begin the first of several projects at the Edgewood Recreation Center. For the first we will be moving soil onto the upper level of the picnic area, where we will then plant blueberries and flowers which we purchased over the weekend. We would love it if you could join us (many hands make light work!). We will begin at 7 pm. (3rd and Evarts Street NE)

There will not be a music class tomorrow as we will be planting at that time.
Michael Henderson
President
Friends of Edgewood Recreation Center
http://www.edgewooddc.org/

Green Tomorrows health & gardening program for income qualifying residents

What: Launch of Common Good City Farm's Green Tomorrows program to improve health and develop life-long skills for low-income DC residents.


When: April 21st, 2012 at 10:30am (V st NW, between 2nd and 4th st NW)

This spring, Common Good City Farm will be kicking off its Green Tomorrows program for members in our community, a unique and innovative education initiative for income qualifying residents of Washington, DC. Since 2007, Common Good City Farm has made it its mission to provide educational opportunities for all people that help increase food security, improve health, and contribute to environmental sustainability. We had over 70 applicants for last year's Green Tomorrows program and hope to expand this year.

In conjunction with a variety of local community organizations, the Green Tomorrows program seeks to provide low-income individuals with hands-on educational experience in gardening and health awareness. Over the course of six weeks, participants will go through a series of workshops including horticulture, nutrition, food preparation and food budgeting, developing important skills for a productive and healthy future. With community feedback, we are restructuring the program this year to include a Green Tomorrows certificate of achievement for those participants who complete the program. As an added benefit, participants will also receive a weekly supply of fresh produce direct from the farm. Intake interviews for participation will be held in March and orientation for the first of two Green Tomorrows sessions will be held on April 21st, 2012 at 10:30am. We are now accepting applications on a rolling basis.

All of our programs are free for residents who apply and qualify. Common Good City Farm is a neighborhood focused organization and is committed to improving the lives of those in its community and empowering people through food. For more information or to sign up for Green Tomorrows online, please visit our website: http://www.commongoodcityfarm.org/ or contact jeremiah@commongoodcityfarm.org.

Common Good City Farm is located on V St. NW between 2nd and 4th.

Jeremiah
Common Good City Farm
Program Coordinator

Community Weatherization Project in Edgewood

Please see the message below about the community weatherization project in Edgewood. I am one of the homeowners participating and there is still time to join us.

Groundswell guides community members in coordinating their home energy upgrades. Pooling residents’ purchasing power helps lock in a discounted rate for efficiency services, generates savings for each household budget and lowers families’ energy use. The initiative makes investing in home energy efficiency simple and affordable, and it helps to stimulate growth in the local clean energy economy.

Now one of these projects is taking place in our community! A group of eleven homeowners have already come together, chosen a contractor, and secured discounts for energy efficiency services. There is still an opportunity to include more of our neighbors in the project. If you’re interested in learning more, contact Groundswell’s Field Program Manager, Ayla Schlosser, at ayla.schlosser@groundswell.org or 202.630.9381.

REMINDER: Edgewood Neighborhood Cleanup TOMORROW!

The weather is looking okay for the cleanup tomorrow and we will be there rain or shine!   I have asked the Ward 5 candidates if they are coming and I think we may see a few.  Please join us in making our neighborhood a better place.


Just wanted to send out a reminder that tomorrow is the Edgewood Neighborhood monthly cleanup. The group meets in front of the Edgewood Rec Center at the corner of 3rd and Evarts NE at 10:30 a.m. The cleanup is sponsored by the Friends of Edgewood Recreation Center and occurs the first Saturday of every month same time and location. The group picks up trash around the neighborhood including the rec center and has a cookout afterwards.

This is a great way to meet your neighbors and show pride in our neighborhood!

If you cannot come try and cleanup around your block today or tomorrow morning so we can cover more areas!!!

REMINDER: Edgewood Neighborhood Cleanup TOMORROW!

The weather is looking good for a February cleanup!  I have asked the Ward 5 candidates if they are coming and I think we may see a few.  Please join us in making our neighborhood a better place.

Just wanted to send out a reminder that tomorrow is the Edgewood Neighborhood monthly cleanup. The group meets in front of the Edgewood Rec Center at the corner of 3rd and Evarts NE at 10:30 a.m. The cleanup is sponsored by the Friends of Edgewood Recreation Center and occurs the first Saturday of every month same time and location. The group picks up trash around the neighborhood including the rec center and has a cookout afterwards.

This is a great way to meet your neighbors and show pride in our neighborhood!

If you cannot come try and cleanup around your block today or tomorrow morning so we can cover more areas!!!