Happy holidays to your and yours. If you are reading this, then you have survived 2020. That is a huge accomplishment. If you have your healthy and feel encouraged that is an added bonus. For those of you who are going through something, our prayers and assistance are here for you. 

It's been awhile, but we are still actively helping entrepreneurs with business ideas, acquiring outside income and managing all that has been effecting the mass majority of small businesses. With that in mind, I strongly encourage you to support your local businesses when you can or start your own.

During this pandemic, we have seen large companies flourish in revenue while taking advantage of being a monopoly of products and services while small businesses were deemed unnecessary and forced to let go of their employees or permanently close. This action greatly effects our local communities. I am sure you have seen your favorite stores and eating spots close down or a family member has lost his or her job due to the lack of revenue or the ability to be in compliance with the rigorous safety restrictions that were imposed. Meanwhile, these big corporations that were able to capitalize in 2020 have since squeezed their availability of products during the pandemic and have encouraged price gouging for authorized dealers/companies to withhold products to increase the demand for a higher (non black Friday friendly) price for the consumer in the near future. #GreedyCorporations

If you must shop for gifts, I encourage you to think local, handmade, and uniquely designed gifts for your loved ones and support these local shops when you are thinking about spending. Farmers' markets, Etsy, Amazon small businesses portal, mom and pop shops all need your help. My family have drifted away from spending and focused on cleaning out the house with all the products that we purchased in previous years and no longer use. I see a yard sale in your near future. We also have spent more time talking with our close relatives and groups of interest.

This holiday season, let us be grateful for what we have and help our neighbors. I think this season, we can truly move our community into a better community if we communicate with each other and focus on encouraging one another. Even spending virtual time with your loved ones is the best gift, for we do not know how much time we have with our loved ones. 

Be blessed, think wisely and stay safe our there, 

Monette

#SupportSmallBusinesses 
#SmallBusinessSaturday
#ThinkLocal
#GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday is more than just a hashtag. It’s not just about donating money, it’s about reaching out and helping others with your time, energy and sacrifice. GivingTuesday is one of the many international movements that started in 2011 to help change the world into a better place than what was inherited to us from previous generations. It’s a way to reflect on the things in your life that you are blessed with and remember those who may be struggling with life in general. Please be inspired to give to a charity this holiday season and make giving an active part of your daily, monthly or annual activity in your life in order to create the kind of caring community that you want to leave behind for future generations.

If you cannot donate financially, then volunteer. Volunteers are always wanted and appreciated because your time helps others see that someone cares enough to help.  At some point, we have to be the change that we want to see in the world and stop pointing fingers at who created this society that we live in.  We need to be the change that we want to see on a larger scale by promoting charities who are actively helping others. Charities cannot do it alone and help is constantly needed to keep organizations growing and working. 

Your donations mean so much and are always appreciated. You could have spent your money elsewhere, but you choose a charity. A charity that will positively affect many lives.You should choose a charity that supports a cause that you are passionate about. Let Island Oasis Foundation one of your choices for a charity and we can build a foundation and opportunities for the youth and inspire a new group of leaders and entrepreneurs. 

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Currently, we have been added to the 2019 Maryland Charity Campaign (MCC) Giving Guide list. This is a wonderful campaign to be involved with. The campaign runs from October 6 through December 17. They have over 990 local and national charities that commit to building a better world to live in. The charities listed help the communities with health, education, the environment, and human services. The campaign runs at the end of each year between October 6 through December 17 and allows all employees to make a one-time contribution or multiple payroll deduction to the charity of their choice. Don’t have a charity in mind? Why not our charity? Still undecided? No worries. They will divide the remaining unclaimed amounts to the different charities on the list. For more information, you can check out their website at www.mcc.maryland.gov. or follow via #MCCmatters on social media.
 

One love,
Monette Harrison

Hello to all,

​I am back and rejuvenated from my 8 day cruise on Carnival Horizon with the 2019 Brenda Jackson Reader's Reunion. National best selling author, Brenda Jackson, is one of my favorite author and inspirational mentor. She knows how to host social functions and how to gain loyal and animated followers of beautiful people that I had a chance to mingle with. I was deeply spoiled from the hotel, to the boat, and back to the United States.

I learned several things during this trip.:

1. As of today, I love cruises;
2. Networking on a boat with people who are traveling with a group is awesome; and
3. Interacting with others is great when you are on vacation.

Why do I love cruises? The most important fun fact of cruising is that you never have to clean up anything and food is readily available. The freedom of eating in one place, grabbing your glass and taking it to your room, then leaving it outside your door for pick up is a wonderful concept. As a mom, this is totally awesome to me. Dirty dishes were literally gone in a matter of minutes which never happens in my house. Just out of curiosity, I started to notice how long it took to clear out the hallway of dirty dishes. In most cases, it was 15-30 minutes at any given day. The crew  was always pleasant, attentive, and fun to be around. There was an array of diverse restaurant-styled food, which made it a huge commodity for a cruiser, such as myself. I even became adventurous enough to try alligator fritters (tasted like a chicken sausage).

Now, let's talk about networking. Let's not forget that the main reason for a person to be on vacation is to relax and maybe drink and party just a little bit. With that being said, it's good to connect with people but you don't want to come off as a sales person on vacation. Connecting with a stranger is easier since most people are in a relaxed state of mind. After all, they are on vacation. Another important factor is that you already have common interest since you are on an adventurous cruise ship full of comedy shows, excursions, shopping extravaganzas, live entertainment shows, and alcohol. Did I mention that they drink a lot on cruise ships?! Unlike conferences, trade shows, lunch meetings and the likes, a cruise is a neutral territory for personal and/or business networking, but networking should be used in moderation.

Lastly, interacting with strangers on a cruise ship is good for the soul. Any race, any sex, elder person, or young person is fully open to an interactive session with any body because most people have lowered their inhibitions on speaking with strangers. Cruisers are more relaxed and responsive to engaging in conversation with people they would not otherwise think twice to talk to. That's a wonderful concept that should be crossed over into our local communities. And with the assistance of social media, it's easier to keep in touch with your other fellow cruiser then just having a follower through social media. Your newly found cruising friends are better than friending or following people that are more impress with quantity (amount of followers) than quality (actually getting to know a person) in developing a true friendship or business relationship.

In all actuality,  just being apart of the human race is all any one person needs to know when starting any type of relationship. All I saw were people just talking, listening and exchanging ideas or greeting each other with an embrace and not caring about the different ethnic backgrounds that the other cruiser came from.

My suggestion to you is to get outside your normal and join a group you may not know and get to know them. You would be surprised as to how many similarities you both share and should celebrate the differences of each person because our differences are what makes us individuals, and not something to separate us.

One Love my friends, 
​Monette

Upcoming News...

We are in need of a few good volunteers for December. Please send me your information and available dates to info
@islandoasisfoundation.org. We need event coordinators and helpers. Thank you. 

For those in the US, Happy Juneteenth! 

Juneteenth, the portmanteau of June and nineteenth, is not only a holiday of freedom, but a day of reflection of events before this historical day in 1865 and of our equality and economic progress since this day. June 19 is the day that the last remaining enslaved individuals were freed in Galveston, Texas (nobody informed them).

Yes. It was a war from April 1861 to June 19, 1865 (over 1,400 days of war and uncertainty

Yes. The Northern states of America defeated the Southern states in a civil war for abolishing the act of slavery.

Yes. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation  in 1863, but those rebellious deplorables decided that they weren't going to listen nor tell the slaves that they were free. Man, social media would have been a great tool to have back in those days.

Yes. Abe showed true leadership in his decision to free the slaves considering he knew he was signing his death certificate for this proclamation because of the social climate of his time. He was noble in changing a wrong regardless of the consequences. Awesome Abe!

Yes. This victory of the Northern states led to the dissolution of the Confederate states and marked the beginning of the Reconstruction Era and the Constitution was changed to incorporate the new language of these freedoms. civil right amendments 13th, 14th, 15th which was written to imply that:

1. 1. The slaves are free. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST AMENDMENT, but I digress.
2. 2. All persons born or nationalized in the U.S., INCLUDING FORMER SLAVES, are guaranteed equal protection of the laws.
3. 3. At that time, just the African American men had the right to vote. Women suppression was still in effect which contradicted the whole equal rights for all citizens.

 See... history is fun and very telling.

Now as we move FORWARD and not repeat the travesties of justice in the past, let us use this day to reflect and change any injustices throughout the region and try to make this a better world than what was past down to us because the human race is still a work in progress.

One love my fellow humans!

Oh... I'll update you on the cruise in the next blog. 

Now as we move FORWARD and not repeat the travesties of justice in the past, let us use this day to reflect and change any injustices throughout the region and try to make this a better world than what was past down to us because the human race is still a work in progress.
​
One love my fellow humans!

Oh... I'll update you on the cruise in the next blog.

Our parents had us so convinced we were precious that by the time I found out I was nothing, it was too late -- I knew I was something.
- Florynce R Kennedy*

As we celebrate Women's History Month and women continue to persevere to equality, I would like to take a moment to share a thought. Imagine a world where the more judgmental people and the powers that be would relax a little and allow nature to just take its course and let the other species take over for awhile. Can you imagine that?

We ALL are here on earth to run our own course in life and reach some of our goals for ourselves. Instead, we may feel that every turn on our road to success (as what we perceived success to be) leads to a dead end or a glass ceiling that seems impossible to break. Or worse, there's no one who will believe in your dreams or they try to directly or indirectly discourage your efforts every step of the way. There will be haters and nay sayers because they don't want you to succeed before they succeed or they wish to stay many steps ahead of you. This premise is both funny and sad. It's funny because whatever is destined to be yours WILL be yours. On the other hand, it's sad that insecure people feel the need to oppress, belittle and discourage any one that is considered a threat or could possibly accomplish more than the other. There's room for everyone to succeed. There isn't a monopoly of successful business owners. Anyone can achieve this thing called success.

We really should learn to run our individual race to our goals like track horses. As a horse gets to the beginning of its race, blinders/blinkers are placed on the side of his eyes, so the horse remains focused on what lies ahead. He's not worried about the horse next to him. He may even be thinking about his treat at the end of the race. As I talk about my journey with you from time to time on these blogs, know that I face my challenges and adapt to them. I have no time to worry about the doubters or if another person is moving further towards his or her own goals. I concern myself with my own accomplishments and know that challenges will be with me most of the way. I learn and then I plan again to adapt to the change and move forward. Blinders on.

This week, I am attending the second half of the National Action Network conference in NY. If you're in the area, I encourage you to attend for any session. You only have to register online. Click here.

I hope to see you there!

One love,
Monette 
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*Pine, Joslyn T. Book of African-American Quotations. Dover Publications, 2011

 
To all of my fellow veterans around the world... I salute you and wish you a Happy Veterans Day.

We know it’s such a great sacrifice for anyone to make the decision to join the military for his or her country. It is a selfless act of love, courage and bravery that make this world progress for the betterment of the human race. There are service members that are visible and those members that have taken off the uniform, but there still is a sense of honor and camaraderie among those that served. As we reflect on this day of remembrance, please give an active service member or veteran a hug; a personal conversation of gratitude; a token of appreciation and/or other acknowledgement of his or her service.

I bet you didn’t know that that there are about 21 million veterans out there and that four million of those veterans have served since September 2001 according to the US Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics.[i] With that many service members, I know you can look within your family and find at least one veteran. 

I would not only like to thank the Veterans, but also the veterans’ family members that supported each and every service member who may or may not have been an intermediate family member or even a family member at all. These supporters provide a great amount of support  within the military community and deserve an honorable mention. In fact, if it wasn't for the children of several elementary schools in the US during my tour in Bosnia and family members who sent care packages during this time, I might have gone into a depressive state of mind overseas during the holidays. There is nothing like strangers reaching out to you in a moment of need and showing that you are thought about and cared for. AMEN!

A few special freebies are listed below for any veteran who is participating on this great holiday:
 
Bertucci’s – Free small cheese pizza
Boston Market – BOGO individual meal free a coupon on their website.
Creamistry – 50 percent off any single item Sunday and Monday
Famous Dave’s – Free tow meat lunch combo
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers – Veterans and active military who visit a Freddy’s restaurant Sunday get a free combo meal card good through Nov. 30.
Glory Days Grill – Free appetizer or a regular order of boneless or grilled wings
Waffle House – Use a printable coupon to get one free classic waffle through Nov. 30. The coupon's fine print does not say it’s only for veterans and active military but does need to be printed. Find the coupon at www.wafflehouse.com/veteransdaycoupon.
Red Lobster – one free appetizer or dessert
Red Robin – Red’s Tavern Double Burger with Bottomless Steak Fries
 
More can be found on https://militarybenefits.info/veterans-day-discounts-sales-deals-free-meals/
Or 
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2018/11/09/veterans-day-deals-starbucks-dunkin-and-others-offer-freebies/1873990002/
 
One love and respect,
Monette

***Any Veteran that participates in our fundraising pop up dancehall event with Raediant Movement, LLC on Saturday, December 18 at 1pm will receive a special gift of appreciation, but you must let me know you plan on attending. ***


 
[1] Emily Rolen, “A Closer Look at Veterans in the Labor Force.” Career Outlook, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nov 2017. https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2017/article/veterans.htm