Women Making a Difference

Today we are honored to feature a true hero...male or female, what Irena Sendlerowa.During WWII, the horrors that occured during the holocaust cannot be fathomed by a logical mind.  However, there were acts of courage and human decency during the Holocaust - stories to bear witness to goodness, love and compassion. The story of a remarkable Polish woman, Irena Sendlerowa, & how she & her team are credited w/saving an estimated 2500 Jewish babies & children by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto. As a health worker, she sneaked the children out between 1942 and 1943 to safe hiding places and found non-Jewish families to adopt them.Today, I hope to do her story & her heroism justice.

About Oana:  Born in Bucharest, Romania, Oana lived twenty years under the grotesque dictatorial regime of Ceausescu. After the fall of the communism in 1989 she studied languages at the University in Bucharest, then received her Master’s at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland.   She has worn many hats, working as a translator, as a teacher, and eventually caring for animals both domestic and wild. She volunteered and worked for wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centers both in the US and Canada.  Her first book, The Healings, was published in 2010 by All Things That Matter Press. Oana lives in the US, where she continues to dedicate most of her time to promoting human and animal rights. She has authored numerous articles and short stories. Her interviews titled “Mahogany Keys: The Complex Image of the African American Woman,” can be read on Author’s Info. (www.authorsinfo.com) and will be soon available in book format. To learn more about Oana and to read excerpts of her book, The Healings, visit www.thehealings.net.  You can contact Author Oana either on her website or at oanathehealings@gmail.com  

My first choice for our 2013 Kick A** Woman in History episode is Joan of Arc! “One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.”- Joan of Arc Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans," was born in 1412 in Domrémy, Bar, France. A national heroine of France, Joan of Arc led the French army to victory over the British at Orléans, at age 18. Captured a year later, Joan was burned by the English and their French collaborators as a heretic. She was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint 500 years later, on May 16, 1920.  

As America's population ages, more and more older adults are living alone in their homes, and many are isolated from family, friends, neighbors and services.  Older adults in this situation have an even harder time when hospitalized and then transition from the hospital back to their home. In addition to care transition services, many older adults are requiring supportive assistance to maintain their quality of life at home.  Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition is a community-based, non-profit organization that engages a network of volunteer groups from churches, schools, businesses/corporations, government and other organizations to help meet its mission to support older adults in need of assistance and caring to maintain their independence and quality of life at home for as long as possible.Cecily MacArthur will be our guest to tell us more!  Cecily MacArthur is a world-class “Dream Life Coach,” a Transformation Specialist, and a Spiritual Weight Loss Mentor. She is a powerful intuitive, a certified Life Coach and Life Mastery Consultant, and an experienced transformational teacher and author in the human potential movement. She helps you connect with Spirit to awaken your authentic self, discover your true purpose, and create the life of your dreams.   Cecily is also the author of the book “7 Ways to Stay Positive in Challenging Times”, regularly conducts teleseminars and live training on dream building and spiritual development, hosts an interview radio show called the “The Light Beam Hour”, and has co-hosted 4 successful telesummits on Angels, the Law of Attraction, Energy Healing, and the Chakra System.   Her background includes 20+ years as a corporate organizational and management consultant, trainer, and coach, a life-long commitment to her own spiritual growth, and a new found joy in service and volunteerism with the AmeriCorps.

Dogs on Deployment was founded by husband and wife, Shawn and Alisa Johnson, who serve in the US Navy and US Marine Corps respectively. They started Dogs on Deployment in June 2011. As a dual-military family, the founders have been in situations where they needed a program like Dogs on Deployment. Alisa had orders to move to Quantico, Virginia where she was to attend six months of military training. At the same time, Shawn, was to be deployed. Neither could care for their beloved dog, JD. They were lucky enough to have family to rely on, but recognized the need for a program which would help others who found themselves in a similar situation. Thus, Dogs on Deployment was born.   Founders Alisa and Shawn Johnson proudly own two miniature Australian Shepherds, JD and Jersey, and a Caique parrot, Kiki, who are the inspiration behind their work. They are also active fosters for Dogs on Deployment and local rescue groups.***Alisa has also been nominated for 2013 Military Spouse of the Year!!*** I'm very proud &  honored to bring you Alisa's story!!