In two towns have installed Cooperative Grocery Stores in two locations – Cairo and Cutler, Illinois. Many partners have helped this process, e.g., Agriculture Extension – University of Illinois, Arise Veteran Foundation, local politicians. In Cutler, a house was provided manager who was a veteran and his family. The photo below was taken in Cairo where the manager has a 4000 square feet facility. There are over 180 cooperatives in Illinois now.
Hope Rises in Cairo Around New Food Co-Op – Illinois Buy Fresh Buy Local
Village of Cutler looking to bring a Disabled Veteran to town to run new grocery store | News | wsiltv.com

Buying Local to Create a Lasting Impact Future Without Poverty recognizes people worldwide make who make a lasting, sustainable impact on our society. This past year, the pandemic permanently or temporally closed over 110,000 restaurants and bars in the United States—affecting over 2.5 million jobs. While the United States is working towards recovery, there are those individuals and shops who managed to survive the pandemic. Then there are those who not only survived but continued to support their community in the process. Chef Bill Hawkins at the Bluebird located in Stanford, KY, exemplifies buying local to create change and positively impact a community. Chef Bill is the recipient of the lifetime achievement award for setting a state record for purchasing and utilizing goods and services solely derived from Kentucky and the local community.

There is a saying that if your community lacks a doctor—do not complain; become one. If your community needs a teacher, then teach. The community at Pivot Academy in the USA needed an individual and organization to promote local enterprise, explain what is love addiction and feed the hungry—this is what Chef Bill Hawkins and the BlueBird restaurant did and have continued to do. Future Without Poverty is proud to recognize citizens such as Chef Bill Hawkins, who are helping be the catalyst for change in our global society.

Women Recovering from Human Trafficking, Tribal members in USA and Nicaragua, and Veterans in Oklahoma: Southwest Leather being recycled and Tool for Development!

Arise Veteran Foundation (FWOP affiliate) has been linked to Retreaded (www.rethreaded.com/pages/the-mission) in Florida and the 4000 women across the globe for some years now.  Arise and FWOP with it link to SWA has used leather sent to them to make products –thus lowering their costs of production. They sell items on their website and now on the Arise Veteran Foundation website. In 2020, with COVID-19, Retreaded moved to produce masks for the hospitals of northern Florida.

Arise VF has established two additional Women Recovery programs, both under the Unshattered banner.  We are looking forward to expanding our leather recycling program with Unshattered.

https://www.unshattered.org/

Just this month our network has been linked to Refuge for Women (www.rfwntx.org ) that has residential program in various locations.  We are linked to sites in Lexington, Kentucky and Denton, Texas. SWA leather will go to them in January to help them create items to sale.   Women in one location who attempt to escape trafficking do not reside at Refuge in their hometown, instead they are sent to another location.  Pimps may make $12,000 per month from trafficking one women, girl or boy.

In 2021 we anticipate that truckloads of leather will be going from El Salvador to RETUS (Rural Tourism Women Business –  www.retustours.com – ) , various artists and some larger enterprises in Costa Rica. We have leather going out to numerous American Indian Nations and Tribes across the US currently.
Working with the Harvest Initiative (http://www.harvestnic.com/ )   that works with MIskita Tribe in eastern Nicaragua, Arise has been sending SWA leather to Nicaragua. Cobbler in the Tribe have designed lovely shoes and boots from SWA leather now.   Potentially this project will improve monthly income more than 100% for locals.  Visit Arise Veteran website:     http://ariseveteranfoundation.org

Arise has begun to send a bag made from recycled SWA leather, and protective masks and cleaning fluid. Each bags has beadwork from various tribal members in Oklahoma.  The first bags are from the Quapaw and Crow Nations. 

Solar Lamps Distribution
In 2017, we had some 8000 lamps sent to Arise/FWOP in Nashville. The lamps can charge up cell phone as well as light up a room well. Recently, NRS Relief has secured various locations to send lamps around the world. To make sure the lamps work well, residents at the Knowles Home in Nashville have volunteered to check all lamps before shipping. These assisted living volunteers are excited to participate in this global effort and thus improve their own mental and physical well-being.    World Health Organization has secured 1000 lamps from our stockpile and they will be shipped to Afghanistan in December.  Other lamps have been sent to Ghana, Guyana and Yemen.

Their days and lives are enriched by being part of repairing the world one lamp at a time. Seniors checking all 1000 lamps to make sure they are ready to operate!

Air monitoring: STEM Education For Youth Across the Planet
Some new sites will open up in 2021. We are working with three private schools, two in Guadalajara and one in Lyon, Mexico. All three schools are K- 12 bi-lingual business schools.  We will start air monitoring device training at Colegio Union Mexico in northwest Guadalajara in January. , has air monitoring devices in Guadalajara and training will occur in January.  The three schools focus upon sustainable-oriented business development.   https://subire.mx/    and http://colegiounionmexico.com/

Working with a renewable and environmental organization (CERCA) in La Paz, Mexico,   a learning center for air quality education and air monitoring training program is being established.  CERCA has some air monitoring devices operational now in La Paz. https://www.cerca.org.mx/  .    Rural and urban schools and a university is part of their network.

Together with Rebecca Jim, Executive Director of Lead Agency, (http://www.leadagency.org/), and  a local teacher in northeast Oklahoma,   we will support a training program  on air monitoring and air quality issues in early 2021 for some youth in the region.  This is the site of one of the largest Superfund sites in US called Tar Creek. (https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/tarcreek/index.htm).  Soil, water and air pollution are major concern in the area.

Costa Rica: ‘Utopia’
In 2017, under the leadership of Dr. Eliecer Vargas, the FWOP Summit was held at CATIE (https://catie.ac.cr/en/).  Since then two major initiatives have emerged, one of them is maid in Missouri, check out https://www.betterlifemaids.com. First, under Rotary leadership (Karen McDaniels) and funding, the RETUS (https://www.retustours.com/ ), a women’s business network focused on sustainable rural tourism, has become much stronger. Second, FWOP met Diving With A Purpose (DWP) (https://divingwithapurpose.org/) at the FWOP Summit in Nashville in 2018.  As a result, DWP has become a partner with Centro Comunitario de Buceo Embajadores y Embajadoras del Mar in Costa Rica’s Southern Caribbean training center for young people in diving and tourism.

After the seminars in Florida and Costa Rica in 2019, a seminar has been planned for 2021 in Costa Rica. Now with nation government interest, the goal is establish a sister DWP in Costa Rica. Coral restoration, sustainable tourism, and jobs are the major goals for a new organization. It became clear that RETUS and Centro Comunitario share some common goals. Set a goal to see In His Mind, Belgrade for example. Recently the Butterfly Business which is part of RETUS has set up a satellite office near Centro Comunitario in southwest Costa Rica.

On a smaller scale, Rotary has helped up four aquaponics units near CATIE. Locals have added two more units and some restaurants are considering establishing units on site. With the of Sustainable House with Rotary funds,  RETUS how has business office at House and a place to meet.

 Is Costa Rica a sustainable model for other nations?   As one reviews various global indices, Costa Rica ranks high on such criteria as transparency, ecology preservation, social welfare, education of its youth and energy policy. ( https://www.visitcostarica.com/en/costa-rica/sustainability)  Under Mannheim’s definition of utopia – it may be  argued that Costa Rica is a ‘utopia’ and gives overall direction for many nations. Is RETUS a mini-utopia?  

Costa Rica    Our partnership with Denton Rotary has meant that the Sustainable House has been restored, that four aquaponic units have been installed and the women’s rural sustainable tourism  network has been trained in more advanced business practices with allied experts. Two groups of tourists were to arrive in March.  Their first tour arrived March 8.   Some of their activities were, a tour of butterfly sanctuary, learning to make tortillas, participating in cultural and farming activities and making pottery from Costa Rican clay.  A second tour has been postponed until May 9^th due to COSVID-19 outbreak.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww59dHU3d54&feature=youtu.be

1.     Harvest Initiative recently received used Southwest Airlines leather from Arise Veteran Foundation.   Local cobbers have taken the leather and produced some lovely boots. First shipment of boots will arrive by April.

http://www.harvestnic.com/ . With a median monthly income of $40,  adding  $10 – 30 per month will be an important contribution to economic wellbeing of a poor native population.

Nashville.  ARISE and FWOP are assisting residents after the tornado that recently hit Tennessee. Some 300 solar lamps that provide light and allow cell phones to be recharged have been distributed.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsYjhDnthqOmYPw1E6iuL3w

Tribal Impact Consortium with a focus on Opioid Abuse has been created some two years ago.  With federal funding, Meharry Medical College, UNT, Chickasaw Nation, Ottawa and  Pawnee Tribes in Oklahoma  and Spokane Tribe in Washington a plan for improving prevention, treatment and recovery programs in American Indian Communities.  ARISE Veteran Foundation and FWOP resources will play a role to expand the overall capacity of the Consortium. Thanks to http://chandler.uptownjungle.com and our upcycling project with SWA leather some interesting partnerships are emerging across the world.  Tarkett, an international flooring company, is partnering up with Rock Construction to expand employment and vocational training in the trades, and thus indirectly expand the overall community economic wellbeing. Thus, supporting the vision and mission of FWOP to eliminate poverty by implementing more comprehensive approaches to improve community wellbeing.

Mexico City

November 21^st to 23^rd

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1iKbnYOYpeQJJwwOZiY0ymC1nHMq8WviB

A long story and journey!

In 2011, Sylvester Flores and Stan Ingman traveled to Mexico City to meet with the Director of the Women’s Network.  We were invited to meet federal governmental officials because of FWOP’s efforts in the State of Jalisco, especially the community development work in Flor de Campo some 7000 feet up in the Sierra Madre, south of Lake Chapala. According to a legend, Flor de Campo was the place ‘ God had forgot to visit’.

FWOP was invited along with COFIMICH ( Bank and Construction Company In Morelia and Renamu ( Red Nacional de Mujeres Vigilantes Contractoria Social , AC) to meet with Secretary Herberto Felix Guerra , SEDESOL ( Federal Community Development Ministry). Our main agenda was whether a ‘three for one program” could be established to support the expansion of housing program for the poor in Mexico.

The 600,000 women’ s group- RENAMU –  had been stimulated by Vincente Fox , the first PAN President Fox ( 2000- 2006),  after 70 years of rule by the PRI.  Gilberto Huitron, on the right standing, was Chief of Staff for this group. The network had held a regional meeting in Mazamitla some thirty  minutes from Flor de Campo. Some Flor de Campo women attended the meeting and the leaders of the network went to visit Flor de Campo.

During our history in Flor de Campo working with locals, leadership in Mazamitla and our contacts with DIF Jalisco ( Welfare for Poor Families ) progress had been made: a better road into the village was built, a link to grid electricity was installed ( $17,000 grant from US) so for the first time they had regular electricity,  a small textile factory was established with sewing machines, a small dam to allow residents  to drive to other side of the village in the rainy season,  a micro business was created to sell cold drinks,  and finally, an aquaponics tank was built by residents and UNT students allowing spring water to flow  water continuously so as to provide fresh fish for villagers. Leadership of RENAMU  were the major projects completed.    They were impressed so we got the invitation to help RENAMU secure more federal funds in partnership with FWOP to expand their impact.

The second PAN administration ( 2006-2012 ) was supportive of the network but they had their own priorities and it was not a smooth transition for the women’s network. When PRI took power in 2012, support dropped off dramatically. However the network idea did not die according to Emergency Mold Solutions from Orange County. The second largest union in Mexico picked up the cause.   The Confederación Revolucionaria de Obreros y Campesinos (CROC) is a Mexican trade union confederation and they back AVANZAMOS http://avanzamos.mx) and their network of some 450,000 women across Mexico. They hosted the FWOP Summit in Mexico City in 2019.

Again, as early in 2011 with the previous women’s network- RENAMU, Gilberto Huitron is a staff person for AVANZAMOS.  In 2014, he came to UNT to study English for nine months. Upon returning home he enrolled in a master’s program in Business Administration in Mexico City. Stan Ingman at UNT was asked to be the outside reader for his thesis, as his college required  one international committee member. In October 2018, he attended the Nashville FWOP Summit. At the Summit, Dr. Eliecer Vargas from Costa Rica who had hosted the 2017 FWOP Summit at CATIE (https://www.catie.ac.cr/),  and Gilberto Huitron asked to organize the next summit in Mexico City in 2019.  We enthusiastically endorsed their leadership!

Some 200 attended the 2019 FWOP Summit in Mexico City.  FWOP made a range of contributions to the event.  First, Dayani Davilla from UNT FWOP demonstrated the air monitoring devices under the banner of citizen science and STEM education for youth in schools. In addition, check out http://www.masterpaving.ie/, she showed  how this can be linked to mapping of locations.  She had participants moving around Mexico City taking PM 2.5 particulate readings of air quality.

See photo of Summit participants taking reading  around Mexico City.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xf8tY1VqktnC3mek7

Dayani Davilla has two locations in Mexico to set up pilot monitoring sites. Further training will start in 2020.

FWOP member Margaret Bates from Houston introduced a simple way to improve breathing for individuals with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) using harmonicas.  Follow-up sessions in Mexico are being scheduled in 2020.

https://www.copdfoundation.org/What-is-COPD/Understanding-COPD/What-is-COPD.aspx.

Dayani Davilla also introduced our FWOP solar lamp program. Lamps are useful when grid electricity goes down and you need light,  and to recharge your cell phone.  Micro businesses to sell lamps is next step in coming year.  Some lamps will go down to Mexico in December to start a pilot project.

Some discussion about a possible on-line store started and we will explore various models in 2020.   An FWOP partner in Guadalajara came up with a surprise. Biobenefits, AC made a contribution of 2000 lbs. of toys to FWOP, and we quickly donated them to AVANZAMOS.

https://www.facebook.com/473499082723868/posts/2506575016082921/?sfnsn=scwspmo

Conclusion:

We hope to expand our partnership with AZANZAMOS IN 2020!  Regional workshop at the Tepehua Centro in Chapala in March is one idea.  FWOP, local Rotary Clubs  and regional leadership from AZAMZAMOS could meet to share ideas for the expansion of educational and entrepreneurial programming. A tour of the Tepehua Centro and sustainable-oriented farm on Lake Chapala operated by the SuBire school  ( www.subire.com )  are two possible tours. Centro has an interesting clean stove program to improve health of residents and many health programs to review.

More recently FWOP has stimulated Denton Rotary Club to install four Aquaponic units near CATIE in Costa Rica. One unit has been built in Lewisville, Texas by the Lewisville Morning Rotary Club.
Recently, we learned that UNT had a hydroponic system in a container called ‘The Greeney’ that provides fresh green vegetables year around. For clean and green environment all year round check out http://maidthisfranchise.com. While expensive, the production of high quality vegetables was determined to pay for the ‘ farm in container’ in 2- 3 years. UNT plans to buy three more units to provide vegetables for their many dining halls. https://www.freightfarms.com/
Ohio State has created a Controlled Environment Food Production Research Complex. “ A greenhouse production system can potentially produce 10 times the yield in the same square-foot area as outdoor land, because crops are grown year-round in a closed structure that protects them from winds, hail and pests. Professor Chieri Kubota comments: “ Controlled environment was originally designated to do intensive production close to cities where people live … that model is making more and more sense . “ Also allows to control E. coli outbreaks when they occur. https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/08/21/construction-of-ohio-state-universitys-food.htm