Hi Readers!
The holiday season is upon us! The true kickoff for me is always Halloween, which suddenly becomes Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year. Though the holidays can be a stressful time, they are also a time of gathering with family and friends, appreciating foods of the fall harvest, and sharing our stories (past and present) with those that we hold dear. Our featured stories from seniors Mr. Gordon, Hattie, and family member Gloria highlight these aspects of the holiday perfectly, and make me yearn for the holidays year-round.
Here at Best Day So Far, we are feeling extraordinarily thankful for our blog readership, active Facebook and Twitter community, and the opportunity to bring our program to 10 new senior centers in the new year... And we are thrilled to announce that the first venue we have selected is Pitman Manor, NJ!
In the next months, you will be hearing from our wonderful extended family at Pitman, and have the chance to apply for one of the other nine spots. Nine individuals or senior centers will receive exclusive training in our award-winning, internationally recognized methods from our Founder and Executive Director, Benita Cooper. If you are interested, please drop me a line for details.
As always, we hope that you enjoy our story offerings below! We hope that our highlighted stories inspire you to bond with loved ones, over a helping of turkey and a slice of pumpkin pie. More exciting things are afoot in 2014, so stay tuned.
Emily Antoszyk
Board Member | PR Manager
The Best Day of My Life So Far
[email protected]
Join our Mailing List to Receive Future Issues!Please Consider Making a Donation Today - We Can't Go On Without Your Help!   
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| STORY 1: Thanksgiving Holiday
By Mr Gordon
"At this family reunion, we had six generations of family coming together, for the first time! As usual, we all gathered in the kitchen. The greatest love always gathers in the kitchen!..."
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| STORY 2: This Isn't Soul Food
By Ms. Gloria
"When I was growing up as a child of 6, 7, 8 and up through early adolescence, my sisters and I didn't eat fired chicken, potato salad, macaroni & cheese or collard greens. We didn't eat pigs feet or chitterlings. There was no corn bread..."
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| STORY 3: Riches
By Hattie Lee Ellerbe
"I feel so rich! I tell my children that they are my jewels. They make me wealthy - all I need is a little bit of money (smile). They really make my life complete..."
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Volunteers are the backbone of The Best Day organization, and we like to use this space to turn on the spotlight. This season we're catching up with...
Madi Garvin
Volunteer Role: Teen Outreach Officer Madi has volunteered with Best Day for over 3 years!
What drew you to The Best Day?
Not wanting to do clerical work when I first started volunteering for the senior center...but the stories and the sense of community keep me coming back.
Five words to describe your life these days:
Cold in the Hudson Valley
Favorite thing about the holidays?
Eating lots and lots of stuffing.
When I grow up... (complete the sentence in ANY way):
I hope that I can spend my time doing things I enjoy.
Your current major goal?
Finish off my first semester as a college freshman!
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What is The Best Day of My Life So Far?
We are a trademarked, award-winning, and internationally recognized solution to senior isolation - our main vehicle is our storytelling group model that can be implemented by anyone, anywhere. We are also a timeless, permanent and evergrowing resource for younger and future generations - our vehicle is a mix of physical and digital platforms that deliver stories of unmatched inspirational and historical value to all ages.
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How will donations be used?
Donations will be used to take our storytelling groups to senior centers around the country, and deliver our seniors' stories to listeners of all ages around the world, especially teens.
We are a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. All donations are tax-deductible. Visit our HOW TO HELP page to find out more. |
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Is it easy to donate?
Yes! You can email us to send us a check, or donate directly via Paypal. (You don't need a Paypal account to donate.) |
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How can my company help?
Contact us with your company's objectives, and we can discuss which of our programs may be a good sponsorship or partnering opportunity. |
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Call for Nominations!
Want to nominate yourself or your local senior center to receive an advance copy of our training guide? We are selecting a diverse mix of deserving recipients to start additional groups around the country - email us at [email protected] to tell us why you would like to see a group in your neighborhood! |
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