G, What's My Story?
G, What Inspires Me?
            G, What Equipped Me to Create GermaineSolutions.com?
 Randomly awesome life experiences
Early 1970's:
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The BBC World News Article on African American Women and the Wealth Gap
July 5, 2010
The story's a tale of three women in SC - Kenya Williams, Natisha Boston and Germaine Jenkins? Wha? How does a very amateur website blog way in the middle of anytown become part of a feature radio story on BBC World? I don't know, you gotta ask God that question. But the powerful work that the Metanoia Movement does brought Paul Adams and James Fletcher to North Charleston. Metanoia did more than just help my family purchase our first home. They've also been a great source for leadership training for me, other board members and their staff. Learning from other community leaders, both here and in other parts of the world, has transformed the way I see the world and my role in it. Metanoia taught me to change my definition of assets. (Pastor Sam at the Dream Center taught me and my husband how to budget.) Cutting back on non-essential spending and growing a small business is part of my personal strategic plan. As we build our personal assets we'll have more disposable resources to be effective community activists. My list of personal assets now includes my kids. I'm deliberate in my attempts to help them appreciate and expand their natural talents at an early age - something my mother wasn't able to do for me and my siblings because she had to work several jobs to support us, but talk someone with God Given perseverance and about a champion problem solving skills, that's my momma. And that skill is something that I inherited, I guess. Success for me means that other kids and families (starting with our neighbors in the southern end of North Charleston) have access to these same opportunities. A Facebook buddy recently asked the question, "where are all the young minority professionals?" Great question! I also wonder where are all the minority entrepreneurs? Please reach out if you're working to profit off of your personal passions - not the 'success in a box' type plans that you didn't pack yourself - no offense intended. Feel free to read the article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/us_and_canada/10497083.stm God bless! G, July 16, 2010 2% Tuesdays in July - Metanoia Fundraiser Update Park Circle restaurants are donating 2% of their Tuesday profits to Metanoia. The night out at Sesame Burgers and Beer was delish! I was even inspired to recreate the beet topped burger my husband ordered. On the 20th, we're headed to EVO Pizza. Hope to see you there if you're in town. If not, please consider an online donation to the Metanoia Movement. Nostalgic Version
 Still full of questions
"What one man can do another man can do." That's my favorite quote of all time, paraphrased from Anthony Hopkin's character in The Edge. I can't bare to watch the movie a second time to get the quote right - too traumatized by that bear eating the only black dude in the movie. Anyway, that's another issue altogether. It doesn't matter if you're born rich or poor; black, white, Asian or Hispanic; whether you have your high school diploma, a degree from a local tech school or Ivy League college, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. Learning and applying new concepts is my favorite pastime and like any good student, I'm compelled to spread the wealth.
Growing up, Pippi Longstocking (Inger Nilsson), Scout Finch and Tatum's pitcher in the Bad News Bears were my role models. And like bears (and cannibals), I live to devour information and all things DIY (do-it-yourself) – especially backyard gardens, non-traditional nutrition, community service and people power. Still tinkering with home school lesson plans, living on a budget, and a home based business. Trying to settle down long enough to experience a regular Sabbath, family and date nights, simplified sentence structure and plain old me time — I’ve heard they’re all in season. TRANSLATION: There's not an Adderall prescription strong enough (yet) to get me to sit down for more than 5 minutes. Oh well, "work whatcha got, right?" Bringing germainesolutions.com to life is possible because of a loving God, a superhuman mother, a patient (and foxy) husband and some gifted and hilarious kids. There are also probably hundreds of other people I've encountered along the way who offered prayers, encouragement, and support over the years. Thanks to your efforts, I'm still a happy work in progress. |
