Making a difference! – Up Front

The LSU Tigers are on a roll, fall is in full bloom, the holidays are around the corner and there are tons of cultural activities going on all over the city.

November also is the month we celebrate Thanksgiving, which is one of my favorite holidays. But really, Thanksgiving should be an attitude we have every day if we live and work in America.

Like most people, I want to leave my children and other people with an understanding of the impact they can have on society simply by caring for themselves, each other and everyone in their lives. It’s amazing how a small act of kindness, such as volunteering at a homeless shelter or the food bank, can feed individual souls and at the same time nourish humanity.

We talk a lot in our society about “being the best” or “having the best,” but many people don’t seem to understand that “the best “ in life includes serving others. As a result, a sense of fulfillment eludes them.

Sometimes, it’s not only volunteerism, but our actual work that touches lives and makes a difference.

Rebecca Breeden joined the 225 family in 2006 when she became assistant managing editor of the magazine. From her first day, she brought energy, new ideas and enthusiasm to go after any story, no matter how difficult or challenging it was to report or tell. You could spot her beaming smile from 10 miles up the road, and her fresh, smart ideas made 225 better.

She may have grown up in the small community of Pride, but she was hungry to experience the big city. And I’m not talking about Baton Rouge. So, with no more than a friend’s couch to crash on, she turned in her notice in 2009, sold her stuff at a yard sale and headed to New York City.

She made her home in Brooklyn, and after working as a freelance writer and at other jobs, she landed the most important assignment of her life: researching the names that would appear on the National September 11 Memorial at the site of the World Trade Center.

The meticulous research included confirming the identities of victims, reading the gut-wrenching letters written by devastated survivors, and even confirming actual deaths. She tackled that sacred work with unwavering respect and devotion.

Then one day she was diagnosed with cancer. She moved back home for treatment and to be close to her family. She has staged a steadfast battle, showing grace and patience. Amazingly, her interest in and consideration for others has never wavered. Even at a fundraiser held for her at Chelsea’s Café in early October, she greeted her friends with her big, brave smile all night, suppressing the pain she was in for the benefit of her friends and family.

To no one’s surprise, these friends, family and colleagues have rallied around her in a moving display of love and support. Right here in our offices, 225 team member Rei Heroman and her colleagues stepped up to help raise money to fly Rebecca to New York City so she could see the 9-11 monument she helped create for the first time.

Rebecca has made a mark on Baton Rouge, New York City and the world.

Thinking of Chico

You probably have read about LSU’s 29-year-old Head Cheerleading Coach Chico Garcia, who was in a boating accident. He suffered a spinal cord injury and was airlifted to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, where he underwent procedures to realign his spine and decompress his spinal column.

The accident has left Chico paralyzed from the chest down with no use of his shoulders. He also had a tracheotomy to assist him in breathing. Since his injury, the local community has come together to support their friend and coach with a multifaceted fundraising effort called “Cheering for Chico.” The web site cheeringforchico.com was set up by friends to help spread the word. The LSU cheerleaders have broadcast Cheering for Chico images across the nation.

The pain and suffering of both Rebecca and Chico, and the way this community has rallied around them, are real-life reminders that we can all make a difference, both in how we live and how we step up when others need our support.

When you realize the difference you can make for others, whether by making a financial contribution, volunteering to serve or simply holding a door open for someone, your whole approach to life changes.

Don’t settle for random acts of kindness. Create intentional acts of goodwill.

Confronting homelessness

A class of LSU journalism students tackled a difficult but important assignment earlier this year: telling stories of homeless people on the streets and shelters of Baton Rouge. They interviewed more than a dozen homeless or nearly homeless men, women and teens, telling their stories in blunt terms. You’ll find some of those “stories from the streets” in this issue, as well as a hopeful story about the community’s new, consolidated approach to tackling homelessness.

Gridiron men

This month, we talked to four former NFL players who are now working with young men in Baton Rouge as coaches and mentors, sharing their hard-fought lessons learned in the league with these men of tomorrow. Read their fascinating stories in this issue.