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Stefanie Van Aken

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Stefanie Van Aken

Tag Archives: Foundation

A Moment of Solidarity

11 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Lifestyle

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family, Foundation

Every year at this time, I can’t help but reflect and relive those moments on that fateful morning 12 years ago. I write an annual post to honor those who gave their lives, who give their lives and fight for our freedom everyday. The civilian, the child, the soldiers, the firefighters, the politicians (yes, there are some), you, me, any American who recognizes and strives for the freedoms on which our country was founded. I also write this post to remember my friends and family who lost loved ones in the World Trade Center. For my friends and family who lived and worked in Manhattan, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania at the time, and are still haunted every day from the sights, sounds, and compromise of our security. Being on the West coast, I often feel removed from the hardships that seem to affect the East. I do my best to empathize and support, but with the distance between us, I wonder if I truly feel the depths of the wounds.

Last December, my husband and I took our oldest children to New York City. I was beyond thrilled to visit one of my favorite cities in the world. It would be their first time, and our agendas were packed. Top of the list was a visit to the World Trade Center 9-11 Memorial and Freedom Tower. I was anxious and nervous to get there. I wasn’t really sure how my kids would react to being there. Would they get it? Would they be respectful? Would they really understand the impact of standing in the middle of where a national and global catastrophe had occurred 11 years earlier?

As soon as we walked through the security lines, I immediately felt an overwhelming sadness. Tears filled up in my eyes. I felt selfish for crying. I, personally, didn’t lose anyone, but I knew people who did. I knew stories from friends and family who couldn’t get out of the city. I tried to imagine what it felt like to be there on that day. I felt helpless and humble at the same time. We walked around the fountains, and I just couldn’t bring myself to take any photos. It felt disrespectful. I felt like I should just be solemn and praying. Not that I minded anyone else taking photos. Everyone there was very respectful and quiet. And, everyone grieves in their own way.  I wouldn’t take that away from anyone. We talked to the kids about what happened. But, they already knew. They wanted to find my girlfriend’s relative’s name who passed. I didn’t know how, so we just walked around hoping to spot it, engraved in bronze among a mass of thousands.

After awhile, we said our peaceful good-bye’s and patriotic thank you’s. We were starving, and decided to find lunch in the Battery Park area. As we were walking, we came across a neighborhood park with a playground. It was so neatly kept. The entire area was beautiful, and my husband and I talked about how we would like to live in a neighborhood like Battery Park if we ever lived in a big city like New York. As the kids played and we drank our coffee, we took in the scene and life of the streets and sidewalks. My son started climbing on a jungle gym, and soon convinced his sister to join him. As their mother, how could I miss this innocent moment of them playing together at a park in New York City. I began clicking away, and noticed that in the background was the new Freedom Tower, still under construction. I pointed it out to my husband right away. Again, a bittersweet moment. We both kept commenting on how surreal it was for these innocent children to be climbing and swinging and laughing on a crisp winter day, while a new symbol of Freedom was being reconstructed behind them. So surreal. I love these photos. When they are old enough to appreciate the moment we captured, I’m sure they will, too.

Freedom Tower

freedom_tower911

olandsteltower

My last thought for today is solidarity. It seems we say it and hear it so much now, it almost feels cliche at times. While we were there, Sandy had just ripped through the city months before, leaving New York, once again, rebuilding. We couldn’t get close enough to the Statue of Liberty for the kids to see up close and personal, so this shot was taken from a view in Battery Park. My cousins who work in the Financial District, couldn’t come meet us for lunch because the trucks and pumps were blocking all the roads. But, still New Yorkers persevere. A few days later the Sandy Hook incident occurred, followed by a few months later with the Boston Marathon Bombing. All of these things, all of these events, the actions that are supposed to make us grow weaker, that are intended to tear us apart and break down our walls…I’ve only seen the American people stand stronger. It’s amazing. It often reminds me of the Grinch trying to steal Christmas from the Who’s. No matter what he did or how hard he tried, he couldn’t break their spirit. Because Christmas is not about the giving and the receiving, it’s about the people you celebrate it with and for. Just like America is not about the materialism and the greed. It’s about the people who make this country great. You can’t break the American spirit. We keep on keeping on. 

kidsSOL

Many blessings, humbled thoughts and prayers of thanks to all Americans today as we celebrate Patriot’s Day. And, may we never, ever forget.

Huggies MomInspired Grants | Foundation

30 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Archive It

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baby products, diapers, Foundation

You know I don’t get too down and dirty when it comes to talking about baby products on my blog, especially diapers, but I have to tell you about a really cool event that took place right here in Las Vegas; the HUGGIES Mominspired Grant Program that gave 9 moms a $15,000 grant for their innovative product ideas that were born from real parenting moments.

I was not able to attend because my twins woke up with pink-eye that morning (yuck), but local Vegas Blogger, Lisa Cash Hanson of Mompreneur Mogal did. She was gracious enough to let me share her post with my readers. This is a great opportunity for those savvy SAHM and WAHM who are looking to create the next big thing in baby products. If you are one of the lucky ones with a truly amazing idea, Huggies has a wonderful grant opportunity ready to award the next big Mom-preneur.

Check out Lisa’s post on the HUGGIES Mominspired event, and learn more about how you can enter your idea for next year!

Huggies Lisa Cash Hanson

Lisa Cash Hanson (middle) with Maria Bailey and Kelly Stephenson. Learn more about them on Lisa's post!

 

 

Nathan Adelson Hospice | Las Vegas Community

19 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Fun

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Tags

Foundation, Las Vegas, Nathan Adelson Hospice

My initial impression was that of fear and mortality. Then after I accepted that, I allowed myself to turn my thoughts towards what we were there for…to celebrate Las Vegas being home to one of the top hospice care facilities in the country.  In fact, during it’s fruition, it was one of only three facilities available in the United States, thanks to the compassion of Merv Adelson, son to Nathan Adelson, a Sunrise Hospital Administrator in the 1960-70s, who passed away from cancer a few decades ago.

At the ribbon cutting ceremony for the brand new, larger inpatient facility at the Mountain View Hospital, Merv relayed his personal experience about how his father, who suffered from cancer, did not die a dignified death. Not exactly what you want to chat about on a blog, but it is something our community should be grateful for. Because Merv held his father in the highest regard, and did not want others to experience what he had gone through, he set his sites on offering end-of-life care in a facility that would set the standard for those following its lead in the United States. The Nathan Adelson Hospice was founded and developed based on ideas sought out from similar concepts in England. It was the first of its kind, and is now considered an expert in its field, with many hospise care facilities from around the country reaching out to them for advice and direction.

Merv Adelson Nathan Adelson Hospice Las Vegas

Merv Adelson, son of Nathan Adelson

Though at first my livelihood felt threatened to walk into such a place, as I started a self-guided tour, and listened to the enthusiastic employees, founders and supporters discuss the amenities and the comforts provided to those being admitted, and their loved ones, I felt a sense of gratitude knowing that if ever needed, this place of compassion would be there to serve, as it has served our community for over 30 years.

One of the comfortable rooms at the new Nathan Adelson Hospice location in Summerlin.

Again, as I have been touched so many times witnessing the strength of our Las Vegas community these last few months, I listened, teary-eyed as President and CEO, Carole Fisher, gave a touching presentation of the latest addition to the Nathan Adelson Hospice family as she talked about how her mother and grandmother did the interior decorating, and how her grandmother passed away this January, still deciding the layout of the furniture.  She spoke about how grateful she was that within the walls of not only her home, but also her place of work, her grandmother’s legacy lived on in the colors, art work and furniture throughout the hospice. Longtime supporters of the Las Vegas community, Irwin and Susan Molasky, spoke to their involvement in the hospice and why it was so important to them.

Carole Fisher Nathan Adelson Las Vegas

Carole Fisher, President and CEO, Nathan Adelson Las Vegas

The Nathan Adelson Hospice’s Northwest Inpatient facility is located at the Mountain View Hospital, 3150 N. Tenaya Way, Suite 350, Las Vegas, Nevada. To learn more about the facilities provided for our community, visit the Nathan Adelson Hospice website. You can also follow inspiring stories and learn more about the people and lives Nathan Adelson touches on their Facebook page.

For more photos on this event, please visit my Google+ story.

 

 

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