Author: pebbletossers

July: More Than Ever, What You Do Locally Impacts the World Around You.

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Now that the world is slowly emerging from the global pandemic, it is more important to implement positive changes to prevent history from repeating itself. A common buzz phrase used by many environmentalists and humanitarians is, “act locally, think globally.” But what does this look like from a more concrete perspective? Millions of lives are devastated every year by disasters on both a local and global scale. Without the selflessness and courage of those willing to help, even more lives would be lost. 

One of the most important factors when mitigating the effects of a calamity is preparation. Many organizations continually prepare in case of emergency; they gather food, medical supplies, shoes, clothing, books and educational responses. After feeling trapped and helpless during one of the most formidable events in recent history, it is essential to take action and help victims. 

Pebble Tossers strives to support the greater Atlanta area in a myriad of ways, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to take this time to thank you for being an active member of our community and supporting those in need. Below are ways you can support individuals in need, both locally and globally. We hope you will join us in giving during this tumultuous, transitional period: 

• Pebble Tossers Volunteer Portal: Empowering and equipping youth to lead through service.

• Action Ministries: Volunteers are needed to help Action Ministries fight hunger and house neighbors. Click here for Projects.

• Soccer in the Streets: This great nonprofit reaches kids through soccer play, work-readiness training, hands-on experiential activities and youth leadership councils. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Soccer in the Streets is offering coach-led at-home writing and soccer activities as well as hundreds of free meals each week. Click here to Help.

• Blood Donation Centers: The American Red Cross has an urgent need for blood and platelet donations. To find a Red Cross blood drive or center, click here. For independent blood centers, search the America’s Blood Center database here.

• What to know about the Coronavirus and Blood Donation: American Red Cross faces a severe blood shortage due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations during this coronavirus outbreak. Healthy individuals are needed to donate now to help patients counting on lifesaving blood. Blood Donation Link.

• America’s Blood Centers | It’s About Life: America’s Blood Centers is a national organization bringing together community-based, independent blood centers. Learn More 2021 ADRP Annual Conference Find a Blood Center ABC member blood centers serve communities across the United States. Find a Location Near You Connect. Learn. Excel.

June: Arts and Culture: The Catalyst for Youth Development?

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In June, Pebble Tossers highlights arts and culture, specifically how the arts positively impact youth development. It seems ever-more essential to focus on practical career paths to secure a sensible future in today’s society. Yet, more than ever, children and young adults are developing anxiety about said future without an avenue to relieve stress. The solution? Immersion in arts and culture. Arts and culture have been proven to have a positive effect not only on mental health but school achievement.  

Culture goes hand-in-hand with the arts. Students who experience their own culture and the cultures present in their community gain a better understanding of what it means to be human. Culture is essential to self-worth and confidence during the most impressionable years of growth. Pebble Tossers acknowledges the diverse population of the greater Atlanta area and is proud to serve its communities. 

Active participation in the arts also has a wide variety of positive effects. For example, students who participate in the arts are more likely to find school engaging and have a longer attention span than those who do not. As a result, they are more likely to enjoy school, go onto postsecondary school, and achieve a college degree. Youth within the arts are also less likely to deal with social infractions on school grounds, likely due to the release of creativity/energy that the arts provide. In addition, scores on standardized tests are consistently higher with students who participate in the arts than those who do not. 

Tapping into the creative vein of the arts generates a pathway for youth to connect to their deepest, most authentic emotions. Students connect with their authentic selves through reflection and the expression of creative mediums. They develop healthy coping habits to apply to real-world situations, better equipping them for their future. Avenues like dance, art, music and writing are building blocks for knowledge, outlook, value, and self-regulation necessary to succeed as they develop. An increase in artful citizens means a brighter future for the upcoming generations. 

Pebble Tossers passionately advocates for the arts, especially when it comes to youth development. Serving with Pebble Tossers exposes young volunteers to various cultures and opportunities that may otherwise be overlooked. During these last few weeks of June, we hope you join us in celebrating the arts and the positive impact they make on our community. 

Memorial Day: How to get involved to support our troops and veterans

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The members of our military serve 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. They tirelessly defend the interests and security of our nation. Many individuals put their lives on the line to uphold the values of our nation. Once they return home, their fight is not always over; many veterans continue to face battles and wounds that come with such a great responsibility of service. We at Pebble Tossers work with a variety of organizations to support active and retired members of our military. From sending cards and care packages to supporting active military members, veterans, and their families in day-to-day activities, these efforts can have a significant ripple effect in their support and transition home.

Every May Pebble Tossers celebrates National Military Appreciation Month (NMAM). It is a declaration that encourages citizens all around the U.S. to observe the month as a symbol of unity. NMAM honors the current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including those who have died in the pursuit of freedom.

Pebble Tossers not only supports this declaration, but also understands that action and awareness go hand in hand. This month contains a variety of wonderful opportunities for you and your family to serve together and benefit the military members of our community in need. So, how can you honor our Troops and Veterans during this Memorial Day weekend? Partake to demonstrate your support:

check out these ways to pay tribute to our veterans on Memorial Day weekend:

• Memorial Day Tribute at Brook Run Park Veterans Memorial
• Cauble Park at Patriots Point
• City of Woodstock
• Salute to the Troops in Stone Mountain Park
• Memorial Day Parade in Dacula

visit these virtual avenues of support:

• National Memorial Day Concert on PBS
• Take a Virtual Tour of a War Memorial
• Virtual Memorial Day Tribute Hosted by Alpharetta and the Rotary Club
• Roswell Remembers
• Fly a Flag at Home: One of the simplest ways of celebrating Memorial Day at home is to place an American flag outside your home. Take note: Memorial Day has its own flag etiquette. The American flag should be flown at half-mast from sunrise until noon, then raised to full mast for the rest of the holiday.

There are also a number of ways to get involved outside of Memorial Day weekend. Please reference our service calendar and cause area page for a number of service projects such as Operation Gratitude, Veterans Empowerment Organization (VEO), and Atlanta VA Medical Center (VAMC). These organizations serve current and former members of the military in a variety of ways and need many volunteers to assist with their efforts. Pebble Tossers members can click here to register.

We hope that you decide to join Pebble Tossers in honoring our military not only in the month of May, but year-round. Serving those who serve our country represents the core values of the Pebble Tossers community.

Pebble Tossers stands with the Asian and Asian American, Pacific Islander community

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Pebble Tossers stands with our Asian and Asian American, Pacific Islander family members, friends, partners, volunteers, and members. We despise the violence and racism directed at them and are especially horrified by the murders of the Asian-American women on March 16th in our community.

The anti-Asian hate crimes, harassment, and discrimination that have increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic are disturbing, but they are not new. The tragic loss of these lives should remind us that we, as Americans, have a long way to go towards true equality, inclusion, and justice.

No child, youth, or family can thrive or should live with the threat of violence. In honor of the lives lost to racist violence, Pebble Tossers recommits to the important work of developing youth who embrace a sense of civic responsibility to our community, and we strive to provide opportunities where this sense of responsibility leads to a feeling of inclusion and belonging.

When youth and teens volunteer at Pebble Tossers projects, they introduce themselves and meet those they serve with as well as those they serve. They work alongside people from a variety of cultures, races, genders, and ideologies, yet they all work towards a common goal of helping our community thrive. We strive to cultivate a welcoming environment at our projects, which leads to an inherent sense of belonging and desire to serve with us again.

We, at Pebble Tossers, will not tolerate discrimination of any kind. As an organization, we will provide intercultural assessments for our staff, board members, and advisory council in order to build and strengthen intercultural competency. We will continue to work with a wide variety of nonprofit organizations that serve the most marginalized of our brothers and sisters. We will continue to offer high-impact projects serving diverse populations. We will continue to develop educational curriculum based on social-emotional learning and positive psychology while incorporating leadership and social justice initiatives.

We hope you stand with us against this violence and work with us to equip and empower youth to lead through service. This summer, Pebble Tossers will host “Toss Up Dinners”, where we gather families together virtually (and hopefully in-person) for civic-minded conversations about relevant topics such as social justice, racial equality, gender equality, and our 12 service cause areas. If you are interested in serving on a planning committee or hosting a dinner, please contact us at outreach@pebbletossers.org.

Jennifer Guynn
Founder + Executive Director, Pebble Tossers
March 18, 2021

Pebble Tossers is a proud recipient of the See Beautiful grant 

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The See Beautiful grant was created to fund nonprofits visions of creating sustainable beauty in our world

Atlanta, GA – Pebble Tossers, Atlanta’s leading youth service organization, is excited to announce that it has been selected as a recipient of the See Beautiful Grant. The See Beautiful Grant is awarded quarterly to non-profits for creating sustainable beauty in our communities. Pebble Tossers was announced as a grant recipient after a thorough and competitive application process.

Pebble Tossers partners with 65 area nonprofits; linking volunteers to service projects and organizing its own projects covering 12 major cause areas. Its mission is to empower and equip youth to lead through service. See Beautiful has awarded more than  $200,000 through its grant program and strategic giving initiatives. The See Beautiful grant will assist Pebble Tossers in its implementation of a new, immersive service experience. The grant will fund  educational components at all of the Pebble Tossers service projects to reinforce social emotional learning skills such as self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

“Pebble Tossers is honored by the recent grant from See Beautiful. Their confidence in our youth volunteers’ ability to bring beauty through service is humbling and we plan on continuing to make an impact which will affect generations to come,” says Jennifer Guynn, Founding Executive Director.

Pebble Tossers encourages and empowers youth to see the beauty in themselves as well as the potential and power they have to make this world a better place. We are teaching this generation to be empathetic and ethical global citizens who will “start a ripple of giving”, fueled by kindness, inclusivity, justice and compassion.

About Pebble Tossers

Pebble Tossers is the premier local youth service organization focused on providing families with a comprehensive path to youth development through service to others, from preschool to graduation, or “nap to cap.” Our easy-to-use volunteer portal allows families to find and sign up for volunteer projects that interest them. With Pebble Tossers, volunteers can simply sign up, show up, and serve to create a ripple of giving in our community.

About See Beautiful

See Beautiful™  is a philanthropic company providing inspiring, ethically-sourced products that create more beautiful in the process. With every purchase, your purchase helps fund carefully vetted, sustainable projects of non-profits. 

See beautiful in yourself. See beautiful in others. Create more beautiful in the world.

 

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Four Community and Business Leaders join the Pebble Tossers Board of Directors

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The 2021 board will focus on expanding offerings, diversifying its community base and helping youth develop leadership skills.

(Atlanta, GA, March 3, 2020)…Pebble Tossers, Atlanta’s leading youth development nonprofit organization, welcomes four new community and business leaders to its board of directors: Neal Chatigny, WebMD; Jason Halliburton, Merrill Lynch; Heather Housley, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch; and Brian Sengson, Bennett Thrasher.

“The Pebble Tossers Board is committed to providing support and thought leadership to the organization,” said Rebecca Sandberg, Pebble Tossers Board President. We are excited to welcome the brilliant minds of Neal, Jason, Heather, and Brian to our board. We look forward to their contributions, leadership and friendship.”

Along with the existing members, the new board members will work to guide Pebble Tossers as it tackles new projects, developments and reemerging programming after the restrictions from the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Neal Chatigny, Vice President, WebMD
A member of the WebMD team for 15 years, Neal works primarily with WebMD’s pharmaceutical clients to develop educational programs for patients. He is an active youth soccer and Little League coach and enjoys traveling with his family.

“I’m looking forward to helping Pebble Tossers expand its impact and footprint in our community,” said Neal.

Jason Halliburton, Financial Advisor/Senior Portfolio Advisor, Merrill Lynch
At Merrill Lynch, Jason works with successful business owners, senior executives and entrepreneurs to help them meet their goals. A recipient of the United States Department of Defense’s Patriotic Employer Award, Jason has a strong background in serving his community.

“I’m honored to help serve our youth and look forward to sharing my experiences to benefit this organization and our community,” said Jason.

Heather Housley, Director, Region Executive at Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Heather’s role at Bank of America Merrill Lynch is to manage the Consumer Banking & Investments team that delivers financial advice to clients within Georgia and Tennessee. She enjoys finding ways for her family to engage in service and working as a mentor to those in her community and company.

Brian Sengson, Tax Attorney, SALT Senior Manager, Bennett Thrasher
As a tax attorney at Bennett Thrasher, Brian works with a variety of clients while specializing in M&A, sales tax, state income tax, and transfer taxes. Outside the office, he regularly hikes the Appalachian Trail, practices his woodworking and cheers on the Philadelphia Eagles. His wife and two sons share their home with two dogs.

“I am both humbled and excited at this opportunity,” said Brian. “It is a privilege to be a steward to our community in such a rewarding manner.”

2021 Board of Directors, Pebble Tossers
Rebecca Sandberg – Board President Management – Consultant
Kelly Weber – Board Vice President – OneDigital
Vijay Vaswani – Board Treasurer  – Bennett Thrasher, CPA
Broughton Barry – Board Secretary – Wolters Kluwer
Brandy Brock – Google Cloud Business Solutions
Neal Chatigny – WebMD
Andy Dakshina – WorkFusion
Aaron Dixon – Alston & Bird
Leslie Graham – United Digestive
Jason Halliburton – Merrill Lynch
Heather Housley – Bank of America-Merrill Lynch
Mary Ulmer Jones – Bank of America
Elizabeth Rasberry – ABB
Asher Royal – Davita Kidney Care
Brian Sengson – Bennett Thrasher

About Pebble Tossers
Pebble Tossers is the premier local youth service organization focused on providing families with a comprehensive path to youth development through service to others, from preschool to graduation. Customized programming empowers youth to lead by providing them with resources and age-appropriate service opportunities. With Pebble Tossers, volunteers sign up, show up, and serve to create a ripple of giving in their community.

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Helping parents navigate the challenges of raising children in the digital age

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Pebble Tossers to host experts in a panel discussion on February 24th

 

(Atlanta, GA, February 18, 2021)…Pebble Tossers, Atlanta’s leading youth development nonprofit organization, is hosting two online panel discussions on February 24th for parents and guardians to help navigate the dangers of online activities.

Pebble Tossers, partnering with The Kid Factory, will host a viewing of Childhood 2.0 followed by an open dialogue for parents with a panel of experts. The Childhood 2.0 documentary explores the dramatic technological and cultural shift that children and parents face with the rise of social networks and mobile devices, including:

• issues of addiction and withdrawal

• anxiety and depression

• cyberbullying

• the culture of sexting and unforeseen consequences

• the loss of free play and autonomy

• the rapid growth of suicide among children and teens

 

“As parents, we worry about the physical safety of our children. However, many of us are not as savvy on social media and don’t know how to discuss cyber-safety with our kids, “ said Jen Guynn, Founding Executive Director, Pebble Tossers. “The Childhood 2.0 documentary brings this aspect to light and Pebble Tossers believes that cyber-safety is an important issue intertwined with the social-emotional development of youth.” 

 

A panel of experts, moderated by Guynn, will join the conversation to encourage communication between parent and child while still allowing freedom and privacy and the ability to maintain mental health and physical safety. They are:

Robert Myers, Clinical Psychologist with a history of working with the individual and family service industry

Tessa Cole, Ph.D. Candidate, Criminal Justice at Georgia State University Member of American Society of Criminology and Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences

Titania Jordan, Chief Parent Officer, Bark Technologies and author of Parenting in a Tech World

Cindy Robinson, Founder, The Kid Factory and certified parent coach

 

Event Details

(same panelists for both sessions)

Date: Wednesday, February 24th:

10:00am: Viewing of Childhood 2.0 documentary online. All participants are encouraged to watch the Childhood 2.0 documentary prior to the panel discussion. It can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/He3IJJhFy-I. Parental discretion is advised before showing to children 12 years of age and under.

11:45am: Panel Discussion via Zoom*

6:00pm: Panel Discussion via Zoom* 

*To register for either session, please visit: http://bit.ly/2NvcMsD. If you have any questions, please call 678.757.5597 or email beth@pebbletossers.org.

 

About Pebble Tossers

Pebble Tossers is the premier local youth service organization focused on providing families with a comprehensive path to youth development through service to others, from preschool to graduation, or “nap to cap.” Customized programming empowers youth to lead by providing them with resources and age-appropriate opportunities. With Pebble Tossers, volunteers sign up, show up, and serve to create a ripple of giving in their community.

 

 

Pebble Tossers to host experts in a panel discussion on February 24th

Posted on by pebbletossers

 

Pebble Tossers to host experts in a panel discussion on February 24th

 

(Atlanta, GA, February 18, 2021)…Pebble Tossers, Atlanta’s leading youth development nonprofit organization, is hosting two online panel discussions on February 24th for parents and guardians to help navigate the dangers of online activities.

Pebble Tossers, partnering with The Kid Factory, will host a viewing of Childhood 2.0 followed by an open dialogue for parents with a panel of experts. The Childhood 2.0 documentary explores the dramatic technological and cultural shift that children and parents face with the rise of social networks and mobile devices, including:

• issues of addiction and withdrawal

• anxiety and depression

• cyberbullying

• the culture of sexting and unforeseen consequences

• the loss of free play and autonomy

• the rapid growth of suicide among children and teens

 

“As parents, we worry about the physical safety of our children. However, many of us are not as savvy on social media and don’t know how to discuss cyber-safety with our kids, “ said Jen Guynn, Founding Executive Director, Pebble Tossers. “The Childhood 2.0 documentary brings this aspect to light and Pebble Tossers believes that cyber-safety is an important issue intertwined with the social-emotional development of youth.” 

 

A panel of experts, moderated by Guynn, will join the conversation to encourage communication between parent and child while still allowing freedom and privacy and the ability to maintain mental health and physical safety. They are:

Robert Myers, Clinical Psychologist with a history of working with the individual and family service industry

Tessa Cole, Ph.D. Candidate, Criminal Justice at Georgia State University Member of American Society of Criminology and Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences

Titania Jordan, Chief Parent Officer, Bark Technologies and author of Parenting in a Tech World

Cindy Robinson, Founder, The Kid Factory and certified parent coach

 

Event Details

(same panelists for both sessions)

Date: Wednesday, February 24th:

10:00am: Viewing of Childhood 2.0 documentary online. All participants are encouraged to watch the Childhood 2.0 documentary prior to the panel discussion. It can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/He3IJJhFy-I. Parental discretion is advised before showing to children 12 years of age and under.

11:45am: Panel Discussion via Zoom*

6:00pm: Panel Discussion via Zoom* 

*To register for either session, please visit: http://bit.ly/2NvcMsD. If you have any questions, please call 678.757.5597 or email beth@pebbletossers.org.

 

About Pebble Tossers

Pebble Tossers is the premier local youth service organization focused on providing families with a comprehensive path to youth development through service to others, from preschool to graduation, or “nap to cap.” Customized programming empowers youth to lead by providing them with resources and age-appropriate opportunities. With Pebble Tossers, volunteers sign up, show up, and serve to create a ripple of giving in their community.

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Pebble Tossers is a proud recipient of the See Beautiful grant

Posted on by pebbletossers

Pebble Tossers is a proud recipient of the See Beautiful grant

The See Beautiful grant was created to fund nonprofits visions of creating sustainable beauty in our world

Atlanta, GA – Pebble Tossers, Atlanta’s leading youth service organization, is excited to announce that it has been selected as a recipient of the See Beautiful Grant. The See Beautiful Grant is awarded quarterly to non-profits for creating sustainable beauty in our communities. Pebble Tossers was announced as a grant recipient after a thorough and competitive application process.

Pebble Tossers partners with 65 area nonprofits; linking volunteers to service projects and organizing its own projects covering 12 major cause areas. Its mission is to empower and equip youth to lead through service. See Beautiful has awarded more than  $200,000 through its grant program and strategic giving initiatives. The See Beautiful grant will assist Pebble Tossers in its implementation of a new, immersive service experience. The grant will fund  educational components at all of the Pebble Tossers service projects to reinforce social emotional learning skills such as self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

“Pebble Tossers is honored by the recent grant from See Beautiful. Their confidence in our youth volunteers’ ability to bring beauty through service is humbling and we plan on continuing to make an impact which will affect generations to come,” says Jennifer Guynn, Founding Executive Director.

Pebble Tossers encourages and empowers youth to see the beauty in themselves as well as the potential and power they have to make this world a better place. We are teaching this generation to be empathetic and ethical global citizens who will “start a ripple of giving”, fueled by kindness, inclusivity, justice and compassion.

About Pebble Tossers

Pebble Tossers is the premier local youth service organization focused on providing families with a comprehensive path to youth development through service to others, from preschool to graduation, or “nap to cap.” Our easy-to-use volunteer portal allows families to find and sign up for volunteer projects that interest them. With Pebble Tossers, volunteers can simply sign up, show up, and serve to create a ripple of giving in our community.

About See Beautiful

See Beautiful™  is a philanthropic company providing inspiring, ethically-sourced products that create more beautiful in the process. With every purchase, your purchase helps fund carefully vetted, sustainable projects of non-profits. 

See beautiful in yourself. See beautiful in others. Create more beautiful in the world.

 

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Pebble Tossers invited to join Snooze, A.M. Eatery for their “community days” Saturday, February 13, and Sunday, February 14

Posted on by pebbletossers

 

Pebble Tossers invited to join Snooze, A.M. Eatery for their “community days” Saturday, February 13, and Sunday, February 14.

Snooze, An A.M. Eatery will open its long-planned Sandy Springs location next month, a rep for the breakfast chain Thursday confirmed in an email to What Now Atlanta. Snooze Sandy Springs has been delayed by at least a year and will finally debut its first Georgia location on February 17, at 4600 Roswell Road.

Leading up to its official grand opening, Snooze is set to host a series of soft-opening days — “community days” — on Saturday, February 13, and Sunday, February 14. “These special community days are a great way to introduce the community to Snooze and their commitment to community-based initiatives and partnerships,” the spokesperson said. A portion of pre-opening breakfast sales will be donated to local initiatives, Pebble Tossers, and Southern Education Foundation.

To see the full article please visit: https://whatnowatlanta.com/snooze-sets-opening-day-in-sandy-springs-breakfast-chains-entry-into-georgia/

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