AIF’s Galas are building momentum across the U.S. for active participation in strategic, India-focused philanthropy. The organization plans to raise at least $2 million at the Bow Ties & Bangles, Fall Benefit Gala to support its education, livelihood, and public health initiatives in India.

"In the current environment of increased engagement between India and the US on both economic and political fronts, we are particularly excited to see the wide ranging collection of individuals, foundations, and corporations from across the US partnering with AIF as we leverage philanthropic support, combined with business acumen, to invest in sustainable social interventions that serve vast numbers of poor in India," says AIF President Lata Krishnan.

This year, the AIF Leadership Award will be given to John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, for his leadership, entrepreneurial endeavors and deep commitment to corporate social responsibility. The award is in recognition of Mr. Chambers’ leadership role in technology and Cisco’s commitment to making access to the Internet available across socio-economic divides.

"It is an honor to be recognized for this award,cheap tiffany earrings," said John Chambers. "Giving back to the global community is something I’ve always believed is our responsibility, and is a principle at the heart of Cisco’s culture. It’s not about right or wrong; it’s about doing what is needed and making a difference."

Emmy-winning, NBC11 Sports Anchor Raj Mathai will emcee the evening which will feature a casino-like cocktail reception, awards ceremony, gourmet dinner and a melange of live entertainment and dancing.

Details on table sponsorships and contribution levels can be found at http://www.aifgala.org. For media passes and interviews,thanksgiving day 2010, please contact Mythili Sankaran: mythili.sankaran@aif.org.

About AIF

The American India Foundation (AIF) is a leading international development organization charged with the mission of accelerating social and economic change in India. AIF awards grants to education, livelihood, and public health projects in India — with emphases on elementary education, women’s empowerment,money clips, and HIV/AIDS, respectively.

AIF also administers two programs: (1) Service Corps, which develops young American leaders by placing them with Indian non-profits based on skills and need and (2) Digital Equalizer, which bridges the "digital divide" by providing computers, Internet,tiffany key rings on sale, and training to under-resourced schools.

Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor bestowed on a Boys & Girls Club member. The title recognizes outstanding contributions to a young person’s family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club, as well as personal challenges and obstacles overcome. Applicants for the Marquette scholarships must also have met the university’s admission criteria.

The inaugural class of Marquette/Youth of the Year scholarship winners, all age 18, are: Tamara Johnson, Pueblo of Pojoaque Boys & Girls Club (Albuquerque, N.M.), and Ryan Allen, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City Wyandoth County Unit (Kansas City, Kan..) – both who were Youth of the Year at the local level – and Amaya Hamilton, Ramstein Youth Programs (Ramstein AFB, Germany), who is the 2010-11 Youth of the Year for all of Europe. "We are extremely grateful to Marquette University for recognizing the accomplishments of Tamara, Ryan and Amaya," said BGCA President and CEO Roxanne Spillett. "We know they will do Marquette, their local Clubs, families and Boys & Girls Clubs of America very proud."

Marquette President Robert A. Wild, S.J., praised the Youth of the Year winners for their academic and leadership success and their service to their Clubs and communities. "These young adults are already demonstrating what it means to ‘Be the Difference,’" he said. "We are looking forward to having them join our Marquette family and inspiring those who follow them in their Clubs to pursue a college education. We hope that this partnership will grow to involve more students across the country,necklaces, supporting Marquette’s long tradition of educational access."

Each scholarship, renewable for four years, is valued at more than $120,000. The national partnership between the university and Boys & Girls Clubs of America had its roots in a local partnership. When Marquette University created an Urban Scholarship program several years ago, two of the 10 annual, full-tuition scholarships were designated for members of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.

In fact, a recipient of a 2010 Urban Scholarship, Tommy Walls of Milwaukee, Wis., is one of five finalists for BGCA’s National Youth of the Year title for 2010. Walls, originally from Detroit, was first named Youth of the Year for the Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club in Milwaukee, then named Youth of the Year for the Greater Milwaukee organization,cuff Links, the State of Wisconsin and BGCA’s Midwest Region. The National Youth of the Year winner will be named next month. As an Urban Scholarship winner, Walls will receive a full-tuition scholarship from Marquette.

Two other Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year winners will also attend Marquette this year. They are: Allyson Aderman from Menominee, Mich., who received an Ignatius Scholarship, and Arisbet Escalante from Hill City, S.D., the recipient of a Magis Award.

Miami HEAT and former Marquette basketball star Dwyane Wade will be in Milwaukee Aug. 30 to welcome the Youth of the Year winners to Marquette. Wade, through the Wade’s World Foundation, provides support to community-based organizations that promote education, health and social skills for children in at-risk situations.

Meet the Scholarship Recipients

Tamara Johnson – A nine-year member of Pueblo of Pojoaque Boys & Girls Club, Johnson is very active in her Club and her community. At the Club, she is president of the Keystone Club, a teen group that focuses on leadership and community service. Under her leadership, the Keystone Club raised more than $2,200 for the Haiti Relief Fund. Johnson has also volunteered to ride on the back of a fire truck to help "Santa Claus" pass out toys to needy children during the holidays. As a Junior Staffer at the Club, she demonstrates superior leadership qualities to the younger Club members.

One of Johnson’s biggest accomplishments related to the Club was being named the 2010-11 National Money Matters Ambassador for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The Money Matters program was created to promote financial literacy among teens by building basic money management skills. As Ambassador, Johnson attends various events to speak about the importance of financial education for teens.

Johnson, a recent high school graduate, was a six-year member of the National Honor Society and served as student body president and as an attorney for the Mock Trial team. A recent graduate, she plans to major in pre-law at Marquette.

Ryan Allen – Enrolling in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City 10 years ago, Allen says, was one of the best decisions made for his life. Growing up in a single-parent household with his mom and younger sister, he stepped up to be a big help to his mom in raising his younger sister. Allen made a conscious decision to avoid going down the wrong path as many did in his inner-city neighborhood. He even helped his friends get back on track when they strayed.

Allen contributes much of his success in making the right choices to his Boys & Girls Club. As a younger member he joined Torch Club and then joined Keystone as a teenager, where he served as secretary for the group. He’s been an active participant in the Clubs’ Passport to Manhood program, which teaches young men how to grow up to be honest, dependable and respectable. For two years, Allen has participated in the national African-American Male Teen Summit, a conference geared toward this population of Club members.

Before his recent high school graduation, Allen participated in basketball, track and choir. While attending Marquette, he will pursue a degree in business.

Amaya Hamilton – Many face war and trouble, but Hamilton has faced soldiers, loss, deployment and movement. The oldest of three, she is the daughter of military parents. Living as a military child has forced her to face seven new schools, three new countries, two new languages and leaving behind the support and interaction with extended family back in the U.S. Yet, it is through her family’s close-knit relationship and strong commitment to each other that she is able to get through it all.

Hamilton has been a Boys & Girls Club member on military bases for 11 years. Now a member of Ramstein Youth Programs, she has been involved in various Club activities and programs. She helped with Power Hour, which tutors younger Club members when doing homework, and participated in various sports activities. She currently serves as the vice president of the Keystone Club. Hamilton worked to establish the first chartered Torch Club at Ramstein, which is similar to Keystone but geared toward younger members.

In the community, Hamilton has organized holiday events for families and helped collect over 300 pounds of clothing for the needy. She mentors younger children coping with the absence of parents, deployment and multiple household moves. She has helped raise money for the "Malaria No More" campaign to end malaria in Africa. Her service to the community earned her the United States Air Force in Europe’s Hidden Hero award at the early age of 14.

A graduate of Ramstein American High School, Hamilton has excelled academically and socially. She completed several AP classes with a 3.6 GPA, participated in the Model UN program, Spanish Honor Society, Spanish Immersion Program and Dance Team. At Marquette, Hamilton will pursue a bachelor’s degree in political science,Charm bracelet, with a goal of becoming a Foreign Service Officer. Keywords: Basketball,Beads necklace, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Entertainment, Malaria, Protozoan Infections, Sporting Activities.

But Collierville store owner Cathy Robins said Thursday that the idea of offering 100 free tiffany jewelry silver necklaces to people who have lost their jobs or their homes to foreclosure just seemed like a nice thing to do.

“I think a lot of people are really hurting right now and it’s just something to kind of cheer them up,” Robins said.

Robins Jewelry, which she and her husband, Dennis, have owned for 22 years, is one of four dozen outlets nationwide making the offer.

They are all members of the Independent Jewelers Organization, an 800-member buying group based in Norwalk, Conn.

In Olive Branch, Master Jewelers joined in the giving and had laid-off workers waiting Wednesday morning in the parking lot on Crumpler Boulevard.

The idea began with one store, Fox Fine Jewelry, in Ventura, Calif., said Jeff Roberts, president of the jewelers organization.

“I think everybody is looking for a little positive, upbeat news,” Roberts said.

The necklaces would sell for up to $99, but may cost store owners roughly $35 to $40, plus packaging, he said.

For those seeking necklaces, identification and proof of job loss or home tiffany key rings are requested.

Robins said the Collierville store began the offer this week and spread the word by asking customers to do so. The store still had dozens to give away.

“It’s not a bailout,” she said, laughing. “We just thought it was kind of a nice thing to do.”

‘A NICE THING TO DO’

–What: Valentine’s Day giveaway of 100 necklaces to people who have lost their jobs or their homes to foreclosure

–Where: Robins Jewelry, 610 West Poplar, Collierville, in the City Center tiffany necklaces center facing the Wal-Mart Supercenter parking lot.

–When: Today and Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

By Vicki T. Lee

Baltimore AFRO Staff

For many, the idea of wearing jewelry akin to what our ancestors wore during slavery, is considered insulting to African-American strides.

Contrary to that belief, a local company believes that a visual reminder of our not-so-distant past will instill a more focused future.

Ujaama Inc. is a family-owned business that produces the Freedom Bracelet, a sterling silver bracelet made in the likeness of a shackle. Company president Shawn Baker doesn’t view the significance of the bracelet as a return to the past, rather an insight into the future.

“It’s a part of my history,” Mr. Baker said. “It’s not to relive, but to remember how far we have to go.”

The Freedom bracelet was the brainchild of Mr. Baker and his brother Gor’Don as they were traveling through Winston-Salem, N.C. on their way back from a CIAA basketball tournament in 1992. During the ride, they closely examined the lengthy journey of our ancestors in their quest for a better life and compared it with the present day African-American community. In the face of alcoholism, drug addiction, imprisonment, and the separation of the Black family, the freedom bracelet is meant to make every African-American individually responsible for the struggles still before us.

Rather than awaiting a leader, Mr. Baker stated that “it will take a collective effort” to tiffany and co break the mental chains enslaving the Black community.

Each freedom bracelet is made with the last link broken, showing the African American break from the chains of slavery. On the inside of the bracelet is the Ujaama, Inc. emblem and a number indicating how many bracelets have been made. The purchaser of a bracelet also receives a certificate of authenticity and a deed of commemoration.

Ujaama, the fourth principle of Kwanzaa, was formed in 1997 with the mission of “rais[ing] the consciousness of all nations, to keep cognizant the unerring truth of the contributions made to society and to the world by the African-American people.”

The freedom bracelet provokes a mixture of comments and opinions according to Mr. Baker, who wears his on a daily basis with the broken link dangling on the outside of his wrist.

“The bracelet catches the eye,” of Whites and Blacks alike. “Some of the younger Black guys think I’m on a home monitoring system,” Mr. Baker said.

Mr. Baker stated that he has received comments criticizing a product reminiscent of a negative key rings part of our history, and comments recognizing the importance the company mission, even a favorable comment from a “card-carrying member of the Ku Klux Klan.”

Mr. Baker, who tells people that he encounters that he’s “a run-away” from slavery, also encourages that “you have to set yourself apart from everybody.”

The company encompasses the Baker family: Gordon and Vera Baker, four sons, three daughters, a brother-in-law, and a close friend of the family.

The Ujaama corporation also produces t-shirts in various styles, baseball caps, lapel pins and coffee mugs, all with the freedom bracelet logo. Events such as Afram, the Juneteenth celebration and conventions promoting African-American awareness have served as vending opportunities for the company to promote their message.

Interested in receiving additional information about the freedom bracelet and other Ujaama products?necklaces Call Shawn Baker at 410-542-1006; Fax: 410-542-1442; E-mail: Ujaamal @ aol.com; or contact their website at www.welcome.to/ujaama.

County Commissioner Burt Aaronson pressed Bradshaw during a budget workshop to consider using ankle bracelets as a means to save on food, medical care and other incarceration costs.

“That’s something we should explore,” Bradshaw said, speaking at a daylong meeting about the county’s budget.

In Palm Beach County, it costs roughly $140 a day to incarcerate an inmate. By tiffany earrings comparison, Bradshaw said, it would take just two correctional officers to monitor 50 inmates who could be released to their homes or other places in ankle bracelets.

Bradshaw has been sharply criticized in recent months for seeking a roughly $35 million increase in the sheriff’s budget at a time when most other county departments are facing cuts. Bradshaw said his department is already facing constraints, and has had difficulties filling detective positions.

“We realize that there’s not a big pot of money out there,” Bradshaw said. “But I can’t go to sleep at night and think that I can’t send people to help who need it.”

Bradshaw said that the sheriff’s department has taken steps this year to minimize cost increases, tiffany key rings such as delaying vehicle purchases, deferring major purchases, and tightening spending overall.

“Believe me, we felt an extreme amount of pain to get this budget as low as it is,” Bradshaw said.

County commissioners are seeking to maintain the current tax rate. Last week, they gave preliminary approval to a set of budget cuts, fee increases and budget transfers. They include roughly three-dozen job layoffs and more than $30 million in cuts to the portion of the county’s portion funded by property taxes.

The countywide tax rate is expected to remain at $378 per $100,000 of a property’s taxable tiffany necklaces value. As a result, a family with a $300,000 home will save about $60 on county taxes, assuming they qualify for the doubled homestead exemption that voters approved in January.

Mark Hollis can be reached at mhollis@sun-sentinel.com or 561-228-5512.

1. Make a long list of everyone to whom you want to give a Christmas gift.

2. Determine how much you can afford to spend on Christmas. How much you can

afford to spend must be an amount you save in CASH. This is not an

‘if-I-were-rich-I-would-budget-this’ list. This is how much you actually

have to give for Christmas. If the number is earrings low, that is fine.

Christmas is not about financially crippling yourself so someone can have

a pair of socks that will go in the trash before January.

3. Prioritize your list from step #1. Make it a short list.

4. Assign and complete necessary preparations. Figure out who will be

receiving a gift that is purchased, made, and key rings who will be receiving no

gift this year.

5. Make the budget work. Don’t spend more than you budgeted. If your budget

is tight, you will need to capitalize on a free valuable resource -

CREATIVITY. Creativity must be combined with another necessary

ingredient – TIME. Time + Creativity = Awesome necklaces Valuable Christmas

Presents for a Lower Price.

At the checkouts of the big supermarkets, 35 per cent of all sales by value are on promotion, compared with 26 per cent a year ago, according to Nielsen, the market research group.

Mike Watkins, a senior manager at Nielsen, said this was a record high for promotions. “Typically promotions peak around the end of November every year. They peaked a long time ago and are remaining high,” he added.

Supermarkets are ramping up offers, often part-funded by their suppliers, as they fight the effects of falling food price inflation, which means they must work harder to drive sales. They are also expanding rapidly into areas such as clothing, entertainment and electronics in an effort to capture a bigger slice of these markets.

Judith McKenna, finance director of Asda, has predicted this year will be the “most competitive Christmas key rings for a decade”.

Asda is expanding its promotional offerings this year, with deals on toys and electronics as well as on food.

Tesco said it was concentrating on delivering products for clear low prices such as 1, 2 or 3. But this week alone it was running 3,200 promotions in its stores and more than 250 half-price offers.

“Whether you call it a promotion or a price cut, it is going to be a bumper Christmas for consumers being able to buy food more affordably,” said one person familiar with the retailer.

Wm Morrison has in recent weeks been offering half-price deals on meat and fish among its promotions. From Monday it will begin a “price crunch week”, with further Christmas offers.

J Sainsbury, which has also been running a series of offers, said its level of promotions was about the same as last year, at 30-33 per cent, just below the industry average, but higher than two years ago, when the proportion of sales on promotion was about 20 per cent.

Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrison are slugging it out with loyalty or voucher schemes.

Angus Maciver, Morrison’s group marketing director, said: “This year we have seen more investment in necklaces promotions but at the same time big investment in loyalty. Both have gone up.”

Even Marks and Spencer is promoting its party food and champagne, while Waitrose, its upmarket rival, will run 40 per cent more offers this December than last.

“The food market has become far more promotional than it has been for many years, and I don’t see that Christmas could possibly be any less so,” said Richard Hyman, strategic retail adviser to Deloitte.

Some retail watchers are sceptical at the overall value of the promotional bonanza to consumers, amid concerns supermarkets may be putting up prices of other goods to compensate.

It has also raised fears among analysts and investors that the promotional war will infect other parts of the high street.

According to a survey of 100 retailers by PwC, the professional services firm, about half of high street shops were offering discounts or promotions, such as three products for the price of two. This is a similar level to last year, when the economy was lurching downwards.

However, executives and analysts hope the heavy discounting and one-off sales days seen last year will be avoided. “bangles Against last year when there was a bloodbath, you would expect less discounting and clearance,” said Tony Shiret, analyst at Credit Suisse.

Retailers are considering whether to pass on the higher rate of value added tax on January 1, when it returns to 17.5 per cent from 15 per cent, or absorb this cost themselves.