305 Spiritual Gangsters

Friends,

On Friday May 2, 2008, the front page of the Miami Herald caught my eye. Right there in bold writing it announced that the new approved budget for the state of Florida eliminates 695 jobs, forces layoffs of teachers as well as nursing home and child welfare workers. And South Florida schools are among the biggest losers, losing $120 million of the $332 million in cuts to public schools across the state.

On the other hand, the new budget does call for 916 new jobs in our prisons, and the construction of 3 new prisons that will cost the state $305 million, that’s $10 million more than it, spends on classroom construction….WHAT???????????
What does this message say to our children? That we EXPECT them to be failures, so much so that we are going to stop educating them and just start preparing to incarcerate them. Am I alone here, or does this sound like a disaster. We… or at least I can no longer just sit idly by and watch as we self destruct.

-Terri Cooper Founder 305 Spiritual Gangsters

Introducing the 305- Spiritual Gangsters

Who we are: We are men, women and children who believe that education, information and visibility of choices can empower our youth. We are the ones who believe that our children are beautiful, abundant, intelligent souls, who should be nurtured and taught life skills that will help them become the successful and mindful leaders of our future.

What do we do: We work in juvenile detention centers, in schools, with teachers, parents and other community groups. We teach yoga, mindfulness and stress reduction; and teach people how to channel their energy (even their anger and pain) into useful action. We bring art, music, health, wellness and unconditional love into the lives of those who need it the most. We believe that truth, respect, honor and compassion create the language in which we speak to each other, and all those we encounter.

Our 2009 Initiatives

Locally: To continue our weekly program at the Overtown Youth Center and to establish weekly classes within both the Juvenile Justice system and in at least one under served inner city high school.

Globally: The 305 is participating in the Off The Mat Seva Challenge 2009 and is committed to raising $20K to fund programs in Uganda. These funds, along with the money raised by dozens of other yoga lovers, will help to build a seven room school house, and eco-birthing center and will provide much needed HIV/Aids education and prevention. To learn more about Uganda and the programs we are supporting go to www.offthematintotheworld.org/sevachallenge

How you can help: Please support us by making a tax deductible contribution by clicking below. Be sure to select TEAM 305 in the drop down menu to ensure the funds are credited.

If you are interested in bringing the 305 into your school or community outreach program please email terri@shoresyoga.com

Who we are partnered with: We are part of a larger community of spiritual activists working together through the Off The Mat Into The World campaign. This is a global initiative head up by Seane Corn, Hala Khouri and Suzanne Sterling.

Photos courtesy of Jodi Valin. Web Design by Angelica Govaert contact at angelica@sincityyoga.com