Beyond Differences Sign Up Information

Dear Charlotte,

Everyone knows that Valentine's Day is on February 14, but did you also know that this year, it is also National No One Eats Alone Day and over 2,500 schools across the nation will be celebrating in all 50 states?!

National No One Eats Alone Day encourages children to sit together at lunchtime and make friends with new classmates. No one should eat alone on this day or any other day of the year!

As a special sweet treat, we have designed a 2020 social media campaign called #InspiredToInclude which kicks off on Saturday, February 1, that will inspire you to get into a happier way of including others by following the example of 14 wonderful people: some famous, some not, some young, and some just learning what it means to be inclusive.

Every day a new video will be released! We will all learn from each other!

You can find each new video posted daily on our website and on all of our social media platforms.

Please join us in spreading the word by sharing the #InspiredToInclude posts on social media and help create a world where every child is accepted, included, and valued by their peers!

And, if you are inspired, create your own video post telling us why you are inspired to include! Use the hashtag #InspiredToInclude, tag Beyond Differences and we will share your post!

Follow us on social media today and start sharing on February 1st!

• Instagram: @BeyondDifferences
• Facebook: @BeyondDifferences.org
• Twitter: @BeyondDiff
• LinkedIn: @beyond_differences
• YouTube: @beyonddifferences

Thanks for being a part of our movement to end social isolation and create a culture of belonging for everyone!

Sally Kuhlman
Director of National Programs

Dear Charlotte,

With tensions on full display in our divided country, it's important to remember that our differences are what ultimately make us stronger. It's also important that we stay inspired to include others, now more than ever.

That's why we designed our social media video countdown, #InspiredToInclude, leading up to National No One Eats Alone Day on February 14.

Each day features short videos of 14 wonderful people, some famous others not, that will inspire you to remember what it means to be inclusive.

This week, we've already featured inspiring videos from advice columnist, Dear Abby, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, and San Francisco 49er, DeForest Buckner.

You can find each video posted daily on our website and on all our social media platforms.

Please join us in spreading the word by sharing our posts to help create a world where no one eats alone and where every child is valued, accepted, and included by their peers. The way to end social isolation and divisiveness is to stick together.

Stay inspired to include!

Laura Talmus & Ace Smith
Co-Founders of Beyond Differences

Dear Charlotte,

Sitting down to watch the Super Bowl? Excited for kick off? We are, too!

We are excited because our friend, SF 49ers defensive tackle #99 DeForest Buckner, is not only an inspiring football player on the field, but he inspires millions of children off the field with his commitment to Beyond Differences' mission to end social isolation for middle schoolers!

You can watch DeForest kick off our 14-day social media campaign called #InspiredToInclude!

Every day, a new video will be released. You won't want to miss any one of our 14 amazing friends.

Go DeForest! Go Beyond Differences!

Thanks for your support.

Laura Talmus
Co-Founder & Executive Director

Charlotte –

Isabel Allende, Jonny Moseley, and Tiffany Shlain are all Inspired To Include! And this year, they're helping us celebrate National No One Eats Alone Day through our #InspiredToInclude social media campaign. Have you checked it out yet? And shared it on all your social media platforms?

Everyone all over the country – celebrities and people just like you and me – are coming together to portray a simple message: inclusion is important now more than ever!

Over 2,500 schools all across the U.S. will be celebrating National No One Eats Alone Day on Friday, February 14! We love that it falls this year on Valentine's Day. 

I hope you'll join us in celebrating by sharing our message, a message of love and acceptance we all deserve. I know my daughter, Lili, would have loved to celebrate with her classmates!

Warmest regards,

Laura Talmus
co-Founder & Executive Director

P.S. Beyond Differences is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. We would not have reached this milestone without you!

Dear friends of Beyond Differences,

We all know what to do by now: wash your hands, watch the news, stay safe, stay indoors, and, if you do go out – stay 6 feet away from the person you pass by!

But do you know what to do to avoid social isolation for yourself and your family while coping with the new realities of living indoors?

Beyond Differences has been innovating programs for children, parents and teachers on how to create connections, acceptance and inclusion for over ten years. We know what to do. Even now.

And with schools being closed, it''s more important than ever that we adults model for our children how to create connections by practicing these strategies ourselves and encouraging them to do the same!

So, take a deep breath and maybe try one or two of our 15 Tips to help your family stay connected with others – no matter what your age, we promise you they will work.

Some of these are simple and obvious – but the key to building community and ending social isolation starts with a first step.

1. Text a friend or relative and ask how they''re doing.
2. Like and comment on a friend''s post, leave kind messages, acknowledge them, let them know they are seen and appreciated, especially someone who doesn''t always get a lot of attention online.
3. Video chat with your friends and relatives.
4. Send a friendly snap or group text to your classmates and friends.
5. Reach out to an old friend you haven''t spoken to in a while and just say "hi."
6. Use the No One Eats Alone® Conversation Cards to create a fun group chat activity or post online and invite others to join in using the hashtag #IsolatedNotAlone.
7. Set up a webinar or FaceTime or skype and host a virtual party or study group.
8. It''s your time to shine! Share your talents. Create a video or go live on social media and teach a new skill.
9. Create a virtual book club using a chat group or schedule a webinar.
10. Set up a phone or text tree and have each person check on three people every day.
11. Play online games with others. Encourage students to invite a new friend to play the game, maybe someone from school who they haven''t yet had the chance to get to know very well.
12. Come together on Zoom or FaceTime to play music together.
13. Post something positive on social media that might bring hope to others during this stressful time.
14. Post a photo on Instagram or through a group text. Invite your friends to write a story together. Select the type of story (fairytale, historical, fiction). Write an introduction sentence to prompt creativity then tag a friend. Each person gets to add one line to the story and tag another friend. For students, the goal is to include everyone in your class.
15. Take the Pledge to Be Kind Online. Complete the statement: "I pledge to #BeKindOnline by..." and share on social media.

Why not add your own ideas by posting them to #bekindonline? We plan to send out a new list every few days!

Yours with respect and admiration,

Laura, Sally, Laurel, David, Louise, Eva, Sheri, Karina, and Lisette
The staff of Beyond Differences

Dear friends,

We''ve never been to a Virtual Gala before, have you?

It''s turning out to be a lot of work, but we would feel so much better if we could do this together!

So please sign up here (for free!) and join Beyond Differences'' first-ever virtual fundraising event on Friday, May 15 at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST – which just happens to be National Be Kind Online Day – and support our initiatives to end social isolation among middle school youth.

Thank you and sending appreciation,

Laura Talmus and Ace Smith
Co-Founders

Dear Charlotte,

The grande finale of our eight-week Master Chef Cooking Class series has finally arrived with none other than the world-renowned French chef, Dominique Crenn!

There is still time to sign up for Wednesday, November 18th at 5 pm PST. Please join us!

Dominique is the only female chef in America to attain three Michelin stars for her restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, California. The 2-course menu has been especially created to be prepared at home and all ingredients will be sent to you as soon as you sign up!

Most of all, the experience of learning alongside Chef Crenn is personal and intimate, an extraordinary opportunity only provided to our guests! As usual, our fabulous host and emcee, Liam Mayclem, will be in the kitchen to keep the evening fun and informative.

All proceeds raised support Beyond Differences'' signature program, No One Eats Alone Day, where children learn to make connections and new friends by sharing a meal. Thank you!

See you in the kitchen,

Laura

register now

Dear Charlotte,

The CARES Act, recently passed by the federal government to stimulate the economy, includes an important but small detail that is buried in the fine print.

It provides that everyone who files taxes [and doesn''t itemize] can donate up to $300 to a charity of their choice before taxes!

That''s huge – and not just "policy wonk" language.

Real money going from your hard-earned income right to where it matters most: helping children overcome social isolation. You can feel great knowing that your money is going to a well-run organization like Beyond Differences.

The four of us are proud to be Co-Chairs of this year''s Virtual Gala coming up this Friday and we hope you will sign up now to join us for free. The 1-hour event starts 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST. You can raise your virtual paddle and donate whatever you can afford – $300 would be amazing but $5 works, too! And there will be a few auction items you might enjoy.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed will be joining us live. We have a special musical presentation, too.

You can register here. But if you can''t make it to the gala, please donate here.

Sending all our appreciation,

Miguel, Alex, Ed, and Carol

Dear Charlotte,

I am proud of the fact that two weeks ago, our Board of Directors under the leadership of Alan Loving and Michaela Simpson, issued a statement entitled Ending Racism Begins in Middle School which speaks to the fact that our country is not only experiencing the worst social and economic upheavals of the last 50 years [but that] the impacts of racism, economic inequality, and disparities in health and education are injustices that are directly affecting our children and must be stood up against.

I hope you will read it. And while this is a good first step, much more needs to be done.

Beyond Differences is small but feisty. You know that about us because we have been fighting all forms of discrimination these last ten years. We seek to create a world in which every young person is accepted, respected, valued, and included by their peers no matter what their difference.

Here is what Beyond Differences is doing next and I share these with you hoping that, should you be running a non-profit or a business of any size, you will do, too:

1. We moved a portion of our organization''s operating reserves ($250,000) to OneUnited Bank, a Black-owned bank based in Boston, Massachusetts.
2. We adopted Juneteenth as an annual paid holiday for our staff of eight full-time employees.
3. We have created a partnership with Community Youth Center of San Francisco, a non-profit that serves over 8,000 youth each year addressing the needs of low-income, high-need, and at-risk Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI), Latino and Black youth. Our partnership has resulted in Stand Up for AAPI Youth During COVID, a school initiative, and a national advocacy campaign to put an end to the racist remarks and traumatic effects of those remarks against AAPI children because some in our country refer to the coronavirus as the "Kung flu" and much worse.
4. We are serving on the California Department of Education''s Statewide Task on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and the Washington, D.C.-based Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness (CESIL) Steering Committee to add our voice about the effects of social isolation on youth.

We have a few more ideas brewing. There is so much more to be done. We cannot forget this pain and move on without a serious commitment from all of us to stay focused.

I could say I feel passionate about this work because I am the grandmother of a precious 6-month old grandson, or because of the 3.5 million children who attend schools in the United States in which our programs are used, but that wouldn''t honestly be the entire answer.

I feel passionate about this work because that''s who I am and that''s the world in which I want to live for, hopefully, the many years I still have left.

This is personal. I hope you will join me and take personal action, too.

Sending gratitude,

Laura Talmus
Executive Director and Co-founder

Dear Charlotte,

I''m so proud of Beyond Differences for all the ways in which we have responded to the COVID-19 crisis, the most recent one being gutsy enough to pull off a Virtual Gala last Friday evening, May 15.

We did it – and the reviews have been fantastic!

Thanks to all of you who registered, attended, and donated. Thanks, too, to San Francisco Mayor London Breed, and singer-songwriter Michael Franti and his wife, Sara, for inspiring us with their words and music. And our loudest cheers always go to our Teen Board of Directors, leaders in the movement to end social isolation, even as they are sheltering in place themselves. They walk the talk every day with their courage and dedication!

To our donors, friends, and supporters: thank you for your generosity of time, talent, and treasure. We could not accomplish all we have without you. Let''s keep it going!

A Huge Thank You to our Donors

Click here.

See you at the next event,

Laura Talmus
Executive Director and Co-founder

Dear Charlotte,

You "inspire us to include" by supporting Beyond Differences!

Two weeks ago, students in more than 2,500 middle schools across the country joined in National No One Eats Alone® Day. These student-led lunchtime events are helping to end social isolation and create new connections.

Beyond Differences provides these life-changing toolkits and all the supplies, free of charge!

Over 125 national and local media outlets covered No One Eats Alone school events, leading to thousands of mentions on social media and raising even more awareness about the importance of connection and belonging.

No One Eats Alone is made possible by people like you.

Every dollar we raise at this year''s annual event, "Inspired to Include," will help our innovative programs reach even more schools in the coming year.

Thank you for being our partner and please save April 23, 2020, to attend the Beyond Differences 10th Annual Gala in San Francisco. Or donate online and make this your annual gift.

Beyond Differences: Making Inclusion the New Cool in Middle Schools.

With appreciation,

Laura Talmus and Ace Smith
Co-founders

Dear Charlotte,

A week ago, a good friend of mine asked if my daughter, Lili (in whose honor we founded Beyond Differences ten years ago) ever met Senator Kamala Harris?

I smiled and thought, of course she did. Many times. Many meaningful, personal, and special times.

Lili was only nine years old when Kamala first ran for San Francisco District Attorney. Every Saturday morning, Lili and I would arrive at the campaign HQ in the Bayview Hunter''s Point neighborhood to receive our "get-out-the-vote" orders. We would take our ironing board, our stack of brochures, and go where we were assigned. And we stayed until every last brochure was given away.

The sweetest night was election night 2003 when Kamala won her race. Lili was such a Kamala fan that you would have thought Lili won the election! My daughter''s face beamed with joy!

Over the ensuing years, Kamala and her family came to many of our life celebrations and tragedies: Lili’s Bat Mitzvah in 2007. Lili’s funeral in 2009. Kamala came to all three of our first, second, and third fundraising events to launch Beyond Differences in 2010, 2011, and 2012.

I''ve lost count. She''s always been there: calling me each Mother''s Day, on all my birthdays, and every anniversary of Lili''s death. That''s just the way Kamala is.

Kamala is our United States Senator and a close family friend. The kind of friend that never forgets to reach out and tell you she cares. She also inspires me to stay strong during this racially divided and frightening time our country is enduring.

Two days before Joe Biden picked her as his running mate, she filmed a video for Beyond Differences to promote our Stand Up for AAPI Youth During COVID campaign calling for an end to racist and xenophobic behavior against Asian Pacific Islander children and their families. She called Andrew Yang, former Presidential candidate, and asked him to participate in the campaign, too, and he said yes! Watch the #StandUp4AAPIYouth Press Conference.

Somehow, if Kamala Harris can find time to care about this issue, I''m hoping you will, too. We need your support for all the schools using our Know Your Classmates curriculum.

Please donate here and help us keep this free of charge! Thank you very much.

Laura Talmus
Executive Director and Co-Founder

MAKE A CONTRIBUTION

Dear Charlotte,

Are you suffering from Zoom fatigue? Too many Zoom calls and meetings? We get it!

How about a Zoom experience that is 100% fun and helps a great non-profit at the same time?

Yes! That''s us, Beyond Differences, and we want you to join us next Wednesday, October 14 at 5 p.m. PST for our fourth in a series of We Dine Together Master Chefs Cooking Classes.

Next up is Chef Heena Patel, owner, founder, and executive chef of Besharam in San Francisco!

Here''s what''s on the menu:

1st Course – Fafda (hand-stretched chickpea cracker)

2nd Course – Tamarind Spiced Stuffed Chilies with Kadhi (yogurt dip)

The most innovative Indian cuisine is yours to cook and enjoy if you sign up here!

While you''re thinking of it, check out these great photos from this weeks'' class with Waterbar Restaurant.

We hope you will join us and look forward to seeing you in the kitchen.

RSVP NOW

With appreciation,

Laura and Ace
Co-Founders

Dear Charlotte,

To be perfectly honest, I don''t watch many cooking classes and I''m not a fabulous cook (although I was very popular for my after school grilled cheese sandwiches for my kids and their friends!) but yesterday''s first We Dine Together Home Edition 2020 cooking class with Chef Antelmo Faria of Uma Casa made me feel like a great chef.

And it was so much fun! Ace and I had a blast and we know you will, too!

Please join us for next week''s class with Chef Francis Ang from Pinoy Heritage. Chef Ang will be teaching us to prepare Pork Lumpia with Mango Ketchup and Dungeness Crab Pancit (homemade noodles) with Late Summer Market Vegetables.

The chefs always give us alternative ingredients and we will send you the recipes as early as this evening if you sign up right now!

So let''s get shopping and cooking and meet us on Zoom next Wednesday, September 30, at 5 p.m. Pacific.

With appreciation,

Laura Talmus
Executive Director and Co-founder

sign up now

Dear Charlotte –

Whether you plan to join us at the Virtual Gala tomorrow night or not – you can still be a part of the fun and support our mission!

Our auction features many great items and anyone can bid on them starting at 9:00 A.M. (PST) tomorrow morning! Sign up here.

Still time to register or donate

Some of our wonderful items, listed below, include the rescheduled BottleRock 2020 outdoor food and music festival in Napa, a California Golf package that lets your tee up at the Pelican Hill Golf Retreat and Meadow Club, No One Eats (or drinks) Alone BBQ and, a Wine Collection to soothe anyone Sheltering in Place!

Here''s more info on these wonderful packages:

1. BottleRock 2020!: Our friend and auctioneer Liam Mayclem is donating his own 3-day VIP passes for two lucky people to enjoy the full offerings of the most popular and incredibly fun outdoor music and food festival in Napa – Bottlerock! Your weekend will include a 2-night stay at the luxurious Silverado Resort and backstage access to the Food Stage which is emceed by none other than Liam himself. Get ready to rock, laugh, and eat and drink yourself merry!
2. A California Golf Package: Tee Up with this amazing duo of golf experiences on the California Coast. Starting from SoCal in Newport Beach, you''ll take to the links at Pelican Hill Golf Retreat, rated the #1 golf resort in the world by the readers of AT. With million-dollar ocean views and pristine grass, you''ve scored a round for 4 players, plus lunch for 4 at the Pelican Grill. Then, head up to Marin County to enjoy the breathtaking course at The Meadow Club including lunch with your host, Stephen Swire. We''re betting golf lovers will be "green" with envy at whoever wins this package!
3. Wine to Ease Shelter in Place: Pull up a socially-distant chair near someone special and enjoy this curated collection of wines from rare wine collector, John Bloch of Marin County. This is John''s sixth year of donating his favorite bottles to Beyond Differences! Included in this year''s collection is 1 bottle of a 2012 -6 litre J.Daniel Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon from Lail vineyards, 1 bottle of a 2007 Mole Hill- 3 litre from Cabernet Sauvignon Lail Vineyards, and lastly a box containing 3 -750 liter bottles of 2007 Colgin 1X estate Cabernet (rated at 97). Don''t miss out!
4. NOEA BBQ at Laura and Ace''s: No One Eats (or drinks!) Alone when you come to Laura and Ace''s Marin County home. Help solve a murder mystery while enjoying a delicious BBQ feast for up to 20 guests prepared by Beyond Differences co-founder Ace Smith, a renowned BBQ chef with his special La Caja China BBQ pit. Wine pairings by Ed Lehrman, owner of Vine Connections. We may ask you to come in costume so get ready for an unforgettable experience!

If you''ve been to any of our events before, you know how fun they are – and how fast everything goes. So get started right now! We know times are precarious and we are figuring it all out together – but let''s try and stay positive and look towards a brighter future with music, golf, great food, and one another.

We look forward to having your participation in the Virtual Gala 2020 auction. Thank you to our Beyond Differences friends and community. Your support means the world to us!

Laura Talmus
Co-founder & Executive Director

Dear Charlotte:

Slowly but surely, my inbox is starting to fill up with fundraising requests from dozens of non-profits, and not just from those working directly to alleviate the pain and suffering from the COVID-19 crisis. I bet yours are, too.

I totally understand the need to ask for money. As the Executive Director of Beyond Differences, I look at our bank balance every day and think about how to stay afloat and not furlough or terminate any of my staff.

So far so good!

I am proud to say that Beyond Differences, thanks to your past generosity and some pretty good budgeting and managing on our parts, have allowed us to keep our present staff in place and – as importantly – keep innovating new ways to address ending social isolation by inspiring student leaders to take action.

Did you know that there are 110,547 nonprofits in California? According to a recent opinion piece, which appeared last week in the Marin Independent Journal written by Linda Jacobs, CEO of the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership, a 2019 report issued by Causes Count states that

"the nonprofit sector generates $273.7 billion in annual revenue. One in every 14 California jobs is at a nonprofit accounting for seven percent of all employment. Nonprofits rank third-largest by wages among key industries and the fourth largest by number of jobs, more than finance and insurance, wholesale trade or construction.

The majority of nonprofits have budgets of less than $50,000."

I was caught off-guard by that fact, knowing how hard it is to stay afloat. And I thought we were small.

Beyond Differences'' annual operating budget is only $1.4M—if we stand on our tippy-toes. Our fiscal year will be winding to a close on June 30, 2020, so we, like other non-profits, have prepared for different scenarios.

In the meantime, here''s what we are doing to stay aligned with our ever-increasingly important mission to end social isolation through inspiring student leadership:

1. We''re moving all our teachers'' curriculum onto video platforms with our high school Teen Board leaders recording themselves teaching the lesson plans for teachers to use online if they choose. Students inspiring students, especially older to younger ones.
2. We''re partnering with for-profits and non-profits around the country to create a student-led forum for teens to virtually meet with other teens and share their experiences and offer support to one another during the shelter-in-place order. What''s been missing amidst all the good advice is the student''s voice. Beyond Differences are experts in promoting student voice.
3. We''re creating bite-sized pieces of curriculum for teachers to use all across the country, especially as our last national awareness day of the school year, Be Kind Online, is being celebrated on Friday, May 15^.
4. We''re publishing "Tips for Teens, Parents, and Teachers" on how to foster connection while being socially isolated. They are all available on our website.

And as important, we are worrying about the emotional needs of our children when they return to school in the fall having been uniformly socially isolated from one another!

Our staff has so much talent and – regardless of how small we are – Beyond Differences always thinks big.

We will continue to innovate, create and publish for free all the resources we have developed in alignment with our mission to end social isolation.

Please keep connected to us and we promise to share just enough, but not too much, information about what we''re doing to stay afloat and not become a statistic of another non-profit that didn''t make it.

We are strong, thanks to your support. Please let me know if you have any questions about our current situation and please be generous when we do ask. But not yet.

I am also wishing you and your family a happy holiday weekend whether you celebrate Passover or Easter!

Sending gratitude,

Laura Talmus
Co-Founder & Executive Director

P.S. Just this week The 74, a non-profit news site, interviewed one of our teen board members, Alex Paloglou, about our increased dependence on social media. You can read more here Being Kind Online Takes On New Urgency as Socially Isolated Kids and Teens Find It''s Their Only Destination.

Dear Charlotte –

My name is Liam Mayclem and I am a proud supporter of Beyond Differences for many years. I am once again the auctioneer and MC of Beyond Differences'' virtual gala on May 15, at 5 p.m. PST – coming straight to your living room!

Have you registered yet? We''re just about a week away and I cannot wait for you to join us and to introduce our special guests we''ve got lined up. Watch my video below for more information.

For more than ten years, Beyond Differences has been dedicated to ending social isolation and ensuring no child ever feels isolated or alone. By making sure our curriculum is student-led and teacher-approved, our Positive Prevention Initiatives, like No One Eats Alone, Know Your Classmates, and Be Kind Online, are inspiring a cultural and behavioral shift in middle schools – and online – across the country.

You can help us continue the work and make this online event an incredible success by participating. If you cannot make the event but still want to support Beyond Differences, feel free to donate here.

I hope you''ll join me for this special event on May 15 starting at 5 P.M. (PST)/ 8 P.M. (EST).

Thank you for showing up for our kids when it matters.

Cheers,

Liam Mayclem

Dear Charlotte,

Traveling to Portugal may be a bit impossible right now, but why not take a detour through your palates and experience Portuguese cooking in your own home!

Meet San Francisco''s beloved chef Antelmo Faria from Uma Casa Restaurant. Or, better yet, let our co-host and friend, KPIX-TV''s on-air celebrity, Liam Mayclem introduce you to him!

The Master Chef cooking classes start this Wednesday, September 23, at 5 p.m. Pacific. Chef Telmo has selected his favorite menu items for us: Caldo Verde Soup AND Arroz de Marisco.

Paired with our wine partner, Drinkpourtal.com''s premium selection of Chilean wine, you won''t want to miss this week''s class!

Sign up here for one or the whole series of eight!

Meet us in the kitchen! Bring three friends and each of you will get a special gift from Beyond Differences. Can''t wait to see you!

With appreciation,

Laura Talmus
Co-Founder & Executive Director

Dear Charlotte,

For a little organization, we sure make a lot of noise!

We hope you heard our happy screams and yelling all the way from our home to yours inviting you to visit our Beyond Differences website TODAY, April 23, to hear and see our Big Announcement!

Please join with the thousands of teachers, students, parents, and supporters of Beyond Differences from across the country who are also taking a look! Why?

We have big plans and we need your help!

You are part of our close-knit family, helping students every day in school – and now more than ever, while they are at home each day – to face the challenge of social isolation.

Together, we can inspire middle school students to end social isolation – even while sheltering in place.

Imagine the day when students do return to school and fully embrace one another with the hugs and squeals they''ve missed so badly. No one should ever have to feel alone again.

We will be ready – we''ve been doing this for 10 years.

But we can''t do this without you!

Sending thanks and love,

Laura Talmus
Co-founder and Executive Director

Dear Charlotte,

We are all high school students serving on the Beyond Differences^TM Teen Board of Directors!

All of us are feeling different emotions these last couple of weeks and we know it''s not going to ease up any time soon.

So we came up with a few ideas to share with you that make us happy and feeling connected and we hope you might come up with your own or try some of these!

Especially now, the best thing we can do for one another is be a better friend and make sure no one feels socially isolated while hanging out at home.

20 TIPS FOR TEENS BY TEENS

1. Text a friend you haven''t talked to in a while/moved/lost contact with.
2. Play a game over FaceTime such as Heads Up, Yahtzee, Go Fish, Truth or Dare (you can get creative with this one).
3. Choreograph a brand new TikTok dance with a friend or group of classmates/or learn one.
4. Make a friendship bracelet and then mail it to a friend or someone having a hard time being isolated.
5. Make postcards and send them to friends.
6. Use "one second a day app" to record each day.
7. Take turns making dinner with the rest of your family.
8. Help younger siblings feel included (set up Skype for them to see friends, build forts, bake, etc.).
9. Encourage your younger siblings to reach out to 3-5 people they don''t usually connect with, someone who might not have as many people checking in on them, text them and say hi!
10. Invite a classmate to join an exercise class (lots of free programs/challenges that span a few weeks).
11. Get your school sports team together and do virtual group workouts.
12. Send your friends voice memos, letting them know what you appreciate most about them. They get to save it and replay it!
13. Watch live-feed online concerts together (lots of musicians are holding these).
14. Write down your thoughts, fears, and ideas in a journal. Encourage others who feel disconnected and anxious to do the same.
15. Learn or teach someone a new craft, such as macramé, henna designs, making dream catchers or bath balms.
16. Start a Zoom book club.
17. Challenge friends to games on Xbox or other gaming platforms.
18. Get a group of friends together and start a 30-Day Challenge. Check-in and hold each other accountable. Show your progress on Instagram.
19. Create a podcast with your friends.
20. Get a group of friends together and work on a video project. We made a video on activities you can do to keep busy while social distancing!

With love from Beyond Differences,

Chiqui, Laura, Javonte, Paris, Geo, Sally, Sophia, Alex, Clara, Philip, Sicily, Michael, Noah, Quinn, Alder, Hannah, Ella, Mika, Leila, Sarah, Alex, Raffis, Mia, Mackenzie, Akya, Sarah, and Georgia!

P.S. Those of us who live in Portland, Oregon, made a short video for you to see. Maybe you can get together with your friends and others who may be without friends and make one, too?

Dear Charlotte,

Truth be told, you really want to break your pandemic-no-carb-diet, don''t you? So, why not step into the kitchen and cheat a little? We promise not to tell!

Fifth in our series of eight Master Chef We Dine Together Home Edition cooking classes, we are going to enjoy a one-hour cooking class with Chef Tony Gemignani, the most famous and acclaimed pizza thrower in the world, on Wednesday, October 21, at 5 p.m. PST.

Sign up here!

Tony''s Pizza Neapolitano, located in San Francisco''s North Beach neighborhood, instantly draws out the "oohs and ahhs" from anyone who''s ever experienced his mouth-watering pizza. And Tony is a 13-time world champion pizza professional and a fun, creative, and expert pizza connoisseur!

Personally, I can''t wait to see our emcee, Foodie Chap Liam Mayclem, in the kitchen with Chef Tony. We may just see a comedy show and a cooking class at the same time!

On the menu are White Truffle Pizza, Jersey Tomato Pie with Italian Sausage, and Cal Italia Pizza. Let us know if you have any dietary restrictions, we can accommodate you.

Sending our best and hope to see you soon,

Laura and the Beyond Differences Team

MMMM...PIZZA

Dear Charlotte,

Meet Alex Paloglou, a junior at San Rafael High School in Marin County, California.

Alex is one of the 100 Teen Board members volunteering with Beyond Differences. We honor and appreciate him – as we do all of our high school teens from Oakland, Portland, San Mateo, and Marin Counties – because each is passionate about helping younger middle school students end social isolation for all their classmates.

That''s the beauty of Beyond Differences – students inspiring other students. High schoolers to middle schoolers. Middle schoolers to one another. All recognizing that everyone needs to feel valued, accepted, included, and respected by their peers.

Alex''s song, which you can watch here, brought a smile to my face and a few tears to my eyes because I know he brings out the best in all of us: caring, brave, always thinking of others, and making the most of sheltering in place!

Please help us keep the Teen Board program – a four-year leadership training for high school students – free of charge by supporting Beyond Differences.

Join me at our first-ever free Virtual Gala on Friday evening, May 15 at 5 p.m. PST/ 8 p.m. EST even for just 30 minutes. It will be a lot of fun and we''re excited!

Doesn''t our world need more Alexs? I think it does. And this year alone, we''ve got 100 more just like him.

Sending appreciation,

Laura Talmus
Co-founder and Executive Director

Dear Charlotte,

Did you know that a ploy is a cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one''s own advantage?

Okay – guilty as charged!

My ploy is to entice you to come to our Beyond Differences website on Thursday, April 23, 2020, for our EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT.

That day – as many of you had on your calendar – was going to be the 10th Anniversary celebration of our founding. A party called Inspired to Include and we had the whole evening planned out with Teen Board presentations, awards, moving videos, and more – all to take place at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

Even though we cannot be together in person, we have a very cool alternative and we are revealing it to you on that day anyway!

So please join us on Thursday, April 23 by going to beyonddifferences.org or follow #InspiredToInclude on social media. We need your support now more than ever.

For the students who are all sheltering in place, for the ones who had few or no friends before this crisis, for those who need connection and acceptance, please remember our mission to inspire students in all middle schools throughout the nation, to end social isolation, and to create a culture of belonging.

We can do this no matter where we are: home, school, or online.

Thank you and I hope to "see" you on April 23!

Laura Talmus
Co-Founder & Executive Director

Dear Charlotte –

It is with great sorrow but a profound sense of responsibility for the safety of our community that the Beyond Differences Board of Directors has reached the decision to postpone the Inspired to Include 10th Anniversary Gala scheduled to be held at the Palace of Fine Arts on April 23, 2020.

We do expect to revive the Gala (or a wonderful, comparable event) at a more appropriate time in the future.

We promise to keep you posted. The coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis is a day-by-day, week-by-week, situation for which none of us have clear answers except that we place our highest value on the safety of our teens and all of you.

Because this event raises nearly one-third of our operating budget, we are asking you to contribute generously to Beyond Differences. Your support is essential in continuing to run student leadership programs this school year.

Please know that our staff, board, and volunteers appreciate your generosity and support of Beyond Differences.

Warmest regards,

Laura Talmus
Co-Founder & Executive Director

Dear Charlotte,

Nothing is more important at this time than to follow all the clear guidelines of the State of California to avoid exposure.

We wanted to share a few ideas about how you can support our loved ones, the elderly, and our valuable small business friends in this time of crisis.

Let''s make sure those who are isolated do not eat alone – we can help keep one another company by eating together virtually.

Here are some easy ideas:

Make time every day to pick up the phone and call five seniors whom you know and check in on them. It will make both of you feel great!

Consider hosting a virtual dinner party and "invite friends" to share a delicious meal (in the safety of their own home) with food prepared by one of our amazing local restaurants?

Treat someone else to a delicious meal and have it delivered to their home and "sit down for dinner" together by FaceTime or other technology?

Every one of the restaurants below are small businesses who sponsor our annual We Dine Together fundraising event and help Beyond Differences^TM raise money for our most popular school lunch program, No One Eats Alone Day^TM.

Let''s give our restaurant partners a hand-up during these tough times by patronizing them!

With affection and sending strength and safety to you and your family,

Laura Talmus & Ace Smith
Co-Founders

Dear Charlotte,

Making inclusion the new cool in middle school. Ending social isolation. Inspiring youth to be leaders.

That''s the Beyond Differences way!

Join us as we celebrate our 10th anniversary at our Inspired to Include Spring Gala on April 23, 2020. You''ll see why we are the most popular organization in the country focused on changing the culture of middle school and creating a sense of acceptance and belonging for everyone. Please buy your tickets and sponsorships here!

We are proud to serve as the Gala Co-Chairs of this event and hope you can join us in supporting the incredibly creative and effective programs that Beyond Differences has pioneered over the last decade to catch social isolation before it becomes an even bigger epidemic of loneliness, depression, self-harm, and community violence.

Since our founding, we have worked with over 6,100 schools, impacting nearly 4 million students! All our materials are free of charge to allow equal access to all teachers and their students.

Please take a look at the sponsorship options, ranging from a $275 individual ticket to a $25,000 premiere package! This year, we also added an $80 individual ticket for our NextGen guests. And an opportunity to sponsor a teacher attending the gala, even if you can''t attend in person.

Each year, our annual spring event raises $500,000, which allows us to send over 2,500 free No One Eats Alone™ toolkits to schools in all 50 states.

As we write this, we just saw 2,500 schools participate in our Valentine''s Day celebration of No One Eats Alone Day. We can''t help but think back on our founding story about Lili Rachel Smith, a local middle schooler who felt so socially isolated every day that she called her mom begging to be picked up from school because there was no one to eat lunch with her. She would have been so excited to celebrate No One Eats Alone with her classmates! Let''s make sure there are no more stories about Lili Rachel Smith in your community.

Come join us in person on Thursday, April 23, 2020, at The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Thank you for considering our request. We are so grateful to you!

Warmest regards,

Carol and Ed Lehrman, Gala Co-Chairs

P.S. If you''re unable to join us in person, we would truly appreciate you considering making a tax-deductible donation to Beyond Differences.

Dear Charlotte,

We''ve finally arrived at the last few days of what''s been a difficult year for all of us. Our hopes and prayers for your family''s health and well-being are in our hearts and we wish for all of us a joyous and safer new year!

We are Two Wise Guys, so we have an important tax tip for you:

Did you know that the CARES Act, passed earlier this year by the federal government to stimulate the economy, also includes an important but small detail that is buried in the fine print?

It provides that everyone who files taxes [and doesn''t even itemize] can donate up to $300 to a charity of their choice before taxes!

It''s a great opportunity and we offer our advice to each of you, "Why not take advantage of donating $300 to a charity like Beyond Differences rather than lose this automatic deduction?"

DONATE NOW

Your tax dollars will be going to support a great organization that is literally helping children overcome social isolation. We hope you agree, and we thank you in advance. Let us know if you have any questions?

Be on the lookout for Tip #2 coming your way soon!

PS. Beyond Differences was just awarded a huge honor by being selected as the only middle school-grade program in the Social & Emotional Learning Research Abstract published in October 2020 by The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)—the gold standard for SEL school curriculum! Read the study here.

Dear Charlotte,

The other day an acquaintance of ours, someone who had never donated to Beyond Differences before, called and said he was ready to make a year-end gift of stock.

He was so pleased about our recent news that Beyond Differences'' evidence-based research study had been published in a scientific abstract. As a former teacher, he appreciated that our middle school programs are rigorous and measurable.

And just that quickly, he donated stock – an incredible surprise gift. We are so, so grateful.

So here is our Tip #2: you can do this, too!

Would you consider donating appreciated stock to Beyond Differences through your financial institution with a Donor-Advised Fund? You will also gain a 2020 tax deduction this year on the entire value.

It''s that easy.

The staff at Beyond Differences is ready to work with you and accept your generous gift!

Please take advantage of this important and easy way to donate any amount of shares to Beyond Differences today. We hope you will it on or before December 31st.

Don''t all of us want to do good and feel good at the same time?

With appreciation and wishing you a happy and healthy new year,