"It Takes a Village To Raise a Child." Cabrini Connections is dedicated to helping build the village.

Cabrini Connections provides an organized framework that empowers and encourages adult volunteers to give their time, effort, ideas and advocacy in seeking life-changing solutions for children living in educationally and economically disadvantaged environments such as the Cabrini-Green housing development in Chicago.

The Tutor/Mentor Connection, a Cabrini project, is about kids. It's about mentor-rich programs where kids can connect with adults, learn skills, be safe, and find the support to help them climb the ladder to a career. While many efforts are aimed at mobilizing mentors, Tutor/Mentor is aimed at building and sustaining a "village" of great tutor/mentor programs, making sure there are enough of these programs, and that they are where they are most needed. As part of this strategy, Tutor/Mentor is working to create a flow of resources (volunteers, dollars, training, equipment, media attention) into every neighborhood, not just the most visible ones, so that ALL of these programs can be more successful for the many years it takes to build the village, and to raise the child.

Clearly, these goals are in harmony with those of Greenstar. Therefore, Cabrini Connections is now a Greenstar Premium Partner. This means that, when you visit the Greenstar website as you're doing now, and make a purchase, a portion of the proceeds will be paid to this fine organization.

Everybody wins. You get some extraordinary, unusual and thoughtful gifts to use for holidays, birthdays, for your home, or to mark any special occasion. Cabrini gains support for its important projects and Greenstar 's international projects, based in developing countries, also benefit.

So, who is Greenstar?

Greenstar is founded on a simple idea: that people, no matter where they live, have the same basic needs: for food, shelter, caring for their children and families, building their future, leading a life of learning, creativity and dignity. Where people in emerging nations don't enjoy the social and economic conditions to support these basic needs, all they need is the tools to grow by themselves, some assistance and startup resources.

And then they need everyone else to get out of the way.

Greenstar's concrete approach to delivering on this promise is also very simple: a self-contained, solar-powered, Web-connected community center. Including a medical clinic and telemedicine connections, a classroom, a commercial-grade photovoltaic solar power array, and a satellite dish for telecommunications.

Then, make it self-financing through ecommerce on the Internet.

We create a commercial website to market products from the village worldwide, and promote the site to nearly 200 million people who work, shop and learn on the Web every day. Allow them to connect with the people in the villages by email. The people in the village will decide for themselves how to use the income to improve their lives.

In a few months, a village can advance 1000 years, from a position where there is no electricity, no telephone or computer, no clean water, little medical or educational support, and little income, to a position where they are independent, growing, and connected to the world community.

A trial installation is underway on the West Bank, in a remote Palestinian village, with great success. To learn more, see http://www.greenstar.org/newsletter.htm

What do these people have to offer that you would be interested in -- for holiday gifts, for your home or office?

A surprising variety of beautiful and unique items -- from the historic Hebron area, which figures strongly in the scriptural events of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Gorgeous brassware; subtle glassware and ceramics; finely-formed pottery.

And their culture -- live music recorded recently in the village, with extraordinary Bedouin sounds from a tradition more than 5000 years old. You can get a free sample of this amazing music by clicking here.

We also developed a gallery of artwork produced by the children and adults of the community, which shows a startling clarity of vision, and fine artistic balance. These digital products can be downloaded direct to your computer, where within minutes you'll hear amazing music and see stunning artwork. Find out more by clicking here.

Cabrini Connections was formed in 1992 by a team of volunteers with a long history of tutoring the elementary students of Cabrini-Green. The group's initial commitment was to form a Kids' Connection that would provide a full range of adult support to help teens living in one of Chicago's public housing neighborhoods move more successfully from 7th grade to a career. The Tutor/Mentor Connection (T/MC) was developed during 1993 and launched in 1994 to serve as a research and resource building arm of the Kids' Connection, and to help similar programs throughout the city grow and expand.

The Kids' Connection combines tutoring, mentoring and school-to-work, with a commitment that once a child joins this program the organization will do everything it can to assure that that child completes high school and enters a career. This vision is remarkably similar to that of the Quantum Opportunities Program (QOP) which was reviewed by Brandeis University, and demonstrated that a comprehensive, long term program, with a core of committed adults, can make a significant difference in the outcomes of at-risk yout. The Kids' Connection is having similar results.

Make a purchase here on the Greenstar website. Or call 323-422-9602 outside the U.S. and Canada to receive a catalog by mail.

That's all. Greenstar automatically pays 8% of your total purchase, including shipping, to Cabrini Connections, which uses the funds to support its important work.

Thank you from Greenstar and Cabrini Connections.