BeFriends4One: Supporting April Friends Day

IMPASSIONED AND INSPIRED
By Jonathan E. McCoy

It has been said that “words can't hurt”, but actually they can; far more than sticks and stones. Words, in some instances can actually kill; emotionally, socially and physically. When people intimidate and ridicule others who generally cannot help themselves, and when perpetrators cause others to hurt themselves it is bullying.
One of the most disturbing things of my day is bullying; but the more it is exposed, and wrongdoers are penalized for their actions, the sooner we can stop acts of bullying one community at a time.
I understand the effects of being bullied since I have been bullied most of my life, but my parent’s support helped me to work through each ordeal, and every incident ended with the bully at least respecting my distinctiveness. Every victim of bullying is not so fortunate.
My reality of bullying became vivid when I met the mother of a boy, who like me was bullied most of his life. However, the consequences for him were far more devastating. Jeffrey Allan Michalenka’s life inspired me to share his story because he isn’t alive to tell it. You see, Jeffrey took his life at the age of 16 because he could no longer endure the agony of being bullied by those who refused to just let him be. Instead they taunted him.
On that fateful day Jeffrey returned from school and announced to his mother that it was “the worst day of my life.” Can you imagine such a thing at 16-years-of-age when life is on the brim of beginning? Though Jeffrey refused to share the details of his day, his mom later learned that he had been the subject of a horrible social network rumor that humiliated him to death. Words spoken about Jeffrey really did hurt.
After speaking at an anti-violence conference in Providence, Jeffrey’s mom, Deborah Michalenka approached me and shared how inspired she was by my presentation. After hugging me she reached in her purse and handed me with a commemorative badge Jeffrey had received from his martial arts school. I told her I couldn’t take something that I was sure meant so much to her. She told me I must receive it because my words meant so much to her. I was humbled by her kindness. I felt as if Jeffrey had died in the fight of his life and I was passed the baton to fight against the ills that trouble hundreds of thousands of youth like Jeffrey.

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” –Matthew 20:26, 27 (NIV)
I am impassioned and inspired to help and serve the need of others.

It's ! Be sure to encourage someone you know who has experienced bullying! ! 👍🏾

It's National Anti-Bullying Month! Silence bullying by becoming a friend!

Thanking God no known incidents of random bullying as a"trick" on October 31, 2013 (in my neck of the woods)!

How about in your community? Is the harvest season safe from bullying where you live?

BeFriends4One
A Campaign to make April 1st, April Friends Day

April Friends Day was born in Providence, Rhode Island by an organization called Third Eye.

The RI Third Eye project is part of Youth Crime Watch America and has become an outlet to empower the area’s young people to take an active role in shaping the world around them. For the past 2 years students from various schools and agencies in Rhode Island have joined to celebrate their differences while fostering friendships in an effort to curb bullying. On April 1st, 2011 they marched to the capitol building in Providence, RI and petitioned for legislators to constitute April 1st as April Friends Day.

On April 1, 2011 in Providence, Rhode, Island on the steps of the capitol building, April 1st became April Friends Day! I am on a mission to make April 1st, April Friends Day around the country!

As I marched with youth of Providence and presented my “Stop Pushing Me Around” oration, I was inspired to take April Friends Day to youth serving agencies, churches and schools across the country to rally youth in diverse populations to work with school officials, media personalities, police and local and state government to make April 1st, April Friends Day, and a national holiday. It will teach kids how to work together, and bring different communities together for a common goal. It would teach the power of solidarity, networking, and how to utilize our innate gifts and talents (speaking, writing, drawing, organizing, making calls, writing music) to make a difference. The real solution to bullying is empowering youth to empower each other.

BeFriends4One is a year ’round campaign that will do just that; empower youth who will empower their peers. We will continue until every state, and thousands of students, have petitioned their capitol to make April 1st, April Friends Day, and a national holiday. By yielding your venue as a platform, you will afford the opportunity for me and my peers to address this social ill in your youth serving venue, and empower youth to embrace anti-bullying. We will work with you to develop team leaders who will continue to work to foster self-respect, respect for others, and the importance of embracing differences on a day to day basis.

For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/BeFriends4One or Make It Mean Something. LLC at 301.906.6467 or [email protected].. (John E. Justice 1998)

BeFriends4One: Supporting April Friends Day April1st is most commonly known as "April Fools Day", a day bullying is personified. Make April 1st, April Friends Day by celebrating Diversity

October is anti-bullying month! What are you doing to support anti-bullying?

I Don't Know Whether To Be Sad Or Angry. But This Case Of Bullying Is Sick. In Texas, something atrocious is going on.

Its National Bullying (Anti-Bullying) Awareness Month...What are you doing to support it?

Respond to Bullying | StopBullying.gov How you respond can make an impact on bullying over time. Find out what you can do to stop it on the spot and support the kids involved. Visit StopBullying.gov.

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper and everyone who speaks against you to judge you is condemned by his own words." ~ Isaiah 54:17 Support Anti-Bullying by knowing who you are and taking a stand!

Calling all: Police, Law Enforcement Officials, Judges, Juvenile Care Workers, Counselors, Scout Leaders...We need your support. Contact [email protected].

Today marks the first day of National Anti-Bullying Month. Promote anti-bullying all month loooooooooooooooooong!