Here are summaries of some of the accounts of people’s
experiences in the Team Management and Leadership Program.

Just follow the link to see the whole article.

I got a team of 6 people together to do a parachute jump, raising money for a brighton based homeless charity. The original goal was 20 people jumping to raise £2,000 all together. We ended up raising £3,300!!! between just 6 of us!!!
read more…

“As an adopted child, I always wanted to meet my birth-mother, but
the trail was cold when I found out that the person named on my birth
certificate did not even exist! Through this program, I managed not only
to find her, but also to meet my birth-father…”
read more…

“…Since then I have been called in to negotiate on two occasions:
one where a young man had climbed onto the roof of a three-storey building…”
read more…

“I made a commitment to start an ongoing yoga project in a prison in New
York. I did not know anyone there but as I started to communicate my vision…”
read more…

“The first thing I did was to resign from my job, where I was working
7 days a week, 12 hours a day, …” read more…

“Before I joined the Program in December 2002, I was working as
a Make-up artist in films and television, and would say work was the only
important thing in my life: having a family myself was not possible because
the world is a scary place and …” read more

“I have been running my own business, developing software and designing
computer systems for over twenty years. I would have claimed to be entirely
content with my life - . But the reality was that most of the projects
I was spending my time on did not really satisfy me…
read more

I got to see how the point of view I have of myself, that ‘I’m
just a loser and my life will never work out the way I want it to,’
had total control over me. And while it was really upsetting to see, …”
read more…

“Although I have played electric guitar since the age of 15, before
I participated in any Landmark courses I had not played in a rock band.
….” read more…

“Believing that there is hope for the world that we live in. Believing
that my life can make a difference …” read
more…

“So some people may think that the magic of the Program finishes
when you leave the course. Wrong! …” read
more..

YIPPEE !!! I have won my game, with freedom, ease and barely a drama in sight!!

I got a team of 6 people together to do a parachute jump, raising money for a brighton based homeless charity. The original goal was 20 people jumping to raise £2,000 all together. We ended up raising £3,300!!! between just 6 of us!!! A Game well and truely won.

The money is providing the homeless service users to do activities they have never had the chance to do, and self development workshops and life skill seminars. This game has been sooo much fun, I got to throw myself out of a plane, at 12,000 ft, with my husband and some of my best friends and raise a great sum of money, creating opportunities for others.

What had my game happen with complete freedom and ease was enrollment from the very beginning and then the whole team being accountable and causing eachother. Thankyou to the whole team for who you all are, I acknowledge you all, my life continues to suprise me how amazing it is and you are all a big part of that now and always will..LARA.

Truckin for Katrina: Michigan Families Adopting Gulf Coast Families Affected by Hurricane Katrina

Not long after Hurricane Katrina hit, Sherrill Sundberg learned that one of her neighbors had 4 separate family members who each lost their homes. She was participating in the Landmark Team Management and Leadership Program. Utilizing the concepts learned from her Self Expression and Leadership Program Project she immediately knew what she was going to do for her next project which included enrolling and inspiring a team to fulfill on the “Rebirth of New Orleans” Project she created.

Over 100,000 people literally lost everything they had in Katrina and now nearly two years later, the scope of the need has barely diminished. Like most people Sherrill wanted to do whatever she could to contribute to the relief effort. Her initial goal in her community project was to get donations for the households for the 4 relatives of her neighbor.

While attending her next Landmark Education weekend of the Team Management and Leadership Program she initially created “Christmas in New Orleans”. This was to invite 4 leaders to provide Christmas for the 4 original families by determining: 3 gifts each person wanted, what they would like to wear and what they would like to have for a Christmas dinner. She was challanged by another participant to expand the scope of her project. She accepted and soon the project exploded such that 25 families received “ Christmas in New Orleans”. In total, 25 leaders and 250 families had the experience of generous sharing by sending the desired Christmas gifts by December 16, 2005 to 25 families devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

As it turned out, this was just the beginning of an odyssey of contribution for Sherrill. After that first Christmas, Sherrill knew that the project had to continue in some way, as they had not even scratched the surface of what was needed.

As an active member of her local Methodist Congregation she naturally had invited other church members to participate in the project. Sherrill met a lady who so inspired by the purpose of the project, cashed in the equity of a life insurance policy in order pay for trucks that would transport donations from Michigan to the Gulf with the condition that the trucking companied would give a significant discount off of their normal fees. Sherill managed to enroll a local private trucker who has taken on the project while charging less than half his normal fees. “Truckin for Katrina” was born.

As the word spread about “Truckin for Katrina” Sherrill soon began to work with the First United Methodist church in the Pascagoula, Mississippi. Many homes there were flooded or totally removed by the tidal wave as it entered that community. Many families requested to participate in the project. A network quickly developed that today is allowing Gulf Coast families in need to be able to request specific durable goods. Sherrill’s community share items that are in good condition and often purchase new items to send to the families. Sherrill calls the donated goods, “Early Marriage and Pre-attic Furniture like we all had when we first got married”. It is allowing families to move out of their FEMA trailer and into a furnished home. Eventually they will be able to purchase their own style of furnishings. This project has allowed families to attain some sense of normalcy. As of August 2007 four semi trailers have delivered durable goods to 32 families

It has not all been smooth sailing. Sherrill has had to overcome huge challenges, from trying to get donations to fulfill the unique requests of families to dealing with tons of donations and a few that were unusable and nothing more than junk, to a truckload of carefully collected goods being left on a curbside with imminent rain without notifying the families beforehand of the delivery date and time to come and pick them up.

Now nearly 2 years later, the scope of the need has barely diminished.

Since this whole project began, Sherrill has heard stories that she could not have ever imagined. She tells the story of one lady named Debra who lives in Pascagoula, Mississippi. When Katrina hit, Deborah was one of many people who did not leave her home. At the height of the storm surge, Deborah swam out the front window of her rented house after breaking a window to prevent drowning. She was carried over 2 miles inland before she was finally able to grab hold of a pillar in the front of a church and be rescued. After her ordeal during the storm, Debra lived in a tent for 3 months. Finally she resided in a FEMA trailer. Her former employer offered the opportunity for her to rebuild a house with the promise that she could live there at a reduced rent. After months of work to re-built the house, which was then furnished by Sherrill’s project, Deborah has discovered that she is being evicted because the landlord is able to get much higher rent or sell the newly rebuilt house at a great profit.
Deborah’s story is not unique and is only one of thousands that are similar. Sherrill remains not only undaunted but is more inspired than ever. Her project is connecting people and families and waking people up to the difference they are able to make.

Sherrill says, “Having identified a need in the world I have discovered with a team you can do anything. Through Landmark Education I have had world class training in communication such that I am able to touch, move and inspire people to participate in what ever I am up to. This project has taken on a life of its own because it gives people an opportunity to express their unique desire to make a difference. You get back far more than you give.”

Suzanne Perrin and Denise Inskip-Seale created a project to beautify a ‘Habitat for Humanity’ home. They used exclusively donated material, labor and furnishings. Their concept was simple: many of the families that work with Habitat for Humanity in building a home, do not have the resources to furnish them after they move in.

Suzanne and Denise involved as many people from the local community as possible to donate their time talent and resources to fully furnish the new Habitat home.

The project, developed while they were both on the Landmark Education program was a big success. This video chronicles the development of the project. It also features moving coverage of the day the family who helped build the house got to see it finished for the first time.

New Home

Richard Frary is a participant in the Team Managment and Leadership Program

On most bridal registries you will find things like coffee makers, china, linens and other household goods.

If you were on the guest list of Linda and Richard Frary’s wedding last spring, you would have found goats, pigs and trees; all items that they were asking be purchased through Heifer International in order to benefit children and families in rural villages around the world.

Richard and Linda were both participating at Landmark Education when they met. They say that as they began to plan their wedding they wanted to make sure that it made a difference in the world. Instead of having people give customary gifts they requested that people make donations to Heifer International.

Heifer International is a global non-profit that provides farm animals and trees to families in developing countries so that they can create economic self-reliance. Each donation pays for at least one animal that goes to a family in need and to date the Frary wedding has resulted in 55 donations.

Both retired from previous careers, Linda and Richard are dedicated to helping others fulfill their dreams. Said Richard, “You get nothing if you don’t give something away.”

You can read more about Richard and Linda’s wedding in this story from the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Couple proves it’s never too late to find true love

BY AIMEE CHOUINARD CORRESPONDENT

The Frarys are new homeowners in Beneva Pines. Married just a few weeks ago, Richard, 66, and Linda, 59, are a testament that finding love late in life is possible. In two weeks, they will embark on a three-week honeymoon toBora Bora. The Frarys dated for two years before they married. One year into the relationship, Richard Frary asked Linda to marry him.”I asked her, and she said, ‘No,’” Richard said with a laugh. “I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to get married again,” Linda explained. “And that was OK,” Richard said. “A couple months later, we were at the beach, looking out at the ocean, and I asked her again.”

They were married on Turtle Beach on Siesta Key, surrounded by family and friends, including Linda’s newly found birth family, whom Linda, who was adopted, never knew.Instead of registering for gifts at a department store, the Frarys registered with an organization called Heifer International, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to help end world hunger and poverty through self-reliance and sustainability. More than 60 guests visited the Web site beforehand to donate goats, pigs and trees to help children and families around the world become self-reliant. Richard Frary has been retired for 10 years from his Miami wholesale air-conditioning and heating products company. Linda Frary owned a picture-framing store in Connecticut and opened the same business here in Sarasota. She recently closed Sarasota Framing and Design to retire.” We’re getting younger, so we need more time to play,” Richard Frary joked. The Frarys both have children from previous marriages, Linda has a daughter and Richard has a son and a daughter.Richard Frary recently moved from Miami to Englewood, leaving his Englewood beach home to live with Linda in Sarasota.

Some of their best memories are of hours they spent engrossed in long conversations about their lives, their families and their dreams at the beach house.” It was during those intimate conversations that I realized Richard was such a special guy,” Linda said.

Intimate conversations have been a part of the Frarys’ relationship since they both participated in personal development work with a company called Landmark Education.” Landmark has had a lot to do with the incredible relationship we have created. When I did the Landmark Forum, I got over my past. Linda was a huge support during that time. That’s when I fell in love with her,” Richard said. The Frays are committed to making a difference in their community and the world. “We have great friends,” Linda said. “We meet people everywhere we go and just start talking.

“We love to meet people when we travel and are looking for ways we can contribute in other countries. We strive to be an example of a loving relationship in the world.”

The Frarys say they love Sarasota because of the arts, the entertainment and the creative spiritual community with so many organizations to be a part of. They plan to keep Sarasota as their home while traveling the world. Linda volunteers with Girls Inc., assisting with classes and programs. She says she loves being with the kids. She plans to also continue her already established involvement with the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.” We have an easygoing life,” Linda said. “We’re always running somewhere and always have something to do.”

In addition to traveling, the Frarys garden together and especially enjoy growing orchids. They kayak, snorkel and go boating together. Richard’s passion is windsurfing.“People ask, “How can I have what you and Linda have?” says Richard.

In unison, the Frarys say, “We just choose it!”