All posts by Heather Newgen

Watch World Vets in action as they help reduce the street animal population in Nepal

Watch how a team of volunteer veterinarians from World Vets give free medical care to street dogs in Nepal.

By Heather Newgen

It’s 7:30 a.m. and volunteer veterinarians from World Vets head to work. As they make their way through the dusty streets of Thamel, the touristy area of Kathmandu, some are laughing, others are excitedly chatting and one befriends a street dog they call Ryder.

The group of vets, who are from the U.S., Canada and Australia on this trip, have one common goal–to sterilize as many dogs as possible in an effort to reduce the massive population, improve their quality of life and decrease public health issues for underserved communities. According to local reports, an estimated 25,000 dogs live on the streets of Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital.

As they catch their ride to a makeshift camp an hour outside the city where they’ll perform surgeries and medical treatments, they coax Ryder onto the bus with food and put him at ease. He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s about to be neutered.

World Vets is an organization that provides free medical care for animals in 48 countries. All volunteers are veterinarians, licensed and non licensed technicians, pre veterinary, veterinary and technician students, as well as those who are simply animal lovers with trained vet skills.  All volunteers pay for their own expenses.

Related: See what it’s like to volunteer at Sneha’s Care in Nepal

“I love it because it’s something I strongly believe in—the sterilization of animals everywhere,” Dr. Helen Valentine, whose been on three World Vet trips said . “It really helps decrease the overpopulation and it’s an opportunity to travel and see the world and meet up with a great group of people,” she added.

To make the biggest impact, World Vets partners with local organizations such as animal welfare groups, foreign governments, non-governmental organizations, agriculture and public health officials, as well as, a wide variety of veterinary professionals to learn about the needs of communities in the countries they service.

For more information visit https://worldvets.org/.

Global Entry vs TSA Precheck: What’s the difference?

Global Entry and TSA Precheck are government programs created to speed up the security lines at airports, but which one is right for you?

By Heather Newgen

Every traveler knows how frustrating it can be standing in long lines at the airport, quickly removing articles of clothing to go through security and pretty much unpacking your carry-on to walk through the X-ray machines. While the process is designed to keep passengers safe, it can be a hassle. So Global Entry and TSA Precheck were implemented to help low-risk travelers get through security and customs faster, but what’s the difference? For one, the programs are run by different agencies. Homeland Security is in charge of TSA Precheck while the U.S. Customs and Border Protection runs Global Entry.

Here’s a breakdown of each program, plus a few tips to help you decide which one is better for you.

Global Entry Antalya, Turkey – September 10, 2016: Security and passport control at Antalya International Airport, Turkey.

TSA Precheck

With TSA Precheck, travelers can keep their shoes, belts and jackets on while going through the security checkpoint. In addition, they don’t need to remove laptops or liquids from their bags. Many airports have a separate line specifically for TSA Precheck members to speed things up that much more.  TSA Precheck is great for domestic travelers because you don’t need a passport, and there is no age restriction to apply. However, kids 12 and younger traveling with an eligible parent or guardian can accompanying them through the expedited security process.

Application: You can apply online, but need documentation that shows you’re a U.S. citizen like a driver’s license or birth certificate. In-person appointments are required, as are background checks, and fingerprinting. Once approved you will be given a Known Traveler Number (KTN), which you add to every flight you book

Price: $85 for a five- year membership.

Pros:  Besides the advantages mentioned above, TSA Precheck is quicker and easier to apply for.  You can get approved in two to three weeks, whereas it can take months to go through the Global Entry process. There’s  300-400 enrollment centers for your in-person interview, as opposed to Global Entry where you’ve only got 90-100 and are mostly at the airport. TSA Precheck on the other hand offers more locations like in Staples and shopping centers.

Cons: If you did ever travel abroad, you’d be stuck in mobs of people clearing customs when returning to the U.S.

Global Entry

Global Entry gives you all the benefits of TSA Precheck and then some. For anyone who travels abroad Global Entry is the way to go because it allows you to skip the crowds at customs when returning from an international trip.  You can head straight to a kiosk, get your receipt and make your way over to a customs officer. Benefits apply to air, land, and sea travel for those traveling internationally and re-entering the U.S.

Price: $100.00 for a five- year membership.

Application: You can apply online,

Pros of Global Entry

Significantly reduced wait time at security checkpoints and customs, no taking off shoes or clothing to go through the X-ray machines and liquids and electronics can stay in carry on.

Cons of Global Entry

The application process isn’t quite as smooth as TSA Precheck. People literally wait months and months to get an interview appointment. In addition, unlike TSA Precheck, kids can’t go through Global Entry with an accompanied parent or guardian. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website states:

“Regardless of your age, you must create a Global Online Enrollment System account, pay a $100 non-refundable application fee, and schedule an interview at a Global Entry Enrollment Center. If you are under the age of 18, a parent or legal guardian must be present at time of interview.”

How to apply

Credit cards that reimburse the TSA precheck or global entry application fee

Some credit cards will reimburse the application fee for TSA precheck or global entry.  See below to find out if your card makes the list.

See what it’s like to volunteer at Sneha’s Care in Nepal

If you haven’t been to the colorful, yet chaotic city of Kathmandu, Nepal, add it to your bucket list.  Not only does it offer a memorable holiday with its beautiful cultural landmarks, historical sites and endless adventures, but travelers have the chance to give back in an ethical way by helping street dogs.

RELATED: Orphanage Tourism in Nepal: What You Should Know

The street dog population continues to increasingly grow in Nepal and while government officials aren’t doing much to help the situation, some locals are stepping up to help protect the animals.  Sneha’s Care was established in 2014 by animal activist Sneha Shrestha to help protect the estimated 25,000 stray dogs from cruelty and abuse. The team not only campaigns to introduce animal welfare laws, but they’re actively educating the public about responsible pet ownership and animal rights.

The shelter is staffed with people who care for the 160 dogs currently living at Sneha’s Care, but also needs volunteers to do a variety of projects like cleaning the shelter, feeding the dogs, taking them on walks, washing their dishes and giving them lots of love and attention. You can also do IT and art projects as well. In addition, Sneha’s Care is also in need of skilled volunteers with a veterinarian background.

Volunteer housing with Wi-Fi is offered for $150 a week. Three vegetarian meals a day, drinking water and transportation to and from the shelter is included. Volunteers are expected to work 6 days a week from 10:00AM to 5:00PM and it’s strongly recommended to get the rabies vaccine beforehand.

Watch the vlog on what it’s like to volunteer at Sneha’s Care and you’ll see it’s hard, dirty work, but the dogs will love you for taking good care of them!

For more information visit SnehaCare.org.

By Heather Newgen

Why former Dave Matthews Band tour manager credits MusiCares with saving his life

MusiCares not only throws an amazing gala every year to honor musicians, but helps people struggling in the industry through a variety of ways like offering free group therapy, replacing instruments lost in natural disasters and paying rent or buying groceries for musicians who need assistance.

By Heather Newgen

Every year MusiCares kicks off GRAMMY weekend with an unforgettable night of A-list performances that honor a legendary band or musician. But the organization does much more than pay tribute to the industry’s best.  MusiCares helps musicians get back on their feet and nobody knows that former Dave Matthews Band tour manager Michael McDonald.

Two decades ago he was on the road with the group, touring nonstop, but his dream job led the way to some of his darkest times. He was a cocaine addict and alcoholic, and credits MusiCares for getting him back on track.

“MusiCares is a huge part of my story, as is Aerosmith.  It was 20 years ago I reached out to their manager because I was an alcoholic and I needed help. He was the one who connected me to MusiCares who were providing free group counseling in New York City twice a week. It was those meetings twice a week in the first couple years of my sobriety that really saved my life,” McDonald told The Voluntourist.

He added, “I would be dead without them. It’s really that simple. They were such an important part of me staying sober at a time when I wouldn’t been able to afford group therapy that saved my life.”

It was after a bad bender that McDonald realized he needed help.

“I got sick and tired of being sick and tired. I had been lying to myself and everyone around me about what was going on. I reached that breaking point and finally overcame myself and reached out for help.”

While he liked his gig, he knew it was time to move on.

[DMB] are the hardest working band out there. What better way to learn than from them.  I had an amazing education on the road and really genuinely loved every minute of it. But, I also recognized that I wanted to do different things and being on the road that often wasn’t going to afford that.

In 2000 McDonald founded Mick Management that reps artists like Mandy Moore, David Gray, Leon Bridges, Ray Lamontagne and more.

In addition, McDonald has served as Board Chair for MusiCares for the last three years, focusing on ways to raise more awareness for their programs and services.

Rosario Dawson on homelessness, her new documentary Lost in America and dating Cory Booker

For anyone keeping track, Rosario Dawson is a busy girl. She’s a single mom, has a new drama series “Briarpatch” debuting on the USA Network, she just produced a documentary on the youth homeless crisis in America and she’s dating former presidential candidate Cory Booker. Talk about multitasking! 

By Heather Newgen

For the last 20 years Rosario Dawson has dazzled audiences with her compelling performances, fierce characters and undeniable beauty. But off-screen the New York born actress has another powerful role she plays–activist. While she’s known for her high-profile film career, Dawson has passionately advocated for a number of causes including LGBTQ rights, HIV and AIDS  and homelessness, which she recently produced a documentary about titled “Lost in America.” The “Sin City” star talked to The Voluntourist about the issue and how others can get involved to help.

The Voluntourist: One of the things I’ve always loved about you is your passion for advocacy. So what’s a cause that you’re really backing right now and that we should turn our attention towards?

Rosario Dawson: Homelessness, especially youth homelessness. Having a daughter that was in foster care for years and was in her fifth placement by the time she came to live with me. Starting to become aware of incredible organizations like Children’s Rights, but they literally work as an arm to fix very broken policies and situations that exist within the foster care system, it’s a governmental program. The fact that we even need an organization that’s been running for over 20 years to correct what our
government is doing is just terrible, but they’re under resourced and there’s just a lot of inherent problems. So for me, when I look at, especially the foster care system and how many of these kids age out, have no community, have no resources and ends up on our streets. How many kids are LGBTQ, who ends up on the streets because their parents suddenly stopped loving them because they love people that they don’t want them to love, is just super scary and alarming. So I produced a documentary called Lost in America that’s going to be coming out over the next couple of months. We just did a thing called A Night for Youth and we broke the Guinness book world record of how many people doing a sleep out. A lot of homeless organizations will do that to fundraise, but they don’t normally do it in conjunction. We had over a hundred organizations that participated nationwide
in doing a sleep out and bringing attention to this issue. So it’s definitely something we’re only finally starting to get the numbers even, which are sadly in the millions. When you watch the documentary, you’ll see people go out. Was it like maybe 50,000, 100,000? I mean, we really haven’t even put any of the resources to even understand the breadth and scope of this problem. So I’m just really excited. Tiffany Haddish, who was homeless. Jewel, who was homeless, she wrote a song for it. That’s an original
song for it. So there’s just a lot of push to bring people to this attention which I think is really important.

RELATED: Common on giving back to Chicago and humanizing the city

The Voluntourist: And why are there so many youth on the street? 

Rosario Dawson: When you really think about the reality, that we have more animal shelters than we have human shelters. I think there’s a lot of gaps that these kids are falling through and people in general. We’ve got vets, we call ourselves the home of the brave and then people go and they fight for all different kinds of reasons overseas and they come back and they disproportionately end up homeless. In general, I think this documentary is really critical to just start bringing people into the conversation and shifting the narrative so that people can feel like we can do something about it.

Rosario Dawson USA Network Events — TIFF Briarpatch Red Carpet and Screening in Toronto, Canada — Pictured: Rosario Dawson — (Photo by: Dan Boczarski/USA Network)

The Voluntourist: Why is this issue so important for you?

Rosario Dawson: I grew up in a squat– we moved there when I was 6-year-old, so housing issues are something I’ve always been really sensitive towards. People are really critically important and any space that they occupy, people are valuable, they need to be seen and we’re not doing that. I live on the Westside of LA and we’ve seen it all the way from San Francisco. There’s an influx of homeless people everyone. They’re treating it by incarcerating people with mental health problems and addiction problems. We’re throwing so much money on wars and dropping bombs on poor people. Then we invite our soldiers to come back home and be homeless. I think this is an issue that needs to be looked at from many different sides. People don’t recognize how many people are vulnerable to homelessness, how many people are a paycheck away from being homeless. Women who homeless because they left abusive relationships, kids age out of the foster care system, troops come home and they have PTSD and mental health problems, people get sick and can’t afford their healthcare bills. So many people are vulnerable to becoming homeless and we need to step up before they become invisible to us. Once someone crosses over to being homeless, we don’t want to look at them. We don’t want to deal with them and you can tell by the disproportionate amount of animal shelters than homeless shelters. And we make it difficult on people. There’s youth homeless shelters that don’t allow LGBTQ youth, there’s homeless shelters curfews, there’s homeless shelters that you have to pay to get into. There’s all these weird things. People who do food banks and stuff like that are disallowed from doing it because changed the law. They say they’re giving out fresh food and they could be accountable if someone gets sick. So it shuts down people trying to do good. There’s a lot of backwardness around this situation that isn’t helping for it to be better. I keep sending people to the Lost in America website, even before the film is out. You can go check it out and there’s a list of organizations across the nation that you can support and you can be better aware of what exists within your community that can be of service to people. As my boyfriend says, we should not allow our inability to do everything to stop us from doing something. 

The Voluntourist: What are things people can do to help the homelessness situation?

Rosario Dawson:  I would go to Lost in America  on their website so you can see different organizations [helping the homeless] and you can get a lot of factoids that people are very much unaware of. This way people can contribute food or money or their time. Also this is a census year. A lot of people might very well become homeless because people didn’t fill out the census in their community and then that community has been affected with not getting the resources it needs over the next 10 years. So you’re going to see a huge disparity because guess what everybody in Beverly Hills is filling out their census forms. So their community and district is going to get all the resources it needs. Their roads will be great, their schools will be great, their hospitals will be great. They will have nice decorations over the holidays. Then there’s a bunch of people who have been made to feel scared because they were threatening putting a citizenship question [on the form]. There’s obviously an uptick in deportation, so people have been very afraid and won’t fill out the census forms for fear they might become targets.

Q: What has it been like to be on the campaign trail? Is that a different kind of world for you?

Rosario Dawson: Oh, for sure. I mean I started a voting organization in 2004 for the Latina. So I’ve definitely, I’ve been going to correspondence dinner since Bush was still president. But I’ve never been blowing kisses to candidates at a debate, as many debates as I’ve been to. So it’s definitely quite a revelation. I’m grateful for all of the years in which I’ve spoken to voters and non-voters and all kinds of people. But to have this sort of different perspective into politics has been really eye opening to understand why I have a right to be so frustrated. And so many people have a right to be frustrated because there are a lot of people in positions of power that are not always working with the idea of being cohesive and idea of being progressive and really trying to work together and collaborate. There’s a lot of them fighting and so it was really interesting learning that, but also alarming. Because I’ve never experienced the severity that comes along with politics. I mean the standards that politicians are held to are very, very, very different. And that’s true from the level of the toxicity from the trolls and that people you encounter, to just the danger element. I mean, he’s had a bomb sent to his office. So it definitely was one of those things as I got into the relationship, like I don’t get to just cavalierly just fall in love with someone. I have to really consider. I have a daughter and I’ve got a family and are we all willing to go down this path together? And he’s just the love of my life. So it just is what it is. And we’ve all kind of grown together and figured that out. But yeah, it’s definitely been very eye opening… He’s never given me any flack that I couldn’t be more on the campaign with him. It just been a really remarkable experience to be with someone that I feel more free with and I’m growing with rather than compartmentalized with. And so it’s definitely had a profound impact. And I can say this is one of the most challenging years of my life this past year. And I’ve had so much gratitude and I look back on my younger self who was so much more stressed and anxious and scared and made choices, poor choices from those places and angry and made really poor choices from that. And I took a nonviolent communications course in 2017 and I’ve really tried to transform that and turn it around and I’m really grateful. I wish my grandmother was still here and I could share that with her, that there’s another way of going about things than necessarily she was taught to just survive.

Briarpatch starring Rosario Dawson, Kim Dickens and Alan Cumming, debuts on the USA Network February 6th.

For more information on Lost in America please visit www.lostinamericafilm.com.

“This is Us” star Chrissy Metz talks giving back and what’s happening with Toby and Kate

Chrissy Metz talks about the personal reason behind supporting St. Jude and dishes on what’s happening with her character Kate Pearson on “This is Us.”

By Heather Newgen

Fan-favorite Chrissy Metz has been making headlines since her breakout role on NBC’s hit show “This is Us” for her incredible talents, natural ability to be totally relatable to viewers and her braveness to incorporate real-life experiences to portray her character Kate Pearson’s struggles.

While the show has launched her into superstardom and she enjoys the perks of her new status, the Emmy-nominated actress has remained gracious, humble and uses her platform to help others.

RELATED: Gary Sinise on taking a break from Hollywood and advocating for U.S. troops

“I think you can only keep what you give away. I think if everybody felt that way we would all be taken care of.  I’ve been gifted and blessed with so much that I’m like, ‘how can I help? How can I give back? So anyway I can I try.” Metz said at the NBC Television Critics Association panel.

And one of the ways she gives back is supporting St. Jude Children’s Hospital where no child is denied treatment regardless of the family’s ability to pay.

“I came from a family where there were times we didn’t have health insurance. Medical expenses are something you can be in debt with forever. It’s just heart-wrenching,” she told The Voluntourist.

“St. Jude is something that’s always been important to me. I used to represent [when I was an agent] a little boy who was born with a heart condition. People don’t realize how expensive medical bills add up to. I just felt so bad for the family. There was just so much red tape and hoops to jump through,” Metz added.

Chrissy Metz THIS IS US — “The Pool: Part Two” Episode 402 — Pictured: (l-r) Chrissy Metz as Kate, Baby Jack, Chris Sullivan as Toby — (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)

While chatting with The Voluntourist, Metz also gave her perspective on what’s happening with Toby and Kate.

“It has nothing to do with the weight. Weight has never been the issue. It’s about keeping secrets and being dishonest,” Metz explained. “Real intimacy is honesty and when that is fractured in a relationship, where do you go? How do you ever regain someone’s trust? Now that they have a child together, there’s things that have to be fixed and tried to sort out, but it’s not going to be easy.”

She added, “I think there’s so much guilt and I think there’s shame when he’s pursing a weight loss. Whether it comes from a place of insecurity… a lot of people experience relationships where the child takes the first place and is the front runner. We talked about last season how Toby really was like, ‘I don’t know how to handle this. We have a kid who has special needs.’ First of all having a child is complicated, having a child with special needs really plays into how do I do this? Am I enough of a father. Am I enough of a human? What can I control in my life? And I think for Toby what he could control was his weight.”

In addition, Metz chatted about her upcoming album.

“Music was always my first love, much like Kate [Pearson]. It wasn’t ever supported or encouraged. It was something that I’ve always wanted to pursue, so to do it in such a grand scale with Diane Warren, who I’ve been listening to since I could even hear, it’s like a dream come true. All of this is beyond exciting.”

The two originally teamed up on the film Breakthrough and are now recording Metz’s first album.

“The single will be coming out in February, but we are working on an album. The single is called ‘Talking to God.’ I did not write the single, but many of the writers I’ve been co-writing with. So other tracks will be co-written,” she said.

“This is Us,” returns Tuesday, January 14th on NBC.

Nicole Kidman,Taron Egerton help Gold Meets Golden raise $50K for charity

Gold Meets Golden raises $50,000 for Angel City Sports with the help of Nicole Kidman, Taron Egerton and more.

By Heather Newgen

Award season is in full swing and Los Angeles is buzzing with celeb sightings and swanky soirées. Hollywood insiders begin the festivities shortly after New Year’s and attend parties nonstop until Oscars. While it’s always a good time, some like Gold Meets Golden are taking the opportunity to raise awareness for charitable causes.

Gold Meets Golden is an annual brunch, which brings together Hollywood’s elite with top athletes to celebrate sports and entertainment.  For the last seven years, the lavish event has attracted A-listers to help fundraise for Angel City Sports, a Los Angeles organization that fosters young athletes with disabilities with the resources, coaching and equipment they need to train as future adaptive Paralympic hopefuls.

Gold Meets Golden BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 04: Angel City Sports attends GOLD MEETS GOLDEN 2020, presented by Coca-Cola, BMW Beverly Hills And FASHWIRE, and hosted by Nicole Kidman and Nadia Comaneci, At The Virginia Robinson Gardens And Estate on January 04, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Gold Meets Golden)

“This year we really wanted to encourage the celebrities and athletes to participate in ways where they knew exactly how they were helping Angel City Sports.  So we set up eight “Charity Donation Stations” on behalf of each of our brand partners, with an activity and Charity Reward that somehow fit their category.  Each station also featured a picture of Angel City Sports in action.    For example, FASHWIRE donated a proper piece of adaptive apparel or uniform for everyone that participated in their Fashion Show.  BMW Beverly Hills donated the cost of a racing chair for each celebrity that signed their gold M8 series car,” Charley Cullen Walters, co-founder and producer of Gold Meets Golden,” told The Voluntourist.

He added, “Babolat covered a registration fee for everyone that tried our Wheelchair Tennis; Ghost Democracy covered a registration fee for a child for Angel City Games for everyone that tried on their pin; Coca-Cola and Wheaties helped out with food and beverage costs.  It was a great new way to encourage participation while providing education about the amazing impact and specific programs that this charity has to offer.   All in all, we were able to raise over $50,000 , which is equivalent to helping around 200 participants with their registration fees, equipment, uniforms and food / beverage costs they need for the Angel City Games next July. ”

Highlights of the event included a moving rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine” was performed by award-nominated Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, The Color Purple).  A second special performance introduced by Coldplay’s Chris Martin featured The X-Factor’s Emmanuel Kelly, who honored the Paralympic community with his new song “Never Alone.”   (Kelly’s brother is a record-holder Paralympic swimmer for Australia).  Wheelchair Dance Troup The Rollettes joined Emmanuel with an inspiring choreographed routine.

The star-studded bash was attended by Nicole Kidman, Chris Evans, Naomi Watts, Rami Malek, Taron Egerton, Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever, Matt Bomer Kick Off the New Decade by Celebrating Legend Decorated Athletes Nadia Comaneci, Greg Louganis, Ian Thorpe, Kristi Yamaguchi, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Apolo Ohno, Edwin Moses, Al Joyner, Christian Yelich, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Roderick Townsend, Willie Gault, Dara Torres, Dalilah Muhammad, David Wagner, John Naber, Donna De Varona, Mallory Waggemann, Candace Cable and Many More Olympians and Paralympians at the Virginia Robinsons Gardens & Estate in Beverly Hills.

Gold Meets Golden

 

Gold Meets Golden

And of course no party is complete without an extravagant gift bag,  Upon exit, lucky attendees of Gold Meets Golden 2020 left with a jam-packed Gold-Medal Rolling Gift Bag from the Mr. Morris Foundation valued at over $10,000.  Items included a Sanchaya Indonesian Resort Plush Robe and 5-night Resort Stay, Coca-Cola Commemorative Toyko 2020 smartphone wallet BMW Beverly Hills mini Golf Kit, Craig Shelley Beverly Hills Elegant Timepieces golden watch and cufflinks,  Herradura Tequila Ultra Anejo Bottle with Commemorative Gold Meets Golden Medal, Ghost Democracy Full Clean Skincare Kit, TONAL Fitness $500 coupon and Blender bottle, J’Adore Les Fleurs Everlasting Golden Flower Arrangement, UNIQLO Golden ultra-lightweight down jacket, CBDfx Hydrating CBD Mask and Muscle Balm, Rosetta Stone 24-MONTH access card for learning a new language, GOLI  Nutirtion Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies,  Paul Mitchell Sugar Cream, Sugar Day Cleanse and Sugar Spray Collection, Wheaties Commemorative USA Women’s Soccer Champions Box, UR+H CBD Fire and Ice roll-on and Peppermint lotion, Golden Door Full luxury body skincare kit + Gift Card to a 5 night stay at their resort spa, Cann Deux Full Spectrum CBD serum Le Grand Courtage Brut Rose Wine bottle, beatsbydre Golden Edition Headphones, The Giving Keys Rose Gold Mini Key Pendant Necklace, Magna Carta Wealth and Owen, Patterson and Owen complimentary consultations, and Official Limited Merchandise for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.