Denise Martin, author, Eating My Way to Heaven
The Transformation Station (Social Services TV)
Entertaining, educational, Reality TV that funds community-based social services.
Entertaining, educational, Reality TV that funds community-based social services.
Many Americans are all for tough sentencing, believing that getting criminals off the streets makes us safer, and saves the community significant dollars that would be lost to crime. But did you know that we have approximately 2.3 million children in this country with a parent in prison? What does that seven digit number really mean?
When the custodial parent goes to prison their children might get to stay with family, if there is an appropriate adult family member with adequate resources willing to sponsor them. Too many children with a custodial parent in prison, however, end up in the foster care system and then quickly adopted out to strangers, or bounced around from foster homes to detention centers to the streets – creating a whole new generation - statistically prison bound.
The economic and social consequences for any community that sends a parent to prison can be staggering. The consequences for the innocent children are catastrophic, often life sentences - life in foster care, life of shame, life of poverty, life of crime, life in prison.
The solution is mass education – healthy, empowering life skills for adults and children. Many well meaning moms find themselves in prison because of addictions, domestic violence and/or poor life-management skills. Many capable men find themselves in prison because of joblessness or homelessness. Crime prevention beats fixing broken lives. Education trumps litigation.
We also need a safety net for the children of incarcerated parents. By helping these children stay connected to their parent, helping the parent acquire healthy parenting skills, facilitating an effective reentry plan for them upon release, and creating funds to send them out the door with, we can help these post-prison, newly integrated families succeed out of the gate. That is how we build safe, loving, healthy communities and still administer justice.
Denise Martin wants to open her spacious Oregon home to foster kids who have a mom in the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility less than five minutes away. With cameras rolling America will live the lives of a collection of children coping with saying goodbye to mom, as well as family and friends, moving to a new home, foster care life and visiting mom at the prison. The focus of the household is healthful living, conscious consumption, loving communications and personal growth for all.
The bulk of the revenues from the sponsorships, product placement deals and backend sales will flow to a collection of social services working with children of incarcerated parents (Voices Set Free, The American Justice Alliance, Girl Scouts Beyond Bars, The Center for Family Success and The Portia Project to name a few) as well as initiatives poised to create healthy, loving, sustainable communities like Eduen™ - Putting U in the middle of Eden. That list will evolve and be accessible through the show’s massive interactive site/e-mall.
The Clintons called it Venture/Philanthropy. The White House released a similar plan this week. Private industry has to start bankrolling social services, and oh by the way, feel free to use those entrepreneurial skills to acquire generous personal wealth in the process. Everybody wins!
The Transformation Station Reality TV Show can do all that and more.
Why?
· Single mom Denise Martin wants to fill her home with children as companions for her darling 5-year-old son Ezekiel.
· Denise and her associates are looking for a global platform to teach lifestyle transformation techniques.
· The children of incarcerated parents receive a sentence of their own. This issue needs social awareness, many resources and caring individuals ready to take action.
What?
A Reality TV Show shot from the magnificent 5 acre estate where blended family members Denise Martin, Ezekiel Gibson, Patrick McEachern and Charlie Blackmore will be embracing a house-full of “Incarcerated Kids.” The show will focus on helping these special needs children create new, healthful life skills through example and experiential education.
The cameras will also follow their journeys to the prison five minutes away to visit mom. No calculated drama or exploitation will be tolerated. This format is about telling a story, teaching “Whole-istic” life skills, and modeling loving family behaviors.
The house will be wired with remote cameras so that spontaneous moments can be caught on film and edited into planned activities. Each family member will get an opportunity to share, one on one with the camera, their perspective or insights on the experience. Fun, animated, upbeat public service announcements will appear throughout the hour long show, and the accompanying website will give away and sell a buffet of alternative living products and services.
Back-end sales can become a billion dollar e-business, distributing an unlimited buffet of state-of-the-art healthful living products. Product placements and sponsorship dollars can generously support the project on the front end.
Where?
The $880,000, 5 acre estate is located fifteen minutes from downtown Portland, Oregon in scenic, rural Tualatin. The neighborhood is a collection of multi-million dollar mansions on 5 acre estates, except the Martin, Gibson, McEachern, and Blackmore homestead – a modest, somewhat tired, 70’s house that needs lots of TLC. Remodels and makeovers for the house will be part of future episodes. The house is perfect, however, for community living and filming.
The acreage boosts a raised bed Sacred Energy Garden spelling out the phrase, “Simply the Truth,” a meditative walking labyrinth, a giant fire pit, walking trails in the woods, a 13’ trampoline, playground, tire swing and fort for the kids. We will be adding “Time-In Pods” – a collection of unique tree houses for play and introspection and much more.
Many episodes will center on activities outside the home as the Earth School aspect of the Transformation process is the central theme – If these at-risk kids can find peace and health through the garden, anyone can.
Who?
Denise Martin, 52 year-old mom of 5 year-old Ezekiel. Denise is the author of Eating My Way to Heaven, the autobiography of her wild, painful, dysfunctional life. The story chronicles her amazing transformation from death’s door with a deadly eating disorder to a healthful life, with a beautiful child. Her passion and commitment is to make healthful living as fun, sexy and profitable as McDonald’s has made their fare. Denise sees a great opportunity to create income streams for the children that will pass through her home, so that they can move on to a new life without gruesome economic restraints.
Ezekiel Gibson, five-year-old son of Denise Martin and dad Wardell Gibson. Ezekiel has his own story of surviving his parents’ volatile relationship, bouncing from one domestic violence shelter to another, surviving a vicious court battle, and becoming quite sick as his parents pull him in opposite directions over lifestyle issues. He is the most beautiful, eloquent and deep child a person could meet and a profound teacher. Chances are Ezekiel will steal the show.
Patrick McEachern is the natural-living guru who helped Denise save her life and transform her emotional and spiritual self through conscious consumption. Patrick is the founder of the Eduen™ (Putting U in the middle of Eden) corporation that is seeking to build ecological, experiential, teaching villages around the world. Patrick was a stay-at-home dad 27 years ago before it was cool for a man to do such a thing. He opened and operated his own “Organic Daycare” and taught Sunday school. He is fanatically dedicated to helping people get back to the garden and find their physical, emotional and spiritual strength there.
Charlie Blackmore is a Vietnam vet who has spent the past forty years developing his own healing tools for transforming the ghosts and poisons of the past. Charlie and his former wife raised a “Brain Injured” son with the help of one of the finest brain development institutions in the country. Charlie is versed in nutrition, fitness, peaceful communication skills, parenting and holistic healing. Charlie is also blessed with a delightful, quick wit and upbeat outlook on life.
The Kids joining our household will be any and all ages, sizes, ethnic groups and religions. They will all have a mom in the state prison down the street.
When?
Now! The critical piece is to get the cameras and crews in place before the children arrive so that we don’t miss any of their wide-eyed experience of saying goodbye to mom for now and embarking on a new life. Our goal is to have all our ducks in a row by March first 2010 to accept our first child and start the cameras rolling. Currently, we have a tentative client in a womb at the state prison, slated to be born in March. We want the cameras to follow that relationship with the mom, prison and child ASAP. The time is now. We can transform this forgotten faction of the population, on camera, and greatly impact a sizable chunk of our global roommates. Won’t you join us?
13 Episodes – A sampling
1. Ezekiel’s story
2. Foster child #1
3. Foster child #2
4. Foster child #3
5. Foster child #4
6. Mood Food
7. Eating Our Way to Heaven
8. Conflict Resolution
9. Planting seeds
10. Natural fitness
11. Whole Foods
12. Pay it forward
13. Family ties
Episode 1 Ezekiel’s Story
Ezekiel’s story gently explores the history of his broken family, trials with homelessness and health issues around food. It highlights his desire to open his home to other children and his difficulty sharing mom’s love and attention.
Episodes 2,3,4,5 Their stories
Each child comes to us with a very big “Story”. They have been through an arrest and court battle and are now motherless, although mom is a few miles away in the state prison. The narrative will tell their stories and the cameras will follow them through their arrival and introduction into our unique blended family and then on to the prison to visit with mom.
Episode 6 Mood Food
Introduction to the concept that we are what we eat. The children will throw two birthday parties on consecutive days. The first party will feature whole foods, healthful treats, games and party favors. The second day’s party will be an all-American junk food birthday party with the emphasis on cake and ice cream and soda. The family will view the tapes, and participate in a discussion which leads to a family contract for an Eating Our Way to Heaven consumption plan.
Episode 7 Eating Our Way to Heaven
Dr. Carlos Rosa makes a house call. He interviews the children. Diet, exercise and lifestyle issues are discussed. Individual health issues may be addressed as well. Again, the focus is the message that we are in control of our physical and mental health by planning and executing a healthy consumption plan.
Episode 8 Conflict Resolution
Super Nanny visits the house and spends the day teaching a variety of peaceful, loving communication techniques. The show includes a family meeting where conflict resolution methods are discussed and agreed upon.
Episode 9 Planting Seeds
Our Master Gardener, Patrick helps the children prepare and plant their own individual plots in the “Simply the Truth” raised bed Sacred Energy Garden. The family will then participate in wheel barrel races, shoveling contests and more to show the children that work can be play and life should be fun.
Episode 10 Natural fitness
An indoor and an outdoor obstacle course are great fun for the kids and allow Denise, Patrick and Charlie to each share their fair weather and rainy day stretching, breathing and exercise tips. A competition between the children and adults yields trophies, ribbons and healthy treats.
Episode 11 Whole Foods
The whole family goes on a shopping trip to Whole Foods Organic Grocery Store to learn how to read labels and plan meals. A section of the store will be roped off for shopping cart races. Pledges will be taken from the shoppers and donated to Girl Scouts Behind Bars.
Episode 12 Pay it Forward
The children are taken to a toy store to buy gifts for homeless children and then deliver them to the Gospel Mission. Back home a family discussion focuses on the power of gratitude and paying it forward.
Episode 13 Family Ties
The family throws a backyard campfire/picnic for the extended families of the children. Counselors are on hand to educate the families about dealing with their special needs foster relatives.
Our Producers
Award winning producers Ginnie Waters, Waters Around the Bay Productions and Greg Freeman, Freeman Productions bring two lifetimes of television and production experience to the Transformation Station table.
Ginnie Waters’ talents include: Writing, producing, editing, marketing, interviewing, copywriting, web content, creative concepts, media training, PR, event planning, etc. for numerous clients...
Greg Freeman is an award-winning Director of Photography with nearly two decades in news, sports, entertainment, special programming, documentaries, and commercials. Greg has directed projects for nearly every major television network including ABC, Discovery, ESPN, HBO, HGTV, NBC, PBS, and more. Production can often become a complicated storm full of unforeseen obstacles, and Greg is the highly creative yet calming eye in the middle of that storm.
Together Ginnie and Greg will lead us into a new integrity-based Reality TV model, with the emphasis on social development and economic freedom for all.
When the custodial parent goes to prison their children might get to stay with family, if there is an appropriate adult family member with adequate resources willing to sponsor them. Too many children with a custodial parent in prison, however, end up in the foster care system and then quickly adopted out to strangers, or bounced around from foster homes to detention centers to the streets – creating a whole new generation - statistically prison bound.
The economic and social consequences for any community that sends a parent to prison can be staggering. The consequences for the innocent children are catastrophic, often life sentences - life in foster care, life of shame, life of poverty, life of crime, life in prison.
The solution is mass education – healthy, empowering life skills for adults and children. Many well meaning moms find themselves in prison because of addictions, domestic violence and/or poor life-management skills. Many capable men find themselves in prison because of joblessness or homelessness. Crime prevention beats fixing broken lives. Education trumps litigation.
We also need a safety net for the children of incarcerated parents. By helping these children stay connected to their parent, helping the parent acquire healthy parenting skills, facilitating an effective reentry plan for them upon release, and creating funds to send them out the door with, we can help these post-prison, newly integrated families succeed out of the gate. That is how we build safe, loving, healthy communities and still administer justice.
Denise Martin wants to open her spacious Oregon home to foster kids who have a mom in the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility less than five minutes away. With cameras rolling America will live the lives of a collection of children coping with saying goodbye to mom, as well as family and friends, moving to a new home, foster care life and visiting mom at the prison. The focus of the household is healthful living, conscious consumption, loving communications and personal growth for all.
The bulk of the revenues from the sponsorships, product placement deals and backend sales will flow to a collection of social services working with children of incarcerated parents (Voices Set Free, The American Justice Alliance, Girl Scouts Beyond Bars, The Center for Family Success and The Portia Project to name a few) as well as initiatives poised to create healthy, loving, sustainable communities like Eduen™ - Putting U in the middle of Eden. That list will evolve and be accessible through the show’s massive interactive site/e-mall.
The Clintons called it Venture/Philanthropy. The White House released a similar plan this week. Private industry has to start bankrolling social services, and oh by the way, feel free to use those entrepreneurial skills to acquire generous personal wealth in the process. Everybody wins!
The Transformation Station Reality TV Show can do all that and more.
Why?
· Single mom Denise Martin wants to fill her home with children as companions for her darling 5-year-old son Ezekiel.
· Denise and her associates are looking for a global platform to teach lifestyle transformation techniques.
· The children of incarcerated parents receive a sentence of their own. This issue needs social awareness, many resources and caring individuals ready to take action.
What?
A Reality TV Show shot from the magnificent 5 acre estate where blended family members Denise Martin, Ezekiel Gibson, Patrick McEachern and Charlie Blackmore will be embracing a house-full of “Incarcerated Kids.” The show will focus on helping these special needs children create new, healthful life skills through example and experiential education.
The cameras will also follow their journeys to the prison five minutes away to visit mom. No calculated drama or exploitation will be tolerated. This format is about telling a story, teaching “Whole-istic” life skills, and modeling loving family behaviors.
The house will be wired with remote cameras so that spontaneous moments can be caught on film and edited into planned activities. Each family member will get an opportunity to share, one on one with the camera, their perspective or insights on the experience. Fun, animated, upbeat public service announcements will appear throughout the hour long show, and the accompanying website will give away and sell a buffet of alternative living products and services.
Back-end sales can become a billion dollar e-business, distributing an unlimited buffet of state-of-the-art healthful living products. Product placements and sponsorship dollars can generously support the project on the front end.
Where?
The $880,000, 5 acre estate is located fifteen minutes from downtown Portland, Oregon in scenic, rural Tualatin. The neighborhood is a collection of multi-million dollar mansions on 5 acre estates, except the Martin, Gibson, McEachern, and Blackmore homestead – a modest, somewhat tired, 70’s house that needs lots of TLC. Remodels and makeovers for the house will be part of future episodes. The house is perfect, however, for community living and filming.
The acreage boosts a raised bed Sacred Energy Garden spelling out the phrase, “Simply the Truth,” a meditative walking labyrinth, a giant fire pit, walking trails in the woods, a 13’ trampoline, playground, tire swing and fort for the kids. We will be adding “Time-In Pods” – a collection of unique tree houses for play and introspection and much more.
Many episodes will center on activities outside the home as the Earth School aspect of the Transformation process is the central theme – If these at-risk kids can find peace and health through the garden, anyone can.
Who?
Denise Martin, 52 year-old mom of 5 year-old Ezekiel. Denise is the author of Eating My Way to Heaven, the autobiography of her wild, painful, dysfunctional life. The story chronicles her amazing transformation from death’s door with a deadly eating disorder to a healthful life, with a beautiful child. Her passion and commitment is to make healthful living as fun, sexy and profitable as McDonald’s has made their fare. Denise sees a great opportunity to create income streams for the children that will pass through her home, so that they can move on to a new life without gruesome economic restraints.
Ezekiel Gibson, five-year-old son of Denise Martin and dad Wardell Gibson. Ezekiel has his own story of surviving his parents’ volatile relationship, bouncing from one domestic violence shelter to another, surviving a vicious court battle, and becoming quite sick as his parents pull him in opposite directions over lifestyle issues. He is the most beautiful, eloquent and deep child a person could meet and a profound teacher. Chances are Ezekiel will steal the show.
Patrick McEachern is the natural-living guru who helped Denise save her life and transform her emotional and spiritual self through conscious consumption. Patrick is the founder of the Eduen™ (Putting U in the middle of Eden) corporation that is seeking to build ecological, experiential, teaching villages around the world. Patrick was a stay-at-home dad 27 years ago before it was cool for a man to do such a thing. He opened and operated his own “Organic Daycare” and taught Sunday school. He is fanatically dedicated to helping people get back to the garden and find their physical, emotional and spiritual strength there.
Charlie Blackmore is a Vietnam vet who has spent the past forty years developing his own healing tools for transforming the ghosts and poisons of the past. Charlie and his former wife raised a “Brain Injured” son with the help of one of the finest brain development institutions in the country. Charlie is versed in nutrition, fitness, peaceful communication skills, parenting and holistic healing. Charlie is also blessed with a delightful, quick wit and upbeat outlook on life.
The Kids joining our household will be any and all ages, sizes, ethnic groups and religions. They will all have a mom in the state prison down the street.
When?
Now! The critical piece is to get the cameras and crews in place before the children arrive so that we don’t miss any of their wide-eyed experience of saying goodbye to mom for now and embarking on a new life. Our goal is to have all our ducks in a row by March first 2010 to accept our first child and start the cameras rolling. Currently, we have a tentative client in a womb at the state prison, slated to be born in March. We want the cameras to follow that relationship with the mom, prison and child ASAP. The time is now. We can transform this forgotten faction of the population, on camera, and greatly impact a sizable chunk of our global roommates. Won’t you join us?
13 Episodes – A sampling
1. Ezekiel’s story
2. Foster child #1
3. Foster child #2
4. Foster child #3
5. Foster child #4
6. Mood Food
7. Eating Our Way to Heaven
8. Conflict Resolution
9. Planting seeds
10. Natural fitness
11. Whole Foods
12. Pay it forward
13. Family ties
Episode 1 Ezekiel’s Story
Ezekiel’s story gently explores the history of his broken family, trials with homelessness and health issues around food. It highlights his desire to open his home to other children and his difficulty sharing mom’s love and attention.
Episodes 2,3,4,5 Their stories
Each child comes to us with a very big “Story”. They have been through an arrest and court battle and are now motherless, although mom is a few miles away in the state prison. The narrative will tell their stories and the cameras will follow them through their arrival and introduction into our unique blended family and then on to the prison to visit with mom.
Episode 6 Mood Food
Introduction to the concept that we are what we eat. The children will throw two birthday parties on consecutive days. The first party will feature whole foods, healthful treats, games and party favors. The second day’s party will be an all-American junk food birthday party with the emphasis on cake and ice cream and soda. The family will view the tapes, and participate in a discussion which leads to a family contract for an Eating Our Way to Heaven consumption plan.
Episode 7 Eating Our Way to Heaven
Dr. Carlos Rosa makes a house call. He interviews the children. Diet, exercise and lifestyle issues are discussed. Individual health issues may be addressed as well. Again, the focus is the message that we are in control of our physical and mental health by planning and executing a healthy consumption plan.
Episode 8 Conflict Resolution
Super Nanny visits the house and spends the day teaching a variety of peaceful, loving communication techniques. The show includes a family meeting where conflict resolution methods are discussed and agreed upon.
Episode 9 Planting Seeds
Our Master Gardener, Patrick helps the children prepare and plant their own individual plots in the “Simply the Truth” raised bed Sacred Energy Garden. The family will then participate in wheel barrel races, shoveling contests and more to show the children that work can be play and life should be fun.
Episode 10 Natural fitness
An indoor and an outdoor obstacle course are great fun for the kids and allow Denise, Patrick and Charlie to each share their fair weather and rainy day stretching, breathing and exercise tips. A competition between the children and adults yields trophies, ribbons and healthy treats.
Episode 11 Whole Foods
The whole family goes on a shopping trip to Whole Foods Organic Grocery Store to learn how to read labels and plan meals. A section of the store will be roped off for shopping cart races. Pledges will be taken from the shoppers and donated to Girl Scouts Behind Bars.
Episode 12 Pay it Forward
The children are taken to a toy store to buy gifts for homeless children and then deliver them to the Gospel Mission. Back home a family discussion focuses on the power of gratitude and paying it forward.
Episode 13 Family Ties
The family throws a backyard campfire/picnic for the extended families of the children. Counselors are on hand to educate the families about dealing with their special needs foster relatives.
Our Producers
Award winning producers Ginnie Waters, Waters Around the Bay Productions and Greg Freeman, Freeman Productions bring two lifetimes of television and production experience to the Transformation Station table.
Ginnie Waters’ talents include: Writing, producing, editing, marketing, interviewing, copywriting, web content, creative concepts, media training, PR, event planning, etc. for numerous clients...
Greg Freeman is an award-winning Director of Photography with nearly two decades in news, sports, entertainment, special programming, documentaries, and commercials. Greg has directed projects for nearly every major television network including ABC, Discovery, ESPN, HBO, HGTV, NBC, PBS, and more. Production can often become a complicated storm full of unforeseen obstacles, and Greg is the highly creative yet calming eye in the middle of that storm.
Together Ginnie and Greg will lead us into a new integrity-based Reality TV model, with the emphasis on social development and economic freedom for all.
