Summer and Food Banks

Friday, August 12, 2016

by Diana McCollum 

I know I've posted this before. Since we saw an announcement on the local Bend, OR TV station which told about the shortage of donated food for one of the organizations that help feed the hungry. I thought it would be a good idea to remind everyone that the poor and homeless have to eat in the warm summer months, too.

With school out for the summer and families taking vacations feeding the hungry is not a high priority.



The Bend homeless shelter, which also packs lunches to pass out to people living on the streets, was just a days away from running out of food and bottled water.

After the news story there was an outpouring of donations to the food bank, and all the other local shelters. Yay, for that!!!

Around holidays people think more about donating to charity, food banks in particular. Haven't you been in the grocery around Thanksgiving and Christmas and there are donations set up for $10 per bag of food? Why don't these stores have food drives in the summertime?

Have you checked with the local organizations where you live if they are short on supplies?  Usually if they have a website you can look on it to find out what they need.

Helping charities with donations of money or time is a wonderful thing.  I believe that when one gives freely to help others, it will come back ten-fold.  Karma, you know? And I always feel gratitude for all the things I have to be grateful for. 

What I don’t like and don’t contribute to are the enormous amount of mailed solicitations for donations.  It irks me to no end the mailers I receive for donations.  Sometimes, I receive the same charity mailer two or three times in the same month!!  Those charities should use the money spent on paper, printing and postage to help their charity.  Or send one instead of several. 

One letter requesting donations should do it.  Either the person receiving it will donate, or they won’t.  Why waste money sending the same ad over and over to the same person?

I believe that charity begins at home.  By home I mean, the country, the town, the community, and the neighborhood I live in.  There are so many homeless families in America.  In every city and town and county. I am grateful my family members all are together in their own homes, with food on the table and jobs to support them.

 This year I donated to the Bethlehem House in Bend, OR.  Bethlehem House is a place for homeless families and single adults to transition back into a home of their own.  The children attend school and there is counseling to help the jobless find jobs and get back on their feet. 

 And Bethlehem House was the organization the Bend news story was about.

We are all caretakers of the world we live in.  Let’s begin at home, wherever in the world that may be, and make a difference.  One small act can ripple through the world further than you ever dreamed. 

Make this the summer of giving back!

Do you have a favorite charity, and how does giving shape your out look on life?

HARNESSING THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP by Sarah McDermed

(Courtesy Guide Dogs for the Blind)

One of the most amazing service organizations I’ve ever encountered is Guide Dogs for the Blind. While doing research for my upcoming romantic suspense novel, BLINDSIGHT, it was my pleasure to visit their Oregon school campus and learn how these amazing animals are raised and trained, and how these magical human-canine partnerships are crafted—partnerships that have the power to change lives in amazing ways.

Did you know that two of Guide Dogs for the Blind’s co-founders were pioneering women who refused to accept the limitations society put on them?

(Courtesy Guide Dogs for the Blind)

Blind since infancy, Hazel Hurst had been partnered with a ‘Seeing Eye’ dog trained at the organization school in Morristown, N.J. She was a tireless advocate for the blind and fundraiser who in 1941 partnered with a former Seeing Eye Trainer, Don Donaldson, and fundraiser/administrator Lois Merrihew to found the Hurst Foundation in Monrovia, California.

Lois Merrihew had always dreamed of training guide dogs for the blind, but when she applied to an East Coast school to become a trainer, she was told women were not physically or emotionally suited for this type of work. Before long, Don Donaldson mentored Lois to become a guide dog trainer. (Kudos to Mr. Donaldson!)

LOIS MERRIHEW

Through tireless lecturing and demonstrations of guide dog activity Hazel Hurst, the Donaldsons and Lois Merrihew promoted the idea of a 'Guide Dog School for the Blind' in Northern California. When the United States entered the war, many people anticipated a growing need for guide dogs for blinded veterans returning home. Lois and Don shared their expertise with officials of the American Women's Voluntary Services (AWVS). With the support of key people, Guide Dogs for the Blind was established.

Although their first students were civilians, by 1943 GDP paired their first blinded veteran with a dog named Blondie. Many more veterans would be introduced to the joy and freedom of a Human-Guide partnership. Lois went on to become the school’s Director of Training.

"Of any of my accomplishments, I am most proud of Senate Bill #2391, passed in 1947, setting standards and licensing for both trainers and schools," she said. "Before then, anyone could 'train' and sell dogs to blind persons, without any guarantee of proper training." Lois was the first woman to become a licensed dog guide trainer.

30-second Video
Courtesy of Guide Dogs for the Blind)

Guide Dogs for the Blind is a tax-exempt charitable organization that receives no government funding. Private donations and thousands of volunteers make this school possible. Volunteers donate time as Breeding Stock Custodians, Guide Dog Puppy Raisers, Campus Volunteers and members of the Speakers Bureau. Their two school campuses are located in San Rafael, California, and in Boring, Oregon.

Please consider donating some of your hard-earned money, or better yet, time! Visit their website (source of the information and photographs in this blog post)at http://welcome.guidedogs.com/ for more information.

Thank you for reading my post. ~ Sarah Raplee

Charity Can Find a Home in Fiction

By Courtney Pierce

One of my goals in life is to create a charitable trust that supports what is personally important to me―funded through book sales. We all want a legacy, and while my books will live on after I’m gone, there’s more I can do to maximize their impact on the world. Authors are in a unique position to communicate their personal wants and wishes by infusing their stories with an inspiration to help others. Like-minded readers will connect and spread the word. Plus, benevolence feels good.

In my books, charity takes shape in the humorous way my characters react to problems. They do the right thing for the wrong reasons, or they’ll do the wrong thing for the right reasons. Their choices create tension and moral dilemmas that force characters to push their limits. The result sparks a predicament. In the first book of my current trilogy, The Executrix, about three middle-age sisters, my characters sneak a standard poodle into a hospital by disguising it as a therapy dog. Of course, the nurses believe the ruse and send the dog on patient rounds. Humorous and poignant chaos ensues. Over three books, the importance of therapy dogs and their service becomes a major subplot, a touchpoint of emotion for my characters. Animals show what they can’t voice.

The addition of a benevolent plot device or personality trait promotes empathy for flawed characters. Even villains fall flat without a redeeming quality. When a fleeing bank robber stops to throw change into a homeless man’s collection cup, readers will see a new dimension to the character. He or she becomes 3-D and real. Readers make an emotional investment to see what happens next.

And then there’s using a charity plot device as a marketing strategy in the process of selling books. This is where I aim to go in my writing. Supporting a cause, either through a direct donation or cooperative marketing arrangement, provides a targeted strategy for promotion, event creation, and publicity. Now I’m cooking with gas.

Heightening awareness of our books in a crowded marketplace is the most challenging step for an author. In the creation phase the words flow freely, but once finished we must climb out the storm cellar to rebuild the barn. Even with a framework of social media, bookstores, and online distribution outlets in place, positioning a new work is difficult without an emotional connection. If the themes in my books can resonate with a specific community, I’m able to raise the stakes.

The writing mantra of “show, don’t tell” can apply to sending the message of charity. My strategy is to show generosity in my characters and incorporate a charitable angle into my plots. Fiction just might turn into something real.

Courtney Pierce is a fiction writer living in Milwaukie, Oregon. She writes for baby boomers. Her novels are filled with heart, humor, and mystery. Courtney has studied craft and storytelling at the Attic Institute and has completed the Hawthorne Fellows Program for writing and publishing. Active in the writing community, Courtney is a board member of the Northwest Independent Writers Association and on the Advisory Council of the Independent Publishing Resource Center. She is a member of Willamette Writers, Pacific Northwest Writers Association, She Writes, and Sisters in Crime. The Executrix received the Library Journal Self-E recommendation seal. 

Check out all of Courtney's books at:

courtney-pierce.com and windtreepress.com

The Dushane Sisters are back with Courtney's latest release of Indigo Lake. More laughs, more tears...and more trouble. Protecting Mom's reputation might get the sisters killed―or give one of them the story she's been dying to live.

New York Times best-selling author Karen Karbo says, "Courtney Pierce spins a madcap tale of family grudges, sisterly love, unexpected romance, mysterious mobsters and dog love. Reading Indigo Lake is like drinking champagne with a chaser of Mountain Dew. Pure Delight."

Colorful characters come alive in Courtney's latest trilogy about the Dushane sisters. Beginning with The Executrix, three middle-age sisters find a manuscript for a murder mystery in their mother's safe after her death. Mom’s book gives them a whole new view of their mother and their future. Is it fiction . . . or truth? 

Get out the popcorn as the Dushane Sisters Trilogy comes to scrumptious conclusion with Indigo Legacy. Due out in early 2017. Stay tuned!

Pippa's Charity Shout-Out 2016 #charity #goodcauses

Hi, I'm Pippa Jay, author of scifi and supernatural stories to engage your emotions. In previous years I've highlighted either a charity I've supported, or I've asked my friends if they have a special charity they'd like given a shout out. This year I've done something slightly different in choosing one charity I'd like to support because a good friend is taking on a major challenge to raise money for it, and another more local one in memoriam for my godfather who recently lost his dad.

For my first charity, I've chosen the Kili Kiwis who are climbing Mt Kilimanjaro to support World Child Cancer and their work in Africa. One of those fund raising is my insane dedicated insanely dedicated old friend (well, long time friend - I dislike using the 'o' word) John Robson.

Their home page tells you exactly why they're embarking on this crazy daring adventure. You can find out more HERE or donate HERE. I know that a cause John is willing to climb a mountain for is definitely worthy of support.

"Three fullas from New Zealand are heading to the top of a continent together. This is not some stag party gone wrong, but a chance to raise money for an amazing charity and to push themselves to the limits."

For my second charity to highlight, I've chosen the RNLI. Like the air ambulance, this is an emergency service that is solely run on public donations rather than government or council funded, and therefore totally reliant on the generosity of others. I've chosen this in tribute to my godfather who recently lost his father, and the RNLI was his favourite charity. So it seemed fitting to give them an extra shout out as part of RTG's charity month.

"The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea

We provide, on call, a 24-hour lifeboat search and rescue service around the UK and Ireland, and a seasonal lifeguard service.

With our lifeboats, lifeguards, safety advice and flood rescue, we are committed to saving lives."

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Want to chat with me? Find me on Twitter as @pippajaygreen

Charities versus Non-Profit

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

"Charity" is a derivative of the Latin word Caritas. Breaking it down,  it means Love of God and Love of your neighbor. 

Why then are there are so many charities that seem to be self-serving? Way too many organizations list themselves as nonprofit yet they are anything but.  It's become a tax write off for some. 

A charitable organization or a non-profit organization's (NPO)  sole focus should be on philanthropy and the social well-being of the demographic it serves. Any associated activities should serve the public interest or common good.

 

One interesting and not so fun fact,  is that until the mid-18th century,  no such thing as a charitable organization existed. Charity at that time was limited to the giving of alms to the needy. Hence the reason that alms houses were created. Charity back then was the function of a church or parish and funded primarily on bequests from the wealthy. These charities were responsible for everything, ranging from education, health and housing,  to prison welfare.   

 Today, there are charities that operate under the guise of private foundations, obtaining their principal funding through a corporation, family, or single financial source. They have no need to actively solicit public funding. These private foundations use endowment funds to provide grants to organizations supporting their mission. Examples are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation.

 http://www.gatesfoundation.org/

  So how do you make sure the charity you want to start up, or donate to, is the real deal?

 In the USA the requirements for starting up a charity differ from state to state. But  the charitable organization does have to comply with federal tax relief and IRS guidelines. To qualify as tax exempt, the charity cannot politically campaign or fundraise for a candidate, and any earnings derived cannot benefit a sole individual.

 Once you decide this is the way to go. You need to design a business plan and ensure there is as much money coming in as going out.  You also need to make sure the organization qualifies as a non-profit and conforms to all the legalities.

Nonprofits are heavily regulated by the states in which they reside and the federal government.  This ensures their donors are protected from fraud, and that the nonprofit continues to serve the public good.

Good record keeping is also important. Nonprofits have reporting requirements that must be adhered to. A fund raising plan that is sophisticated, complex, and competitive is  a necessity. Now this goes way beyond bake sales or dinner/ dances. It requires planning, networking and  bringing  the right contacts on board.

 Speaking of boards, your board can make you or break you. Legally, said board, is responsible for keeping you on track and making sure your mission is accomplished. Board members are the ones to help you secure funds, and they also should be chosen with their expertise in mind.

 Say you’re not interested in setting up your own non-profit, then make sure to donate to those non-profits who use the bulk of their funds to serve the public good.  Research shows that the 4 non-profits below do an excellent job of this:

American Red Cross

Their administrative expenses are less than 5% of their total overhead, and they spend 92.1% of their income on programs that benefit the community. 

World Vision

Spends 85 cents of every dollar you donate toward stamping out global poverty. 

Doctors Without Borders

86 to 89 cents of every dollar you give goes to supporting the overall mission of providing healthcare to those in need in over 60 countries.

Invisible Children

This group's mission is to use media and social action to end the use of child soldiers in Uganda. The group spends about 80% of its donations to fund this goal.

Whatever you do,  choose your charities wisely.

About the Author

Marcia King-Gamble hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. She is a former travel industry executive and a self proclaimed globetrotter. Marcia is particularly fond of Hong Kong, Venice, and New Zealand, not only for the scenery, but because of the mouthwatering food. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned 31 books and 6 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling, and with her animal family.

 Link: https://amzn.com/B01G0Y8VYG