March for Babies

Today is a sad day for one family and that is one family too many. In this day and age where medical miracles and breakthroughs crop up everyday, no one should lose a child. But, that is the way life is and no matter how technologically advanced we become it may be simply a fact of life that will continue: We will lose our loved ones way too soon.

Premature births and infant mortality should be the least of our worries. That is the goal of the March of Dimes and the March for Babies is a stride towards accomplishing that goal. The money you raise from the March for Babies go to support programs that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. It also funds research to find answers to the serious problems that threaten babies.

If you can't march, please consider donating a small amount to keep another family from experiencing such a loss.



We turn off light bulbs and water to save energy. It only takes a click to save a life.

Heroes at Home

Here at work, even as we are preparing for our own Thanksgiving celebrations, we've also started collecting for our usual holiday charities. We've collected money and food for five families so they can have a good Thanksgiving dinner. Next on our plate is Christmas. We are sponsoring one needy family. It's a single mom or rather aunt taking care of six kids. We are collecting enough to buy their Christmas presents and hopefully a little extra for food and something for mom too. We are also donating to the animal shelter and sending care packages to several military men and women who are connected to our organization. So you see, there is a lot that we can all do.

While it is important that we don't forget about the military men and women who are serving our country, we can't forget about their families who are left behind either. Sears didn't forget about them. They realize that they too sacrifice much when their loved ones, most of the time the bread winner for the family, are away for the holidays. This time of year can be a financial hardship for these families so Sears has initiated the Sears Heroes at Home program in order to provide support to these families. You can help by playing Santa this holiday season. Visit the Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry and grant someone's wish. Go make a donation. It doesn't have to be a big amount, just what you can afford. As they say, every little bit counts and when it comes from the heart, nothing can be bigger.

Smokey Mountain Christmas

I told my daughters about Smokey Mountain when we went to the Philippines a couple of years ago. I didn't get to show it to them though. Even my aunts who still live in the Philippines didn't think it would be a good idea to go 'touring' around there. They said the smell is atrocious and the neighborhood is dangerous. So we didn't go. My daughters had to satisfy their curiosity with pictures. We did see similar conditions of abject poverty, but not to the same degree, in the provinces we visited.

My daughters don't complain about Christmas presents anymore. I think they are growing up or maybe they learned something by hearing about places like smokey mountain and visiting similar areas in the Philippines. I can't speak for what they think or what's in their hearts, but they don't whine when they don't get the laptop or fancy cell phone or media player or play stations that their friends get at Christmas time. They know they are more fortunate than a great many other children in the world even if they don't receive any presents. They at least have a roof over their heads, food whenever they are hungry, clothes on their back and even get to splurge in whatever they want or enjoy doing every once in a while.

This holiday, one of the most worthy charities to support is the Christmas For Payatas, organized by Totedaddy.com and the Lighthouse Center for Children Foundation. They provide aid to the children who live there, eking a living from the mountain of trash. Children here, for instance, do not hesitate to throw food dropped on a clean linoleum floor in the trash can. There, the kids don't deem food they find in the trash as rotten until they see worms squirming in it. Here, kids moan and groan for having to get up early to go to school. There, kids wake up early on purpose to get the best trash, if there is such a thing. They would love to go to school because they have never been. Watch this touching video, borrowed from the Christmas for Payatas website to see how even just the smallest act of kindness and charity can make such a big difference.



PRESS RELEASE:

The landfill in Payatas, The Philippines, is notoriously known the world over as Smokey Mountain. For over 35 years, the smoking dump site has grown to become a stark and heart-tugging reminder of the desperate conditions of humanity.

On a daily basis, children pick through newly arrived garbage to
collect material to sell. The earnings made by one child are not enough to even buy food for the day. Hence, entire families are forced to climb the mountain each day, hoping to earn enough to feed everyone. Children as young as four years old are forced to work in this daily struggle for survival.

In response to the plight of these children, Totedaddy.com is working with Lighthouse Center For Children Foundation to bring a little cheer to the children this Christmas.

Totedaddy.com has kicked off with a cash sponsorship of USD 10,000 to enable the children to celebrate Christmas. FusionExcel International has also pitched in a USD 5,000 in cash sponsorship. The money raised
will help fund the projects already in place, and help fund additional projects aimed at providing better housing, and a means of livelihood for the Payatas community.

It is hoped that by creating better awareness to the plight of these children, more support can be garnered towards their betterment. Together we can bury poverty!

Please donate if you can and help spread the word.

Alzheimer's Memory Walk

As we grow older and our parents grow older we become more aware of this dreadful disease called Alzheimer. Sure, we make fun of it sometimes, using it to define our addled moments. But it really isn't funny when it affects you directly. It isn't funny seeing your loved ones slowly lose their memories, even of you. I have mentioned before how my dad was diagnosed with early Altzheimer's. He's been lucky in that it seems like the drugs he's been taking is retarding the progress of the disease; but you can still see changes. They are subtle but palpable changes and it's scary to imagine what is yet to come.

The Alzheimer's Memory Walk is an event that not only raises awareness of the disease it also raises funds for Alzheimer care, support and research. The Memory Walk is a two to three mile walk usually held in the fall where volunteers of all ages walk to fight against Alzheimer's. These walks are held all over the country, and as much as it seems like summer is never going to end, fall will be here before you know it. Check your community if the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk® is going to be held in your area and please do plan on joining. Better yet, organize a team or volunteer to be a team captain and support this worthwhile cause with your family, friends and co-workers.

Old cars, boats and RVs make these

I have an old car sitting in the driveway and it’s been there for a couple of years. No one drives it although it was still running when we parked it, it's probably not now. We’ve contemplated selling it, but we’re too lazy to go through the hassle of cleaning it up, fixing it and advertising it. So now we’re looking to give it away. Just have someone come and haul it away just so I won’t have to look at it again.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s had this problem. One way to solve this problem is to donate the car to charity. Rather than just tossing it away and getting no benefit from it, why not donate it and help someone out at the same time? There are a number of places like Car Angel Ministries who will accept your car donation and use the proceeds to help someone else. Car Angel is a non profit organization which produces Christian videos for kids and teens like the one below. They will come and pick up your old car for you and you get to claim the donation on your taxes. They don't just take cars, if you have a boat or other type of vehicle you'd like to get rid of, consider donating it to charity. It will save you a lot of headache and trouble.

Support Care Giving

As I get older and as my parents get older, I think more about who will care for all of us in our old age. My dad was diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer's over a year ago, and while he still functions quite normally for his age besides the occasional forgetfulness and absent mindedness, I can't help but worry if the day ever comes that the full impact of this disease hits him.

Alzheimer's is a family disease. It does not just affect the person afflicted, it affects the whole family especially the care giver. There have been cases where the patient outlived their caregivers. Caring for someone requires a lot of patience, energy and compassion. If you aren't vigilant, it could be really stressful. And stress is the gateway to many ailments, some of them a lot worse than Alzheimer.

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America is a great resource for people who are afflicted with this condition and their caregivers. Their mission is "To provide optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families—through member organizations dedicated to improving quality of life." They state, "no one should face this disease alone".

On their website, you can learn more about the disease and how to handle it; you can learn about ongoing clinical trials; and if you are a care giver, they have CARE Connection which is tailored specifically to address the needs of the caregiver. CARE Central, another service of AFA, is an online community where you, as a care giver, can provide updates for friends and relatives about your patient; and where you can also find support from care givers like you when the going gets tough.

You can help this worthy cause by doing some of your holiday shopping from their eStore. There is a beautiful 'Hearts of Care' jewelry that would be a perfect holiday gift. Proceeds from the sale of their products help support the many programs and services offered by the AFA.

Helping the hands that help

The weather has been so schizophrenic lately that the plants are just so darn confused now they don't know whether to pop up or stay in. The weather had gotten so warm the last couple of weeks that we even had started digging up the garden again and sowed some seeds. Trees started budding, and the dastardly pollen had started coating everything that doesn't move.

Then this week, the weather turned on us and decided to go back to winter like weather and freezing temperature over night. Confusing for plantlife, but downright confounding for human life.


Like many urban cities, Durham has its share of homeless people and people who live in poverty. One of the great resources for people in need in Durham is the Durham Rescue Mission. They provide help to the needy in various ways. They have a shelter for women and children, they provide meals not only on holidays but also on regular days. They collect and distribute coats for those who need it in the winter, presents on christmas for children who would otherwise have nothing and school supplies at the beginning of the school year so that every child going back to school will have a new backpack and supplies like everyone else. Having my own children, these isues are always close to my heart.

When the weather turned cold recently, all the beds inside the mission became full. They are not one to turn people away, so they allowed several people to keep warm outside by cranking up an outdoor wood furnace. Well, as you will read on their website, the sparks caused a storage facility nearby holding their collected canned goods to go up in flames.

Now, we will help them rebuild their stock. It won't be hard because Durham is still a small town at heart and they tend to take care of their own.

Very few (if any) readers of this blog are from Durham, but where ever you live and there is an organization like this, I hope that you will show them your support. Give back a little and you will receive it back a hundred fold.

Tampontification

You probably have never thought of this, but women's shelters in the U.S. go through thousands of tampons and pads monthly. Assistance agencies generally help with expenses of "everyday" necessities such as toilet paper, diapers, and clothing, but one of the most BASIC needs are overlooked - feminine hygiene products. (Who is at the helm of the funding assistance agencies anyway!?)

Seventh Generation, a green paper products and cleaning products company, has a do-good attitude and will donate a box of sanitary products to a women's shelter in your chosen state - just for clicking the link. Talk about easy (literally takes less than 1 minute and they ask nothing of you). And, yes, it is legitimate!

http://www.tampontification.com/donate.php