Accion provides loans to people who otherwise might not be able to obtain them. Accion offers "micro-loans" to people trying to get started, and larger loans to them (or others) when the time comes. Note the word loan. The organization isn't about giving handouts. Accion was honored by Worth Magazine as one of America's 100 Best Charities. Three years of data compiled by Worth concluded that 78% of gifts to Accion was spent on the charity's program, 13% on admin, 8% on fundraising.
Click here to visit Accion's website
The AFSC has, in my view, responded very sensibly to the issues highlighted, and arising from, the atrocities of 9-11. We need more sense, and more good works in these areas.
Click here to visit the American Friends Service Committee website
Intel page with download button
Link to NCCS's 'How You Can Help'
The project aims to develop participant (patient) driven groups that meet weekly with support staff. In October 98, there were workshops being held in several towns in southern England: Chichester, Selsey, Horsham, Littlehampton and Haywards Heath. Participants learn exercises and other techniques which are intended to help them with the day to day management of their breathing difficulties. The programme of 'Breathing Workshops' is designed with a six week cycle so that new participants can join easily.
For further details, write:
Chronic Breathing Difficulties Project
Community Health Council
4 The Chambers, 28 Chapel St.
Chichester, West Sussex
PO19 1DL
England, or...
Colin Walford, 9 The Fieldway
Ditchling, Hassocks, West Sussex
BN6 8UA
Based in Kentucky, the service provides healthcare to rural people who might not otherwise get it. It also offers people who want to learn more about 'life' the chance of contributing their time and labor... valuable experiences for young people heading into a career in healthcare. I 'inherited' the opportunity of providing modest support to the service from my father, who inherited the same from his mother. A relative worked as a horseback courier for them over 50 years ago. Horses were... and in some cases still are... the best way to get to the remote people needing help.
I like the following bumper sticker: 'Racism is a disease. It is not our fault our society has it... but it is our responsibility to seek a cure.'
The Southern Poverty Law Center has a number of valuable programs. One, "Teaching Tolerance" provides practical classroom resources for promoting interracial and inter cultural understanding. The Educational Press Association of America awarded Teaching Tolerance their Golden Lamp award, their highest honor for excellence in educational publishing.
Click here to visit Southern Poverty Law Center/ Teaching Tolerance
Founded in 1984, FAST is a not- for- profit organization supported by the software industry. The aim of FAST is to promote the legal use of software. This is achieved through education and promotion of the legalization message and enforcement of the copyright laws thorough criminal prosecutions.
Click here to visit FAST's site.. beware: lots of graphics
If you pay tax in the UK, the Charities Aid Foundation is worthy of consideration. You send them money by direct debit, say 100 pounds per year. They reclaim the tax you paid on that money, say 28 pounds. They do take a small charge to cover their operating costs. They give you a 'credit card' type thingie with which you can contribute most of the 128 pounds to charities of your choice... without all the hassle of deeds of covenant. CAF also offer a range of other services to givers and charities.
Click here to visit CAF's site
I was a pupil at Pomfret. It is a good co-ed prep (US usage... age 14-18) school in a beautiful part of northeastern CT. However, I also mention it here because they've got a well designed website which may interest more that just those looking for a school.
Click here to visit Pomfret's site
Sadly, Hadley's is no more. Nor has the Wildlife Cafe on the Bognor Road survived. This entry left as a memorial to that sort of place which thrived until McDonalds, Starbucks, Costa drove them out of business with the power of the big corporation to force a different "answer" on us.
Dinner, lunch, teas... Dine in the pleasant atmosphere of an owner-operated (non-chain) restaurant in the heart of beautiful Chichester. Hadley's is 50 yards along West Street from the junction of North, East, South and West Street at the Market Cross. Tel. 01243-771631. (Search keys: West Sussex England dining meals food ) Please mention finding out about Hadley's from Sheepdog Software.
The British American Educational Foundation offers Americans a year in British independent boarding schools, usually after graduating from high school. For the American, the experience offers: an academic year involving areas you are most interested in; a year in a new culture; a year of good sports played more for pleasure than just for winning; a year of activities in music, drama, and more; a chance to explore England and Europe over holidays. The BAEF, founded in 1966, offers academic advisors and a "home base" in London. Some financial aid may be available. Inquiries: PO Box 33, Larchmont, NY, 10538;
Click here to email a BAEF representative
The preceding paragraph was drafted by BAEF for this spot. I offered them the chance because I spent a great year at Charterhouse in 70/71 though their help. (Keywords for search engines: public school (British usage, i.e. private), gap year, education abroad, secondary education))
Ever wanted to be a hero and save a life? Ever thought it would be good if someone found a way to stop some people with leukemia from dying? You can! Someone has! It isn't even expensive or very painful. You register with the Nolan Trust. You send a blood sample (trivial, 'ordinary' blood test). They run tests on it. They put your details in their computer. As people needing help are diagnosed, the Nolan organization uses their database to find suitable marrow donors. Marrow donation is less trivial, but not too awful. A small price to pay for saving someone's life. (And three cheers to the University of Kent at Cambridge for giving the Nolan people space on it's server.)
Click here to learn more about Nolan Trust
Habitat for Humanity (HFH) is an organization which seems to realize that a charity has an obligation to its supporters to see that the funds contributes are used as well as possible. HFH tries to provide housing for the homeless... but HFH is no starry-eyed innocent... they don't 'give' the housing away. They have a website where you can learn more. They have operations in many countries, not just the US. They have experience in Central America, for instance, if you want to help the hurricane victims. They have a UK branch, so if you want to help with a hammer, that's possible in the UK as well as in the US and elsewhere. This is the charity that President Carter has worked for. It was also chosen for support (presumably after a rigorous selection process) by either Virgin Atlantic or Northwest Airlines. (The airlines do a nice 'All about....' spot during international flights, and invite deplaning passengers to shed their loose wrong-country's-currency change into a collecting jar for the charity.
Click her to go to Habitat's site
All right, maybe this isn't in the league of the other good causes here, but Credit Where Credit Is Due!!!......
I wanted a fairly basic photocopier for home office use. More by luck than design, I ended up with the Canon PC-11. It is GREAT! It does everything I want, no annoyances. Reasonable warm up cycle. Enlarges/ reduces. Automatic or manual exposure. Controls all clear and intuitive. In a world of disappointments, it is so agreeable to find a product which actually is what you had hoped it would be.
I received the following information from 'Care', a British registered charity. Tel (UK) 0171-379-5247. I have heard of the therapy from other sources, and believe it to be one of the great 'good causes' which could help make the world a better place. For US readers, I am sure that almost any third world aid charity would be able to direct contributions towards this effort. Well known charities are welcome to email me with a request for their contact details to be added to this.
In 24 hours, over 10,000 children under five die. Many die due to dehydration from diarrhea caused by otherwise non-life-threatening diseases.
The 'cure' is not expensive.... Boiled water with the RIGHT AMOUNT of sugar and salt in it will often see these children through their sickness. No needle or anything else unobtainable is needed. Charities such as Care need the money to put educators into the countries where the knowledge is missing.... once the information is in the minds of the parents, the horrible loss of life and waste of resources can be cut significantly. Please help.
Mike Smith, "Tricks of the Trade" columnist for Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS), named only three books that every EMS professional should read. Dernocoeur's 'STREETSENSE: Communication, Safety and Control' is one of them.....
Every EMS professional needs to know much more than clinical medicine. This expanded third edition of 'Streetsense' provides key information about important non-clinical elements of emergency medical care such as:
Interpersonal Communications Strategies
Self Awareness
Driving Hazards
Lifting & Back Safety
Safety Issues on the Streets
Death & Dying
Stress & Wellness
Gangs, the Elderly and Other Special Populations
Legal Risk Management
Balancing EMS with Daily Life
Weaponry
These topics and many more covered in 'Streetsense' concern EVERY emergency medical services provider, educator and manager, veteran or not.
"Streetsense starts where your textbooks stop... You're never too smart for Streetsense" ---Dr. Norm Dinerman, MD
"The goal of every medic and EMT should be to become a seasoned provider. 'Streetsense' is the salt. 'Streetsense' should be mandatory reading. Kate Dernocoeur knows her stuff." ---John M Becknell, EMT-P
"I own nearly every EMS text in print, yet 'Streetsense' is the only text I have read cover to cover, both editions. I recommend it to all my students-- in fact to everyone in EMS." ---Dwayne Clayden, Paramedic EMS Coordinator, Airdrie, Alberta Canada
THE DETAILS:
Title: STREETSENSE: Communication, Safety and Control, 3rd edition
Author: Kate Boyd Dernocoeur, B.S., EMT-P
Publisher: Laing Communications
ISBN: 0-938106-21-X
Cost: US$22.95 (plus shipping/handling)
To order: Jems Lifeline Bookstore (1-800-240-0703)
OR Emergency Training Associates (1-800-367-0382)
For more information: Use Amazon, or email me, see below, and I will forward your letter to the author of Streetsense.
Link to 'My Desk Pile' main page