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  • Operation Homefront

    Mission
    Operation Homefront‘s mission is to provide “emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors.”
    Why You Should Support Them
    We all get hit with hard times.  And our men and women serving in the military are no different.  Like us, they too experience financial hardships and have been impacted by the recent decline of our economy.  And for those who have been wounded in the line of duty, it is often hard to find a job that will cater to their injuries.
    Luckily there are organizations like Operation Homefront to step in and help meet the needs of these men, women and their families.  They works to assist service members and wounded veterans with everything from emergency financial relief to providing emergency home repairs, food and much more.  
     Operation Homefront believes “those who wear our country’s uniform do so with a sense of duty, knowing they support the causes of freedom.  We serve by serving them and their families.”  And this is truly the ultimate way that we can even begin to show our appreciation for these men and women putting their lives on the line so that we don’t have to.
    For more information on services offered by Operation Homefront click here.
    How You Can Help
    I encourage to assist Operation Homefront with its mission help these military families by either making a donation, becoming a volunteer or starting an Operation Homefront chapter in your city.  In addition, you can also help by contributing to the specific need of a service member and/or their family.  A list of current need requests is updated regularly here.
    For more information on how you can get involved with Operation Homefront click here.
    More 411
    Website
    Facebook
    Flickr
    Foursquare
    Twitter
    WordPress
    YouTube
    Or Write:
    Operation Homefront
    8930 Fourwinds Dr, Suite 340
    San Antonio, TX 78239
    Or Call:
    (212) 659-7756
    (800) 722-6098
    Or Email:
    To email Operation Homefront click here

  • A Day of Discovery

    I am happy to report that Moo has been feeling much better this week. Her meds have worked and she is back to her normal self.  And after being shuffled from the emergency room to the pediatrician and stuck in the house for almost two weeks, I was more than thrilled when presented with the opportunity to take her to the Discovery Place here in the Queen City.  As a matter of fact, the first time I ever visited Charlotte was on a trip to the Discovery Place when I was a Brownie in Girl Scouts.

    I remembered all the fun I had exploring and playing with all the different exhibits.  My favorite was the exhibit they used to have on the human body. It had a giant ear that you could climb inside and everything.  It was amazing to say the least.  And I thought it was just the coolest thing ever.  So, I was curious to see how Moo would react on her very first trip there as well.

    Would she love it as much as I did?  Would she be bored?  Would she get cranky?  I had so many thoughts and questions running through my mind as we got Wednesday morning.  However, as we approached Uptown, I could hear Moo chattering away in her car seat about all the different stuff she was seeing out her window.  If you’ve never been to Charlotte, then let me just say that Uptown is really a beautiful place with lots of tall buildings and great sites.

    She squealed with even more excitement as parked in the parking garage and got out the car.  It was like she could tell we were somewhere really special.  I felt relieved.  This was a good sign that today was going to be a fun day for her.  In we went and first up on our list was a trip to the KidScience room.

    She had a blast playing at the water table station.  The purpose of the water table station was to teach kids about the flow of water.  They had a water wheel and the kids were suppose to figure out which pipes to use to get the water to make the wheel move.  We ended up making two trips back to the KidScience room so that she could get her fill of the water.
    I have to admit that even I got caught up in the fun of the KidScience room. See my cute little glow board masterpiece above?  It’s a rocket ship and a star.  I did a good job of following the pattern. Don’t you think so.  After the KidScience room we headed to the aquarium exhibit.
    Let me just say that she loves, loves, loves fish.  It doesn’t matter what kind of fish it is, she loves them all! She literally ran to look into all the different tanks.  It was surreal to stand back and watch her little face light up with joy and wonder.  We even found Nemo. LOL

    Also, during our visit we checked out the Rain Forest exhibit and saw some pretty neat birds and a large tortoise.  The tortoise was my favorite part of the Rain Forest exhibit because I love turtles. My brother and I had several for pets.  We enjoyed all the science experiments and the race exhibit they had set up on the second floor.

    Overall, I would say that this is by far the best outing we have had to date. She had a wonderful time and I discovered that the Discovery Place is still a place filled with just as much fun, adventure and wonder as it was when I was a little girl.

    *Disclaimer:  I was given complimentary tickets to the Discovery Place.  However, the choice to write this post was solely my idea and all opinions expressed are genuinely my own.

  • A Day of Discovery

    I am happy to report that Moo has been feeling much better this week. Her meds have worked and she is back to her normal self.  And after being shuffled from the emergency room to the pediatrician and stuck in the house for almost two weeks, I was more than thrilled when presented with the opportunity to take her to the Discovery Place here in the Queen City.  As a matter of fact, the first time I ever visited Charlotte was on a trip to the Discovery Place when I was a Brownie in Girl Scouts.

    I remembered all the fun I had exploring and playing with all the different exhibits.  My favorite was the exhibit they used to have on the human body. It had a giant ear that you could climb inside and everything.  It was amazing to say the least.  And I thought it was just the coolest thing ever.  So, I was curious to see how Moo would react on her very first trip there as well.

    Would she love it as much as I did?  Would she be bored?  Would she get cranky?  I had so many thoughts and questions running through my mind as we got Wednesday morning.  However, as we approached Uptown, I could hear Moo chattering away in her car seat about all the different stuff she was seeing out her window.  If you’ve never been to Charlotte, then let me just say that Uptown is really a beautiful place with lots of tall buildings and great sites.

    She squealed with even more excitement as parked in the parking garage and got out the car.  It was like she could tell we were somewhere really special.  I felt relieved.  This was a good sign that today was going to be a fun day for her.  In we went and first up on our list was a trip to the KidScience room.

    She had a blast playing at the water table station.  The purpose of the water table station was to teach kids about the flow of water.  They had a water wheel and the kids were suppose to figure out which pipes to use to get the water to make the wheel move.  We ended up making two trips back to the KidScience room so that she could get her fill of the water.
    I have to admit that even I got caught up in the fun of the KidScience room. See my cute little glow board masterpiece above?  It’s a rocket ship and a star.  I did a good job of following the pattern. Don’t you think so.  After the KidScience room we headed to the aquarium exhibit.
    Let me just say that she loves, loves, loves fish.  It doesn’t matter what kind of fish it is, she loves them all! She literally ran to look into all the different tanks.  It was surreal to stand back and watch her little face light up with joy and wonder.  We even found Nemo. LOL

    Also, during our visit we checked out the Rain Forest exhibit and saw some pretty neat birds and a large tortoise.  The tortoise was my favorite part of the Rain Forest exhibit because I love turtles. My brother and I had several for pets.  We enjoyed all the science experiments and the race exhibit they had set up on the second floor.

    Overall, I would say that this is by far the best outing we have had to date. She had a wonderful time and I discovered that the Discovery Place is still a place filled with just as much fun, adventure and wonder as it was when I was a little girl.

    *Disclaimer:  I was given complimentary tickets to the Discovery Place.  However, the choice to write this post was solely my idea and all opinions expressed are genuinely my own.

  • The Closet Ministry

    Mission
    The Closet Ministry’s mission is “to help lift economic burdens by providing quality used and new clothing, shoes and linens to men, women and children whose families are under financial strain.”
    Why You Should Support Them
    A lot of us take simple things like being able to buy clothing, shoes, towels, bedsheets, etc.  Well, for some families they have to choose between keeping a roof over their family’s head, putting food on and paying bills versus buying clothes.  And this can be extremely rough when you have small kids because they grow so fast.
    Started in 2009, the Closet Ministry was started help address the need of providing needy families with clothing items, shoes and linens.  They host Free Shopping Days once every three months.  One these days, each family is given up to $75 ‘Closet Dollars’ to spend.  Merchandise is displayed like you it would be in a regular store and priced between $1 to $5.  Each family is given 30 minutes to go through and shop for items that they need.
    For more information on the Closet Ministry click here.
    How You Can Help
    Interested in helping the Closet Ministry?  Well, you can assist them in providing needy families with clothing, linens and household items making a financial donation.  You can also help by signing up to volunteer at a location closest too you.  You can even donate gently used and new items to be displayed in their store locations.
    For information on how you can help the Closet Ministry click here.
    More 411
    Or Write:
    Click here to find location closest to you
    Or Call:
    (980) 939-8055
    Or Email:
    Click here to use online email form

  • The Closet Ministry

    Mission
    The Closet Ministry’s mission is “to help lift economic burdens by providing quality used and new clothing, shoes and linens to men, women and children whose families are under financial strain.”
    Why You Should Support Them
    A lot of us take simple things like being able to buy clothing, shoes, towels, bedsheets, etc.  Well, for some families they have to choose between keeping a roof over their family’s head, putting food on and paying bills versus buying clothes.  And this can be extremely rough when you have small kids because they grow so fast.
    Started in 2009, the Closet Ministry was started help address the need of providing needy families with clothing items, shoes and linens.  They host Free Shopping Days once every three months.  One these days, each family is given up to $75 ‘Closet Dollars’ to spend.  Merchandise is displayed like you it would be in a regular store and priced between $1 to $5.  Each family is given 30 minutes to go through and shop for items that they need.
    For more information on the Closet Ministry click here.
    How You Can Help
    Interested in helping the Closet Ministry?  Well, you can assist them in providing needy families with clothing, linens and household items making a financial donation.  You can also help by signing up to volunteer at a location closest too you.  You can even donate gently used and new items to be displayed in their store locations.
    For information on how you can help the Closet Ministry click here.
    More 411
    Or Write:
    Click here to find location closest to you
    Or Call:
    (980) 939-8055
    Or Email:
    Click here to use online email form

  • The Bell Foundation

    Mission
    The mission of the Bell Foundation is “to dramatically increase the academic achievement, self-esteem and life opportunities of children living in low-income, urban communities.”
    Why You Should Support Them
    Did you know that one of three children will not finish school?  This is a sad statistic. What’s even sadder is that most of those children will come from low-income homes in an urban community.  So, how do we reach that one child that is on the verge of throwing in the towel in regards to their education?
    The first step is showing that you care.  These children also need to know why education is important.  At the Bell Foundation, they strive to make sure that no child is left behind with their summer and after school programs.  The Bell Foundation pairs highly trained educators with small groups of students.  They then identify each student’s specific educational need or area that needs the most improvement.
    Also, they not only focus education but the overall well being of the students with mentorship programs and service projects.  Through these Bell hopes to help students gain a sense of community, social responsibility and to reinforce positive strong relationships.  They also work to make sure that parents are just as involved in their child’s educational success by opening and increasing the lines of communication between the schools.
    For more information on the Bell Foundation and how they are helping to give children a new outlook on education  visit their website here.
    How You Can Help
    There are many ways that you can help the Bell Foundation make sure that these children have a great chance at a successful future and making wise life decisions.  You can donate financially to help fund programs and services offered.  You can also volunteer at one of their sites and work hands on with kids.  If you are a teacher or tutor, you can offer your services.
    For other ways that work with the Bell Foundation to make a better tomorrow for the children of America click here.
    More 411
    Website
    Facebook
    Or Write:
    Bell Foundation
    60 Clayton Street
    Dorchester, MA 02122
    Or Call:
    (617) 282-1567

  • The Bell Foundation

    Mission
    The mission of the Bell Foundation is “to dramatically increase the academic achievement, self-esteem and life opportunities of children living in low-income, urban communities.”
    Why You Should Support Them
    Did you know that one of three children will not finish school?  This is a sad statistic. What’s even sadder is that most of those children will come from low-income homes in an urban community.  So, how do we reach that one child that is on the verge of throwing in the towel in regards to their education?
    The first step is showing that you care.  These children also need to know why education is important.  At the Bell Foundation, they strive to make sure that no child is left behind with their summer and after school programs.  The Bell Foundation pairs highly trained educators with small groups of students.  They then identify each student’s specific educational need or area that needs the most improvement.
    Also, they not only focus education but the overall well being of the students with mentorship programs and service projects.  Through these Bell hopes to help students gain a sense of community, social responsibility and to reinforce positive strong relationships.  They also work to make sure that parents are just as involved in their child’s educational success by opening and increasing the lines of communication between the schools.
    For more information on the Bell Foundation and how they are helping to give children a new outlook on education  visit their website here.
    How You Can Help
    There are many ways that you can help the Bell Foundation make sure that these children have a great chance at a successful future and making wise life decisions.  You can donate financially to help fund programs and services offered.  You can also volunteer at one of their sites and work hands on with kids.  If you are a teacher or tutor, you can offer your services.
    For other ways that work with the Bell Foundation to make a better tomorrow for the children of America click here.
    More 411
    Website
    Facebook
    Or Write:
    Bell Foundation
    60 Clayton Street
    Dorchester, MA 02122
    Or Call:
    (617) 282-1567

  • U.S. Equine Rescue League

    Mission
    The United States Equine Rescue League’s mission is “to save, protect and rehabilitate equines in need.”
    Why You Should Support Them
     Horses or equines are one of the most beautiful and magnificent animals on this earth.  They are one of the few animals that thrive in just about every country in the world.  They lovely creatures are used for everything from manual labor to entertainment purposes with horse racing.  However, these animals are often the helpless victims of abuse and neglect by careless owners.
    Thankfully, that’s where the United States Equine Rescue League(USERL) comes into play.  USERL steps in to rescue horses that are clearly being abused and neglected.  They work around the clock to get those horses back to a healthy and rehabilitated state.  Then they work even harder to find these horses new homes with owners that not only have the means to properly care for them but the willingness and passion.
    For information on the United States Equine Rescue League click here.
    How You Can Help
    Are you an animal lover like me?  Then there are many ways that can help USERL.  You can make monetary donations in the form of a memorial or honorarium for a family member, friend, horse or other loved one that want.  You can also make specific financial donations to go towards either food, medical care or farrier care.
    If you enjoy working hands on with horses, then USERL is always looking for volunteers as well.  For more information on ways to assist this organization click here.
    More 411
    Website
    Facebook
    YouTube
    Or Write:
    U.S. Equine Rescue League
    9660 Falls of Neuse Road
    Suite 138 Box 300
    Raleigh, NC 27615
    Or Call:
    (800) 650-8549
    Or Email:
    info@userl.org

  • U.S. Equine Rescue League

    Mission
    The United States Equine Rescue League’s mission is “to save, protect and rehabilitate equines in need.”
    Why You Should Support Them
     Horses or equines are one of the most beautiful and magnificent animals on this earth.  They are one of the few animals that thrive in just about every country in the world.  They lovely creatures are used for everything from manual labor to entertainment purposes with horse racing.  However, these animals are often the helpless victims of abuse and neglect by careless owners.
    Thankfully, that’s where the United States Equine Rescue League(USERL) comes into play.  USERL steps in to rescue horses that are clearly being abused and neglected.  They work around the clock to get those horses back to a healthy and rehabilitated state.  Then they work even harder to find these horses new homes with owners that not only have the means to properly care for them but the willingness and passion.
    For information on the United States Equine Rescue League click here.
    How You Can Help
    Are you an animal lover like me?  Then there are many ways that can help USERL.  You can make monetary donations in the form of a memorial or honorarium for a family member, friend, horse or other loved one that want.  You can also make specific financial donations to go towards either food, medical care or farrier care.
    If you enjoy working hands on with horses, then USERL is always looking for volunteers as well.  For more information on ways to assist this organization click here.
    More 411
    Website
    Facebook
    YouTube
    Or Write:
    U.S. Equine Rescue League
    9660 Falls of Neuse Road
    Suite 138 Box 300
    Raleigh, NC 27615
    Or Call:
    (800) 650-8549
    Or Email:
    info@userl.org

  • Promising Youth, Inc

    Mission
    Promising Youth‘s mission is to “support healthy growth in children and adolescents, reduce homeless and institutional living for children, educate and train parents to properly and effectively care for children in need of families and homes, help put a stop to child abuse, neglect and exploitation, as well as to protect children from cruelty and inhumane living and encourage unity and trust” by “offering stability and commitment.”
    Why You Should Support Them
    I don’t know how many times I can say it, but children are our future.  They’re going to be our future presidents, congress leaders, teachers, and even caregivers.  So, it is imperative that we as parents make sure we are raising our children correctly and treating them like human beings instead of nuances.  After all they didn’t ask to be here. That was a choice that we as the parents made to create them.
    However, let’s be real.  Some parents do not and are not going to treat their children well.  They are too busy being mad at the world for a deed they willing participated in.  Thus, the children in those homes often times act in school, their community, etc in search of attention and as a cry for help and real affection.  Thankfully, we have organizations like Promising Youth who steps in to place these children with foster families that will take the time to show them that they too are important and aren’t a bother but a gift of life.
    Promising Youth uses various methods of therapeutic treatment to help improve these children’s self-esteem, self-love, self-respect and more.  They strive to make sure that each child is treated with dignity and the respect they deserve.  Most importantly they give these children, who are often labeled as troublemakers, hope and a second chance to prove the naysayers wrong about who they are.
    For more information on Promising Youth visit their website here.
    How You Can Help
    Promising Youth is always accepting monetary donations to help them with operation costs and more.  I encourage you please donate to this wonderful organization.  They are working so hard to save and change the lives so many children!
    For more information on how you can make a donation click here.
    More 411
    Website
    Facebook
    Twitter 
    Or Write:
    Promising Youth, Inc
    2750 E. WT Harris Blvd Ste 105
    Charlotte, NC 28213
    Or Call:
    (704) 509-0009



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