red ribbon for a winner

 

Just as I do for Habitat For Humanity, I also give to Special Olympics Georgia.

There will be a competition for those special athletes next month, and I'm actually cutting it pretty close to get this ribbon and card back in time.

I'd placed them on the living room table... 

then placed other mail there...

So I'm fortunate to have found them at all!

Best of luck to the athlete who receives this ribbon!

They are a winner in the game of life!

(smile!)

why i give to habitat for humanity, still

Dear Faustina,

 

Your support as a HopeBuilder helps empower families to build stability in decent, affordable Habitat Homes!

 

It's a life that Cynthia, a part-time recreation aide, and Valdemar, who works in the information technology field, always dreamed of: having a home in a tight-knit community where their children can play and grow.

 

Faustina, you help make the dream of home ownership a reality for families and individuals as a generous Habitat HopeBuilder. When you make your regular gift, you'll help create the opportunity for people in Georgia, across the U.S., and around the world to achieve safety and security.

 

Before purchasing an affordable, stable home with Habitat, Cynthia and Valdemar - and their two growing boys - were running out of space. Every year, their apartment's rent increased, despite mold issues and items that needed repair. The couple searched for a home of their own but struggled to find anything in their budget.

 

The course of their home ownership jourey changed when Valdemar spotted an ad for a Habitat home ownership information session. The couple attended, and they left the meeting hopeful. That hope turned into joy after their Habitat application was approved.

 

While working on the build site of their townhome community, Cynthia and Valdemar met other aspiring Habitat homeowners who share their passion for service. The couple even co-founded a neighborhood association with two other Habitat homeowners, who are now their good friends - and pickleball opponents.

 

Cynthia and Valdemar say that having a safe, affordable home in a loving community has led to an abundance of blessings. The best part has been watching their children, Val and Logan, thrive.

 

"They have their own space, and I think their self-esteem has gone up tremendously," Cynthia says,. "Their grades have gone up. Tey have been practicing more of their sports: they both like baseball and basketball. And they both love the violin, and I love hearing them play."

 

From dedicated HopeBuilders like you who consistently make generous contributions to the volunteers who hammer nails and boards, to aspiring homeowners who work side-by-side building Habitat homes, it takes a community to make home ownership possible for people like Cynthia and Valdemar.

 

You are an essential member of that community. Your loyal support helps make a difference with families like Cynthia and Valdemar's. I deeply appreciate the way you step up to help provide home ownership opportunities to people in urgent need of safe, affordable housing. Thank you for your compassion.

 

In partnership, 

Jonathan T.M. Rockford

Chief Executive Officer

Habitat For Humanity

_*__*_

i thank You, God, that I know that joy of having a home.

a gift for computer literacy

No, it's more than that.

It's a gift of access to all the knowledge a computer on the internet can bring.

Far too many seniors do not have that access.

With our current POTUS busy slashing support budgets, that leads to hours-long hold times for seniors trying to access their Social Security and Medicare benefits by phone.

Since my donation of 4000 AARP Reward Points to Senior Planet can help alleviate that problem for other seniors and can lead to their training to handle that business themselves online, then that is a superb use of those points.

Happy to be of service, y'all!

flowers for two brothers, at the church

When I looked at the flower calendar at the start of the year, a date leapt out.

Ronnie's birthday was open for someone to pledge sanctuary flowers. 

I immediately placed my name on that line!

Today, I wrote the check to Asbury Memorial Church to pay for those flowers.

I know the fee won't come due for a couple of months, but I wanted to go ahead and pay off that pledge now, while I had money available.

Seventy dollars - that's a fine gift to honor one brother as he turns 65... and to honor the memory of another who would have been 63.

i thank You, God.

helping out a kindergarten teacher

Chloe sent me an email the other day.

Let me amend that: the fundraising group sent me an email on her behalf.

Her kindergarten teacher is in need of classroom supplies and wondered if I would help?

Trust me, there's something in it for Chloe, too!

Well, besides a better-prepared class, she'll get a Reading Buddy.

That's a furry critter that sits on her arm as she enjoys a book.

Her older sister already has one, and it's giving her fits to not have one.

Well, I am her G'Aunt T... and I saw Miyah's Reading Buddy last month.

Very cute little thing!

Long story short, Chloe's teacher will get a $30 gift card for supplies, Chloe will receive a credit of $30 to use for her to buy books, and... Chloe will have the required 4 points for her choice of Reading Buddy.

Ah, such a good Aunt T she has!

(smile!)

protection for Glynn County, Georgia

Dear Mayor Johnson, City of Brunswick Commissioners, and Glynn County Commissioners,

We the undersigned support the City of Brunswick Commissioners and the Glynn County Board of Commissioners adopting a resolution that acknowledges the legacy pollution left behind by former industrial operations and the impact it continues to have on our community. We further support that this resolution should URGE:

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to facilitate and finalize effective remediation plans of the two active Superfund sites in Glynn County;
    The Georgia Department of Natural Resources to complete the corrective action plans designed to remediate contaminated soils and groundwater on the former Hercules/Pinova plant, so the site can be reused as a beneficial brownfield;

Private and public investors to donate funds to enable Emory University School of Public Health to expand the pilot research project and further investigate the health of residents of coastal Georgia exposed to the contaminants from Superfund sites in Glynn County;

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the trustees representing the public resources and citizens of Georgia, to assess the natural resource damages and file a claim to help Glynn County residents effectively address the challenges caused by legacy contamination.

* * * * *

Here's hoping the addressees will listen to those who petitioned them.

My thanks to One Hundred Miles for bringing this to my attention.

Let's try to keep the land where my Aunt Barbara lives free from pillaging by industry.

give them back their jobs, congress!

Can you believe that our current POTUS and Congress are eliminating jobs?

In particular, can you believe they are canceling jobs that our oceans depend upon?

So, when the email came out to save those jobs at the National Marine Sanctuaries, I made sure to sign the petitions!

Now, it's time for more action to preserve those vital jobs.

That's why I responded to the email alert by writing to my elected officials!

Their terms are coming up for a vote and if they want to be re-elected, they need to listen!

Here are my words to  U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff, U.S. Senator Raphael G. Warnock, and U.S. Representative Earl L. "Buddy" Carter.

"These marine sanctuaries don't have theme park glitz and rides, but they have something far better for our families: life! Nowhere else can we and our children swim among other creatures and observe life forms that have been on this planet for longer than people have a history. These underwater parks also nuture our planet, providing oxygen for our lungs as well as healthy food for our bodies. Please help save these underwater treasures!"

Here's the link for those who wish to join me in this effort!