helping a bear do a good deed

By "bear" I mean the psychologist for whom I am an honorary Auntie.

A teacher who was dear to him died unexpectedly this year and what was his reaction?

To set up a scholarship in her name.

Wow.

 

As a teacher, I was quite touched that he would do such a loving thing for her.

Aubrey Shoemaker must have been a truly magnificent person.

Kevin Crabtree spent a lot of effort designing apparel that he hopes to sell, to help keep the scholarship funded for years to come.

The design he settled upon was of a Bi-Polar Bear, drawn as if on a playing card.

(He didn't draw it; he had the illustrator for his upcoming graphic novel handle that.)

He even gave me one of the T-shirts so I could parade it around!

He and I wore matching shirts one time, too, to help promote the cause.

Very cool!

 

Today, I mailed a check for $100 to the Walters State Community College Foundation, to honor Kevin and in memory of his teacher and friend.
That amount is my standard gift when a niece or nephew - such as him - graduates from high school or college. 

He graduated from that college in Tennessee, so, if I had known him back then, he would have received that type of gift from his Auntie T.
(smile)

 

For anyone else who would like to contribute, here is the address.

Shoemaker Scholarship
c/o WSCC Foundation
500 S. Davy Crockett Parkway
Morristown, TN 37813

letting my money travel to fiji

I've been going a bit stir-crazy since June, when I was stranded in St. Augustine.
The new shift cable is still very stiff, making fifth gear nigh unattainable.
So, no highway driving in my recent past and none in my near future.
What's a travel bug like me to do?
Well, how about the next best thing: letting my money see the world for me?
That was actually my thought process!
And where better to go than somewhere neither I, nor my money, had traveled?
The island country of Fiji fit the bill quite nicely!
Plus, my Nerdfighters had recommended two loans in that community.
Bravo!

Teraina was in need of funds for her fledgling fuel business.
What caught my attention?
She's a 54-year-old following her dream of being a source of kerosene and benzene for her community, as well as being a source of support for her family of six.
Yes, I can help with that!

That left me with another twenty-five dollars available at kiva.
This time, the money for the microloan went to Bobo.
She already had an established canteen, but she needed funds to expand, to allow purchase of a freezer and frozen meats for her steady clientele.
Not only would she be helping others, but she'd be better able to support her four children.
Yes, I can help with that, too!

i thank You, God, for allowing me to grant those gifts to others.

new loan to ghana, for independence

In celebration of my nation's Independence Day, I sought someone to help along in their quest for financial freedom.
I had discovered a few days ago that the Zimbabwe Group - helped just last month - has repaid their loan in full, already.
What an amazing team they are!
Well, how about turning that money they'd repaid to me right back around to kiva to help others?
Magnificent idea!
This time, I'm sending the funds to Ghana.
The lead woman of Nyonmo Bei Group is named Gifty and she has been running her own shop for several years, selling clothing material to support her family and her two school-aged children.
Now, she is ready to restock and to expand her business, to help two other women.
Their names are Sheila and... Faustina.
I had to read it three times to make sure I'd read it correctly.
My name.
I have done my part to help these three women attain their goals.
I hope others will help them succeed, too.

i thank You, God, for leading me to them.

no rollers needed for my blood

What on this blue-green planet am I talking about?
Well, I guess it would help if I showed the cartoon from "Close To Home".
John McPherson reminds me of "The Far Side" with his humor.

The comic depicts a donor lying on a table with a contraption with giant rollers at the bottom of his feet.
The nurse assures him that giving a pint will "only take about fourteen seconds".
Hahahaha hahaha!
I had seen the comic a week or two ago and saved it, knowing I had a trip to the American Red Cross coming soon.
Deborah, the front desk clerk, loved it!
She immediately made copies to share!

How long did my blood donation take today?
From the very moment I walked in and had my vitals taken, answered the questions, had the extra-rich fluid drawn off, and then returned up front for water and snacks was not quite thirty minutes - my usual.

That placed me in the three percent of Americans who donate blood.
I'm one of the three percent of Americans who are willing to set aside thirty minutes of their day, just once a year, to save someone's life.
Three percent of Americans.
Surely we, as a nation, can increase that number...
can't we?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy my lunch!
It's courtesy of Jason's Deli, for my birthday60+1, and features the very best parts of their salad bar.
Woohoo!!!

hope for health for all

Good news, y'all!
Congress' elected officials seem to be responding to the constituents!

***** ***** *****

5/17/2019 10:59 AM
american heart association
Breaking News

Faustina --

Last night, thanks in large part to the dedication of You’re the Cure advocates, the United States House of Representatives passed a package of health care bills, including one that would block low-quality health care plans that put our health at risk from being sold across the country.

The package of bills that passed last night, known as HR 987, included a number of provisions that would help strengthen the ACA and protect people with pre-existing conditions.

Thank you for contacting your Representative in support of this package of bills.

Your efforts made a BIG difference in the House of Representatives, but our work is not done, and the package of bills still needs to pass the Senate before it has a chance to become law. Millions of Americans are still at risk from being victimized by low-quality health care coverage, but this was a great first step. We expect the Senate will soon introduce similar legislation with the goal of expanding access to quality and affordable health care and limiting access to low-quality, dangerous coverage.

When the Senate introduces their legislation, it will be even more important than ever that our lawmakers hear from us. The House listened to our calls for action and it’s up to us to make sure the Senate does the same. In the coming weeks, please be on the look-out for ways to help expand access to quality health care, but for now take a second to celebrate this great victory for public health!

Thank you for all that you do and talk soon!

Amy Shope Manzi
Director, Grassroots Advocacy
American Heart Association
Heart Disease and Stroke.
You’re the Cure.

http://www.yourethecure.org/

***** ***** *****

Want to become a citizen advocate for the good of all?
It's very easy and takes only minutes to do so.
Just sign up here...
and thank you.

thanks for a friendly wave

Perhaps I chose these three groups because they were vetted by Nerdfighters like me.
Perhaps the three groups of friends banded together appealed to me.
Perhaps my impending birthday has made me feel especially generous.
I'll let you look at them and see if you can determine my rationale.

These four represent the Zimbabwe Group, in Malawi.
Their goal is to purchase wrappers - i.e., wrap dresses - in a variety of prints to offer choice to their customers.
This is my first loan to this type of enterprise and my first loan to their country.

These women comprise the Diasso Awa Group of Burkina Faso, another landlocked country in Africa.
The goal for this group is the sale of food, specifically tubers, and to grow that business.
This is my first loan to this type of enterprise and my first loan to their country.

These brightly-clad women are Las Palmeras 1 Group, living in Guatemala.
Now on their third loan, they are branching out from textiles to agriculture, looking to coffee plants for their expansion.
I have supported loans for agriculture before, and this is not my first loan to their country.

So, have you determined why I chose these three for my funding?
I'm sure you have, given the title of this post.
(smile)
Let's hope others are attracted to their gesture of friendship, too.

helping to help a friend

Tonight, I attended "A Dandy In Aspic", a 1968 British spy film with a delightful twist, at the Sentient Bean. I had a check in hand to first help Jim Reed by supporting his Psychotronic Film Society of Savannah. I was given a choice to buy one 5-movie pass at twenty-five dollars or to buy two of them for forty dollars.
In honor of my upcoming birthday, I purchased two of them.
Not only was that a better treat for me, it also placed needed cash in his hands.
He will be hosting a special PFS screening at the 'Bean on May 19 - a Sunday - to help my friend Carolyn.

She has been having dental issues for months now.
Her only recourse to relieve her pain is a very expensive surgery which will involve cutting out two of her teeth. Later dental work will then be needed to replace those molars and perform root canals.
She is in her seventies, living on a tight budget. She would never be able to afford to have this work done. She has two siblings - one a psychologist in Pensacola, the other long-retired and living in North Carolina - but they are of no help to her.
Hence, the "family" of friends she has chosen is being called to her rescue.
That includes me, naturally, plus a myriad of other folks here in Savannah.
After all, she's a native Savannahian and has played hostess to many in her life.
So, on May 19, we will be celebrating her with a movie and raffles, with all proceeds going toward her dental bills, past and present.
Did I say "past"?
Indeed I did, as she is to have the surgery to cut out the problematic teeth on Monday, May 13th.
A friend has loaned her those emergency funds, but will need to be repaid.
Hopefully, the special Sunday screening will raise enough to reimburse that person and give a start for the funds which will be required to complete the future dental work.
I have a Grant that I have been saving for a special treat, but I'm going to donate it for this special person instead.
That will be money well-spent... and better than any "thing" I might have purchased.