John has much experience working in the philanthropic world, and takes great interest in charitable goings on today.

Saks Fashion Sale To Benefit Save The Children

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: Save The ChildrenTagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Saks Fifth Avenue participated in the charitable holiday spirit with a fashion event to support the international charity Save the Children. Saks manager, Billie Messina, welcomed the standing room only audience. She said that“We’re so proud to host this benefit for Save the Children for the second year in a row.”

Event co-chair, Shonu Pande, described Save the Children’s “Survive to Five” program, which the event was initiated to benefit. She told the packed audience “One dollar will buy an antibiotic course for a week for a child with pneumonia.” “So what you do here tonight will make a very real difference in the lives of children across the globe.” There was a festive mood and guests were inspired to buy by Saks’ promise to donate ten percent of the sales to Save the Children.
Model Deanna Bastianich and Luz Agrest modeled beautifully . “This is my second year modeling for this event,” said Deanna.

Luz Agrest said “It’s just wonderful to see so many people here to support the work of Save the Children,” Luz said. “And it’s fun to wear these beautiful clothes. This Gucci dress is gorgeous.”

Kroger Pharmacy Donates Flu Shots

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: Feeding AmericaTagged: , , , ,

Flu-ShotThe Kroger Co. announced that they, together with The Salvation Army and Feeding America will supply free flu shots to thousands of eligible people.
People who want a voucher for the free flu shot should go to The Salvation Army or a Feeding America food bank location near their homes. Uninsured or under-insured people near a Kroger pharmacy can participate in this campaign.

Every year over 200, 000 individuals are hospitalized due to the flu; and about 36, 000 individuals die from the flu or its complications.

Maura Daly, Senior Vice President for the Feeding America food bank network said “Hunger is a public health issue at the end of the day, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Kroger on this effort.”

American Cancer Society Services To Be Offered In Mount Airy, North Carolina Part 3

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: American Cancer SocietyTagged: , , , , ,

The new resource center could also house the “Look Good, Feel Better” program.. In this an American Cancer Society program, trained cosmetologists talk to cancer patients and give active treatment how to apply makeup and how to best to treat skin changes and hair loss. Each patient also receives a makeup kit valued at $250. Bottomley said that “It’s a huge boost for their morale.” The program could take place there once a month.

Donna Rudy, the fund-raising chair for Relay for Life, said that she believes the center is very much required in this locality. “Every person you talk to has had a friend with cancer or been there.” A friend of Donna Rudy’s just passed away because of cancer. She said the “Look Good, Feel Better” program would have really helped her friend. “It would’ve made her feel good, because when you go through chemo you feel rotten,” Rudy remarked. She discussed hair loss and why a wig closet is so important: “Hair is an identity for some people.”

After a building is secured, the American Cancer Society will recruit volunteers to run the center. Each volunteer will be taught about an American Cancer Society programs and trained how to deal with customers. In the future, they hope that the center will be able to serve people for several hours every day.

American Cancer Society Services To Be Offered In Mount Airy Part 2

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: American Cancer SocietyTagged: , , , , , , ,

Lisa Bottomley, a local community manager for the American Cancer Society in North Carolina said that the new resource center in Mount Airy will serve as more than a wig closet and location for cancer information. The building can be used to provide several additional services. They will try to have Internet access so that patients could read the ACS Web site and find information about the disease. There can also be a section with self help books. In Addition supplements and other items would be available to patients. Unfortunately, most people cannot afford the supplements that are needed.

She emphasized that the services would be free for cancer patients. The center will serve all cancer patients, women, men and children.

American Cancer Society To Establish Resource Center In North Carolina- Part 1

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: American Cancer SocietyTagged: , , , , ,

CancerThe American Cancer Society hopes that with the help of the community it will soon be able to open a cancer resource center in Mount Airy, N.C.

The society has cancer resource centers in many communities throughout the country. Currently there is a drive to establish a center in or near Mount Airy.

Lisa Bottomley, local community manager for ACS, said that the center would be a base to disseminate information about cancer and ACS programs. There would be a supply room with prostheses, wigs, scarves, hats and bras given out to cancer sufferers.

There is A mini center in the hospital at Elkin, but the ACS would like one closer to the Forsyth Medical Center and the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center cancer centers.

The center cannot afford to pay rent on a building because the ACS finances all services so that they can be free to local cancer patients and their families. It is looking for someone to donate a space. Once a room or building has been organized the center will need help with things like furniture, a computer, and supplies to run the services.

Denver Transit Oriented Development Fund For Affordable Housing

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: Enterprise Community PartnersTagged: , , , , ,

Enterprise Community Partners, the Urban Land Conservancy (ULC), the City and County of Denver, and several other investors have combined to found the first affordable housing TOD acquisition fund in the United States.

The purpose of the TOD Fund is to support the construction of up to 1,200 low cost living units through property acquisition in current and future transit areas. The Fund addresses a real estate market paradox: when economy activity is down, property values are down making bargain buys. However, there isn’t money or affordable housing developers. Today there is a great opportunity to purchase real estate around proposed transit stations and prepare affordable housing before the FasTracks light rail is operational.

Enterprise Community Partners, a nationwide nonprofit, donated the first $15 million to enable the Fund to get going in 2010.

Australian K.I.D.S. Foundation: Port To Port Challenge

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: UncategorizedTagged: , ,

In order to raise money for K.I.D.S., the Australian K.I.D.S. Foundation is organizing the Port to Port 1200 kilometer challenge. The participants will be riding 1200 kilometers (about 720) miles in 7 days. The cyclists will depart from Port Melbourne on Friday, 22nd April, 2011, and will arrive in Port Macquarie in time for the 2011 Australian IronMan Challenge.

Interestingly, some of athletes who participate in Port to Port will complete their journeys by participating in the Australian IronMan event on Sunday, 1st May.

In order to sign up participants must pay $500 and raise donations of $5,000 for K.I.D.S. Only 30 riders are permitted and if each one brings in $5,500 that makes $165,000 to help kids.

The Australian K.I.D.S. Foundation

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: UncategorizedTagged: ,

The Australian K.I.D.S. Foundation is dedicated to lowering the amount of childhood injury and death. Australian K.I.D.S. spreading injury prevention education and provides programs in pre-schools, elementary and high schools. They run interactive education programs and give resources to 7, 500 schools.

In their recovery program K.I.D.S. helps hundreds of children and their families who have suffered trauma, terrible burns and other injuries that have changed their lives.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Feed America

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: Feeding AmericaTagged: , ,

Matt-Damon-and-Ben-AffleckBen Affleck and Matt Damon and have joined forces with Feeding America to make some strong and moving public service announcements.

Each actor has made public service announcement to alert Americans to how real hunger pain is, and how prevalent.

Ben takes the ‘official’ role and tells us the facts of how frequent hunger is in our country (one out of six people). Matt plays the role of Steve, a man who was once embarrassed to visit his local food bank in order to feed his hungry family.

Kentucky Branch of Feed America receives $100,000 from Wal-Mart

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: Feeding AmericaTagged: , , , ,

A corporate giant and a national charity are working together to expand a hunger relief program in thirty Kentucky counties. Wal-Mart Inc. has awarded $100, 000 in grant money to Elizabethtown-based Feeding America Kentucky’s Heartland. Feeding America will increase its BackPack Program and also the number of food items students enrolled in the program receive, according to Gary Miles, Feeding America’s executive director in Kentucky.

The Elizabethtown branch of Feeding America asked for $50,000 in order to add 630 students to the program and another $50,000 to improve the quality of food given out.

The food bags are given out in 30 of the 42 central and western Kentucky counties helped by Feeding America Kentucky’s Heartland. Each bag is packed with approximately 12 items, including cereal, milk, fruit and snacks.

The bags are given out Fridays at the end of school. They are discreetly put into students’ backpacks so that the students do not feel embarrassed in front of their friends.

This program has expanded to approximately 200 schools and serves almost , 5,000 children in the 30-county area. Each bag costs about $2 to prepare.
“Walmart has really stepped up to the plate and helped us big time,” Miles said.