124: Fostering Care for Foster Care

May is National Foster Care Month, and Jonathan's Place has been foster caring since 1991 with an excellent rating from Charity Navigator. Jonathan's Place offer foster care, foster care to adopt, emergency shelter, girls therapeutic program, transitional living, and is a National Safe Place. "If you’re a teen and looking for a safe place to go, Text ‘SAFE’ with your City or Zip to 69866. You will then receive the address of the closest Safe Place and a phone number you can call. When you go to a Safe Place location, employees are trained to provide a safe environment and connection to crisis services." (https://www.jpkids.org/our-programs/national-safe-place/

The mission of Jonathan’s Place is to provide a safe, loving home and specialized services to children who have been abused, abandoned or neglected. (https://www.jpkids.org/about/

Foster Care is needed for so many reasons, and most foster care systems are overburdened and lacking in good, supportive families who can take in a child or siblings. Supporting foster care can be one of the greatest ways to help our children.  If you live in the Plano, Texas area, the "Strike Out Child Abuse" Bowling Tournament is coming up in June and sounds like great fun.

Child Abuse Hotline:(800) 252-5400

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123: Red Rover - Red Rover Helps Animals All Over

Red Rover is an amazing organization with three main areas of importance: helping pet owners in need, caring for animals in crisis, and helping develop empathy toward animals in children. I appreciate all of these, but I do want to stress the immense task they undertake during disaster relief. "Since 1987 RedRover Responders has worked in cooperation with law enforcement, local agencies, and animal organizations to shelter and care for animals displaced by natural disasters and other crises, such as criminal seizures, puppy mills and hoarding cases, in the United States and Canada. If you need sheltering assistance, please call RedRover at 916.429.2457 or email Responders@redrover.org." 
I know I am short on time today, so I hope you will look at Red Rover if you are interested in animal rescue. I did study to be a volunteer but could not get to any live training sessions, or I wold give you more information on that. The importance of these volunteers to animals is as important as FEMA, Red Cross, or others to humans in crisis. 

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122: When Life Gives you Lemons (of Love) LOL

I was looking for  chemo support nonprofit today. I found Lemons of Love (LOL), and I am in love. LOL is empathetic, empowering, thoughtful, and just darn adorable. I am putting a quite about it below, but truly, if you want a gift for someone you know who is going through chemo, check out this amazing nonprofit.

Lemons of Love is based on the well-known expression, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” but with a twist, “When life gives you lemons – laugh out loud.” 

"Lemons of Love is an adventure run solely on the generosity of humanity.” – Jill Swanson Peltier The LOL bags are hand made by volunteer stitchers with lots of love. Jill chooses special products that were essential in healing during her own treatments. Each beautiful package is filled with Organic body lotion (for dry chemo skin); Claeys Old Fashioned Lemon Drops (naturally flavored to hide get rid of the awful metallic taste); Dark Chocolate Acai (dark chocolate is nutritious and acai berries have antioxidants, fiber and heart-healthy fats); Organic Ginger Tea (for upset stomachs); a Lemons of Love water bottle (BPA Free - made in USA), a bottle of Calypso Lemonade (graciously donated by Calypso); a Lemons of Love FIGHTER silicone bracelet, superhero socks (because, let’s face it, you achieve superhero status when fighting this battle), and a "happy" picture (drawn by a child). Frequently, other items, not included here, are added as a result of exclusive donations. It’s difficult to know how to help family, friends and co-workers who are diagnosed with cancer and going through chemotherapy. This is the perfect gift to send to them.A Lemons of Love chemo-care package is the perfect gift, we offer the handmade tote or gorgeous Lemons of Love limited edition box. They are delivered to local hospitals and also sent to cancer patients nationwide. To share this “gift of humanity,” please make a donation to Lemons of Love, Inc. - Thank you to all of our volunteers and those who have donated time, skills, items and funds. We appreciate your love and support. (http://lemonsoflove.org/home.html)

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Our email is DonationsByTheDozen@gmail.com.

Thanks and cheers to charity

121: Not your ordinary idea of a prank . . .

I enjoyed this video so much, and it inspired me to so many new ideas. The surprise behind this video was to treat homeless individuals to a spa day, in which they could experience hairstyling, makeup, massages, clothing, rainwear jackets and backpacks with goodies, and more. If you watch it all, you will see a beauty and authenticity behind each person in it, whether giver or recipient. The surprise took place at Ascencia, and I wanted to find out more about them and feature them for today's Donations by the Dozen.
Ascencia provides emergency shelter year fund with extra availability in two shelters during the winter as part of its programs and services, but their mission "is to end homelessness in the greater Glendale area, one person, one family at a time. We envision a community where people in need can find safe affordable housing and access resources to become self-sufficient." (https://www.ascenciaca.org/about/mission-history/)
Ascencia offers several permanent housing programs and assistance to different homeless individuals and families by themselves and with a large referral base. Additionally. they have programs for veterans and a 10th Decile program. The 10th Decile program is  a "special program for chronically homeless people who frequently use local hospitals.  Identified as the costliest 10% of the homeless population, this project moves chronically ill clients into permanent housing and works to establish a medical home so that the client can stabilize and improve his health. Clients for this project are identified by Ascencia’s outreach team or referred by local hospitals." (https://www.ascenciaca.org/how-we-help/process-overview-programs/)
Another amazing program is Street Outreach where they go directly to the homeless or where people can call and get assistance if they meet someone homeless.
The amazing organization well deserved the Prank it Forward surprise, and I hope we see more amazing differences soon.

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Our email is DonationsByTheDozen@gmail.com.

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120: Those Thoughtful Bits that Make it a Little Better

this is an oversized chair, btw

Today is National Pet Shelter day, and I wanted to choose an organization who goes above and beyond for their shelter residents. I saw an article a while ago and found it for today's donation. Surprisingly it's super close to me, the Humane Society of Toledo. You know how shelter dogs always look like they're in prison? Well, the HST has a solution.
The article shows how the HST made the dogs cells more homey and inviting, which helps all of them, but especially difficult socializers, to feel a safer, friendlier environment. There are recliners, lamps, televisions, and more so the dog can feel it's a living room versus a cell. This also makes a nicer experience for anyone wanting to spend a little time with a potentially adoptable dog.
(https://www.littlethings.com/animal-shelter-creates-living-room-for-dogs/) I didn't have a good way to responsibly connect the pictures, so please take a look. For now, you get my spoiled animals who also love living rooms - because obviously, I will always put a picture of Nessie in if I get a chance.

I know shelter need our help to go that extra mile, and I love when they do it. I think one of these days, I will have to figure out a way to fund a project like this. Thanks, Humane Society of Toledo for being thoughtful to those special residents

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Our email is DonationsByTheDozen@gmail.com.

Thanks and cheers to charity