The kids are glad to start their week off for Thanksgiving vacation. Each of them have projects they are supposed to be working on this week for school. The girls still have piano lessons and Johnny has to get ready for his first concert performance coming up in early December. Then there's the dreaded holiday homework.
I myself have class today and tomorrow (though tomorrow's classes are online at my leisure and I won't have to go anywhere!). I have a ton of homework and quizzes that I intend to do ahead of time so that I can start getting ready for finals. I also have a lot of reading to do for the national foundation I sit on the board of. Our conference call is happening a week from Tuesday.
Kelly has a date today. Can I just say, "Yikes!" Her second one with the same boy since she turned 16. Tuesday and Wednesday, we'll be working at the Bishop's storehouse. The kids have been looking forward to it.
We'll probably stay on a bit of a routine...not let the kids sleep in too late and keep them off of the computer for most of the day. We have a ton of projects to work on at home, too...not the least of which is restoring order to the boys' room. I'd like to paint their bathroom this week and investigate how to put tile backsplash up behind their sink in the bathroom. I also need to finish the unfinished bookshelf I purchased and move things around in their bedroom so that it will be easier in the future for them to keep things orderly.
And as the leaves are beginning to fall from the trees, we'll be busy working on yard work as well. We have mowing, edging, and weeding to do. The chicken coop needs a good cleaning (no more eggs till spring because my chickens are too old.). I'm debating about whether or not to eat the chickens...or rather, let others eat them since my kids probably wouldn't.
For thanksgiving, we invited our good friend Keith and his roommate and several others who might not have a place to go for the holiday. We'll be eating early so that Erin and Nick can join us if they would like. I haven't had the kids at my house for Thanksgiving in about 5 years, so it feels a little weird to be celebrating ON thanksgiving. I've been the person without a place to go on Thanksgiving for several years, though last year my friends Kelly and Dave invited me to their family's home in Visalia.
I'm sure we won't get to do everything we planned. And I'm hoping that there will be lots of unplanned moments of joy!
Showing posts with label foundation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label foundation. Show all posts
Monday, November 21, 2011
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
One thing I love to do!
One of the organizations I spend time helping for free is the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation. From the website: "This private foundation funds non-profit organizations that specialize in programs and services for seniors. Areas of interest for funding grants include the following: age-related research and development; scholarships; advocacy for the health and well-being of older adults; and programs that promote community inclusion for seniors, especially those facing the problem of isolation."
I've been on the board continuously since the inception of the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation back in 2003. Together, we have awarded over $890,000 in the seven years that we have been making grants, benefitting more than 80 different organizations across the country and into Canada. Not too much longer before we'll hit our $1 million mark! Being a part of this organization has meant so much to me. I became personal friends of the founders when I launched a Home Instead franchise with my partner and my husband back in 1996. I had always been struck by Paul and Lori's integrity and their sincere desire to build an organization that gave back. I was so honored that they invited me to sit on the board, and each time I am asked to renew my seat on the board, I feel immensely blessed.
Soon I'll be deep in reading. Nov 1st was the deadline for the Spring Grant Cycle for the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation. For each cycle, we have two stages...Letters of Inquiry, and Proposals. Letters of inquiry are shorter, but there are more of them. When we invite an organization to submit a proposal, the documents are much lengthier and more in-depth, though there are fewer of them. I don't always enjoy the reading. It can be tedious, especially when there are more than 100 different letters of inquiry submitted in a cycle. But more often than not, I really love seeing how organizations in different communities solve the problems of and offer support to seniors in their community. I almost always wish that we had more money to give away.
Some parts of the evaluation process are checks on a list....yes, they answered all the required questions. Yes, they are a 501(c)(3). Yes, they have letters of reference. Much of the evaluation takes place on a gut level, however...how does this grant request strike me? Does the organization seem sincere in its mission? What do the letters of reference really say...are they all the same, or does each one have real meaning? Does the request tug at my emotions? How many people are they helping? What does it cost per person helped? What is the impact on the lives of the individuals they serve?
Frequently, weighing one organization against another is excruciating. Do we feed seniors, or help fix their houses? Do we provide respite care, or provide counseling services for seniors who are victims of abuse? These are not easy decisions.
I am always touched when I see how many different ways people give back to their communities. I am impressed with the resourcefulness and resilience of the different non-profits. They continue to raise funds, help everyone they can, fight for every opportunity to bless the lives of their clients. It really renews my faith in the human spirit and in the generosity of people toward one another.
Every time I decide which ones I will support through the process, I pray about it. I take the charge to bless these organizations and to be wise with the funds very seriously. It is a true blessing to me to know that I have indirectly been able to impact the lives of so many seniors. The needs we have assisted with have been everything from respite care for exhausted family members, to meals for seniors delivered with a smile, to research on fall prevention, to assistive devices for seniors who have recently lost their vision. I'm so privileged and grateful that I have the opportunity to help them, and be a part of an organization with so many fine people on the board.
If you're someone involved with caring for a senior, or a professional working with seniors, you might consider purchasing one of the books, Stages of Senior Care. The money benefits the Home Instead Senior Care foundation, and it's filled with excellent material.
Here's the link for their website: http://homeinsteadseniorcarefoundation.org
(I'm afraid you'll have to cut and paste since I can't seem to get the link working. Sorry!)
I've been on the board continuously since the inception of the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation back in 2003. Together, we have awarded over $890,000 in the seven years that we have been making grants, benefitting more than 80 different organizations across the country and into Canada. Not too much longer before we'll hit our $1 million mark! Being a part of this organization has meant so much to me. I became personal friends of the founders when I launched a Home Instead franchise with my partner and my husband back in 1996. I had always been struck by Paul and Lori's integrity and their sincere desire to build an organization that gave back. I was so honored that they invited me to sit on the board, and each time I am asked to renew my seat on the board, I feel immensely blessed.
Soon I'll be deep in reading. Nov 1st was the deadline for the Spring Grant Cycle for the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation. For each cycle, we have two stages...Letters of Inquiry, and Proposals. Letters of inquiry are shorter, but there are more of them. When we invite an organization to submit a proposal, the documents are much lengthier and more in-depth, though there are fewer of them. I don't always enjoy the reading. It can be tedious, especially when there are more than 100 different letters of inquiry submitted in a cycle. But more often than not, I really love seeing how organizations in different communities solve the problems of and offer support to seniors in their community. I almost always wish that we had more money to give away.
Some parts of the evaluation process are checks on a list....yes, they answered all the required questions. Yes, they are a 501(c)(3). Yes, they have letters of reference. Much of the evaluation takes place on a gut level, however...how does this grant request strike me? Does the organization seem sincere in its mission? What do the letters of reference really say...are they all the same, or does each one have real meaning? Does the request tug at my emotions? How many people are they helping? What does it cost per person helped? What is the impact on the lives of the individuals they serve?
Frequently, weighing one organization against another is excruciating. Do we feed seniors, or help fix their houses? Do we provide respite care, or provide counseling services for seniors who are victims of abuse? These are not easy decisions.
I am always touched when I see how many different ways people give back to their communities. I am impressed with the resourcefulness and resilience of the different non-profits. They continue to raise funds, help everyone they can, fight for every opportunity to bless the lives of their clients. It really renews my faith in the human spirit and in the generosity of people toward one another.
Every time I decide which ones I will support through the process, I pray about it. I take the charge to bless these organizations and to be wise with the funds very seriously. It is a true blessing to me to know that I have indirectly been able to impact the lives of so many seniors. The needs we have assisted with have been everything from respite care for exhausted family members, to meals for seniors delivered with a smile, to research on fall prevention, to assistive devices for seniors who have recently lost their vision. I'm so privileged and grateful that I have the opportunity to help them, and be a part of an organization with so many fine people on the board.
If you're someone involved with caring for a senior, or a professional working with seniors, you might consider purchasing one of the books, Stages of Senior Care. The money benefits the Home Instead Senior Care foundation, and it's filled with excellent material.
Here's the link for their website: http://homeinsteadseniorcarefoundation.org
(I'm afraid you'll have to cut and paste since I can't seem to get the link working. Sorry!)
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