Archive for the ‘Red Cross & Non-Profits’ Category

IF, I am going to donate any funds towards a disaster or human calamity I always donate through a charity I trust. Aside from not trusting the Red Cross I also would absolutely NEVER trust the Hollywood bimbos raising money through a live concert. Why? Because they are self righteous idiots who believe in the wrong charity groups (mainly non-religious charities or NGO’s).

Here’s a prime example from the TimesOnline (via Free Republic):

Live Aid donations ‘were diverted to arm Ethiopian rebels’

Aregawi Berhe, the former military commander of the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), claimed that of the $100 million that went through the rebels’ hands, 95 per cent was diverted to buy weapons or recruit Ethiopians to their cause. He said the rebels put on a “drama” to get their hands on the relief money. “The aid workers were fooled,” he said.

Oh and btw, the United Nations is the last group of corruptocrats I would trust along with USAID. They accomplish nothing but fattening up their own pockets.

Ethiopia famine, Bob Geldof, Live Aid, NGOs

I’d like to say this is a scam but I can’t because the group is legally registered in Tennessee and I suppose any other states where they are collecting money.

JUST KNOW THAT 60% OF THE FUNDS COLLECTED GO TO VETERANS SUPPORT ORGANIZATION HQ IN FLORIDA. SO HOW MUCH ACTUALLY GOES TO HELP VETERANS??????

I received this email from a veteran friend.

Tomorrow night, Thursday, February 25, at 5 pm, Jennifer Kraus of Channel 5 will give a report on the group that has recently come into the Middle Tennessee area – Veterans Support Organization.

I sent an e-mail earlier about meeting with the leader of this group, Hank Edney. He wanted to ‘partner’ with Operation Stand Down Nashville, Inc to help put veterans to work. Anyone wanting to join with OSDN helping put veterans to work is always welcome. Hank met with me, Mary Ross, Commander of Women Veterans of America Chapter 20, Bob ‘Bulldog’ Ousley, Commander of TN Rolling Thunder and Ralph Land, Commander of Vietnam Veterans Chapter 953 and AMVETS Jerry Reed Music City Chapter 1776. When we found out his idea of helping veterans find work was giving them a can and putting them in front of a store and asking for donations, we said we were not interested in working with him. We asked him how they were paid. He said they got 30% of what was donated. Hank said he takes 10% of what is donated for his pay. That is 40% of the donations. The remaining 60% is sent to Veterans Support Organization headquarters in Florida. We made it very clear that the organizations we represented did not want to have anything to do with Veterans Support Organization.

This organization is registered with the TN Secretary of State and is a nonprofit organization. They dress individuals up as veterans who may or may not be veterans and collect cash. They donate funds to VA Voluntary Services and, yes, VA Voluntary Services does need our support. The question is when you give your money to a nonprofit agency – do you care how much of your money goes to support what you want it to?

Check the organizations that you give your money to and know that they are doing what you intended them to with your money. How? Ask them. If they cannot tell you and show you. Don’t give them your hard earned money. There are many good, well-run nonprofits in Middle Tennessee serving our area. Veterans Support Organization is not one of them.

From: William J. Burleigh, LTC, US Army, Retired, Executive Director, Operation Stand Down Nashville, Inc,
1125 12th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203, (615) 248-1981, www.osdnashville.org

Update March 11, 2010: News Channel 5 in Nashville has an update on their investigation.

State Asks Veterans Fundraising Group to Turn Over Records

But questions remain about just where your donations are going.

Hank Edney, the chief administrative officer of the Tennessee Chapter of the VSO, told me, “We just had a certified public audit done — and our current donation rate is at 65%.”

But we got a copy of that audit and it says last year, the VSO donated just 16 cents out of every dollar to other programs that assist veterans.

So where did the VSO get the 65 percent figure?

According to the VSO, they count the money they spend on uniforms for their fundraisers, rent, and auto expenses. They also count the money they pay their solicitors, even though some of these men are not veterans.

Todd Kelley from the state’s Charitable Solicitations Division said of that practice, “I think that’s creative accounting.”

Kelley also admitted that he was surprised to see that last year the VSO spent nearly $800,000 to pay the salaries of its fundraisers.

“So almost twice as much money went to the people who were raising the money than actually went to the programs that they say they’re supporting,” Kelley remarked.

Veterans Support Organization, Nashville Tn, Operation Standdown Nashville Inc, Veterans non-profits

FUBAR – Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition.

A story from the WSJ Online tells about the inability for NGO’s to get the food that is IN Haiti delivered to the people who are starving. As I had mentioned in a previous post, Obama put a USAID bureaucrat in the lead for disaster relief in Haiti. Here’s what has happened to distribution efforts when you have bureaucrats in charge instead of the military, especially in a 3rd world country.

Haiti Aid Efforts Go Awry in the ‘Convoy to Nowhere’

By CHRISTOPHER RHOADS

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—Scott Lewis hoped to deliver more than one million meals to Haitians on Wednesday via a 15-truck convoy brimming with beans and rice.

Instead, “It was the convoy to nowhere,” Mr. Lewis said. Well after dusk, the 52-year-old founder of a U.S. disaster-relief organization had barely delivered any food, other than some bags left at a missionary hospital, and a few more bags that got looted from the convoy as it crawled along crowded streets.

Trucks conked out. Communication with the U.S. military broke down. Traffic snarled the streets. Hungry crowds made handing out food unsafe.

It’s not typical for so much to go wrong on a major operation like this—in fact, on Thursday, the Army successfully delivered the cargo, in the largest single-day food distribution here. But a diary of Wednesday’s journey reads like an anthology of the obstacles stifling efforts to deliver aid since an earthquake turned the Haitian capital to rubble two weeks ago.

Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos for The Wall Street Journal:A relief worker stared into the night after the failed distribution effort.

Continue reading…..

Now you can to the list of FUBARs – Military Evacuation Flights Suspended

The New York Times reports today that U.S. military flights to evacuate Haitians who need urgent medical care have been stopped. Most of those flights were taking patients to hospitals in Florida for care which have quickly become saturated and overwhelmed. Governor Charlie Crist, in a letter to Kathleen Sebelius, has asked the federal government for financial help in providing that care.

Lucianne posted this story today (Jan. 31), one of the commenters confirmed my thoughts on this situation:

Reply 26 – Posted by: mrduc, 1/29/2010 12:55:58 PM (No. 6227404)

No, the problem is that there is no leadership, no direction regarding rescue and relief efforts coming from the White House. I have inside info from a neighbor who was in direct communication with the brass at the Pentagon regarding getting aid to Haiti, that there is nothing coming from obamao to the generals on how to tackle the problems there. 11000 troops were sent in, with no instructions on what to do first, next, where to set up, no relief plans, nothing. This general said the whole thing is a rudderless rescue sham and a farce. So our troops are plunked in the middle of this mess, each outfit pitching in as they can, where they see fit. A joke rescue effort led by a joke of a president. Hopefully things have improved since this neighbor spoke to the Pentagon a little over a week ago. Pray for our brave troops and the Haitians. Pray for obamao, Psalm 109v8. BTW, where’s the presstitutes screaming like they did after Katrina? Sobbing Shemp Smith, Wimpering Whorealdo, anyone???? Why no obamao bashing by the LSM or the Black Caucus or JJ or Al ‘Tawana Brawley’ Sharpton on this travesty?

It’s a rudderless relief effort because the bureaucrats are in charge!

Haiti, disaster relief, fubar, Obama, USAID, US Military

Here’s a nonprofit who hires and pays students to campaign for ‘Hope and Change’! I would be shocked if this group isn’t getting stimulus money. We are probably paying for this group to campaign for Cap and Trade. This is the “Fund for Public Interest” which has another arm called Jobs That Matter. I’m guessing this is also one of the arms of none other than ACORN.

From Craig’s List where this ad is posted:

Why is now the time to work for change?

Because we have a new president and new hope for a better America.

Because we need change like never before, on everything from the economy to climate change and more.

And because we know that the challenges we face, from ending our dependence on oil to winning the battle for equal rights, are huge—and the politicians and powerful interests who stupidly and stubbornly resist change aren’t calling it quits anytime soon.

America’s leading advocacy groups are gearing up to meet these challenges this summer. In order to win, they need citizen support and grassroots action. That’s where we come in.

At the Fund for the Public Interest, we’ve been organizing campaigns to protect the environment, stand up for the public interest, and defend human rights for more than 25 years. We’ve helped cut global warming pollution with Environment America. And working with the Human Rights Campaign, we helped organize the grassroots opposition needed to defeat the discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment.
Your chance to make change happen.

We need people like you—lots of people like you—to go out in communities around the country this summer and help make change happen. And you can earn money doing it. Earn $4,000-$6,000 this summer.

To apply for a job this summer, visit our website—www.JobsThatMatter.org—or call Chris at 415-622-0064

* Compensation: $11-16 an hour
* This is at a non-profit organization.
* Principals only. Recruiters, please don’t contact this job poster.
* Phone calls about this job are ok.
* Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

PostingID: 1272054051

Anybody surprised?

ACORN, Fund for Public Interest, Jobs That Matter, Stimulus dollars

This story is disturbing, looks like Jeff Donn of AP has actually done some investigating on the charity “Army Emergency Relief”. In the past I have heard stories about these service related charities whether it be the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force from individual service members which is why I’m so ready to believe what was found with this investigation.

Investigation: Army charity hoards millions
Between 2003 and 2007 — as many military families dealt with long war deployments and increased numbers of home foreclosures — Army Emergency Relief grew into a $345 million behemoth. During those years, the charity packed away $117 million into its own reserves while spending just $64 million on direct aid, according to an AP analysis of its tax records.

Tax-exempt and legally separate from the military, AER projects a facade of independence but really operates under close Army control. The massive nonprofit — funded predominantly by troops — allows superiors to squeeze soldiers for contributions; forces struggling soldiers to repay loans — sometimes delaying transfers and promotions; and too often violates its own rules by rewarding donors, such as giving free passes from physical training, the AP found.

snip…..During that same five-year period, the smaller Navy and Air Force charities both put far more of their own resources into aid than reserves. The Air Force charity kept $24 million in reserves while dispensing $56 million in total aid, which includes grants, scholarships and loans not repaid. The Navy charity put $32 million into reserves and gave out $49 million in total aid.

Read the rest of the story.

John of Argggghh has a different take on this story and additional information! Looks like there may be an agenda here by the author of the story.

Army Emergency Relief Charity, Hoarding Funds, Jeff Donn, Support the Troops, Military

Another fair and balanced report from PBS Frontline. Not that PBS hasn’t been in the tank for the Obami but I suppose this might help them even further get their half a billion dollar bailout which is in addition to all the tax dollars PBS already receives.  Just remember, PBS is balanced. It’s just their balancing machine has been out of whack since their inception and it’s never been fixed. Their idol is the BBC and would really like to see an indisputable tax on televisions just like the BBC. Then they wouldn’t have to dirty their Leftard hands from the stinky smell of begging for taxpayer dollars. After all, that’s for the peons and peasants.

‘Dreams’ Of A Fair And Balanced Press

And no, they didn’t have this kind of droolathon for President Bush 8 years ago.

PBS, Frontline, Obama, Dreams, bailout, inaugaration

The VALOUR-IT Auction is up and running. Get on over and place a bid. How about this quilt?

‘Gone, But Not Forgotten’ 54″x59″ Wall/Lap Quilt

If the auction isn’t your thing, then click here to donate (hit the Air Force widget Please).

Click here for all the VALOUR-IT info.

Technorati Tags: Valour IT, netathon, fundraiser, support the troops, military, Wounded Warriors

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Day two is here for the VALOUR-IT netathon.

Your help is needed for us to achieve our goal of $240,000. Every dollar helps so if you can’t donate much, it will still make a difference.

Read this and tell me you can’t manage to fork out a couple of bucks for these Warriors to whom we owe so much.

More Valour-IT in Action

To Soldiers’ Angels,
I wanted to express my gratitude for the computer I was given by all of you. Words cannot convey how very much this means to me. I have never had a laptop before, and being an E-4 I would not have been able to afford one for some time to come. All of you are Godsends. Thank you so much. I wish there was some way I could repay you for this. Thank you again.
Most Sincerely,
Specialist W
U.S.Army

Thank you for the computer donated that I picked up at [the hospital] today. Organizations like Soldiers’ Angels that reach out to service members are never forgotten and are always in our hearts.

Our jobs as service members are just like anybody else’s jobs. We are proud of what we do as servicemembers, but we never see the real reality of our jobs until we go to war. We never wanted to see the reality because if we are lucky we come back normal or the other.

My injuries during my deployment to Iraq, which consist of burns and other injuries, I have finally accepted. And with the generosity of your organization, it brings a lot of comfort to my recovery.

When I was in the burn ward I was probably the first senior-ranking person as a patient. When I was recovering with therapy with the other servicemembers, they thought I was one of the lower ranking personnel. When I told the servicemember I was a master sergeant, he was really surprised and shook my hand and said,” Only lower-ranking people get hurt or killed!” He felt good that at least someone in a leadership position cares! His statement brings back to [mind] your organization, an organization that cares and reaches out. Thank you again, from myself and my family, and the servicemembers and their families.

MSG A

I’m having a problem with the donation widget so to donate to the Air Force Team goal – go here.

Technorati Tags: VALOUR-IT, Wounded Warriors, Support Our Troops, Military, Netathon

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Do you know this man?

Is that impressive or not? lol. Aside from Chuck’s antics, he is impressive. It’s because of Chuck who had an idea, that Valour IT was born.

Here’s the story: Project Valour-IT began when Charles “Chuck” Ziegenfuss was wounded by an IED while serving as commander of a tank company in Iraq in June 2005.

During his deployment he kept a blog (an online personal diary, opinion forum, or news analysis site-called a milblog or military weblog when written by a servicemember or about military subjects). Captivating writing, insightful stories of his experiences, and his self-deprecating humor won him many loyal readers. After he was wounded, his wife continued his blog, keeping his readers informed of his condition.

As he began to recover, CPT Ziegenfuss wanted to return to writing his blog, but serious hand injuries hampered his typing. When a loyal and generous reader gave him a copy of the Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred software, other readers began to realize how important such software could be to CPT Ziegenfuss’ fellow wounded soldiers and started cast about for a way to get it to them.

A fellow blogger (blog author) who writes under the pseudonym FbL contacted Captain Ziegenfuss and the two realized they shared a vision of providing laptops with voice-controlled software to wounded soldiers whose injuries prevented them from operating a standard computer. FbL contacted Soldiers Angels, who offered to help develop the project, and Project Valour-IT was born.

In sharing their thoughts, CPT Ziegenfuss and FbL found that memories of their respective fathers were a motivating factor in their work with the project. Both continue their association with this project in memory of the great men in their lives whose fine examples taught them lasting lessons of courage and generosity.

How does VALOUR IT work?

Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of laptops for severely wounded service members. As of October 2007, Valour-IT has distributed over 1500 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country.

Valour-IT accepts donations in any amount to support the purchase and distribution of laptops, but also offers a sponsorship option. An individual or organization may sponsor a wounded soldier by completely funding the cost of a laptop and continuing to provide that soldier with personal support and encouragement throughout recovery. This has proved to be an excellent project for churches, groups of coworkers or friends, and members of community organizations such Boy Scouts.
Originally Valour-IT provided the voice-controlled software, but now works closely with the Department of Defense Computer/electronic Accommodations Program (CAP): CAP supplies the adaptive software and Valour-IT provides the laptop. In addition, DoD caseworkers serve as Valour-IT’s “eyes and earsâ€? at several medical centers, identifying possible laptop recipients. Wounded military personnel can also directly request a laptop through the sign-up form or through the Valour-IT/Soldiers’ Angels representatives at the following medical centers:

* Balboa Naval Hospital

* Brooke Army Medical Center

* Madigan Regional Medical Center

* National Naval Medical Center (Bethesda Naval Hospital)

* Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton

* Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital (29 Palms)

* Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Thanks to the efforts of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Valour-IT is also able to reach patients in VA hospitals who would benefit from a Valour-IT laptop.

How to donate?

Our goal for this fundraising netathon is $240,000 and runs from October 28th through November 11th (Veterans Day). Each service team (Air Force, Marines, Navy, Army – hey where’s the Coasties?) has a $60,000 goal I’m on Team Air Force, so if you’re going to donate then click on MY AF BUTTON…….please?

Note – Oct. 29th at 3:15 – there’s a technical glitch with the donation widget which the wizards behind the curtain are working furiously to correct.

Note – Oct. 30th at 10:30am – we’re changing donation widgets. The widget on my right sidebar at the top seems to be functioning correctly but I’m having a problem embedding the new code in a posting. So, you can also donate to the Air Force Team goal by going to this link.

Or if you’re not an online person then you can mail in a check to

Soldiers’ Angels
Project Valour-IT Fund
1792 E. Washington Blvd
Pasadena, Ca 91104
If you donate by mail, then be sure to include your name, address, phone number and email address. And I’d really appreciate it if you would include that this is for the Air Force Team considering that’s my team! If you have any questions you can call (615) 676-0239.

Soldiers’ Angels has been designated a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity by the IRS. Donations are tax-deductible and may be eligible for matching funds from donors’ employers (ask your employer). Be sure to consult your tax advisor for further information.

Readers, besides donating, you can also help by…..

# Check for employer matching donations (or lay the groundwork for a corporate donation during the fundraiser)
# Find items to auction—check with authors, celebrities, etc., or offer your own service or product for auction. Items can be military-related or of general interest
# Give a heads up to your local press/political connections by offering links to Valour-IT sites and telling them about Valour-IT’s history

If you’d like to receive this information in an email format ( so you can forward this information to everyone in your address book…heheh), you can contact me at bearcreekledger@bearcreekledger.com.

Technorati Tags: Valour IT, Wounded Warriors, Support Our Troops, Military, netathon

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Since this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month I think the awareness should also focus on the Susan G Komen race. People need to be informed that when they participate in the Race for the Cure they are also supporting abortions provided by Planned Parenthood.

From Bobbie Patray at Tn Eagle Forum:

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Susan G. Komen for the Cure awards 72 grants to Planned Parenthood in 2000-2005 period

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer detection, prevention, research and treatment are of the utmost importance due to the devastating impact that this disease has on women and their families.

Pro-life citizens who are interested in fighting this deadly disease should be aware that one breast cancer organization, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, has a policy of offering financial support to abortion providing facilities.

Here are the Komen-Planned Parenthood facts (followed by a list of alternative organizations):

• Planned Parenthood is the number one provider of abortions in the United States. During its 2005-2006 fiscal year, the nonprofit Planned Parenthood Federation of America performed a record 264,943 abortions according to its annual report.

• Susan G. Komen for the Cure awarded 72 grants to Planned Parenthood afflilates during the years 2000 through 2005. These grants are reported on the Susan G. Komen website by entering “Planned Parenthood� on Komen’s searchable grant page.

• Nancy Brinker, Komen Founder, was listed as an advisory board member in the 2002 annual report of Planned Parenthood of North Texas, the fifth largest Planned Parenthood affiliate in the nation.

• Komen claims that grant money to Planned Parenthood is for breast services only, but Planned Parenthood records show that their breast services are declining while their abortion numbers are increasing. Are “breast services” simply window dressing to attract women into abortion clinics?

• In September of 2004, Eve Sanchez Silver, a breast cancer survivor and charter member of Komen’s Hispanic/Latina Advisory Council, resigned from Komen, stating, “As a Christian and life affirming citizen I can not reconcile the Foundation’s decision to affirm life with one hand and support its destruction with the other.â€?

• Because Komen refused to stop providing grants to Planned Parenthood, Curves, a privately held fitness franchise firm owned by women’s health advocate Gary Heavin, ceased supporting Komen events. Here is Komen’s response by its Public Relations Manager Kristin Kelly:

“The Komen Foundation is confident that none of its community Affiliates have stopped funding Planned Parenthood as a result of the pressure from Curves, Operation Save America or any other organization. In fact, when faced with opposition from Curves or the threat that Curves franchises would no longer support the Foundation unless Planned Parenthood funding was eliminated, the Komen Foundation told Mr. Heavin (founder and CEO of Curves) that we would not, in any way, undermine the integrity of our grant-making process. In addition the Foundation told Mr. Heavin that it would continue to allow Komen Affiliates to provide breast health education and screening grants to Planned Parenthood if the grant application was approved through the process outlined above. As a result, Curves chose to suspend its support of Komen Affiliate events, including sponsorship of the Komen Race for the Cure (r). In 2003, Komen Affiliates awarded $38.4 million in grants to support community outreach programs, including 21 grants to their local Planned Parenthood chapters totaling more than $475,000.”

Source: Komen website as copied into Powerpoint Presentation by Eve Sanchez, former Komen board member, http://stopabortionbreastcancer.org/talks/denver_silver060930.pdf

• In June 2007, Komen’s funding to Planned Parenthood resulted in a policy of non-support from the St. Louis Archdiocese based on facts outlined in their position statement.

Click here for breast cancer organizations that do not support abortion facilities or destructive human embryo experimentation.

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Previous posting – Race For The Cure Grants Funds To Planned Parenthood

Technorati Tags: Susan G Komen, Race For The Cure, Planned Parenthood, Abortion funding