(updated May 12, 2008)

I have been away from Aidpage, but not completely out of the picture. What I have I been up to?

I had been making many attempts to still get the word out about what I am doing, but I had not been received well at a couple places:

• Myspace kicked me off four times. The fourth time, I managed to keep the page running for a few months, and I logged in only to discover that I was removed once again. I am not sure what their reasoning was. It was a description of how I was helping others. I had helped many families through that page so it was very disappointing, and I lost track of people in line to receive help.
  
• I posted a page on Squidoo.com. and that page, too was removed after receiving a lot of criticism from members there. I wasnt asking for money; only describing how I was helping others. Apparently I seemed a little too good to be true or people just didnt believe me.

I HAVE been accepted with open arms at WishUponAHero.com. I am very active there under the name 'The Empty Hanger' Here is how I have helped and currently help others. To date, I have granted over 20 wishes, and more that is not tallied on the site.

• Sending cards for birthdays, encouragement, friendship, sympathy. That just costs a stamp!
• Offering advice on situations
• Sending books (via media mail)
• Sending spiritual literature (I returned to church in January accepting Jesus into my life)
  
• Sending small packages of clothes
• Sending coupons
• Sending school supplies
  
• Sending my old eyeglass frames to woman who cannot afford new ones. (current)
• Workiing on a HUGE giveaway starting May 1st for WUAH. (shipping covered by anonymous donor)
  

OTHER CHANGES

• 'The Empty Hanger' has been scaled back to a local operation. It was a difficult decision. Aside from what I do above, I still manage to provide packages of good usable clothing to persons in need. I find them at the local food pantry mostly, and word of mouth. Someone will email me at projectemptyhanger@mail2me.com, and we arrange a mutual public meeting place for the person's safety and mine. Its worked out pretty well, and I bypass shipping costs altogether. I do ask a lot of questions beforhand, because my genorisity has been taken advantage of on several occasions, and it is how I screen people. I find that those that are evasive are not being honest with me.
• I am considering turning over 'The Empty Hanger' as an outreach project at my church.

ADVOCACY

• Alzheimer's Awareness My dad passed away from the disease January 21st, 2008. He was diagnosed in 2003, and we watched this independant and strong man fight for a long time until we had to place him in a nursing home in 2006. It wiped us out financially and emotionally. I've currently been put into a position to help my mom who lost his pension (because she was not married to him when he retired). I use his likeness in many ways to help educate others about Alzheimer's. I am beginning an initiative for leglislation so that no other families should be forced into poverty for making the decision to place a totall dependant loved one into long-term care. You can view a video I made by visiting the following link: Alzheimer's Video
• NEW! I also have changed my dad's tribute page to one of an Alzheimer's Awareness subject matter. It is called: Alzheimer's: Know More. I have also created tshirts and other merchandice to raise funds to donate to my local Alzheimer's association.
  
• Go to the tribute page.
  

If your family is affected by this disease and need some advice or just to talk, please email me at projectemptyhanger@mail2me.com, and put 'Alzheimers' in the subject line.

Elaine, for all your help and support to 'The Empty Hanger'

Staff and Admin of Aidpage for your support

Everyone here who reads and takes interest in my little endeavor!

I'm having a rummage sale! (Updated May 12th)

Locally, my mobile home community is having a rummage sale at the beginning of June. I am hoping to raise enough money on my own so that I can use some of the proceeds to send out a few more packages. My family has been busily cleaning out the house and garage, and wow the treasures that we accumulate in a year.

If you live in the Northwest Indiana area, and are interested in learning more about my community's rummage sale, please don't hesistate to ask. I will be offering discounts to my local friends at Wish Upon A Hero, and I am offering the same here on Aidpages. For details, please ask.

The following is a re-publishing of the Executive Summary of a report prepared by The Panel on the Nonprofit Sector. This report (prepared by the nonprofit sector itself) will help the ongoing Congressional hearings in the effort to develop new legislation addressing the ongoing problems with the image, credibility, and accountability of the nonprofit sector. The report's recommendations "underscore the importance of transparency, of providing the information that allows the public to make informed choices and government officials to root out problems."

Some interesting snippets from the report:

The United States is now home to an estimated 1.3 million public charities, private foundations, and religious congregations.

Though funding for individual organizations varies substantially, the majority of support for the sector as a whole comes from consumers of services and voluntary contributions: 38 percent from dues, fees, and other charges for goods and services, 17 percent from individual contributions, and an additional 3 percent from private foundations and corporate giving programs. Government grants and contracts provide 31 percent of the sector’s revenues, and other sources, such as income from assets, supply the remaining 11 percent.

Charities and foundations are created and sustained by people who want to give their time and resources to solve problems and enrich their communities. Nearly half of all adults volunteer each year, and nine out of 10 households make charitable contributions. Individual donations total more than $207 billion, which comes on top of the $41 billion given each year by corporations and foundations created from private money. These contributions of time and money reflect the public’s commitment to and appreciation of this distinctive feature of American life: people coming together through charitable organizations to improve the lives of others and meet needs that government and business do not. (Here is my plug... we created Aidpage so that people come together to improve the lives of each other and meet needs that government and business do not... notice the small difference... not "through charitable organizations". Surely, Aidpage won't replace the 12 mln paid employees of the nonprofit sector, but we believe that web enabled "peer-to-peer" mutual micro-helping will meet needs not readily met by nonprofits, government, or business.)

America’s charitable community produces its results because of the commitment and talent of the people who have dedicated their lives to helping others. Part of that service comes from volunteers, who collectively provide the equivalent of 9 million full-time staff members. The sector’s programs also are supported by its 11.7 million paid employees, 9 percent of the entire national workforce and a number greater than the finance, insurance, and real estate industries combined (wow...!!!, E.S.) - see Lester M. Salamon (editor), The State of Nonprofit America, Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2002.

Here is the report's EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The Panel on the Nonprofit Sector is dedicated to ensuring that Americans continue to benefit from the richly varied programs provided by the charitable community. Formed at the encouragement of the leaders of the Senate Finance Committee, the Panel has led to an unparalleled collaboration on how to strengthen the sector’s accountability, transparency, and governance. The participants in this effort—thousands of people representing diverse organizations from every part of the country— recognize that to serve their missions effectively, they must demonstrate that they are ethical, responsible stewards of Americans’ generosity.

The Panel developed eight overarching principles to guide its recommendations:

The Role of Charitable Organizations in American Life

1. A vibrant charitable community is vital for a strong America.
2. The charitable sector’s effectiveness depends on its independence.

The Responsibilities of the Charitable Community

3. The charitable sector’s success depends on its integrity and credibility.
4. Comprehensive and accurate information about the charitable sector must be available to the public.
5. A viable system of self-regulation and education is needed for the charitable sector.

The Need for Balanced Government Oversight

6. Government should ensure effective enforcement of the law.
7. Government regulation should deter abuse without discouraging legitimate charitable activities.
8. Demonstrations of compliance with high standards of ethical conduct should be commensurate with the size, scale, and resources of the organization.

Recommendations

The recommendations of the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector are a carefully integrated package that calls for improvement within the sector, more effective oversight, and changes in the law. No single action can achieve the necessary results by itself. The recommendations underscore the importance of transparency, of providing the information that allows the public to make informed choices and government officials to root out problems. Most important, the recommended actions offer a guide to maintaining the essential balance between adequate oversight that keeps potential abusers from using the sector to benefit themselves and safeguarding the independence of organizations in facilitating the opportunity for them to contribute to the wellbeing of society.

Summary of Recommendations

The detailed discussions in the report note important exceptions for organizations of particular types and sizes and other conditions that must be considered in the implementation of these recommendations.

1. Federal and State Enforcement—Effective oversight of the charitable sector requires vigorous enforcement of federal and state law. Congress should increase the resources allocated to the Internal Revenue Service for overall tax enforcement and oversight of charitable organizations, and it should create a federally funded program to help states establish or increase oversight and education programs for charitable organizations. Congress should also eliminate statutory barriers that prevent the IRS from sharing information about investigations of possible wrongdoing with state charity officials.

2. Internal Revenue Service Reporting—The annual information returns filed by charitable organizations (Forms 990, 990-EZ, and 990-PF) should be improved so they provide more accurate, complete, and timely information for federal and state regulators, managers of charitable organizations, and the public. Electronic filing will increase accuracy and compliance in completing the returns, and Congress and the IRS should remove the legal barriers to requiring electronic filing of the returns by all charitable organizations. Congress should impose penalties on preparers who willfully omit or misrepresent information on the returns. Congress also should direct the IRS to require the organization’s highest ranking officer to sign and certify the Form 990, as well as institute a new, brief annual reporting requirement for organizations with less than $25,000 in annual revenues. The IRS should make a number of changes in the format and instructions for Form 990 series returns, and suspend the tax-exempt status of any charitable organization that fails to correct incomplete or inaccurate returns for two consecutive years. The board of a charitable organization, or an appropriate committee, should review its organization’s Form 990 series return.

3. Periodic Review of Tax-Exempt Status—Congress should not implement a new periodic review system to verify that a charitable organization continues to meet the qualifications for tax-exemption. The IRS should focus its resources on review and investigation of the current returns filed by charitable organizations. In addition, boards of directors are encouraged to undertake a full review of their organizations’ governing documents and policies at least once every five years.

4. Financial Audits and Reviews—Having financial statements prepared and audited in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and auditing standards improves the quality of financial information available to governing boards, government officials, and the public. Congress should require charitable organizations with at least $1 million or more in annual revenues to conduct an audit and attach audited financial statements to their Form 990 series returns, and those with annual revenues between $250,000 and $1 million to have their financial statements reviewed by an independent public accountant.

5. Disclosure of Performance Data—Every charitable organization should, as a recommended practice, provide more detailed information about its operations, including methods it uses to evaluate the outcomes of programs, to the public through its annual report, website, and other means. The Form 990 returns are not useful as a tool for reporting complex program evaluation information. Congress should not require charitable organizations to report more detailed statements of program evaluations or performance measures as part of their Form 990 series returns.

6. Donor-Advised Funds—Laws and regulations governing donor-advised funds should be strengthened to ensure that donors or related parties do not receive inappropriate benefits from these funds. Congress should amend tax laws to define and regulate donor-advised funds, including requiring sponsoring charities to make minimum distributions of 5 percent of aggregate donor-advised fund assets and enforcing minimum fund activity requirements. Congress also should prohibit sponsoring charities from making payments to a private foundation or directly or indirectly to the fund’s donors, advisors, or related parties. Further, tax deductions for contributions to donor-advised funds should be allowed only if the donor has a written agreement with the sponsoring charity clarifying these restrictions. Penalties should be imposed on donors, advisors, and managers who violate these prohibitions. More information about the assets held by and disbursements made from donor-advised funds will improve both enforcement and understanding of these funds, and each sponsoring charity should be required to disclose aggregate information about its donoradvised funds on its Form 990. Sponsoring charities are encouraged to provide further information about their donor-advised funds to help others learn more about how the funds are distributed.

7. Type III Supporting Organizations—Type III supporting organizations add value to the charitable sector that cannot and should not be replaced by other types of organizations. To curb abuse in these organizations, Congress should establish minimum distribution requirements, prohibit payments to or for the benefit of donors or any related party, and institute rules to increase the voice of the supported organizations in the governance of the Type III organization. A Type III supporting organization should be prohibited from supporting more than five qualified entities or from supporting any organization that is controlled by the donor or a related party. It should be required to provide certain documents to, and confirm the agreement of, its supported organizations at the time it files for recognition as a 501(c)(3) organization and when it files its annual Form 990 returns. Every supporting organization should be required to indicate on its Form 990 whether it is operating as a Type I, II, or III supporting organization.

8. Abusive Tax Shelters—Congress should make clear that all tax-exempt organizations, including those not currently required to file tax returns, are subject to the same requirements as taxable entities with regard to reporting their participation in potentially abusive “listed” and other “reportable” tax shelter transactions, and should impose penalties on organization managers for failure to report if they knew or had reason to know that the transaction was a reportable transaction. Congress should impose penalties on taxable participants and material advisors who fail to notify tax-exempt participants that they would be engaging in a reportable transaction, and should ensure that appropriate sanctions are imposed on tax-exempt entities that knowingly participate in abusive tax shelters. Education will be key to both compliance with and enforcement of tax laws governing these complex transactions, and the IRS should be required to provide the clear, up-todate, readily accessible information that charitable organizations need to determine whether a transaction is potentially abusive and whether they are under an obligation to disclose participation in a transaction.

9. a. Non-Cash Contributions: Appreciated Property—Congress should strengthen the rules for the appraisals taxpayers can use to substantiate deductions claimed for property donated to charitable organizations and increase penalties on (1) taxpayers who claim excessive deductions based on an overstated value for the donated property and (2) appraisers who knowingly provide overstated appraisals. The Forms 8282 and 8283, which are filed, respectively, by taxpayers who claim tax deductions for donated items valued at $5,000 or more and by charitable organizations that dispose of those items within two years of the donation, could be a useful enforcement trigger for the IRS, and Congress should require those forms to be filed electronically.

9. b. Non-Cash Contributions: Conservation and Historic Façade Easements—A conservation easement or historic façade easement donation requires ongoing enforcement of the terms of the easement agreement by the charitable organizations who accept such donations. Congress should increase penalties on taxpayers who claim excessive deductions for donations of conservation or historic façade easements and should only permit a deduction for an easement if it is made to a qualified charity or government entity under the terms of a written agreement that specifies the restrictions the easement imposes on future use of the property. A charitable organization that accepts easement donations should be required to provide more information on its annual Form 990 about the easements it holds and to certify that it has implemented reasonable procedures for monitoring compliance with the terms of its easement agreements. Congress should impose penalties on charities that fail to enforce conservation or historic façade easement agreements.

9. c. Non-Cash Contributions: Clothing and Household Items—Congress should not limit deductions for contributions of clothing or household items to an arbitrary ceiling without a clear basis for establishing the amount of the ceiling and an assessment of the impact of the change on the level of charitable contributions. To assist taxpayers in valuation, the IRS should establish a list of the value that taxpayers can claim for specific items of clothing and household goods, based on the sale price of such items identified by major thrift store operations or other similar assessments.

10. Board Compensation—Compensation to board members of charitable organizations is discouraged. Charitable organizations that do provide compensation to board members should be required to disclose the amount of and reasons for the compensation, as well as the method used to determine its reasonableness. Congress should prohibit public charities from providing loans to board members (such loans are already illegal for private foundations). Congress should also increase penalties on board members of charitable organizations who receive or approve excessive compensation.

11. Executive Compensation—Charitable organizations should be required to disclose more clearly the compensation paid to their chief executive officer and other “disqualified persons” and to the five highest compensated employees. Congress should require officers and other disqualified persons who receive compensation that the IRS alleges is excessive to demonstrate that their compensation is reasonable, and should increase penalties imposed on individuals who receive and managers who approve excessive compensation. Members of boards or other authorized bodies who followed the rebuttable presumption procedures in determining the reasonableness of compensation should not ordinarily be subject to penalties, even if the compensation is later found to be excessive, but penalties should be imposed on board members and managers who approved such compensation if they did not follow those procedures nor otherwise exercised reasonable care in approving the transaction. As a matter of good practice, the full board of charitable organizations should approve any change in the compensation of the CEO annually and in advance and review the organization’s full staff compensation program periodically.

12.Travel Expenses—Charitable organizations that pay for or reimburse travel expenses of board members, officers, employees, consultants, volunteers, or others traveling to conduct the business of the organization should establish and enforce policies that provide clear guidance on their travel rules, including the types of expenses that can be reimbursed and the documentation required to receive reimbursement. With the exception of de minimis expenses of those attending an activity of the organization (such as a meal function), charitable organizations should not pay for nor reimburse travel expenditures for a spouse, dependents, or others who are accompanying an individual conducting business for the organization unless the additional person is also conducting business for the organization. Charitable organizations should be required to disclose on their Form 990 series returns whether they have a travel policy. The IRS should provide information in the instructions to the Forms 990 about travel costs that are not permitted or that should be reported as taxable income.

13. Structure, Size, and Composition of Governing Boards—To qualify for recognition as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, an organization should generally be required to have a minimum of three members on its governing board. Further, to qualify as a public charity (rather than a private foundation), at least one-third of the members of the organization’s governing board should be independent: that is, individuals who have not received compensation or material benefits directly or indirectly from the organization in the previous 12 months, whose compensation is not determined by other board or staff members, and who is not related to someone who received such compensation from the organization. Every charitable organization should be required to disclose on its Form 990 series return which of its board members are independent. Individuals barred from service on corporate boards or convicted of crimes related to breaches of fiduciary duty should be prohibited from serving on the boards of charitable organizations. Federal tax laws or regulations should not set a maximum number of members for the governing boards of charitable organizations. Every charitable organization should, as a matter of recommended practice, review its board size periodically to determine the most appropriate size to ensure effective governance and to meet the organization’s goals. All boards should establish strong and effective mechanisms to ensure that the board carries out its oversight functions and that board members are aware of their legal and ethical responsibilities in ensuring that the organization is governed properly.

14. Audit Committees—Charitable organizations should include individuals with some financial literacy on their boards of directors in accordance with the laws of their state or as a matter of recommended practice. Every charitable organization that has its financial statements independently audited, whether legally required or not, should consider establishing a separate audit committee of the board. If the board does not have sufficient financial literacy, and if state law permits, it may form an audit committee comprised of non-staff advisors who are not board members.

15. Conflict of Interest and Misconduct—As a matter of recommended practice, charitable organizations should adopt and enforce a conflict of interest policy consistent with its state laws and organizational needs. The IRS should require every charitable organization to disclose on its Form 990 series return whether it has such a policy. Charitable organizations should also adopt policies and procedures that encourage and protect individuals who come forward with credible information on illegal practices or violations of adopted policies of the organization. There should be a vigorous sectorwide effort to educate and encourage all charitable organizations, regardless of size, to adopt and enforce policies and procedures to address possible conflicts of interest and to facilitate reporting of suspected malfeasance and misconduct by organization managers.

The full report is over 100 pages long. 
Click here to download the full report (PDF file, 740 kb).

Please Pass This Along

Would You Like To Help A Family In Need ?

Send Me An Angel is a Group that Is Open To Families Who Are In Need Of Help With Holidays, Birthdays, Baby Items, Clothing, Furniture, School Supplies, Food, and emergency funding.

And To Anyone That Would Be Interested In Becoming An Angel To A Family In Need.

To Protect Our Donors and to ensure that all members are really in need of help, All families requesting to join Send Me An Angel are required to complete an application and will be required to submit verification of their needs at the donors request.

If you know anyone who may be able to help please pass this link along to them. This will only work if we have donors so please let your church members, clubs, and friends know about Send Me An Angel.

Cant help financially?

Join one or all of the survey groups listed in the links below. When you join these sites using the referral links I have listed I will recive a referral bonus.

I am using 100% of my earnings from these sites to buy christmas presents for the children of Send  Me An Angel.

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Become Someones Angel Today

A colleague found a very interesting article - "The Kindness of Strangers" by Robert V. Levine. Here is a snippet:

"Over and again, New Yorkers told us they cared deeply about the needs of strangers, but that the realities of city living prohibited their reaching out. People spoke with nostalgia for the past, when they would routinely pick up hitchhikers or arrange a meal for a hungry stranger. Many expressed frustration—even anger—that life today deprived them of the satisfaction of feeling like good Samaritans."

I just hope that Aidpage will eventually give those unhappy New Yorkers... and the many like them all over the world... the informal and immediate ways to be good Samaritans again. That's my work now... and the work of our team at Aidpage... Ivan, Tzenko, Boby, Valcho, Pencho, and Stamen.

And then... another good... somewhat philosophical article... from The New York Times...  "In Pursuit of Unhappiness" by Darrin M. McMahon. He writes:

"... the philosopher John Stuart Mill, came to a similar conclusion. His words are all the more worth heeding in that Mill himself was a determined proponent of the greatest happiness for the greatest number. 'Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so,' Mill concluded after recovering from a serious bout of depression. Rather than resign himself to gloom, however, Mill vowed instead to look for happiness in another way.

'Those only are happy,' he came to believe, 'who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; on the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on some art or pursuit, followed not as a means, but as itself an ideal end. Aiming thus at something else, they find happiness by the way.' For our own culture, steeped as it is in the relentless pursuit of personal pleasure and endless cheer, that message is worth heeding.

So in these last days of 2005 I say to you, 'Don't have a happy new year!' Have dinner with your family or walk in the park with friends. If you're so inclined, put in some good hours at the office or at your favorite charity, temple or church. Work on your jump shot or your child's model trains. With luck, you'll find happiness by the by. If not, your time won't be wasted. You may even bring a little joy to the world."

And then another article from The New York Times... by Stephanie Strom... originally titled "What Is Charity?"... as of now suspiciously archived under the totally meaningless "Aftermaths." What were the "maths" for changing the title... I wonder. Did it sound a bit too much of a "questioning" for the good taste of some influential charity?

Here are snippets from "What is Charity?"...

"... among the many who had been turning away from Americans most in need of charity was the philanthropic sector itself. Last year, the share of giving going to organizations most directly related to helping the poor hit a record low, accounting for less than 10 percent of the $248 billion donated by Americans and their philanthropic institutions...

Other statistics also suggest that the nonprofit sector has drifted from core notions of charity. Nonprofit hospitals provide no more charity care than taxpaying counterparts do. While university assets soar, tuition continues to outpace inflation. Only a sliver of giving to churches is spent on social services...

So what is charity today if it is not aimed primarily at the have-nots? Has its definition been stretched so broadly that it no longer has meaning? If so, are the tax breaks that propel our philanthropy justified? Representative Bill Thomas, Republican of California, the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, has raised those questions in a series of hearings examining whether tax exemption is justified for certain types of nonprofits.

The question, in his words, is, 'What is the taxpayer getting in return for the tens of billions of dollars per year in tax subsidy' offered to donors through tax write-offs or to nonprofits through their tax exemptions? According to the Treasury Department, the charitable deduction will amount this year to a $40 billion tax subsidy, mostly to upper-income households - overshadowing the roughly $20 billion the human services sector is likely to raise. No official estimates exist for the cost of the tax exemption covering money that nonprofits spend and for the property they own.

The hearings have received little public notice but have terrified nonprofit leaders, more than a Senate Finance Committee threat to tighten regulation of charities.

'When you start to ask what is the fundamental underlying rationale for tax exemption and the charitable deduction for donors, it leads to questions that are far more difficult to answer than questions about greater disclosure and better governance,' said John D. Colombo, a tax-law professor at the University of Illinois who testified before Rep. Thomas. 'It gets you to questions like, why should an institution with billions in the bank get tax exemption?'"

(more on the "questions about greater disclosure and better governance"...) 

I am tempted to ask my questions though. Does compassion need incentives? If you want to give $10... why would you want a $1 tax break. Why not simply give $9? What's the point of this tax incentivized "giving"...? But I must be too simplistic here... I probably don't know enough about the complex dynamics of the partnership between government and private (some call them "special") interests... bla-bla... bla-bla... whatever...

That's it for today... and may be for this year. Hopefully, I did not break too many laws by doing these extensive quotes.

     I am intersted in social justice, consider myself to be an ethically concerned person, love my children, sunshine, and books. I like to listen to Bob Dylan and donate household items and clothing to local charities. Sometimes I'm able to send a little cash to a good cause. I'm simple and do not desire material success, only the success of knowing I'm contributing to the betterment of society and able to provide for my children.

I am so hungry! Please donate a little money so I can eat.

I don't answer scammer emails so don't even waste your time. Please donate through www.paypal.com only. My PayPal ID is arthurlsmith@bellsouth.net.

Thanks,

Arthur

This post is to help my family. My daughter was in a serious car accident in 06/2006 in which she sustained a severe brain injury and multipule broken bones and lacerations. The doctors told us there was no hope.Despite all odds she is home with now and doing quite well, however........

To make a long story short, our woes are; Her insurance has ran out and she needs ongoing thearpy to continue on her long road to recovery (she can possibly be walking with in a year)!

Also, she needs 24/7 care and her son 5 yr old needs quite alot of attention too! Because we have been down to one income for the last year and a half our funds are running out. Please donate anything you can. You can visit Mary's website @ butterfliesformary.webs.com

 I am a single mom of a 16 year old son who is terminally ill with a disease called Wegeners Granulmatosis.  I am not one to ask for charity, but this year I have swallowed my pride to do just that.

I am currently unemployed due to Justins hospitalizations over the last year.  We have lost EVERYTHING, right down to our home and vehicle. We have been staying with friends for several months now, even though it is not a home of our own it is a warm place to lay our heads.

I cant begin to tell you how overwhelmed I am emotionally and mentally, anyone who faces the fact your child is dieing can understand where I am coming from.  I lost my son James six years ago and now I am losing Justin. I keep faith that a miracle will happen, because faith and hope are the two things we do have.

It kills my soul  to know that Justin may face christmas morning with nothing.. I dont know what to do or where to turn to.. If anyone could offer me any help or lead me in the right direction to anyone who could help me out I would greatly appreciate it.

God Bless,

Sherry Gilbreath

Hello,

My goal is to assist people in need through Aidspage. I want to offer you FREE help.

I'd like to increase the exposure of all people who are in need because I too know what it is like to be unfortunate and down on my luck. No catches, I'm not looking to make any profit or gain anything....I just want to help in any way I can.

I started a new web site called www.begslist.org , which allows people in need to post their situations for FREE. I find this a great alternative to those other cyberbegging, e-panhandling, or begging sites that ask you to pay to post to them (which I myself have done before and gone nowhere except deeper in debt). Who really wants to pay for a posting when you are already in financial trouble?

Post your plea for FREE at no cost to you. Increase the exposure of your situation by making it available for more people to see. Begslist.org not only offers help, but you will also find a lot of helpful information and resources to help you with your situation.


Take care,
Begslist.org

Don't forget to visit the Main Site to post your FREE posting: http://www.begslist.org

Good Luck to All and God Bless.

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none needed

I was paralyzed from the chest down in 1996, auto. Accident. It was while doing a mileage check to bid a job for Nye County. It was also on my own time, I really wanted to get the contract, as it would mean more income from the company I worked for. Vortex, was a great company, their profit share and performance bonus programs made it possible for all employees to make extra, with a way that no other company could match. I would get paid a monthly check on top of my hourly pay for whatever extra contract's or (PM, Preventive Maintenance) jobs I sold.

My main job was installing, repairing and doing P.M. on any chain accounts we had on a daily basis, and our most profitable work was in installing RSD's. Rolling steel doors, and sectional doors, as well as every other kind of door and hardware you can imagine. My company was becoming a nation wide business very fast while I was there. Our shop was located in Las Vegas, NV, each man was basically his own boss, we each had separate trucks stocked with all the power tools, mig and stick welding units, compressors for air tools, (Pneumatic) for those of us in the construction field, ladders, nail guns, impact wrench, with all the fittings + all the tools needed for working on glass doors, fire doors. Just one month before my accident, we had installed the biggest rolling steel door in the US, at the Flamingo Hilton, I guess I am going on and on sorry, but I really loved my job! Anyway after my accident they kept me in the hospital for six weeks, then four more months in rehab. I was in pretty bad shape, I could not even use my arms or hands, when I was realized, what had happened it was a big shock I kind of lost my mind for a few days after that my mom said I was talking to my dead grandfather like he was standing right next to me. I actually told my mom he was standing right next to her and trying to talk to her but she was not listening, she freaked out and ran out of my hospital room, I also according to my wife kept asking for my tools saying the door to my room needed to be fixed and why could she not simply bring them so I could fix it. Of coarse I cannot remember any of that but I beleive them, only because it was in my doctors report and he also told my some other crazy things I did, he said it was normal. That when the mind cannot handle the shock of what happened to the body it causes all kinds of different behavioral gliches to cope with the pain. Once I finally got out and went back home and tried to get back to some kind of normality, I started looking for a job even though I could not use my hands I figured the only way I was going to get back some use of my limbs was by using them! And one month later I had a job! It was putting tested by stickers on circuit boards and, (LED's) used in neon signs on the strip, menial but it really helped my regain function in my hands, well one hand anyway. My left hand had too much nerve damage, but hey I am right handed so at least I could still sign my name. Fast forward five years I had been injured again in a fall in a public rest room; I was doing a transfer into my chair when the grab bar broke out of the wall! It was only mounted with four 3/4 inch screws drilled into tile, which was only glued into the drywall! So it put me out of working anywhere but home.

So here we are, it’s 2002, my wheelchair lift transmission and suspension in my $54,000
wheelchair accessible truck needs to be replaced. I cannot work and my disability checks from Social Security barely pay the utilities, in fact it really does not! Since I was only thirty two at the time of my accident, I had not accumulated enough to pay me much of anything. So now after I was no longer able to work, due to my new injury and still had a $574.00 payment on a vehicle that was UN -driveable, plus a sixteen hundred a month mortgage. It was getting pretty bad, not only did we loose my income but we had our home and children to worry about But we managed to keep our home long enough too sell it without falling behind on our mortgage payment... That is until my truck’s cost to repair bill, was estimated at close to eighteen thousand dollars and change! So we had a choice to make, since my one year warrantee was up, you herd me right one year! For a vehicle that cost as much a hummer, and only had, 31,426 mile’s on it, and it was a limited warranty on top of that! Our choices were keep the truck and hope somehow to get financing to fix it, only because it would have cost much more to try and sell it and get a new one. So, we tried everything we new to come up with the money to pay for the repairs, but we could not. Now it seemed the only way to fix it and keep up with our payments was to sell our house. You must understand how hard this was, it was our first home and we only had it six months before my accident, and had been married five years.

We had really just started our lives as first time homeowners, at the time of my injury. So it was very hard on our family, but we kept our home for all of this time without ever missing a payment. That in itself was a hard and stressful, but we were so proud that even after becoming paralyzed from the chest down, I and my beautiful wife managed that and had twins! But this time we really had no other way than to sell the house for the funds to repair the truck.

Now, I am going to come right out and say it, right now we need help! My wheelchair lifts is broken again, and guess what the warranty is expired on my new two year old transmission and fifty six hundred dollar suspension is just fine. But we live in a rural area, so it is very important that I have transportation, to and from doctor’s appointments and also in case something happens again to me! Because of my injury, I have had to take really scary amounts of pain meds. On top of antidepressants, spasm, nerve pain drugs, I am not in the best of health; the worst thing for me to deal with is my seven year old twin boys, Camron and Dylon seeing their dad taken away in an ambulance. Dylon is already afraid dad will not come back, both of their grandparents, my wife’s mom and dad,which were my adopted mom and dad, that I loved very much both passed away in 2005.

Leaving them with only one grandparent my mom, but she lives so far away that they barely even see her other than of holidays. Now every time I get sick Dylon who spent a lot of time visiting mom and dad at the nursing home, and also in their condo before moms stroke, Camron was also their at the same time he is just not as much of a worrier as Dylon. Anyway, it has been hard we all have gone through a lot of pain and loss in the past year and a half, my mom is still here, but I know it because I was lucky enough to grow up with my grandfather always around, that the boys really miss him. Just FYI. My father left us when I was five, so I never really new him, my mom says I am better off.

But every boy and girl needs their parents whether it’s together or not, they need to be their when we need to rely on them. I hope you look at the picture up there that’s my life right their, my twin sons and more recently, in June of 05, my twin boy and girl Zackary, and Delainie. It is both for me and them I am asking for financial help to fix my wheelchair lift. For me because I cannot take my boys to a movie or just to burger king for that matter. But most of all it is for them, so dad can pick them up from school or go to church with them again. They both just finished their first year of catechism; I can’t wait to see them as alter boys. I can never forget how proud my Irish Catholic grandfather was when I had that honor, Anyway to the point, if anyone or any business can spare the money to help fix my truck email me at twnpapa@charter.net or just send it to our home,

Gardnerville, NV89410 care of Stephen OR Marci Hinchey and family.

God bless and keep you in his heart and thank you from my heart, Stephen

Hey all my name is Millie, and I am a recent college grad. I just got a call from my school today in regards to $7000 tha I owe them. I ahve been paying it off a little at a time, but now they want the full balance. As many of us all know that it is hard out there especially when you dont have any support from family. Basically I am DESPERATE. They said that they are going to take me to court, and I cant afford the legal fees as I cant even pay them off. Please PLease Please HELP ME!! I genuinely need the help. I know this is one in a million, but dreams come true. Please donate what you can. You can email me at dentalschoolhelp@yahoo.com for information as to where to send all donations. Thanks again!

Millie

P.S I will keep all doners aware of my progress at all times.

"Dekiya Davis faces daunting challenges. She has cerebral palsy, she is partially paralyzed, and she is blind in one eye. She also suffers from schizoaffective disorder, which, through medication and therapy, she has under control. Her husband, Shawn Stewart, recently suffered a stroke. And Dekiya has another formidable responsibility: motherhood. Her ailments make it exceptionally difficult for her to care for her two young sons, Shawn Jr., 15 months, and Christopher, who is only a few weeks old. (Dekiya also has a 12-year-old daughter, Niema, who lives with her father’s mother.)

The Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service, one of the seven charities supported by The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, helps parents like Dekiya care for their children and keep them from winding up in foster care. Five days a week, Yamile Angulo, who is a mother herself, comes to Dekiya’s home to prepare meals, bathe the children and take Shawn Jr. to day care.

Dekiya also receives public assistance and Social Security, but she could not afford supplies for the new baby, so the Brooklyn Bureau used Neediest Cases money to buy a crib, a stroller and clothing for Christopher."

See full article here...

Links to aid organizations in the New York area mentioned in the article:

• Children’s Aid Society
• Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York
• Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens
• Community Service Society of New York
• Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
• UJA-Federation of New York

Hello, I am 31 years old. I have three children.  I lost my job 12-31-06.  I worked there for over three year just to be told they didn't need me anymore.  I have  been struggling for awhile to make ends meet on unemployment.  To make things worse I have had to deal with a teenage runaway.  I am doing all I can  and don't ask for help.  It is getting so bad I am afraid I am about to lose everything I have worked so hard for.  I am 1440 behind on rent 860 behind on car and 21/2 months behind on lights. Florida does not help their residents.  All the programs are months of waiting or on a phone to call a place that is out of funds.  I need help fast. and I am really struggling with the fact where is my God right now.  I am not really seeing anyone actually getting help on here someone please surprize me.  This is so terrible that life has gotten to this point.  I have never seen the rightous forsaken or their young begging bread.  So do something already.  I am beyond disappointed at this moment.  I am the person that takes care of the poor and now where is my help? 

After, being on here for about a week, I am so disappointed with the heart of man..  I have seen the most abrasive insensive ppl i have ever seen.  I don't know why this site was created. I was taught as a child to love others as you love yourself.  The law of God in a nut shell is to love you neighbor as yourself.  So why create a site to aid if you allow ppl to come on here and put down ppl for asking for help.  Does anyone know the point in life that you have to be to even do this.  I am not one to ask for help.  The very fact I am on here, to anyone who knows me, knows it is bad.  Just to let you know, this isn't a picnic.  This isn't a living, this is the last resort.  Then the ppl on here have the nerve to say God bless after they critize you.  Are you kidding me?  Please STOP disgracing his precious name and go somewhere where miserable heartless monsters go.  If you are here to help ppl and make a difference,  THANK YOU!!  You know what, all I hear is scams.  Well, I am sure there are ppl out there who are scamming and hitting the flames of hell in a blaze of force.  Instead of thinking who is out to take me, think about why is your purpose to do the real work of God HELP OTHERS.  Not that you shouldn't protect yourself but, don't let it stop you from doing a GOOD WORK.  If you are really here for the right reasons, pray that God forgive you for treating ppl less fortunate than yourself badly.  If you are here for real help cause crap happens in life,  don't listen to ppl like this cause there is real christians out there.  Those ppl that are doing this are not real christians and have no place or purpose on this aid page.  I promise they won't be in heaven where some of these unfortunate ppl they don't like will be. Yes ppl that need help in life go to heaven.  Sad when some peoples closest image of Christ is a sour puss saying God Bless.  Then they critize them for needing help.

When I get out of this, I will show you how and why real christians help.  I will get out of this.  No thanks to craby fake christians.  Real ppl with real hearts only need apply at this page.  When I feed homeless ppl do you think I regretted it? NO When I stop on the side of a road and give a homeless person money, do you think I reget it? NO!! I am lead by someone you don't know.  I pray for ya. YOU NEED IT!!  Sorry if this doesn't apply to you.  JUST SICK OF IT!!

I AM A STAY AT HOME MOM OF 4 KIDS 2,4,6 AND 15. DUE TO MEDICAL REASONS AND MY HUSBAND HAVING NO LEAVE WE ARE ON THE VERGE OF BEING HOMELESS. I HAVE NO MONEY, FOOD,DIAPERS AND NO HOPE FOR CHRISTMAS. I HAVE TRIED TO GET HELP WITH LOCAL PLACES IN MY AREA AND HAVE FOUND NO HELP.WE HAVE NO FAMILY OR FRIENDS AND I FEEL LIKE ITS ALL MY FAULT. PLEASE HELP IN ANYWAY YOU CAN.THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!! MEGAN AND FAMILY   Well the evection noticed arrived to day...just in time for thanksgiving.Ive been trying to get help anywhere and every where.Sometimes i wonder why it seems like i cant get ahead or even on the line.Im a good person and i will give someone the shirt off my back and it seems when im in need im all alone. I guess im just loosing faith...I feel like im failing as a mother,Anyway enough of the sob story.I will try one last time to see if anyone can help.I was happy to find this site at first because i thought i had found hope but theres so many people that need help here and it seems some are in worse shape then others (if its not a lie or scam to just get money)(its sad that threr are people like that out there) Anyway If any one can help me or have any suggestions(believe me ive tryed many thing already) Please let me know. Good luck to everyone else in need and i hope everyone has a great holiday!!! (p.s i live in maryland) Mom of 4 kiddos

I believe that those who help others in thier time of need will reap good karma tenfold!

I am desperately looking for help regarding my medical bills from LAC + USC Medical Center...I have a bill for $12,164.00...I'm not working at the moment since my leg from the surgery isn't completely healed...but I am looking for a job. But the situation is even if I do get a job it's not going to be a high paying job, high enough to be paying a $12,164.00 bill, aside from the other bills that I will be taking care of and the necessities I need to live by. I REALLY NEED HELP...

This is me with my family,I'm the second to the last on the right.My disabled son is laying on the couch.I am blessed to have such a wonderfull family.They try to help me as much as possible.I can't make any money away from home and they have children of their own to take care of.I have a business from home thats a blessing too,I'm pretty new to it and I feel its gonna help with our future financially,I'm a tuff kid,I don't give up.Check out my site;  www.bestevermall.com

Dear Mates,

How are you all? I guess we are all in need some way or the other.SoLet Us all get to gather, form a trust and help one another.Let us get talking by sharing our ideas.Unity shall be our strength. Let us all aid mates help one another with the money from the trust.I guess there are lots of people in our pool who have so many ideas,whom to contact, formalities etc.I guess you all understand what I mean. So let us begin . Please do write to me if posible

C James Antony

I was victimzed by a check cashing scam led by a European group. They contacted me through careerbuilder.com and hired me as a dontations collector sent me a cashier's check and instructed me by email to wire the money by Western Union. I deposited the check in my account and waited until I thought it cleared and wired the money.  I went to the bank to withdraw some money and I was told that my account was overdrafted by $3,444and the $1000 that I had left in my accoubtto live off of for the rest of the month ( the next 21 days and pay bills, rent was gone. I almost fainted.

I contacted the FTC,secret service, Western Union, the state attorney general's office and the bank who is investigating the matter. I am a single mom who is struggling to make ends meet. I even looked online at google.com, msn.com and yahoo.com to check the organization out before getting invoved in this. I have never done anything illegal in my life, I am not a criminal. I have worked in chid welfare for many years as a social worker and I love helping people but now I need help.

Despite my reports the organization has a website www.lsheltonhome.com and they are scamming unsuspecting job seekers if there bank does not intervene and not cash the phony checks. There are two websites with more information about this scam that I found last night. They are http://www.peopleschronicle.org/victims.html and http://www.webnetpresence.com/that have more information about this specific scam.

I am praying that someone helps because I am a honest person that was looking for extra work because I am financially strapped from month to month. All my funds have been taken by the bank and I only received half of my paycheck this month.

Anyway I don't know if my story is of interest of interest to you but I do not want other people to suffer as a result of these evil people.The  bank is holding me responsible for $4600.

I am single mom who gets paid once per month. My bank has tied up all my funds and I don't have a
savings. My rent check hasn't even cleared for the month and I may evicted from my home because I do
not have anyone to help me.

The fake organization is called the Lance Shelton Internationl Organization. There web page is
www.lsheltonhome.org Please do not be victimized. Any donations to help myself and my two year old son would be really appreciated. Thank you. nycndatriad@yahoo.com

I raised my child alone,I work 2 jobs just to raise my daughter. Two years ago a tumor was discovered in my breast, i tried to ignore it but it grows bigger until the doctor advised me for a removal. Last year i had an operation,the tumor was removed here in our local hospital, the tumor was sent to the city for a biopsy. The doctor told me that the result is cancerous. A chemotheraphy is needed because the cancer has the possibility to spread all over my body.I just ignored it because i know it's impossible for me to raise $5000 just for the chemotheraphy sessions (excluding medicines,transportation expenses & allowance to stay in big city because we dont have chemotherapy here in the province), i continued to work for us to survive until last December that i felt weak and began to notice swells in my head & my stomach. I become weaker & weaker each day. I dont know where to ask for help until i heared this site from my cousin. I want to fight the cancer for my daughter, I was wrong when i gave up, i know its not yet too late for me to undergo medications. My life is in your hands, for those who read this, im begging you to help me. Im knocking to your hearts, please share even a small amount for my medication.Pls. email me to show your support in any way. Please contact me with my cousins number +639173065231, we dont have a phone at home, she's the one encourage me & told me not to be ashame to beg here. Im very hopeful that there are people with good hearts out there and are very willing to share their blessings! May you be blessed by a sevenfold times because of your kind and generous heart!(pix above is our place, a peaceful place in Southern Leyte)

I am a recent college grad, with a job that barely pays my bills trying to work my way up in the business world. While I was attending school my house burnt down and I lost EVERYTHING in it. To make matters worse I didn't have renters insurance. I did the only thing that I knew to do which was put everything on credit since I couldn't afford anything. I put rent, my car payment, furniture EVERYTHING on credit cards just so that I could finish my education, now I have racked up a total debt of 46,000 in credit and student loans and i am struggling to make even minimum payments on all these, while still trying to pay for the basics of life like rent, gas, food, insurance. Any help that you can give me would be GREATLY appreciated. I do believe in what goes around comes around and if you help me I guarntee that I will help someone less fortunate than me in the future because I was helped when I needed it!