Lend A Hand

I was awoken early today by a frantic call from my sister-in-law. She was coming home from work and her little Dodge Neon was stuck in the snow trying to get into our back alley. I live in southern Illinois and we currently have about 8″+ of snow. We don’t get much snow normally, so 8″ in two days is a lot. On top of that the city does not plow or treat the side streets or alleys, so it is literally like off-roading to navigate them.

So, I donned my warmest winter garb and trudged down the alley to help dislodge her. The main issue was that she could not make it into our alley to park and the side of the street out front was packed with plowed snow. When I made it to her car another guy had stopped and he helped me push her car to turn her around. I was very grateful to have the help. As my sister-in-law made her way back up to the front street I waited to make sure my helper could get his own car out to the main street without assistance.

When I got out front she had tried to force her way into the plowed snow and was stuck again. I managed to push her out of that and we cleared enough snow to be able to get her parked. As this massive winter storm rolls across the country I just want to issue a reminder to look out for those around you. If someone is stuck and needs help, consider helping them. I am sure they will be very grateful, and you could save them the exorbitant cost of a tow truck coming out. Thank you anonymous stranger!

Help Needed – First Volunteer!

Shannon at All About Shannon has offered to assist with my Help Needed endeavor. Much thanks to her!

Recently I have been trying to help a few people find assistance that have posted on the St. Louis Craigslist. One of them is a 24 year old Bosnian immigrant with an ailing mother. I really hope he is able to find the help he needs. If you would like to help in any way with promoting and expanding Help Needed, just let me know.

Shannon has also shared another excellent online charity resource called Wish Upon a Hero. This organization is similar to Modest Needs which I posted about last. Wish Upon a Hero allows people to post a wish, no matter how small or large. People willing to grant, or partially grant, a wish are called Heroes. Heroes can come in the form of individuals, charities, or corporations.

Some examples of current wishes are “for baby girl clothing and a crib, ” “for $1 donations to save my house,” and “for a better Christmas for my 4 kids.” These are all small requests, and by working together we can make a big difference in the lives of many people. Please check out Wish Upon a Hero!

Modest Needs

Today I want to highlight an interesting online charity that I found at this post. The post itself has an excellent message, so I encourage you to take a few moments to read it. The organization is called Modest Needs.

Modest Needs provides a framework for micro-grants to be funded online. Every dollar that is donated as part of a one time donation equates to one “point.” If you sign up for recurring donations, they have a matching offer that makes each dollar worth two points.

The micro-grants serve to alleviate unexpected or short term emergency expenses such as car trouble, utility / mortgage bills, medical bills, etc. Individuals can sign up for assistance or can be recommended by participating non-profits or social workers. Each request is represented by a number of points needed and once all of the points have been funded the money is disbursed. The organization makes a significant effort to verify the legitimacy of  applications.

This organization is a very good example of people helping people. Ideally the friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, etc. of those in need would help with expenses and this organization would not need to exist, but sadly that is not the case. For those of you looking for ways to donate, check out Modest Needs. For those of you that might be struggling, you may want to check it out as well.