Michigan Homeless Tent Camp Operates Through Winter

A unique kind of homeless shelter exists in Michigan. Camp Take Notice is not housed in a facility. It's a self-sufficiency camp in Ann Arbor, Mich. Camp organizers plan to keep it operational through the winter, says Michigan Radio. I wrote this article last month and only remembered to post it here. If you're looking for a give-back, feel-good kind of mission to support, the residents of Camp Take Notice are more than deserving. Here is information about this community. Read more at Michigan Homeless Tent Camp Operates Through Winter - Yahoo! News

First person: How I Live Simply that Others May Simply Live

A Month of Money Saving Penny-Pinching Tips One of the things I take pleasure in during the holidays is giving. No matter how cash-strapped we are, we still live by the "pay it forward" motto. We tip generously and share. I don't say this to brag. Not at all. I say this in thanks to God for allowing us the joy and privilege of giving. This year, I was able donate about $300 to those in need. It felt good. How do I do it? By living simply that others may simply live. Penny pinching and saving money has been likened to building a dam. The large holes are obvious. The small crevices are less noticeable, but if left to slowly leak, will eat up funds quickly. Saving money means I have more money to share with others. In these times when lawmakers are cutting more social safety networks and taking tax benefits form the working middle class, these tips are even more cogent. Here's a fortnight of budget repairs to prevent financial leaks. Read more...

Parents Benefit from Giving, Receiving Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes

Parents Benefit from Giving, Receiving Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes For some parents, the holidays represent more poverty and struggle. For others, it's a time to reach out and share. Here's how Operation Christmas Child helps parents in need and those with resources to share. Read more...

Best Gifts to Fill Your Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child Box

Best Gifts to Fill Your Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child Box Looking for a great Christmas giving opportunity? Operation Christmas Child is a charitable giving outreach ministry of Samaritan's Purse. Each year around Thanksgiving, thousands of boxes are shipped to domestic and foreign missions. Here's a list of items to put in your Operation Christmas Child holiday gift box. To participate in Operation Christmas Child, all you need to do is fill a large shoebox with items for a child. Indicate the gender and age of the child you've packed for on the shipping label. Read more.

'One Warm Coat' Drive Begins for 2011

'One Warm Coat' Provides a Winter Necessity for Children, Adults For many families, winter poses especially serious financial problems. Added fuel costs, vehicle and home maintenance and other expenses drain a family's budget. Sometimes, the budget just won't stretch to cover winter clothing. Every winter, thousands suffer for want of a something that many take for granted: a warm winter coat. One Warm Coat is gearing up for the 2011-2012 winter season. Read more...

Free Hurricane Irene Mobile Tracking Apps and Printable Emergency Kit Guidelines

Free Hurricane Irene Mobile Tracking Apps and Emergency Kit Guidelines Hurricane Irene is battering the Outer Bank in North Carolina and has New York and the entire eastern seaboard in her sights. The word of the day is emergency preparedness. Here are resources for making emergency kits and free cellphone hurricane tracker apps. Let's help each other and spread the word about hurricane safety. Read more.

Mental and Emotional Health Resources for Earthquake, Oil Spill Disaster Victims

Mental and Emotional Health Resources for Disaster Victims
The first concern in any emergency or disaster is, of course, physical safety. But what about emotional and mental health? Here are free resources from the APA and FEMA for families in crisis and disaster victims. Read more...

Homelessness and What Taxpayers can do about it

We use vague terms about "needy people," "the poor" and "homelessness." Are people poor and homeless by choice? Do our help efforts enable people to live outside society's boundaries or empower them to make change? Do poor, homeless people really want help? Read more...

Good News from Haiti Updates One Year Later

Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the massive earthquake that rocked the island country of Haiti. Haiti was already the most impoverished nation in the western hemisphere when the devastating quake left 1.5 million people homeless. What progress has been made in clean up and relief efforts one year later? Read more...

7.1 Earthquake Hits Southern Chile

January 2, 2011: The U.S. Geological Survey reports that an earthquake measuring 7.1- 7.2 on the Richter Scale hit Araucania in central Chile Sunday at 20:20:16 UTC (3:20 p.m. EST). Read on...