The DonorsChoose Blogger Challenge
So I was approached a few weeks back to be part of a donation drive for an organization known as Donors Choose. You may have noticed it on the right sidebar. Since Kirk buttered me up by saying he's a regular reader of the site, I couldn't help but take kind to his cause.
So if you have any extra money left over that you were planning on spending on playoff tickets or World Series merchandise (sigh, slams forehead on desk), consider making a donation to a very worthwhile cause.
DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.
Proposals range from "Magical Math Centers" ($200) to "Big Book Bonanza" ($320), to "Cooking Across the Curriculum" ($1,100). Any individual can search such proposals by areas of interest, learn about classroom needs, and choose to fund the project(s) they find most compelling. In completing a project, donors receive a feedback package of student photos and thank-you notes, and a teacher impact letter.
I do know a little about this as the Angel Fan Wife and the Angel Fan Wife's mother are both school teachers. Well the Angel Fan Wife was a school teacher I should say, she's moved on to bigger and better things. But to say the least, the public school system isn't easy on teachers or their pocketbooks. I'm sure you're all aware of the budget crunch that many states face when it comes to education and for the particularly low-income areas, if a teacher wants anything for their kids besides prepping for standardized testing, it almost always comes out of their own pockets or more likely doesn't happen at all.
So I picked a few high poverty areas in Chicago and projects that seemed interesting or sports-related. A lot of schools no longer have gym teachers and the regular teacher has to do it themselves and there certainly isn't money for equipment. If you know of any other projects, I'd certainly be willing to add them to our donate page. TCR will be donating about $120 before the month is over. If you can help out, great. If you click on "Top Giving" tab on the right sidebar widget, you'll see the challenge part of all this and see we have ground to make up.
I also wanted to mention that even if you can't donate at the moment, consider voting for Donors Choose at the American Express Members Project Page. There are 5 charities that are up for a $1.5 M donation for the winner. You do have to be an AMEX card holder and the voting ends today. But if you can, please drop a vote as they are currently second.
And just to have something baseball related here....some photoshops that Dr. Hecht sent me over the weekend that I assume were sent to him.
the new DVD set coming to Amazon in November...
one for the kids...
sure to be a Parachat and Chad favorite
and the winner...
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