2009 Recipients

CHARLOTTESVILLE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, PO Box 7305, Charlottesville, VA 22906 www.cvillehabitat.org ~~~ Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity offers their "New Paradigm" program in Charlottesville, VA building high-density (instead of their usual single-family) affordable housing in mixed-income communities.

BLUE RIDGE AREA FOOD BANK, P.O. Box 937, Route 612, Verona, VA 24482 www.brafb.org ~~~ The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank received the 2009 Feeding America Member-of-the-Year award. Over the course of 27 years, they have grown to support more than 400 agencies that service nine cities and 25 counties in Virginia.

CHARLOTTESVILLE FREE CLINIC 1138 Rose Hill Drive, Suite 200, Charlottesville, VA 22903 www.CvilleFreeClinic.org ~~~ Many free clinics do not offer prescription drugs. This one does. The Charlottesville Free Clinic provides free primary medical care, prescription medications and acute dental care for working uninsured adults and their families in the greater Charlottesville/Albemarle community.

PACEM SHELTER, PO Box 14, Charlottesville, VA 22902 www.pacemshelter.org ~~~ PACEM Shelter is a startup charity offering shelter to the homeless during the winter season. Let's send them a message of hope for their mission.

THE COMMUNITY CHILDREN'S DENTAL CENTER, 259 Hydraulic Ridge Road, #101, Charlottesville, VA 22901 www.cadakids.org ~~~ The Community Children's Dental Center currently serves 4,500 children with Medicaid insurance. They are fundraising to finance an expansion that would provide services to 2,000 more children.

In July, we are targeting an animal welfare organization based in Sacramento, an international medical relief organization, an umbrella organization to over 200 food banks, a family shelter in Falls Church, VA, and a transitional assistance organization in New York. Send them your love and your gifts. The real gift is shared when you consciously connect with these organizations and their staff as you gift. Your gift will be received long before your envelope arrives. Love to you all, Red

FEEDING AMERICA, PO Box 8929,Topeka, KS 66608-8929 Please put the code W092RNDA on your envelope so we can track the donation back the Ranada Foundation. ~ Feeding America acts as an umbrella organization for over 200 foodbanks nationwide. They negotiate lower food prices with major manufacturers, apply for grants, encourage liaisons with grocery stores and restaurants, and promote standards of care in the industry. We will be gifting to FEEDING AMERICA on an on-going basis. www.SecondHarvest.org

SHELTER HOUSE, P.O. BOX 4081, Falls Church, VA 22044. ~ Shelter House offers transitional assistance to families in need. They provide temporary shelter, counseling, training, crisis intervention, and programs to promote self-sufficiency. Shelter House has been supporting families since 1981. www.ShelterHouse.org

MODEST NEEDS, 115 East 30th Street, 1st Floor, New York, NY 10016 ~ Founded in 2002, Modest Needs Foundation works to prevent otherwise financially self-sufficient individuals and families from entering the cycle of poverty, when this might be avoided with a small amount of well-timed financial assistance. They work to restore the financial self-sufficiency of individuals who are willing to work but are temporarily unable to do so and they intervene on behalf of individuals who otherwise live within their fixed income in emergency situations.

UNITED ANIMAL NATIONS (UAN), P.O. Box 188890, Sacramento, CA 95818 ~ United Animal Nations (UAN) brings animals out of crisis and into care through a variety of programs. Through its Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS), UAN shelters and cares for animals displaced by natural disasters and other crises, such as criminal seizures and hoarding cases. The LifeLine Grant Program provides funding to Good Samaritans, animal rescuers, non-profit organizations and pet owners to help them care for animals in life-threatening situations. The Premarin Awareness Campaign educates women about hormone drugs made from pregnant mares' urine (PMU) and helps people adopt horses cast off from this industry who might otherwise be at risk for slaughter. UAN's Humane Education Ambassador Reader (HEAR) program helps children explore the bond between people and animals through stories and discussion. www.UAN.org

INTERNATIONAL RELIEF TEAMS, 4560 Alvarado Canyon Road, Suite 2G, San Diego, CA 92120-4309 ~ International Relief Teams has a 4-Star rating with Charity Navigator, one of the top charity watchdogs. It is a nonprofit, international relief organization dedicated to organizing volunteer teams to provide medical and non-medical assistance to the victims of disaster and profound poverty worldwide. www.irteams.org

In August, we are gifting to one of my favorite charities, Heifer International. Their mission is to promote self-reliance by offering training and livestock to families worldwide. Also in the lineup for August is Feeding America, an umbrella organization for over 200 food banks nationwide; Doctors Without Borders, an international medical humanitarian organization working in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe; The People's Resource Center, a transitional assistance organization in Illinois, and Charity Navigator, a non-profit charity evaluator providing assistance to donors worldwide. What a great lineup! Let's get started.

MONTHLY CONFERENCE CALL: If you would like to join us via conference call this Tuesday evening, August 4th, at 7:00 PM as we affirm our gifts and gift together, call 218-339-2500 and enter the code 689647#.

HEIFER INTERNATIONAL, P.O. Box 8058, Little Rock, AR 72203 Founded in 1944, Heifer Project International is a humanitarian assistance organization that works to end world hunger and protect the earth. Through livestock, training and passing on the gift, Heifer has helped 8.5 million families in more than 125 countries improve their quality of life and move toward greater self-reliance. Heifer helps build strong communities because each project participant agrees to pass on the gift of animal offspring, training, or skills to another family in need. If you don't know about this organization, take a minute and visit their web site. www.heifer.org

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS, Medecins Sans Frontieres, PO Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741 ~ Doctors Without Borders, USA (DWB-USA) was founded in 1990 in New York City to raise funds, create awareness, recruit field staff, and advocate with the United Nations and US government on humanitarian concerns. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization that provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. In 2007, MSF-USA raised $152.1 million and sent 200 aid workers to work overseas. www.DoctorsWithoutBorders.org

FEEDING AMERICA, PO Box 8929,Topeka, KS 66608-8929 Please put the code W092RNDA on your envelope so we can track the donation back the Ranada Foundation. ~ Feeding America acts as an umbrella organization for over 200 foodbanks nationwide. They negotiate lower food prices with major manufacturers, apply for grants, encourage liaisons with grocery stores and restaurants, and promote standards of care in the industry. We will be gifting to FEEDING AMERICA on an on-going basis. www.SecondHarvest.org

PEOPLE'S RESOURCE CENTER, 201 Naperville Road Wheaton, IL 60187 Since 1975, People's Resource Center (PRC) has provided DuPage County residents in need with basic services of food, clothing and emergency rent/housing assistance as well as empowerment services of literacy education, computer training, access to refurbished computers, job search assistance and art enrichment. Today, more than 20,000 DuPage residents rely on the PRC for help each year. Our core resources of food, clothing and emergency homeless prevention assistance help people to meet their basic needs. Our education, training and enrichment programs include computer training and access to computer technology for the home, English as a Second Language classes and tutoring, assistance with GED, citizenship, and conversation groups, job search assistance, and People's Art, including Women's Wisdom, Kids Art, various mixed classes, and open studio.

CHARITY NAVIGATOR, 2nd Floor, 1200 MacArthur Boulevard Mahwah, NJ 07430. Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator, works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of over 5,400 of America's largest charities. Let's thank them for helping Ranada's Gifting Program run more efficiently and effectively by sending them $1. www.CharityNavigator.org

We have a great lineup for September: City Harvest feeding hungry folks in New York, Direct Relief International providing free medical care to the world, ACCION New Mexico providing small business loans in 3 states, Fisher House Foundation watching out for the families of our wounded soldiers, and Vehicles for Change turning donated cars into working wheels for low income wage earners. So get out your envelopes, $1 bills, and stamps and lets get busy spreading the love and sharing this email with our friends. We really can make a difference when we stick together. Won't you take a few minutes and make a few calls to those you love so they can join in our efforts to care for those displaced by these hard economic times. It really is up to us and supporting those in need doesn't get any easier than this. Love to you all, Red

VEHICLES FOR CHANGE, 5230 Washington Blvd., Halthorpe, MD 21227 ~ Vehicles For Change addresses the transportation needs of low income families in Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. Qualified recipients are identified through "social service" type agencies and are screened to meet income and employment requirements. The recipients buy their car for an average cost of $650 with a Vehicles for Change guaranteed loan, which allows them to establish credit. Each recipient receives a six-month/6,000 mile warranty, and must attend a "car owners" orientation class provided by VFC. Vehicles for Change operates as a community initiative and has awarded over 3,000 cars since its inception in 1999. If you have an unwanted vehicle… donate it. If you have a repair facility, you can donate your labor. If you are a business, you can donate vehicles from your fleet and encourage employees and customers to do the same. You can also make a financial contribution to fund program expansion and offset the cost of repairs. It's a great way to give back to the community where you work and live. Send your $1 contribution and your message of support to them today. www.VehiclesForChange.org

FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION, 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 420 Rockville, MD 20850-5168 ~ Fisher House Foundation supports America's military in their time of need by providing "a home away from home" that enables family members to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury. Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House™ Foundation donates "comfort homes," built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. No family pays to stay at any Fisher House. If you would like to support their efforts, please send your $1 donation and your message of support. Charity Navigator gives Fisher House Foundation a 4-star (highest) rating. Visit their web site and read about its humanitarian founder, Zachary Fisher. www.FisherHouse.org

ACCION NEW MEXICO, 20 First Plaza NW, Suite 417 Albuquerque, N.M. 87102 ~ Award-winning non-profit, ACCION New Mexico, provides loans and lines of credit ranging from $200 to $150,000 to small businesses in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. With an average loan of $5,700, many of these businesses operate out of their homes. Since 1994, ACCION has provided micro-lending, networking and marketing opportunities, training and leadership development, individual mentorship, and credit counseling and coaching to more than 2,300 new businesses in New Mexico through loans totaling more than $23 million. Please send your message of support with your $1 contribution. www.ACCIONNM.org

DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL, 27 S. La Patera Lane Santa Barbara, CA 93117 ~ Since 1948, Direct Relief International has provided medical assistance to improve the quality of life for people affected by poverty, disaster, and civil unrest at home and throughout the world. They work to strengthen the in-country health partners by providing essential material resources – medicines, supplies and equipment. Beginning with postwar refugee assistance in Eastern Europe and Greece, Direct Relief has also provided support for more than 40 years to Tibetan refugees and has consistently responded with targeted medical aid following major emergencies since the 1970 Peru earthquake. During each of the past eight years, each dollar spent has provided between $21 and $37 (wholesale) of medical material specifically requested by in-country health professionals to care for patients. Please send them your love and your money! www.DirectRelief.org

CITY HARVEST, 575 8th Ave. 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018 ~ City Harvest, a non-profit organization founded in 1982, is the world's first and New York City's only food rescue program. This year, City Harvest will collect over 25 million pounds of excess food from all segments of the food industry, including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers, and farms. This food is then delivered free of charge to nearly 600 community food programs throughout New York City using a fleet of trucks and bikes as well as volunteers on foot. Each week, City Harvest helps over 260,000 hungry New Yorkers find their next meal. Please send them your support. www.CityHarvest.org

I recently received a call from an individual who posted a notice on Craig's list asking for sleeping bag donations for the homeless. It made me stop and think about the warmth and shelter I take for granted daily. Not long after that call, I witnessed someone discarding a large appliance box, and my first thought was to somehow get the box to someone who could use it for shelter.

These are not my usual thoughts as winter approaches. Monetary gifting to agencies set up to determine the level of help needed and negotiate with vendors for free or reduced costs is important. But there are also practical ways we can all be helpful.

October is a time of harvest, harvesting that which will embrace and shelter us through the winter months. As you make your contributions for October, remember to dig around in your stored and unneeded items and share from that abundance. Make a few calls or post your items on Craig's List and find a good home for them. Set up a community exchange shed or a community blog like Neighbor to Neighbor (its free on www.ning.com). There are many ways to be helpful. And then enjoy the space that is created as you unclutter, lighten up, and give from a place of loving.

A special prayer is offered this day as we join together in the absence of fear, as we take inventory of that which we can share and release ourselves from mankind's isolative tendencies.

THE HEAT AND WARMTH FUND (THAW), 607 Shelby Street, Suite 400, Detroit, MI 48226 ~ The Heat and Warmth (THAW) Fund is an independent agency that provides low-income individuals and families with emergency energy assistance and advocates for long-term solutions to energy issues. Since its inception in 1986, THAW has provided more than $69.7 million in assistance to more than 124,000 Michigan households, including elderly, unemployed, underemployed, disabled individuals who found themselves in temporary crisis. During the 2007-2008 heating season, THAW distributed more than $10,928,000 in energy assistance to more than 9,000 households. www.ThawFund.org

ACTION IN COMMUNITY THROUGH SERVICE (ACTS), P.O. Box 74, Dumfries, VA 22026 ~ Established in 1969, Action in Community Through Service (ACTS) is a community organization whose mission is to alleviate hunger, homelessness, and domestic violence, and to help people achieve self-support in the Prince William area. ACTS' programs include emergency assistance; a homeless shelter; transitional housing; Helpline, a 24-hour crisis hot line; Turning Points, the county's only domestic violence prevention and intervention program; and thrift stores. ACTS serves the residents of Greater Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park in Virginia. The majority of ACTS' programs are fee free to clients, and eligibility is based on HUD poverty guidelines. www.actspwc.org

ENERGY OUTREACH COLORADO, 225 E 16th Avenue, Ste 200, Denver, CO 80203-1612 ~ Energy Outreach Colorado is dedicated to keeping Colorado homes warm, healthy and safe by raising money for energy assistance. We assist people in emergency situations by helping pay the balances on their utility bills. We also help limited income families to be more self-sufficient by funding energy efficiency measures that lower energy costs in affordable housing across Colorado. Through the Charitable Energy Network and the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP), we help those in need across Colorado. We also support Energy Efficiency Programs that provide long-term solutions to help needy Coloradoans control their energy use and lower their bills. www.EnergyOutreach.org

SHELTER NETWORK, 1450 Chapin Avenue, 2nd Floor, Burlingame, CA 94010 ~ Shelter Network was founded in 1987 to provide a comprehensive coordinated network of housing and social services for the homeless residents of the San Francisco Peninsula. In fiscal year 2006-2007, we provided over 183,000 nights of shelter and served over 3,500 homeless adults and children. Over 97% of families and single adults who complete Shelter Network programs succeed in returning to permanent housing. Shelter Network is committed to providing housing and support services that create opportunities for homeless families and individuals to re-establish self-sufficiency and to return to permanent homes of their own and is the Peninsula's principal provider of housing and support for homeless families and individuals. www.ShelterNetwork.org

FEEDING AMERICA, PO Box 8929, Topeka, KS 66608-8929 Please put the code W092RNDA on your envelope so we can track the donation back the Ranada Foundation. ~ Feeding America acts as an umbrella organization for over 200 foodbanks nationwide. They negotiate lower food prices with major manufacturers, apply for grants, encourage liaisons with grocery stores and restaurants, and promote standards of care in the industry. We will be gifting to FEEDING AMERICA on an on-going basis. www.FeedingAmerica.org

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, food banks are gearing up to serve our traditional meal of plenty. Our outreach this month targets food banks in five areas of the U.S.: Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and South Carolina through non-profits that act as umbrellas for large areas. Their buying power allows them to amplify our gift; in South Carolina $1 = 4 meals and in Massachusetts $1 buys more than 2 meals.

I urge you to not only give of your financial abundance, but to put a little love out there for others as well. Kind words, encouragement, listening, an arm around the shoulders, remind us that we are not alone. Let's not be alone; let's be a part of making sure everyone has food and feels cared for in the month of Thanksgiving.

Join me in getting out the envelopes, $1 bills, and stamps for five food banks this month. And don't forget to use the gifting affirmations through which you bring the knowing of your loving intentions into your awareness and amplify the gift.

CAPITAL AREA FOOD BANK OF TEXAS, 8201 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78745 ~ In its 28th year of service, the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas (CAFB) currently provides food and grocery products to more than 350 Partner Agencies in 21 Central Texas counties. In 2008, CAFB distributed more than 17 million pounds of food. “Turning hungry holidays into happy holidays” is their motto for this year’s Thanksgiving food drive. So let’s help them out by sending our donations. If you want to see a dynamic non-profit at work, to to www.AustinFoodBank.org and check out their fundraising schedule.

COMMUNITY FOOD SHARE, 6363 Horizon Lane, Longmont, CO 80503 ~ Working through 63 member agencies, Community Food Share efficiently delivers more than four million nutritionally balanced meals each year, and serves as a safety net for those who are hungry in Boulder and Broomfield Counties. Their member agencies include soup kitchens, emergency assistance programs, senior programs, shelters, child care centers and agencies serving disabled citizens, the mentally ill, low-income working poor and at-risk youth. Horizon Organic Dairy contributes 3,000 gallons of milk per week to this food share agency. At Community Food Share, $1 = 4 meals. www.CommunityFoodShare.org

THE GREATER BOSTON FOOD BANK, 70 South Bay Avenue, Boston, MA 02118 ~ Founded in 1981, The Greater Boston Food Bank is the largest hunger relief organization in New England, and one of the largest food banks in the country. We distribute approximately 30 million pounds of food and grocery products annually to a network of more than 600 hunger relief agencies. We are a trusted and efficient resource for these local food pantries, soup kitchens, day-care centers, youth programs, senior centers, and homeless and residential shelters, providing the food they need to feed the hungry. We feed more than 320,000 people annually in nine counties in eastern Massachusetts. For every dollar contributed, the Food Bank distributes more than 2 meals. www.GBFB.org

THE FOOD DEPOT, 1222 Siler Road, Santa Fe, NM 87507 ~ Each month, The Food Depot distributes an average of 240,000 pounds of food and household products, and provides more than 320,000 meals to hungry and needing citizens through its partner agencies in nine Northern New Mexico counties. They serve people in need through 100 nonprofit partner agencies in seven Northern New Mexico counties -- Santa Fe, San Miguel, Rio Arriba, Taos, Mora, Colfax and Los Alamos. These agencies supply food pantries, congregate feeding programs, homeless programs, youth programs, group homes, senior centers, day care centers and domestic violence shelters. And they have their own Souper Bowl, an annual fundraising event in January. www.TheFoodDepot.org

HARVEST HOPE FOOD BANK, P.O. Box 451, Columbia, SC 29202 ~ Beginning in 1981 as an emergency food box program, Harvest Hope Food Bank is now a regional distribution program that collects, stores and distributes food and related items to more than 400 qualified agencies engaged in feeding needy, elderly and ill families and children throughout central South Carolina. The mission of Harvest Hope Food Bank is to provide for the needs of hungry people by gathering and sharing quality food with dignity, compassion and education. On average, they distribute over 19 million pounds of food per year. www.HarvestHope.org

In December, we will be contributing to the medical needs of our communities in the USA. The numbers of displaced workers and family supporters in our society are still increasing. Let’s join together to support those in transitional circumstances to make sure they have the care needed for their families.

THE CHILDRENS HEALTH FUND, 215 West 125th Street, Suite 301, New York, NY 10027, tel: (800) 535-7448 ~ Founded in 1987, the Children's Health Fund (CHF) is committed to providing comprehensive health care to the nation's most medically underserved children and their families through the development and support of innovative primary care medical programs and the promotion of guaranteed access to appropriate health care for all children. CHF is dedicated to meeting the complex and challenging health needs of underserved children. Children's Health Fund realizes this mission through the energy and talent of our dedicated team of doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, nutritionists, and other clinical and support staff and our partnerships with esteemed academic medical centers. www.ChildrensHealthFund.org

THE FREE MEDICAL CLINIC OF GREATER CLEVELAND, 12201 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, tel: (216) 707-3418 ~ The mission of The Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland (The Free Clinic) is to provide quality health care and related services free of charge to those who lack appropriate alternatives, and advocate for policy changes that make health care available to all. The Free Clinic is one of the oldest free clinic in the United States and the largest in Ohio. Established as a hotline in 1970 by a group of people concerned about the health and welfare of young adults, it quickly shifted to a clinic serving the health needs of the community. The facility, located in University Circle, is equipped with 18 exam rooms, five dental chairs, three group therapy rooms, a modern laboratory, and an expanded pharmacy. www.TheFreeClinic.org

THE SABAN FREE CLINIC, 8405 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, tel: (323) 653-8622 ~ The Saban Free Clinic, formerly known as the Los Angeles Free Clinic, in collaboration with strategic partners, provides dependable and affordable quality health care and human services in a caring environment for the underserved and those who are most vulnerable. We serve men, women and children of all ages in the Los Angeles area without regard to race, creed, ethnic background or sexual orientation. Our patients are the uninsured, the working poor, the homeless, runaway and high-risk youth, and others who are unable to access affordable health care and human services. www.TheSabanFreeClinic.org

NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CLINIC, 120 Goodlette Road, N, Naples, FL 34102, tel: (239) 261-6600 ~ Founded in 1998 by Bill and Nancy Lascheid, the Neighborhood Health Clinic delivers quality medical care to low-income, working, but uninsured, Collier County adults, using a volunteer professional staff. We are committed to deliver these services in a caring, supportive environment that respects the dignity of each patient. Our services include: consultation with a physician; nurse educators for complicated medical issues; translators in five languages onsite; all prescription medication issued onsite; and monthly patient monitoring. In addition, eleven specialty clinics are held on a scheduled basis; we provide referrals to medical specialists; and patients have access to laboratory, x-rays, and surgery when prescribed. www.NeighborhoodHealthClinic.org

ARLINGTON FREE CLINIC, 2921 Eleventh Street, South Arlington, VA 22204, tel: (703) 979-1425 ~ The Arlington Free Clinic (AFC) is a community-based organization committed to providing access to quality health care services at no charge to low-income, uninsured county residents utilizing volunteers and partnering with other health providers. In 2008, AFC provided 8,655 patient visits, including primary care, specialty care, mental health, physical therapy, and patient education. AFC operates its own small licensed pharmacy. Two part-time staff pharmacists and over two-dozen pharmacy volunteers dispensed more than 22,000 prescriptions worth over $1.6 million in 2008. AFC's services include general medical appointments, specialty care, women's and mental health services, physical therapy, and access to pharmaceuticals. www.ArlingtonFreeClinic.org