2010 RECIPIENTS LIST

In January, we turn our attention to the basic needs of our communities: food, housing, and medical care. Our food contributions go to East Tennessee and Montana to support food banks there. Our housing contributions go to post-Katrina New Orleans where Habitat for Humanity has constructed 278 houses since the storm, and to Maine to support special-needs housing for our wounded veterans. And our medical contributions go to MedShare International, who recovers unneeded medical equipment and supplies and redistributes them to places in need. Let’s support these powerful organizations as they do their very special work with your love and your message of hope.

NEW ORLEANS AREA HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, P.O. Box 15052, New Orleans, LA 70175 ~ RESULTS IN NEW ORLEANS! New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity (NOAHH) was founded in 1983 and is part of a growing Habitat family. NOAHH's work over the years has resulted in over one hundred homes constructed in the New Orleans Metro area. Our mission is to build houses in partnership with sponsors, volunteers, communities, and homeowner families, whereby families are empowered to transform their own lives and to eliminate poverty housing in the New Orleans area while serving as a catalyst to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Through volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money and materials, Habitat builds simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner Partner Families. Habitat houses are sold to Partner Families at no profit, and financed with affordable, no-interest loans. In 2009, New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity ended its 26th year having built 93 homes for families in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard Parishes. Overall in 26 years of service, New Orleans Habitat has helped over 379 families become Habitat homeowners – 278 of those just since Hurricane Katrina. www.Habitat-Nola.org

MEDSHARE INTERNATIONAL, 3240 Clifton Springs Road, Decatur, GA 30034 ~ Founded in 1998, MedShare International's mission is to bridge the gap between surplus and need to improve health care and the environment through the efficient recovery and redistribution of surplus medical supplies and equipment to those most in need. MedShare collects surplus medical supplies and used equipment from U.S. hospitals, manufacturers and distributors, and make them available to underserved hospitals and clinics in two ways: direct shipments to international applicant institutions and supplying medical mission teams with commonly needed medical items. The sutures that stitch up a child’s wound in Kenya could be donated by a hospital in Atlanta. The surgical tools donated by a hospital in San Francisco may be used in surgery on a woman in Ecuado. That’s MedShare International. www.MedShare.org

SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF EASTERN TENNESSEE, P.O. Box 3327, Johnson City, TN 37602 ~ Founded in May 1986, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee serves the eight counties in northeast Tennessee with emergency food for distribution. They secure food from national manufacturers, grocers, and individuals and redistribute it to over 200 food pantries, soup kitchens, children's homes, and other non-profit charities that provide services to the needy, and the ill and elderly. www.NetFoodBank.org

MISSOULA FOOD BANK, 219 South 3rd St. West, Missoula, MT 59801 ~ At Missoula Food Bank, distributes more than 250 tons of food to Missoula area residents annually. That's enough to serve roughly 1,000 households a month. Their staff and volunteers provide food to those who need it through a variety of programs and services: their free store on Third Street; the ROOTS program serving home-bound, low income seniors; Kids Café providing lunches to children at risk of hunger during school vacations; and via satellite distribution sites at the Frenchtown Fire Department and the Potomac Community Center. Through the Food Circle program, they recover and distribute food prepared by caterers, restaurants and grocery stores, which would otherwise be thrown away. Let’s support them with our gifts of love and money. www.MissoulaFoodBank.org

HOMES FOR OUR TROOPS, 6 Main Street, Taunton, MA 02780 building specially adapted homes for our severely injured veterans ~ Homes for Our Troops, founded in 2004, is strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to their country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries. We assist severely injured servicemen and women and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and then coordinating the process of building a new home or adapting an existing home for handicapped accessibility. The finished home is then given to the veteran. All services provided by Homes for Our Troops are at no cost to the veterans we serve. www.HomesForOurTroops.org

This month, Ranada’s Gifting Program will be supporting the rescue efforts in Haiti. Such a major effort requires the expertise of larger more efficient organizations who can translate your dollars into powerful action. The charities listed below have a track record in this arena backed by global staff and mechanized systems for gathering and moving large quantities of resources into crisis areas. Many already have a historical presence in Haiti and are therefore a known entity to the Haitians. Let’s join with our friends in service and send our dollars to fund the relief effort. Our charities this month are 4-star rated by Charity Navigator. Please include your message of hope.

OXFAM AMERICA, Haiti Earthquake Response Fund, P.O. Box 1211, Albert Lea, MN 56007-1211 ~ I hope you will take a minute to read the web site of Oxfam America’s approach to poverty and social justice. Al Gore’s email asking for support for the Haitian relief effort alerted me to this 4-star rated non-profit. Oxfam America (an affiliate of Oxfam International) liaisons with individuals and local groups in more than 100 countries to save lives, help people overcome poverty, and fight for social justice. They have helped millions of people to not only survive the devastation of wars, famines, and natural disasters, but to rebuild their lives. According to Gore, Oxfam currently has 200 people in Haiti through which they will serve this community’s needs. www.OxfamAmerica.org

THE CLINTON BUSH HAITI FUND, c/o COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION OF TEXAS, 5500 Caruth Haven Lane, Dallas, TX 75225, OR c/o WILLIAM J. CLINTON FOUNDATION, Donations Department, 610 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72201 ~ The newly established Clinton Bush Haiti Fund is being administered via two independent and established charities, The William J. Clinton Foundation (Pres. Clinton) and the Communities Foundation of Texas (Pres. Bush). Please note, this Haitian relief fund reminds us that our monetary donations are the most helpful in times of crisis. Please send your donations to one of the addresses above. www.ClintonBushHaitiFund.org/index/php ~ For a list of organizations helping with the Haitian relief effort, go to this link that was supplied on The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund web site, www.Interaction.org/Crisis-List/Earthquake-Haiti

CHARITY NAVIGATOR, 2nd Floor, 1200 MacArthur Boulevard, Mahwah, NJ 07430 ~ Charity Navigator, America’s premier independent charity evaluator, is a crucial resource for those wanting to support social ventures responsibly. This watch-dog agency supplies us with a charity rating system and informs us of which responsible organizations are on the ground in crisis situations. Here is a link to their list of charities on the ground and at work in Haiti with their Charity Navigator ratings. This link also provides a valuable framework for donating in times of crisis. Today we ask you to give one of your valuable dollars to support Charity Navigator’s efforts to keep us informed and money flowing to responsible agencies. www.CharityNavigator.org

DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL, 27 S. La Patera Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93117 ~ Direct Relief, working with FedEx who is donating the shipping, sent out its first shipment of medical supplies to Haiti in January. An organization called Partners in Health was on the ground in Haiti and ready to receive the shipments. PIH has been providing medical care to Haitians in Port-au-Prince for 20 years through its 8 facilities there. Medical supplies will be a long-term need in Haiti, so let’s do our part in supplying Direct Relief with the dollars they need to fund this effort. If you want to give more, Direct Relief has set up an easy way to donate $10 via your cell phone by texting Give10 to 20222. www.DirectRelief.org

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS, P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741 ~ Doctors Without Borders are already on site in Haiti with a portable 100-bed hospital with surgical capacity operation. Their hospital is a plug-and-play unit with their own generators, water, x-ray, and sanitation equipment. Their current big challenge is finding diesel fuel to run the generators. Let’s send them your love and support. www.DoctorsWithoutBorders.org

Our charities are faced with challenges of unequaled proportions funding the transitional needs of those hit hardest in economic and natural disasters. These charities address the basic needs of mankind: food, shelter, housing, and medical care. They have spent many dedicated hours building an infrastructure that can be responsive to large-scale devastation. Let’s send them our financial support as well as our love. As the nerves wear thin and the way feels challenging, your message of hope will lift their spirits and renew their strength.

P.S. This month we present an additional option those who would like to donate more to the Haiti relief effort. Network for Good is a non-profit charity offering a shopping cart mechanism where you can donate to several charities with one credit card payment at check-out. They ask us not to make $1 donations through their system because it would actually leave them in the negative. However, PayPal and major credit card companies have pledged to reduce or eliminate their fees for donations to Haiti relief and Network for Good is donating any rebates it receives from PayPal and credit card companies directly to the relief effort. So if you are considering a $10 or more payment on behalf of Haitian relief to one or more charities and would like to pay by credit card, Network for Good can make it quick and easy. To start, just go to their Haitian relief page here: www.NetworkForGood.org/?source=YAHOO&cmpgn=NEWS Network for Good’s checkout process allows you to donate anonymously, which will keep you off the mailing lists of the charities you donate to.

PARTNERS IN HEALTH, P.O. Box 845578, Boston, MA 02284 ~ Partners in Health have been working on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years and urgently need your support to help those affected by the recent earthquake. Founded in 1987, PIH has been a leading provider of free health care in the U.S. and to countries like Haiti, Rwanda, Peru, Russia, Malawi and Lesotho, and supports projects in Mexico and Guatemala. An organization called Direct Relief partners with PIN to bring medical supplies to Haiti. We will be gifting Direct Relief in February. Both agencies are on the ground and ready to help. Send them your love and support today. www.StandWithHaiti.org/haiti/

AMERICARES, 88 Hamilton Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902 ~ In response to the current crisis in the U.S. brought on by unemployment, AmeriCares pledged to expand its U.S. Medical Assistance Program at the 2009 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI); their goal? Sending $40 million in medicine and medical supplies to U.S. health care organizations serving the under and uninsured. Globally, AmeriCares was one of the first charities on the scene in Haiti delivering $6 million dollars in medical supplies in the first week of the disaster. This is a large charity with terrific buying power taking a giant step to build a bridge to health care for all. Let’s send them our support and encouragement. www.AmeriCares.org

CARE, P.O. Box 1871,Merrifield, VA 22116 Defending Dignity. Fighting Poverty. CARE is working with the Haitian government alongside many of our largest charities to supply transitional needs in Haiti. Since February 5, CARE has reached almost 105,000 people with the distribution of food, clean water and water purification packets, jerry cans, hygiene kits, mattresses and blankets as well as the installation of water storage systems and latrines. They are also working to prevent sexual violence in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake. Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. They facilitate lasting change by: strengthening capacity for self-help; providing economic opportunity; delivering relief in emergencies; influencing policy decisions at all levels; and addressing discrimination in all its forms. There is a special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Let’s show them we CARE. www.CARE.org

WATER MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL, P.O. Box 31258, Charleston, SC 29417 ~ Water Missions International (WMI) has just delivered its 20th Living Water Treatment System to the people of Haiti and has more staff and volunteers in route. Founded in 2001, WMI provides clean, safe water to people in developing countries and disaster areas through a variety of technologies. They are able to develop low-maintenance, self-sustaining water treatment systems for communities that provides safe drinking water, wastewater management and storm water control. Through their community development programs, disaster relief efforts, advocacy, education and custom engineering solutions, they have been able to bring hope and relief to more than 1.5 million people around the globe. www.WaterMissions.org

CONVOY OF HOPE, 330 South Patterson Avenue, Springfield, MO 65802 ~ Convoy of Hope has two distribution points in Haiti and has just delivered its 2 millionth meal to people in need. “In Haiti we have strong supply lines, strategic points of distribution, longstanding partnerships and a dedicated team that can get food, water and supplies where they are needed most,” says Jim Batten, executive vice president of Convoy of Hope. “But we need help to reach our goal of 10 million meals for Haiti.” Convoy of Hope is an international compassion organization that specializes in disaster relief, local outreach events, and long-term empowerment programs. Their ongoing commitment to disaster recovery is evidenced by their continued assistance to Hurricane Katrina victims through local outreach events. Their relief network includes a fleet of tractor-trailers, a 300,000 square-foot world distribution center, and regional distribution centers around the globe. www.ConvoyOfHope.org

In March 2010, CNBC News listed Michigan, Nevada, Rhode Island, and South Carolina as the states with the highest unemployment. Michigan earned the #1 spot with 14.1 percent unemployment. So we will split our gifting focus this month between these two states while continuing to support the larger organizations that are still at work in Haiti and Chile.

FOOD GATHERERS, P.O. Box 131037, Ann Arbor, MI 48113 ~ www.FoodGatherers.org ~ In Michigan, Food Gatherers exists to alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes in our community by: reducing food waste through the rescue and distribution of perishable and non-perishable food; coordinating with other hunger relief providers; educating the public about hunger; and developing new food resources. Food Gatherers is not only Michigan's first food rescue program, but the first program of its kind to be founded by a local for-profit business, Zingerman's Delicatessen. Founded in 1988, they provide enough food for more than 7,700 meals a day. Please send your message of hope and appreciation.

THE FOOD BANK OF NORTHERN NEVADA, 550 Italy Drive, McCarran, NV 89434 www.FBNN.org ~ The Food Bank of Northern Nevada, founded in 1981 and incorporated in 1983, is a regional food distribution and support system for more than 100 different direct service, non-profit agencies serving the needy, the ill, the elderly and children. Their partner agencies include emergency food pantries and senior meal programs, sliding scale day care centers, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, family and domestic violence shelters and various youth programs, all of which offer bags of groceries, meals or snacks. Last year, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada distributed food products to provide the equivalent of more than four million meals to low income seniors, children and families.

SHELTER NETWORK, 1450 Chapin Avenue, 2nd Floor, Burlingame, CA 94010 www.ShelterNetwork.org ~ In the past year, Shelter Network provided a record 4,153 people including over 1,800 children with shelter and comprehensive support services. This is 451 more people than the previous year. Of the families we reached, 61% were homeless for the first time. Notably, after an average of just 96 days, 88% of those who graduated from our transitional housing programs returned to permanent housing. In the last three weeks of 2009, the rate of calls for help Shelter Network received topped 1,000 compared to 100 calls weekly in previous years. And in the past few weeks, calls have exceeded 1,300. Please show them your love and support with your dollars and your notes of encouragement.