Three months after a tornado sent a massive tree crashing onto his house, volunteers will celebrate the completion of extensive repair work to the home of East Atlanta resident Grady McCollum on Saturday, June 14th.
A cookout will begin at 12 Noon, followed by a 2 P.M. dedication ceremony were volunteers from various non-profits, churches, community groups will be thanked. The home is located at 1393 Glenwood Avenue.
“We would like to commend everyone who answered the call and joined us in getting Mr. McCollum and other families back into their homes,” said City Councilmember Natalyn Archibong, who represents East Atlanta, one of the hardest areas. “The completion of Mr. McCollum’s home shows that anything is possible when a neighborhood is mobilized. It also shows the compassion we share in our community in times of tragedy.”
Among the groups that lent a helping hand to repair damaged homes and remove fallen trees were the Fuller Center for Housing, a Americas, Ga.-based non-profit organization dedicated to building and rehabilitating houses for people in need and our city’s own Hands on Atlanta, a metro area non-profit volunteer organization.
National Association of the Remodeling industry sponsored Mr. McCollum house by raising several thousands of dollars to help in repair costs, said Mark Galey, President of the Fuller Center for Housing of Greater Atlanta.
“Even individual homeowners have participated in helping with their own repairs. This has not been a hand-out but a hand-up.”
McCollum’s home was restored to pre-tornado condition, Galey said.
Showing posts with label coming home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coming home. Show all posts
Friday, June 13, 2008
Saturday, May 31, 2008
America Supports You: Troop-Support Group Added to 'Top-Rated' Charities
After stringent review by one of the country's premier charity watchdogs, a Massachusetts-based troop-support group has been added to a list of top-rated charities.
The American Institute of Philanthropy has reviewed Homes for Our Troops' finances and included the group in their "Top-Rated Veterans & Military Charities" listing.
Homes for Our Troops is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
"Homes for Our Troops is proud to be included in [American Institute of Philanthropy's] list of top rated veterans and military charities," said Tom Benoit, vice president and chief financial officer of Homes for Our Troops. "Our dedicated staff has worked tirelessly to efficiently raise the funds needed to build homes across the country for severely injured veterans.
"The support we receive from our corporate partners and from individuals and companies across the country made it possible for Homes for Our Troops to spend only 7 percent on administration and fundraising in our fiscal year [ending] Sept. 30, 2007, and to complete 11 homes in 2007," he added. "Our goal is to complete 30 homes in 2008."
Founded in 2004, Homes for Our Troops is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing specially adapted homes to servicemembers severely injured while fighting in the global war on terrorism. The organization has provided 25 veterans and their families with homes suited to meet the each veteran's individual challenges. Over the next few years, Homes for Our Troops is committed to providing at least 100 additional homes for injured troops, organization officials said.
Only five of the 32 veterans charities listed in the American Institute of Philanthropy's most recent report are included in the top-rated category, according to institute officials.
The watchdog's review process focuses on the percent of costs spent on "program service costs" and the efficiency of organizations in raising funds.
Rather than just using figures reported by charities in financial disclosure forms, the institute adjusts for direct mail, telemarketing and solicitation costs that are sometimes allocated to program service costs. It also excludes the value of donated goods and services, which can be difficult to measure.
Because of their thorough review process, the institute was described as "the pit bull of watchdogs" by the New York Times. Newsweek said, "It's the toughest of the bunch. Because it disregards certain, potentially suspect, expenses and donations, it fails some nonprofits that the other raters approve."
American Forces Press Service
The American Institute of Philanthropy has reviewed Homes for Our Troops' finances and included the group in their "Top-Rated Veterans & Military Charities" listing.
Homes for Our Troops is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
"Homes for Our Troops is proud to be included in [American Institute of Philanthropy's] list of top rated veterans and military charities," said Tom Benoit, vice president and chief financial officer of Homes for Our Troops. "Our dedicated staff has worked tirelessly to efficiently raise the funds needed to build homes across the country for severely injured veterans.
"The support we receive from our corporate partners and from individuals and companies across the country made it possible for Homes for Our Troops to spend only 7 percent on administration and fundraising in our fiscal year [ending] Sept. 30, 2007, and to complete 11 homes in 2007," he added. "Our goal is to complete 30 homes in 2008."
Founded in 2004, Homes for Our Troops is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing specially adapted homes to servicemembers severely injured while fighting in the global war on terrorism. The organization has provided 25 veterans and their families with homes suited to meet the each veteran's individual challenges. Over the next few years, Homes for Our Troops is committed to providing at least 100 additional homes for injured troops, organization officials said.
Only five of the 32 veterans charities listed in the American Institute of Philanthropy's most recent report are included in the top-rated category, according to institute officials.
The watchdog's review process focuses on the percent of costs spent on "program service costs" and the efficiency of organizations in raising funds.
Rather than just using figures reported by charities in financial disclosure forms, the institute adjusts for direct mail, telemarketing and solicitation costs that are sometimes allocated to program service costs. It also excludes the value of donated goods and services, which can be difficult to measure.
Because of their thorough review process, the institute was described as "the pit bull of watchdogs" by the New York Times. Newsweek said, "It's the toughest of the bunch. Because it disregards certain, potentially suspect, expenses and donations, it fails some nonprofits that the other raters approve."
American Forces Press Service
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Caregivers Learn About 'Compassion Fatigue'
Many servicemembers who have experienced combat, and their families, are familiar with the term "combat stress." The effects of combat, however, aren't limited to those directly connected to the experience.
Stress can affect anyone who cares for those individuals, Dr. Joseph Bobrow, a clinical psychologist, told representatives of more than 100 troop-support organizations gathered at the Pentagon for the third annual America Supports You National Summit here today.
America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"One of the things that we've learned from experience and research is that 'compassion fatigue,' and the potential for burning out, is not just limited to psychotherapists," he said. "Family members who are caring for wounded veterans are at risk. Veteran service workers, like yourselves, (and) volunteers (are at risk)."
Bobrow, who also is executive director of the Coming Home Project, a troop-support organization, said becoming overwhelmed by the experience of caring for servicemembers and their families is the nature of that work.
"We can anticipate this happening," he said. "It doesn't necessarily ... mean a psychiatric disorder, just like post-traumatic stress ... is not necessarily a psychiatric disorder.
"In fact, it's the body, mind and soul's way of coping with an impossible situation," he explained.
Volunteers can easily fall victim to emotions similar to those that they aim to ease in their charges, he told the support group members. "The same seed of empathy and compassion that draws us to the work that we do, if it's taken to an extreme, is the same seed that could lead us down the slippery slope to burnout," Bobrow said.
Burnout, or compassion fatigue, can be overcome, but it's better to avoid it to begin with, he said. Incorporating positive thoughts and actions into daily life builds resiliency against burnout.
He offered the group several suggestions on how to stave off compassion fatigue, most notably the need to develop the ability to recognize when things start to get overwhelming. When that happens, it's good for individuals to know what refreshes them, he said.
Keeping their attitudes about the work they're doing fresh and upbeat isn't just healthy for volunteers. It can be one of the best things for the people they're working with, Bobrow told the group.
"Our own capacity for peace and joy and well-being ... is really, fundamentally, what we end up giving the next person," he said. "That's what people pick up from us, so if our batteries have run out, then we're no longer those agents of compassion."
Bobrow shared his experiences and advice with two groups during the summit. Army Lt. Gen. Carter F. Ham, operations director for the Joint Staff, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates also addressed the group, as did Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison, the architect of the America Supports You program.
Breakout sessions from the summit were recorded and will be available on the America Supports You Web site.
Related Sites:
The Coming Home Project
America Supports You
Related Articles:
America Supports You Summit Helps Groups Build on Momentum
Stress can affect anyone who cares for those individuals, Dr. Joseph Bobrow, a clinical psychologist, told representatives of more than 100 troop-support organizations gathered at the Pentagon for the third annual America Supports You National Summit here today.
America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"One of the things that we've learned from experience and research is that 'compassion fatigue,' and the potential for burning out, is not just limited to psychotherapists," he said. "Family members who are caring for wounded veterans are at risk. Veteran service workers, like yourselves, (and) volunteers (are at risk)."
Bobrow, who also is executive director of the Coming Home Project, a troop-support organization, said becoming overwhelmed by the experience of caring for servicemembers and their families is the nature of that work.
"We can anticipate this happening," he said. "It doesn't necessarily ... mean a psychiatric disorder, just like post-traumatic stress ... is not necessarily a psychiatric disorder.
"In fact, it's the body, mind and soul's way of coping with an impossible situation," he explained.
Volunteers can easily fall victim to emotions similar to those that they aim to ease in their charges, he told the support group members. "The same seed of empathy and compassion that draws us to the work that we do, if it's taken to an extreme, is the same seed that could lead us down the slippery slope to burnout," Bobrow said.
Burnout, or compassion fatigue, can be overcome, but it's better to avoid it to begin with, he said. Incorporating positive thoughts and actions into daily life builds resiliency against burnout.
He offered the group several suggestions on how to stave off compassion fatigue, most notably the need to develop the ability to recognize when things start to get overwhelming. When that happens, it's good for individuals to know what refreshes them, he said.
Keeping their attitudes about the work they're doing fresh and upbeat isn't just healthy for volunteers. It can be one of the best things for the people they're working with, Bobrow told the group.
"Our own capacity for peace and joy and well-being ... is really, fundamentally, what we end up giving the next person," he said. "That's what people pick up from us, so if our batteries have run out, then we're no longer those agents of compassion."
Bobrow shared his experiences and advice with two groups during the summit. Army Lt. Gen. Carter F. Ham, operations director for the Joint Staff, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates also addressed the group, as did Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison, the architect of the America Supports You program.
Breakout sessions from the summit were recorded and will be available on the America Supports You Web site.
Related Sites:
The Coming Home Project
America Supports You
Related Articles:
America Supports You Summit Helps Groups Build on Momentum
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