IT'S BEEN A WHILE! I was so bummed to leave this blog behind when I had to switch domain hosts back at the end of 2016. But I just couldn't find a cost-efficient way to keep the oursharedhopes.org domain working with Weebly at the time. I've been coming back every now and then to check in on pricing. Well, may have taken 7 years, but we're back! I had been using Zoho and GoDaddy for domain and website hosting since leaving Weebly, but both have now started to charge just as much to connect their free website to my domain. Upwards of $120 for a 1 yr contract. But, thanks to NameSilo, I was able to connect back here to Weebly for way less than I've ever spent, and can now access the original site I made back in July 2010. Just months after founding Our Shared Hopes. Looking forward to getting everything back up and running, going through old photos and adding new ones, and giving the site a fresh look. <3 For now, our site is functional with lists and links to donate for Thanksgiving. Thanks for visiting!
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We were able to serve 3 families this Thanksgiving! Not pictured above were 3 10lb bags of potatoes that I still had in my trunk. =)
Donations came in very quickly after I posted, which of course got me all excited to re-tackle some of our fundraising issues. I noticed that our last optional registration with the Charities division of the the Secretary of State had not gone through, so I started to do some digging. Turned out that since we were no longer legally considered a Non-Profit Corporation, we were required to file for a new EIN under our new organizational classification as an Unorganized Association. We are still a charitable organization, just not an incorporated one. Corporations require a board of directors, which we used to have...but after Carol's death, things came up for each of us, and it is mostly just me now. Sooo, tried to file for the new EIN online, but received an error message. So I called the IRS (scary, right??), but got this really helpful guy whose name I, of course, forgot. He told me to print out the app and fax it in, and also told me what all to put down to solve the problem I was encountering. I have to apply as a new organization under the same name as an expired org...due to an organizational structure change. He told me I should also include a second page explaining the situation and listing OSH's previous EIN, in order to help the person processing the app. Yes...I already have a headache. lol But everything is ready to fax off. I tried today, hoping that the fax machine at the IRS would somehow still magically receive faxes during off hours...but no such luck. I will try again on Monday. =) I also found out that just a few months ago, the IRS dropped the fee to apply for that wonderful little piece of paper that declares our tax status to the world: the 501(c)(3). Of course, we're already automatically tax-exempt, due to our income being less than $5000 a year. But all grocery stores and other companies require that 501(c)(3) status in order to make any kind of a donation. It was $400. A bit out of reach for these last 6 years that we've been operating. But now, it has dropped to $275! I am really considering starting a Gofundme page after the first of the year to raise the funds. But I'm still unsure about going that route. Even if I have to save it up myself tho...it shouldn't take more than a few months. One way or the other we will finally get to that next step! I need some help brainstorming. We need to seek out more channels for soliciting donations, but I've hit walls so far in each direction I've tried. We are a tax-exempt charity. However, we do not have the 501(c) status that major corporations require in order to donate to us. We are automatically exempt due to the fact that, as a whole, we bring in less than $5000 a year. But this means we don't have that special status that opens up so many doors that have been closed to us since the beginning. We can get it...but last time I checked it was $400. I simply don't have it yet.
We didn't get a single donation for Easter. That's never happened before. I haven't posted about it yet on Facebook because I’m not sure what to do next. The summer is coming up fast, and I'm unsure of what to do with the lunch program. I’ve got to get more help with this. I’ve been trying to do this on my own for a long time, but I can’t let this happen again. There’s got to be a way to reach out and find those people who can help. I need new avenues to pursue. I'm out of thoughts. I tried craigslist...bust. Reached out to a paper once...focused on me instead of the charity. Wrote over 20 letters to companies like Safeway back in 2010, but only got about 3 replies saying they'd love to help if only we had that status. Help me out here. I need to network. We have a spot open for a fundraising coordinator (hint, hint), but any and all advice would be greatly appreciated... Sooo much has happened since my last post. We ran the Summer Lunch Program for our 2nd year in a row, delivering approximately 450 lunches to kids in need. That's over 900 lunches in 2 years! This is where I owe a huge THANK YOU to my daughter, Tiffany (aka Allison). Since I was working day shift this past summer, she was stuck with running the entire program on her own. From making the sandwiches to the delivery 5 days a week. One of the perks of being my kid. ;)
We just went through the 2015 holiday season. Thanksgiving saw more donations than ever and we had everything on our list to give to each family! Christmas was a bit more worrisome. Donations were very slow to come in, and we were saved at the very last minute by a very sweet woman who has donated before. She took care of everything that was left on our list so that, again, we were able to give each family a complete meal. <3 I keep stressing at the holidays tho. I know that, so far, 95% of our donations have come from my own high school friends. People I can harass through facebook. This isn't fair to them or to the charity, since I know we could get a lot more help if I could just find the right channels. I've tried posting on Craigslist, but didn't get a single response. Not even a scam offer. lol I need more time to research different avenues. Maybe putting a couple free ads (do they still do that??) in the local tribunes or something like that. I really need to find someone that has experience with fundraising. Which brings me to ... fundraising! lol Gonna take another crack at getting the local high school kids involved again. Taco Time and Papa Murphy's both have coupon programs to help raise money. Taco Time's program is a lot sweeter...we'd get to keep 100% of the profits, and the booklets sell for only $1 each. Papa Murphy's is a bit different, and a bit more costly. I'm working on flyers for the schools now. If we can get a halfway decent response, I want to have the kids help sell the booklets to their family and friends. Is that it? Oh...nope. Our 'New Program' is still just that. No name...no participants. Yet. I have one kid I keep teasing...waiting for her to turn 16 so she can start volunteering with me at Habitat. She's almost there. ;) We are piloting a new program aimed at getting low-income kids into the trades. With my construction experience, and the information I've researched, I've realized that a career in construction could very well be a way out for these kids. Especially the ones who have given up hope for any life better than the one they've always known.
Every apprenticeship I've looked into, from electrical to painting to sheetmetal to laborers, pays over $17 TO START. Most kids living in poverty have parents making minimum wage, and don't have much hope of doing any better. My goal is to open their eyes to a world they may not know even exists. To show them that they can have financial security. No matter where they come from. To give them an alternative to fast-food. Something they can actually live on and feel proud of. Hope. That's my goal. To give them real hope of a bright, safe, secure future. We will provide transportation to local apprenticeships to pick up applications, help with filling those apps out and getting the needed documentation turned in, interview tips and practice, and we will help them get hands on experience and references by volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. I can't wait to get started! We were successful in providing a complete Easter dinner to 2 families this year, one of which was fully cooked! Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were also able to provide a pancake breakfast as well! Looking forward to Thanksgiving already. =)
This year we will be providing everything needed for a complete Easter dinner to serve at least 2 families. While we always hope to reach out to more people, we are grateful to be able to serve anyone at all.
If you are, or know of, a family in need of our services this Easter, please contact us using one of the methods listed below. We will be providing the following, and therefore are asking for donations of these items: Ham Potatoes Stuffing Mix Jarred/Canned Brown Gravy Canned Sweet Potatoes Mini Marshmallows Frozen Vegetables Cranberry Sauce Dinner Rolls Canned Pineapple Brown Sugar Apple Pie Filling If you are able to donate any of these items, please call or email me at: contactus@oursharedhopes.org 253-303-9858 Our Christmas Dinner Basket program helped to provide dinner for 2 families this year. While we consider this year to be a success, it was only by the skin of our teeth that we were able to get everything done in time.
We found ourselves approaching Christmas Eve without having received a single donated item. On December 23rd, my neighbor, Zan, offered to donate as much as she could, knowing that we still hadn't received any help. Thanks to her help, she provided 90% of the items needed for one of our sponsored families! But that still left a few items for that family, and an entire dinner needed for our 2nd family. I can only say that I am doubly thankful for the food stamps that I received in December. Because not only did they provide my family with dinner this past Christmas, but they also provided the rest of the food needed to serve both of our sponsored families. Our other problem that we ran into this year was when, for our very last meeting before Christmas Eve, not one volunteer showed up. We were to divide the cooking duties between us to make things easier on everyone. Luckily, I didn't have any plans for the 23rd or most of Christmas Eve, so I took over the meal preparations, as well as figuring out how to deal with our lack of donations. This was the first year we were delivering fully cooked meals, and I was in a little bit over my head...but finished up and made the deliveries during the late evening of Christmas Eve. This experience reminded me that I just can't do this alone. Somehow I have to get others involved and committed to our cause. For the Christmas of 2014, we had only one other board member actively participating, as well as one volunteer. And when they were prevented from helping at the end, it all fell to me. As much as I'd like to say, "I've got this.", I simply don't have the money, time or resources to help other families on my own. We are in desperate need of volunteers. At this time, our projects and events are small and don't require a lot of effort, but they do require more than one person be involved. This Easter, we will be serving at least the 2 families that we sponsored for Christmas, and hopefully a few others. If you would like to volunteer your time or services, please call or email me at: contactus@oursharedhopes.org 253-303-9858 This update is way overdue:
Our very first Summer Lunch Program was a great success!! We served over 500 lunches and over 100 hot Sunday meals to kids in need! we prepared and served a sack lunch containing a sandwich, apple, juice drink, and snack for 10-12 kids each weekday. We also served those same kids a hot meal each Sunday throughout the summer. We alternated between pancakes and french toast each week. The kids were very grateful, and made sure to say, "Thank you' each day. =) However...since the end of the summer of 2014, each and every single child who participated in our programs were evicted with their families from this RV park. There are no children left to serve at this time. =( If anyone knows of another RV park, or perhaps a neighborhood, who could benefit from our services and is in our local area, please let us know by emailing or calling us as: contactus@oursharedhopes 253-303-9858 It's been a while since I've updated this blog again. Not much has happened, until recently. The Warm Blanket Fund was a big failure. There wasn't a single donation made. I'm thinking that maybe we should try again a little closer to the cold season, but ask for donated blankets rather than cash.
We missed the deadline for Taco Bell's fundraising coupon books, but I have all the documents ready to apply for next year. Hopefully we can get some high school students to volunteer again and help us to sell them. =) NOW...for the good part... As you can see by the title of this post...there is now a Summer Lunch Program being operated and distributed by Our Shared Hopes! This is our first successful project and has really taken off from day one! Let me back up a little... So as I've never kept secret...I live in a very, very run-down RV park. This park is the last stop as far as RV parks go. Most of the people here are just one step away from homelessness. Many are addicts, some are disabled...some are disabled addicts, some just don't want to work... You begin to get the picture. In the middle of all this, there are children, of course. Growing up surrounded by filth, drugs, and some very low characters. I have never seen so many young kids in this park at the same time. Running around the park playing, still young enough to be oblivious to what's around them. I'm rambling. lol Let me get to the point. Drinks were coming up missing from my outdoor fridge. I've lived here before, and never had anything stolen up to this point, so I was very taken aback. Went to Lowe's and bought padlocks and latches to keep the thing locked up. But then there was a knock on my door... 3 boys stood there...wanting to know if I would give them a juice drink. They had been coming around for a few days doing that. So I finally put 2 and 2 together and figure just mayyybe it was kids getting into my fridge and not one of the tweeker neighbors. So I figured...if they're thirsty, maybe they're hungry too. So I asked them. I asked them if they'd like it if I started making them a sack lunch each day. Nothing special, just PB&J and a juice drink. They were excited. These kids were excited. Over a PB&J sandwich and a juice drink each day. So I knew I was on the right track. lol So I posted it on FB to see if people would like to help, made up some parent letters and permission slips, and we were off. 6 lunches our first day. We're up to 10 now. =) To help us feed these kids, or to learn more, please visit our new page here. |
AuthorNikki Thurston Archives
November 2023
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