06/28/07: It's Official...

Thanks to Ellen who alerted me that my advance ruling for the 501(c)3 was expired, we are officially a permanent 501(c)3. I might have my verbiage wrong but the idea is right. After five years of doing our thing, the IRS has agreed that we are, indeed, a charitable organization. We have their stamp.

It was in a holding pattern but can now get back in the swing of things. I couldn't request any help from FedEx or send for grants with the expired 501(c)3 but...that has all changed. I'm looking forward to getting back in the swing of things.

Now, if I only had time! With the summer here, the kids are off school and must have made a pact to torture me for 10 weeks. Besides juggling my job-job which pays the bills with raising kids, doing endless laundry, and keeping the house, I'm trying to maintain my summer sanity. It's hard but...once September is here, we're back in business.

:)

06/21/07: Pembroke, IL Returns...

Interesting turn in events. I've had numerous calls from a church in St. Anne/Pembroke, IL. Apparently, someone took out a paid advertisement in a paper out in Chicago and printed a copy of a posting I had on the website about why we don't help Pembroke anymore. Whoever paid for the advertisement literally used a photocopy of our website! It must have made for interesting conversation because my phone started ringing, emails began flying, letters arrived begging for us to reconsider.

Even more importantly, I received a phone call from Rev. Dyson, the very man who was in charge of helping Pembroke, IL when I founded Focus America. I was quick to point out to him that it took five years for me to get a return phone call (sarcasm).

He was going to look into what happened and why we never received any acknowlegements of our donations. I haven't heard back yet (hopefully it won't take another five years!). It does appear that the advertisement created a firestorm of controversy in the area. If it helps the people, that's wonderful. However, my attention remains on Appalachia for now.

06/16/07: The Colorado Crew

I've had several comments and requests from people about the Colorado crew who met us in Kentucky. I was trying to surprise them but, apprarently, I had accidentally emailed the teacher so she knew that we were racing the clock to meet them there.

They arrived and had a tour of the facility. My first reaction was that they all looked like deer caught in the headlights. During the tour, I gave them a "pep" speech, telling them all that Stacey and I had seen and heard. Then, even though they had just driven in from Tennessee, we set them to work.


They were helpful in finishing the garden and even the chicken coop, which was a big relief to Stacey and me as we were done, at this point. I will admit, though, that I felt as though a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders when those two vans of 12 high school seniors and their two teachers pulled in. It was almost cleansing to have companionship and help. While I never mind rolling up my sleeves to dive into the projects, it was nice to have new energy, especially after the emotional roller coaster we had been on in the preceeding days.

Besides cleaning up the inside and outside of the mission, they cleared out a backroom that had so much stuff in it, you couldn't see the floor or walls. When it was finally cleaned out, they washed the floor FIVE times to get it clean. I give them a lot of credit for that task...I'm not certain I could have done it...at least not without complaining a bit.

The teacher, Anne Marie B., was truly wonderful with the kids. I'm sure that it wasn't easy to bring them to such a remote and disadvantaged community. But the kids were great sports, hard workers, and definitely "got it" when it came to why they were there helping these people. I was proud of them and only wished that I could have spent more time with them.

06/11/07: Fleecing of Myra

I noticed that, on 6/4, Charles Wright posted a comment about someone being "fleeced" because he's lived 1/2 a mile from Myra, KY all of his life. Mr. Wright is not the only person that I have encountered who claims that to be the case. However, perhaps since he has lived there all of his life, he hasn't experienced how the rest of the civilized world lives.

I teach sociology courses in higher education and this attitude is predictable. Those who live near it are the first to deny it. Isn't it horrible that the help received by Manna from Heaven comes from Colorado, Indiana, and New Jersey while the very people in their backyards turn their heads and deny that the problem exists?

I'm offended by Mr. Wright's comments but I will not delete them. I want those comments to be there so that everyone can see what Manna from Heaven is fighting. I can attest that there is despicable poverty in Myra, KY. To deny that poverty exists in Myra, KY is to deny that every city has pockets of poverty. The difference, Mr. Wright, is that this community does not have the resources that is afforded to residence of New York City, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles or even Newark, NJ.

People can say they are lazy or don't want to work. But, truthfully, what is the incentive if you are making minimum wage for part-time work (because companies don't want to hire them full-time and be forced to pay benefits!) and need to drive 40 minutes to Pikeville, KY? You can earn the same amount through food stamps and Medicaid. Is that lazy or simply logical? Figure the math out: $28 in earning-$20 in gas=$8 a day...why bother?

Furthermore, who is willing to hire these folks? Many of the adults can't read and use poor grammar. A high percentage have dental problems, limited medical care, and are obese. They are the unskilled labor force, the invisible and uneducated poor. Who can show them how to improve their lifestyle? Who can help them rise above generational poverty?

But, of course, if Mr. Wright admitted the truth, wouldn't he (and the hundreds others like him) be forced to do something about it? Instead, they turn their backs and deny its existance. Interesting...

Ultimately, it doesn't matter. The Mr. Wrights' of the world will continue to deny it and think the worst of people who are in need. I can't change his opinion nor will I deny that there are some "fleecers" out there. But to think that Manna from Heaven staged this whole thing to "fleece" us? Give me a break. A simply drive into one of the hollows speaks louder than anything I can write on this blog.

05/21/07: Appalachia Part III

The day after we arrived, we began tilling the garden, building the coop, and acclimating ourselves to Appalachia. We were disappointed that the mountain folk did not come down to meet us but we were assured that they were "shy." Regardless, the chicks arrived and we continued building the coop out of boards and "things" that we found laying around the mission. Lois and Ralph both turned out to be amazing people and Stacey and I fell in love with their two granddaughter, Destiny and Kirsten, who were their permenant wards.
Kirsten is four and, at 32 months, came into the custody of the grandmother due to "circumstances" that are beyond our control and, for which, I refuse to discuss here but...use your imagination...or nightmare scope. Regardless, both girls are doing well and, while Kirsten was talking at the level of a 9 month old when she was almost 3 years old, she is so well adjusted that you'd never know the truth. In fact, she reminded me of my own daughter and, had Lois said, "Take this child and give her a good life...", that baby would be sitting beside me as I write.

Destiny was also a darling and I love this picture of her. She was posing for the camera because we were planting corn and beans. The beans are from the Bednarski's (friends) who gave them to Catherine for her birthday. It was really cool to see the actual beans from the party being planted in the ground.

I already mentioned that Stacey was an amazing sport. Here she is building a chicken coop with Ralph, the pastor guy. She never complained, even when the 50+ chicks arrived and were jumping around and she had to keep scooping them up and trying to contain them...which was hilarious. Like a comedy routine. Of course, there was also the moment when I found the 4-5 foot black snake hangin' in the mission, eyeballing our lunch...resulting in my screaming my butt off and running out of the building like a little girl who had seen a spider on my tuffet. Short story: snake is currently in 5-6 pieces and Stacey was trapped in the chicken coop, holding four chicks, yelling "Hey, if there's a creepy crawlie thing out there, can you please let me out of here????"

05/20/07: The Mission

The drive was very dangerous, with single lane roads and steep mountains. But it was really pretty. From a community of hills and trees, we truly enjoyed the mountains and even called home to Kevin L. to ask if he knew the difference between a mountain and a hill. We finally settled on 1000 ft. makes a mountain, less than that makes a hill. Of course, we don't know for certain so feel free to advise otherwise.
And so we arrived at the mission. I must admit that, at first, I was most apprehensive and, frankly, disappointed when we arrived. The mission wasn't what I imagined...the building wasn't a clean, Florence Nightingale type building but a rectangular building built of cinderblock and full of so much crap that two dumpsters couldn't salvage it.

My sister kept a stiff upper lip and we dove right into the work. But we both thought that the pastor and his wife would be like "us"...well-to-do folks who cared about the poor...not actual members of the actual society in which we wanted to help! I have to confess that my sister was the most amazing travel companion. If we had thought that Leanne would give us the chuckles along the way, I tell you that Stacey kept me in stitches the entire journey, even during the darkest moments.

The journey itself was most interesting and beautiful. The hills are, indeed, beautiful as the man in the Shocky's Gas Station told us ("Dem mountains are be-u-t-ful but I prefer the beeches in Miami"). Of course, I asked Stacey for clarification: Did he say beaches or bi...es?". We weren't sure but carried on our mission.

Once we arrived at the mission, we assessed their needs and began by buying supplies to build a garden (posts, wire, tools, irrigation hoses, seeds, and plants) as well as the chicken coop (wire, nails, hammers, boards, etc.). Within hours, I was tilling the garden soil and Stacey was building the chicken coop. It was truly amazing to dive right in and have these people that I have dealt with for over two years become more than friends...they became family.

In addition, I have to spend one moment to thank my Morris County friends who provided the funding for this excursion. I cannot thank Rosemary, Denise, and Brian enough for their donations were used 100% for these projects. My father and brother-in-law's company, Panurgy, paid for the gasoline, and my dear friend Ellen Murphy supplied twelve or so cases of gardening tools. There are many others to thank but I must thank these folks in particular (and my dear Leanne and Anne Marie for their behind-the-scenes support via parties or church associations!).

Regardless of the rest of the story, Stacey and I left Appalachia with a HUGE garden and very large chicken coop that was funded by these three Morristown residents. And we met the recipients of the goods who thanked us profusely for the donations. An entire community said GOD BLESS YOU.

05/19/07: Appalacian 2007 Part II

I'm writing this entry after the fact so I'll be brief as I know that those supporters who are aware of what happened are simply anxious to get to the end of the story.

Stacey and I made it to Kentucky after a very, very long drive. The saving grace on the trip was her humor and Lisa Y.'s games that she sent along. Cow Poker was a big hit with 1 point per cow, 50 points for chimney's unattached to houses (i.e. the house burnt down), 500 points for peg-legged men, etc. If you saw a cemetary, your points were wiped out.

During the eighth hour of travel (as dilerium set in), we began to make up our own points...she who held a dirty child first won X points, she who contracted lice won Y points, she who was hit on first got Z points. Etc.

Needless to say, my sister won the pegged leg man contest (although the man was on MY side of the car so we have to ask Lisa Y. for a verdict). Yes, she was giggling in the car (after I was filling up gas and singing a not-so-good rendition of Johnny Cash's Burn of Fire) and made me shut the windows as she pointed out the pegged-leg guy, sitting in a van, wiggling his stump as he gave his prosthetic a breather. Of course, this was after we were scammed out of $5 from the massively obese woman in a car who saw our "Myra or Bust" on the car windows and asked us for money to help with her gas because she was empty and had to get to XYZ in Pennsylvania. Stacey talked me out of giving her ten but OK'd the $5 with the idea that, how can we be on a charity mission and deny this chick money for gas. Immediately after handing over the do-ray-me, the woman peeled out (so much for no gas) and headed for the Burger King next door!

But I digress...


We arrived in KY and, much to our chagrine, our hotel room was really "icky". We had also stopped at a police station to assess our safety status. The police man was quite kind in saying, "Everyone is poor in Pike County. Just stay out of dem hollows and you'll be OK. Once you go into those hollows, dat's when dem problems seem to arise." Stacey can do an aces impersonation of this guy. Hilarious.

Needless to say, my first comment was, "Whooo hoo, we are heading to dem dare hills!" which Stacey IXNAYED (but I won).

Up to this point, we had not been taken by the poverty and were actually asking, "Where's the poor folk?" as though looking for Amish in Lancaster. But we found them and boy-oh-boy, we should all hang our heads in shame that we live in this magnificient country and have so many people living beneath the poverty level.

05/18/07: The Road Trip (Part I)

Well, we are officially underway. Leanne hosted a kick-off gathering for collecting goods, packing the car, and sharing our story. So many friends have contributed to this mission. If I wasn't so tired, I'd write some more. But, I'm exhausted and we're pulling out at 5am so, the stories will have to wait.

I love this picture of the men trying to pack the car. :)

A special thanks to all who have given us support for this trip.

05/17: Thelma and Louise

I noticed my sister's comment to the Road Trip posting. I deserve the noodle lashing for having forgotten to post that, indeed, I am not traveling alone. After I posted that message on 5/10, my sister agreed to go. For a while, we thought my friend Leanne would accompany us but she is going to be our home base support team(i.e. keep the kids and men in line) while we trek out to Myra, KY.

It's interesting to, once again, see who rises to the occasion of supporting our goodwill mission. Stacey's neighbors and friends from Assumption School have been fantastic. Anne Marie has been wonderful, arranging an announcement via email to her friend and through Assumption Church (once again, thanks to Fr. Martin!) for food donations so that we do not arrive empty-handed. Leanne has been the final piece of the triangle of strength, emailing her list of buddies and arranging to be the Friday evening drop-off point (complete with refreshments!).

I've also been very surprised the monetary donations which are greatly appreciated. Several folks from the kids' schools, a friend from Springbrook, my aunt in Florida, and my father's company, Panurgy, contributed toward gas money and expenses.

It's exciting to begin this adventure and to have the support and encouragement of my sister. So, in 36 hours begins a different type of Thelma and Louise style...only this one will be Stacey and Shelly style.

05/09/07: Road Trip

Well, it's official. After speaking with Lois today and hearing how she is such a nervous wreck about the upcoming trip from the Colorado team, I knew the time had truly come:

...Road Trip.

The husband agreed I can go and, as I already posted, work gave me leave. Now, I have no choice but to pack up the truck and head out to KY. I hate leaving the kids for that long and I dread the thought of 10+ hours in a car each way but...Lois needs me and those Colorado kids are traveling to Myra to build chicken coops, create gardens, and repair houses because of my vision. If they believe in me, I can sacrifice five days without my babies and 20 hours in the car to be there for them. And for Lois...

Kentucky, here I come!

05/09/07: Boxes and Call

Received a call from Lois in KY that she received the computer and it is working. They should have Internet by the end of today. She was also a little jumpy, nervous about the upcoming visit from the Colorado team. I think she may have been crying. Anyway, I am biting the bullet and driving out there to help her through the visit. My dean gave me a leave from a conference and from work. Now, if only my husband will not get upset...

Six boxes of clothing, school supplies, and seeds mailed today. Ordered gardening tools, too.

04/30/07: Birthday Seeds

Catherine celebrated her birthday at the Stables with a pony party. Instead of gifts, she asked for vegetable seeds to send to KY.

An interesting response from the parents (including my own) who felt "sorry" for Catherine for not getting gifts. The bigger picture is that she gets a gift that you cannot see or touch or unwrap but it's a better gift: the gift of caring for humantity.

The following weekend, she attended another birthday and several moms asked if Catherine noticed that this child received so many gifts while Catherine only received a basketload of seeds (although a few people did bring her a wrapped My Lil Pony or figurine so she wasn't completely "giftless").

It's so interesting to see the perpetuation of focus on monetary gains while the more important gains...caring for each other...are ignored. No, Catherine didn't notice the difference and, if she had, I would have told her the truth. The gifts that Catherine received will help an entire town eat for a winter! How can you not think that is the most wonderful gift of all?

04/23/07: CollegeDonation

A great day for Focus America as I returned to the very place and to the very people for whom I founded the charity. Yes, I was invited back to the College of St. E's where the students presented Focus America with a donation. We are going to use this donation to help with the summer chicks that we are sending out. A donor in Maryland presented us with a donation, too, so now we can order 250 chicks (with shots) and good chick feed to get the peeps started.

It was interesting to return to St. E's. When I used to teach there, I loved those students so much and really wanted to help them change their lives by impacting others around them. Many of those students are first generation Americans and, even more so, the first females' in their family to go to college. Some of them come from similar backgrounds as the people we help. So, to have these students work so hard to help us is a blessing...under the guidance of their enthusiastic professor, Anne Marie Jarka.

It really gets me excited again about all of this work when I see the glow in students' eyes. I wish that I could still work with some of these college students the college administration wasn't as supportive of my efforts as I would have liked. I suppose they couldn't believe that someone would truly do this for the solitary selfish reason of simply helping others. Or perhaps their own community service director was upset because we offered the students a chance to really do something tangible and important that was all their own vs. simply volunteering to file papers or answer phones at some non-profit.

I suppose that sounds bitter. It is. I made a difference in those students' lives that resulted in great change for people in need. The ironic thing is that we have come full circle and returned there by invitation and, once again, impacted these students who now know that they can do anything that they put their minds to and make a difference in this world. The butterfly effect in action...

04/15/07: Computer!

An almost-brand new computer was donated to us by a local family. It had all the current software, printer, and even a scanner. Panurgy, a local technology company, was kind enough to donate the packaging and shipping of the items to Myra, KY! It's a wonderful feeling when the pieces of the puzzle fit together!

12/18/06: Mailings and Reality

Just a quick posting that we have mailed almost 1000 lbs. of clothing, coats, and toys to Kentucky and South Dakota. We had wonderful donations from the Morris School District as well as a church in Flanders who donated over 150 coats in exceptional shape! Normally we receive dirty, torn, or worn items that have to be filtered out from the good quality. This church really did a fantastic job of collecting and sorting items.

A sad commentary that I was hit with reality again when a person close to me called me on the phone and was reading an email from a "friend" about a poor family who attended a church service. At the end of the phone conversation, this person was crying about this poor family and what could we do to help them?

At first, I was really angry because these types of families are who we deal with on a daily basis and the very reason why I created Focus America. Then, I felt sorry for the person who called me because this individual doesn't "get" what I do or why I do it. At no time during this holiday season did this person...or any of my other close friends/family (save two special people)...offer to donate, collect, or even assist in the efforts. All of my help came from strangers and children. Isn't that a sad reality?

A long time ago, the founder of Christmas is for Children, a life-long friend, gave me wonderful advice. She told me that not everyone would buy into my desire to help the poor. It's a behind the scenes charity, not one that makes Oprah or the front-page of the New York Times. We roll up our sleeves and do the hard work with little to no glory. No one says to me, "What a great job you do, Shelly!" or sends me thank you notes, for the most part. But I still continue to spend my weekends boxing up 200+ coats, weighing them, labeling them, paying for shipping. No, I don't walk up to the Father at the front of the church in front of the congregation with my shoebox of goodies for the Angel Tree receipient for all of the congregation to comment on what a good Catholic (or Christian) I am. There is no public honor for what we do...except for the knowledge that we are not holiday Christians. We carry forth the good-will and do-good attitude all year long and truly make a difference in people's lives for the right reasons.

A sad ranting but one that is needed from time-to-time...

12/05/06: Manna from Heaven Shipment

Almost 250 lbs. of clothing, hats/gloves, toys, books, sweaters, and other gifts for the holidays are shipping out tomorrow. Wonderful gifts from Woodland and Thomas Jefferson School in Morristown as well as continued support from friends, family, and corporations such as Sankyo Pharma and BASF. A church in Flanders is dropping off 150 coats on Saturday and more items are still coming in from various individuals.

Big problem now: With 25 boxes shipping today and another 25 or more pending, the cost of shipping these items is going to hurt us financially. Some donors are coming to the rescue but we are depleting our budget for shipping for 2007 so...we may have to reach out for more fund raising options...

11/26/06: Manna from Heaven Shipment

97.5 lbs. of clothing, food, and toys...preparing for Christmas. Gifts starting to come in from all over the place.

10/04/06: 130 lbs. of Clothing and Supplies

Seven boxes containing over 130 lbs. of clothing, shoes, school supplies, and candy for Halloween were shipped to Virgie, KY today. Thank you to the Riley family for providing clothing for the two young girls that were recently relocated from their family to live with their grandparents. The girls arrived with the clothing on their backs...literally, that was it. The family thanks you for your kindness.

09/13: More Chicks for KY

Thanks to the Madison Baptist Church for providing us the funds for purchasing another 250 chicks to send to Virgie, KY. The pastor's wife told me that the first batch started laying their "witch eggs" which are the first eggs and tend to be small. That means that this chickens are now feeding the community. :)

09/07/06: School Supplies for the Needy

Project Pencils 2006 is still in progress. One of our corporate sponsor who has asked to remain anonymous dropped of supplies for Coordinated Family Care in NJ. Assumption Church is in the midst of their donation drive for the children involved with the Department of Youth and Family Services of Northern NJ who still needs 60 backpacks filled with supplies. Dollar Dave's store in Boonton, NJ, offered to donate backpacks and supplies, too, which will complete the DYFS order and help with our KY children who needs everything from pens, pencils, notebooks, and backpacks.

Yes, it was a little more scaled down than last year but, for each child that we have (and continue to) help, it is just as important! Thank you to all of our donors.