It’s the 1st of the month and that means it is time for Comments for a Cause on It’s Just Life. The fog is finally lifting from my head and I think I am pretty fully recovered from my massive wedding trip to Europe. I am getting back in the groove a little bit more each day and happy to be able to be writing and blogging a bit again.
Comments for a Cause for the month of August was a cause that is very special and dear to my heart. Ace and TJ’s Grin Kids Established in 2000, Ace & TJ’s Grin Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing a magical, all-expense paid, 5-day experience at Walt Disney World for children between the ages of 5-12 who are terminally ill or chronically disabled and their immediate family. Ace and TJ have shared their stories and their love of these children and their families for 17 years and show no signs of stopping. Please click here to read the original post about their wonderful charity.
I am happy to report that as a result of comments made on the blog during the month Chris and I will be making a donation of $130 to the organization. We are thrilled to be able to make a small donation towards making the dreams of some of these special children come true. If you would like to contribute as well please check out their website at grinkids.org.
Hurricane Harvey is what is on everyone’s minds these days and the devastation and destruction continues to unfold each day as I watch the news coverage. It is heartbreaking and so very sad but in the midst of it all there is hope. There are stories of ordinary people who are making a difference. One of my favorite stories is the Chick Fil A story. Have you heard this one? You can click on the picture to go to the story and video.
Elderly Houston Couple Rescued After Ordering Lunch and a BOAT from Chick-fil-A (Video)
The one agency that I go to during times of disasters such as Hurricane Harvey is UMCOR — United Methodist Committee on Relief. Aside from being a United Methodist organization it is THE best at getting boots on the ground immediately after a disaster and staying through after many other organizations leave. I read someplace that they stayed 7 years post Katrina. That’s a long time but necessary.
UMCOR makes sure that 100% of its donations go to the area that the giver designates. Overhead costs and salaries are covered through other donations made through the One Great Hour of Sharing collections and if need be an Undesignated Advance #999895.
There is no way that I can even begin to understand all that is needed post Harvey. As the waters rise and people are displaced I continue to realize that sometimes a monetary donation is what is needed most. I fully support UMCOR and this month Chris and I will donate $1 per comment made on any post on It’s Just Life to UMCOR for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. We are upping our game this month by increasing the amount. The United Methodist Church already has a great system in place where they distribute donated flood buckets and hygiene kits to areas in need. Local churches assemble these kits and they are stored and sent out when the need arises. It is a great way to physically do something as well and our church locally is collecting them as I write this. UMCOR has this to suggest as ways to help:
5 THINGS YOU CAN DO
Please pray for those whose lives have been impacted by Harvey.
Please also pray for Early Response Teams, disaster coordinators, and the many volunteers who are working tirelessly to provide relief.
Make relief kits. Download the packing list and shipping label at umcor.org/UMCOR/Relief-Supplies.
Give to UMCOR’s relief and recovery efforts: U.S. Disaster Response, Advance #901670 at umcor.org/donate.
Donate only those items requested. (To keep relief supplies in stock, give to Material ResourcesAdvance #901440 at umcor.org/donate.)Please wait for an invitation to volunteer.
The United Methodist Committee On Relief is grateful for your relentless prayers and support.
I could continue to write more about this recent disaster but I suspect all of my readers are well informed at this point. Please consider giving to UMCOR where I know your donations will be used appropriately. I will include all of their social media links at the close of this post. Don’t forget—every comment = $1 towards Hurricane Harvey aid. Thank you as always for your continued support of Comments for a Cause.
I am taking Monday off for the holiday but stop back by on Tuesday and you might just see a teapot I bought while we were in Paris. Have a great weekend.
