By Jay Kerner

 

The last few weeks were a combination of come on lets go, and slow down and be careful.  We were all excited to go but we also wanted to make sure everything was on the up and up.  The last thing any business needs, especially one struggling to get established, is any suggestion of impropriety.  We had to make sure our ducks were in a row. 

 

Our advertising partner Commerce Bank really stepped up to the plate for us, and once again demonstrated their commitment to the community.  They agreed to set up a deposit only account, so our readers can make donations inside or through the drive-up, in any of their locations, and where they will also receive their “This Joe Gave A Buck” sticker. Donations will be accepted now through April 30^th.  That takes care of handling the cash, so let’s move on to who gets it.

 

The first thing we realized after committing to this project, was that any group that was nominated but not chosen for a finalist, is going to be really disappointed.  We also knew we didn’t want these folks mad at us.  So being the great big chickens we are, we pawned off the duty to a committee of local civic minded folks,  we put together for the purpose.

 

Paul Stevenson from Apothecary Pharmacy, Pat Dillon from Heartland Hospital, and Kim Ray from Commerce Bank joined original letter writer Linda Cooper from Lifeline Foods to look over the submitted nominations. 

 

We had local chapters of large national organizations.  We had tiny grass roots startups.  We got emails and letters on corporate letterhead from CEO’s.  We got a big envelope filled with handwritten notes from kids, in crayon.

 

We asked the committee  to look at every submission and then vote for three.  We totaled them all up, and the following, in alphabetical order, are the nominating letters from your three finalists for “Joe Give A Buck 2008”.

 

GRACE HOUSE

I read your article in the Joe and felt disappointed in myself for not nominating my wife as Joe of the Year!  When I read of your search for most worthy charity, I had to write.

My wife calls Grace House her favorite place, 20 years ago I thought it was the beach or some serene place like

Ireland with me of course.  But it is Grace House.

She loves her work and the people there, and she lives contributing all she can t make

St. Joseph a better place.  The storefront started small in a free “hole in the wall” on the south side on

Illinois.  But she prayed for a small storefront without 30 stairs and maybe heat and air.

Her heart skipped a beat last fall when she found 506

Edmond, she was thrilled and on top of the world.  I thought she had won the lottery!  Well to her is would have been the same, because she would have placed it all at Grace House.  I asked her how she would meet the rent and bills, all she said is God gave me the place He will help!

It takes a caring, loving person to give to others who you may only meet once.  Her cell phone rings off the hook at night and weekends, and she always picks it up because as she says, you never know who will need some help!

Not only does she help the residents of St. Joe, but also children before school starts, and the elderly and homeless who need shoes or a warm jacket or blanket.  But I have seen her put together a house full of items and needs for a family after a fire, or a Mom who has sought refuge from the YWCA.

If you want to put your money in a place where it will truly serve and bless others – Please consider Grace House.  This is my wife’s project and she carries the load alone, and a little extra would make it very special.  Trust me it will go to the right place.

Thank you,

Daniel Costello

Spouse to an Angel

 

Northtown Community Ctr.

As Community Development Manager for the City, I deal directly with over a dozen public service agencies.  One of these is Northtown Community Ctr.  This program provides a much needed service to the kids that attend

Humbolt School.  Garold Frump has run this program for years, and provides a much needed service to the “poorest of the poor” in our community.  Mr. Frump does receive some support from Community De elopement Block Grant (CDBG) funds, but that amount has slowly decreased over the past few years.

I can tell you this program is run on a shoestring, and without the efforts of Garold it wouldn’t exist.  He’s very dedicated to the kids he serves.  During the summer months he serves lunch to over a hundred kids a day.

His overall budget is less than $90,000 a year to run a 12 month program for these kids.

Please let me know if you need any more information, I’ll be happy to discuss the program with you.

Gerald McCush

Community Development Manager.

 

 

St. Joseph Music Foundation

I’m writing on behalf of the St. Joseph Music Foundation, pertaining to the “Joe Gives a Buck” fund drive I read about in the February 7 issue,  When I read the last paragraph about how the candidate could be a “small organization desperate for funds”, the light bulb went on in my head, because that’s exactly what the SJMF is- a very new, registered non-profit foundation.  As such, all donations to SJMF are tax deductible.

 

One of the goals of the SJMF is a project called MUSICAL MINDS.  After learning that music lessons between the ages of 5 and 10 can actually raise I.Q. scores by 20-25 points in other subjects such as math and science, which is a huge increase, I decided that we had to try to make this available to everyone- whether they could afford it or not.  The sad fact is that many children of this age group, who have no control over their family’s income, will never have this opportunity – simply because their families don’t have the extra money for instruments and lessons.  Many parents understand that to get this kind of I.Q. gain, it has to be done during this critical stage of a child’s brain development- a mind truly is a terrible thing to waste.  Music is entertainment during passive listening, but learning to play actually builds a better, more capable brain.

The

St. Joseph Music Foundation has already developed an application form for this program, with the only mildly intrusive question asking for the family’s yearly income.

The reason for this is simple – with limited funds available for instruments and lessons, the most fair way to distribute is to go where the need is greatest.  In other words, to assist the children of families whose income is so low that they would never otherwise be able to have this opportunity.

Other social programs ensure that children aren’t homeless or hungry, but a program to ensure maximum brain development always seems to end up on the back burner as being “non-essential”.  Well, these kids will be running this country when we’re old, let’s make a difference while we can.

Please help the St. St. Joseph Music Foundation with the “Joe Gives a Buck” fund.

Thank you,

Rick Allen

On behalf of the St. Joseph Music Foundation

www.stjosephmusicfoundation.org.

 

So there you go!  Congratulations to our finalists.

For the fine organizations that were not selected, please accept our deepest apology.  It in no way diminishes the fine contributions you make to our community.  After listening to the discussions, I will tell you that if you apply again next year, try to give us good information about your group and your need.  Also groups low in overhead, and those with minimal other funding, seemed to get special consideration.

 

So now it’s up to you.  We need two things; bucks and votes.  For the buck, once again go to any Commerce Bank location, walk-in or drive-up, and tell them its for “Joe Gives A Buck”.  They’ll be happy to take your $1 donation.  Somebody said they were going to put in $2, one for themselves, and one for someone else that won’t. I thought that was a cool idea too.  Might I also suggest that perhaps someone in a position to do so, might care to donate a dollar for themselves, and a whole bunch of dollars for those that won’t.  That would be cool as well.   So give what you want, give what you can.  We’re glad to get it, every nickel.

 

Then comes the voting.  All voting is by email.  Just send a message with the name of your selection, to email@urjoe.com.   One vote per email address, please.  Votes will be accepted through April 30^th.  We will announce the winners and the dollar totals in the following issue.

 

We go into something like this with no expectations.  Our stated goal is 1 dollar from every Joe in town.  Maybe this won’t resonate with anybody and we’ll seem just like every other group with their hand out.  Then again, maybe this is the kind of thing St. Joe could get behind.  Just imagine if we actually got $72,000 dollars.  Imagine the good things these groups could do with that money.

 

No matter how much or how little we raise from this program, the total will be split 70%, 20%, and 10%, so the groups get every cent, starting from dollar one. 

 

So there you have it.  The proverbial water-fowl are in formation.  Now it’s up to you.  Give a buck if you’re able.  More if you’re abler.(yes, I know that was incorrect, but wasn’t it fun?)  Then go online and vote for who gets the dough.  It’s the simplest, most localest, (still fun?),  charity there is.  We’re not looking for help from

Jeff City or

Washington D.C.  It’s Joe taking care of Joe.   And after all, who cares more about us, … than us?