Vote Here for WHAT TO DO WITH THE DONATED FUNDS!

[Scott Greczkowski]

Jim talked about this on the air this morning, and also posted for our Pub Membership, but I would like to give all members a chance to vote. Please vote here in this thread. (Thank you!)

Here is Jim's message...

Many of you supported WION's charity donation to Hurricane (Superstorm) relief by buying copies of our CD's of "A Christmas Carol." If you follow us at all, you know that on Wednesdays, my co-host is very community involved, has United Way, Red Cross, CERT, and other connections, and is deep into "how to give" locally and also to things far away.

Penny has been in constant communication with various East Coast Senior Centers, trying to "hone in" on one to which we can give our donations and yours! Unfortunately, many smaller centers that were damaged just literally closed and combined operations with others. One was very polite and told us, "we're only mildly affected, please give to someone else" which I think (the honesty) was GREAT. But, we've had NO luck in giving to a specific Senior Citizen Center, which was my goal for this year.

We then, through Penny's United Way connections here, and out East learned of a home for kids that was badly flooded from the storm and is damaged and hurting. A United Way office out East has given Penny information on this home for kids that IS in need.

Our question to you, our donors:

Would you prefer we give your donations to General Disaster Relief of the Red Cross, or...to this specific home? On the air today, the overwhelming response was, "give it to the kids."
Please let us know. We want your donations and ours (nearly $500 total) to make a difference! (and never thought it would be this difficult to make connections to help someone out East!

Thoughts welcomed on our remaining options, and we'll post the final decision, and try to get our recipient organization to chat with us "on the air" and post the interview to our new forum and our website.

Our thanks for your help...donations...and caring!

 

[radio]

As you may know, WION Radio, teaming with the great membership at Satelliteguys raised $500 in the last part of 2012, up through January of 2013 for Charity, through the sale of our CD's of "A Christmas Carol." The funds were collected, per our poll above with the intent of it all going to a Senior Citizen home.

Per our poll on the air and here on Satguys/WION; After Penny, my Wednesday co-host could not find a recipient organization that would accept this gift, she turned to the local United Way for which she works part time, and made Connections out east. We, at WION had a chance to speak with Miriam Weiss of OHEL Children's Home and Family Services. They lost much in the storm, and were grateful for the offer. I hope to have a recorded interview on our website soon, time permitting. The funds have been sent as of today.

The letter, accompanying the donation attributing the gift to the generosity of SatelliteGuys members and listeners of WION along with the Thank You E-mail from Ms. Weiss are posted here for you, and her thank you is also on our comments page at WION's main site.

Personal note: (not reflecting the feelings of WION Staff or anyone at Satelliteguys) It's amazing in this day and age, especially with today's communications that we couldn't find a willing recipient easily! It took Penny hours to find a recipient organization for our combined fundraising efforts. Some potential recipients were very honest and grateful, saying they didn't need the funds, and that "others needed them more" but, the overall red tape to help fellow human beings is disconcerting. Even with large organizations' missions for their existence, the ability for we, as humans to help each other is hindered not only by distance from those in need, but by paperwork and I'm sure, other factors as well.

In closing this thread and this effort, however....please know that your generosity is going to be used with gratitude from the recipient organization. Our thanks from WION to everyone who enjoyed our 2012 production and gave to help others!

OH, and yes...we'll designate a charity again this year, and hope to have another edition of "A Christmas Carol" available.