Archive for June 2010 | Monthly archive page
Giving Children Hope partnered with La Sierra University students to provide medicines to a development project they are assisting in Arizona. The students are working with the nonprofit Project Pueblo aid members of the Navajo Nation existing on a section of the reservation called ‘Bennett Freeze.’ Darla Martin Tucker from the university reports that “the Navajo in this area, a region banned to development, housing construction or repair for decades, have been living in dilapidated houses, trailers and hogans, many of which have no running water, natural gas or electricity. In some cases dwellings are located near old uranium mines that many believe may have been leaking radiation, poisoning water tables and soil.”
The medicines will treat the residents of that impoverished area.
Every so often we receive interesting mail in the office. Most of the time it’s junk mail like “The Pyramid Collection: Myth, Magick, Fantasy and Romance” clothing catalog. Don’t worry. The postal service is delivering it to the wrong address. I think.
Unless someone in the office has a secret life we know nothing about…
Anyway…
This week I received “Philanthropy Matters”:http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/PhilanthropyMatters/doc/philanthropy_matters_18_1.pdf magazine from the “Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University”:http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/. The issue featured an article called “Generosity without Borders” that gave insights about donors who give to nonprofits that address global needs. The most interesting part of this data came from the percentage of Americans who gave to international communities.
As noted in the article, research on international giving is in its early stages, but these findings are worth repeating:
- Less than six percent of U.S households give to international causes.
- For the 2004 Asian tsunami relief efforts, 30 percent of U.S. households gave
- Giving to international causes is the fastest-growing subsector of U.S. giving.
- Giving to international causes and disaster relief increases as households’ education level, income level, and frequency of religious attendance increased.
- Within the U.S. donors are propelling international giving to double-digit annual growth
- People living in a community with a greater ethnic diversity or a large foreign-born population increased the likelihood that donors gave to international causes.
They key in all of this, as Una Osili, Director of Research at Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University points out, is that there is a need for knowledge about international philanthropy to inform a donor’s decision. The article also mentions that nonprofits need to leverage conversations about international issues and capitalize on donors’ increased awareness, especially, I think, in the wake of a disaster.
After the earthquake in Haiti, despite the bad economy, Americans gave $1.3 billion to help with immediate relief. This giving was fueled by the information the media was streaming into the living rooms of Americans almost 24/7. Yet, this international attention eventually faded; media coverage of Haiti (as in all disasters) has slowly faded into the background.
It’s important for us (GCHope) to bring the most current information on the communities we serve through our web site, social media, media coverage, newsletters, etc. __Natural disasters are most devastating in places where basic resources are already scarce__. When we respond to international disasters, we want to make sure donors understand how their money is helping with immediate needs, but we also want to inform them of the history of the communities they are helping.
Even when there is there hasn’t been a disaster, we are constantly working to keep the nation’s interest in developing countries. We do have an advantage. While we focus on international medical development, our organization also serves the basic needs of Southern California and the rest of the United States, whether if it is with food or medicines or with disaster relief (we’ve responded to Hurricane Katrina and Ike). As people learn about our local programs, they also have an opportunity to learn about developing communities around the world.
I have hope that as the world becomes a smaller place through technological advances, that the majority U.S. households will no longer be able to turn away from international communities in need. **You will either choose to respond to the knowledge you have received or you will chose to ignore it.**
** Statistics and research were taken from the following sources in the “Generosity without Borders” article: Who Cares about Development? Learning About Cross-Country Differences in Generosity; Giving USA; and Preferences for International Distribution.
About a month ago, Orange County hosted its first health care expo, providing free exams (dental and vision) to those who are uninsured and underinsured. The event was focus on the homeless and low-income population, but people from the middle class were also in attendance to receive basic check ups.
According to a 2007 California Health Interview Survey, 18.5 percent of Orange County adults do not have insurance. This number does not include the number of children who are not covered by health insurance; nor does the statistic include the number of people who have recently become uninsured due to the recent economic downturn.
Los Angeles County had two similar events, hosted by “Remote Area Medical”:http://www.ramfreeclinic.org/, that treated 6,556 patients in 2010, and more than 6,300 in 2009. The event provided dental services, HIV tests, podiatry services, mammograms, Pap smear and acupuncture services.
These events were made possible with private and public organizations, as well as local government support. Giving Children Hope’s “mobile medical clinic”:[~1978~] facilitated health services in the all three events.
With the economy not showing any signs of promise- unemployment rates are still up and job creation lags- and the new health care legislation not taking effect until 2014, should the county host more of these events?
Whose responsibility is it to help the underserved residents of Orange County have better access to affordable health care?
What do you think?
