Be an enabler...

I'm always on the look out for good causes. This one I ran across several years ago when chatting with a man I've known all my life. Butch has known my family for years. He attended church in the church I grew up in. His family is one of the families that have enabled that church to remain in existence for over 100 years (I think the church is around 180, now.) Anyway, as we say in the South, he's good people.

Butch is one of those people who are at an age and in an income level that they have pretty much everything they need. You know the kind. You can't ever plan ahead for Birthdays or Christmas because they buy everything they need or want and leave you grasping at straws for ideas.

His daughter needed something truly unpredictable for a Christmas gift. She found this charity called Heifer International. Boy, did she get Butch a one of a kind gift! He was tickled pink and couldn't wait to tell me about it. She got him a cow (or goat. It's been a few years and I can't remember which.) No, not for him to have. He lives in the city. Where would he put a cow? It was to be given to someone else. Someone probably far away and in far greater need than a man with everything.

Heifer International is a company that enables people in poverty to become entreperneurs and build a sustainable community. It can all start with a chicken, or duck, or heifer, of course. Yep, you heard right! They do all this with the aid of some pretty special critters.

For those of you who didn't grow up on a farm, let me explain. Each of God's little creation has a special talent, even us. A chicken lays eggs, a duck lays eggs and sheds usable feathers, a cow (heifer) bears milk, a lamb provides wool, etc...

Here's what happens:

You or a group your involved in purchase an animal, large or small, then Heifer International sends the animal to someone in need. Let's say it's a cow. The cow is not used for food, it is bred for calves and milked. The milk is turned into cheese, milk or other by-products and sold in the local marketplace. The calves are either sold or used to further the stock of the original owner. Instant business!

People who were previously unable to care for themselves and their families benefit from the new enterprise. They reinvest money in their community and the entire community improves!

The wonderful thing about Heifer International is that they don't stop there. Heifer helps these people learn about Agroecology (sustainable farming practices), they teach the families how to properly care for the animals, promote gender equality by gifting to men and women, promote HIV-AIDS awareness and provide prevention information, provide Microenterprise loans (no interest start-up cash for those in need of help starting their businesses), teach Urban Agriculture (how to farm with city limitations), AND have a Young People's Initiative that provides youth with the same opportunities as their parents, which in turn teaches them how to care for future generations...Wow! That's a lot of stuff for one organization!

In 2007, Heifer had 867 active projects. These projects were active in 53 countries or provinces and 28 states in the United States. So, don't feel like this business only takes care of people you'll never see. They help right here at home, too!

Can you think of any better gift for someone you love? A gift that keeps on giving for generations to come. A gift of a better life for someone who you may never meet but are able, in ways big or small, to help. That's the best gift of all. One that never needs to be returned to a store. One that is always the right size. One that comes in just the right color. It's the color of hope. It's the size of your heart and the only thing the recipients return is a smile that lasts a lifetime.

Here's a link to their online gift catalog. Even if you're not ready to give, it will give you ideas about what your contribution could provide:

http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.204586/

In closing, I encourage you to become an enabler. Enable someone around you to grow and prosper, if not through this company then in your own way. There is nothing stopping you from creating a program similar to this right in your own back yard!

Horse Rescue and Retirement...

My family LOVES animals. Did I say we love animals? I mean we REALLY do. If we could afford to buy a farm , we would. And, we would happily tend to the animals daily - feeding, brushing, loving, nurturing, you name it - that would be fine!

This morning while I was cooking breakfast my husband was watching TV. He found this dog show a few weeks ago that is aimed toward kids. He loves it...watches it every Saturday, now. (Of course, he's a big kid so that works!) Anyway, after the dog show went off, he left and left the TV on - a big no,no in our house as it wastes electricity. But, I'll forgive him this once because a little while later Jack Hanna's Into the Wild show came on.

I don't know about you, but I haven't seen this show in years. I did enjoy it the few times that I saw it back then. That Jack is a funny guy when he's chasing animals. But, today the show was different. Jack wasn't chasing animals, he was helping feed animal on a farm. Not just any old farm, a horse rescue farm.

The farm is called Mill Creek Farm - Retirement Home for Horses, Inc. What a wonderful place! This couple, Mary and Peter Gregory, of retirement age themselves (I think the man was 79 at filming!) purchased hundreds of acres of land outside of Naples, FL. They take in horse that have worked, in some capacity or another, all their lives and allow the horses a nice place to "retire". The farm also provides a separate paddock for blind horses (apparently, Appaloosa's are prone to blindness as they age) and a burial ground called "Field of Dreams" as a final resting place.

The Gregory's provide a home for these animals to prevent them from being destroyed, as most owners would do when the horse is no longer deemed useful. Of the horses Jack showed us, some had been abused by their previous owners by starvation, improper grooming habits (trimming of hooves), or improper care after injuries. Others had been put out to pasture after years of police, forestry, or circus work. The remainder had been participants in riding programs and one had been saved from the "animal dumping grounds", also known as the Everglades.

Can you believe that horse owners in Florida will take their horses out to the Everglades and tie them to trees for alligator feed because they don't want to pay to properly dispose of the animal???? Outrageous!

During the filming of the show, a man showed up with a trunk load of fresh fruits and veggies for the horses. He stated that he had been coming daily for 8 years with the same load - a case of bananas, a case of apples or pears, and a 50 pound bag of carrots. Jack's wife introduced us to a family that has adopted a horse, a miniature pony and a burro. The family travels regularly from Germany to visit and groom their adoptive animals! That's commitment!

Jack Hanna stated that he and his wife had found this jewel of a farm over 12 years ago on a trip to the Naples area. They have been sponsoring horses ever since. Jack said that you can sponsor one horse, which offsets the costs of feeding, grooming and veterinary expenses, for $40 a month. The website states that the average cost for one horse per year is about $2100 (and they had a lot!)

If you are interested in more information on this wonderful organization click on their link above or here for their donation information page:

http://www.millcreekfarm.org/help.htm

(The horses pictured are from the Mill Creek Farm website. The first is Collier, an Arabian, from the Parker Ranger Service. The second is Denim, a Quarterhorse, from the Veterinary Medical Center of the University of Florida - poor swayback fellow...)