Not much traction for this idea in almost a week. Let me see what I can do to further the conversation. There are a couple of points that need to be addressed, participation and selection.
It would be best if all members of RS.net, both Fight For Five and non-Fight For Five participants, were made aware of and given the opportunity to participate in this idea. Not only would more people devote more time and resources, giving greater tangible significance to the action, but it would further strengthen the community at RS.net. Also it would place emphasis on the primary rational for this idea, helping out a worthy cause, not some form of damage control. I imagine a good prospect for exploring this expansion of the project would be to talk with Ranchero Dave or Dracko19.
With regards to selection of an appropriate organization, although there are many different organizations that Disney gives grants and other assistance there are five in particular that it focuses on through national partnerships, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, The Boys & Girls Clubs of America and First Book. Therefore, if selection of an organization with close ties to Disney is one of the objectives, the viability of working with one of these five should be explored first. Below is some basic information regarding the missions of these organizations [note that this information comes from the organizations' respective websites].
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Make-A-Wish Foundation:
www.wish.org -
Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation's mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish® experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors and entire communities. Since its humble beginnings, the organization has blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon, reaching more than 161,000 children around the world.
Although it has become one of the world's most well-known charities, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has maintained the grassroots fulfillment of its mission. A network of more than 25,000 volunteers enable the Make-A-Wish Foundation to serve children with life-threatening medical conditions. Volunteers serve as wish granters, fundraisers, special events assistants and in numerous other capacities.
As the Foundation continues to mature, its mission will remain steadfast. Wish children of the past, present and future will have an opportunity to share the power of a wish.
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The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation:
www.toysfortots.org/ -
MISSION:
The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.
GOAL:
The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.
OBJECTIVES:
The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help needy children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation's most valuable natural resources - our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future.
ACTIVITIES:
The principal Toys for Tots activities which take place each year are the collection and distribution of toys in the communities in which a Marine Corps Reserve Unit is located and in communities without a Reserve Unit that has a Marine Corps League Detachment or group of men and women, generally veteran Marines, authorized by Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to conduct a local Toys for Tots campaign. Local Toys for Tots Campaign Coordinators conduct an array of activities throughout the year, which include golf tournaments, foot races, bicycle races and other purely voluntary events designed to increase interest in Toys for Tots, and concurrently generate toy and monetary donations.
Local toy collection campaigns begin in October and last until December 22. Toy distribution normally takes place on December 23 and 24. Members of the community drop new, unwrapped toys in collection boxes positioned in local businesses.
Coordinators pick up these toys and store them in central warehouses where the toys are sorted by age and gender. At Christmas, coordinators, with the assistance of local social welfare agencies, church groups, and other local community agencies, distribute the toys to the needy children of the community. Over the years, Marines have established close working relationships with social welfare agencies, churches and other local community agencies which are well qualified to identify the needy children in the community and play important roles in the distribution of the toys.
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Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation:
www.starlight.org -
When a child is diagnosed with a serious illness, the day-to-day joys of childhood take a back seat to the rigors of treatment and hospitalization. For more than two decades, Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation has dedicated itself to improving the quality of life for children with serious medical conditions by providing entertainment, education and family activities that help them cope with the pain, fear and isolation of prolonged illness.
We understand what families go through when a child is sick, and how important it is to find relief from constant worry and isolation. Our programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families with others facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone.
Serving more than 180,000 children each month, Starlight Starbright uniquely offers a comprehensive menu of both "high tech" and "high touch" programs. Our array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings enables us to provide ongoing support for children and families - before, during and after medical treatment. These programs include:
· Family activities and outings, offered regularly to give families a chance to have fun together away from the hospital so they can relax, regroup and return home with a renewed sense of strength and hope. The events also forge connections between families struggling with similar issues to combat isolation.
· Playrooms and special events designed to ease the loneliness, fear and boredom that accompany long hospital stays. Starlight Starbright has built more than 60 children's playrooms and teen lounges in hospitals nationwide that provide children with an inviting place to play, relax and connect.
Additionally, we bring fun-filled special events involving musicians, clowns and other entertainers to pediatric hospital patients - even those who are bedridden - to provide a morale boost and important social interaction.
· Technology-based programs like online communities, mobile entertainment centers and laptop computers that help kids fill the long hours with fun, and stay connected to their friends, keep up with school work and chat with other seriously ill children.
· Educational programming via CDs, DVDs and the Internet that helps sick children understand common hospital procedures and manage illnesses such as cancer, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, asthma, IBD and kidney disease. These programs combat the fear and uncertainty that often accompany illness with fact-based knowledge presented in an engaging and age-appropriate format.
Research conducted on select Starlight Starbright programs indicates patient benefits include reduced pain, greater compliance with treatment, and an increased sense of peer support, knowledge, responsibility for disease management, and ability to cope. The way we see it, while doctors work to restore a child's health, Starlight Starbright works to restore his or her spirit.
We invite you to be a part of the growing Starlight Starbright network of supporters who are making a difference in the lives of children and families suffering through childhood illness.
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The Boys & Girls Clubs of America:
www.bgca.org/ -
Overall there is not much that needs to be said here that is not self-explanatory.
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First Book:
www.firstbook.org -
First Book is a nonprofit organization with a single mission: to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. We provide an ongoing supply of new books to children participating in community-based mentoring, tutoring, and family literacy programs.
First Book was founded in 1992. The First Book model was developed to leverage the work of local heroes who reach children through existing literacy programs in a variety of settings, such as Head Start centers, libraries, soup kitchens, churches, housing projects, and afterschool initiatives. Working through this vast network of organizations, First Book plays a critical role in transforming the quality of preschool and after-school programs nationwide.
First Book's model is national in scope and local in impact. In our first year, First Book distributed approximately 12,000 books in three communities. Since that time, First Book has distributed more than 50 million books to children in over 3,000 communities around the country.
In our first decade, First Book converted a promising distribution concept into a premier national literacy organization. During this initial phase of development, First Book experienced a nearly vertical growth curve and established a broad range of strategic corporate, government, and nonprofit partnerships. The success of this phase has enabled the organization to build a national reputation and establish the foundation for long-term growth and development.
First Book now is poised to enter a new stage of development that includes new national initiatives and international expansion. Through its committed staff, heroic local Advisory Board volunteers, and a strong national Board of Directors and Advisory Council, First Book has accomplished its initial goals and has verified the impact of our work through an extensive evaluation performed by Louis Harris.
Through our success, we have established credibility in the literacy, governmental, and corporate arenas and built a strategic set of alliances that have positioned First Book to reach an unlimited number of children and communities in the coming years.
Noted pollster Louis Harris has conducted an independent study to determine the effectiveness of the First Book model. This study, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Education, surveyed 2,564 individuals over a 14-month period. The results of this study are compelling:
· First Book works for children. More than half of the children — 55% — reported having an increased interest in reading. Additionally, the number of young people demonstrating a "high interest in reading" nearly tripled (increasing from 23% to 61%) after receiving books from First Book.
· First Book works for local programs. 78% of the mentors, administrators and professionals running community-based tutoring and mentoring programs estimated that the "impact of First Book books on a child's desire to read" was "very important."
First Book works for the community. The members of the First Book Local Advisory Boards surveyed were also overwhelmingly supportive of our efforts in their communities. 98% of them state that their community was "better off" because of First Book's work.