The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

American Hero: Jas Boothe Fights for Homeless Women Veterans
Her non-profit organization, Final Salute, has helped over 300 homeless women vets and their children

Army veteran Jas Boothe is living proof that everything happens for a reason. After deploying to Iraq and serving her country faithfully, tragedy struck every part of her life.

In 2005, she was living in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina destroyed her home and all of her worldly possessions. Just one month later, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of head and neck cancer. After two surgeries and 30 cycles of radiation, Boothe won her battle with cancer.

But more bad news was on the way. After 13 years of service, her position with the Army was downsized, leaving her with no job and eventually, nowhere to live. “I was homeless for about 6 months,” says Boothe. “When I got out of the military hospital, [the Army] basically said, ‘Bye. You’re no longer our problem.’ That was such a kick in the teeth for me.”

“I felt worthless. I felt thrown away. That was probably the hardest thing that I’ve ever experienced.”

Fortunately, Boothe had family and friends who helped her get back on her feet. After seeing a homeless woman veteran who was living out of her car featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and hearing that there are an estimated 55,000 homeless women veterans in America, Boothe decided to act.

Hours later, she launched what would become Final Salute, her non-profit organization to provide safe housing for homeless women veterans and their children, a service not readily accessible to women veterans—the fastest growing population of the homeless—Boothe says.

“Over 60% of the programs that take in veterans don’t take in women or don’t take in women with children or they have age limits on the children or they have limits on how many kids you can take.” That’s not the case with Final Salute.

In just 3 years, Boothe’s organization has supported more than 300 women in 15 states. She and her husband and their young son have also added another member to their family temporarily, a little girl whose mother is currently serving in Afghanistan.

For Boothe, however, the goal is not to help more women and their children, but for there to be no more women and children for Final Salute to have to help.

“My ultimate goal is: I want to be out of business. [Final Salute] is not a career plan for me. We don’t need more houses for Final Salute, we need less homeless women veterans. I don’t want any veteran, male or female, to have to be homeless on American soil.”

At the 2014 D.C. stop of Oprah Winfrey’s Life You Want tour, Boothe was surprised with the Toyota Standing O-Vation award, a grant of $25,000 for Final Salute. The award, she says, is confirmation from God.

“I always say that God gives you a mission but He doesn’t give you a blueprint, and so you just have to find yourself along the way. But this [award] is validation from God that I am on the right track and I’m doing the things that He asked me to do.”

Boothe is challenging Americans to do the same and champion the cause of our homeless veterans.

“This is not a military issue, this is an American issue. We as Americans have to do something for our veterans.”

Unfortunately, she is far away from her ultimate goal to end homelessness for women veterans.

“I don’t think I’m done. The military has drawn down and there are going to be a lot of people out of jobs, a lot of mothers out of jobs. Women and children still need our support.”

As long as this is an American problem, Boothe will be there to support and advocate for these women and children whom she considers her family. “We’re military women so we have that common bond. We’re all still sisters. We’ve all served, we’ve all sacrificed, we’re all on common ground.”

“I’ve been where they are and I think they respect that, because I don’t see them as a project or something to pity. I’ve been there, and that’s why I’m doing this.”

For more information on Final Salute, visit FinalSaluteInc.org.

[kuhio98]

Animal Control rescues dog stuck in a jug

SKY VALLEY, Calif. - U.S. Marines are often referred to as jarheads, but on Thursday, a dog in the Sky Valley area must have taken the nickname literally as animal control officers had to rescue him from a tight spot.

According to officials with Riverside County Animal Services, the black and white male Labrador-shepherd mix was found roaming as a stray in the Sky Valley area on Thursday. A concerned resident reported the strange sight and two officers showed up to assist the pooch.

The officers saw the dog's head was stuck inside a large, cylindrical plastic jug. You may have seen a similar container at the grocery store filled with snack items like pretzels or cheese balls.

"Plastic containers, especially ones that used to have food in them, are curiosity magnets for critters," said Riverside County Animal Services Commander Rita Gutierrez. "This is another major reason why people shouldn't litter, and of course, why people shouldn't let their pets roam freely."

Lt. Luis Rosa and Officer Gerald Duchene cuaght up with the dog along Lyons Boulevard. According to the release, Lt. Rosa was forced to use a tranquilizer dart because the dog would scurry away every time they would approach him. Once he was sedated, officers were able to safely remove the jug from his head.

Veterinarians at the Coachella Valley Animal Hospital in Thousand Palms examined the dog and he appeared healthy, despite having his head stuck in a plastic jug in temperatures that reached 105 degrees. Animal Control said he wouldn't have lasted much longer in the heat, and obviously wouldn't have been able to eat or drink anything if they weren't alerted to the situation.

"We do not know how long he had that thing on his head, but it couldn't have been a comfortable situation in this terrible heat," Lt. Rosa said. "We were very happy to be able to help him out of a jam."

Commander Rita Gutierrez said she once had to pull a child's toy teapot off a skunk's head. "Not only is littering terrible for the environment, but our pets and wildlife get curious and sometimes that curiosity can lead to serious injuries, or even death, all because of the trash people discard.

According to officials with the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, if an owner doesn't come to the shelter to claim the dog, people can adopt the pet sometime next week.

[kuhio98]

Crocheting for a Cause: 500 plastic bags are a comfort for the homeless

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - A local mission group has found a creative way to recycle plastic grocery bags into a form of security and comfort for the homeless.

It is not your typical woman's group. The ladies were actually part of a book club that has found a passion for a unique type of crocheting.

Carol Bell has been doing it for 12 years.

"We're flattening the bags. Once you cut them into strips you loop them, once they are looped you started to make a ball. What you're going to do is take it, feed what has become a ball of plastic yarn through here. Now you've got it and you can roll it up and make a bigger ball," Bell demonstrated.

Then, the crochet needles go to work. The recycled plastic is quilted into a large padded mat.

"I take them when I get my car fixed and people come up and they want to know what I am doing," Bell said.

Bell and her new friends are part of a mission called Crocheting Compassion. They are making mats for the homeless. It takes roughly 500 plastic bags to make one.

Martha Dishongh said it is truly a labor of love.

"I timed it once and it took eight hours to do preparation of all the bags and then eight hours to crochet a 3x6 mat," Dishongh explained.

She has crocheted eleven mats this year.

Once they are finished, the mats are rolled and organizer, Gerry Stark, takes them to the Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless. Stark said while the work it is rewarding, it also comes with a harsh realization.

"It breaks my heart that I may only have six to 12 mats to deliver when there are dozens of men and women who would love to have one," Stark said.

But word of their work is spreading fast.

"I've been to New Orleans. I've been all over showing people how to do it," Bell said.

She said when she stitches plastic bags in public it draws a crowd. Once people learn the ladies are crocheting compassion they often times want to become part of the process.

Faith Presbyterian Church
12855 Old Hammond Hwy
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
Time: Thursdays, 10a-12p
Contact: Carol Bell
[email protected]

First Baptist Church of Baton Rouge Homeless Ministry
Contact: Kathleen Carroll
[email protected]

East Baton Rouge Parish Libraries Crocheting for a Cause
Jones Creek Regional Branch Library
6222 Jones Creek Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70817
First Tuesday of the Month, 1p-3p
Schedule for offerings at Main Library coming early 2015
Contact: Gerry Stark
[email protected]

The 2015 schedule of Crocheting for a Cause at the Main Library
7711 Goodwood Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA
Beginning Jan. 14: second Wednesday of the month in Teen Activity Room, 3p-5p
Beginning Jan. 22: fourth Sunday of the month in Conference Room 102, 3p-5p
Video: http://www.wafb.com/clip/10937333/cr...r-the-homeless

[Karen]

What a fascinating idea! And so much more useful that the discarded bags one sees stuck in trees by the roadside! It even seems like it would be a good mat to kneel on when gardening, too - I can think of many ways they can be used. But so much of staying warm is about insulation for homeless folks - anything between them and the cold ground is a good thing!

[kuhio98]

Mysterious Ways: Door-to-Door Delivery
His sister wanted their late mother's chair, but how could he afford to ship it all the way to Arizona?
By John R. Short III, Jefferson City, Missouri

The U-Haul office in Grove, Oklahoma, was nearly empty that Wednesday the week before Thanksgiving. Just one other person ahead of me.

“I’ll be with you in just a few minutes,” the counter clerk said. I nodded and sat on a bench next to the desk, anxious to be on my way.

Last time I was here, seven years ago, it was to move Mom into her new duplex. Now Mom had passed away, and since I lived closer than my two sisters, I was responsible for emptying Mom’s place and driving our beloved family treasures to my place in Missouri. Part of me wished I wasn’t.

With both of our parents now gone, my sisters and I had discussed how to divide their things, and for the most part it had all gone smoothly.

My sister Shari, out in Arizona, immediately latched onto the cozy, dark blue, wingback chair that had been a fixture in our family’s living room for years.

How many Christmases had Dad sat there, watching us open presents? That was where Mom often thumbed through her Bible, praying for us kids.

Shari had our blessing to take it... but the costs to ship it to her were astronomical. I barely had time to make this U-Haul trip, never mind another in the opposite direction. The chair would have to come with me to Missouri, at least for the foreseeable future.

Shari was heartbroken. She resigned herself to taking some smaller, more easily transported mementos.

While the clerk finished up with the other customer, I thought about my sister’s dilemma. I felt guilty. I didn’t even have a good place to put that old chair.

“And finally, where are you taking the trailer?” I overheard the clerk ask the man.

“Phoenix,” he replied, “well, actually, closer to Mesa.”

Arizona! Before I had time to think about what I was doing, I got up and said, “Excuse me, but would you mind taking a chair with you?”

The man looked understandably perplexed, so I quickly explained the situation.

“My name’s Dan,” he said, shaking my hand, “and I would be happy to help.”

Dan came by Mom’s duplex the next day. “I can’t thank you enough,” I said. “This must be a big inconvenience. Let me give you gas money, at least.”

“No need,” Dan said. "My own sister lives in Gilbert, the same city where your sister lives. I was already planning to stop by. It’s not out of the way at all.”

[Karen]

Aww, that's nice!

[Karen]

I keep thinking of that crocheting one, Kuhio, I may bring it up at church in case any of the committees think it would be a good project. And in fact, we have several Scout Groups that meet in our building, maybe a troop could take it on! My Dad earned to crochet as a kid, it kept him in his chair when his asthma was bad and he was not supposed to go outside and play!

[cassiesmom]

What a fascinating idea! And so much more useful that the discarded bags one sees stuck in trees by the roadside! It even seems like it would be a good mat to kneel on when gardening, too - I can think of many ways they can be used. But so much of staying warm is about insulation for homeless folks - anything between them and the cold ground is a good thing!

I want to learn to do this! http://www.instructables.com/id/What-you-Need-3/

[kuhio98]

Detroit Man Who Walks 21 Miles a Day to Work 'So Grateful' More Than $149,000 Is Raised for Him

When James Robertson's 1988 Honda Accord broke down a decade ago, the Detroit man didn't just go out and buy a new one.

Instead, Robertson, who makes $10.55 an hour – not enough to buy, maintain and insure a car – decided he was going to walk to and from work, a journey that stretches a marathon-length 21 miles.

He also takes a bus partway to his job destination: Schain Mold & Engineering.

Last Sunday, the Detroit Free Press reported that the 56-year-old has been making this long trek for years, no matter the weather.

"I don't think what I do is big deal," Robertson tells PEOPLE. "I do what I have to do to get to work in the morning. It's just a part of my life."

What it takes, he says, is determination and faith.

"My parents taught me hard work ethic growing up in Detroit," he says. "It's all about keeping your schedule on track and focusing your mind on what matters."


Paying It Forward
After the newspaper article on Robertson was published, Evan Leedy, 19, a student at Wayne State University, became inspired.

"I was blown away," Leedy tells PEOPLE. "He has been doing this for so long and doesn't complain. I thought of myself and how most people could never do what he does every single day."

As Leedy was looking through the readers' comments on the story, he saw people asking how they could donate money to help Robertson get a car.

"I then decided to create a GoFundMe page where people could donate," says Leedy. "I set the goal for $5,000, but I really didn't think many people would see it or donate."

Before he knew it, thousands of dollars were coming in. One day later, more 5,300 people donated a total in excess of $149,000.

"We now have car dealerships and car companies saying they will donate a car," Leedy says. "We can now use this money to truly change James' life."

Robertson currently doesn't live in a great neighborhood, and even with a car, he lives far from work.

"We can get him a nice place to live," Leedy says. "A place he deserves."

On Monday night, Leedy and Robertson met for the first time.

"It was so amazing to finally meet James," Leedy said. "I am really just so happy people trusted that the money was going to him so we can help turn his life around. He deserves it."

The first word that comes to Robertson's mind when he thinks of Leedy and the thousands that have donated: Shocked.

"I am just so stunned," he says. "Who would have thought that just a simple walk would have turned into this? I would have told you that you were crazy a few days ago."

Robertson is looking forward to putting his walking days behind him.

"I am taking this as a sign that it's time I start driving again," he said. "And getting more than two hours of sleep a night."

A Typical Work Day
Robertson leaves for work at 8 a.m. to get to work in time for his 2 p.m. shift as an injection molder.

When he finishes work at 10 p.m, he starts his trek home.

His colleagues notice that although he never complains about having to walk, they can see it's taking a toll on his body.

"He comes in here looking real tired – his legs, his knees," his coworker Janet Vallardo, 59, of Auburn Hills, told the Free Press.

Robertson doesn't just make this walk for his paycheck. He also cares about the people he has worked with for so many years.

"We're like a family," Robertson, who also gets fed dinner every weeknight by the plant manager's wife, tells the newspaper. "I look at her food, I always say, 'Excellent. No, not excellent. Phenomenal.'"

Despite his long and strenuous commute, Robertson is never late for work.

"I set our attendance standard by this man," Todd Wilson, plant manager at Schain Mold & Engineering, told the newspaper. "I say, 'If this man can get here, walking all those miles through snow and rain ….' Well, I'll tell you, I have people in Pontiac, 10 minutes away, and they say they can't get here – Bull!"

[kuhio98]

I want to learn to do this! http://www.instructables.com/id/What-you-Need-3/

Thank you! I've been looking for some instructions on how to cut up the bags.

[kuhio98]

From People Magazine: The Daily Treat: Miranda Lambert Gives More Than $200,000 to Pets in Need

Miranda Lambert continues to be dog's best friend!

Her MuttNation Foundation distributed over $200,000 to animal shelters in each of the 50 states in January.

"I feel so passionately about helping all animals and I'm thrilled that we have once again been able to give to phenomenal shelters all across the country," Lambert said in a statement. "The people at these shelters do such amazing work day in and day out and are truly heroes for the animals."

Lambert, 31, co-founded the non-profit organization in 2009 with her mom Bev, and to date it has raised over $1.5 million in support of animals. The money goes to spay and neuter efforts, medical treatments, adoptions, legislative changes and education.

"The unconditional love you get from a dog is better than anything else," Lambert told PEOPLE Country in 2012. "I can give the biggest show of my life, and my dogs don't give a damn. They're just happy to see their mom. Everyone should have a dog – the love they give back is like nothing else."