Feel Good Friday - Somos Votantes

We’re in the middle of National Hispanic Heritage Month and you may have heard we have an election coming up in a few weeks. A perfect time to discuss the work of Somos Votantes.

Founded by Melissa Morales in 2019 and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Somos Votantes and it’s political action arm, Somos PAC are the “largest independent Latino civic and voter engagement programs in the country.”

Morales worked in the U.S. Senate while she was in law school and didn’t see many Latinos in government. A desire to see her community represented in politics is what inspired her to create Somos Votantes. This is a Latino-led, Latino-focused organization that runs non-partisan programs designed to increase the participation of Latinos in local and federal elections and to advocate for progressive policies. 

Specific work they do includes sharing information with the Latino community about the resources available to them through President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, and non-partisan, mobilization programs to educate voters on the mechanics of voting and maximize Latino participation in elections.

In the last five years, Somos Votantes has knocked on nearly 4 million doors, sent over 10 million pieces of mail, invested over $4 million in Latino-targeted TV, nearly $1 million in Spanish-language radio, and over $4 million on paid digital ads. They held 100+ community organizing events, engaged more than 20,000 small businesses and were the biggest independent contributor of real-time, qualitative data on Latino voters. They’ve been busy!

The best way to stay abreast of Somos Votantes’ education and outreach efforts is to connect with them on social media by following their Facebook and Instagram pages. If you want to help them increase voter participation among Latino communities, you also can support them with a donation. And if you haven’t done so recently, now would be a great time to check your voter registration status!

Feel Good Friday - National Federation of Filipino American Associations

October is Filipino American History Month, a perfect time to learn about the work being done by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations.

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) is “the largest national Filipino American organization, aimed to promote active participation in civic and national affairs.” 

The first Filipinos in the Americas arrived in Morro Bay, California in 1587. Today there are over 4.2 million Filipinos across the United States and NaFFAA wants to serve as their voice. The mission of NaFFAA is to “promote the welfare and well-being of Filipinos and Filipino Americans throughout the United States by amplifying their voices, advocating on behalf of their interests, and providing resources to facilitate their empowerment.”

This work is organized around four pillars. National Advocacy centers on immigration reform, recognition for Filipino veterans, an anti-hate crimes task force, and promoting small business and financial education. Leadership Development engages and empowers the next generation of Filipino American leaders at various leadership summits and conferences. Civic Engagement encourages participation in politics through voting or running for office. The final pillar, Advancing Filipino Culture, celebrates - you guessed it - Filipino culture, arts and entertainment.

While leadership forums and gala nights bring people together on an annual basis, there are more activities being done at a local level. NaFFAA has thirteen-member regions that cover the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Pacific Islands. You can check this map to see who the region presidents are and find out how to get involved in your local chapter.

If you’d like to see NaFFAA achieve their vision of Filipino American communities that are culturally, economically, and politically empowered and engaged, you can support them with a donation. To stay in the loop with current events and help amplify their message, follow the National Federation of Filipino American Associations on Facebook and Instagram. 

Feel Good Friday - Latino Community Fund

We’re continuing the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month by of highlighting organizations doing good work in Latino communities. Today, let’s learn about the Latino Community Fund of Washington State.

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Seattle, the vision of the Latino Community Fund (LCF) is “a vibrant and civically engaged Latino community in Washington.” To achieve this LCF cultivates new leaders and supports cultural and community based non-profit organizations that improve the quality of life for all Washingtonians.

In addition to awarding grant money to community organizations, LCF also runs several programs. Some focus on leadership such as the Washington Latino Nonprofit Leadership Academy, which helps individuals managing nonprofit organizations, and Alianza a youth-led group that increases youth leadership and civic engagement skills.

The Economic Empowerment program provides business education marketing support and technical assistance to small businesses owned by people of color, immigrants and women. Latinos in Tech is a community-led collaborative that connects students and professionals in the STEM fields along with advocating for expanding career pathways in STEM. The Healthy Latino Families Initiative works to improve access to health services of Latino individuals and communities by providing free, unbiased health care coverage counseling to over 1,000 individuals each year. Additional programs are focused on Environmental Justice, Civic Engagement and Voter Engagement.

In 2020 LCF worked in partnership with several community organizations to move $1.5 million in business assistance, food vouchers and rental assistance into the community. To find out the current impact of LCF, attend the 17th Annual Gala at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Other ways you can support the Latino Community Fund are by making a donation and by spreading the word on social media by following LCF on Facebook and Instagram

Feel Good Friday - Calle 24

September 15th is the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which makes it a great day to learn more about today’s organization, Calle 24.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in San Francisco’s Mission District, the mission of Calle 24 (24th Street) is “to preserve, enhance and advocate for Latino cultural continuity, vitality, and community in San  Francisco's touchstone Latino Cultural District and the greater Mission neighborhood.”

Calle 24 covers the stretch of 24th Street running from Mission to Potrero. It began as a grassroots organization formed by community members who were concerned about quality of life issues in the community. Today the volunteers who run this organization represent merchants, residents, service providers and arts organizations.

If you’ve ever visited the area, you know it “boasts a vast number of colorful and unique specialty stores, restaurants, taquerias, Mexican bakeries, fresh produce grocers, butchers, cafes, and art galleries, as well as the greatest concentration of murals and Latino Businesses in the city.” In 2014, the San Francisco Mayor and Board of Supervisors established the area as the Latino Cultural District. Calle 24 has made it a priority to ensure that the community is “a living cultural district, not just a colorful tourist destination.”

To help with their vision of creating an economically vibrant community, Calle 24 has four committees which address different areas. Land Use educates and advocates for affordable and low-income housing and design guidelines that maintain the character of the neighborhood. Economic Vitality provides business resources such as technical aid, financial aid and social media promotion. Arts and Culture preserves cultural assets and manages culture-critical community events, including Carnaval and Dia de Los Muertos. Finally, Quality of Life fosters neighborhood safety, organizes community forums and provides community resources on topics such as children and families, education, environmental justice, food for all, health, housing, and jobs.

If you’d like to get involved with Calle 24 there are many fun ways to do so. Plan a visit to shop and dine or attend an event like tomorrow’s Fiesta de las Americas! You can also support Calle 24’s mission by volunteering your time, donating your money and spreading the word on social media. Like the Calle 24 Facebook page, follow them on Instagram subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - EveryLibrary

September is Library Card Sign Up Month! The first way you can celebrate is by signing up for a library card. The second way is by learning more about today’s Feel Good Friday organization, EveryLibrary.

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Riverside, Illinois, EveryLibrary is a “staunchly non-partisan and fiercely pro-library organization” whose mission is “to build voter support for libraries of all kinds.” 

They are the first and only organization in the United States chartered “to promote public, school, and college libraries, including by advocating in support of public funding for libraries and building public awareness of public funding initiatives”. 

Their primary work is supporting local public libraries when they have a referendum or measure on the ballot. This support is provided pro-bono and includes training library staff, trustees, and volunteers to plan and run effective Information Only campaigns; assisting local committees on planning and executing Get Out the Vote work for their library’s measure; and speaking directly to the public about the value and relevance of libraries and librarians.

Other work done by EveryLibrary includes activating parents to fight for school library funding and school librarians' jobs; building a national network of Americans who will conduct direct actions for libraries such as signing petitions and contacting their elected officials; and using webinars, seminars and workshops to train librarians on political literacy and share actionable insights.

A look at the EveryLibrary 2023 Annual Report shows the impact of their work. They powered pro-library campaigns in 15 states, coordinating 172 direct actions like email campaigns and rallies, and they saved 7 libraries from closing. They also crafted and presented 85 in-person training events for librarians and library boards to help them anticipate and respond to a challenging library landscape.

If you’d like to help EveryLibrary build support for libraries and help grassroots groups fight book bans there are many ways you can get involved. Attend some of their online events during banned books week. Starting September 22nd, EveryLibrary will be hosting 25 panels with 45+ authors, publishing professionals, and experts on book bans and the First Amendment. You can also make a donation and amplify their message on social media. Like the EveryLibrary Facebook page follow them on Instagram.

Feel Good Friday - Providence Hospice of Oregon

I’ve been highlighting organizations in Oregon the last few weeks because I’ve been here taking care of a relative in hospice care, which leads me to today’s organization, Providence Hospice of Oregon.

Part of Providence Health System, Providence Hospice of Oregon “provides expert, compassionate care for individuals” facing the end of life. Their vision is “health for a better world.”

The hospice team at Providence works with the patient’s primary caregivers, people like me, to provide the support needed to keep the patient in their own home, living as fully and completely as possible and being able to spend time with family and friends.

Hospice is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance. The team at Providence Hospice brings the care to the patient’s home. We had regular visits from a Registered Nurse and speedy deliveries of equipment, medications and supplies. There is a 24/7 hotline staffed by RNs available to answer questions and coordinate logistics for the caregivers.

They also provide chaplains, social workers and additional therapies such as massage, acupuncture and music thanatologists who “use harp and voice to create an atmosphere of serenity and comfort to calm and soothe the patient.” You can view the full list of services here. 

It’s been a difficult time, which has come to an inevitable end. Throughout it all, the team at Providence Hospice of Oregon was professional, attentive and caring. You can let more people know about this service by supporting them on social media. Like the Providence Health System Facebook page and follow them on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Feel Good Friday - Underdogs Rock! Rescue

Time in Oregon is giving me time to find people doing fantastic work here in the Pacific Northwest, including today’s featured organization, Underdogs Rock! Rescue.

Founded in 2014, Underdogs Rock! Rescue is an all-volunteer nonprofit that rescues, transports, fosters and finds forever homes for dogs in Portland, Oregon and the surrounding areas.

Their work starts by rescuing dogs from overcrowded high-kill shelters in locations around the country including Southern California and Alabama. Volunteers transport these dogs to Portland where they are matched with people in a foster home. The foster provides “much-needed love, a warm bed, routine, some basic training, trips to the vet and adoption events, as needed.”

Dog lovers in the Portland metro area can go online to see all the adoptable pets and fill out an application. After reviewing the application, Underdogs Rocks volunteers visit the potential adopter’s home to make sure the dog’s needs can be met. If it’s a good match, the adoption is approved and the celebration can begin! If you’re thinking this sounds like a great program but you’re more of a cat person, you’re in luck. Underdog Rocks also rescues, fosters and adopts cats.

Successful adoption stories are posted on the Underdogs Rocks blog. If you’d like to be part of your own success story by helping an animal move from a shelter into a loving home, there are many ways to achieve this. People living close to Portland can volunteer their time, become a foster or adopt a cat or dog. All of us can show our support by donating money and amplifying Underdogs Rock! Rescue’s work on social media. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Feel Good Friday - Gleaners

I’m in Oregon City this week and learned about a fantastic local organization that distributes resources to people in need, Gleaners of Clackamas County Inc.

Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Oregon City, Oregon, Gleaners of Clackamas County Inc. (Gleaners) is a 100% volunteer-run organization that “collects and distributes food and nonfood items to limited income, elderly, and disabled residents of Clackamas County.” Their mission is to share food, reduce waste, and build community.

It all starts with gleaning, “the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest.” In the early days of Gleaners, a group of volunteers picked fields and distributed food in the community. Today, while volunteers still glean farms and fields, the organization now also distributes surplus food from grocers, restaurants and food manufacturers, as well as clothing and household goods from the public.​ Learn more in this short video.

One unique aspect of Gleaners is that it is an all-volunteer, cooperatively run program. Most volunteers are members of Gleaners who work within a team. In return for paying a small monthly membership fee and working 4 hours per month, members are given a food box one to two times a week and they have access to free clothing and seasonal events like a summer picnic, back-to-school giveaways, Halloween costume exchanges and more. Members also share a portion of their food with an adoptee, someone in the community who is either 65+ years old or disabled. There is no cost or work requirements for adoptees.

Gleaners also offers emergency food boxes to people in Clackamas County who experience a sudden change in circumstance, like job loss, that prevents them from feeding their family. Membership is not required to receive this box of food.

On average, Gleaners provides 3,000 individuals with a generous supply of food every week. They also distribute any excess to church groups, food pantries and other charities bringing their overall reach to more than 5,000 people per week. 

If you want to help Gleaners reduce hunger and waste in Clackamas County, there are several ways to do so. People who live locally can become a member or volunteer. The rest of us can donate money and spread the word on social media by liking the Gleaners Facebook page.

Feel Good Friday - Not Just Tourists

For those of you who like to do your traveling after school is back in session, it’s a great time to learn about Not Just Tourists, an organization that makes it easy for you to deliver humanitarian aid while on vacation.

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Toronto, Not Just Tourists (NJT) has two big aspirations. To “change the way people travel and start the journey for ordinary tourists to become humanitarians” and to “prevent the waste of usable medical supplies and get them to those in most need.”

Here’s how it works. Hospitals, clinics, and medical suppliers donate materials to one of 29 NJT chapters across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. The supplies donated are typically gauze, bandages, surgical instruments, masks, gloves, antiseptics, IV kits, urinary supplies and birthing kits.

Volunteers host weekly packing parties to fill suitcases with supplies. Travelers like you and me check the list of 625 clinics around the world to see if there is one near our destination. If so, you fill out a form answering basic questions like your destination, how big of a suitcase you can take and what type of supplies you are comfortable transporting. The suitcase you are given will include a letter explaining that you are transporting the contents to a medical facility in the destination country. Once you deliver the suitcase and return from vacation, you bring back a copy of the letter that was signed by the medical professional who received the suitcase. Easy!

Since they began, Not Just Tourists has sent more than 10,000 suitcases with travelers who have delivered over 2,000,000 pounds of medical supplies. NJT operates without a budget and does not accept nor solicit financial donations. Getting medical supplies to clinics in need is made possible by the 3,000+ volunteers who donate their time.

If you want to help NJT prevent waste and turn tourists into humanitarians, there are many ways you can do so. Sign up to deliver a suitcase, donate medical supplies or a suitcase to put them in, volunteer to sort and pack supplies at a local chapter, or start a chapter if there’s not one near you. Of course you can also make sure more people know about Not Just Tourists by spreading the word on social media. Like the NJT Facebook page, follow them on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - International Elephant Foundation

Monday, August 12th is World Elephant Day which makes today a great day to learn about the International Elephant Foundation.

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Azle, Texas, the mission of the International Elephant Foundation (IEF) is “to support and operate elephant conservation and education programs in managed facilities and in the wild, with an emphasis on management, protection and scientific research.” 

The African Forest, African Savannah and Asian elephant are all endangered species. Only 400,000 African elephants remain on the continent, and the estimated population of Asian elephants is 40,000 - 50,000, one third of which are living in human care. As the human population on both continents grows, people move into elephant habitat which results in both a loss of habitat for the elephants and more frequent human elephant conflict. This puts all involved at risk of injury and death.

In order to encourage the peaceful coexistence between humans and elephants, and to protect elephants and their habitats, IEF provides grants to institutions, organizations and individuals engaged in the field of elephant conservation, research, health, management, education and improvements in husbandry of elephants in human care. 

This 4-minute video discusses past IEF projects, while the following are examples of projects being done in 2024. The Big Tusker Project in Kenya provides aerial surveillance of elephants with tusks weighing over 100 pounds each. This helps with census and scientific research as well as anti-poaching operations. Guinea Forest Elephants is focused on education campaigns, prosecuting wildlife offenses and tracking elephants in the Ziama Biosphere Reserve. Conservation Response Units in Sumatra use “captive elephants, their mahouts, and forest rangers for direct field-based conservation interventions to support the conservation of wild elephants and their habitat.”

IEF also funds and produces publications for the improved management and welfare for elephants in human care, and holds symposia for conservationists and researchers to share conservation and research outcomes. In 2024, IEF awarded over $625,000 in funding to these projects, bringing their total contributions since they began to over $9 million. 

If you’d like to support the International Elephant Foundation and the organizations they work with, there are many ways to do so. Make an old school donation or sponsor an elephant. You can also amplify their work by following IEF on Facebook or Instagram and subscribing to their YouTube channel.

 

Feel Good Friday - Children Rising

As kids in the United States prepare to go back to school, let’s learn about an organization that is helping them rise to their potential, Children Rising.

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Oakland, California, the mission of Children Rising is “to nurture and equip children to rise above the challenges created by generations of poverty, violence and educational inequity.”

As explained in this short video, 70% of 2nd and 3rd graders in Oakland’s low income neighborhoods are behind in their reading and math skills. Children Rising mobilizes community support for these children by working with school teachers and principals to provide in-school one-on-one literacy and math tutoring for primary grade school students.

Their approach is structured to provide a circle of care to support the children and help them become confident, engaged students. This is done through three targeted programs. 

Succeeding by Reading helps children build foundational literacy skills by working with a dedicated volunteer tutor for the entire academic year. Path2Math focuses on building functional numeracy skills with the help of a dedicated tutor and personalized learning strategy. The final program, Family Bridge, provides wrap-around services to help families support their children with in-home learning experiences and tools.

In the 2022-2023 school year, there were 268 first through third graders enrolled in Succeeding by Reading, 123 second through fifth graders enrolled in Path2Math, and 20 families participating in Family Bridge. Visit this impact page to see the gains the students made in their reading and math skills.

If you’d like to help Children Rising connect children in need with a caring community, there are many ways to do so. Bay Area residents can volunteer as tutors, and all of us can make a donation and spread the word on social media by following Children Rising on Facebook or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel.