This Is The Dog Event Poster

Many newcomers to the Homestead area are startled to learn that there is no animal shelter below South Miami. The reasons for that are a bit muddled, but two groups have stepped forward in what is sadly an on-going struggle against irresponsible pet owners. People who chose to have pets and refuse to have them spayed or neutered or who toss them aside to whatever fate want to pretend that this is not a serious issue. A grassroots group, This Is The Dog, (http://thisisthedog.com) works incredibly hard with volunteers and inadequate funding to do what they can to rescue and foster dogs and cats as they find homes for them. They also try to educate people as to the growing problem and work with other rescue groups to promote spaying, neutering, and adoption. A second group, the Gateway Animal Shelter (http://www.gatewayanimalrescue.com) is helping raise funds and promote awareness to actually build a shelter in Homestead.

There is a fundraiser tomorrow, Friday, 26 April from 6:00-10:00 p.m. on Krome Ave in Homestead. It’s a “Fashion Show” for dogs and more. Lots of fun, food trucks, and a great chance for animal lovers to help out.

Serious content alert. No matter what we might say publically, most people are willing to believe that abuse doesn’t happen to people that we actually know and certainly not in “nice” families. The concept of human trafficking is the stuff of novels and movies. There is a program in town called Start Off Smart (SOS) at http://startoffsmartinc.com that was established to try and address the root causes of domestic violence and other abuse and raise awareness of the very real issue of human trafficking. Sadly, Florida is one of the leading states in this plague because so many people who want to immigrate are vulnerable to exploitation. I won’t go into graphic details, but local human trafficking often involves forcing individuals into labor situations that are in essence modern day slavery. These people are often in the country illegally and therefore, how can they ask for help? One of the most effective ways for ordinary citizens to assist is to understand that it does exist and if a situation seems suspicious or if someone comes to you for help, don’t dismiss it as “not possible”.

Domestic abuse is always a sensitive issue because aside from the fact that no one wants to accuse someone in error, there can be other reasons to not want to be involved. After all, how do you initiate a conversation with someone asking that question? Since I have personally never been a witness to such a thing (to the best of my knowledge), I don’t have a good answer. What is important though, I think, is to find out what resources are available in your area so that you know what to do in the event that you do become aware of a problem. Another aspect is that if you are looking to volunteer, helping with a shelter or other program might be something to consider.

I spent time this morning with an extended family of three sisters and a mother and then another woman, all of whom finally broke away from abusive relationships and/or marriages. There were multiple generations of abuse and more than anything, the women want their children to understand that this is not how things should be. As heartbreaking as their stories were, the fact that they were able to find a program to help them rise above what had happened was uplifting. No, abuse is not a pleasant subject, and perhaps you will never personally  encounter it. But I would urge you to check into your local resources as a just-in-case sort of thing. You never know who you might be able to help.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, there are so many charitable organizations and good causes that no one can support them all, and not even all those that you might wish to. However, when I run across a new one that I think some of the readers might be interested in, I do want to highlight them. Today, that happens to be an organization called KaBoom!, and no, it has nothing to do with weapons. In fact, it is exactly the opposite. http://kaboom.org/about_kaboom I will quote directly from their web site:

“KaBOOM! is a national non-profit dedicated to saving play for America’s children.Our mission is to create great playspaces through the participation and leadership of communities. Ultimately, we envision a place to play within walking distance of every child in America.”

Please take a few minutes and go to their website to learn about this remarkable group. I suggest that you grab a tissue when you read their story, not so much because of the tragedy that inspired the idea, but also because of the heartwarming effect that their efforts are having. In a nutshell, KaBoom! has shown more than 14,000 times since 1995 that you can get a group together in a community and have a wonderful playground built in three days. That’s right – three days. They have a well-organized plan that is similar to the “Blitz Builds” of Habitat for Humanity and they have spread across the nation to help communities in their vision to bring playgrounds to neighborhoods that need them.

In two weeks time, Homestead will be added to the list of communities that have benefitted from a playground build. I am looking forward to seeing how it unfolds.

Alert!, there is religious content in this post. Those who follow the blog know that I skirt politics and religion. However, there are times when social or cultural aspects “flow” into one of those areas and this is such a time.

Last weekend we went to St Petersburg for a combined business and pleasure trip, although in actuality even the “business” was quite pleasant. Friday night we met up with friends and were introduced to the delightful Gulfport restaurant/shopping section and had a wonderful discussion about maritime history and diving that will be the subject of a future post.

Saturday, I left husband at the hotel on whatever part of the Bay that was, to relax while I drove north to Largo. The Christ the King Lutheran Church in Largo has established a partnership with the Christian Outreach Center (COC) that: “Under the leadership of John and Brenda Grampsas, the “C.O.C.” is dedicated to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with children and their families in Pinellas County. Children develop a positive relationship with adults who care for them and ultimately with Jesus Christ as their Savior. The programs consist of a meal, game time, music, movie with popcorn, a Bible lesson told using puppets, skits and/or audio visuals, object lessons to reinforce the message”. (http://ctklc.org/about/christian-outreach-center)

The major fundraiser that they hold each year is a luncheon and quilt auction and that’s what I became involved in through a rather circuitous manner. With my entry into writing the American Quilter’s Society’s new line of books, the Helen Crowder Adventure Series, I am absorbing quilting information and attending this luncheon and auction gave me access to around 300 quilters. The day was, simply put, a lot of fun. I met some delightful women, saw incredible quilts, learned a number of things, and the positive energy in the room was uplifting. Brenda, as the main organizer and auctioneer, definitely had help and although I know from experience how much work these events are, it seemed to run smoothly. There were quilting clubs as well as individual quilters, crafters, and I suppose just regular people there for the fundraiser. Teens and perhaps adolescents who are in the COC helped serve the meal and I imagine helped with set-up and clean-up, and you couldn’t have asked for more polite, outgoing assistants. I don’t know how it was behind the scenes, but from a casual observer’s perecptive, the “kids” were great.

The fundraising part was successful, too, and if I attend next year, I’ll plan to bid on one of those lovely quilts they had available. I know, I know, I should have taken photos.