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Mar
27

Donating to the ASPCA

By | General, Low-Income Housing

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The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded in America in the mid-1800s by animal lover Henry Bergh. Since then, they have assisted countless pets, farm animals and wild animals who had been abused or could be subject to inhumane treatment. In addition to a number of other programs, they also work to help support and insist upon laws and regulations that will contribute to the humane treatment of animals. Visiting the website for the ASPCA supplies answers, suggestions and advice for a large number of situations involving the safe and ethical treatment of animals. Subjects such as found pets, orphaned wildlife animals and local strays are covered in their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.

If you would like to donate to the ASPCA, the simplest method is by giving cash. If, however, your resources are limited, you can also donate gently used items, pet food, or–best of all–your time. Working as a volunteer for the ASPCA will allow you to give back to the community at large while helping to ensure safe and ethical treatment for animals. If you have ever lost a pet, you understand how important they are to their owners. Working as a volunteer for animal shelters can provide you the means for helping abandoned pets find new homes, and helping lost pets find their original owners. Donating your time to activities sponsored by the ASPCA is ultimately fulfilling and rewarding, and many people continue to volunteer evenwhen they could afford to simply give money instead.

Feb
23

Family Housing Projects on the Rise

By | Government Assistance, Low-Income Housing

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With many people losing their jobs and unable to stay in their homes, there has recently been a surge of shelters dedicated to family housing. This is a shelter that does not aim to help individual people by giving them a single bed, but aims to keep displaced families together. While most emergency shelters focus on helping unaccompanied adults, there are now plenty of transitional housing programs that allow families to stay anywhere from a few months to two years as they create a realistic budget, learn to manage their money, and save for a home of their own. Several charities also offer permanent affordable housing for struggling families.

As with emergency shelters and other housing programs geared towards single adults, family housing projects make it their goal to not just give a roof and food to a family, but to give them the tools they need to once again control their own lives. Two main ways that shelters do this is through counseling and education.

The counseling offered by a charity for displaced families can range from emotional support to financial classes and advice. Counselors work to address any issues in a counselee’s life preventing them from moving on. In most cases, this definitely means offering some financial structure and guidelines on how to manage spending, prepare for unforeseen expenses, and budget and save enough funds for housing, groceries, and other necessary household items and expenses.

Family housing shelters also usually have the need to address a level of emotional upheaval as well, as many families in these shelters are coming from a previously put-together or stable lifestyle. These residents can suffer extreme emotional distress at their present circumstances. Addressing any tension or emotional problems in children who find themselves at a shelter with their parents is usually necessary as well, as many children suffer from the instability and insecurity of homelessness, as well as the possibility of anger and distrust of their parent because of the change.  As the economic changes continue across the states, the need for charitable organizations to help and support these families will grow.

Dec
31

Retirement Homes are a Thing of the Past

By | Community Service, Government Assistance, Low-Income Housing

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When I was younger it seemed that retirement homes for seniors got a bad rap.  These were portrayed as a place where people sat around most of the days in rocking chairs looking out across the horizon.  If they did have any activities they participated in, those were usually games of bingo or possibly shuffleboard.  Well there is nothing wrong with rocking chairs, bingo or shuffleboard; but today’s independent living communities are much different than those in the past.  A lot of the reason for that is that senior/elder care is not the same as it used to be and many people are living more active lives later in their lives.
These days many couples are forgoing home ownership as they age.  They no longer want the hassle of maintaining a home that is too big for them.  In those cases, these couples often move into independent living community together.  Some of these have smaller garden homes or might have apartments that are built for couples.  Many of these communities have various stages of facilities.  You might move in when you have very little need for medical help.  Then as you age and your health declines, you can move into another part of the community that has assisted living or nursing home facilities.
Another great benefit to these facilities is the companionship.  Many seniors find themselves without friends and family and independent home helps them transition into a facility without feeling like they are losing all independence.  Some of these places, with their pools, fitness studios and sunny, warm locations, feel more like a resort than a retirement community.  The cost per month is often less than the cost to live in a home and provide meals for yourself.  Overall, I’d have to give today’s independent living communities high marks when compared to the facilities of the past.

When I was younger it seemed that retirement homes for seniors got a bad rap.  These were portrayed as a place where people sat around most of the days in rocking chairs looking out across the horizon.  If they did have any activities they participated in, those were usually games of bingo or possibly shuffleboard.  Well there is nothing wrong with rocking chairs, bingo or shuffleboard; but today’s independent living communities are much different than those in the past.  A lot of the reason for that is that senior/elder care is not the same as it used to be and many people are living more active lives later in their lives.These days many couples are forgoing home ownership as they age.  They no longer want the hassle of maintaining a home that is too big for them.  In those cases, these couples often move into independent living community together.  Some of these have smaller garden homes or might have apartments that are built for couples.  Many of these communities have various stages of facilities.  You might move in when you have very little need for medical help.  Then as you age and your health declines, you can move into another part of the community that has assisted living or nursing home facilities.Another great benefit to these facilities is the companionship.  Many seniors find themselves without friends and family and independent home helps them transition into a facility without feeling like they are losing all independence.  Some of these places, with their pools, fitness studios and sunny, warm locations, feel more like a resort than a retirement community.  The cost per month is often less than the cost to live in a home and provide meals for yourself.  Overall, I’d have to give today’s independent living communities high marks when compared to the facilities of the past.

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