'Exemplifying, 'Good Karma'!
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Sep 23, 2016
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Sep 26, 2016
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Sep 28, 2016
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Oct 1, 2016
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Oct 2, 2016
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#28
.. I'm, 'Not there' yet. {see image 'link'}.. But, it's worth Remembering, and, 'Striving' for! [ :
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Oct 4, 2016
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#29
Oct 10, 2016
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#31
A damage deposit. New tires. Last month's rent.
These expenses, usually in the hundreds of dollars, can cause people to lose a job, send them into homelessness or prevent them from climbing out of homelessness.
This isn't a problem limited to the poor. About 50 percent of Americans couldn't pay an unexpected $400 bill, about the size of a small apartment's rent or a few tires.
But it's the people living on the edge who can really suffer.
Central Minnesota took notice. In 1996, after seeing a young person struggle to find help, retired banker David Noack created what has become the Good Samaritan Fund.
People can ask for one-time help that might exceed what's available from other social services or programs, said Rosanne Fischer, a member of the fund's executive committee.
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Executive board members of the Good Samaritan Fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation Marty O'link, foreground, Jamie O'Link, left to right, Bob Kovell, Rosanne Fischer, Chuck Rau, Elna Bateman and Bruce Campbell meet Monday, Aug. 28, at the Community Giving office in St. Cloud. (Photo: Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)
Catholic Charities Emergency Services, for example, can provide emergency financial assistance, but it's typically capped in the tens of dollars. That includes things like gas vouchers, a 10-ride bus pass, a prescription co-pay, an apartment application fee or a fee for identification documents.
First and last month's rent and damage deposit, required to move into many rentals, is beyond the resources of many.
Enter Good Samaritan. More than 45 local nonprofits and churches refer people to them, said Bob Kovell, chair of the board for the organization.
"We're a boost to keep a family in a home," Fischer said.
As they say in their fundraising brochure: "Hundreds of one-time problems, solved one at a time. In most cases, we do not merely help, we fix the situation."
"We've helped hundreds, thousands, from becoming homeless," Kovell said.
In 2014, 268 people donated to the fund. They were able to give 174 individuals and families one-time help. On average, they give out $540 per case, totaling just under $94,000 in 2014.
What do the donations do?
They handle the unexpected that could happen at any time, said Bruce Campbell, coordinator for the fund.
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Executive board members of the Good Samaritan Fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation Marty O'link, left to right, Jamie O'Link, left to right, Bob Kovell, Rosanne Fischer, Bruce Campbell, Elna Bateman and Chuck Rau meet Monday, Aug. 28, at the Community Giving office in St. Cloud. (Photo: Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)
Kids get sick. Mom loses a job. The car breaks down. A landlord raises rent. A car accident takes dad out of work. A person with a disability needs a ramp for their home.
"Sometimes one big help at a time of crisis can prevent people from getting into that cycle of homelessness, that's really hard to get out of," Fischer said.
Getting a family into stable housing or transportation means they're able to work, which means they are less reliant on social services.
Keeping a family from falling into homelessness in the first place saves costs and room at shelters, the expense of being homeless — it is expensive — and the cost of setting up a new household.
What else?
One fairly common type of help is covering the cost of anesthesia for a dental surgery, like a tooth extraction. Medicare and MinnesotaCare will cover the procedure, but not the anesthesia.
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Executive board members of the Good Samaritan Fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation Jamie O'Link, left to right, Bob Kovell and Rosanne Fischer share information with the members Monday, Aug. 28, at the Community Giving office in St. Cloud. (Photo: Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)
Another common case? A woman who leaves an abusive situation may have nothing to get started with a new life. Finances is one way perpetrators control victims.
The group doesn't get money from any government entity, so it isn't beholden to any requirements about income or other characteristics that can disqualify people from programs.
"We have no rules. We deal in circumstances and not absolutes," Campbell said. "If we didn't do that, nobody would."
Good Samaritan accepts private donations only.
"Every penny that we get donated from outside goes to cases," Campbell said.
Board members pay for brochures and the small stipend they give to Campbell for his work. Campbell reviews the applications, sending them on to the executive committee to approve.
There are a few rules. Recipients have to live within a 15-mile radius of St. Cloud. The group also wants to know that the money won't go to waste. Sometimes, they'll ask a client to take a financial planning or literacy class.
In doing their work, the group leverages its resources, too.
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Executive board members of the Good Samaritan Fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation Chuck Rau, left to right, Elna Bateman and Bruce Campbell listen to the discussion Monday, Aug. 28, at the Community Giving office in St. Cloud. (Photo: Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud maintains the list of people who have received help and writes the checks. The Central Minnesota Community Foundation holds the fund and accepts the donations.
Campbell tries to make the modest fund go as far as it can. A retired banker, Campbell leverages his connections to help. It comes in the form of vouching for a tenant with a poor credit history to a landlord. Or perhaps it's a good word explaining that felony conviction from several years ago.
Maybe he knows a mechanic who can do a car repair at the cost of parts, donating time.
"I've been doing this a long time. A lot of people, they know me," he said.
In the end, they're trying to fill gaps in the system.
"If we didn't do (it), nobody else in the entire world would," Campbell said.
Follow Stephanie Dickrell on Twitter @SctimesSteph, like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sctimessteph, call her at 255-8749 or find more stories at www.sctimes.com/sdickrell.
Oct 13, 2016
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#32
Where is 'Aransas Pass'? .. Somewhere, in the American, 'sw' perhaps!?
Good Samaritans save girls from fiery crash
Posted: Oct 12, 2016 6:41 PM PDT Updated: Oct 12, 2016 6:41 PM PDT
Oct 14, 2016
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#34
from, 'wreg.com' .. published, Sept. 29, 2016
NEW ZEALAND — The lucky winner of a $1 million lotto drawing in New Zealand credits karma for the win.
The unidentified man was waiting in line at his local Pak N Save Papamoa on his way home from work when a customer cut in front of him.
“I wasn’t in any hurry, so I just let them go ahead and didn’t say anything,” he said. “I guess good karma pays off – if that hadn’t happened, they might have had the winning ticket not me.”
Several days later, he and his wife went to the Lotto shop and handed the ticket in, reported the News Zealand Herald.
They said the first thing on their list to buy- a home of their own.
Oct 16, 2016
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#35
..Non- 'poker'.. Words-of-wisdom, from, "Kenny Rogers"?!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kenny-rogers-regret_us_58000cbce4b05eff5582b9a4
Oct 17, 2016
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#36
" Confidence, is contagious - So is, Lack of confidence.".. {Vince Lombardi}.
Oct 18, 2016
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Oct 23, 2016
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#39
..Subliminal, in Nature.. {but, if you don't recognize him.. It may not!?} [ ;