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Charity Logo

Charity of the Month

CHARITY OF THE MONTH - HEIFER INTERNATIONAL

In December I am riding for Heifer International. Founded in 1944, Heifer International works with communities around the world to end hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth. Its approach is more than a handout. Heifer provides animals (e.g., heifers, goats, water buffalos, chickens, rabbits, fish, and bees) and training to impoverished people in over 30 countries. The animals can give milk, meat, or eggs; provide draft power; or form the basis of a small business. Communities make their own decisions about what crops, animals, and market strategies make sense for their everyday conditions and experiences.

Heifer International is based on 12 Cornerstones, such as Sustainability; Genuine Need and Justice; and Gender and Family Focus. Perhaps the best known Cornerstone is Passing on the Gift, in which Heifer recipient families pass on the offspring of their animals to others in need. In this way, whole communities can raise their standard of living.

A donation to Heifer International also can make a wonderful alternative holiday gift. Instead of yet another sweater for Grandma that she really doesn’t need, why not donate a Heifer animal or a share of an animal in her honor? Does your child really need so many new toys? Instead of five new toys, give him/her three new toys and a Heifer flock of chicks. Heifer has honor cards to let your loved ones know of your gift on their behalf.

I have set up a Team Heifer page to support Heifer International through A Year of Centuries. My goal is to raise $500. Please make your donation through https://teamheifer.heifer.org/AYearofCenturies. If you would like more information about Heifer’s work, please visit www.heifer.org. Whether you give to honor a loved one or make a regular donation, thank you for taking steps to transform the world for the better.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Ideal Hound

Trooper, our first greyhound, really got us hooked.  In addition to being very affectionate, he was always ready for any outing.  Also, he loved to catch balls and Frisbees, which is not very common among greyhounds.  Trooper was just an all-around great dog.  One time at a local dog show that was a Relay for Life fundraiser, Trooper won Best Personality and Best in Show.  Even though Trooper has been gone for a long time now, Robert and I still refer to him as Ideal Hound.

Here’s another cool thing about Trooper: his head looked just like a bicycle seat!


Thus, one of Trooper’s many nicknames was Bicycle Seat Head.  (I can’t help but give multiple nicknames to those closest to me, whether they are two-legged or four-legged.)

Jerry Goldin, a friend of ours who is a retired state trooper, was so impressed that we had a dog named Trooper that Jerry gave him a real Georgia State Patrol patch.  I sewed it onto a bandana, which Trooper often wore when we went somewhere.


Thank you, Trooper, for introducing us to the Wonderful World of Greyhounds (or is it the Cult of Greyhound?).  You helped us understand why greyhounds are like Lay’s potato chips: no one can have just one!

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