tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43694308882430399952011-11-27T18:55:39.406-05:00The purpose of this blog is to highlight charities and volunteer organizations in the Triangle Region of North Carolina worthy of your time, talent, and donations. Charity is needed year-round, not just during the holidays. Please give of yourself if you can.Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.comBlogger191100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-75030934619138734702010-04-07T22:10:00.000-04:002010-04-07T22:10:10.310-04:00

Earlier this week, I posted part one of this blog entry that originally ran on Whatever-Weather.com about the importance of Skywarn spotters.  Tonight, I’d like to expand just a little on how to get involved with Skywarn in the Triangle area. In Raleigh, the local National Weather Service office has a page on its website devoted to Skywarn, like most offices around the country.  The training is

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-11497443225482433062010-04-05T22:15:00.001-04:002010-04-05T22:17:42.363-04:00

The following is one of my articles that originally appeared on Whatever-Weather.com.  It is the first of a two-part blog entry about Skywarn, a very important volunteer organization. “Skywarn Spotters Help Save Lives” is the title of a news article I would love to see one day.  So far, I have not personally seen this one.  Skywarn spotters are the unsung heroes of the weather geek community

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-19879598441937027102010-03-26T14:56:00.000-04:002010-03-26T14:56:22.421-04:00

Most people know Habitat for Humanity is a charity and volunteer organization that helps build housing for lower income families.  The families that benefit put 250 hours of sweat equity into helping build their homes.  The homes are not given to the families, instead the families also commit to a 20year mortgage, homeowners education classes, a reasonable down payment and some closing costs

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-45516025451965681472010-03-19T16:27:00.002-04:002010-03-19T16:29:12.859-04:00

This is a follow-up to a previous blog entry about the wonderful things that the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle does for our community.  I had the honor and joy of being a guest today at the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle's Culinary Job Training Program's 50th class graduation.  Not only did I enjoy a delicious lunch and the company of good people, but I also witnessed a life changing moment for the

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-80952623117713301922010-03-10T17:46:00.000-05:002010-03-10T17:46:06.819-05:00

There’s nothing like seeing a baseball game at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.  The team is good, the food is great, and the atmosphere is always fun!  There is a group that is a part of the excitement during every home game, and judging from their work, you’d never guess they are students.  That’s right!  I said “students.” According to the Explorer Post 50 page on the Durham Bulls’ website:

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-45511345819818784272010-03-09T16:37:00.001-05:002010-03-09T16:37:13.629-05:00

Wake County to host volunteer fair this SaturdayPosted using ShareThis

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-82364760126766083742010-03-05T16:47:00.000-05:002010-03-05T16:47:21.676-05:00

Back in December, I wrote about the Independent Animal Rescue of Durham.  Today I was contacted by a representative with some information important enough to pass on to you, the reader.  This is a great cause and a very cool event.  Please take part if you can!  Check it out... We're trying to raise $15,000 for the animals in the great human race!  We need runners or walkers to help us raise

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-3341499975503414112010-02-25T19:34:00.002-05:002010-02-25T19:37:40.074-05:00

I received a request to cover The V Foundation for Cancer Research from a friend a couple of weeks ago.  Actually, she requested that I cover “The Jimmy V Foundation” as it is also known.  By either name, The V Foundation is a wonderful charity with a great reputation.  The V Foundation was founded by former coach Jim Valvano in partnership with ESPN in 1993.  The announcement of this

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-19057171782526294532010-02-18T20:12:00.000-05:002010-02-18T20:12:25.050-05:00

The 2010 Winter Olympics are currently taking place in Vancouver right now as you probably already know.  It seems a good time for me to focus on an athlete who needs our support for this week’s blog entry.  Unlike most of the other charities and volunteer organizations I cover, this one is all about one person: Tucker Dupree. Tucker Dupree is a star swimmer with the medals to prove it.  He is a

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-73759599855719125582010-02-11T11:35:00.004-05:002010-02-11T22:34:11.043-05:00

It’s always interesting to me how fashion is cyclical, and not just clothing fashion or car fashion, but entertainment fashion.  In the late 80’s to mid-90’s, shows about the paranormal were popular.  Sightings and Unsolved Mysteries are a few examples.  Eventually these shows fell out of favor with the viewing audiences.  Now the paranormal is back in style.  With “reality” shows like Ghost

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-56291054590815951352010-02-04T16:48:00.002-05:002010-02-04T17:10:12.340-05:00

I am always asking for suggestions for topics for the blog. I’ve had multiple friends suggest that I cover the Tammy Lynn Center. It is an amazing place. The focus of the center is to help children and adults with developmental disabilities. These disabilities range from mild learning problems to more extreme cases of cerebral palsy and beyond. As with so many other charities I’ve covered,

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-16249113229102003362010-01-29T11:12:00.002-05:002010-01-29T11:16:50.275-05:00

In a period of my family life that seems far away and long ago, we had a painful situation arise. My sister was living out of state, married, and had a new baby boy when we got a call from her best friend. My sister’s husband had put her in the hospital. For me, the rest was an angry blur. I still get mad at him just thinking about it. Thankfully, he is long gone. I share this with you

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-58646852063843828832010-01-22T16:56:00.002-05:002010-01-31T09:36:15.036-05:00

There’s an old proverb that says “Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.”  Today, I visited the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle’s Raleigh headquarters where I learned that not only do they aid in giving men fish and teaching some to fish, but they are also teaching others how to stock the pond.  (That’s their analogy, not mine, but I like it

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-91109869169520380712010-01-13T19:09:00.003-05:002010-01-13T22:17:56.693-05:00

By now we’ve all heard the news that a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the small, poor, island country of Haiti.  For many of us, the devastation is incomprehensible, and as with so many large-scale natural disasters, we want to do something to help.  In this age of information going viral and spreading through Facebook, twitter, and other social networking sites, the info about how to help was

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-6355846762618250952010-01-07T17:53:00.000-05:002010-01-07T17:53:15.649-05:00

I love big cats!  I love, love, love them!  So when two different friends within three weeks’ time mentioned the Carolina Tiger Rescue to me, how could I resist writing about it?  I couldn’t. The Carolina Tiger Rescue used to be known as the Carnivore Preservation Trust.  It is a non-profit located in Pittsboro and a little bit off the beaten path for many who live in the Triangle.  Still, it’s

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-73242110893956567222009-12-15T20:38:00.002-05:002009-12-15T23:10:51.494-05:00

I have many friends who are animal lovers like myself.  I am not a dog person or a cat person. I love both.  I may lean toward kitties, but I would never turn my back on a dog in need.  So this blog is a special topic for me and for my friend Tiffany who suggested I write about the Independent Animal Rescue of Durham.  I have to admit that I had never heard of IAR until Tiffany told me that is

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-84743548246226537832009-12-09T10:18:00.001-05:002009-12-09T15:25:26.585-05:00

Recently while driving in my car and listening to a local radio station, I heard a commercial for Hospice of Wake County.  The commercial said that you could buy a brick for a donation of $150.  I didn’t think too much about it at the time.  Then I asked my friends for a list of charitable and volunteer organizations they support.  Martie Todd Sirois told me that her singing group, The Oakwood

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-21908906666306076342009-12-04T18:38:00.002-05:002009-12-04T21:58:00.535-05:00

Since writing my first blog for this series on charities and volunteer organizations, I put out a call to my friends asking what causes are close to their hearts.  Of the responses that I received, one that stood out was the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  My friend Jim is very active with the Triangle/Eastern North Carolina Chapter based in Raleigh.  For that reason, I am going to cover

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4369430888243039995.post-52935319028967573812009-12-01T15:07:00.003-05:002009-12-01T16:38:49.104-05:00

This is the first blog of what I hope will be a long series helping to promote charities and volunteer organizations around the Research Triangle region of North Carolina, which includes the cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.  This region is blessed with great schools, wonderful weather, and terrific people, but even here there is a need for help. At least once per week I will highlight

Niki Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.com0