[youOme]

and need to create a non profit organization that the community could benefit from. It's an assignment for my Sociology course, my final. I need ideas....clever, unique ideas. I'm leaning towards something like an after school program for children or adolescents. I have to expand my funds as far as they will go and every dime spent will be taken into account. 200,000 dollars won't go far. I get extra points for programs that will continue through the years. Anything goes really, as long as it's contributing to the community in an helpful way. What could your community benefit from? I live in southern West Virginia, I think mine could benefit from about anything.....some tips and ideas would be appreciated.

[Rapunzel]

Are you allowed to contribute to existing programs? If so, then maybe take a look at some of the programs that are having budget cuts and really struggling. That's most of the poverty programs. I'd particularly look at Head Start. They are getting such severe budget cuts as to appear that someone is trying to drive the program out of existance. And it is a program where every dollar pays off, as public schools would spend a lot more on remediation later if these children didn't get the help they are getting in Head Start. There is research that backs that up.

It's too bad you don't get real money to do this with. I think students who are enthusiastic and just learning this stuff could make a huge difference in the world.

[youOme]

I'm not fully sure but I will definitely email my prof.

I have seen how the Head Start program suffers. My three year old goes to the Head Start locally. When I last volunteered one of the staff mentioned the financial burden the program had taken recently. It's such an necessity, especially for the community around here.

Students could contribute more then they give themselves in my opinion. Volunteering their free time could add up to huge differences. I think it should be encouraged more in curriculum, as a way of earning certain amount of points per class. This was my first course that took volunteer hours and made them points. I wish other courses offered this as an option as well, even high school students could benefit.

[salukigirl]

if youre in the appalachians i would say to use it for education and assisting the people that live in the mountains with health care and job opportunities. those people barely get passes 3rd grade so thats what i would focus on for your region. unless youre in northern w.v. up by erie, pa.... then i dont know. im more familiar with the appalachian region.

[youOme]

I'm in southern WV. I definitely think education suffers immensely around here. There's so many problems in this local areas that anything at all would help. Poverty is mostly stricken in this community.

[Perna]

Look at West Virginia's existing programs: http://www.wvdhhr.org/bcf/ and see if you can fit anything into one of those. No need to be "clever" if what you have is a "good" idea! Fitting yourself into an existing program would show cleverness and resourcefulness because you'd be helping with the continuity problem also and you'd have good "padding" explaining the existing program you're fitting into and references, etc. Officials like existing programs that work already so your "new" one wouldn't be as suspect if it fit into an existing one.

[youOme]

Very true...good idea

[Perna]

Too, I'd read how Federal grants work and what sorts of grants are given out so I could make it all as realistic as possible:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/government...log-index.html

[youOme]

thanks hun, awesome links

[Perna]

I use to work for the Center for Human Services Development at the University of Maryland, a nonprofit (defunct now) that helped agencies focus and use their personnel and monies better, etc. and we had a lot of West Virginia members. My impression was that "transportation" was the big West Virginia problem. Even if they created jobs, the people had trouble getting to them because things are few and far between. I'd see if I could do some sort of fix-junk-cars/low-cost "taxi"/transportation service thing? You could have classes for teens/dropouts and they could learn to fix the cars (sort of like in "Grease" :-) and they could have jobs doing that once they learned and/or jobs as "drivers" along routes to pick up and take a couple people to/from work for less than what a for-profit organization would charge, etc. The more cars in a community the better the chance they'd need mechanics to "fix"/maintain them, etc. Just try to improve the transportation "system" in some way and create jobs for teachers, mechanics, drivers, etc.

[nothemama8]

sent you a pm, good luck on your project
Angie

[salukigirl]

there was a county in ohio, pretty close to w.v. that had asbestos in the ceilings and about 1 computer per 200 people. it was falling apart. are you familiar with athens, oh? it was vinton county which isnt too far from there. off route 50.

that would be number 1 ultimate concern, but thats just me. kids in that area grow up thinking they cant do anything with their lives and with the way education is down there, theyre kind of right. i think i would do a survey of the schools in the area and find the worst ones. i would split the money between those schools for new books etc...

[bebop]

how about a food bank or something along those lines? I know there are companies that will donate food to like a monthly type thing for low income. there is one here in my area that is huge now and it is all donated to this ministry. it would take money to get it started.

[youOme]

I'd say transportation is a huge problem in this area. We have no public transportation first off and yes the area is so far spread it's difficult for people to get where they need to go. I know people who walk miles to the nearest Wal mart to get supplies for their homes, then walk back carrying it. I live in an complex where half the tenants don't have vehicles.

That is a very clever idea. I recall hearing of a program where they took donated cars, fixed them up, and gave them to in need families. I only heard of it once and never again, so I'm not sure if it flourished like it should have.

[youOme]

My college is actually in Athens...I've seen the area many times. The schools are in saddening shape.

[salukigirl]

you go to OU? my brother graduated from there.

salvation army takes cars for donation, appraise it and whatever its worth is a tax credit on your tax return. i think it has to be working though. i dont think they fix it up. im pretty sure if it needs that much fixing they scrap the metal for money and put the money towards the salvation army. or at least thats what they did at the one in dayton cause i know a guy who donated his old saturn there.

[youOme]

Athens, West Virginia...CU, Concord. Are we talking about the same Athens? Maybe not.

Maybe that was the program I heard of because I think it did involve the Salvation Army. Still, odviously nothing like that had ever succeeded around here, in such desperate need of it.

[salukigirl]

i was talking about athens, oh. its not too far from w.v.

i was talking about ohio university

[katheryn]

if there isnt any transport for ppl to go to there local walmart what about a shoppers bus that could run once or twice a week ,
we have schemes like that here

[youOme]

Thanks all very much for the advice and ideas...I got much more then I expected. If everybody took as much interest in the welfare of the community like we have here it would be a better place with happier citizens. Much appreciated.

[TBunny]

How did you apply for the grant money? Was it difficult? Is the website you provided above the one you went to to apply?

Thanks!

[Mystry]

I think you should set up a program for kids with disabilities who haven't the opportunity to get the medication and / or the medical supplies they need...how about this... make a wish

[ECHOES]

my dream for when I won the lottery :-) was to make a place in the community for kids over 12, as so many programs are for kids up to that age. I think kids over 12 are too often left alone and while they aren't children needing a lot of supervision, they are lonely. And they need help to stay directed and interested in life.

I envisioned a place that served good healthy foods, had areas for art, music, games (electronic, cards, board games, etc), weekly dances, other special events at holiday times.... It would for anyone but would operate like a cooperative, where everyone who took part was also required to volunteer (preparing food, serving, facillitating games, clean up, etc).

Respectful behavior with concern for others would be expected, encouraged, and taught by example.

It would be a fun, safe, intellectually stimulating, relaxing place to be for anyone but particularly those who were not into sports, maybe not so much into school, not into unhealthy alternative activiites....

I think the ages of 12-16 or 18 are somewhat ignored in our society and we just want them to hurry up and grow up. Already they feel the awdwardness of being in between childhood and adulthood and I don't think that society does much to help them and tell them that they are wonderful, exciting, fun, intelligent kids.

okay. dream over. back to reality

[(JD)]

IDK if your teacher is this strict, but you need to review the guidelines you would have had to follow to get the monies in the first place, and let those be your guide?

How about a mobile therapy van of some sort?

[Perna]

Echoes, I use to do the Publisher Clearinghouse Sweepstakes with the $10,000,000, LOL. I can't tell you how many non-profits I created in my head and on paper even. I'd be in the middle of working in my journal and suddenly I'd be doing figures, how much things would cost, sketching out services and how big the organization could be and how I'd solve various problems.

My latest is a membership transportation service for old people, once they have to give up driving (can you tell I'm getting up there and worried about this problem :-) They would pay a fee and get a trip each week to the grocery store, doctor visits, etc. but in a "chauffered" car instead of a bus; even could pay extra and get driven to parties, family or friends, vacation (for those who normally go to Florida or "south" in the winter and back again), etc. The drivers would be social work students at universities and they'd get to know their clients, etc. (go in and help them with the grocery shopping, for example). But the membership fee would be much lower than cabs or public transportation and it would be membership/organized so it helped the members instead of the people having to "wait" or be uncomfortable, not have enough help, etc. It would be nonprofit and would work to get grants, etc. to keep fees low. But the fees would be "realistic" and help keep the organization growing and functioning. Maybe later I'd figure out how it could help low income people who had trouble with transportation but initially it would just be moderate income elderly who didn't have too many medical problems, just could no longer drive at night or needed some help when they went to the store, etc. so they could stay active longer.

There are social work firms now in larger cities/areas that cater to people who live elsewhere and have elderly parents still trying to live in their old homes, etc. The children can't get to where the parents are to care for them often enough and hire the social work firms to keep an eye on the parents, visit and find services and solve problems that are just a bit hard for the older people trying to stay living in their own homes. I'd get referrals from those social work people, send them brochures so they could include my organization in any packet they give their clients of services that might help them. I'd pay the social work students really well so "driving" would be a good enough job to have full-time and so they'd invest themselves in it for the couple years while they were getting their social work degree. Too, I'd work it so it would be a good "beginning" job so they'd stay for awhile since they'd be more than just "drivers", they'd actually get to know the individuals and their needs, etc. I'd empower them to be able to help more than a driver normally would.