I want to do something and I'm wondering if it would work. I want to start a website called Homeschoolers helping Homeschoolers. Then when we learn of a tragedy, like the recent Brown Family fire in PA, we could verify that it was real, and get local contact information.
I am the type that cries when I read these stories. I really do hurt for the families. If I can spare a few bucks, I do. So if I did this, would it help? Would it make a difference? Would it work?
Any ideas?
Of course, if this were my site, I would have something along the lines of this: Your race, religion, sex or sexual orientation doesn't matter. This is a matter of homeschoolers reaching out to humanity. You know, some kind of caveat like that, to include any homeschooler.
What does anyone think?
6 comments:
"If you can conceive it, you can achieve it."
I tried to find out who said it by looking it up at crazy-inspirational-quotes.com (not a real web site), but couldn't find it.
Okay, I tried it again with these words only: "if you can conceive it" without a period and Jesse Jackson said it. Wynona Judd, homeschooler with a mug shot, puts "and believe it" in the middle: "If you can conceive it and believe it, you can achieve it."
Apparently, a whole slew of people said it, so it must true, right?
So yes, you can do it.
However, I "believe" there would be many obstacles to be overcome and possible you would like to limit it so that it won't take too much of your time away from homeschooling.
It could get to be a very large charity, with lots of paperwork and lawyers to work with, you know, a full time job with a staff.
Would you give money to a family who's son/daughter, in a fit of pique, took a big box of their school books, gave it cement boots, and threw it into the East River? They're in need. I think trying to come up with criteria for handing out money might get tricky, especially for the kind-hearted.
Keeping it simple would be the key. Well, unless you want it to be a big production.
Maybe you could just have a web site where you could post the story and the contact info and homeschool visitors to your site could choose who they'd like to help out. That way, you wouldn't actually be handling the money yourself.
Maybe you could find a local homeschooling family in the area who could collect the donations and then take them to the "victims" (so to speak).
I have a tendency myself to want to get the donation into the hands of the person who actually needs it. The middleman (even if it's a church or legal charity) may take money/goods out of donations for their operating expenses.
And you'd have operating expenses, too, if you set up a web site (which is the way it really should be done if you do this). Plus phone bills when you're verifying and finding the contact info.
Anyway, there are a jillion things to consider, and I've got to run and get breakfast made pronto.
But it's definitely doable. Don't let me dissuade you!
Get lots of advice from a few experts in this type of thing.
Tammy
Well, I was thinking of a website to announce stories: victims of disasters, specifically.
All stories would be verified, and contact addresses could be posted. I wouldn't want to handle money directly.
Perhaps, even a list of homeschool supplies needed, and I could be a coordinator and check off if anything has been received.
There are many free website places out there, so that wouldn't be a problem. I have free long distance on my cell phone, so that wouldn't be a problem.
I suppose there would be legal ramifications: Permission by the victims, for instance. And there are a lot of scam artists out there.
Well, it's certainly an idea to float around in the back of my head for awhile.
I would rather donate to specific people in need. While I do not fit in with the typically defined homeschooler, it is a common bond and near and dear to my heart. If I can help, I'd like to.
My sister had a house fire years ago. It's an awful thing to go through.
Food for thought.
That's a pretty cool idea:)
It is a wonderful idea, in theory, but starting a non-profit organization from grass roots can be a little sticky. We considered this once, and even went through a friend who is an attorney, and just wading through the logistics would have been a full-time job. It is something that I needed to put on my plate for the years after I am done homeschooling.
If there was some way to get many hoemschooling bloggers to list the information for each specific family as we heard about them, we could readily help. Who is hosting the next carnival? Once you have an addy, maybe writing a blog about it and posting it in the Carnival would be a quicker help...reaching more readers.
Not for profits can be a pain to start and to run not to mention to get started (I've investigated it a bit for my homeschool group). But a website that just hosts information is a possible alternative perhaps?
Maybe a website like Craig's list, with wish lists for various families, but it would be nice if the family could be vetted, at least through the bank or church that is hosting or sponsoring the fund drive. Terrific idea, Frankie.
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