Ironwood's Samuel

I recently wrote about the Ironwood Pig Sanctuary in Arizona to shine a light on the great work they are doing to help neglected, unwanted and sick pot-bellied pigs http://hedgys.blogspot.com/2015/04/ironwood-pig-sanctuary.html. Now I’m coming to you about a specific pig. His name is Samuel, he’s an elderly pig with some medical issues. Samuel has a sponsor, our CEO Janina Reed. She sends Ironwood Pig Sanctuary money each month for his care and has recently sponsored some dental work for him.

Unfortunately, Janina is now fighting her own battle with Hepatitis C and, at the same time, Samuel is sick. This is so much for her to handle, she considers Samuel one of her very own animals and it’s hurts her when he’s sick.

Samuel is one of almost 600 pot-bellied pigs that live at the sanctuary. As you know, when someone in the family has a medical crisis it puts a strain on an already tight budget, which is the biggest struggle at Ironwood. We are hoping that some of you can help. A fun way to do this is by sponsoring your own pig. They have a gallery on their website with lots of pictures of these sweet pigs that need a sponsor.

You can take a look and read a little story about each pig at http://www.ironwoodpigsanctuary.org/support.html. If that seems like more of commitment that you would like to make, a one-time donation would go a long way in helping. You can donate using the same link.

Blue Monarch and Out of the Blue Granola

A SAFE HAVEN, A SHELTER IN THE STORM

The Blue Monarch is a safe place to fall for women who are struggling with addiction and/or abuse. It is a long-term residential treatment center located on a 50 acre farm, which was formerly a bed and breakfast near Monteagle, TN. This peaceful setting contrasts sharply with the turmoil it’s residents have experienced. The Blue Monarch literally started from a dream. About 20 years ago founder, Susan Binkley had a vivid dream about putting together a recovery program for women and children. At the time, she thought she had intercepted someone else’s dream. Now, years later, she’s living the dream, right down to the very last detail.

Blue Monarch is a 1-2 year program where women, and their chidren live, work, learn and worship. Women are given the chance to reconnect with their children.

LIVING THE DREAM

A few years after “the dream”, Susan and her husband Clay opened a bakery named The Blue Chair. It was here that Susan heard horrifying stores of abuse and addiction from some of her employees. The more she thought about these women and ways she could help, she realized that “this is what God was asking me to do”. She considered ways to employ these women and realized that just a job was not was these women needed. Her feeling was to take a group of women, help them achieve sobriety, enhance their relationship with their children, help them build better life skills and promote spiritual growth. Thus, Blue Monarch was born.

TRANSFORMING LIVES

Susan chose the name Blue Monarch because the butterfly symbolizes transformation and more specifically the monarch because of it’s resilience. And blue for the name of her cafe, which she sold in 2012. A monarch is special because it survives the winter when all others die-fragile, yet determined.

Women come to Blue Monarch for many different reasons. Most are dealing with drug addiction, some are in trouble with the law, some are estranged from their children and some are escaping domestic violence. Whatever the reason, all are struggling. But, in order to be accepted, you must have a desire to change. This is a stringent program and there is a limited amount of space. Blue Monarch can house up to 12 families at a time. It is a huge commitment and you must be willing to change every aspect of your life. Many of these women come from generation of dysfunction.

GRANOLA WITH A PURPOSE

While in the program, women learn to parent their children (sometimes sober for the first time). This is an intensive, self-help program. The Christian-based curriculum combines individual counseling and treatment with classes on parenting and life skills, anger management, budgeting and work ethics as well as Bible study. Once a woman has completed the work ethics program, she is eligible to work at Out of the Blue Granola. This is a private business that provides onsite employment for the women participating in the program. This was a perfect fit since this granola is what they made and served at The Blue Chair. It is an all-natural product, carefully baked by hand using local honey. With each bag purchased, you will receive a photograph of one of the women who bake the granola and her very special story of recovery on the back-that’s why it’s referred to as “gift granola”.

Out of the Blue Granola gives the women valuable job training for their upcoming job search and an often unknown sense of accomplishment. Once the woman starts to earn an income, she can choose to give up to 10% back to Blue Monarch to support the services she has received. These are some of the reasons it is also called “granola with a purpose”.

If you would like to purchase some all natural “gift granola” or “granola with a purpose”, please visit https://www.facebook.com/HedgysGoodDeeds/app_410312912374011

Ironwood Pig Sanctuary

THE PEOPLE & THE MISSION

The great people at The Ironwood Pig Sanctuary have dedicated their lives to helping neglected, sick, and unwanted pot-bellied pigs. They have been doing this for the past 13 years. Their stated mission “is to eliminate the suffering of pot-bellied pigs by promoting spaying and neutering, assisting owners and other sanctuaries, and providing a permanent home in a safe, nurturing environment for those that are abandoned, abused, neglected or unwanted”.

A FOREVER HOME TO 600 PIGS

Over 600 pot-bellied pigs from the Phoenix, Tucson, and other Southwest areas is a “forever” home for these forgotten animals. Most of these pigs will live out the remainder of their lives here. When I mentioned that The Ironwood Pig Sanctuary dedicates their lives to their pigs, I meant it literally. They spend many hours each and every morning making sure all of the geriatric and sick pigs get the medical care, medications and supplements they need and then they repeat this in the evening.

WATER, WATER, & MORE WATER

The most important thing, especially in the summer, is water. They spend countless hours during the day making sure all of their pigs have fresh drinking water, water in their wading pools, and water in the wallows. We haven’t even mentioned the daily feeding of all 600 hungry pigs!

RESCUE NEVER STOPS!

Somehow, in the midst of their busy days, they find the time to rescue pot-bellied pigs found wandering in neighborhoods or in the desert, some that are left at community shelters and, any who are abandoned by their owners (this happens more often than you would think). Occasionally they are called to help take other’s pigs to the vet. Often times, caregivers are unable to transport their pig themselves due to their size.

Kelli saying hi

A DANGEROUS ‘TREND’

One of their great concerns is the trend of breeding “teacup” pigs. There is no such thing! As with dogs and horses, irresponsible breeders try to achieve ‘traits’ with a lot of inbreeding going on. Inbreeding, and a small gene pool in pot-bellied pigs (as well as any other domestic animal) causes a number of health risks. For example, nearly all of these pigs will develop painful arthritis and, for some, it will be the cause of their early death.

Rufus smiling, as always

A BIG BUNDLE OF LOVE

As you can tell, pot-bellied pigs are intelligent, loving animals but, they require a lot of work and attention as well as a large space to roam for adequate exercise. There aren’t many people who are equipped to deal with a 200-300 lb. bundle of love.If you want to get a pot-bellied pig as a pet, please do your homework first, and, by all means, adopt, don’t buy! Pot-bellied pigs are suitable for indoor living if trained properly. They are curious animals with a humorous disposition and an intelligence second only to that of a dog. They are not finicky eaters and can be house trained.

SPONSORING & EDUCATION WILL SAVE LIVES

If you are feeling the need to help the plight of these sweet pot-bellied pigs, the Ironwood Pig Sanctuary is a reputable, responsible, and loving place. They are always in need of donations, volunteers and they have a wish list of things they need in their newsletters. Our CEO has personally visited the sanctuary and sends them a donation each month. The Ironwood Pig Sanctuary is a 501(c)3 non-profit, so all donations are tax deductible. They also have a sponsorship program that allows you to sponsor one of the pigs and receive pictures and information about the pig you sponsor. To take a peek at all the pigs needing a sponsor or to donate, visit their website at http://www.ironwoodpigsanctuary.org/index.html.

 A special thanks to the Arizona Daily Star for these great photos.  Any of these photos can be purchased at  http://tucson.com/gallery/lifestyles/pets/photo-gallery-ironwood-pig-sanctuary/collection_7b721b6e-e788-11df-8b1c-001cc4c03286.html#1

Lifesong For Orphans

GOD HAS A PLAN

Lifesong for Orphans is another of our non-profit friends. They are a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. The journey to Lifesong for Orphans was made up of struggles and promises made to God. It shows that if you’re willing, God has a wonderful plan waiting for you. Lifesong for Orphans is God’s plan for Gary and Marla Ringger.

THE STRUGGLE

About 20 years ago, Gary Ringger made a commitment that has changed the lives of thousands of children worldwide. At that time, Gary owned a struggling food business that produced rice crisps, soy crisps and cookie pieces for granola, cereal and candy bars. The business wasn’t succeeding and he was losing money. The financial burden and the responsibility of making a safe product for human consumption took a toll on Gary and depression set in. Thankfully Christianity had always played a major role in his life and he began to spend more time in prayer. Through prayer, Gary was led not to quit the business but to think of it as an opportunity to be a ministry. Carrying out the conviction that this was to be God’s business, Gary and his dad made a commitment that if the business succeeded, and he ever sold it, he would keep only what he invested, with interest, and, if God blessed him beyond that, the rest would go for Kingdom purposes.

GOD’S BUSINESS

Eight years later he sold the business, for a fairly large profit, and after much prayer, he was led to use half of the proceeds for a family foundation and the other half for starting a business that would eventually fund the foundation. Thus, The Manna Group Foundation, Watershed Foods and, what is now, Lifesong for Orphans were born!

SOME WILL ADOPT, SOME WILL CARE AND SOME WILL GIVE

The mission of Lifesong for Orphans is simply stated “bringing joy and purpose to orphans”. They seek to mobilize the church, His body, where each member can provide a unique and special service-some to adopt, some to care and some to give. Lifesong for Orphans’ ultimate goal in caring for orphan children is adoption. They offer adoption financial assistance in the form of matching grants and interest-free loans, foster care support through The Forgotten Initiative, church and ministry partnerships, and international orphan care by serving advocates who help carry out their mission. Through their financial partnership with The Manna Group foundation, all US administration and fundraising costs are covered. This means that 100% of your donation will go directly to caring for orphans and their needs.

THERE IS SO MUCH MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE

There is so much more to this story. Lifesong for Orphans has expanded to 10 different locations around the world to help orphans in need. Four thousand children have been blessed through their orphan care. 120 jobs have been created through their sustainable business programs and they of hundreds of volunteers caring for children worldwide.

Lifesong for Orphans also has an online store where you can purchase items and all of the proceeds (100%) go to Lifesong for Orphans http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/store/.

But, there is so much more that needs to be done. If you would like to learn more or help in any way, please visit their website at www.lifesongfororphans.org

Family Foundation Fund

FAMILY FOUNDATION FUND

The Family Foundation Fund got started back in 1993 when Onnie Kirk began taking 2 young men to work with him. Onnie had become painfully aware of the demise of families in America and, especially in African-American communities. After extensive research, it became evident to him that the cause was the absence of fathers in the home.

SOME STAGGERING STATISTICS

10 Facts About Fatherlessness:

1 24 million children (36%) live absent of their biological father.

2 There are 17 million children (25%) living with their single mother.

3 2 million of all births in 1995 were out of wedlock (32%).

4 Nearly 4 out of 10 first marriages end in divorce, 60% of divorcing couples have children. Over 1 million children each year experience the divorce of their parents.

5 One out of every six children is a step child.

6 There are nearly 1.9 million single fathers with children under 18.

7 4 out of every 10 cohabitating couples have children present and, of the children born to cohabitating couples, only 4 out of every 10 will see their parents marry. Those who do marry experience a 50% higher divorce rate.

8 26% of absent fathers live in a different state.

9 About 40% of the children who live in a fatherless home haven’t seen their fathers in at least a year. While 50% of children who don’t live with their fathers have never set foot in their fathers home.

10 Children who live absent of their biological fathers, on average, are more likely to be poor, experience educational, health, emotional and psychological problems, be victims of child abuse and engage in criminal behavior than their peers who live with their married, biological mother and father.

The Fatherless Account For:

• 63% of teen suicides

• 71% of high school dropouts

• 80% of rapes

• 85% of behavioral disorders

• 85% of youths in prison

• 90% of homeless and runaway children

THE PROGRAM

The Family Foundation Fund’s mentoring program is an intensive, multi-year, comprehensive commitment in which a mature, well-balanced Christian man acts as a surrogate father for an “at risk” youth who will have a long-term relationship and take an active interest in his life. A surrogate father will pray for him, advocate for him and be a presence in the rest of his life.

When a young man gets to a certain age, he begins to question his identity and what a real man is. Without a father’s guidance, statistics show that these men will experience significant emotional, physical, social and financial problems later in life. When these boys arrive at the Family Foundation Fund, they are generally lacking confidence and direction as well as being insecure. With the guidance of FFF and their surrogate father these boys will become secure and gain confidence. They will be able to take on life’s challenges.

The motto at FFF is “changing lives one boy at a time”. “They are good men who are going to be good husbands one day, good fathers, good citizens and good men of God.”

To learn more about the Family Foundation Fund visit their website at www.familyfoundationfund.org. They also have a Facebook page www.facebook.com/familyfoundationfund. Any donations can be made at http://familyfoundationfund.org/donate/.

SCHOOLS FOR HAITI

SCHOOLS FOR HAITI

HAITI:

A Country Born of Slavery and Corruption

Haiti occupies one-third of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. About the same size as the state of Delaware. It has a population of 8-9 million people, over 80% of which live below the poverty line.

Haiti, born of slavery and revolution, has struggled with centuries of crippling debt, exploitation, corruption and violence. Geography and bad luck are only partly to blame. Haiti straddles the major fault line between the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates. It is also positioned right on the regions principal hurricane track. Add to this, the fact that they have deforested 98% of their land. Every single factor that international experts look for when trying to measure a nation’s vulnerability to natural disasters is in Haiti.

The Reign of Papa Doc

Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier came into power in 1957. This was one of the most corrupt and repressive regimes in modern history. He racked up massive debt and embezzled 80% of its international aid, which is said to be 45% of their yearly budget. When “Papa Doc” fled, estimates of what he took with him run as high as $900 million.

The last 5 centuries have combined to produce a people so poor, an infrastructure so non-existent and a state so hopelessly ineffectual that whatever natural disaster chooses to strike next, its impact on the population is magnified many times over. Simply, Haiti has been plagued by rulers that have shamelessly pillaged the land and stolen all its wealth.

Since the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship, Haiti’s economic and social stability had improved considerably, and many believed they were turning a corner toward sustainable development. Unfortunately, the earthquake in 2010 has set back the development.

Poverty & Illiteracy

A major problem in Haiti is that formal education rates are among the lowest in the Western Hemisphere. The literacy rate is about 53% while the average literacy rate for Latin American and Caribbean countries in approximately 90%. The Haitian government provides very little funding for education. As a result, the private sector has become a substitute for government investment in education.

The Orphans

In the midst of this, there are approximately 490,000 orphans living in Haiti. A great number of these children actually have parents that have surrendered them to an orphanage simply because they cannot afford to feed them or to educate them.

Obstacles of Education

• Teachers may be underqualified. Sometimes the teacher is only a few grades ahead of the student.
• The expense of attending school often exceeds a families resources.
• The average age for students starting school is 9.
• Insufficient number of schools. This sometimes requires children to walk up to 2 hours to school. This takes time away from adding to family income and can be very dangerous.
• A number of schools are run by religious organizations but many more are run as a business to make a profit.
• Students are required to pay a fee to take the exams. If the fee is not paid, the student does not pass to the next grade.

The Challenges

Given the above obstacles and the lack of schools for the number of children who want an education, there is a high demand for seats. At this point, the seats go to those who can afford to pay for them. This is where the story of Schools for Haiti begins.

Len P. Demert

Len Demert - Founder of Schools for Haiti

About 10 years ago, Len Demert answered a call to teach English in Haiti. He met the children there and began to teach, but couldn't help but notice that the schools were in very poor condition. Len was so moved to do something beyond teaching that he started an organization with the goal to provide free education for the poorest of Haiti's children – and Schools for Haiti was born. For seven years, Len visited Haiti two or three times a year. Every time he returned to the United States, he would pray for God's help and work to raise funds for Schools for Haiti.


The Loss of A Great Man

About 2 years ago, Len Demert died while undergoing a heart procedure he needed to continue his missionary work, he was 81 years old. Len's surviving family continues his legacy. They include Demert's daughter, Lynn Langseth, and her husband Roger of Stewartville, WI; along with Langseth’s mother and her sisters, all of whom live in Wisconsin.

Roger and Lynn Langseth

The Legacy Continues

Thanks to Demert's groundwork, the continuing efforts of his family and friends, and the donors who have generously contributed, Schools for Haiti has built four schools and two children's homes. A total of about 800 children who attend the four schools are all receiving a free education.

"When Dad died, we had to decide if this was something we wanted to continue as a family," Lynn Langseth said. "It's a lot of work. My dad did a lot of fund raising in Wisconsin, and God provided in so many ways. It seemed that this mission was meant to continue."

And their mission does continue. Len’s family still returns to Haiti to visit the children. They bring nurses with them to make sure the children are healthy and, they themselves make sure all are getting the education that Len envisioned for them. If you feel compelled to help educate and care for the children in Haiti, go to http://www.schools4haiti.com/how-you-can-help/.  

One of the ways they help fund themselves is by selling a Haitian blend of coffee called Len’s Blend. It comes in a 12 oz. bag and can be purchased on their website www.schools4haiti.com

Hi, I’m Hedgy the Blue Hedgehog, but all my friends just call me Hedgy. I’d like to welcome you to my brand new Facebook page. We started this page so we can share all the good things we are doing to help both people and animals.

I have a few friends contributing to this page I'd like to introduce:

THE P.I.G. RACE

First, my good friend Kent Robson and his company Blue Hedgehog Productions – they are passionate about what it really means to help those in need. Their mission is to celebrate the joy of life by providing “creative and highly satisfying events and opportunities that stir the heart, stretch the body and stagger the limits of the mind.” Check out the website www.thepigrace.com or the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thepigrace.

They put on these really fun races called The P.I.G. Race - Perseverance, Intensity, and Grit. These races are mostly contested around the southeast part of the U.S. and all profits from these are used to help the various organizations that Kent supports. All the organizations are dedicated to directly helping families, children and education. I will talk about each one of these groups on my Facebook page so keep watching!

PLUCKY

Next there’s Plucky. He runs Sunburst Oranges and has created a beautiful website: http://www.sunburstoranges.com. Plucky is all about citrus. He loves the citrus industry and its rich history. There are interesting stories on the website telling about citrus history from all over the world. He also sells the famous “PLUCKY” oranges. I've eaten them and they are the BEST! Plucky is all about helping others. He and his friend Morgan have been busy helping Sunburst Oranges support the American Liver Foundation.

MORGAN

In fact, there's my friend Morgan d' Organ (he's such a liver) presenting the first ever Liver Lover award to Plucky and Sunburst Oranges from the American Liver Foundation.  He has a facebook page called Orange is the New Liver: www.facebook.com/orangeisthenewliver. Morgan does everything he can to help those who have liver disease, and he’s especially fond of the American Liver Foundation, and Donate Life: http://donatelife.net/http://donatelife.net/. Keep watching for informative videos from Morgan on the Facebook page. Morgan does a really great educational blog every month about liver education: http://orangeisthenewliver.blogspot.com. He says it’s his way of helping people with liver disease in a more understandable and non-intimidating way. Morgan loves helping people to better understand their liver and how it works. He and his friend Plucky have been doing so much that Sunburst Organges was recently presented with the first ever "LIVER LOVER" Award from the American Liver Foundations Greater Los Angeles division. http://www.liverfoundation.org/chapters/greaterla/

THE WHOLE GANG

If Plucky is not hanging with Morgan and me and our other good friend, Publilius the Pig, he’s usually farming or out walking the orchards with his dogs. He’s so passionate about farming he’s even offered to teach me, Morgan and even Publilius how to do it!

So I decided to bring together all of the causes that we support. We want you to better understand what we do and how we use our events, programs, and assets to promote good deeds for all of those we can help. It is one of our goals to post only original content on this page so, keep checking in with us because you won't find our posts on any other page.

Hedgy

P.S. I forgot to mention Louie, but I hardly ever see him anymore because he is so busy with helping those that rescue, foster, and find homes for displaced cats and dogs. You can visit his page at Louie’s Loves: http://www.facebook.com/LouiesLovesShares.