Local News
Habitat for Humanity founder meets with Tallahassee audience
By Kathy Chuboda
"Listen to that still, small voice and help those in need," the founder of Habitat for Humanity recently told a local interdenominational audience.
Volunteers working with Habitat have helped build more than 200,000 houses worldwide, including 125 in Tallahassee, providing decent housing for more than 1 million people.
A master storyteller, Habitat founder Millard Fuller captivated the audience at Good Shepherd Catholic Church with tales, alternatively humorous and poignant, of how Habitat has changed lives. The recipient of the first Habitat house signed his name on the mortgage with an X, and went on to raise a daughter who was the first in her family to graduate from high school and is now a practicing attorney. Similarly, said Fuller, those who have the courage to move beyond traditional views of success and achievement can find their lives transformed.
More than 75 people gathered Feb. 24 at Good Shepherd for a Faith in Action, inter-denominational celebration. Fuller was joined by several local ministry leaders, including Emory Hingst, former pastor of St. Stephen Lutheran Church and founder of Tallahassee's Ten Thousand Villages fair-trade store, Annette Ponder, founder of Turn-it-Around Ministries, Charles Morris, pastor of Anderson Chapel AME Church, and Marcus Hepburn, deacon at Good Shepherd.
Fuller, who currently is president of the Fuller Center for Housing in Americus, Georgia, was fired from Habitat in early 2005. Published reports attribute the firing to multiple allegations of sexual harassment. When asked at the event about those allegations, he maintained the firing was due to philosophical differences with the organization's international board of directors over expansion plans for Habitat and what he believed were excessive salaries for the organization's senior managers.
Free local expo covers ways to go green and to save green
By Michelle Adamski
Studies confirm that global warming is occurring and is caused primarily by human activities. The only uncertainties are how soon and in what ways it will disrupt our existence. Stronger storms? Flooded coastlines? Harsher droughts?
But there is still time to act, and our great-great-grandchildren will thank us for living more sustainably. Many of the steps we can take also can improve our lives and save our money.
One step you can take is to attend the free Florida Big Bend Green Living and Energy Expo on Sat., March 17 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Riversprings Middle School (800 Spring Creek Highway, Crawfordville). Hosted by University of Florida IFAS/Wakulla County Extension Service, it will include door prizes, food, children's activities, more than 20 workshops, and more than 50 exhibits, including some about these ways to reduce your ecological footprint.
1. Get out of your car . Walk, bike, and car pool. Buy a fuel efficient or alternative fuel vehicle.
2. Be mindful of what you eat. Support local farmers and organic farms by buying food directly from farmers through a community-supported agriculture program and looking for organic food in your grocery store.
3. Choose energy-efficient appliances, lower the thermostat in winter and raise it in the summer. Bring an incandescent light bulb to the expo, and you'll get a free compact fluorescent replacement.
4. Eliminate part of your lawn. Convert it into an alternative landscape such as a prairie or woodland area, which will use less water and resources.
5 . Conserve water. Using water-saving faucets, toilets, and showerheads can reduce your water use by half or more.
6. Use less-toxic cleaners. Common household products such as baking soda, vinegar, and plant-based soaps and detergents often can clean your carpet and other surfaces.
7. Get involved and educate others. Join one of the many environmental organizations that are working to protect our environment.
For more information, visit www.greenlivingenergyexpo.com or contact Michelle Adamski at 926-3931.
She is a family and consumer science agent at the UF/IFAS Wakulla County Extension Service.
Use these tips to make your next fundraiser a success
Special to the Tortoise
This community is full of caring and active people who often host fundraisers for the many charitable agencies in Tallahassee. We at America's Second Harvest of the Big Bend are constantly amazed and thankful for the food and money raised in our community to help fight hunger. Fundraising is hard work but so rewarding. And, since the goal is to raise the highest amount of donations possible during your event, following these tips can generate more donations and publicity for your favorite charitable organization.
First, contact the charity and let them know of your intention, the date and time of the event and what you hope to achieve. They can help do things that will ensure that you raise the most awareness and money for their cause.
Second, make sure the local media know what you'll be collecting for the event so that attendees know exactly what to bring.
If it's money you're raising, those events are called "fundraisers" and the proceeds (usually 100 per cent) are donated to the charity. Sometimes there are expenses the sponsoring organization has to cover, but plan raising enough so that at least 50 per cent of the money you raise goes to the charity.
If you are collecting items such as food, clothing, or building materials, tell the media how you want those items packaged and where they should be delivered. That way the location of the fundraising event doesn't become overwhelmed with having to handle large amounts of those items during the event.
And finally, report back to the media about the success of the event. The local community likes to know, especially if they attended, how well the event did to help that local charity.
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