Interrupting Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

If you don't know already, StandUp For Kids has been designated as our Charity of the Year for 2013.  We're excited about that - very excited!  We've been mentioned in their newsletters and we're prominently featured on the Donor Page of their website.  Our marketing works to spread the word about this opportunity for you to help an amazing national organization as they reach out to homeless kids. 

At the same time, the business plan for Responsible Referrals is to help ALL of those nonprofits who tirelessly serve homeless youth and families.  And so, we're taking a break from our Charity of the Year to tell you about another very worthy and absolutely grass-roots organization.  Called STA (Straight Ahead Outreach; Taking Back Your Life), this organization (It's Founder, Lance Green and his wife, VP Patricia Compton-Mishler) perform their calling in a most unusual way - the right way! And just which way might that be? 

They give of their time.  Well, most volunteers do.  They give of their own money.  Again, most volunteers do.  They give of themselves.  True for all, once again.  So what's the big deal?

They give when they have nothing.  They take no salary. They 'DO' even when health issues and lack of funding make things nearly impossible.  They simply DO. 24/7. If someone needs a ride to a job interview - done.  If someone needs help with completing the myriad of forms necessary to get a social security card, driver's license or more - done.  If someone needs clean clothes for their kids or for an upcoming job interview - done.  If someone needs help with a laptop in order to apply for jobs - done.  If someone needs well, anything - done!

They have a unique philosophy.  Called to help those in crisis, they believe that just applying a band-aid helps, but what's needed is something much more.  People in crisis need someone to walk with them on a daily basis.  They need someone to 'be there' while they're trying to 'take back their lives'. A bottle of water or a one-time meal helps.  But in order to really move forward, they need so much more.  Lance and Pat provide this type of assistance.  Can you say "Hero"?

Lance and I (Pat too) have been "virtual friends" for a while now.  And today, I just wanted to take a moment and re-introduce them to you. STA's blog posting on Wednesday (2/20/13) entitled  2 Young Children, 1 on the way and a Battered Single Mom  reminded me of the situations that present themselves to STA every day in Clearwater, FL.  Situations that, quite simply, are heart-breaking.

Please know that IF you are thinking of buying or selling a home in Florida (anywhere for that matter) and wish to direct the Responsible Referrals donation to STA, we will be pleased to honor your request! See the STA page of our website, download this form or call us at 800-921-4298.