#117742
Aug 24th, 2007 at 01:18 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,310
Grande Damme
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OP
Grande Damme
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,310 |
Hi everyone ~ Most of you already know that I am in the process of forming a non-profit 501(c)3 organization to serve the amputee community, called Compatible Parts. (eventually it will be Compatible Parts, Inc). So, my nephew Ted in Delaware (Wildwood flower's son) is helping me build a web site. Actually, he is building it and I'm cheering him on! So although it is in early phases of construction, I can tell you a bit about it. Along the left hand side of the page are links. Some are internal links to take you to pages within the site, such as Daily Inspirations or my editorials. Some are external links to take you to helpful resources. In that short list of five external links, Bill said I could put a link to the Garden Helper because of our disability forum here. The other four external links are to the two prosthesis labs and the two main physical therapy facilities. We will have a forum. We will have a photo gallery of our members doing fun stuff together, and pictures of work being done in the labs and gyms. We will have a table of events so members can check in about support groups, suppers, the dance classes, etc. In my editorial pages there will also be pages for members to write opinions, like in a newspaper with "letters to the editor". We also hope to inform about useful topics such as legislation, or which restaurants and churches and whatnot are truly accessible and which are harder to use, etc. Our logos is in the shape of an oval. It is a lighthouse with the words "Together There Is Hope". I'm going to get a PO Box in Portland if people want to write to me, and I've put a filter on my email so mail from the site goes directly to a separate folder. So, that's my news. What do y'all think? Merme
We were given two hands to hold, two eyes to see, two ears to listen & two legs to walk. But why were we given only one heart? The other heart was given to another for us to find.
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 16,245
TweetyBird
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TweetyBird
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 16,245 |
Sounds very professional.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,310
Grande Damme
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OP
Grande Damme
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,310 |
My nephew is very good with me, Wrennie. I explain what I mean and he just starts making it happen! Like Magic! Now, though, he does want me to learn some information so he doesn't have to spend so much time explaining details to me, but I'm game to try.
I told him: I want it simple and user friendly for even a novice computer user (I remember how intimidating sites seemed when I first got started!), simple and elegant in appearance and lots of good stuff on the very first page so people don't have to click and click and click and click to get someplace.
Merme
We were given two hands to hold, two eyes to see, two ears to listen & two legs to walk. But why were we given only one heart? The other heart was given to another for us to find.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,310
Grande Damme
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OP
Grande Damme
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,310 |
Just please do remember, if you visit my site, it is still under construction. Sometimes when I hit refresh, I start laughing because of some quirky something that has appeared while the work is underway....
Merme
We were given two hands to hold, two eyes to see, two ears to listen & two legs to walk. But why were we given only one heart? The other heart was given to another for us to find.
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 686
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 686 |
that sounds like a wonderful organization. you are a good person for putting it together and so are all the people helping you. good luck on all that you encounter.;)
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,310
Grande Damme
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OP
Grande Damme
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,310 |
Oh, here's the other thing I forgot to mention....
My organization and site does NOT require you to be an amputee yourself to belong. You can be the friend, family member, business associate, teacher, minister, neighbor, care-giver of an amputee to join.
I will NOT require letters from doctors proving disability before granting membership. And there will never be any fees, just like Bill does it here -- it will be all free (unless someday people want to start buying mugs and t-shirts!)
There are sites out there that require a physicians letter and a big fee to join and there was no way I was going to join sites like that. It turned me off.... it felt like an invasion of my privacy and as if they just wanted to make money off the fact that I was a new amputee and lonely and scared.
Once we get our 501(c)3 tax exempt status as a non-profit, people will be able to make donations if they feel like it, and we will have fundraisers like most organizations do (silent auctions, suppers, things like that). I do not believe you must spend a fortune to educate, inform, assist people, so we can do this on a shoestring.
I dream of someday having enough money in the tills to be able to grant scholarships to college students or folks wanting to get training for a new job after limb loss, or for kids to go to camps.... things like that. I have a friend who writes grant proposals and so eventually we might be applying for grants just so we can do truly helpful things like that.
But I am never going to keep anyone out because of an inability to spend lots of dough!
Merme
We were given two hands to hold, two eyes to see, two ears to listen & two legs to walk. But why were we given only one heart? The other heart was given to another for us to find.
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#118445
Aug 25th, 2007 at 05:29 PM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 18,744 Likes: 31
Patriot
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Patriot
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 18,744 Likes: 31 |
Gosh Merme, how wonderful. You're fortunate to have such a talented and helpful newphew too. I agree with Cindy Lou, your site is very friendly.
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 30,001
A Gnome's Best Friend
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A Gnome's Best Friend
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 30,001 |
I checked it out too Merme.. IT is easy on the eyes,, This a great thing your starting up,, Many people want a place to have a sense of belonging and acceptance without having to buy your way in,, I hope for Big success for you on this , Verrrrrrrrrry cool for you to provide a link here for the disabled gardener,,
"Grace without perfection is more to be desired than perfection without grace."
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,310
Grande Damme
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OP
Grande Damme
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,310 |
Well, I'm telling you the truth, Diane. When Bill first started the forum for Gardening With Disabilities so many of our members had such helpful ideas and questions that I learned a bunch of stuff. So I thought I wouldn't keep the bounty of what you can learn from this place away from people in my organization. Bill was kind enough to let me put up a link here. I want my nephew Ted to make the Links of Interest larger and more noticeable, but he says he did it this way for now just to block off the area for formatting.
Merme
We were given two hands to hold, two eyes to see, two ears to listen & two legs to walk. But why were we given only one heart? The other heart was given to another for us to find.
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 30,001
A Gnome's Best Friend
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A Gnome's Best Friend
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 30,001 |
WElll I think it a wonderful thing your doing!!!! I'll keep looking at it to see it's progess if that okay!
"Grace without perfection is more to be desired than perfection without grace."
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