Non-Profits to Love this February

It started almost before the New Year, the hearts and cupids came out to remind us that the month of love is right around the corner. This, of course, means different things to different people – there’s family love, friend love, significants and spouses. You have epic date nights being planned, baby-sitters are being booked and Galentine’s Days and Bromances are being celebrated in full force. We’re very good at making sure that everyone gets a little love this time of year.

Or so I thought.

But then I realized that there is another group that could possibly use a little bit of time and affection right now. So this Valentine’s Day season (which I’ve decided is the entire month of February), I challenge you to show some love to your favorite local non-profit or charity.

This is the best time to remember them. Why? The holidays are over and maybe you didn’t get to send that check to your favorite charity because you just didn’t have the extra cash or it got lost in the long list of to-dos and to-attends. The season of giving may be over, but the season of love just started! Now’s the time to send that donation.

Did you make a New Year’s resolution to volunteer more and it hasn’t quite made the top of your priority list? Many organizations are starting to feel the New Year’s rush drop off, so now is your chance to swoop in and lend that much-needed hand.

The point is, now is the time to remember the others that don’t always get remembered past Thanksgiving and the typical charity holiday season. So this season of love, let’s look to those that might be overlooked this time of year. I’ve included some of my personal favorite non-profits. Share your faves in the comments section to spread the Valentine’s Day vibes!

What could ‘B’ more loving?

Bea Gaddy Family Centers

Picture: Bea Gaddy Family Centers

Let’s face it, we all love food – but sadly, not everyone has enough. Luckily, there’s Bea Gaddy Family Centers to continue on the great work of their namesake. Hunger never takes a holiday and what you may not realize is that donations of food often slow down after Thanksgiving. Give extra chocolate kisses and non-perishable food items to those who go without.

Contact: 410-563-2749 or beagaddy@bea-gaddy.org

House of Ruth

The non-profit, House of Ruth, helps women of intimate partner violence and their children with counseling, intervention and shelter, as well as working for legislation to strengthen laws and more. With all that House of Ruth does for the women and children of Maryland, there are just as many ways for you to give. Do you love to shop? Spend an afternoon at Ruth’s Closet in Owings Mills and shop with a purpose. The upscale boutique has new and gently used clothes for you to try on and take home – profits help fund programming and services. Do you love to sew? Then help create B-More Bags, which have raised more than $60,000 since 2005. Of course, you can give a little love the old fashioned way with time and monentary donations, or attend their Spring Luncheon on April 27, 2017.

Contact: 410- 554-8449 or info@hruthmd.org

Pet Rescue of Maryland

Picture Pet Rescue of Maryland

For those of you that have a soft spot for love of the four-legged kind, Pet Rescue of Maryland is chock full of sloppy kisses. Even if you aren’t able to give a forever home to one of the adoptable dogs or cats, there are numerous other ways to show a little love. The non-profit is completely volunteer based, so helping hands in the form of dog handlers, puppy wranglers and cat cuddlers are always welcome. If time is not something you can give right now, donations of paper towels, trash bags and canned cat food are always in need, while those of you who would like to put some money in their paws will feel great knowing all of your donation will go directly to the pets. The current goal of Pet Rescue of Maryland? To raise money to build a Sanctuary for their adoptees in waiting. Think you have the space in your heart and home for a pet like our featured friend Simon? Their next Adoption Event is on February 11, from 2:30 – 4:30 at the Petco in Owings Mills.

Contact: 410-472-1172 or info@petrescueofmd.org

 

The Book Thing

Is your true love more of the between-the-covers kind? The Book Thing is in the process of rebuilding after a fire forced it to shut its doors last year. Progress is being made and it promises to be bigger and better. Donations of books to fill the shelves are welcome, as are CDs, DVDs and vinyl – check the website or Facebook page for updated drop-off times and places. Those who don’t mind getting a paper cut or two can help stock, sort and stamp the incoming books. And as always, monetary donations are appreciated, but better to donate on the website than to slip your bills in between the pages.

Contact: 410.662.5631 or russell892@cs.com

Lab Rescue LRCP

 

Finally, no list of non-profits would be complete without Lab Rescue LRCP because that’s where I met my life long love, Wyatt. Specializing in labs and lab-mixes, Lab Rescue helps these energenic and friendly balls of love find their forever homes. You can help these wonderful dogs get placed by fostering or offering to be doggie transport for foster families that can’t always make it to adoption events. If you want to attend events but are worried you’ll forget the date, purchase a 2017 Rescued Lab Calendar and never miss an event. Donations of food and supplies are always welcome, and monanetary donations will help surrendered dogs with special needs, like Helen whose sight was restored thanks to the generosity of people like you! Keep up to date with available adoptees by following them on Instagram @labrescuelrcp for their Foster Fridays.

Contact: Lab Line: (301) 299-6756 or info@lab-rescue.org

10 Questions Posed by a Blogger

Getting my writing on

This post will be incredibly different from my usual ones. You see, a good friend of mine Nicole (whom you can find at thoughtsstainedwithink.wordpress.com) has “nominated” me for a get-to-know-your-blogger type posting. The rules are simple: You become nominated by an awesome blogger who poses 10 questions which you answer. You then you pose your own to 10 new bloggers.

Nicole is an awesome writer, who will one day be a published author, and I highly recommend that you check out her blog, especially if you are into the fantasy genre. I also find it a great honor that out of all the fantastic bloggers and people she knows she asked me, a local Bmore blogger to throw my two cents in to the ring. And I’m hoping you will enjoy getting to know a little bit about me. So here goes:

1.Why do you write?

I feel my answer will be completely predictable here. I write because I feel I have to do so. While I have just started truly trying to “put my writing” out into the larger world, I have always written. Short stories, bad poetry, and journal upon journal of personal essays about my experiences. The personal essay writing has been my favorite and it was in the past few years I seriously considered trying my hand at “publishing” it. And slowly it became this blog!

2. What would be the hardest part about surviving the apocalypse?

Knowing that it is actually happening, because I feel that I would miss that memo big time. Especially if it happened during a snowfall when everyone acts like the world is ending anyway and I ignore these things and promptly run out of food.

3. What author has inspired your writing the most?

Hands down it would be Bill Bryson. I am completely at awe with how he can turn anything into an incredible tale and still sneak in educational tidbits. His In A Sunburned Country was my bible when in Australia.

4. Your top five animated films?

Bambi (because I still like to walk around my parents’ house yelling “Mother”), The Lion King (whose list is this not on?), Tangled (Lanterns, incredible hair, catchy songs), The Lego Movie (Again, who doesn’t love this?), Cars (because it’s fits nicely next to my Fast & Furious Collection)

(And Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Sometimes you need a sixth.)

5. Have you ever read any books on craft? If so, which was your favorite and why?

Honestly, for writing books and blogs I have not. I have read bits and pieces on various other blogs but no tried and true books. I have read two books on how to write a screenplay and many advertising textbooks in college years gone by, but those aren’t the same thing.

6. Which fictional land would you have to visit and why?

Honestly, I want to visit the 1980’s My Little Pony Land because I still love those ponies! Again, there is nothing to hate about miniature unicorns and pegasus.

7. What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten about writing?

Not sure who to credit to: just write. It doesn’t matter how much, how often, to who, just put the pen/pencil to paper (or digits to the keyboard) and write. It’s the best advice and the advice I’m still struggling with on a daily basis.

8. Which element do you wish you could control?

Fire. Done.

9. What is your current writing project about and what about it excites you?

Currently this blog is my biggest project. I started it because I LOVE my hometown and I love to write. And I’ve encountered a lot of people who want to tear it down, and I won’t let them! I want to spread the Bmore Love. I felt like there’s a lot of sites where you can find things to do but so few of them tell you what it’s like to do these things or go these places.

That’s why this is a present day memoir. I enjoy trying to describe a place or event and transport you there. I don’t know how effective it is, to write about things that may be finished for the year, but it’s what I like to do. It’s also making me search out and try new things in this town which is always fun!

10. Most importantly: favorite type of cheese?

I am a fan of the cream cheese variety. You can put it on anything and it’s magically wonderful. And it’s the basis of every good dip there is, therefore becoming my food staple during football season.

There you have it, a little about me, courtesy of Nicole.

Here are my 10 questions for 10 new bloggers.

1. Who is your pop star spirit animal?
2. What are three things you love most about your current city of residence?
3. When will you know you “made it” as a writer/blogger?
4. Where do you hope your current writing project is in 3 months?
5. Why did you pick the topic you did for your blog/project?
6. How close are you to reaching the writing goal you set at the start?
7. In the music realm, who is an unknown you think we need to know?
8. What’s the most unhelpful advice, about anything, you’ve ever been given? (No one asks this ever.)
9. Social media: best creation ever or end of society? Go.
10. And lastly, because I always have to know: If you could only travel to one more place, where would that be and why? (Yes, it can be a repeat trip!)

And the 10 bloggers I extend an invite to answer are actually 7 because I don’t really follow that many bloggers. But trust me, these are people you want to read and follow. They are fantastic writers:

Tippy Rex: when you stop digging

Becky Stavely: BS in Bmore

Alysha: Discover Charm City

Ellen: Travelling the World Solo

Ashley: Neverbeenso

Meghan Faulkner: Oatgasm

So there you have it! A little about me and some new friends to meet.

What could B more friendly?

Lit up at Light City