Ezer Mizion: Aiding Israel’s Disabled, Elderly and Sick Populations

Ezer Mizion, also known as Ezer Mitzion, was established in 1979 and has since grown to an Israel-wide non-profit organization with over 16,000 volunteers in over 20 cities and with a US$20 million annual budget. Such is its commitment to its work of providing valuable medical and social support assistance – its name literally translates to “Aid from Zion” – to Israelis that it was awarded one of the nation’s highest honors, the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement and special contribution to Israeli society and to the State of Israel.

The Israeli health support organization offers a wide range of social and medical support services for the country’s sick, disable and elderly as well as underprivileged populations. All of its services are delivered free of charge.

Ezer Mizion is also known for its Jewish Bone Marrow Donor Registry, the largest of its kind in the world. It also has specialized programs for children with special needs, cancer patients, and victims of terrorism as well as people with mental issues.

Danita's Children: Rescuing Children in Haiti

Established in January 1999 by Danita Estrella, Danita’s Children is a non-profit organization committed to the rescue and care of orphaned children in Haiti. Estrella started with 14 orphaned children housed in a small home in Ouanaminth where they received the proper physical, emotional and spiritual as well as educational care.

Today, Danita’s Children is one of Haiti’s most recognized non-profit, child-centered organizations with over 100 orphans cared for in eight homes. Its headquarters are in Orlando, Florida while its management consists of a 7-member board of directors complemented by a chief executive officer, executive director, and over 50 staff members.

Danita’s Children is a welcome organization considering the number of orphans in Haiti and worldwide. In Haiti alone, there are approximately 460,000 orphans and 300,000 child slaves, all of which have the right to a good life but are frequently not provided with it.

The non-profit organization has three main programs designed to address the issues related to orphans and abused children.

• The Orphanage

The children are divided according to age and gender in the orphanage homes where amazing teams take good care of them. Each house has either a missionary or a staff member as a houseparent. All the children are provided with their basic needs as well as medical care, educational tools, and love.

• The Baby Rescue Program

The program was established to provide life-saving assistance to mothers and their children who have little to no access to nutritious food and medical care. By providing these basic needs, Danita’s Children works toward reducing infant malnutrition and child mortality rate in the community.

• The Feeding Program

The program supplies children enrolled in the organization’s school and its orphan homes with daily meals. Over 18,000 meals are prepared and served in the school’s cafeteria and in the feeding programs.

Danita’s Children also accepts donations for the continued success of its thrust in rescuing and caring for children in Haiti and in several other places.

Guiding Light Mission: The Light at the End of the Tunnel

For many individuals at the end of their rope, the Guiding Light Mission is akin to the light at the end of a dark tunnel. First founded in 1929 as the West Fulton Mission, the non-profit organization started out by distributing meals for the needy and unfortunate in the community.

Guiding Light Mission has closed and reopened in the past years but its current programs are going stronger than ever. The faith-based organization provides services to the needy and homeless in the community while also sharing Christ’s love.

Today, it has three main programs, namely:

• Back to Work program, which provides homeless men seeking employment or who are employed with short-term stay. The service allows them to save money while seeking more permanent housing.
• Iron House program, which provides clients with safe and secure living quarters. The comfortable environment allows them to live in a more independent manner while transitioning into mainstream society.
• Recovery program, which gives men dealing with substance abuse, chronic homelessness, and spiritual challenges the right start.

Guiding Light is truly a guiding light for most of these men and women!

Bridge Communities: Providing Housing Where None Cannot Be Had

Bridge Communities bridges the gap between homelessness and home ownership among families who need it the most. Unlike many organizations dedicated to solving the homeless issue, Bridge Communities provides homeless families with the opportunity to become self-sufficient through a wide range of related services.

First, the families are provided with transitional housing. These families spend two years in the housing facilities free of charge, thus, providing them with the opportunity to save money on rent while also learning valuable life skills like budgeting, getting jobs, and living in a self-sufficient manner.

Second, the families are provided with mentoring and empowering services. These are designed to ensure that the individuals enrolled in the program can move on toward self-sufficiency and the dignity that comes with it.

Bridge Communities establishes partnerships with talented and resourceful individuals and groups in the community for its two-fold mission. Its holistic program is designed to increase the chances for success that the homeless families in DuPage County will adopt permanent and positive changes in their lives.

The Bridge Communities' Transitional Housing Program has the following key elements:

• Housing. Families stay in the apartment buildings owned by the organization for an average of two years. Each apartment usually has two bedrooms with modern amenities found in other housing accommodations.
• Mentoring. Mentors from the organization’s partners provide the families with assistance and sponsorship as they develop the skills necessary for self-sufficiency. These include budget and saving development plan, financial literacy, debt reduction, and healthy decision-making, among others.
• Employment Counselling. Adults are provided with assistance in securing and maintaining viable employment, a crucial aspect of attaining economic self-sufficiency.
• Tutoring. Children are provided with tutoring services delivered by professional certified teachers to contribute to their academic success.

Mentors and families are also provided with the services of professional care managers especially in the development of short-term and long-term goals.

Pheasants Forever: Working for the Birds

Pheasants Forever, a non-profit conservation organization, was established by a group of pheasant hunters in response to the declining pheasant population due to upland habitat loss. The organization, which was established in 1982, dedicates itself to the conservation of birds particularly pheasants and quail, as well as other wildlife, through a multi-pronged approach including habit improvements, land management programs, and public awareness and education.

With over 140,000 members, the organization maintains an active presence in over 40 states in the United States and several parts of Canada. It has more than 100 biologists and a wide network of partners in the public and private sectors including government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations. It has more than 700 local chapters, too, which proves the popularity of pheasant hunting and conservation in North America.

Today, Pheasants Forever is a recognized leader in wildlife habitat conservation as well as a leading advocate in environmental conservation.

Blank Park Zoo: Giving Everybody Their Wildest Adventure in Iowa

First established as the Des Moines Children’s Zoo and opened on 8 May 1966, the present-day Blank Park Zoo is named in honor of Mr. A.H. Blank who donated $150,000 in 1963 for the construction of a children’s zoo. The zoo’s original concept was a nursery rhyme-inspired place that features a petting zoo, a replica of Noah’s Ark, a castle with a moat, and even a miniature railroad.

In the next 16 years, the city government failed to make the necessary improvements until the zoo was on the verge of closing. In 1981, a group of civic-minded business leaders established the Blank Park Zoo Foundation with the aim of providing financial support for a wide range of purposes. These included animal acquisitions, capital improvements, and marketing activities, all of which are intended to make Blank Park Zoo offer its visitors the “wildest adventures in Iowa”.

Today, the Blank Park Zoo spans 25 acres of prime land in Des Moines near Fort Des Moines and takes pride in its status as the only accredited zoon in the state. Its mission of inspiring an appreciation for the natural world among kids and adults alike through recreation, conservation, and education venues continues to inspire its dedicated men and women.

The zoo has several exhibits featuring a wide range of wildlife including the Discovery Center, an enclosed area where several types of flora and fauna are displayed. The center is divided into several separate sections, such as the Meredith Alpine Exhibit featuring furry animals like red pandas and The Cave, an exhibit of nocturnal animals and reptiles including boa constrictors. The Free Range Aviary contains forest-dwelling birds including mountain peacock-pheasants, pink pigeons, and scarlet-chested parrots.

The Blank Park Zoo also has meaningful conservation initiatives designed to protect animals in their natural habitats. These include Species Survival Plan, International Snow Leopard Trust, and Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

Appalachia Service Project: Making Homes Warmer, Safer and Drier

The Appalachia Service Project, Inc (ASP) has a special focus on providing assistance to people living in the Appalachian region specifically families in the states of Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The Christian volunteer organization attracts volunteers from across the country in providing their brains and brawn toward making the homes of ASP beneficiaries warmer, safer and drier.

The beneficiaries are usually low-income individuals and families that are unable to finance home repair and improvement. The organization and its volunteers then provide the materials and skills to repair the homes and to improve the quality of lives for the beneficiaries. Many beneficiaries are also the recipient of free home construction although the program is on a limited basis only.

Established in 1977 by Rev. Glenn Evans, the organization is considered as one of the best service opportunities in the United States. It brings thousands of young and old volunteers across the country to help in the repair of homes, even to build new homes. The camaraderie that develops between the volunteers and beneficiaries can be the start of a friendship of a lifetime.

Agape Villages: Spreading the Love

Established in 1958 as the Sierra Children’s Home, the Agape Villages has gradually evolved into its present-day strong network of regional group homes dedicated to foster family care. In 1995, the organization officially changed its name from Sierra Children’s Home to Agape Villages to reflect its dedication to spreading the love among foster families and their children.

Since its founding, Agape Villages has served over 5,000 of the most troubled youth in California. As a licensed and accredited foster family agency, it places children in loving foster homes across 14 Northern California counties and provides these children with a chance at being part of a family. The children placed in foster care are usually considered as disadvantaged children, adolescents and young adults ranging in age from newborns to 21 years old. Many of these children have either been abandoned or abused, as well as homeless.

Referrals are also accepted from concerned government agencies including California’s Department of Social Services and Child Protective Services as well as the County Mental Health Departments.

All of the families as well as the organization’s members are dedicated to strengthening Christian values; providing the best possible professional services to the children and their foster families; and assisting the people who provide loving foster care for the children. The foster families work with Agape Villages in helping the children regain their physical and emotional health as well as in reshaping their futures.

Agape Villages accepts donations to fund its operations and to achieve its goals. These goals include giving the children’s dysfunctional biological families the opportunity to heal and then to provide a more stable home. Its services include on-call availability, weekly in-home case management, and effective training for foster families coupled with support groups and substantial financial assistance for them. All foster families must undergo training before children can be placed in their homes.