Easter Kindness

It's that time of the year where I post Buns' annual message about adopting a bunny into your home for Easter. I think I first posted this two Easters ago and I will keep posting it every year because it is so important.


Well, it's that time of year again, and I'd like to remind everyone about the folks out there who work so hard donating their time and energy helping all those adorable little bunnies that people take home from the pet shop for their young children during the Easter season.

As the slave to 7 house rabbits of my own, I can personally attest to how much work rabbits really are. Usually we like to say that they take as much work as a dog or a cat, but that's not really true. They require much more time, energy, and interaction. Like dogs and Cats, they must be spade or neutered. They need a proper diet, several hours of exercise a day, interaction with people and preferable another rabbit, need to live inside, and you need to have access to a vet who specializes in exotics.

Most folks don't realize this when they bring home that adorable critter for little Johnny or Susie for a special Easter surprise. And when Johnny or Susie aren't old enough to care for their new pet themselves, or mom and dad get tired of the mess, or maybe little bun-bun nips a finger, or marks grandma's antique rocking chair as part of his territory, bun bun is no longer welcome.

What happens then? Most often, the rabbit is taken to a nice wooded area, or a park, and turned loose to "live in the wild". This is literally a death sentence. They have no sheltering or food finding skills. They fall prey to predators or starve to death.

One group of folks are working hard to educate people before they make this commitment. These are the people at http://makeminechocolate.org/. They encourage the public to think twice and give chocolate bunnies instead of furry ones.

The other folks, whom i have a lot respect for is the House Rabbit Rescue Society. They are nation wide, and are always in need of donations, not only of money, but often things like towels and blankets, bleach, vinegar, fresh greens, and volunteers. check with your nearest chapter to see what's on their wish list. They offer no kill shelter, adoptions, bunny education (education for bunny parents, that is), bunny bonding, and often grooming and short term boarding and other services. They have a wide selection of RESCUED bunnies available for adoption that have been spayed, neutered, treated for any injuries and "special" bunnies that have been damaged by abandonment or cruelty, who have learned to love an trust again. You can find them at :
http://www.rabbit.org/adoption/index.html.

If you live in the L.A. county area, check out http://www.bunnyluv.com/, I mostly deal directly with them, since they are closest to me.

Thanks for your time, and Happy Easter!

Buns

Free Pancakes At IHOP

Tomorrow is one of my favorite days. Yes, it is Tuesday, which is generally the only day I am hangover free, but it's more than that. No, not a Mardi Gras party although those are fun as well. I mean as a fat guy, I think of Fat Tuesday as my own personal holiday. No, tomorrow is the day IHOP gives away free pancakes. A free short stack of pancakes which is not really enough for me, but there are about 3 IHOP's in a fairly close range and with a couple of visits at different times of the day, timed to coincide with new shifts, I manage.

No, I don't do that. But, the thing is when you go, they do ask for a donation which goes to the Children's Miracle Network and other local charities. It's up to you if you want to give anything. No pressure from anyone there. Last year they raised just shy of $1M, and so this year they are really trying for that magic number. Hey, it's free food and a great cause so you know I will be there.

For more information, click here.

Kindness Plug

This year, 1-800-SUICIDE will observe their tenth anniversary since being established in 1998 by Reese Butler. The organization was founded in memory of Reese’s wife, Kristin, who committed suicide. Since that time, The Kristin Brooks Hope Center has provided help to nearly three million callers. However, the 1-800-SUICIDE hotline is currently in need of some assistance of its own.

Over the past decade, The Kristin Brooks Hope Center and 1-800-SUICIDE have been able to provide help to so many people through the Hopeline network. With your support and with the support of TWLOHA and PostSecret, they will be able to continue to provide this assistance, along with the comfort of complete confidentiality. The unique services that are currently provided and the services that they will be able to provide in the future are what makes Hopeline such a valuable asset to our society.

"With your support, we can work together to prevent tragedy and to stand with Hopeline in this pivotal moment. In moments of bravery and confusion and honesty, people turn to 1-800-SUICIDE - nearly three million of them. The folks at Hopeline have been answering those calls for ten years, picking up the phone when it's mattered most. Now it's our turn. This is our moment to respond," says To Write Love on Her Arms founder, Jamie Tworkowski.

"I think TWLOHA and PostSecret are very special websites and communities... These communities are precious, fragile, strong and meaningful... What a thrill to be combining forces to help Reese Butler and Hopeline. I have been working with Reese since 2005 and before that I was a volunteer answering Hopeline calls at a Hopeline crisis center. I personally know the good works that Reese is behind and truly appreciate all the time and effort you all are contributing to. I believe it is some of the most important work being done on the planet," says PostSecret founder Frank Warren.

As a result of the many calls that 1-800-SUICIDE receives every day, and because of a delay in government funding, Hopeline is struggling to pay their phone bill. If this bill is not paid, the government will be allowed to fully take control of 1-800-SUICIDE. Part of what makes Hopeline such a powerful resource is that the calls placed to this number are completely private and confidential. We believe that the responsibility for providing a private and confidential environment in which to find help should remain in the hands of those who had the heart and compassion to begin this work ten years ago.

For this reason, TWLOHA is encouraging everyone to support the Pick Up The Phone campaign by donating directly to the Kristin Brooks Hope Center, buying a Pick Up The Phone t-shirt (coming soon) or joining the Hopeline 99 Club. The money that comes from these donations will be used to help pay the phone bill that connects about 50,000 callers each month to the National Hopeline Network and keep 1-800-SUICIDE in the hands of The Kristin Brooks Hope Center. This support also paves the way for future services, such as training of online counselors to provide assistance through one-on-one live Internet chat.

In order to continue making this necessary help available, we must all work together to pay this phone bill and keep 1-800-SUICIDE a private and confidential source of help and hope. With your help and support, together we can prevent tragedy from occurring and help Hopeline stay in the private hands of the people who had the heart to create it.

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for those struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

www.hopeline.com / www.twloha.com

Kindness Plug Update

Apparently Brooke's work is paying off. A note I received. I don't think I have ever been called sir before except by the attorneys of my ex-wives and bill collectors.


Dear Sir,

If you have a way to contact her, would you be so kind as to relay a message to Brooke (the kind woman organizing the on-line auction benefiting the displaced pets due to the flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa).

Brooke,

I ran across an article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette today about your efforts. I want to thank you for what you are doing. I will be spreading the word about your project through an effort I am associated with here in Cedar Rapids.

I am assisting in the organization of a fund-raising event to benefit Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and the surrounding areas. Countless homes were lost and so many people (and pets) have been displaced by this flood.

This event is evolving quickly, and I would appreciate anything you can do to help us as we try to help ourselves. We have a number of ideas, and we will be trying to solidify the details over the next few days.

Yesterday we had a very successful meeting with the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, the Marion and Cedar Rapids Chambers of Commerce, media outlets, the Jaycees, and a couple of other local groups. I left the meeting excited and encouraged and we are ready to go ahead full speed with our new partners in this venture. Expect to see a press release sometime this weekend.

We also have a name agreed upon for our event: Floodstock.

Our initial thoughts are for a portion of the proceeds to go to the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation (GCRCF), who will distribute to non-profit relief funds through the Flood Fund 2008, and we will hopefully find a fund to support local downtown businesses for the remainder of the money. After reading about your efforts, I want to give donors and/or sponsors the option of earmarking a bit of money for the Cedar Valley Animal Shelter as well. I am unsure of how this would work yet, but maybe I will just find a sponsor to do something specific for them.

We have commitments from several local bands and are in contact with representatives for larger nationally/internationally recognized talent. We have no commitments yet from the “bigger names”, but we are working hard on it.

Things are a bit haphazard for now, but we’ve only spent a few days working on what takes some organizations months to put together. This will come together quickly if not entirely efficiently. The logistics will start to come together over the next few days. What we need is more ideas, resources, sponsors ….and most importantly people who can put us in touch with people.

Thanks again Brooke.....I...and the rest of Cedar Rapids appreciate everything you are doing.

Jeffrey Kiley

Kindness Plug

For the most part, I have relegated kindness plugs to Your Turn, but this one is too big, and too important to be combined with lots of others. As always, the words below are from the reader who sent this in. I did remove Brooke's last name, her identifying information, and I added the photo above.


Dear ENT,

My name is Brooke, and I'm a loyal CDAN reader. I currently reside in the Bay Area, but I was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, IA. I'm writing to see whether you would be willing to promote an upcoming auction that I've organized to raise funds for the animals displaced by the recent devastating flood of the Cedar River. As of June 16, damage estimates have exceeded ONE BILLION ($1,000,000,000) dollars. In a town of only 120,000 people, this is beyond catastrophic. In fact, FEMA described the devastation as the equivalent of a 9.2 earthquake, and has classified the Cedar Rapids flood as the third-biggest national disaster in recent history (after Hurricane Katrina and 9/11).

Thousands of animals have been left homeless by the flood. The Cedar Rapids animal shelter has been completely destroyed. Many people had to abandon their pets when they evacuated their homes, and it is unclear when--if ever--they will be reunited. The situation is dire, and support is desperately needed.

The auction will be held at http://www.iowafloodreliefauction.com/ from June 25-July 2. All funds raised will be directed to a special "Friends of the Animal Shelter" fund via the Kirkwood Foundation (tax ID 23-7076632), which is the fundraising division of the Kirkwood Community College, currently serving as the temporary shelter for displaced animals. There are several hundred dogs, even more cats, and other companion animals being housed there, and many, many more animals are still stranded in the tens of thousands of abandoned homes.

The Kirkwood Foundation and Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter are working together on the evacuation center--the animal shelter's building was completely destroyed in the flood, so they are hoping to rebuild on the Kirkwood campus.

More information about both organizations is available at http://www.kirkwood.edu/foundation and http://www.cedar-rapids.org/animal/.

I have consulted with the directors of both the Kirkwood Foundation and the Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter on this project. Also, my uncle, the Kirkwood grounds supervisor, was instrumental in transforming several campus buildings into makeshift care centers for the animals, so I have a unique insight on the magnitude of this tragedy. My city is gone, and countless lives have been forever changed.

The theme of the auction is "Indulge Yourself to Save Lives." So far, 40 companies have pledged lot contributions to raise funds for the evacuated animals. The participating companies are primarily run by independent artisans of bath & body products, fragrances, hair care, gourmet food, pet products, and jewelry. Today, I started a campaign targeting family-run wineries in Napa and Sonoma, and have already received two magnums of blanc de blancs, donated by Schramsberg. I feel that your loyal readers will be very interested in the items available through the auction, as well as the welfare of the animals who will benefit from it.

I would love to have this cause considered for your upcoming "Your Turn" posting on Friday. All of the lots will be going up on Friday and Saturday, so the timing would be perfect to drum up interest in the site. You can also post a countdown clock to the auction with the following code:




Thank you for your interest! Hopefully, we can work together to bring attention to this important event, and bring hope to a community so desperately in need.

Warm regards,

Brooke

iowafloodreliefauction@gmail.com

Wal-Mart Folds Under Pressure

Last week, I posted about the Shank family. You can read the entire post here which also has a link to the original CNN story. Basically though it concerns a worker at Wal-Mart, Deborah Shank (pictured with her husband, Jim) who collected, after legal fees and other expenses, $417,000 in a settlement with a trucking company after an accident left her permanently brain damaged and in a wheelchair. Then Wal-Mart sued for the $470,000 it had spent on her medical care. Oh, and by the way, her son was killed in Iraq. Way to piss off both sides of the aisle Wal-Mart.

Ms. Shank currently has about $270,000 to get her through the rest of her life. After the $270,000 runs out, then you and me and everyone else in the US will be paying for her care. See, that is the crazy thing here. A company like Wal-Mart will say that by not collecting the money it paid out, then insurance premiums will rise and that everyone will pay more. The way I look at it, Wal-Mart has already been paid by the premiums from their workers for the money they paid out. They then get a windfall from the work of the attorneys for the injured. Then, there is still nothing stopping them from raising premiums. Meanwhile, the workers at Wal-Mart don't share in the windfall, have their premiums raised because Wal-Mart can point to all this unnecessary litigation, and then to really kick you in the ass, your taxes go up because you have to help pay for the injured person.

Subrogation was never really a big deal until about 2006 when the Supreme Court made it much easier for health plans to go after the money. Most health plans with a conscience don't do it. Obviously Wal-Mart doesn't. The only reason they caved is because of the bad publicity and because members of Congress have now threatened legislation which would put a halt to the practice entirely.

In caving to pressure, Wal-Mart had this to say, "Ms. Shank's extraordinary situation had made the company re-examine its stance. Occasionally others help us step back and look at a situation in a different way. This is one of those times."

Wal-Mart then went out and sued some more people for the exact same thing. Oh, but they lowered prices in the stores, ensuring that Chinese children will be working late tonight.

Thanks to everyone who sent me articles on the decision of Wal-Mart. I really appreciate it.

Kindness Plug

This one is slightly different than most of the others, simply because there does not appear to be a focused effort to help this woman. The person who sent me this, just sent the link. I am posting the entire story here, but feel free to click over to CNN if you want to read it there.

Hi Enty -

This story was new to me - and it's incredibly horrible. I've done a bit of research and while there's a Bank of America fund that was set up in this woman's name, I can't find anything about a website or any kind of public call to help her and her family. They clearly need and deserve it. Is this something you'd put on the blog?

A devoted reader...


Debbie Shank breaks down in tears every time she's told that her 18-year-old son, Jeremy, was killed in Iraq.

The 52-year-old mother of three attended her son's funeral, but she continues to ask how he's doing. When her family reminds her that he's dead, she weeps as if hearing the news for the first time.

Shank suffered severe brain damage after a traffic accident nearly eight years ago that robbed her of much of her short-term memory and left her in a wheelchair and living in a nursing home.

It was the beginning of a series of battles -- both personal and legal -- that loomed for Shank and her family. One of their biggest was with Wal-Mart's health plan.

Eight years ago, Shank was stocking shelves for the retail giant and signed up for Wal-Mart's health and benefits plan.

Two years after the accident, Shank and her husband, Jim, were awarded about $1 million in a lawsuit against the trucking company involved in the crash. After legal fees were paid, $417,000 was placed in a trust to pay for Debbie Shank's long-term care.

Wal-Mart had paid out about $470,000 for Shank's medical expenses and later sued for the same amount. However, the court ruled it can only recoup what is left in the family's trust.

The Shanks didn't notice in the fine print of Wal-Mart's health plan policy that the company has the right to recoup medical expenses if an employee collects damages in a lawsuit.

The family's attorney, Maurice Graham, said he informed Wal-Mart about the settlement and believed the Shanks would be allowed to keep the money. Video Watch this couple's story »

"We assumed after three years, they [Wal-Mart] had made a decision to let Debbie Shank use this money for what it was intended to," Graham said.

The Shanks lost their suit to Wal-Mart. Last summer, the couple appealed the ruling -- but also lost it. One week later, their son was killed in Iraq.

"They are quite within their rights. But I just wonder if they need it that bad," Jim Shank said.

In 2007, the retail giant reported net sales in the third quarter of $90 billion.

Legal or not, CNN asked Wal-Mart why the company pursued the money.

Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley, who called Debbie Shank's case "unbelievably sad," replied in a statement: "Wal-Mart's plan is bound by very specific rules. ... We wish it could be more flexible in Mrs. Shank's case since her circumstances are clearly extraordinary, but this is done out of fairness to all associates who contribute to, and benefit from, the plan."

Jim Shank said he believes Wal-Mart should make an exception.

"My idea of a win-win is -- you keep the paperwork that says you won and let us keep the money so I can take care of my wife," he said.

The family's situation is so dire that last year Jim Shank divorced Debbie, so she could receive more money from Medicaid.

Jim Shank, 54, is recovering from prostate cancer, works two jobs and struggles to pay the bills. He's afraid he won't be able to send their youngest son to college and pay for his and Debbie's care.

"Who needs the money more? A disabled lady in a wheelchair with no future, whatsoever, or does Wal-Mart need $90 billion, plus $200,000?" he asked.

The family's attorney agrees.

"The recovery that Debbie Shank made was recovery for future lost earnings, for her pain and suffering," Graham said.

"She'll never be able to work again. Never have a relationship with her husband or children again. The damage she recovered was for much more than just medical expenses."

Graham said he believes Wal-Mart should be entitled to only about $100,000. Right now, about $277,000 remains in the trust -- far short of the $470,000 Wal-Mart wants back.

Refusing to give up the fight, the Shanks appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. But just last week, the high court said it would not hear the case.

Graham said the Shanks have exhausted all their resources and there's nothing more they can do but go on with their lives.

The family's attorney, Maurice Graham, said he informed Wal-Mart about the settlement and believed the Shanks would be allowed to keep the money. Video Watch this couple's story »

"We assumed after three years, they [Wal-Mart] had made a decision to let Debbie Shank use this money for what it was intended to," Graham said.

The Shanks lost their suit to Wal-Mart. Last summer, the couple appealed the ruling -- but also lost it. One week later, their son was killed in Iraq.

"They are quite within their rights. But I just wonder if they need it that bad," Jim Shank said.

In 2007, the retail giant reported net sales in the third quarter of $90 billion.

Legal or not, CNN asked Wal-Mart why the company pursued the money.

Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley, who called Debbie Shank's case "unbelievably sad," replied in a statement: "Wal-Mart's plan is bound by very specific rules. ... We wish it could be more flexible in Mrs. Shank's case since her circumstances are clearly extraordinary, but this is done out of fairness to all associates who contribute to, and benefit from, the plan."

Jim Shank said he believes Wal-Mart should make an exception.

"My idea of a win-win is -- you keep the paperwork that says you won and let us keep the money so I can take care of my wife," he said.

The family's situation is so dire that last year Jim Shank divorced Debbie, so she could receive more money from Medicaid.

Jim Shank, 54, is recovering from prostate cancer, works two jobs and struggles to pay the bills. He's afraid he won't be able to send their youngest son to college and pay for his and Debbie's care.

"Who needs the money more? A disabled lady in a wheelchair with no future, whatsoever, or does Wal-Mart need $90 billion, plus $200,000?" he asked.

The family's attorney agrees.

"The recovery that Debbie Shank made was recovery for future lost earnings, for her pain and suffering," Graham said.

"She'll never be able to work again. Never have a relationship with her husband or children again. The damage she recovered was for much more than just medical expenses."

Graham said he believes Wal-Mart should be entitled to only about $100,000. Right now, about $277,000 remains in the trust -- far short of the $470,000 Wal-Mart wants back.

Refusing to give up the fight, the Shanks appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. But just last week, the high court said it would not hear the case.

Graham said the Shanks have exhausted all their resources and there's nothing more they can do but go on with their lives.

Kindness Plug

As always, the words are not mine, but that of the submitter. When I put it like that it sounds kind of kinky, so how about, I didn't write it. The person who e-mailed me did.

Well, it's that time of year again, and I'd like to remind everyone about the folks out there who work so hard donating their time and energy helping all those adorable little bunnies that people take home from the pet shop for their young children during the Easter season.

As the slave to 7 house rabbits of my own, I can personally attest to how much work rabbits really are. Usually we like to say that they take as much work as a dog or a cat, but that's not really true. They require much more time, energy, and interaction. Like dogs and cats,
they must be spayed or neutered. They need a proper diet, several hours of exercise a day, interaction with people and preferably another rabbit. They need to live inside, and you need to have access to a vet who specializes in exotics.

Most folks don't realize this when they bring home that adorable critter for little Johnny or Susie for a special Easter surprise. And when Johnny or Susie aren't old enough to care for their new pet themselves, or mom and dad get tired of the mess, or maybe little bun- bun nips a finger, or marks grandma's antique rocking chair as part of his territory, bun bun is no longer welcome.

What happens then? Most often, the rabbit is taken to a nice wooded area, or a park, and turned loose to "live in the wild". This is literally a death sentence. They have no sheltering or food finding skills. They fall prey to predators or starve to death.

One group of folks are working hard to educate people before they make this commitment. These are the people at http://makeminechocolate.org/. They encourage the public to think twice and
give chocolate bunnies instead of furry ones. Please take a look at their site. They are raffling a gorgeous painting this year that I'm hoping to win! :)

The other folks, whom i have a lot respect for is the House Rabbit Rescue Society. They are nationwide, and are always in need of donations, not only of money, but often things like towels and blankets, bleach, vinegar, fresh greens, and volunteers. Check with your nearest chapter to see what's on their wish list. They offer no kill shelter, adoptions, bunny education (education for bunny parents, that is), bunny bonding, and often grooming and short term boarding and other services. They have a wide selection of RESCUED bunnies available for adoption that have been spayed, neutered, treated for any injuries and "special" bunnies that have been damaged
by abandonment or cruelty, who have learned to love and trust again.

You can find them at :
http://www.rabbit.org/adoption/index.html.

If you live in the L.A. county area, check out http://www.bunnyluv.com/. I mostly deal directly with them, since they are closest to me.

Thanks for your time, and Happy Easter!

Buns