Matthew Supert

Slowly but surely I am catching up to my monthly charitable donations. My May Donation is for the ASPCA. I am sure we have all seen the commericals with Sarah Mclachlan in them that tear at your heart strings (i might just cry typing this). As I have said before I am a sucker when it comes to caring for animals. The ASPCA seems like an obvious choice.

My June donation is for the Garfield Conservatory in Lincoln Park. Last year they suffered a devistating blow when a hail storm knocked out a large portion of the windows at the conservatory. 

The Convervatory has always been one of my favorite places to visit whenver I went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. I have always found greenhouses and conservatories incredibly calming. So warm and quiet inside. I often times went to the green houses at University of Illinois when I was there during the winter just to escape the cold and drab weather and the stresses of the school. They were an incredibly meditative place in all of thecrazy that is sometimes a college campus. 

So I have totally dropped the ball on updating my donations for the past couple of months, but I plan to get back up to speed on that. 

My April donation is to Rolling Dog Ranch. Rolling Dog Ranch is a rescue ranch for disabled dogs and horses. 

Rolling Dog Farm rescues and shelters disabled dogs and horses. They come to us from humane societies, animal control shelters and rescue groups across the country, literally from coast to coast. Every animal who arrives at the farm gets another chance to have a safe and loving home. Most of our dogs are blind, while some are blind and deaf, and others have neurological and orthopedic issues. Our horses are blind. Although these animals may have disabilities, they do not consider themselves handicapped. They just want to get on with life and enjoy themselves.

Actually Jack Hanna does an amazing job in this video showcasing and explaining the ranch. You can find more information about the work they do as well as information on each of the animals over at their website: http://www.rollingdogfarm.org/ 

This month's donation goes to The Water Project. It is an organization online that helps to bring clean water to people living in rural Africa. 

Nearly one billion people have no access to clean, safe water. The dirty water they do have makes them sick. It robs children of hope. But it doesn't have to be that way.

We know that access to clean, safe water changes lives. We know that when a well is installed for a village, girls return to school.

Women begin small businesses. Men are no longer too sick to work. Fields are watered and food supply becomes more reliable. Health returns and children grow up to be productive members of their community. The cycle of poverty is broken. Lives change. Access to clean, safe water isn't an end, it's a means.

The money  you donate can go to a couple of different projects depending upon what you chose, but it mostly goes directly to building wells in Africa to allow people access to clean water. After the donation the website will provide you a link with information and the location of the well you are heloing to build. The well that my funds were donated to was Rwanda Well #3043.

If you would like to donate, get involved in other ways or just find out more information head on over to their main site at TheWaterProject.org or over to their "Get Involved Page"

As I mentioned in my 2012 Goals post, one of my objectives this year is to donate at least $100 a month to a charity or cause that I find compelling. I decided to begin doing a monthly post on these donations to cast some light and awareness on them. If anyone else out there would like to donate to them as well I will provide links to their sites in my posts along with information about the cause. 

For my first donation of the year I chose to go with a seemingly unknown animal sanctuary call Batworld. As you might expect from the name they are an animal sanctuary for bats that for some reason cannot make it back to the wild. To be honest I cannot remember how I first came across this organization, but after reading up on them it seems that they have recently come upon some hard times due to some legal or defamation issues. They just felt like the right place for me so I made a donation. 

There are several ways you can donate, but perhaps the easiest and most heartwarming is their "adopt a bat" program". For $40 ($30 for a class I think) you can adopt a bat for one year to help pay for food and medical supplies for the sanctuary. I chose to go with Beene'. As a result they sent me a nice little informational packet in the mail and a wonderful picture of the bat that I plan to frame.

After I made my donation I had a pleasant email from the foundation as well that just sort of made me feel good. 

Dear Matthew,

It looks like you may have accidentally sponsored Beene' three times. Let me know if you meant to only sponsor her once and I'll refund the extra donation you were charged.

Amanda

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No I did actually want to sponsor that amount.  You can use the money towards other bats or whatever, but the $1XX is all yours.

Matt Supert.

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Dear Matthew, Thank you so much!!! This is so very generous of you. Our organization faces a continual uphill battle in securing the financial resources it takes to rescue these misunderstood animals. Your contribution will make a difference in the number of lives we will be able to save in the coming months. 
 
Again, thank you, on behalf of all the injured, orphaned and abused bats who will be helped due to your compassionate support.

Amanda

So I hope people find this organization interesting and if you are looking to adopt a bat with your kids, learn a little bit more about bats or perhaps do something for one of your classes definitely check out Batworld.org to learn more.