Good Monkeys

Fighter Mom Starts Non-Profit

Andrew's Buddies Corporation (also known as "FightSMA") was created to accelerate the search for a treatment and cure for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the number-one inherited cause of infant death. SMA is a cruel disease, leaving many of its victims unable to crawl, walk, and even breathe or swallow on their own.  FightSMA’s objective is to raise awareness and funding for SMA research.

FightSMA was created in 1991 by Joe and Martha Slay, after they received the diagnosis of their son, Andrew.  Beginning “around the kitchen table,” FightSMA now has 19 chapters across the United States and Canada.

FightSMA hosts its annual gala, SMAsquerade, to raise funds for research and awareness.  This year’s SMAsquerade, “Make Tracks!” was held at the Science Museum of Virginia, and raised over $150,000.  Some of the highlighted items to purchase at the auction were six box seats to the Kentucky Derby, a Duck Hunting adventure in Arkansas, and an 8-day whale-watching expedition in Baja California, accompanied by a senior editor and senior photographer from National Geographic magazine.

In 2005, FightSMA launched the Fighter Mom™ program.  This model program was designed to help mothers (and other caregivers) whose children face ANY disease, health or behavioral problem.  It gives these special and courageous mothers the tools they need to proactively combat their children’s challenges. 

In recent news, FightSMA has joined together with Families of SMA and the SMA Foundation to create the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act, which has now been introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 3334) and U.S. Senate (S.2042).  For more information on the bill, or to contact your Member of Congress, please e-mail FightSMA.

And while you're at today, don't forget to give your kids, be they two- or four-legged, a great big hug!

Protecting Reproductive Health

Founded in 1940 by a group of concerned citizens, the Virginia League for Planned Parenthood's mission is to ensure that individuals and families have the freedom, information, and ability to make their own informed reproductive choices.

The organization provides a wide range of services towards this mission.

At their center in Richmond, VA, the group offers affordable and confidential health care including birth control and emergency contraception, 1st trimester abortion services, reproductive health services for men, women, and teens, HIV testing and counseling, and screening and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

They have even expanded to include pre-natal care for low-income women who are not eligible for Medicaid.

One of the primary focuses of VLPP is education. Their Becoming a Responsible Teen program is a culturally appropriate, HIV prevention curriculum designed especially for African-American adolescents in non-school, community-based settings.

In addition to the BART program, the VLPP website offers a host of information about birth control, pregnancy and sexual health. There is even a special section for to help parents talk to their kids about sex.The information isn't just for women; there is lots to learn for men also.

VLPP is undergoing a major project this year and expanding their building and services dramatically. If you know an individual or group that would interested in helping raise money for their capital campaign, please contact VLPP.

As the daughter of a woman who had her first child at eighteen because of inadequate access to education and health services, I'm thankful for organizations like VLPP. Please consider spreading the word if you know a young man or woman who needs information.

Stories, Please!

I need your help.

One of the reasons I started this blog was to share stories about good people in the world. I've started by featuring good non-profit groups but I'd like to expand, if you can help me.

Let's collect some stories together.

Currently, I don't have time to interview each organization and get stories about the people and animals they have helped. Some websites have success stories, but many don't have the resources to post them.

If you know someone who has been touched by one of these groups, can you ask them to write a comment on the post and tell their story? Just send them a link to the site (you can get a link to a particular post by clicking "permalink" that is at the end of each one) and ask them to share.

If you are involved in one of these organizations, would be post a comment and share your story? You can tell us how it feels to volunteer, a story about a special someone you've helped, anything so that we can get to know more about the organization.

I've been getting lovely emails from the groups on the blog but it would be so nice for others to join in te pleasure.

There is so much power in a good story. Please share yours. You may never know who you inspire to change the world.

And don't forget to subscribe so you know what new group is featured each day. It will save you having to remember to run back to the blog and check. If you're anything like me, having to remember something is a hit or miss affair.

Thanks again for all the wonderful things you do to make the world a little better place.