Good Monkeys

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.

The Power of Hope

Helping Hands Women's Outreach Ministries is a Richmond, VA- based program for women dealing with drug and alcohol addiction or suffering from physical or sexual abuse. Typical clients come to the program as they are being released from prison or while on probation.

Says one program participant, "I am so thankful for this program.  I came from an alcoholic family.  Both of my parents were alcoholic.  I started drinking and using drugs at the age of 12."

"I went to prison and tried several other treatment programs, they didn’t work.  I am so thankful that today, I am clean and sober.  I will live my life helping and supporting Helping Hands Women's Outreach Ministries and the Emotional Healing Class. I thank God for all of the wonderful people I’ve met in this program.  They have become family to me."

It is stories like this that drive founder Alice Washington. Just four short years after starting her ministry she was honored as one of 30 finalists for the Women of Peace Award.

HHWOM's program concentrate on three areas of healing - physical, mental and spiritual. Faith plays a large part in the work of the organization and participants. Phase two of the four-step healing process focuses on how faith and spiritual beliefs are important parts of healing process and how faith can provide participants with a sense of purpose and guidelines for living drug-free lives.

"Since taking this class, I have a new life!  I have learned how to love myself and others. I have learned to forgive others because God is a forgiving God.  God has put positive people in my life.  My future plans are to continue working with my sponsor, keep going to church, and continue working on my relationship with my God," says another program participant.

Helping Hands Women's Outreach Ministries’ new transitional housing facility at 2910 Hull Street, Richmond, Virginia opened on September 1, 2007.  This is a place where women in recovery from substance abuse can continue to get much needed support to enhance their chances of a successful long-term recovery.

Founder Washington is looking for help expanding her programs to reach more women. If you can help with donations or volunteer, please contact her at hhwom@comcast.net. She has specifically asked for someone with PR experience to help out.

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.

To Educate, Equip and Empower

The Jackson-Feild Homes for Girls is a special place for girls 13-21 who are at-risk for mental health problems, delinquent behaviors and/or failure to complete their education.

Started in 1855 as an orphan asylum, it now operates two campuses in Virginia to help young women succeed in life.

They offer multiple programs promote emotional, physical, behavioral and spiritual well- being. Most girls start in the residential facility and then move onto an independent living program that teaches them how to maintain a home, budget and manage work and home life.

Twenty year-old Ashely is a great example of a JFH success story. She spent three years on the main campus before moving the apartment living site. She finished her high school studies and now maintains a 12-credit hour schedule a local community college while working part-time. Her goal is to someday buy her own home and car.

If you can help volunteer, donate or supply goods or services, please let them know. You never know whose life you might impact. One day you might be a patient of someone like Crystal, who graduated from a nursing program after her time at JFH.

While you're at it today, take a moment to be grateful to the folks who raised you to be a contributing member of society. Whether it is your parents or other family members, a teacher, mentor or community program, call or write someone to say thanks.

New Lives for Old Horses

Did you ever wonder what happens to old racehorses when their days at the track are done?

For some, they are put out to stud or used as brood mares. I've worked on a stud farm and it's not a bad life for the horses. For others, particularly the geldings (castrated males) or mares (females) who aren't candidates for breeding, a less desirable fate awaits.

Many of the retired horses aren't suitable for becoming pleasure horses as they are injured and can't be ridden. For those horses, life's prospects are grim. Slaughterhouses are the most likely destination for them.

Enter Greener Pastures, a group founded by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation n 1983.

The group sends retired horses to prisons throughout the country where they are paired up with inmates. The inmates learn to care for the horses, take daily classes in horse support and can become certified groomsman. Many go on to work on stables after they leave prison.

More importantly, though, the inmates bond with the animals and learn a deeper sense of compassion for others. Says one inmate in Richmond, VA, Harry Blaine, who gets teased by other inmates, "They harass me about it because I never thought I'd get attached to an animal," Blaine said. "But I have. Horses just have so much love to give."

Another inmate, Tamio Holmes said, "I didn't think he'd give me a chance, but we have really bonded. He follows me around now. And I talk to him about everything. I wish he could talk back, but I swear he can understand what I'm saying."

Greener Pastures has found homes for over 1000 horses since they began. Our local prison in Richmond has taken 14 in the past year. If you have contacts at a prison in your area, perhaps you can let them know about this program.

A special thanks to the Richmond Times-Dispatch for running this story. You can read the entire article and see pictures on their site.

In researching this topic, I found several other programs around North America that seek to place horses in caring homes. I've included links to them in the sidebar. If you know of others, please list them in the comments section so we can learn about them. Don't forget to include contact information.

This post is of particular interest to me as I grew up on horseback, riding every day for my first 21 years. I've always know horse people are good people and this just confirms my belief.

Thanks again for making the world a slightly better place than it was yesterday.

Helping Public School Children Across America

For those of you who don't know, there is a big problem in public school funding in America. Many teachers simply don't have the resources (that's money mostly) to educate their students in the best possible ways.

Sometimes that means art teachers don't have art supplies for their kids. Other times you'll find students who want to take music lessons but can't afford instruments. In other cases, school textbooks or computer equipment may be so outdated as to be unusable.

The problems are particularly prevalent in school districts with a lot of poverty and, therefore, low tax bases.

Enter DonorsChoose.

This wonderful organization aims to bridge the funding gap and connect donors to teachers and their special projects. To date, they have found donations totally over $15,000,000 for American school children.

There are literally thousands of projects ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars that you can contribute to. The process DonorsChoose uses is quite simple and elegant.

A teacher submits a proposal detailing the items needed, who will benefit from them and how much money they need. DonorsChoose lists them on their website with all the details and then seeks out peopel to fund all or part of the projects.

DonorsChoose collects the money, buys the items and sends them to the school. In return, the teacher uses a DonorsChoose camera to take pictures of the children using the donated items and sends them, with a report to all donors contributing $100 or more to the project.

What a win-win situation!

In addition, the organization has created a program to allow students to decide where bulk grant money is allocated. They actually teach kids to be grant readers and allow them to decide where large donations will be spent.

If you'd like to find out more about DonorsChoose, check out their About Us page. It's a wonderful overview of the program.

If you're a blogger, consider creating a challenge for your readers and getting them involved in donating.

If you're just an average person who wants to make a difference, let your friends know about DonorsChoose. They have a great blog.

As my grandmother used to say, there is no such thing as too much education. Reach out a hand and help a child be educated if you can.