Need to Know of Small Charities I am Looking to Help

[guido911]

I am enamored with the show "Secret Millionaire", both the U.K. & U.S. versions. While I am not a millionaire, I would like to give a nice size check to some small, indiscreet charities or a person really going that extra mile to help those really in need. I already look for one needy family I have zero connection with and help anonymously during the holidays. And for you cynics out there, I am not looking for a tax deduction.

[RecycleMichael]

Let's talk. I am not rich but want to add a little in too.

I may call you "good idea guido"

[AquaMan]

Good man Guido. I remember when I was coaching little league baseball that an association of South Tulsa businessmen would anonymously contribute money to buy uniforms, equipment and pay sign up fees for the less fortunate districts. Tulsa Kids Baseball (TKB), Little League and North East Tulsa (NETI) Baseball comes to mind. I'm sure soccer and flag football teams have similar needs.

[guido911]

Here's one of the moments from Secret Millionaire that really inspired me. It's short, but if you don't have the time, go to around 1:10 and get ready to be wrecked.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/225088/secret-millionaire-coach-is-an-inspiration

I think this particular clip is right Aqua's wheelhouse.

[Cats Cats Cats]

http://www.gktw.org/

Not local but the Give Kids the World Village is where the Make a Wish Kids from around the country stay when they get to go to Disney World.  It is a pretty cool place run by a lot of volunteers.  The families get their own 2 bedroom condo's on the property and meals. 

[Gaspar]

I am taking donations for "The Human Fund."  Any and all gifts are welcome.

[guido911]

Thanks Sheen. Where have you been? I've been jonesing for that avatar of yours.

I am dead serious about doing this so please keep the ideas coming. As most know I am not a Tulsa area native, but this is my hometown now. And it's time I put my money where my mouth is when it comes to helping those who are elbow deep/on the front lines helping others for no other reason that they care. I did the same thing on a lesser level in Joplin  was my hometown just four years ago. Before then, I had no money to give so when I lived in Tulsa from 1996-2003 and my childhood hometown got stiffed. To be sure, this is one matter in which I can rally behind "spreading the wealth around".

RM, you should be a treasure trove of information given your vast connections and work you do in this area. Same goes for you Conan, Artist, Aqua and others who I am not as familiar. While I fight it out with many of you tooth and nail (and I have gotten ugly on at least one occasion  ) when it comes to politics, this ain't politics.

[AquaMan]

Here's one of the moments from Secret Millionaire that really inspired me. It's short, but if you don't have the time, go to around 1:10 and get ready to be wrecked.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/225088/secret-millionaire-coach-is-an-inspiration

I think this particular clip is right Aqua's wheelhouse.

If you ever get asked to volunteer coach any sport or even just help another coach, do it. Don't hide behind your own insecurities, lack of time, "I never played sports", or fear of failure. It was one of the most satisfying and emotionally educational things I've ever done (other than enjoy my raising my boys).  I only coached one team that my kid was on.

I still see some of the kids and parents occasionally and am surprised they even remember me. I was very competitive and obnoxious (unlike now ). My first remark to them is "I'm sorry!" and we all laugh. Only one child ever played sports beyond high school. The one I didn't think was even athletic!

When you pick up a kid from the bad side of town, whose single father is drunk on the front porch surrounded by bags of trash, he smells bad because no one washed his uniform and he smiles and says, "Hey coach! Can I play third base today?" you know you're doing something good.

[RecycleMichael]

I had a guy buy me a beer the other night while at dinner. He came up to the table and said how I coached his kid in chess and now his kid was beating him. I told him it was so much fun to teach chess, because the kids were so competitive and so into it.

It was an extra tasty beer.

[guido911]

If you are soldier in uniform at a restaurant I am at, I'm going to pay for your dinner before your bill gets to your table.

[TheArtist]

If you are soldier in uniform at a restaurant I am at, I'm going to pay for your dinner before your bill gets to your table.

Where you eating next?  I still got my uniform. 

[Breadburner]

Where you eating next?  I still got my uniform. 

Is this it.....

[guido911]

 

Is this it.....

OMG!!!I can't stop laughing at that pic. And yes, you wear that, dinner and beers are on me.

[TheArtist]

Is this it.....

How did you know?!

[TheArtist]

On a more serious note. I don't have a lot of money these days, the good ol days for me when new mc mansions were going up left and right and people were buying murals like crazy are absolutely over and its been tough going.  But regardless, you get to a point in your life when you look at the world and you wonder what you can do to make it better and make a difference.  Thats the main reason I am doing the Tulsa Art Deco Museum project.  

I love it when I can make someones, an adult or childs, eyes light up.  To be able to create something inspiring, thats wonderful and beautiful, to have them learn something and enjoy it, to be able to use my talent to get someone to think and to wonder about possibilities, to imagine and dream, is very rewarding. This museum is my avenue to doing that.

I believe firmly in the arts, how learning creativity and problem solving in that one sphere can postitively translate into everything else you will do in life.  And while your at it your learning aaall sorts of things about past people and history and even science and discipline.  And if its a group project, its hard to beat the teamwork, coordination and problem solving skills involved.

 I remember a while back I had some large sheets of extra canvas left over from a project.  I gave it to my younger sister who has some kids in school in Adair and asked her if she could give it to the art teacher. I later heard back how the art teacher had cut up the canvas into 10" squares and she she was able to have each student do a painting on real canvas.  You can forget how little money some of these schools have for arts.  I don't know anyone from my school who made a living from sports, but I do know of some who were eventually able to make money using their artistic and creative talents.   Not saying that sports aren't important, but the balance of where the attention and funding goes is often way off imo.  Especially when you consider what the results are after the person is an adult.    

 But anyway, I look forward to the day when the museum is something more than something neat to look at and enjoy, but can take that next step and make a difference in peoples lives.  I think of all the neat things that people will be able to learn.  It was a fascinating time around the two World Wars.  The "future" as we know it was first being realized and Art Deco was the physical and visual representation of modernity.  Its amazing to look back on history over thousands of years and see how things pretty much looked the same or slowly evolved.  Then all of a sudden, seemingly from no where the future as we understand it just popped into existance.  Some of the stuff they envisioned and created during the late Teens and 20s still look fantastically futuristic even today.  How did they do that? Where did that come from?  I am often floored whith some of the things I run across. Much of the world was still full of fussy Victorian and classical concepts of things and even their visions of the future were just more and bigger of the same, but then there were a few spots around the world where there were some incredible people envisioning things light years ahead of everyone else.  Then too, the basics for all our electrical technology, the potential for our industrial and engineering processes and projects were envisioned and birthed during that time period.  Lots of teachable moments full of wonder and amazement.  

I want to capture you with WOW! SERIOUSLY!?  That was made when!? Then leave you with having learned something and hopefully inspired as well.

While some were dreaming of fantastical futures that looked like this around the turn of the century....



Others were coming up with stuff like this.  Don't tell me this still doesn't look kewl.