GiveTEN's Blog

52% of Detroit Public School students ar …

givetenbyprovideinc — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:11:20 +0000

52% of Detroit Public School students are illiterate (Detroit News)

Almost 3/4 of those incarcerated have not graduated from high school and a staggering 70% or more are functionally illiterate and read below a fourth grade level.

75% of Detroit Public School students dropped out in the 2008-2009 school-year. (Detroit Free Press)

Poverty is a cause: 93% of students in Detroit are eligible for state-funded breakfast and lunch at school.

Part of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act requires states to set improvement standards for schools and sanctions. Michigan decides which schools are performing and improving adequately by the MEAP test results.

The test also determines which students and schools will receive state scholarships and awards.

The worse a school does on the MEAPs, the lower the funding… so how is a school to improve?

(http://www.educationreport.org) (http://www.mackinac.org/article.aspx?ID=4827)

Detroit schools are facing a literacy crisis.
If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

To be a part of the solution, repost this note and tag everyone you know. Together, we can raise awareness and make a change!

givetenbyprovideinc — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:50:38 +0000

GiveTEN: impact local and global communities.

Check out our first-ever GiveTEN Public Service Announcement. Thank you to ALL who helped and gave of their time and talents:

Rikki Schwartz – writing, consulting, directing and voice over
Kevin Outland – consulting, directing and voice over
Steve Naseef – consulting and original musical composition
Lori Naseef – producing, editing and voice over
Robin Krohn and “Ollie” – acting
Jen Arapoff & girls – acting, consulting and voice over
Kadigah and Roman – acting
The Berger Family – acting
Julia – voice over
Kevin T. – voice over
Haven – voice over
Ian and Kevin of Orion Neighborhood Television -
training and consulting

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Checking out hellotx

givetenbyprovideinc — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:46:20 +0000

Checking out hellotxt – thank you for the suggestion Kevin Outland from Pure Energy Advertising!

Send crucial supplies to HAITI safely & securely through PROVIDEINC

givetenbyprovideinc — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:38:41 +0000

At provideInc, we have been praying for guidance regarding our potential role in supporting crucial relief efforts in Haiti. As a small non-profit, it is our desire to reach out to the Haitian people in a significant, yet practical way. Not surprisingly, that “fit” has been communicated to us through our friends Chris and Beth Cooley, with whom we sent craft and activity supplies to the children of Haiti’s Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage (EGO) just three months ago. Thankfully, the children of EGO are safe, their orphanage escaping the intense damage which destroyed so much of Port Au Prince.

The destruction and chaos in the capital city has made it significantly more difficult to get supplies to the orphanage located in Dessalines, Haiti – a city of about 50,000 people located ninety miles north of the capital in the foothills of the Haitian mountains. Since the quake hit on January 12th, thousands of Haitians have fled earthquake-shattered areas where aid is not reaching the streets fast enough for the homeless, hurt and hungry. Twenty such refugees are currently receiving care from Don and Doris Peavey, who established the orphanage thirty-five years ago. Thankfully, the Peavey’s had access to solar-powered satellite telephones and an internet connection after the earthquake, permitting them to communicate and reach their daughter Vickie who resides in Florida. It was through an email (excerpts below) from Vickie, shared with us by Chris and Beth Cooley, that we were made aware of this opportunity to help.

Email Date: Monday, January 18, 2010 Subject: Supplies are Needed.

“Mom and Dad have about 20 refugees right now which doesn’t sound like much in the scope of things, but what most people don’t know was there wasn’t much food to be found at least a week before the quake. Most of the grocery stores were closed (the larger ones) and when they sent someone into Port for provisions, very little was found so their provisions were almost extinguished even then. Three men are flying down this week via Missionary Flights International but are only allowed 2000 lbs (including the weight of the men). That is not much when the need is so great. I just know that there will be another opportunity soon… we just have to be ready. They’re going to buy as much beans, rice, and powdered whole milk as they can get their hands on.

Thank you so very much for your prayers and encouragement. Even if everything was a total loss, and my parents and everything were lost, God would still be worthy of our praise because He is God Almighty, a Sovereign, Holy and most Powerful God.’”

Love you, Vickie (Don & Doris’ daughter)

provideInc’s Safe and Secure Donation Plan:
1. Donate items from the list below to provideInc.

2. provideInc will ship the donated items to Missionary Flights International. (MFI)

3. MFI will fly the supplies to Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage. (EGO)
(with whom they already have an established relationship).

For any items donated through provideInc, we pledge to pay for both the shipping costs to MFI as well as covering the $1.50 per pound cost to fly the supplies into Haiti which would normally be incurred by EGO. If you do not live in MI but would like to contribute in this way, please contact us as we may be able to work out arrangements to assist you in handling a shipment from your location or consider making a contribution to provideInc specifically for this Haitian relief effort.

Due date for donating items to provideInc: Monday, February 15
The list is by priority (at the top) to wish list (at the bottom).

NEEDS FOR REFUGEES IN DESSALINES:

CLOTHING:
Underwear for men sizes small and medium
Pants for men – smaller sizes
Shirts – smaller sizes
Underwear for women – full cut
Summer type dresses
Shoes and sandals – men & women

TOLIETRIES:
Soap
Shampoo
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Deodorant
Baby bottles
Diapers – cloth
Plastic pants
Sleepwear for babies
Sheets – single

FOOD:

Cooking oil

Rice
Beans (Haitian or brown)
Alaska powered milk
Spaghetti/pasta

ORPHANGE MAINTENCE NEEDS:
6 – Trojan L16 RE 12 volt deep cell batteries for solar storage
6 – Trojan AGM Sealed batteries (will provide specs)

SCHOOL NEEDS:
Copier for School
Photo Copy paper
Spiral notebooks
Crayons
Chalk
Pens

To make an item donation: Contact Lori Naseef at provideInc@comcast.netor 248-420-8816 (cell) for meet-up, pick-up or drop-off.

NOTE: Our GiveTEN donation drop-spots have already been “removed” from their locations and are no longer available for drop-off. Thank you.

GiveTEN Partner Story #2: God at Ford Field

givetenbyprovideinc — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:14:35 +0000

from Mary Hiatt, of Giving Orphans Hope:

Hi All,

Just wanted to take a few minutes to share an amazing afternoon that our family experienced at Ford Field recently.

There were very few things that were pre-arranged for the event, most of the afternoon just happened. It’s so awesome when you get out of the way and let God do his work! There were 19 boys from Christ Child House and four staff members that we had the privilege of spending the afternoon with. We were scheduled for a private tour of Ford Field and then a 30 minute clinic on the field. Not too bad.

I knew the day would be a special event for the boys, but I really wanted to send them home with something to remember it by, maybe a sticker or even just a piece of marketing material — anything that didn’t come with an exorbitant price tag because our budget was limited. A picture would’ve been wonderful, but we are only allowed to take non-identifying pictures of the boys because of legalities. Not very impressive to have a blurry picture of yourself at the 50 yard line. I lobbied more than one source for goods, but came up empty handed. Then, through two staff members from Kensington Community Church in Troy, MI – Mark Biebuyck (Director of Small Groups) and Dave Wilson (Teaching Pastor) a package arrives on Christmas Eve with Lion’s baseball hats for all of the boys. Pretty good, huh?

On Monday, I get a call from Mark wondering if Dave could pick up a Lion’s player or two and meet us on the field on Tuesday. Are you kidding? The boys would love it! Now, it wasn’t a for sure thing, but hopes were high. Commence praying. Dave e-mails me Tuesday morning and says that he’s picking up Nick Harris (punter) and would see us on the field at 1:30, which is when the clinic would start. Things are getting better!

So, we get to the field and the tour begins. Pretty impressive piece of real estate. We seemed to zip through the tour and we were on the field a half hour early, according to my schedule, for the clinic. Our surprise guests weren’t scheduled to arrive for 1/2 hour — when the clinic would be over. Oh, no! But, God’s timing is perfect.

The boys had a blast on the field. The coach they had was so fun, so engaging and so encouraging — and so on time. The clinic was over exactly 30 minutes after it started. I approached one of the tour guides to see if it was possible to stay on the field a bit longer and explained that Dave and Nick were on their way. The guide got on his little walkie talkie and before I knew it, we had been approved for more field time. Thank you, Lord!

Dave and Nick made a quiet entrance as the boys ran around. We quickly gathered the group and I began to announce to the boys that a special guest had arrived, but they were screaming, “Nick Harris!” before I even got his name out. Now, I admit that I don’t follow sports at all, so Nick’s notoriety doesn’t hit my radar (sorry Nick!), but he was sure a super star to those boys. Isn’t God good?

Remember my hopes for a souvenir? Well, Nick shows up with cards to autograph for the boys and then he announces that if everyone gave him their name and shoe size that Reebok would send them each a pair of basketball shoes. Shoes! Why do we dream so small? I need to remember that we serve a BIG God and that he can do much more than provide the small sticker that I had settled for.

As Nick was speaking to the boys, I approached the tour guide again and sheepishly asked if we could use the field just a bit longer so Dave and Nick could throw the ball around with the boys. It would’ve been worth the extra money to use the field had they required it because this is when I truly felt that we accomplished what we had set out to do. We wanted to provide the boys with an opportunity to leave behind the reality of their lives for just a few hours and to be kids enjoying the fullness of youth. They were truly in the zone as Dave challenged them up and down the field. We should never underestimate the power of a few minutes of our time and the ability of it to change the course of someone’s life.

So, we spent an extra 45 minutes on the field and then were escorted to a break room where the boys hydrated and snacked as Nick shared a bit of his story. He’s an amazing man whose talents go far beyond the football field and gives all glory to his Lord, Jesus Christ. It was a wonderful scene to watch Dave, the Lion’s chaplain, sit on the sidelines as a player shared his heart for Christ. I’m sure the boys would’ve expected Dave to share the gospel, but seeds were planted when Nick put aside his NFL status and shared his relationship with Jesus. Now that’s excellence!

I left elated that the day had produced so much more than I had planned. But there was a heaviness in my heart knowing that the boys were returning to the life that we had tried to put aside for just a bit, but in reality hadn’t changed a bit. I wrestled with the feeling for most of the day and tried to find satisfaction in the success of the day itself, but I quickly realized that it is because of heaviness of my heart, of your hearts, that we move forward, take action and try to make a difference in the lives of those we encounter. I pray that the heaviness will always remain to push me forward and that I always rely on Jesus to lighten it.

So, on the eve of this new year, know that we can make a difference and that we should never stop trying. Through a community of believers we were able to make this day happen for the boys at Christ Child House. The team at GO Hope, Kensington leadership, Small Groups, the Detroit Lions, Ford Field, and GiveTEN all locked arms to live open handedly to love others and to show our love for an amazing God through our actions.

Happy New Year!
Mary Hiatt

GiveTEN press release

givetenbyprovideinc — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:24:38 +0000

“GiveTEN provides an opportunity to benefit 10 groups at once,” explains Lori Naseef, provideInc Director. “We’ve designed it so that you can choose whatever path to giving that works for you–whether it’s donating $10, volunteering for 10 hours or providing 10 needed items.”

givetenbyprovideinc — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:53:22 +0000

GiveTEN – Ten Seconds!

Just another way – an important, easy and QUICK way – to help us by voting for provideInc in the Chase Community Giving program. Thanks for watching our quick video to learn how.
Lori Naseef

http://www.giveten.net

http://www.provideInc.org

We are working on encouraging as many vo …

givetenbyprovideinc — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:37:47 +0000

We are working on encouraging as many votes as possible for provideInc via the Chase Community Giving program – as we pledge to share anything we may be awarded with our GiveTEN partners (http://www.giveten.net). Please VOTE for us BY DEC 11!

http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/713149

A Medal for a Hero…

givetenbyprovideinc — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:53:04 +0000

From Lisa (Oelmann) Smith, one of two IDEA League representatives for GiveTEN:

“In the picture is Lancaster Primary School Guidance Counselor, Jamilah Sawyer, and Haley Smith. Haley is in the “Regional Program” at the school (or the special ed/needs class). I met Jamilah several years ago. We both go to our YMCA at 5:30 AM for our workouts. Our conversations were usually about running and sometimes about Haley and the school system. This is Haley’s first year in the public school system, but she did receive speech therapy through the school for several years.

Today when Haley and I arrived at the school, Ms. Sawyer asked to see both of us in her office. When we got there she handed Haley a gift bag. I allowed Haley to take it to her class, I never imagined how special the item was inside the gift bag full of tissue paper. When I came to pick up Haley, I met her speech therapist in the hall (she had been in the Ms. Sawyer’s office when we picked up the gift). The therapist teared up when she asked me if I could believe what Jamilah had given Haley. I explained that I had not seen the gift. When she told me what it was I had tears streaming down my face. This was Jamilah’s third or fourth marathon and she ran her best time. ”I even beat Oprah’s time” was her comment. Speechless was how I felt…and so very, very touched. I tried to return the medal, but she insisted on giving it to Haley. Here is the letter she enclosed in the bag:

October 27, 2009

Dear Haley,

My name is Miss Sawyer and I am your Guidance Couselor at Lancaster Primary School. I am also a friend of your mom and a sister in Christ; therefore we are family! I am so encouraged by your walk and your strength. I want to give you my medal from a marathon I ran because you are an overcomer. You are a winner in my book!

Keep striving, keep the faith! I ran for a perishable prize, however it was a shadow of the incorruptible crown we are striving for in Christ Jesus, (1 Corinthians 9: 24-26). You are a wonderful testimony of God’s love.

Sincerely,
Miss Sawyer

How wonderful some people are!!!
Love, Lisa (Haley’s Mom)

Protected: The brochures for GiveTEN are in and the …

givetenbyprovideinc — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:55:08 +0000

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