Supporting our U.S. Troops overseas November 13, 2009

www.letssaythanks.com

My father brought this site to my attention on Veteran’s Day. 

Xerox.com and the nonprofit website, Give2thetroops.org, are partnering this site.  Choosing from more than several designs, people can send a postcard online to our soldiers overseas.  The site just  asks for your name, hometown, and any message the site provides, and viola– your postcard has been sent.

(Note:  The site does state because of the bulk of mail sent out, no confirmation email can be sent to the person sending the postcard.)

Thanks to my dad for the tip, and to our soldiers because…

Interactive Neighborhood Watch Program August 15, 2009

https://kiosk.memphispolice.org/cyberwatch/

This website was intoduced to the members of Staff Organization by Mayor Pro Tem Myron Lowery.  Filling in basic information such as your name, home address,  phone numbers, and email address, users will receive email alerts of  local crime in their neighborhoods.  Because the site is offered by the Memphis Police Department (or the Blue Crush, as it has been nicknamed)the records are accurate and updated daily.

The 25 Most Dangerous Neigborhoods in America June 28, 2009

http://www.walletpop.com/insurance/most-dangerous-neighborhoods

The web site walletpop.com offers this list of the most dangerous neighborhoods in America.   Information is offered on each of the neighborhoods, including your chances of becoming a crime victim there.

Reinvent Government April 8, 2009

Thanks to Audrey May (LINC) for passing this site along…

http://reinventgovernment.org/

This site, from Memphis Tomorrow, was created to provide residents of Memphis and Shelby County a place to learn more about consolidation.   Visitors to the site can read FAQs and reports, submit questions or discuss the issue with other interested community members.

Outreach for teens in need March 23, 2009

www.loveisrespect.org

This site was brought to the attention of the Children’s Services  and Teen Services Lists by Shelley Moore of Raleigh. The site was located by Doris Dixon, also of Raleigh.

Unfortunately, abusive teen relationships exist in our society, but perhaps, with all the links and resources stemming from the site itself, these upsetting encounters will disappear.

Thanks, Shelley, for promoting the site, and to Doris for locating the site!

Memphis Legal Help December 2, 2008

From Today’s (12/02/08) Commercial Appeal:

“The Memphis Bar Association has launched a new website to provide public information on how find legal help and resources. 

The site — legalhelp.memphisbar.org — includes an online MBA attorney directory by practice area and a ‘Frequently Asked Legal Questions and Answers’ section.

Topics also include ‘What To Look For In A Lawyer,’ ‘Tips On How to Be a Responsible Client,’ ‘Things You Should Know Before You Go To Court,’ and ‘Check the Standing of an Attorney’ sections.”

The site also lists upcoming dates for free legal clinics.

National Resource Directory November 28, 2008

Thanks to Christina Barnes (Sciences) for passing this along…

www.nationalresourcedirectory.org

From the site: “An online partnership of ’shared care’ providing information on, and access to, services and resources for wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans, their families and families of the fallen, and those who support them from recovery and rehabilitation to community reintegration.”

The site is maintained by the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs, and provides resources from federal, state and local agencies, non-profit and faith-based organizations, academic institutions and professional associations.  Choose a general topic to get started.

Organ Donations in the Tennessee Area November 12, 2008

www.donatelifetn.org

From the website:

Tennessee Donor Services (TDS) is a nonprofit, independent organization authorized by the Federal Government to accept anatomical gifts liver, lungs, kidneys, intestine or pancreas).

TDS’ designated service area includes 84 counties in Tennessee and  8 counties in Virginia.

The mission of Tennessee Donor Services is to support families in our communities who have sustained the loss of a loved one by providing an opportunity for organ, eye and tissue donation and by facilitating the recovery and transplantation of these gifts to help others in need. 
 

Charity Guide October 26, 2008

http://www.charity-charities.org/

“The Charity Guide is a non profit web site designed to inform and educate those interested in making contributions to charitable organizations. There are many ways in which to support worthwhile causes in your area. Whether it is in the form of monetary donations, or a small bit of your time each week, we hope the information provided will help you discover the opportunities you are seeking.”–From the web site. You can locate charities in the United States on this web site; you can search by state and you then will find towns and cities within the state and clicking on a particular city or town will give you the charities located in them.

2008 Great Places in America October 11, 2008

http://www.planning.org/greatplaces/index.htm

The American Planning Association ”celebrates places of exemplary character, quality, and planning. Places are selected annually and represent the gold standard in terms of having a true sense of place, cultural and historical interest, community involvement, and a vision for tomorrow.”–From the web site.

Avoiding scams in the name of charity October 9, 2008

www.charitywatch.org

Almost everyone I know enjoys contributing to their favorite charities.  But, in this tough economy, no one needs to be scammed- especially not in the name of a charity.  The American Institute of Philanthropy has put together this website to inform the public which charities are legitimate as well as the ones (unfortunately) who are not.  Also, www.charitynavigator.org and www.guidestar.org are other informative sites of this nature.

Awareness of self-asphyxiation in children September 26, 2008

www.chokinggame.net

75 percent of children (ages 9-16) have heard of or even played the “choking game,”  according to this website.   But, what’s even worse, according to the site, 25 percent of the parents do not know about the game, including parents of some victims.  This website is hosted by the Dangerous Adolescent Behavior Foundation, and gives the games’ other slang names as well as warning signs if a child has been participating in this dangerous activity.  The site is to raise awareness about this tragedy before any other senseless death occur.

Helping American soldiers in time of need September 19, 2008

www.fisherhouse.org

I first saw this website in the Commercial Appeal yesterday- more specifically, in the advice column, Annie’s Mailbox.  The columnists referred their reader to this website when he wanted to donate his unused airline miles to American soldiers in need.

After researching the site, I discovered the group does more than that for our troops.  This is directly from the website:

“The Fisher House™ program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America’s military in their time of need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.”

Ready to Vote? September 17, 2008

The last day to register to vote for the general election is October 6, 2008. 

If you need to check the status of your voter registration, that can be done at the TN Department of State’s Voter Information Lookup page: http://tnmap.state.tn.us/voterlookup/

For information about the upcoming election, visit the Shelby County Election Commission: www.shelbyvote.com

(Thanks to Darletha Matthews and Twan Jones for passing along the first link!)

National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) and 811 August 30, 2008

http://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov/

http://www.call811.com/

Thanks to Caroline Barnett, Cordova Branch Library Manager, for passing these two sites along:

NPMS — “The National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) is a geographic information system (GIS) created by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) in cooperation with other federal and state governmental agencies and the pipeline industry.  The NPMS consists of geospatial data, attribute data, public contact information, and metadata pertaining to the interstate and intrastate gas and hazardous liquid transmission pipelines, liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, and hazardous liquid breakout tanks jurisdictional to PHMSA.”–From the website.

811 — “A new, federally-mandated national “Call Before You Dig” number, 811 was created to help protect you from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines while working on digging projects. People digging often make risky assumptions about whether or not they should get their utility lines marked due to concerns about project delays, costs and previous calls about other projects. These assumptions can be life-threatening.”– From the web site.  811 is the number you should call before beginning any digging project.