Sorry mods, I thought I was posting in off topic. Abner This is so cool: The Most Important Gift Catalog in the World My wife and I will pick something out after dinner. I love this idea! Abner
My wife and I are vegetarians and we purchased a goat one year. They do not eat the animals, they use them for farming and sell the milk also. Here is the info on a cow: Heifers Equal Hope When a family has a cow, every morning there's a glass of rich milk for the children to drink before heading off to school. Classes are paid with the income from the sale of milk, and there's even enough to share with the neighbors. A good dairy cow can produce four gallons of milk a day - enough for a family to drink and share with neighbors. Milk protein transforms sick, malnourished children into healthy boys and girls. The sale of surplus milk earns money for school fees, medicine, clothing and home improvements. Better still, every gift multiplies, as the animal's first offspring is passed on to another family-then they also agree to pass on an animal, and so on. And because a healthy cow can produce a calf every year, every gift will be passed on and eventually help an entire community move from poverty to self reliance. Now that's a gift worth giving!
This is a good idea....This is what we need to do to help the poor in the US. Only problem is if you tried to give a starving family a cow, they would turn it down and ask for a Big Mac. Heck if my family was starving I would love a cow. My wife and kids could have milk and I would tie the cow up roadside to graze. That needs to be our new welfare system, Livestock. No more WIC or Food Stamps, you get a flock of geese and a goat if approved for government benefits.
Actually, WIC isn't welfare or part of the welfare system, but I understand your point. WIC (which I've been involved with lightly through my breastfeeding support group) gives out vouchers in the summer for the farmer's market. The vouchers can be used to buy food, PLANTS, or SEEDS. As an avid gardener, I thought that was the coolest thing I'd ever heard!! A tomato costs you $2 but a tomato plant for $1 gives you 30 tomatoes- it's good math to me. But, apparently they are not popular, and few use them. (They are free to anyone who asks) Juicy juice, I hear, is popular though. <sigh> I'm giving honey bees this year to 3 people and chickens to 2 people. I love that organization, I really do.
I have mixed feelings on this. One the one hand it gets people energized about donating because they really feel as though they are giving something tangible to those in need. It also has that cool-factor to those whose name you donate in honor of. On the other hand, I am sure that workers on the ground in developing countries know much better what is critically needed rather than relying on well-meaning Americans to select what sounds like a neat gift out of a catalog. There's also something that just doesn't ring true about the whole thing and I can't put my finger on it. By the way, I should note that I have actually used this service for donations before....
?? "what" isn't what WIC is? You lumped it in with welfare, which it isn't. Call your local health department or check the web, totally different programs. They provide food vouchers for nutritional supplements to pregnant/postpartum women, infants up to 1 year, and children up to age 5 whose income does not EXCEED 185% of the poverty line. They provide breastfeeding support and education as a HUGE part of their mission. ANYWAY, What I was talking about was that in addition to WIC's services, in the summer they provide farmer's market vouchers. I've been involved with WIC since 2001. My point, was that in my county, the demand for the plant and seed vouchers was pretty low- meaning that there didn't seem to be much interest in growing food as a means of getting the most "bang for your buck."
Oh ok I see what your saying....I thought you were saying thats all they did. I see WIC as welfair as well. It provides free food to the poor that's welfair. If your income falls under a certain level you can get free stuff. ANYWAY, What I was talking about was that in addition to WIC's services, in the summer they provide farmer's market vouchers. I've been involved with WIC since 2001. My point, was that in my county, the demand for the plant and seed vouchers was pretty low- meaning that there didn't seem to be much interest in growing food as a means of getting the most "bang for your buck." As a back yard gardener I have never understood why more people don't do this. We have a very small garden and we end up giving away most of the food we grow. I does provide a great roi on the seeds.
Actually, WIC is welfare. It is federally funded, income-based food assistance. That's a social welfare program any way you slice it.
Perhaps she meant that WIC is a different program from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (formerly called "Aid to Families with Dependent Children"), which many people simply refer to as "welfare". -=Steve=-
Ok, seriously, I'm only posting this because I don't want anyone to read this and NOT understand WIC. From the USDA site: Program Delivery WIC is not an entitlement program as Congress does not set aside funds to allow every eligible individual to participate in the program. WIC is a Federal grant program for which Congress authorizes a specific amount of funds each year for the program. WIC is administered at the Federal level by FNS administered by 90 WIC state agencies, through approximately 47,000 authorized retailers. WIC operates through 1,900 local agencies in 10,000 clinic sites, in 50 State health departments, 34 Indian Tribal Organizations, the District of Columbia, and five territories (Northern Mariana, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands). Examples of where WIC services are provided: county health departments hospitals mobile clinics (vans) community centers schools public housing sites migrant health centers and camps Indian Health Service facilities So, the income guidelines are in place, however they are only a cap. A family of 4 must earn over $41,000 to NOT be eligible. MANY young women in young families will qualify for the benefits, and understand that these are in no way shape or form connected to or counted with or lumped together with food stamps or other entitlement (Welfare) programs. By calling WIC welfare, the pregnant/postpartum women may feel judged or shame for seeking the services *which include food, but other things too- like peer to peer breastfeeding education and support, healthy cooking classes, etc. It's an excellent program, and NOT welfare. *unless of course you make up your own definition of welfare, in which case I've got nothing. Saying WIC is welfare is like saying a Pell Grant is welfare. http://wicworks.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=12&tax_level=1&tax_subject=642
