Volunteers help eligible apply for stimulus payments
August 21, 2008
This morning I visited the Southwest Senior Center in West Baltimore. It was the site of a free financial clinic hosted by the Baltimore CASH Campaign, an outreach group that’s comprised of nonprofits, community-based organizations and city agencies.
This past Monday, Comptroller Peter Franchot and Congressman John Sarbanes launched the CASH campaign’s effort to help underprivileged people apply for economic stimulus payments.
Altogether, 36,000 eligible residents from Baltimore city and county (many of whom are senior citizens or are disabled) have not filed a tax return and therefore have not received a stimulus payment.
Before I arrived at the senior center — which is one of three sites set up for free clinics — I envisioned the tax return process to take at least half an hour. But with a tax professional on hand, the applicants were out the door after five minutes.
About 50 people have come to the free clinics so far, according to Pam Cheney, the Director of the UMD Law School Tax Clinic.
Cheney said media exposure and word on the streets should increase awareness and draw an even bigger turnout to the clinics planned for September.
The deadline to file for a stimulus check is October 15th and the payments are worth a minimum of $300 per person.
RICHARD SIMON, Multimedia Reporter
Employees depart over NPO’s bachelor auction fundraiser
March 28, 2008
Is a firefighter bachelor auction held at a bar an appropriate fundraiser for the Red Cross?
This seems to be the question that’s led to a purge of employees from the Frederick County Red Cross - both resignations and terminations.
The group’s executive director was fired March 19 after objecting to the plans, according to a story in the Frederick News-Post. Two more longtime employees resigned this week.
Here’s the crux of the “inappropriate” argument: The Red Cross organization advises its workers and volunteers to avoid bars and taverns while representing the Red Cross.
However, there is no such language in the organization’s written code of conduct.
In this situation, once the Frederick chapter was told there were no legal concerns over the event, it was up to the board members to make the final decision.
And on Wednesday, the bachelor auction was held at the Greene Turtle Sports Bar and Grille. The event raised more than $4,000.
Do you think a bachelor auction is appropriate for an esteemed NPO? Or should nonprofits steer away from mixing business and pleasure?
JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor
Sphere: Related ContentNot just at Christmas
August 24, 2007
Karen Buckelew reported today on the finances of the Salvation Army’s Baltimore Area Command, which focuses its charitable efforts on area schoolchildren, the homeless and disaster relief.
From the story:
It also is a charity that has been stretching its resources to meet evolving needs. Its $504,802 deficit for fiscal 2006 was a 70 percent jump over the previous year’s shortfall.
The growing deficit was a wake-up call for administrative cuts, said Lafeea Watson, development coordinator for the Baltimore Salvation Army. “There was some belt-tightening,” said Watson.
During the past year, the organization has cut programs, closed its Highlandtown Boys and Girls Club and turned over management of its residential camp in Monkton. It has replaced paid contractors for maintenance and informational technology services with volunteers. It has secured corporate grants for services that once taxed its operating budget.
Almost 700 children participated in the Boys and Girls Clubs in Middle River, Glen Burnie and South Baltimore last year. Operating the Glen Burnie club costs just over $11 per child per day during the academic school year.
Many of us attended after-school programs or clubs or visited rec centers as youth. For me, it was Longwood Recreation Center in Brookeville, MD.
What about you - any memories from after-school programs to share?
Above: Wanda Newton, executive director of the Salvation Army Baltimore Area Command Boys and Girls Clubs, plays with 5-year-old Mikayla Gonzalez at the club in Glen Burnie.
-JACKIE SAUTER, Daily Record Multimedia Editor
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