Mr. Earl: Super Saver!

EVERYONE can retire comfortably on ANY income 

if they make the right financial choices.

 


Mr. Earl is living proof that ANYONE can reach retirement comfortably. It's a matter of making financially sound choices, and the earlier you start the better!

However, for those of us who are older and wondering if it's too late-- it's NOT! I am living proof of that. As a single mother for 12 years I wondered if I would even be able to retire at the normal retirement age. I remember many nights in my conversations with the Lord 'bargaining' with Him. The conversation went something like this, "I'll focus everything I've got right now on making sure the kids are taken care of and have the best start possible in the situation, and then once they are raised I'm going to need something to make up for lost time."

Through all of those years I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be able to retire 10-15 years EARLY. A lot can change in just 7 years. It has all come down to 3 things for me: 

• NO debt, 
• Low needs, and 
• Residual income from rental properties and other ventures. 

Retirement doesn't mean you CAN'T work if you love what you do, but it means you go to work because you WANT to, not HAVE to, and it certainly is nice to work under those circumstances. I intend to keep 'working' for a lot of years to come for two reasons:

1. because I really do love what I do and want to keep helping families, and
2. because while I have 'low needs' if needed, I also LOVE to travel and I want to be able to support some of my favorite causes, so as far as I'm concerned, the travel and donation funds could keep growing and growing and growing and . . . .

It's something everyone should have the chance to experience, and it's possible for everyone! You can make it happen. It starts with a choice! As Dave Ramsey says,

"Live now like no one else 

so you can live later like no one else!"

An Opportunity for BUSINESSES to Make a Difference!!

BRAG Open Access Program for Businesses

Did you know that 1 out of 5, or 20%, of Cache Valley residents have a disability? When a place of business is physically accessible and your staff is educated on how to serve people of all abilities with respect, patience and dignity it can mean repeat customers for them.  Do you know where the closest, accessible bus stop is to your business?  Do you have necessary accommodations in place for someone who may push a stroller, walk, or ride their bicycle to shop at your store? Are your aisles wide enough for wheelchairs or walkers?  Do you know how to respectfully lead a person who is visually impaired, or how to serve a customer whose caregiver accompanies them?  OPEN ACCESS is an educational program offered by Bear River Association of Governments as part of a region-wide effort to help improve access and mobility for people of all abilities in Box Elder, Cache, and Rich Counties.  The program is overseen by the Bear River Regional Access and Mobility Council, a group made up of various human service transit providers and stakeholders serving persons with disabilities, low-income individuals, and seniors.  The program offers education to local businesses on how to improve access and mobility to, and within, their business for patrons of all abilities. Businesses are visited by volunteers who generally evaluate the physical accessibility of their facility and current access to public transit accommodations for alternative modes of transportation such as biking and walking. A free 30-minute educational presentation is also offered to business staff to teach them how to improve customer service for persons with disabilities. Call Allison Richman, BRAG Mobility Specialist to schedule an Open Access presentation or for more information at 435-752-7242 ext. 424 or e-mail at allisonr@brag.utah.gov. Learn More at http://www.bearrivermobility.org/open-access-program.html

Cycling Events Need Your Support!

These events need our support!

The Cache Chamber of Commerce has recently been contacted by several Cycling groups looking for support in our area. Each of these groups has an amazing charity they are working with, and need some local businesses and organizations to work with! In some cases, these events have never been through Logan, and are looking to establish new relationships. Please, take a moment and review the events below. Contact The Cache Chamber of Commerce, or the Event Manager for more information on participation.

Texas 4000 for Cancer Texas 4000 for Cancer was founded in 2004 by Chris Condit, who is a survivor of Hodgkin's lymphoma, as a way to raise money for cancer research and other cancer survivorship programs while spreading hope, knowledge and charity across the continent. Each year since then, a group of college students from the University of Texas trains together and cycles from Austin, TX to Anchorage, AK, a nearly4,500 mile journey taking place over the span of 70 days. Throughout this journey, the team stops in communities across the continent to share stories and present programs and to present grants to various cancer-fighting organizations, among other things. If you'd like to learn more about Texas 4000 for Cancer, please visit www.texas4000.org. There, you can find information about the organizations we benefit, more about the history of Texas 4000, and the reasons we commit to ride.  We are staying in Logan on June 27th and that we are looking for organizations or individuals who would be interested in hosting the team (which is made of roughly 25 cyclists) for a night or providing any food donations. In the past, we have stayed in churches, rec centers, as well as households as we make our journey.  Kristan Schiele Rockies Travel Chair Texas 4000 for Cancer 2016 Team RockiesTravel.t4k2016@gmail.com (832) 492-4042 Learn More

The U5 Challenge presented by Spin Utah The U5 beckons to zealous cycling enthusiasts from all over the state and country. If you've ever wanted to ride something as monumental as a multi-stage cycling event, now's your chance. The U5 Challenge is a fully-supported Gran Fondo that takes cyclists from Logan to St. George, Utah. Weaving along the Wasatch range, riders tackle some of the most picturesque and challenging landscapes the state has to offer. All proceeds from The U5 Challenge go toward benefiting the children, teens, and young adults served by The Christmas Box International (CBI). CBI is a Utah Charity organization that helps children and adolescents who are victims of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. We at Spin Utah hold the cause of CBI in the highest regard. Our hearts go out to the precious little souls they help, and we can't imagine being involved in any better cause. Learn More

4K for Cancer 2016 BALTIMORE TO SAN FRANCISCO 2016 marks our 15th year of cycling from Baltimore to San Francisco. The route was our first trip in 2002 and we have been cycling some of the same back roads since. The route is a 70 day, 4000 plus mile cross country trek starting at Baltimore's Inner Harbor and finishing with a ride across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Riders will head southwest through Virginia crossing the Appalachians into southern Tennessee. The ride continues northwest to St Louis, MO before heading northwest through Nebraska before landing in Boulder, CO. The ride then continues up and over the Rockies to Utah, across Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, and eventually over the Iconic Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco. The 4K for Cancer is a program of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. The Ulman Cancer Fund is a non-profit  organization that changes lives by creating a community of support for young adults, and their loved ones, impacted by  cancer. Learn More

Engaging College Students in the Elections!!

ENGAGING YOUR CAMPUS IN THE ELECTIONS:
Six Key Ways to Act

How do we engage America’s 20 million students in our nation’s elections? 

The Campus Election Engagement Project works with campus administrators, faculty, staff, and student leaders, providing the support needed to engage their students in local, state and federal elections. We combine resources drawn from colleges and universities throughout the country with personalized coaching: guiding campuses on how to use these resources to navigate students through ever-changing barriers to voting. 

What makes our approach effective?

Student voting doesn’t just happen. It takes cultivation. We’ve developed seven key areas of electoral engagement to create a road map for increasing your level of success, areas that complement each other as you effectively engage your campus. You don’t have to do everything on this list to make a major difference, but it’s crucial to address all seven areas — choosing approaches that fit your campus best. The earlier you start the better, particularly for approaches that take significant institutional planning.

1. Build a team. No one can engage an entire campus, so create a core group to coordinate engagement efforts, divide up the work and ensure key stakeholders communicate.
2. Register students to vote. It’s the first step to student electoral participation. Set campus-wide goals and plan ways to implement them.
3. Educate students on issues and candidates. Offer clear information on where candidates stand, so students can make informed choices.
4. Help students to volunteer with partisan or nonpartisan campaigns of their choice. Early civic involvement patterns tend to stick, and this makes future participation more likely.
5. Build election excitement and visibility leading up to Election Day, using every appropriate channel.
6. Get out the vote. Make sure students know where to vote, when to vote and what to bring. Combine face-to-face and online technologies to engage all eligible students.

​

Fun, FREE, Family Celebration!!

Fun, FREE, Family Event!!!

The Provo City Center Temple Cultural Celebration for the youth will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. It will be available through the following URL:

https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/provo-city-center-temple-celebration/2016/03?lang=eng

Enjoy these ideas on volunteering together as a family from UServeUtah!! You can find their website with additional ideas and tips at https://heritage.utah.gov/userveutah/familyvolunteering.

Family Volunteering

The Utah Commission on Service and Volunteering seeks to foster civic engagement and leadership development in youth and families and increase the number of young people serving in their communities. Youth service is a proven strategy that promotes positive social behaviors, prepares youth for the workplace, and provides them with lifelong habits of leadership, problem-solving, empathy, and self-reliance. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, “a child who has a parent who volunteers is nearly three times more likely to volunteer on a regular basis.” Children of all ages can benefit from volunteering and giving back to the community. Not only have studies shown that kids that serve have strengthened academic learning and gained civic skills, but they also tend to be happier.

Organizations and Project Ideas:

• Local Food Pantries and Homeless Shelters
  • Plant fruits and vegetables to donate to a food pantry.
  • Shop together for toiletries and sort them into bags for residents at a homeless shelter.
  • Serve a meal together as a family at a local soup kitchen.
• Senior Centers
  • Visit a senior center together and entertain the residents playing games or telling stories.
• Animal Shelters
  • Bake dog treats or make dogs and cat toys and donate them to the shelter.
  • Foster animals when the shelter is at capacity.
• Invite the whole family. Use your volunteer activities as an opportunity to spend time with family members you don’t see every day. Strengthen your entire family by including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in your volunteering activities.

The Utah Conservation Corps, housed in Logan, Utah, has AmeriCorps members which work in partnership with state and federal land management agencies. AmeriCorps Members complete needed statewide conservation projects often working alongside community volunteers. The Utah Conservation Corps holds events on some national days of service such as Earth Day, National Trails Day and Public Lands Day. These events offer great opportunities to volunteer as a family to maintain trails, restore habitat, and plant trees. Find out more about The Utah Conservation Corps and how to get involved on their website.

Volunteers of America is a human services nonprofit organization that serves more than 10,000 people across the state each year through a dozen programs addressing homelessness, substance abuse, mental illness, and domestic violence. In Utah families can volunteer to do many activities, such as cooking and serving meals to clients, collecting items to donate, and sorting donations. Volunteers of America invites people to visit Candy Cane Corner, an annual collaboration between The Road Home, Volunteers of America, Utah and YWCA Utah.  Each year, these three organizations engage the community in providing a holiday shopping experience for the families they serve. Visit the website to donate new gifts, volunteer, or make a monetary donation.  Please visit Volunteers of America online to volunteer and learn more about how they serve the community.

The Children’s Center is a nonprofit agency that provides comprehensive mental health care to enhance the emotional well-being of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families. Because of The Children’s Center, over 2,000 families annually receive mental health treatment for their children, regardless of their ability to pay. A great family activity is washing toys for the centers kids. Families could also organize a drive for school supplies, toys, or non-perishable food items. Visit The Children’s Center online to learn more about how you and your family can get involved.

Best Friends invites you to join the thousands of volunteers who come to beautiful Angel Canyon in Kanab, Utah every year to work with our roughly 1,700 Sanctuary animals. Giving the animals the gift of your personal attention and love truly makes a difference in their lives and helps prepare them for their forever homes. Whether you volunteer for a day, a week, or longer, you and your family will enjoy a unique and rewarding time together.   Volunteer activities include socializing with our animals, walking, feeding, grooming and cleaning.  From walking an enthusiastic dog, to cleaning a rabbit run, to just sitting and talking to a shy cat, there are always plenty of fun things for families to do. For an even bigger volunteer experience you can take animals on outings—like a hike in the canyon or lunch in town.  You can also take animals on sleepovers if you have pet-friendly lodging. There are also special projects you can work on as a family. Best Friends has mostly cats and dogs, but also potbellied pigs, horses, rabbits, and parrots.  Sanctuary volunteers must be at least six years of age and there are specific age minimums for each of the animal areas.  For more information or to get started on your volunteer adventure visit us online.  Planning a summer trip?  Best Friends welcome all kids ages six to nine for Kids Camp! Each day of the week features a different fun and potentially furry educational activity. Sign up for as many or as few days as you like.  Morning sessions run June through August and all children will need a parent or guardian on the Sanctuary premises during camp hours.  Email them at welcomecenter@bestfriends.org for more information.

Resources:

• Big Hearted Families– Books, games and inspiration for families who want to volunteer together.
• Youth Service America– Ideas to get kids excited about volunteering.
• Service Project Tool Kit- Step by step instructions on planning a service project with your family, neighbors and friends.

Tell Your Story Using the Power of Video!

Enjoy a great resource from Social Giving School:

You do some amazing work – why not show it off using the power of video? Videos are a great medium for getting your message across in a compelling, emotional way. Start using video to capture some of your work’s most important moments in a more meaningful way. Videos make it easier to demonstrate your impact and receive some of the highest engagement on social media. Download a video toolkit and start seeing the impact your videos can have at http://sgs.goodworld.me/how-to-tell-your-nonprofits-story-through-video

Here are few different scenarios where you can use video to help better tell your nonprofit's story-- and results in more donations for your cause!

On-site Footage

Whenever you have something going on, whether it’s a rescue, a disaster or you and your team are on-site on a project, try to get some video documentation along with your photos. This is a great way to give live updates on the action and show your team doing what you do best. This is an easy opportunity to throw in a #donate CTA because people are more willing to give when they feel the action is happening. They want to be involved!

Events

Your events may be in a physical spot, but why not allow an outside audience? Share some video footage of your events to make those who just couldn’t make it feel in the loop. Simply take a few videos at the event of the speakers, the auctions, etc and share them on social media to give people a glimpse inside the event. It might generate some interest for next year!

You can also always share some of the highlights of an event after it's happened. Simply put out a message thanking everyone and telling your fans the success you had along with a video of the event.

Updates

It’s easy to give an update on social media, however it’s more effective to give certain updates via a video post. This is a great tactic to use when you’re running a rescue mission, disaster or crisis aid, or running a project where you have team members on the ground. This works especially well when you're trying to show progress, such as how far along your team has come on a project or give an update on a sick rescued puppy.

Beneficiary Spotlights

There’s no better way to show your impact than to let the people or your work speak for you. Featuring a video on the impact you’ve had with real people behind your cause is always a great way to get people to feel closer to your cause and more invested in your success. Think more donations and more recurring giving!

Volunteer Spotlights

It’s simple, put a few of your most passionate volunteers, employees or board members behind the camera and ask them why they’re a part of your organization and watch what happens!

People who choose be a part of your mission on a daily basis will always be some of your most passionate advocates, so make sure they're helping you tell your story. By including faces of people behind your brand, it's also helping your fans make a human connection to your cause. 

Check out these great examples of videos from some of our partners:

Heal the Bay's 30th Birthday Video

Beagle Freedom Project’s Rescue Teaser

Save the Children’s Nepal Earthquake Fundraiser

Animal Rescue Corps’ Autumn Angels

Download our video toolkit and start seeing the impact your videos can have on your fans.

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