Reposting a plea for help

This organization needs help and we are looking to you, our blogger friends and family for that assistance. Its not a hand out, a temporary fix...you will be changing peoples lives and even helping whole communities with your donation!
I do not believe in charity. By that I mean, giving people stuff to help them get by in a permanent state of poverty. Many charities depend on a sustained state of poverty for their clients in order to remain in business. If they solve the problem of poverty, then they are out of a job. While relief organizations are necessary in areas of war or natural disaster, and are needed when people have a sudden unexpected crisis, these groups often continue giving aid for to the same individuals for years, even decades without really creating a path to a better life for these people. Sometimes they have even supported generations, from parent to child to grandchild.... handing out food, clothing, and paying utility bills or rent without ever addressing the real cause of poverty, lack of income. In my eyes, it is far better to plan to take people out of poverty permanently and give them the tools and opportunity to move on to a better life, than to help them in a sustained condition of crisis living.

One group that is creating permanent change in the lives of its clients is Micro Enterprise Solar Harvest. A small grassroots organization in California. MESH was conceived with the idea of meshing, bringing together, solar technology, micro enterprise (very small business)training, eco-friendly business practices, and buy local programs to develop a way for the working poor and at risk youth to produce their own incomes by creating green businesses.

The benefits of the program are many; for the entrepreneurs, for the environment,for the local economy and for the consumers who have more choices of reasonably priced green products produced locally.

This summer the Teen Eco-Biz Camp produced 32 new businesses that are all eco-friendly and the start up costs for these businesses were all under $1,000 some cost nothing (as in free) to start up, just the time it takes to put up a web site or place an add on Craig's list. While for most, this will not be a full-income producing business for many months (maybe years)...it does allow them to earn money that keeps them out of the welfare office and off the streets. You can learn more about MESH at www.meshinc.org and please help us support the program by clicking the link in the side bar to donate. It is a wonderful organization and in just a year and a half it has graduated over 100 new entrepreneurs who are earning their way out of poverty. From custom quilts made out of your old t shirts to custom designed shoes entrepreneurship helps these creative young entrepreneurs to find their eco-entreprenuerial niche. Please support M.E.S.H. today.. Help these kids say..."Yes we can!" Can you really change someones life? Yes you can! Currently, M.E.S.H. needs to buy computers, and expand their programs to match the demand for services. They need your help. $100 from you can turn into $10,000 a year income for someone struggling to care for their family on minumum wage.

That $10,000, earned through their home based business, can take them from dependance on social programs to independance and may lead to an income of $50,000 or more. That $10,000 earned by a teen at risk, can lift them out of a life of gangs and crime and even help to pay for their college education. What an investment! What a priveldge, to be able to give someone hope, fufill their dreams, help them to create a business, and a future above poverty. Please click the donate button in the sidebar and change someones life today! 93% of your donation goes directly to benefit the working poor or at risk youth supplying them with the tools they need to succeed. Please consider giving today! We are also asking for $50 dollar donations to give our entrepreneurs gift cards to their local office supply store to help them run their businesses

The Beauty of Green Marketing in a Recession

I have to confess. I haven't always been green. I have used more than my share of Styrofoam cups,wasted paper shamelessly,and guzzled gallons of plain ol' H2O packaged in plastic just 'cause it was there. It has only been in the past few years that I have begun to atone for my sins. The greener I get, the stupider (is that a word?)I feel for not doing it sooner.

I decided to quit my job and work for myself seven years ago. Over the past 4 years I have learned more and more about very cool green business practices that actually pay. Not hippy cool, recycled tire sandals, Vegan, and Freegan cool. I'm talking about the down to earth cost savings of going green. Reducing your overhead by conserving on electricity, water, office products, transportation, and marketing is awesome. My personal favorite is getting paid to recycle my trash! That, has got to be the best! Who would have thought that instead of paying people to take your trash, you could get people to pay you for the privilege of hauling it away! Sheeze!

The one thing that seemed to pose the most difficulty in greening my business was marketing. How do you reach your market without direct mail, flyers, or brochures? The internet is an awesome tool, but what good is it to reach thousands of people if they can't use, won't or don't need, or already have your service or product. It's that fine tuning process of reaching your market that can be tricky. However, once it's mastered, green marketing via the internet can be priceless(Free). In today's recession economy this can be critical cost savings for your business, and the savings can run into the thousands of dollars.

The theory of direct mail, casting a thousand seeds to get 10 plants, has been a marketing tool embraced by American business for decades, (we call it junk mail). It still exists today on the internet, they call it spam.

But I have always felt that putting your seeds in furrows, and watering them is much more productive. I've found this to be true on the internet as well. Stay tuned for some examples tomorrow. But if you just have to find out more, right away, check out www.lbgba.org

Eco-friendly Hand Up

I do not believe in charity. By that I mean, giving people stuff to help them get by in a permanent state of poverty.... is wrong. Many charities depend on a sustained state of poverty in order to remain in business. If they solve the problem then they are out of a job. While relief organizations are necessary in areas of war or natural disaster, and are needed when people have a sudden unexpected crisis, these groups often continue giving aid for years, even decades without really creating a solution for the problem. It is far better to plan to take people out of poverty permanently and give them the tools and opportunity to move on to a better life.

One such group is Micro Enterprise Solar Harvest. A small grassroots organization in California. MESH was conceived with the idea of meshing, bringing together, solar technology, micro enterprise (very small business), eco-friendly business practices, and buy local programs to develop a way for the working poor and at risk youth to produce their own incomes by creating green businesses.

The benefits of the program are many; for the entrepreneurs, for the environment,for the local economy and for the consumers who have more choices of reasonably priced green products produced locally.

This summer the Teen Eco-Biz Camp produced 32 new businesses that are all eco-friendly and the start up costs for these businesses were all under $1,000 some cost nothing to start up, just the time it takes to put up a web site or place an add on Craig's list or E-Bay. While for most this will not be a full income producing business for many months (maybe years)...it does allow them to earn money that keeps them out of the welfare office and off the streets. You can learn more about MESH at www.meshinc.org and please help us support the program by clicking the link in the side bar to donate. It is a wonderful organization and in just a year and a half it has graduated over 100 new entrepreneurs who are earning their way out of poverty. From custom quilts made out of your old t shirts to custom designed shoes entrepreneurship helps these creative young entrepreneurs to find their eco-entreprenuerial niche. Please support M.E.S.H. today.. Help these kids say..."Yes we can!" Can you really change someones life? Yes you can!