Heifer International - Midwest Zone

Pass on the Gift!

2009-04-04T18:11:00.007-05:00

Great events are happening all around the Midwest during the month of April to celebrate Pass on the Gift Month!

Of special note is a presentation by Dr. Terry Wollen, DMV, at North United Methodist Church in Indianapolis: Earth Day Presentation by Heifer's Dr. Terry Wollen, April 22, 2009, 7:00 p.m. North UMC is located at 3808 N. Meridian Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. There are more public and private events in Minnesota, Illinios, Iowa, and Ohio, and all across the Midwest region. Go to www.heifer.org/gifts to learn more, to search for other events, or to plan an event in your community! Get involved today!

A Time for Hope

2009-02-10T19:04:00.000-06:00

Thank you all for sharing your time and talents with Heifer in 2008! Because of you, hundreds of thousands of people will have a better new year. I’m very excited about 2009 and the opportunities we will have to do even more for the world’s poor. No doubt, this year will have its challenges but I believe in our mission, in our message, and in all of you.

How can I be so optimistic? I only need to think of women like Evelyn Manyi Ngufor. Through her participation in a project in Cameroon, Evelyn tells everyone she meets, “I have developed an open heart and mind.” The lives of men, women, and children around the world, like Evelyn and her family – people that you may never meet – are being transformed thanks to your efforts. Every day, I think of the many ways that your volunteering has allowed us to do great things: create productive and sustainable farms, further community development, and improve access to education, health care, and microcredit.

Please think about how your special talents can be used this April to help us Pass on the Gift as we work to make Heifer’s vision a reality in the world. We look forward to changing the world one family at a time, with your help!

Coming soon! Passing on the Gift Month

2009-01-22T21:16:00.009-06:00

April 2009 is Passing on the Gift Month when many Heifer supporters can join with our project participants in a special way. It will be a truly global event and we want you to be a part of it.

The practice of Passing on the Gift is an essential part of our sustainable approach. All Heifer project participants who receive animals commit to giving at least one offspring of each animal to another family in need. We are asking everyone to start a new chain of Passing on the Gift by hosting a fundraising meal in April. Many resources will be available to donors, volunteers, and congregations through our website and by special order through the regional offices.

Have connections that could help us launch a special event for Passing on the Gift month in April? Know of people or places that would like to host an event for a Heifer fundraiser? We want to know about it! Resources and promotional materials will be available soon but contact us at mw@list.heifer.org to get started!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T14:10:00.002-06:00

A new year has begun and we are excited about the new opportunities this year brings. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the first shipment of dairy cattle in what would become a campaign that would save the lives of millions. Today, Heifer International continues Dan West's dedication to ending hunger and poverty and caring for the earth. We are proud that Heifer's roots are right here in the Midwest. Every day around the world, Heifer project participants work toward sustainable communities where people care for the earth as they care for their families and neighbors. Our generous donors make this possible and our dedicated volunteers make it happen.

As our volunteer network has grown across the Midwest Region, we have two important volunteering goals for 2009: (1) to recruit and train additional area volunteer coordinators and (2) to host volunteer trainings/workshops around the twelve-state region. We need volunteers at every level and in every state. We also need volunteers who can share their knowledge, commitment, and organizational skills as area volunteer coordinators to create volunteer communities - connecting volunteers to each other and supporting each others efforts. If this sounds like you, please give us a call. If you are interested in organizing a workshop in your area, let us know that too!

As Heifer International continues to grow, so do our opportunities to present our mission to churches, civic groups, schools, conferences, and other groups. We also have many opportunities to help people achieve their charitable goals through gifts to Heifer International. As a volunteer, you are key to making these efforts successful.

While we take stock of our accomplishments this past year, we also ask you to fill out and return the volunteer survey that was enclosed in our most recent newsletter. This information is important as we want to know more about your volunteer experience this year and your interests in volunteering in 2009. If we may be of any assistance to you in your work with Heifer, or you have additional reflections on your volunteer experience, please let us know. If you are interested in getting involved as new volunteer, contact us for a volunteer interest form.

Happy 2009 to all of you! We hope the new year brings you peace, joy, and prosperty!

Season's Greetings

2008-12-29T13:00:00.004-06:00

To all of our volunteers, donors and friends - thank you so much for your support of Heifer’s mission in 2008. We are so grateful for the efforts that each of you have put forth on behalf of Heifer. No matter what your contribution has been, I want you to know that it is important and very much appreciated.

Volunteers are the heart of our work in the Midwest and it shows! Because of our combined efforts, the Midwest Region will likely surpass our revenue goal for contributions this calendar year! In addition, almost half of all dollars raised through congregations nationwide will come from the Midwest! Each contact you make, each person you talk to, and each event you attend contributes to the total dollars raised. More importantly, your gifts of time, energy, and enthusiasm in the fight to end hunger and poverty are multiplied as more people join us in this important work.

Thank you again for sharing your time and talents with Heifer!

Midwest Volunteers Spread the Word about Heifer

2008-10-15T13:27:00.002-05:00

Every day I am reminded of the wonderful things that our volunteers are doing across the region to support Heifer International. Our Midwest volunteers are making presentations, sharing Heifer literature, speaking to family, friends, and social groups, recruiting new volunteers, and always looking for new opportunities to tell people about Heifer. And every day, our Midwest volunteers are making presentations to congregations, civic clubs, schools, and other organizations – connecting face-to-face with people about the impact that they can have through a gift to Heifer International.

As you spread the word about Heifer and hunger, you also have an opportunity to share four key messages with our supporters: Vision, Motivation, Accomplishment, and Recognition.

· Vision goes beyond the Heifer vision and mission statements to include relevant initiatives within Heifer – reasons to get involved and get excited about what Heifer can do with their help.

· Motivation is a key resource and an enthusiastic volunteer can play a vital role in a successful project. Keep on sharing your personal and passionate stories about how Heifer has changed you and your world.

· Accomplishments are many and Heifer International’s success is proven. Having moved more than 9.2 million families from poverty to self-reliance, the Hope for the Future Campaign was created with a goal of raising $800 million to help an additional 23 million men, women, and children. In addition to raising the quality of life and living standards for our project participants, the Heifer model has the ability to transform lives. As a recent study tour participant said, “What sets Heifer apart from other organizations is the transformation that happens to people when the barriers of poverty are broken down, self-worth is obtained, and the realization comes that the future can be better.”

· Recognition to our Heifer International donors is important. They want to know that they matter in our organization, that their support made a difference. I am so grateful for the hundreds of volunteers in our region who deliver this important message of thanks to our donors, congregations, schools, and civic clubs.

Whether you volunteered for the first time for Heifer this summer, or the fiftieth time, you are a valued volunteer for Heifer! Thank you for your commitment to education, advocacy, and fundraising for Heifer International in the Midwest. The world is a better place because of your hard work and so many futures are brighter today thanks to you!

Heifer University for Volunteers

2008-06-12T14:33:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend of June 6-8, 2008, over 20 Heifer staff and lead volunteers from the Midwest region gathered at Techny Towers Conference and Retreat Center in Techny, Illinois, for a Heifer University. Heifer educational programs offer the opportunity for people to live the challenges of world hunger and poverty - and come away with a renewed determination to be part of the solution. The objectives of this Heifer University were to provide continuing education on Heifer and hunger, build skills, strengthen our volunteer community, share ideas, and to inspire, motivate, and encourage our Midwest Area Volunteer Coordinators and Lead Volunteers.

During roundtable discussions over the weekend, participants developed goals and action plans for themselves and their volunteer communities to help them achieve three top objectives:

· to Educate and Advocate for Heifer
· to Recruit, Develop & Retain Volunteers
· to Raise Revenue & Awareness for Heifer in the Midwest

Participants shared their advice and best practices with one another and practiced helping one another set specific goals and action plans. For example, when one volunteer set a goal of sponsoring an special educational program in an elementary school, other volunteers helped her prepare a timeline for contacting school administrators and teachers, connecting with Heifer regional staff and education staff to acquire materials, developing correspondence and announcements to share with kids and parents, and coordinating a volunteer community to help with the effort.

The weekend also included discussions to find solutions to the challenges our volunteers face, presentations on Heifer’s Gender Equity Initiative and the life cycle of a Heifer project, tips on fundraising, and a heated Heifer Jeopardy session.

Special thanks to our guest presenters: Heifer staff members Youmna El-Sabaa, Rex Enoch, Rosemary Larson, and Esther Muchiri, and Chicago volunteer Ken Schroeder and thanks to all of our hard-working volunteers in the Midwest region!

New Midwest Regional Director Greetings

2008-02-25T14:13:00.005-06:00

I have completed my first month as the new Midwest Regional Director for Heifer International and it is so exciting to join you in the effort of building a world without hunger. I can’t think of any place I would rather be right now! I have already learned much from our volunteers, donors, and our staff about what makes this organization so successful in changing the lives of people here and around the world.

This opportunity to join you in this important work - and lead our Midwest team - is both exciting and deeply meaningful for me. It is also a privledge to follow in Dave Boothby's footsteps after his many years of dedicated service to the organization. As you know, Heifer is a leader in partnering with communities to alleviate hunger and poverty by providing appropriate livestock and training. Your generous gifts make these partnerships possible and I know that together we can do great things.

Together we can promote knowledge, skills, and power.
Together we can plant the seeds of hope.
Together we can transform lives.

As we continue to work for change in the world, I encourage you to call or e-mail me. Let me know your ideas, your needs, and your hopes for Heifer. Though the Midwest office has historically been in Goshen, Indiana, I will be based in Chicago where you can reach me at 877.474.8224 or vicki.clarke@heifer.org. Midwest support staff is located in Goshen and can be reached at 574.642.3096 or mw@heifer.org, and Community Relations Coordinators Aly Sowers and Christopher Quinlan are serving our region from their offices in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to ending poverty and caring for the earth. I look forward to the work ahead and thank you for your support of Heifer International!

David Boothby's last day in the office

2007-09-28T09:23:00.001-05:00

Today (Friday, September 28th) is my last day in the office. I am retiring after almost 32 years as Midwest Regional Director. Although I am looking forward to this new stage of my life, it is with a bit of sadness that I leave this office. The many wonderful staff , volunteers, donors and friends that I have met over the years have made this much more than just a job. I will continue to cherish these relationships and hopefully continue to communicate with many of you. I leave with no regrets and a feeling of accomplishment regarding the growth of this office and the region it serves. I also leave with great hopes and expectations for the future. We have come a long way in the past 32 years but there is much more to do and I have confidence that those who are still here and those who will follow me will continue to spread the word about Heifer's mission to those who have not yet heard it. My thanks to all who have traveled this road with me and blessing to all who seek to help those in need through Heifer International!

David L. Boothby

Murphy Keller Education Center website

2007-09-13T06:49:00.000-05:00

All,

I am pleased to announce the launch of a new micro Web site in support of the construction of the Murphy Keller Education Center! You can view the site at http://murphykeller.heifer.org.

This Web site is the beginning of marketing efforts on behalf of the Heifer International Campus. During the construction phase, efforts will be focused primarily on potential donors and local and regional media. In fact, this incarnation of the site is meant primarily for those two audiences. As we near opening day, efforts will turn to a destination marketing effort aimed at the general public, schools, congregations and community groups to drive visitation to the campus.

In addition to detailed information about the building, exhibits and adjacent wetlands, visitors can take a virtual tour of the outside of the building, and in a few weeks will be able to use a new feature that will provide a virtual tour of the exhibit area. During the construction of the building, visitors will be able to see a live image of the construction site courtesy of the new Webcam that was mounted on the outside of our headquarters building, as well as frequently-updated still images.

I want to take this time to thank and recognize some key fellow staff members who have worked along with me to build this important home base for news and information about the Center: Katy Starnes (of course!), Nina Rodriguez and Erica Lawlor, the Hope for the Future Campaign staff (Lynnette Watts, David Prater and Jen Heselmeyer), Alan Jones, Jon Trobaugh, Erik Swindle and Jennifer Pierce. I want to say a special thank you to Shane Stacks for his technical guidance of the project.

Please note that, temporarily, the videos may not work inside the building (although they work appropriately externally). IT normally limits the bandwidth of streaming video. They are making a change to allow these to “buffer” and play normally, but it may not happen today. If you cannot see the videos, check them out at home tonight!

2007-08-31T10:28:00.005-05:00

The Murphy Keller Center is the new Education Center planned for next to HQ. The “ground-breaking” ceremony was back in the spring and construction will start this fall. Below are some facts/info.

Quick Facts on the Murphy Keller Education Center

15,886 sq ft. mixed-use education center and conference facility ·
Future gateway to a global village
Immediate use as exhibit hall, Fair Trade international gift market and conference facility
Interactive learning center and exhibit space where the public can come to learn about the root causes of hunger, poverty and environmental degradation and the sustainable solutions that Heifer International and others provide to millions of families worldwide
Conference facility will have space for more than 200 people to gather for seminars, conferences, special events and international celebrations
The Education Center and Commons area will be a place for local and international staff, partners from around the world, volunteers and visitors to gather to learn from each other as well as seek solutions to major global problems resulting from hunger, poverty and environmental degradation. The Commons will be Heifer’s “town square” with landscaped space for outdoor markets, international festivals and other events.
Will include a food service area and outdoor tables for dining “al fresco”
Cost of building construction: $7.5 million; total cost of project: $13.5 million
Architects: Polk Stanley Rowland Curzon Porter, Architects, Ltd., of Little Roc
Construction company: CDI Contractors, LLC of Little Rock
Principal architect: Reese Rowland, who designed Heifer’s headquarters building
Construction start date: Fall 2007
Construction completion: 2009

The Murphy Keller Education Center will offer a variety of exhibits to stimulate thinking about hunger, poverty, and the environment.

As a gift from Bill and Margaret Clark of Little Rock, the entrance to the center will introduce visitors to Heifer International: its history, mission, cornerstones, and vision.

In the Global Solutions Gallery, students, teachers, and partners of Heifer International will learn that assumptions and stereotypes of poverty are untrue. Visitors will experience the creative solutions implemented by Heifer and other like-minded organizations to produce an equitable society through Health-Care, Education, Infrastructure, Fair Markets, and Sustainable Agriculture.

The inspirational stories in the Hall of Success will be a reminder that people matter and individuals can make a difference! The Make a Difference Gallery will show visitors just how they too can make difference and help eliminate poverty and hunger.

2007-08-08T10:33:00.001-05:00

Area Volunteer Coordinators meet in Goshen

Area Volunteer Coordinators from around the Midwest Region met at the Midwest Regional office on Saturday August 4 to develop strategies for working with volunteer communities in their areas. Attending the meeting were Howard and Wilma Lord and John and Saundra Brockschink Iowa, David Kellogg NE, Robert Reed (Mn), Richard and Mary Alice Ruback (Wi), Al and Nancy Lewis (MI), Gordon and Nancy Spalenka (MI) and Gene Gardner (OH). Staff present were Midwest Director David Boothby, Adminsitrative Assistants Rowena Impey and Margaret Vandal, Northwest Area CRC Chris Quinlan and consultant Nikki Kelly

During the session, the overall mission of Heifer International was reviewed by Dave Boothby and the importance of the volunteer program was emphasized. Dave then presented the emerging plan to develop “volunteer communities” as a means of linking volunteers together for better communication and support. Each volunteer community is headed by an Area Volunteer Coordinator whose role includes recruiting, training and supporting the volunteers in his/her area.

In the afternoon session, Nikki Kelly reviewed the work she has been doing following interviews with each AVC and then working with a task force to develop tools that Coordinators can use to recruit train and keep records of volunteer activity in their area. AVC’s not able to attend the meeting will get a packet of materials from the meeting. Following the afternoon session the group had dinner together at an Amish style restaurant (Das Duchman Essenhaus) in Middlebury. Thanks to all who came and shared their ideas and pledged their support for this new program.

Upcoming Events

2007-07-11T07:55:00.001-05:00

Upcomming Midwest Events:

July 21 Missouri Festival of Sharing--Sedelia, MO

August 1-4 Heifer University for Educators--Heifer Ranch, Perryville Arkansas

August 4 Midwest Area Volunteer Coordinators workshop--Goshen, IN

August 16-18 Heifer University--Menno Haven Retreat Center, Tiskilwa, IL

September 7-8 Wisconsin Volunteer Workshop--Monona United Methodist Church
Monona, WI

September 16 Annual Hog Roast-- Elkhart Co. 4-H Fairgrounds, Goshen, IN

September 16 Heifer Hoedown--Wheaton, IL. Dupage County Fairgrounds

November 3 Quilt Auction and Craft Fair. Glenview Community Church, Glenview, IL

For more information on these events, call the Midwest Regional office at 1-877-663-1684

New Partnership

2007-05-31T13:07:00.000-05:00

New Partnership with NAU Outdoor Clothing

Heifer has partnered with NAU, an outdoor clothing company. Their goal (from their website) is to demonstrate the highest levels of citizenship in everything we do: product creation, production, labor practices, the way we treat each other, environmental practices and philanthropy. We believe that companies have a broader responsibility than simply generating profit. That’s one reason we blend profitability and philanthropy, what we believe is the new measure of success. Lofty? Perhaps. We didn’t invent all the ideas we seek to combine, but we will stake ourselves to them.

NAU has a number of Partners for Change. Heifer International is one of them. Each time an individual goes to check-out from their site and purchase something, they can select the organization that they wish to have the company donate a portion of their proceeds to. You can visit their site by clicking on the following link: www.nau.com. Chicago is also lucky to have a NAU store in Lincoln Park at 2118 N. Halsted.

Baby Animal Fair Huge Success

2007-04-26T08:22:00.000-05:00

COMMUNITY BABY ANIMAL FAIR

A HUGE SUCCESS!

The Wright County Community, just west of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, made a significant statement to the world as we celebrated our fourth biennial fundraiser for Heifer International on Sunday, April 22^nd at the local Civic Center. We demonstrated that This American Community Cares About the World and We Want to Share Our Blessings by Giving Hope, in the form of farm animals and training in their care, to Communities Around the World.

Over 3000 people were in attendance for the Baby Animal Fair. Young and old all came. Admission was a gift of food for our local food shelf, 3,000 pounds of food were donated, enough to fill the local pantry! The community united, as Churches, Schools, Businesses, Organizations and Individuals, came together and donated $13,000.00 for Heifer animals. This sum will be doubled through a Heifer matching grant program!

The Fair is a time for community fun, learning and family giving. Organized around a huge world map, fair goers find 5 continents full of live baby animals, ethnic foods, local entertainment, and information booths where local young people share stories of Heifer International and how the gift of an animal can change the lives of families in need of hope throughout the world. Fair goers are instructed on zero grazing strategies, told about pastured poultry, and learn the value of “black gold” (animal manure) in renewing the earth.

The local 4H provided most of the baby animals, along with face painting, and free helium balloons for the children.

The fair focused on Heifer’s goal of healing the earth through the Ecology Booth where people could test their knowledge of our planet’s ecosystem. At the Global Dinner Table families talked about world hunger and learned about the world’s demographics at the Global Village Booth. A Geography Booth gave families an opportunity to quiz each other on their knowledge of world geography.

One of the high points of this year’s fair was the “Story Ark” built by our local alternative high school, Phoenix Learning Center. The youth there organized, financed, and built a beautiful ark, for the storybook reading center, where the littlest fair goers hang out with stuffed animals from around the world and listen to wonderful animal stories read by the Phoenix youth.

Discovery Elementary School’s 138 students read over 2000 books during “I Love to Read” month, raising over $3,500.00 for Heifer animals through Heifer’s Read to Feed program

Our local Catholic School, St Francis Xavier, learned about Heifer during Lent and filled ark banks with $830 to buy animals to help hungry children

Local Churches shared Heifer Stories with their congregations and contributed over $1,000 to our goal.

Many businesses and local philanthropic organizations played a part. Youth groups from churches, the high school drama department, a local karate school, and the Boy Scouts all had a hand in the success of the day.

Through the volunteer efforts of hundreds of local people, our community united for an afternoon of good family fun and learning. It felt good to share our blessings and to know that they will multiply as the gift is passed on, family to family.

Dedication of Murphy Keller Education Building

2007-04-11T11:42:00.000-05:00

On April 11, KARN News Radio in Little Rock interviewed Donna Jared, Senior Vice President of Development, about the Murphy Keller Groundbreaking, to be held Monday, April 16 at 10:30 a.m. Click the following link to access the audio, which is listed under the 4/11/07 heading:

http://www.karnnewsradio.com/article.asp?id=176612&spid=

New Midwest Community Relations Coordinator

2007-04-11T11:36:00.000-05:00

Christopher Quinlan from Eau Claire, WI has been selected as the new NW Area CRC in the Midwest Region. Chris is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in International Development and the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a masters in French studies. He is currently employed with United Way of Greater Eau Claire. Chris is married to Jennifer and they have 3 sons (Michael 6, Matthew 4 and Mark 1) Chris will begin work with Heifer on May 4. We are delighted to welcome Chris to our Midwest Heifer team!

Cow Auction

2007-03-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

I attend a fantastic event this past Sunday (March 11) at St Peter's Lutheran Church in Mishawaka, Indiana. The Children of the Sunday School had been working for months constructing paper mache cows to raise money to purchase REAL cows for Heifer Intenrnational. Sunday was the culmination of the project and after Church they set up a display of all their cows and auctioned them off through a silent auction during lunch. Each child watched excitedly as his/her cow received bids and when it was all over they had collected enough to buy 4 Heifers! There was such great enthusiasm on the part of children and adults and I'm sure the kids will remember this project for years to come. Thanks to the kids and the adults of St Peter's for this very unique fund-raising event!

Rhinelander, WI school projsct

2007-03-07T15:24:00.000-06:00

By Heather Schaefer - Daily News Staff
From the Rhinelander, WI Daily News
The third grade class at Nativity of Our Lord School in Rhinelander wants to adopt its own Wilbur the Pig, while other Nativity students are interested in purchasing a water buffalo or perhaps a llama.As part of a special Lenten service project, students at Nativity of Our Lord are “adopting” livestock which they will donate to needy families across the globe through Heifer International's animal adoption program.According to its Web site, Heifer International works to “end hunger and poverty, and care for the earth by providing appropriate livestock, training and related services to small-scale farmers and communities worldwide.”Each family that receives an animal gives the animal's offspring to another family in need so that the cycle of giving never ends, the organization's Web site states.“This concepts helps build community and enhances dignity and participation in each project. The families continually give to others ensuring self-sufficiency, one family at a time,” the web site states.Principal Shirley Heise said each of the school's classes has chosen an animal to adopt and is working feverishly to raise enough money to purchase the particular animal (each animal has a different price, for example one pig costs $120) before Easter, when the project is scheduled to come to an end.Heise said the project started on Ash Wednesday (February 21) when the classes started researching what kind of animal they want to sponsor.“The students are learning how their animals are used, which ones produce milk and which ones can carry a burden,” Heise said, “We're trying to find animals that are long-lasting so the people who get them can get the most out of them.”Besides history, geography, economics, and a bit of animal husbandry, the project will also teach the students to think on a global scale even though they may live in a small town.“It teaches us to live as Jesus did,” Heise said. “God put us here to serve others. We are given so much and we take so much for granted. Our students are learning about the struggles of other children just to get an education.”Heise said the students have embraced the project with considerable enthusiasm.The third grade class is tying the project to their reading of the classic children's book ‘Charlotte's Web' (thus the plan to adopt a pig) and will also perform the play “Charlotte's Web” on March 29.Students are even giving up allowance money to the cause.“Some of the kids chose to give up candy for Lent and they are putting the money towards purchasing an animal,” Heise said. “We also had some students who baby-sat over the weekend and donated their wages,” she added.A recent soup night fundraiser also raised $452, Heise said.Heise said the students have turned the project into a friendly competition between grade levels and the experiment will end with a school-wide celebration near Easter.“I will probably have to do something crazy (as a reward to the students for their hard work) but I'm okay with that,” she said.

Heifer on TV

2007-02-15T12:25:00.000-06:00

PBS Program Spotlights 'Passing on the Gift' in Tanzania

Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, a program on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), will feature Heifer International projects in Tanzania on its Sunday, February 18 broadcast. PBS correspondents visited Heifer Tanzania projects to explore the impact of “Passing on the Gift.” Check your local listings.Religion & Ethics Newsweekly has been breaking ground in news reporting since its national debut on PBS in September 1997. Hosted by veteran journalist Bob Abernethy, this one-of-a-kind television newsmagazine provides insightful coverage and analysis of the news, people, events and trends behind the headlines in the rich world of religion and ethics. The program explores how religion shapes both national and international events, and examines the challenges raised by difficult ethical issues. Newsmakers, scholars, and historians also provide insightful perspectives in roundtable discussions

North Manchester, IN Living Gift Market

2007-01-11T11:03:00.000-06:00

Last night I presented a program for the folks in North Manchester, IN who each year sponsor a community -wide Living Gift market for Heifer. They have been doing it every year since 1988 and have raised over $310,000 over that time span. This year the total was just over $21,000. Each church in the community sponsors an animal and after promoting it in their own church they all gather at the community center for joint market for the whole community. The originator of this event, Don Myer, passed away last year but the effort continues with the leadership of his son Jim and others in the community. Last year, the group contributed an ARK ($5,000) in Don's memory. I admire this community for their efforts over the years and they are committed to continuing the event in the future!

Happy New Year

2007-01-03T14:30:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year everyone!!!! We are really busy in the office these days trying to keep up with all the year-end gifts that are coming in. It looks like we are having a very successful holiday season. I'll post more messages in the next week or so, but I just wanted to assure you that we are still alive and doing well!!!

Fiscal year 2006 income total

2006-12-15T08:52:00.000-06:00

Sorry that I have not posted many messages lately. We have been SO BUSY in the office with all of the holiday gfits that people have been giving! It is so wonderful to see the tremendous support that our donors give us this time of year. Response to the gift catalogue has been great again this holiday season. I just got a report on the income totals for FR 2006 (our FY ends June 30). This past year the midwest region raised $19,851,088! This is $2.6 M more than last year!!!! Totals for the entire organization were just over $95M! Thanks to all the volunteers who helped make it possible.
A very blessed and joyous Holiday season to you all!!!

Celebrity support

2006-12-01T08:06:00.000-06:00

Some celebrity news you may want to get out to your donors, volunteers, groups etc. during the holidays. (This email was sparked by an inquiry from Rosemary Larson – she was looking for this sort of news for a newsletter she does).
Musician Dan Zanes writes "Holiday Time in Brooklyn" to benefit Heifer, with music video – see www.heifer.org – it is posted on the home page. People can also buy the song at iTunes, all proceeds benefit Heifer.
Susan Sarandon had agreed to appear live on The View December 14.
Susan Sarandon is now a featured gift registry user.
Mary-Louise Parker has agreed to appear on Martha Live December 20.
Ed Asner, Joe Mantegna and TV producer Thomas Schlamme recently appeared at Pamela Stone's Ark in the Park in Beverly Hills. We shot photos and video of both of them that can be seen on youtube.com (search under their names or Heifer).
Patricia Heaton has made us the beneficiary of a designer jewelry auction that launches December 1 – the auction is hosted at charityfolks.com. See the attached media alert for all details, and descriptions of jewelry in email below from auction publicist. The Jewelry designer is Sonya Ooten. Patricia Heaton and several other celebrities are involved. Bidding begins December 1.
An interview with Mary Steenbergen about Heifer will appear in the February issue of Delicious Living magazine.
Faith Hill continues to be a public supporter of Heifer's honor gifts, and a frequent giver.
Rachel Ray will include Heifer honor gifts in an upcoming gift segment on her talk show (Date TBA)
So, plenty of celebrity "buzz." Call any time if you would like details on any of these developments. Regards,Chris Talbott

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T08:31:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Heifer volunteer family!!! Dave, Rowena and Margaret, your Midwest office staff in Goshen

Heifer Wins Phoenix Award

2006-11-22T08:24:00.000-06:00

Heifer International Wins EPA’s Phoenix Award For Its New ‘Green’ World Headquarters
World Hunger Organization Builds Environmentally Innovative Office Building

BOSTON, Nov. 14, 2006 – Heifer International, the world hunger organization that provides livestock to impoverished people in more than 50 countries around the world, today received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 6 Phoenix Award for cleaning up a contaminated industrial site and building a new “green” building on it.

The Heifer International Center at 1World Avenue in Little Rock is adjacent to the Clinton Presidential Library in the River Market area. The Phoenix Awards honor organizations that redevelop contaminated industrial brownfields.

Heifer’s $17.5 million headquarters, built on the site of abandoned rail and trucking facilities, features many “green” elements – recycled and recyclable materials, insulation made from soybeans and cotton, solar lighting and heating for energy efficiency, an innovative parking lot that collects water for a constructed wetlands surrounding the building that cleans and purifies rainwater falling on the site, and a 25,000-gallon municipal water tower that collects water from the roof for flushing toilets and in the building’s supplemental radiant heating system.

The four-story, 94,000-square-foot building is a narrow 62 feet wide at its widest point, so the large windows bring indirect sunlight to every workstation in the building. The building materials include recycled steel and brick, bamboo flooring, recyclable tile carpeting, and raised floors.

Heifer partnered with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality in reclaiming the property where it built the center.

The building was honored at an awards ceremony during a national environmental conference, Brownfields 2006, in Boston, Mass. Phoenix Award winners will showcase their projects with case study presentations and exhibits for the more than 7,500 participants.
Erik Swindle, Heifer’s facilities manager, and Eileen Oldag, a development officer, spoke Monday at the conference, describing how Heifer had transformed the polluted site into a clean, healthy environment or its work force in line with its environmental work around the world. Donna Jared, vice president of development, accepted the award for Heifer

COWS AND CASH DONATED AT MISSOURI FESTIVAL OF SHARING

2006-11-01T07:02:00.000-06:00

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The 25th annual Missouri Festival of Sharing culminated in its statewaide ingathering at the Missouri state fairgrounds in Sedelia, Missouri on Saturday, October 21st. Hundreds of people, representing Church congregations from around the state gathered to provide funds and commodities for relief and development programs both locally and world wide. Heifer has been one of the recipients of donations since the Festival's beginning and each year one overseas project and one domestic project are chosen for support, This year funds were raised for the OKI Fish and Water Buffalo project in Indonesia and beef cattle were donated for the Washington Parish Small-Scale Farmer project in Franklington, Louisiana . Jesse Strassburg, Heifer's Field coordinator for the South Central Region of the US attended the event and expressed his thanks on behalf of Heifer for the years of support the Festival has provided to our program. Donated Heifers (seen in the above picture) have been transported by volunteers to the project site. Income to support Heifer's projects is still being tabulated and will come to us in the near future. Thanks to all our Missouri Volunteers for their efforts!

GREAT VOLUNTEER WORKSHOP IN BRIGHTON, MI

2006-11-01T06:24:00.000-06:00

A very successful volunteer workshop was held in Brighton, MI last Saturday ((oct 28). Phil and Jeanne Smith hosted the event at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Brighton and 21 people attended. Six new volunteers "signed on" and Phil and Jeanne accepted the role of Area Volunteer Coordinators for Southeast Michigan. Dave Boothby led the session assisted by Alyson Sowers our new Chicago Community Relations Coordinator. Lots of good ideas were shared and Phil's Chili really hit the spot at lunchtime!

BLOG particpant list slowly growing

2006-10-26T06:50:00.000-05:00

Our BLOG participant list is slowly growing. 60 new invitations were sent out last week and several have accepted the invitation. My busy travel schedule has prevented me from posting new messages very often but I hope the ones that have appeared are interesting and informative to you. Your feedback is helpful so don't be afraid to respond!

Next Newsletter

2006-10-16T13:06:00.000-05:00

We are working on the next issue of our Midwest Volunteer newsletter. I'm hoping to get it out by Nov. 1. This issue has more articles from other volunteers (smile). I'll be out of the office most of the rest of this week (going to Florida to celebrate my mom's 90th birday with the family.) Rowena is back in the office from her 3 week vacation in London (her home town) and we are certainly glad to have her back. I sent 60 more invitations to Midwest volunteers to join our BLOG so we should be having increasing activity. If anyone wants to post an article, just send it to me and I'll get it on.

AVC Meeting in Chicago is Huge Success!!

2006-10-09T10:24:00.000-05:00

32 Volunteers and staff from the 11-state Midwest Region met at Techny Towers retreat Center (northwest of Chicago) this past weekend to discuss new ways of organizing and supporting our Midwest volunteer network. The idea of creating volunteer "communities" of volunteers led by Area Volunteer coordinators received strong support from the group and many new and innovative ideas on how to recruit, train, motivate, and support volunteers were generated. Rex Enoch and Jan West Schrock from Heifer's education department assisted Midwest staff members, Dave Boothby, Jason Bergmann, Alyson Sowers and Rosemary Larson during the weekend. Kelly Doppelhammer from the Africa program team did a presentation on Heifer's HPI/Aids initiative. Everyone went away from the weekend with new enthousiasm for Heifer and the Midwest Volunteer program.

Wisconsin Volunteer Workshop

2006-10-02T09:47:00.000-05:00

A very successful volunteer workshop was held in Stevens Point, WI on Sept. 29th and 30th. 15 attendees were present to hear Midwest Regional Director, David Boothby, update people on the work of Heifer International. Thanks to Jack Curtis and his wife Joan Honl for hosting the event. 5 new volunteers "signed on" following the meeting. Rich and Mary Alice Rubach were presented with 10 year volunteer service pins and Diane Burkholter receivced her 5 yr service pin. The Wisconsin "Read to Feed challenge" was highlighted at the meeting along with presentations about Heifer's field and education programs. Wisconsin Volunteer Coordinator, Mary Alice Rubach talked about the statewide volunteer network and the many events and presntations that volunteers do during the year.

Upcoming workshops

Oct. 6-8 Lead volunteer workshop, Techny, IL

Oct 14 Springfield, IL

Oct 28 Brighton, MI

Oct 28 Nov 12 Georgetown, KY

for more information, contact the Midwest Regional office.

Hog Roast Update!

2006-09-21T14:26:00.000-05:00

The final figures are in....the profit from our annual Hog Roast was $4,198.73...that's more than $2,000 more than last year!!!!! Thanks to all the sponsors, volunteers and staff for helping make it the best Hog Roast ever. All of the money will go to support Heifer projects around the world.

please note

I will be away all of next week and a great part of the following week. You will probably not see any more BLOG entries until Oct 2.

Hog Roast huge success!!!

2006-09-18T08:45:00.000-05:00

The Midwest Annual Hog Roast held on Sunday was a huge success! Nearly 400 people attended and all enjoyed the meal of roast pork, baked beans, fresh fruit, rolls, chips and cookies. Corporate sponsorships payed the total cost of the event so all ticket money will go to Heifer projects. We are still counting the money so the final total is not yet determined. Pictured above is Esther Criag (on the right) and her friends who each year bring their homemade pickles, jams, jellies and crafts to the event with all proceeds going to Heifer. Our Corporate sponsorhsip banner (above right) lists sponsors who each donated $250 (or it's equivalent in services) to support the event. Midwest volunteers helped set up, serve, and clean up.

news announcement

2006-08-30T09:12:00.000-05:00

Media Alert:
Heifer International Featured on “CNN Presents”
“CNN Presents: The Poverty Trap,” an hour-long cable news special report to air Saturday, September 2, and Sunday, September 3, will focus on the plight of America’s poor, highlighting Heifer International’s work in sustainable development as a practical solution to poverty.

CNN correspondent Rusty Dornan and a camera crew visited the Eastern Arkansas farms of James Fingers of Palestine and Roscoe Albert of Marvell to learn about the farmers’ involvement as members of the Pioneers of Eastern Arkansas and ALFDC Livestock Demonstration Farm projects through Heifer International.

Air times are Saturday, September 2, at 8 p.m., 11 p.m., 2 a.m. Eastern Standard Time and Sunday, September 3, at 8 p.m., 11 p.m., 2 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Annual Hog Roast

2006-08-30T07:37:00.000-05:00

The Annual Midwest Heifer Hog Roast will be held at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds on Sunday, Sept. 17th from 11:30-2:00. More than 400 people are expected to attend this event that has been held each year for the past 26 years! Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for childre (12 and under). Corporate sponsorships for the event will allow all the ticket money to go for Heifer projects around the world.

Welcome

2006-08-30T07:28:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the new MW Volunteer Blog site! I hope that this new communications tool will help us better communicate what is happening in the MW region. We hope to Post upcoming volunteer training events, fund-raising events being held in the region, opportunities to volunteer at various events, and important information about Heifer International activities. I will be adding people to our participation list as time goes on and in the meantime, please check the Blog regularly and feel free to add comments and suggestions to help make it better.

Dave Boothby