Pushcart educator is Hero of the Year

Efren Peñaflorida, who started a “pushcart classroom” in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership, has been named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year.

CNN has info, videos, the full story.

How do nonprofits handle real estate?

Inspections for the next generation

Nonprofits, NGOs, and ministries often own real estate. How do you determine the structural condition of that property? When it’s time to buy or sell property, who inspects its condition, to warn you of concerns so that you won’t be surprised later on? You may think of hiring a local engineer. However, most engineers are specialists who don’t have the broad training needed to create a comprehensive Property Condition Report. And, I offer a 20% discount, or sliding fee scale, for nonprofit organizations of all kinds.

James Eubank is a member of ASTM International

I’m James Eubank, a Certified Commercial Inspector. My inspection services and consultations are available around the world (except perhaps a few locales with restrictions or regulations), I’ll be glad to make a free Written Proposal for your project. You can contact me through LinkedIn, or through my website at www.westinspect.us. I look forward to meeting you!

Know what a Jeepney is?

First of all, a jeepney is a public transport vehicle in the Philippines.  Jeepneys provide affordable rides to wherever you’re going.  And jeepneys can be beautiful!  The owners decorate each one individually, and the artwork is impressive.

Beyond that, The Jeepney is Asia’s first street magazine.  Street magazines provide meaningful jobs for folks who are unemployed, sometimes homeless.  And The Jeepney magazine is very educational.  You will see how peoples’ lives are affected by lack of clean water, or by homelessness, or by war.  Check out The Jeepney magazine online. You’ll be glad you did.

The big flood

It’s been about five days now since the big flood in Manila.  Here in the United States, not much was heard about the flood after the first reports on Saturday.  But I’ve been trying to keep up with the news.  The Philippine newspapers tell of damage that will take months, if not years, to overcome.  And personal reports from friends in Manila tell stories of many families losing everything.

Now a second typhoon is on the way to hit the island of Luzon.  Typhoon Pepeng (Parma) will probably hit on Saturday, with winds up to 200 kph.  You can read about Pepeng (Parma) at the Philippine Inquirer newspaper.

The people in the community of Tanza, outside Manila, are among the poorest of the poor in the Philippines.  Many of them struggle to find enough to eat, and many cannot afford even basic medical care.  After a flood, the possibility of disease increases dramatically.  I’m working with a group to make donations for a clinic in Tanza, where a doctor would visit once or twice a month.  And our gifts will buy medicines for people who cannot afford them.  There’s a lot of good information about Tanza, the flood, and the Philippines at the Tanza Clinic website.  It’s just a simple site that I set up, to get the word out about the people, the workers, and the need in Tanza.  Come visit the site, and help if you can.  Thanks!

Ever heard of the Homeless World Cup?

No, you probably haven’t.  A little background, since I help to support the Philippine’s HWC team . . .  Homeless people get together with their sponsors to create a soccer team.  Teamwork, new skills, productive use of time, good exercise, positive role models, encouragement . . .  all these elements work together to help individuals turn their lives around.

The Philippine’s Homeless World Cup team is sponsored by The Jeepney.  Now the Jeepney is a topic for a whole blog post another time.  But thanks to the Jeepney, and several other sponsors, the Philippine’s HWC team just made a trip to Milan, Italy.  The Homeless World Cup tournament was held earlier in September, and there were so many exciting stories to tell.  What an adventure for those homeless folks from around the world!  What a life-changing experience for the Filipinos who participated.  The team came in 29th out of a field of 48 teams.

You can read a recent article in the Philippine Star newspaper.  And there’s plenty of inspiring stories at Homeless World Cup – Team Philippines – Facebook page.

Go with compassion

Sometimes an idea so completely grabs our hearts and our minds that we can’t ignore it.

The idea moves front and center in our thinking and dreaming, until we have to take action.  That is what happened recently to our family.  One family member is volunteering at a children’s home in the Philippines.  And as the rest of us heard what was going on there, we caught the vision, too.

God is at work all around the world, of course.  But sometimes he gives us a tender heart for one particular spot where he is working.  In this Manila neighborhood, the volunteers care for homeless children, operate a community center, church, and school, and provide fresh water and medical care.  They are constructing a camp and a second children’s home on the southern island of Mindanao.

Our family is planning to go for a short mission in January.  We’ll volunteer however we are needed there.  There’s plenty to do, of course, and it already seems like too short of a time.  You can see a video of the children’s home at www.kidsim.org.

In Mark 6:34, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  So he began teaching them many things.”  Would you like to help with this short mission in the Philippines?  Right now we need prayer for God’s provision.  It’s an expensive project to take a whole family halfway around the world.  We’re working and saving for plane tickets.

You can buy a copy of Life Out Here, The Best of Ridin’ Fence.  100% of profits go to support this mission to the Philippines.  The cost is $20, with free media mail shipping.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support.  Sometimes a little project like this can have a big impact in someone’s life.