THIS PAGE LISTS ACTIVITIES AND REPORTS
MOST RECENT AT THE TOP

Theosophical Society in Phoenix
TOS Activities in 2009

Carol Craig & Miles Standish
Co-Liaisons

Our group donated $100 to Lance’s Deaf Orphans in Kenya and $100 to the TOS for the Golden Link School in the Philippines.

We also voted for a group project to work with the Family Promise organization in Phoenix. Family Promise is a nonprofit organization committed to helping low-income families achieve lasting independence.

Their focus is on five programs that work together in a holistic, integrated approach. Because the five programs support one another, each of them is far more effective than it could be alone: Interfaith Hospitality, Family Mentoring, Just Neighbors, Community Initiatives, and Voices Uniting. Family Promise organization needs volunteers to give of their time and talent in so many ways to help homeless and low-income families regain the dignity and independence they deserve. The families are screened prior to acceptance into the program whenever they seek shelter through the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, public shelters, or welfare. If the family seems appropriate for the Family Promise program, they will be referred to the day center where the director conducts a more in-depth interview before accepting them into the Family Promise program. They are housed on the premises and allowed a maximum stay of 60 days as long as during this time they are making a good-faith effort to secure housing. Two of our members met with the director last Fall to discuss how we could help. Out of that meeting we learned that they were in desperate need of computer technology assistance. Our member, Alan Schneider, has spent several days working with the office staff and it has been reported back to us that Alan has been a tremendous blessing to them. We have several in our group who are ready to assist with the next major mailing and we are awaiting that call. I am hopeful that as a group we will become even more involved in 2010 as this project was only discovered in late 2009.

We also collected toys, warm clothes and blankets for Christmas that were delivered to a contact person for the Hopi Indians in Arizona in early November.
 

SERVICE PROJECTS

Perhaps the segment of our population that is most in need of help is the American Indian nations.  We think it is compassionate to alleviate immediate hardship and suffering, but also wise to help in such ways as will lead to meaningful improvement in the lives of the people.

Rosebud Indian Reservation

One service project already being pursued is support of the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota.  It has included provision of winter blankets, winter clothes and other survival items, plus Christmas toy shipments for the children and complete computers for students. 

A new effort was initiated in the spring of 2008 to rejuvenate the tribal newspaper Sicangu Sun Times on the Reservation.  A newspaper is able to move large groups of people in directions of improvement in the areas of education, industry and health.  To this end, two used Apple PowerMac computers, G4 and G5, were purchased by one of our members in April/May and were put to use by the publisher who had been struggling with out-dated, and then failed, equipment.  Also provided was a laser tabloid printer and some necessary software.  The total cost of this effort exceeded $2,000.  If you would like to help with the burden of this expense or other aspects of the work, please use the donations link below.

At our meeting on November 23rd, 2009 1:00 pm -- at Changing Hands Bookstore, we collected some items to be donated for a nearby Indian reservation.  Winter blankets, warm winter clothes, etc.  This is a continuing project, so if you would like to contribute, please use the "Contact" link to make arrangements.

Update on the Rosebud Project: The main computer that we donated for the Sicangu Sun Times had been badly damaged in transit.  The case was banged up, probably over-stressing the mother board.  It failed in mid-November, so we replaced it.  The cost of replacement was $925.00, including shipping, so we are looking for donations to help cover this cost.  If you would like to help, please use this link:

Make a donation  (This project is not officially identified by the Theosophical Order of Service, so donations to it are not tax deductible in the USA.)

If you would like to donate via check, please send it to the following in US dollars (please add a note to indicate the purpose):

L. Miles Standish
3355 Owl Slick Road
Cornville, AZ 86325

Please watch this page for news of our other service projects.