Community Service

Facebook features Yellow Boat Foundation

December 6, 2012 By Administrator

I’ve been volunteering with the Yellow Boat project for over a year, and the growth has been nothing short of amazing. Good, solid growth taking place because of good solid people at the helm. Here’s the story as told by Facebook.com.

There are a number of leaders who volunteer selflessly to make the Yellow Boat Foundation (and many other foundations and NGOs) a reality. Read more about Jay Jaboneta – Anton Mari H Lim – Ofelia Samar Sy.

They are my heroes.

Judy, former webmaster for 4 Paws for Ability

October 22, 2012 By Administrator

If you’ve noticed fewer posts about one of my favorite nonprofits, 4 Paws for Ability, it is because they have found room in their budget for a new employee, Jessica Noll.

Noll came on board the Ohio-based nonprofit a couple of months ago, and has been doing amazing things. Her title: Community/Media Relations Director.

Says the 4 Paws site, “Award-winning and Emmy-nominated multimedia journalist Jessica Noll comes to 4 Paws straight from TV. She has a decade of newspaper/magazine journalism experience (in fact she got her start at the Centerville-Bellbrook Times), and two years in TV. She’s a writer, blogger, photographer, producer, editor, videographer, social networking guru, storyteller and dog lover!”

What an honor to have been webmaster and also help many families with their online fundraising efforts by editing their articles and press releases. I learned more about the world of disabilities than I thought possible, and the parents of these children are the most superb people on Earth. To see the results from the combination of well-trained dog and disabled child has been breathtaking.

It’s been a great five-year ride, and I wish the best to these dedicated people who strive and sacrifice to enrich the lives of families touched by disabilities. Thanks to my many friends and colleagues who stood by the sidelines and cheered me on!

And now, on to my next community service project(s)!

Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium Continues Growth

October 21, 2012 By Administrator

This past week I visited the Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium in Litchfield Park, AZ. I’ve been visiting for at least 20 years, and each time I leave I am impressed with the changes from the previous visit. Always well thought out to delight the public, and children of all ages.

On this visit, I saw many new completed projects and postings of new features to come.

Loved Dragon World. Often-dangerous subjects: a photographer’s dream. Meaning many exotic creatures, like a 28-foot-long Reticulated Python, separated from the viewers by thick glass. Watched probably the longest snake move from a long thin line into a relaxed, curled up position. My brother took a video of it. The ever-so-slow movement itself was fascinating, and so was the amazing design.

Wikipedia says, “Like all pythons, they are nonvenomous constrictors and normally not considered dangerous to humans.” Yeah. Right.

We spent three hours photographing many exhibits, but were too tired (and hungry) to continue on to the aquarium area, which is simply humongous. And fascinating. Next week, perhaps.