The infomation from this post comes from the following site:
http://www.turtlewings.com/?gclid=CMic8pGfwpACFQMsFQod_VsNVw
"The Earth Matters Recycle All Electronics"
We pick up and recycle all unwanted electronic equipment in Baltimore/ Washington DC/ Northern Virginia for a nominal fee
computers
monitors
printers / copiers
mainframes / hubs
cell phones / telecom
fax machines / plotters
stereos / microwaves
battery back-up units, etc.
We provide certified data destruction services for nationwide customers. We hold the GSA contract and can shred and/or degauss
hard drives
CD's/DVD's
cell phones/ PDA's
back-up tapes
memory sticks
reel-to-reel tapes, etc.
We provide de-installation, removal and recycling services for:
robotic arms
telecom equipment
mainframes
tape libraries
lab equipment
production equipment, etc.
We provide certified destruction of recalled products in an environmentally friendly way.
We believe in keeping components out of landfills and we pledge to do our utmost to implement that. Our recycling is done domestically in full compliance with all local, state and federal regulations. Turtle Wings is a woman-owned company with MD MBE/DBE and HUB zone certification.
Dispose of your electronics properly! Be globally responsible! Call us today at 301-583-8399
Monday, December 24, 2007
ADOPT A SOLDIER
All information from this site was taken from :
http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=adopt-a-soldier
Please visit their website and adopt a soldier today!
Soldiers' Angels was started by a self-described ordinary mother of an ordinary young man turned hero, Sgt. Brandon Varn. Brandon was deployed in Iraq and has since honorably completed his mission and has returned back to his proud and loving family.
In the summer of 2003, he wrote home expressing his concern that some soldiers did not receive any mail or support from home. Being a caring and loving mother, she decided not to allow a situation like that to continue. She contacted a few friends and extended family to ask if they would write to a soldier or two. Within a few short months, Soldiers' Angels went from a mother writing a few extra letters to an Internet Community with thousands of angels worldwide.
With more and more merchants donating services, money and items for packages, the Angels reorganized as a 501 c 3 non-profit so all donations would be tax deductible. Soldiers' Angels currently supports tens of thousands of American Service Members stationed wherever we raise our nation's flag, and that number continues to grow daily. Soldiers' Angels are dedicated in supporting our military during and after their deployment.
In December of 2004 a worldwide support forum was created in the hopes of providing a place where the needs of our heroes could be fulfilled.
Now this ordinary mother's youngest son, Bretton Varn, is serving his country in Iraq as he continues his family's legacy of bravery, honor and commitment. As with all of our brave men and women in the United States Armed Forces, our thoughts and prayers are with Brett and his family as he begins his tour in service to his nation.
May God Bless Our Troops!
There are three ways that you can help Soldiers' Angels carry out its vital mission:
Adopting A Soldier: Adopting a Soldier is the foundation of Soldiers' Angels. To Adopt a Soldier you must commit to sending one card or letter each week and AT LEAST 1 or 2 care packages a month. We have been told many times that this is one of the most important things we can do to help bring home a healthy hero. It is so very important for each of them to know that we care and support them and your letters and care packages will do just that. So what goes in a care package? Care packages do not have to be expensive and you can either put together your own (we have created a list of the most often requested items consisting of snacks, hygiene items, and games or magazines). We have also put together some great themed care packages in our store located at www.angelsstore.org. These care packages are sold at cost and we will ship them directly to your soldier, if you would like, complete with a personal note from you. Or, simply take a look at them to get ideas of what you can send in your own care packages. The length or duration of each adoption depends on the branch of service your soldier is in and a number of other factors, but generally averages between six (6) months to twelve (12) months. On occasion, they can be extended, but this is the average.
Joining Soldiers' Angels: If you are unable to Adopt A Soldier (time constraints, finances, etc.) but would still like to join Soldiers' Angelsl and help us with our mission, you have the option of simply joining one of our many teams or programs. You can find more information on each of our teams by clicking on the Teams and Programs link to the left (or click here). There are different requirements and commitments for each team, so read through them and find one that matches what you would like to do.
Donating to Soldiers' Angels: If you really want to help Soldiers' Angels carry out its mission but just don't have the time to adopt a soldier or join a team at this time, please consider helping us out financially. Soldiers' Angels operates entirely on donations from it's members, friends and supporters and without that help, we would be unable to carry out our important mission. For more information on the many ways that you can donate to Soldiers' Angels, click on the Donate link to the left or simply click here.
Our Process: Every application to adopt a soldier or join a team/program is reviewed by our adoptions unit. We conduct an identity verification process on each applicant before a soldier is matched to you or you are assigned to a team/program. This process can take up to a few days to complete as our team contacts each applicant by phone and/or email as part of this process. This process is important and we take it seriously. In an effort to speed up this process for you (we know you are excited to get going!!!), we have started offering Instant Approval through a verification process using PayPal. By making a donation of $1, $5 or whatever your heart is telling you, we are able to rely on PayPal's own internal verification system which is pretty extensive. Or, if you do not have a PayPal account and would rather not go through that process, you can simply use your credit card through their system which obviously verifies your identification automatically. If you would like to take advantage of this instant verification process, simply click on the following Donate button:
A donations is not required to join Soldiers' Angels or to Adopt a Soldier. This Instant Approval process through PayPal has been developed to simply provide an expedited process for those who wish to take advantage of it. Please do not feel obligated to do so. As with all donations to Soldiers' Angels, your donation is tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Please consult your tax adviser for further information.)
* Important: This is a serious job for serious people. This is not a dating service and we do not tolerate improper or inappropriate behavior. Our soldiers need us and the last thing we want to do is cause any additional stress in their lives or the lives of their families.
** It is important to fill out every field completely or we will be unable to process your application
*** Applicants must be 18 years old or older OR must have a parent fill out this form with you.
http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=adopt-a-soldier
Please visit their website and adopt a soldier today!
Soldiers' Angels was started by a self-described ordinary mother of an ordinary young man turned hero, Sgt. Brandon Varn. Brandon was deployed in Iraq and has since honorably completed his mission and has returned back to his proud and loving family.
In the summer of 2003, he wrote home expressing his concern that some soldiers did not receive any mail or support from home. Being a caring and loving mother, she decided not to allow a situation like that to continue. She contacted a few friends and extended family to ask if they would write to a soldier or two. Within a few short months, Soldiers' Angels went from a mother writing a few extra letters to an Internet Community with thousands of angels worldwide.
With more and more merchants donating services, money and items for packages, the Angels reorganized as a 501 c 3 non-profit so all donations would be tax deductible. Soldiers' Angels currently supports tens of thousands of American Service Members stationed wherever we raise our nation's flag, and that number continues to grow daily. Soldiers' Angels are dedicated in supporting our military during and after their deployment.
In December of 2004 a worldwide support forum was created in the hopes of providing a place where the needs of our heroes could be fulfilled.
Now this ordinary mother's youngest son, Bretton Varn, is serving his country in Iraq as he continues his family's legacy of bravery, honor and commitment. As with all of our brave men and women in the United States Armed Forces, our thoughts and prayers are with Brett and his family as he begins his tour in service to his nation.
May God Bless Our Troops!
There are three ways that you can help Soldiers' Angels carry out its vital mission:
Adopting A Soldier: Adopting a Soldier is the foundation of Soldiers' Angels. To Adopt a Soldier you must commit to sending one card or letter each week and AT LEAST 1 or 2 care packages a month. We have been told many times that this is one of the most important things we can do to help bring home a healthy hero. It is so very important for each of them to know that we care and support them and your letters and care packages will do just that. So what goes in a care package? Care packages do not have to be expensive and you can either put together your own (we have created a list of the most often requested items consisting of snacks, hygiene items, and games or magazines). We have also put together some great themed care packages in our store located at www.angelsstore.org. These care packages are sold at cost and we will ship them directly to your soldier, if you would like, complete with a personal note from you. Or, simply take a look at them to get ideas of what you can send in your own care packages. The length or duration of each adoption depends on the branch of service your soldier is in and a number of other factors, but generally averages between six (6) months to twelve (12) months. On occasion, they can be extended, but this is the average.
Joining Soldiers' Angels: If you are unable to Adopt A Soldier (time constraints, finances, etc.) but would still like to join Soldiers' Angelsl and help us with our mission, you have the option of simply joining one of our many teams or programs. You can find more information on each of our teams by clicking on the Teams and Programs link to the left (or click here). There are different requirements and commitments for each team, so read through them and find one that matches what you would like to do.
Donating to Soldiers' Angels: If you really want to help Soldiers' Angels carry out its mission but just don't have the time to adopt a soldier or join a team at this time, please consider helping us out financially. Soldiers' Angels operates entirely on donations from it's members, friends and supporters and without that help, we would be unable to carry out our important mission. For more information on the many ways that you can donate to Soldiers' Angels, click on the Donate link to the left or simply click here.
Our Process: Every application to adopt a soldier or join a team/program is reviewed by our adoptions unit. We conduct an identity verification process on each applicant before a soldier is matched to you or you are assigned to a team/program. This process can take up to a few days to complete as our team contacts each applicant by phone and/or email as part of this process. This process is important and we take it seriously. In an effort to speed up this process for you (we know you are excited to get going!!!), we have started offering Instant Approval through a verification process using PayPal. By making a donation of $1, $5 or whatever your heart is telling you, we are able to rely on PayPal's own internal verification system which is pretty extensive. Or, if you do not have a PayPal account and would rather not go through that process, you can simply use your credit card through their system which obviously verifies your identification automatically. If you would like to take advantage of this instant verification process, simply click on the following Donate button:
A donations is not required to join Soldiers' Angels or to Adopt a Soldier. This Instant Approval process through PayPal has been developed to simply provide an expedited process for those who wish to take advantage of it. Please do not feel obligated to do so. As with all donations to Soldiers' Angels, your donation is tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Please consult your tax adviser for further information.)
* Important: This is a serious job for serious people. This is not a dating service and we do not tolerate improper or inappropriate behavior. Our soldiers need us and the last thing we want to do is cause any additional stress in their lives or the lives of their families.
** It is important to fill out every field completely or we will be unable to process your application
*** Applicants must be 18 years old or older OR must have a parent fill out this form with you.
HELP THE HOMELESS
All information from this blog was taken from http://www.helpthehomelessdc.org/site/c.plI4IcNWJyE/b.2699643/k.D6AC/Welcome_to_the_National_Help_the_Homeless_Web_Site.htm
It provides a lot of really great information on ways that you can help out with people in your own community. Take some time for someone other than yourself this year, help change a life around.
What is the Help the Homeless Program?
The national mission of the Help the Homeless Program is to raise awareness of the issue of homelessness and to increase resources for organizations working to prevent and end homelessness. The Help the Homeless Program fosters volunteerism in service to homeless people and those at risk of becoming homeless.
In 1988, Fannie Mae created the Help the Homeless Program to respond to the growing needs of homeless people in the Washington metropolitan area. The Program - a fund-raising and awareness-raising effort - culminates each year in the Help the Homeless Walkathon on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the Saturday before Thanksgiving. In 2007, the Help the Homeless Program, which has become the largest funding collaborative in the nation focused on homelessness, marks its 20th year. To date, the effort has raised more than $62.5 million for local nonprofit organizations that serve homeless people and those at risk of becoming homeless.
To mark the 20th Annual Help the Homeless Program, organizers will expand it to support events in additional cities across the country. On Saturday, November 17, 2007, there will be Help the Homeless events in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, and Seattle in addition to Washington, D.C. Please click on the name of a city to the left to learn more about the various events and activities happening across the country.
Who is Homeless?
On any given day in the United States, there are approximately 754,000 homeless men, women, and children. That total includes people who are living on the streets, staying in shelters, or living in transitional housing.
How Can I Help?
One way you can show your support is by participating in one of the Help the Homeless Program events being held across the country. Click on the name of a city to the left to learn more. If there is not an event being held in your area or if you would like to do something to help now, there are hundreds of local homeless service providers across the country that would appreciate your support. If you want to volunteer or make a donation, please contact a homeless service provider in your area.
It provides a lot of really great information on ways that you can help out with people in your own community. Take some time for someone other than yourself this year, help change a life around.
What is the Help the Homeless Program?
The national mission of the Help the Homeless Program is to raise awareness of the issue of homelessness and to increase resources for organizations working to prevent and end homelessness. The Help the Homeless Program fosters volunteerism in service to homeless people and those at risk of becoming homeless.
In 1988, Fannie Mae created the Help the Homeless Program to respond to the growing needs of homeless people in the Washington metropolitan area. The Program - a fund-raising and awareness-raising effort - culminates each year in the Help the Homeless Walkathon on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the Saturday before Thanksgiving. In 2007, the Help the Homeless Program, which has become the largest funding collaborative in the nation focused on homelessness, marks its 20th year. To date, the effort has raised more than $62.5 million for local nonprofit organizations that serve homeless people and those at risk of becoming homeless.
To mark the 20th Annual Help the Homeless Program, organizers will expand it to support events in additional cities across the country. On Saturday, November 17, 2007, there will be Help the Homeless events in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, and Seattle in addition to Washington, D.C. Please click on the name of a city to the left to learn more about the various events and activities happening across the country.
Who is Homeless?
On any given day in the United States, there are approximately 754,000 homeless men, women, and children. That total includes people who are living on the streets, staying in shelters, or living in transitional housing.
How Can I Help?
One way you can show your support is by participating in one of the Help the Homeless Program events being held across the country. Click on the name of a city to the left to learn more. If there is not an event being held in your area or if you would like to do something to help now, there are hundreds of local homeless service providers across the country that would appreciate your support. If you want to volunteer or make a donation, please contact a homeless service provider in your area.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
If A Local Program Isn't Available, Request One -- Speak Up YOU Can Make A Difference
Here is a website we found that has some great tip's on helping clean up our water: http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/gsteps.asp -All credit from this post goes to Natural Resources Defense Council (check it out!)
1. Correctly dispose of hazardous household products. Keep paints, used oil, cleaning solvents, polishes, pool chemicals, insecticides, and other hazardous household chemicals out of drains, sinks, and toilets. Many of these products contain harmful substances -- such as sodium hypochlorite, petroleum distillates, phenol and cresol, ammonia and formaldehyde -- that can end up in nearby water bodies. Contact your local sanitation, public works, or environmental health department to find out about hazardous waste collection days and sites.* If a local program isn?t available, request one.
2. Use nontoxic household products whenever possible. Discarding toxic products correctly is important, but not buying them in the first place is better. For examples of safe substitutes for toxic household products, check EPA's EnviroSense website.
3. Recycle and dispose of all trash properly. Never flush non-degradable products -- such as disposable diapers or plastic tampon applicators -- down the toilet. They can damage the sewage treatment process and end up littering beaches and waters.
4. Conserve water. Use the most efficient plumbing fixtures. A whopping 73 percent of the water you use in your home is either flushed down the toilet or washed down the shower drain. Toilet dams or bricks placed in your toilet tank can save four gallons of water per flush, or up to 13,000 gallons a year for the average family of four. Low-flow toilets and showerheads also yield major water savings. Repair drips promptly; a dripping faucet can waste 20 gallons a day, a leaking toilet 200 gallons. Sweep driveways and sidewalks instead of hosing them down.
In Your Yard:
5. Use natural fertilizers. Apply natural fertilizer such as compost, manure, bone meal or peat whenever possible. Ask your local hardware and garden supply stores to stock these natural fertilizers. You can also buy a composting setup at a garden supply or hardware store, or by mail. Composting decreases the need for fertilizer and helps soil retain moisture. If you don't know how to compost, visit The Compost Resource Page or the EPA's composting pages.
6. Avoid over-watering lawns and gardens. Use slow-watering techniques on lawns and gardens. Over-watering lawns can increase the leaching of fertilizers into groundwater. Trickle or "drip" irrigation systems and soaker hoses are 20 percent more efficient than sprinklers.
7. Decrease impervious surfaces around your home. Having fewer hard surfaces of concrete and asphalt will improve drainage around your home and in your yard. Do your landscaping with vegetation, gravel or other porous materials instead of cement; install wood decking instead of concrete, and interlocking bricks and paver stones for walkways. Redirect rain gutters and downspouts to soil, grass or gravel areas. Planting vegetation at lower elevations than nearby hard surfaces allows runoff to seep into soil.
8. Maintain septic systems properly. Have the septic tank cleaned out every three to five years. Effluent from failed or poorly maintained septic systems can contaminate groundwater. Monitoring and cleaning your system regularly also saves money by prolonging the life of the system.
Maintaining Your Car:
9. Recycle used motor oil. Avoid pouring waste oil into gutters or down storm drains, and resist the temptation to dump wastes onto the ground. A single quart of motor oil that seeps into groundwater can pollute 250,000 gallons of drinking water. If you don't have a place to recycle used motor oil in your community, ask your local sanitation or public works department to create one.
When you buy motor oil, ask if the store or service station has a program to buy back waste oil and dispose of it properly. Keep up with car maintenance to reduce leaking of oil, coolant, antifreeze and other hazardous fluids.
10. Be "green" when washing your car. Hand-wash your car on the lawn with a bucket of soapy water, rags and a hose. Just turning off the hose between rinsings can save up to 150 gallons. Or, if you don't want to do it yourself, choose a car wash that recycles its water.
In Your Community:
11. Help identify, report and stop polluters. Join a local clean water or environmental group that monitors industries and sewage treatment plants that are discharging wastes.
Local groups can be effective working together with state environmental agencies, EPA and national groups like NRDC to ensure that industries comply with regulations.
12. Be an activist. Contact your public officials and attend hearings to encourage them to support laws and programs to protect our water. Ask officials to control polluted runoff, increase protection for wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems, reduce the flow of toxics into our waterways, and strengthen enforcement. Volunteer for a beach or stream clean up, tree planting, water quality sampling, or stream pollution monitoring project sponsored by a local environmental group or watershed council. Visit NRDC's Earth Action Center to get government contact information and learn about urgent issues you can get in involved in.
Interested in doing more?
* See the blue pages of your local phone book. It contains listings for local, county, state and federal government offices in your area.** To find a local clean water organization in your area, contact the Clean Water Network at cleanwaternt@igc.org.
1. Correctly dispose of hazardous household products. Keep paints, used oil, cleaning solvents, polishes, pool chemicals, insecticides, and other hazardous household chemicals out of drains, sinks, and toilets. Many of these products contain harmful substances -- such as sodium hypochlorite, petroleum distillates, phenol and cresol, ammonia and formaldehyde -- that can end up in nearby water bodies. Contact your local sanitation, public works, or environmental health department to find out about hazardous waste collection days and sites.* If a local program isn?t available, request one.
2. Use nontoxic household products whenever possible. Discarding toxic products correctly is important, but not buying them in the first place is better. For examples of safe substitutes for toxic household products, check EPA's EnviroSense website.
3. Recycle and dispose of all trash properly. Never flush non-degradable products -- such as disposable diapers or plastic tampon applicators -- down the toilet. They can damage the sewage treatment process and end up littering beaches and waters.
4. Conserve water. Use the most efficient plumbing fixtures. A whopping 73 percent of the water you use in your home is either flushed down the toilet or washed down the shower drain. Toilet dams or bricks placed in your toilet tank can save four gallons of water per flush, or up to 13,000 gallons a year for the average family of four. Low-flow toilets and showerheads also yield major water savings. Repair drips promptly; a dripping faucet can waste 20 gallons a day, a leaking toilet 200 gallons. Sweep driveways and sidewalks instead of hosing them down.
In Your Yard:
5. Use natural fertilizers. Apply natural fertilizer such as compost, manure, bone meal or peat whenever possible. Ask your local hardware and garden supply stores to stock these natural fertilizers. You can also buy a composting setup at a garden supply or hardware store, or by mail. Composting decreases the need for fertilizer and helps soil retain moisture. If you don't know how to compost, visit The Compost Resource Page or the EPA's composting pages.
6. Avoid over-watering lawns and gardens. Use slow-watering techniques on lawns and gardens. Over-watering lawns can increase the leaching of fertilizers into groundwater. Trickle or "drip" irrigation systems and soaker hoses are 20 percent more efficient than sprinklers.
7. Decrease impervious surfaces around your home. Having fewer hard surfaces of concrete and asphalt will improve drainage around your home and in your yard. Do your landscaping with vegetation, gravel or other porous materials instead of cement; install wood decking instead of concrete, and interlocking bricks and paver stones for walkways. Redirect rain gutters and downspouts to soil, grass or gravel areas. Planting vegetation at lower elevations than nearby hard surfaces allows runoff to seep into soil.
8. Maintain septic systems properly. Have the septic tank cleaned out every three to five years. Effluent from failed or poorly maintained septic systems can contaminate groundwater. Monitoring and cleaning your system regularly also saves money by prolonging the life of the system.
Maintaining Your Car:
9. Recycle used motor oil. Avoid pouring waste oil into gutters or down storm drains, and resist the temptation to dump wastes onto the ground. A single quart of motor oil that seeps into groundwater can pollute 250,000 gallons of drinking water. If you don't have a place to recycle used motor oil in your community, ask your local sanitation or public works department to create one.
When you buy motor oil, ask if the store or service station has a program to buy back waste oil and dispose of it properly. Keep up with car maintenance to reduce leaking of oil, coolant, antifreeze and other hazardous fluids.
10. Be "green" when washing your car. Hand-wash your car on the lawn with a bucket of soapy water, rags and a hose. Just turning off the hose between rinsings can save up to 150 gallons. Or, if you don't want to do it yourself, choose a car wash that recycles its water.
In Your Community:
11. Help identify, report and stop polluters. Join a local clean water or environmental group that monitors industries and sewage treatment plants that are discharging wastes.
Local groups can be effective working together with state environmental agencies, EPA and national groups like NRDC to ensure that industries comply with regulations.
12. Be an activist. Contact your public officials and attend hearings to encourage them to support laws and programs to protect our water. Ask officials to control polluted runoff, increase protection for wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems, reduce the flow of toxics into our waterways, and strengthen enforcement. Volunteer for a beach or stream clean up, tree planting, water quality sampling, or stream pollution monitoring project sponsored by a local environmental group or watershed council. Visit NRDC's Earth Action Center to get government contact information and learn about urgent issues you can get in involved in.
Interested in doing more?
* See the blue pages of your local phone book. It contains listings for local, county, state and federal government offices in your area.** To find a local clean water organization in your area, contact the Clean Water Network at cleanwaternt@igc.org.
Spread The Word
- Check household faucets for leaks. A faucet with even a slow drip takes 10 to 25 gallons of water. Just think, 15 drips per minute add up to almost 3 gallons of water wasted per day, 65 gallons wasted per month, and 788 gallons wasted per year!
- Keep showers to 5 minutes or less in length. A five-minute shower takes 10 to 25 gallons of water.
- Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator. Then you won't have to run tap water to cool it.
- Use a broom to sweep your driveway, garage, or sidewalk instead of using water.
- Use a bucket of water to wash your bike or the family car and rinse quickly with a hose.
- Water your lawn in the evening or in the early morning to avoid evaporation. Be careful to water only the lawn and not the sidewalk or street.
- Use water only when you need it. Don't leave water running; be sure to turn it off when you are finished.
All facts from http://www.fcwa.org/story_of_water/html/facts.htm
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