For a friend...

One of my friends has started a blog and is looking for some feedback on direction. As a favor to me, would you check it out and leave her feedback?

Reb(el) With a Cause

She's told me that one of her causes will definitely be child welfare related, so there's an additional incentive to help her out.

I'll never be a "development associate"...

Recognizing that I only posted my fundraising appeal 45 seconds ago a few days ago, I'm not truly that upset to have gotten only one bite so far. Especially since I think a grand total of only three people now stop by here on occasion. And since we're not doing this for the money,it's not like we all have loads of dollars just waiting under our sofa cushions for good causes. Our lives are good causes.

But I'd love to be able to put together a healthy chunk of change and say "this is from the foster/adoptive blog community." So if the three of you could pass this on to your regular readers, that would be great. And I'll love you forever. With whipped cream and a cherry.

Phone advice

The regulations in my jurisdiction require foster homes to have "a working, non-coin operated, telephone." Among other reasons, I assume that this has to do with being able to call 911. While in my obsession with close reading, I think that a cell phone counts (it works, and it's not coin operated), I am willing to get a landline rather than try to convince the folks at the agency that the kiddo will always be with an adult who has a cell phone, even if the kiddo is home with a baby-sitter.

Friends have recommended that I get a vonage phone rather than a standard landline. The problem with this is that it doesn't work when the power is out. However, any cordless phone also won't work during a power outage. I have to decide by Monday at the latest what to do about the phone so that I have it in place and ready for my home assessment a week from Tuesday.

I'm looking for help answering these two questions (and any other advice is more than welcome as well):
1. do you think that having a vonage phone would be irresponsible generally, and
2. do you think that it would be a problem for licensing?

Thanks!

P.S. Please remember to check out the sidebar and help me Send a Kid to Camp!

Send a Kid to Camp!

One of my favorite newspaper columnists (and I'm not giving up any anonymity here because I read newspapers from a few different Big Cities--though this one is a Big City in which I live or have lived) has an annual campaign to "Send a Kid to Camp." Camp Moss Hollow is specifically for kids in foster care to allow them the same opportunity for summer fun as other kids.

It costs $700 for one kid for one week. I plan to sponsor one kid all on my own, but also have a goal of cobbling together smaller donations to sponsor another kid. (Or more than one. It's all about my undying fan-hood for the columnist.) If you can help, check out the sidebar where it says (hello, obviousness) "Send a Kid to Camp." You can donate directly or, even better (see: It's all about my undying fan-hood for the columnist) donate through me. Since I can't figure out how to create a Paypal button that maintains my anonymity--I don't mind donors knowing who I am, just the random people who might come across this, click on the donate button, then know who I am--please leave a comment or send me an email.