Takin' one for the team - actually two

So a friend of mine who knows about my project emailed the other day saying "If you're still looking for things to do for 40 for 40, a friend of mine is doing a fundraiser to benefit domestic violence prevention." (http://www.assaultcarecenter.org/)

Of course I'm all up for that! the downer...it's a bowling event (ew, I hate those shoes!) BUT it's being held in Madrid so I can take a swing by the Hindu Temple. Haven't been there since it's been finished.

I also got wrangled into "getting arrested" to raise funds for MDA. That happens on Aug. 13. More info to come on that. Hope I can raise enough money to make bail although the "clink" is being set up at Splash. :)

The big one

Well, this one kind of puts a cap on 40 for 40...and I'm taking it as a two-fer. A few weeks ago, my attention was directed toward a lovely Anatoalian shepherd that had been flown to Des Moines from Texas. He had been found a stray somewhere outside of Ft. Worth and spent some time in a shelter there. His number was up and some employee or volunteer put out a call to no-kill shelters to see if there was someplace he could go to be spared. Des Moines' Animal Lifeline (http://www.animal-lifeline.com/) said they had space and partnered with Pilots n Paws to transport, Keno (now PonyBoy) here to Iowa. When I saw his picture, I was smitten. A lot of talking with a couple of volunteers from Animal Lifeline and then discovering there was already an application put in to adopt him (the pilot who flew him up here was smitten too) I had to take my chances. Three weeks later, and the big guy is here! We're on our second day and Koda (my dog) is doing really well with it and Keno/Pony is just a mellow love bug. (Oh the reason I'm making this a two-fer...I also donated a bunch of bandages and things that Koda no longer needs and Animal Lifeline can use as they provide shelter for injured, disabled or pregnant dogs.)

So long story that will get longer...happy birthday to me from Keno/Pony!

Secondly, at the bequest of another friend of mine, I went through some of my "summer" clothing and purses and put together two bags to take to the Young Women's Resource Center (http://www.ywrc.org/) for women who are transitioning from shelter to independent living and looking for work.

I actually took a tally last week...believe it or not...inside of 6 months, I've worked with/for 32 different charities/non-profit events! Only 8 more to go to cap out 40 for 40. ... I might have to rethink it and make it 50 for 40 cause the holidays are always a big volunteer time and that's still many months away.