Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides – Udderly Delicious

Is there anything more refreshing in the summer than a crisp glass of milk?  Or perhaps a scoop (oh, make it two!) of homemade ice cream?  Add a dollop of chocolate syrup or fresh fruit to either, and you just might be in heaven.  Oh, and maybe just a nice slice of fresh pie or a cookie that you know just came from the oven?

Would you like to have a great taste from Idaho’s amazing local farms and dairies that produce milk and other delicious food products without hormones or other chemicals?  Celebrate our local family farms and dairies on Sunday, June 14 at the Boise Urban Garden School, located at 4821 Franklin Rd. in Boise from 1:30-3:30 p.m. 

You will have the opportunity to sample milk, cheeses, quiches, and baked goods created from the bounty of our community’s local farms and dairies.  Proceeds of the sales go to the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, which seeks to promote alternatives to pesticides through educating the public, providing support to farmers wishing to transition to organic, creating pesticide-free public spaces, and working on legislative policy.

Tickets for the event are $15 adults, $7.50 children. Tickets are available by calling Jennifer Miller at (208) 850-6504.

Camp Discovery Raffle

When you're facing a battle with cancer, moments of fun and respite can be like a breath of fresh air.

Camp Discovery provides such a breath of fresh air, as well as activities to help keep the heart pumping and the spirit soaring.

Based in Salmon, Camp Discovery provides free multiday river adventure programs to youth and adults with cancer. The educational outdoor experiences are designed by counselors and outdoor professionals to help build and restore physical, spiritual and emotional strength.

Camp Discovery is holding a statewide raffle to help provide scholarships for teen and young adult cancer survivors to attend adventure programs this summer on the Salmon River.

First prize is an AIRE Outfitter II, a two-person inflatable kayak ($1,379 value). Second prize is a one- day fall guided steelhead fishing trip with Idaho Adventures in Salmon ($350 value).

The raffle ends Saturday, June 27. Tickets are $10 each or 5 for $40 and are available at www.campdiscoveryidaho.org/upcoming-events.asp or(208) 303-0040.

National Alliance on Mental Illness – Rock the Flock

They may not show bruises or cuts.  They may not have a cast or a splint.  Yet, their pain is very real and may be deeper as they often feel they cannot talk about it without judgment or ridicule and their healing can take many years.  They are our family members, friends and neighbors with mental illness.

Medical science is just starting to understand the causes and cures for a variety of illnesses including anxiety, depression and schizophrenia.  As the research continues, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is here to provide support and information to those suffering from mental illness and their families.

With NAMI’s support, hundreds of thousands across the country are able to receive better treatment, have a better quality of life, return to the work force, and enjoy their families.

Support the local chapter of NAMI at Rock the Flock on Friday, May 29, 2009.  Starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Egyptian Theater, enjoy the amazing songs and vocals from Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours. 

Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased at the Egyptian Theater, located at 700 W. Main St. in Boise, or at the Record Exchange, located at 1105 W. Idaho St. in Boise.  For more information on the concert, visit www.rocktheflock.org, and for more information on NAMI, visit www.nami-boise.org.

 

Alzheimer’s Association – Idaho Celebrity Alzheimer’s Benefit

Anyone whose life has been touched by Alzheimer’s knows how frustrating and hopeless the disease can feel for everyone involved.  The Alzheimer’s Association can be an invaluable lifeline for those with Alzheimer’s, as well as for their families, friends and caregivers.

The Greater Idaho region has approximately 40,000 people diagnosed with this progressive and fatal brain disease. The number of people with Alzheimer’s disease in Idaho is expected to increase by 100% by 2025.

On Saturday, May 16, the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Idaho Chapter will host their 4th annual Idaho Celebrity Alzheimer’s Benefit to honor and create awareness and support for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.  It will be held at the Rose Room in downtown Boise.

The evening will feature a dinner, entertainment and silent and live auctions.  Funds raised will help the Greater Idaho Chapter provide statewide services such as information and referral programs, education, care consultation, support groups, safe return, in addition to supporting Alzheimer’s research.

Attendees will join Idaho celebrities such as Chairman and CEO of Idaho Film Studios, A. Grant Allan; Boise State Football Coach, Villiami Tuivai; NFL Linebacker of the Cincinnati Bengals, Lance Sellers; as well as local media and artistic leaders in the community.  Entertainment will be provided by Denae, a 17 year old country and blues singer.

Tickets are $100 and are available at www.alz.org/idaho or by calling 384-1788.

Boise Bicycle Project - Concert & Fundraiser

Susan B. Anthony famously said, "Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance."

Bicycling has done more than emancipate women. It is a fantastic form of transportation that frees women, men and children to seek the adventures and lives they desire.

The Boise Bicycle Project is a local nonprofit that educates the public about how bicycles are a great way to get around town and works to make sure that our neighbors have access to bikes no matter what their income. The group fixes old bikes for donation, and it empowers children and the refugee community about bicycle repair, care and maintenance.

On Friday at the Visual Arts Collective, 3638 Osage St. in Garden City, you can check out amazing deals on refurbished bikes from 3 to 8 p.m. , then enjoy a concert featuring some amazing bands starting at 8 p.m., all to benefit the Boise Bicycle Project. The cover for the concert is $5-10, and you can enter a raffle for a gorgeous classic Schwinn Suburban bicycle. For more information, visit www.boisebicycleproject.org

Imperial Sovereign Gem Court of Idaho – Idaho Cares

On Saturday, April 11, the Imperial Sovereign Gem Court of Idaho will be bringing a Las Vegas cabaret-style party to Boise for their annual Idaho Cares Show. 

The Imperial Sovereign Gem Court of Idaho (ISGCI), now in its 29th year, is a non-profit organization that helps raise money for charitable funds and organizations in Idaho. 

One such fund is the Jimmy Moore Fund, which provides money for emergency medical assistance to help those living with HIV & AIDS.  The Idaho Cares Show originated 15 years ago to help raise money for the fund.

Individuals and families may request assistance from the fund through the HIV Services Clinic.  Each year the administrators for this fund are elected to administer requests for assistance as well as host the annual Jimmy Moore Fundraisers.  Their goal is to raise $6,000.00 at this year’s event.

Hosted at the Visual Arts Collective, the “Viva Las Vegas” event will include champagne and hors d’oeuvres starting at 7pm with the cabaret show at 8pm.  There will also be a silent auction and raffle prizes to add to the festivities.  Tickets are $10 at the door. 

Visual Arts Collective (www.visualartscollective.com) is located at 3638 Osage Street in Garden City, behind the Woman of Steel Gallery. 

More information on ISGCI is available at www.idahogemcourt.org.

American Red Cross – Truly Giving of Yourself

It only takes about thirty minutes of your time but you can make the ultimate difference in someone else’s life.  Better yet, it will not cost you anything.  By giving a pint of blood even once a year, you can help ensure that a father who has in a car accident can return home for his child’s birthday, or that a child with a rare disease has blood available for the necessary surgeries to cure her.

This is truly giving back to our community and protecting our community’s health.  Blood components have a fairly short shelf life, and there is only a one-week supply of blood in our nation’s collection centers at any given time. 

The availability of donated blood makes make possible the medical innovations we have experienced over the last several decades.  Through the generosity of blood donors in our community, our doctors can perform the life-saving surgical treatments, cancer treatments, organ transplants and thousands of other cures that give our loved ones renewed life.

With each pint you donate, you are able to help many people and ensure a better tomorrow for their future.  Who knows? That person you just walked by on the street could be with us because you took just a short portion out of one day to donate.

 Not a fan of needles or get a little squeamish giving blood? You can still help the American Red Cross in a variety of ways such as greeting donors at the donor centers, as a courier to transport blood to local hospitals or as an office assistant.

To find a blood donation center near you or to make an appointment to donate blood, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.  For more information about volunteer opportunities, visit lewisandclark.redcross.org/volunteers  or call 429-5837.

Idaho Foodbank – Empty Bowls

You can almost feel the sniffles coming on, and could that possibly be a headache you feel?  Since you were a kid, you probably went to the best cure of them all – a nice, hot bowl of soup – to make yourself feel better.

Every culture has a signature soup.  From mulligatawny to matzoh ball, ajiaco to zurek, soups are those special meals that are like filling your tummy with love.  You can usually taste centuries of recipes being handed down in each bowl, from kitchen to kitchen, mother to child.  In many ways these soups can help build a sense of community.

You can help out others in our community with some delicious soup at the 11th Annual Empty Bowls fundraiser for the Idaho Foodbank.  On Friday, November 28, go down to the Boise Centre on the Grove starting at 11 a.m. (warm up before the BSU game!) until 8 p.m. and pick one of 2,000 handcrafted bowls that have been donated for the occasion, and fill them with gourmet soup and enjoy some bread on the side. 

The Idaho Foodbank has distributed over 70 million pounds of food to Idaho families since 1984.  The demand that has been placed on the Idaho Foodbank is greater than ever.  The USDA has ranked Idaho the 13th hungriest state, with an average of 67,281 Idaho families worrying that they could not afford to buy food from 2004-2006.  Just in the last year, though, the Foodbank has distributed over 5,560,000 pounds of food through 211 outlets around the State.

Your purchase of a bowl at the fundraiser can bring smiles to many children in Idaho.  Nearly 1 in 8 Idaho children go to bed hungry every night.  This can have far reaching implications on their brain and physical development, affecting their ability to learn and keep up with their peers.  For your purchase of $10 for a bowl, you can provide 30 meals to children and their families, and help ensure them a full tummy and brighter future.

So come on down the day after breaking bread with friends and family at Thanksgiving, and break bread with the whole community.  As you enjoy your delicious soup, you know you are providing food, care and comfort to many other families around Idaho. 

For more information, go to www.idahofoodbank.org.

Planned Parenthood of Idaho – Online Auction

Saving time and minimizing hassle are important considerations when shopping during the busy holiday season.  Planned Parenthood of Idaho is launching an online auction to provide an easy way to get some holiday shopping done while supporting their organization.

The auction will open on November 28th and run through December 12th.  Auction items include items such as travel packages, dining and entertainment gift certificates, and tickets to theater and sporting events.  The money raised from the auction will help with Planned Parenthood’s education and basic health care service expansion plans in Idaho.

Through the online bidding process, you can enjoy the competitive pursuit of that perfect holiday gift in the comfort of your own home.  For those who don’t want to risk potentially losing an item, there are several items with a “Buy Now” option so that they can be secured immediately at their stated value.

The online auction can also be used to help take care of yourself or others in the new year.  Health care items such as annual exams and testing packages, as well as education workshops are available for purchase for yourself or for a person in need.

You can access the online auction through a link on the Planned Parenthood website at www.plannedparenthood.org/idaho or directly at www.cmarket.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=ppidaho
You can also call 208-376-2277 ext. 13 for additional details.

Merina Healing Arts Foundation – Touching Lives through Healing Arts

When faced with illness or pain, different people look to different avenues to heal themselves.  Prescribed medicines or treatments may be what we first think of, but have you ever felt better after humming a song you love?  Maybe you found that drawing, writing in a journal or working with textiles made the pain less prominent? 

More and more studies show that exposure to therapeutic arts helps a patient’s healing process by reducing anxiety and providing comfort.  As your stress decreases, it is theorized that your body can concentrate on healing itself rather than having the stress exacerbate your illness. 

The Merina Healing Arts Foundation was formed to help bring therapeutic healing arts to communities across our state.  The organization collaborates with healthcare providers to offer therapeutic arts programs, and also gives grants to Idaho residents to pursue certification or degrees in therapeutics arts. 

You can support the Merina Healing Arts Foundation by attending a fabulous concert this Saturday, October 25, 2008 at the BSU Special Events Center.  At the 3rd Annual Touching Lives through Healing Arts concert, Cherie Buckner-Webb’s amazing voice and stories will inspire you.  As a special treat, Chuck Smith, Bill Courtial, Randy Coryell, Michael Boney, Mark Thornton and the Celebration Choir will round out this uplifting evening. 

Tickets are $18, and may be purchased by calling 426-1494 or visiting www.idahotickets.com.  For more information, please visit www.merinahealingarts.org.