Relief Efforts for Katrina Hurricane Victims, and Avoiding Fraudulent Charities

The catastrophic damage in Louisiana and Mississippi defies understanding. Many families feel helpless, watching the incredible suffering on television day after day. See a comprehensive list of charities participating in relief efforts, http://instapundit.com/archives/025235.php . Also, check out Franklin Graham's (Billy Graham's son) http://samaritanspurse.org/.

Many families desperately desire to help, but may be easy prey to fraudulent, vulture-like charity schemes. If we truly wish to make a difference, and help those unfortunates caught up in disaster, we must be wise stewards, and donate to legitimate charitable organizations.

The FTC provides this FTC Charity Checklist:

"Thinking about donating to a charity? The Federal Trade Commission advises that you consider the following precautions to ensure that your donation dollars benefit the people and organizations you want to help. They're good practices whether you're contacted by an organization's employees, volunteers or professional fund-raisers, soliciting donations by phone, mail or in person.

Be wary of appeals that tug at your heart strings, especially pleas involving patriotism and current events.
Ask for the name of the charity if the telemarketer does not provide it promptly.
Ask what percentage of the donation is used to support the causes described in the solicitation, and what percentage is used for administrative costs.
Call the charity to find out if it's aware of the solicitation and has authorized the use of its name.
If the telemarketer claims that the charity will support local organizations, call the local groups to verify.
Discuss the donation with a trusted family member or friend before committing the funds.
Don't provide any credit card or bank account information until you have reviewed all information from the charity and made the decision to donate.
Ask for a receipt showing the amount of the contribution and stating that it is tax deductible.
Understand that contributions made to a "tax exempt" organization are not necessarily tax deductible.
Avoid cash gifts. They can be lost or stolen. For security and tax record purposes, it's best to pay by check - made payable to the beneficiary, not the solicitor."

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on wise giving, visit www.ftc.gov/charityfraud or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.

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Avoid Scams in Education, Health, Work

Be a wise steward; use this free consumer information from the Federal Trade Commission to avoid scams:

Coping with a Temporary Loss of Income [TEXT]
Choosing a Career or Vocational School [TEXT] [PDF]
Diploma Mills: Degrees of Deception [TEXT] [PDF]
Federal and Postal Job Scams: Tip-offs to Rip-offs [TEXT] [PDF]
'Free Grants': Don't Take Them For Grant-ed [TEXT] [PDF]
Get-Rich-Quick and Self-Employment Schemes Campaign [TEXT]
Guide to the Federal Trade Commission [TEXT] [PDF]
Help Wanted...Finding a Job [TEXT] [PDF]
Making a Buck: Employment and Work-at-Home Information [TEXT]
Medical Billing Business Opportunity Schemes [TEXT] [PDF]
OUCH...Students Getting Stung Trying to Find $$$ for College [TEXT] [PDF]
Out of Work? How to Deal with Creditors [TEXT] [PDF]
Scholarship Scams Campaign [TEXT]
Scholarship Scams (audio) [TEXT] [RAM] [MP3]
The Secrets of Mystery Shopping Revealed [TEXT] [PDF]
Student Surveys: Ask Yourself Some Questions [TEXT] [PDF]
Work-at-Home Schemes [TEXT] [PDF]
Work-at-Home PSA - 10 Seconds (audio) [TEXT] [RAM] [MP3]
Work-at-Home PSA - 20 Seconds (audio) [TEXT] [RAM] [MP3]
Work-at-Home PSA - 30 Seconds (audio) [TEXT] [RAM] [MP3]
Work-at-Home PSA - 60 Seconds (audio) [TEXT] [RAM] [MP3]
Business Information
Avoid Fake-Degree Burns By Researching Academic Credentials [TEXT] [PDF]
Guides for Private Vocational and Distance Education Schools [TEXT] [PDF]

Summer's End: Deja Vu, Unfortunate Events, Homeschool Resources and Freebies Too

Next week is our last week before the official start of the Morgan homeschool year. We start school on the traditional day after Labor Day. How about you? I hope you've had a great summer, and are ready for an exciting new homeschool year.

This month we acquired a new family member from the homeless cat shelter. We've been learning a lot about our new kitten, named Deja (as in the word deja vu, which here means "it's happening again," as in that naughty cat is getting into trouble again!) After she was with us for only a few days, we realized that she had a rather nasty and unpleasant health condition, requiring a trip to the vet, followed by the added responsibility of forcing pills into her tiny but very toothy mouth. In addition, I've also found out that it is a reeeeeally bad idea to leave a plant sitting in a window over a computer printer, when Deja is in the house. Trying to clean planter dirt out of printer and get the printer operating again is a real challenge. Nevertheless, Deja is a lot of fun. Our littlest homeschooler, who has an animal phobia, has learned to pet and help take care of her. Here's a digital picture of Deja that my oldest daughter took. You can see the chronically guilty look on Deja's face.

Did you read any good books over the summer? We've been reading through the entire Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events, which we've been borrowing from our public library. We have to take turns reading the books, which in my case means I couldn't read the series in order. I'm happy to report that I haven't found anything objectionable--unlike other modern series, Unfortunate Events are refreshingly free from elements such as witchcraft and occult elements-thus far, although some families might be a bit put out by the author's morbidly unusual sense of humor. The books painlessly challenge the vocabulary of both kids and adults (even many Scrabble champions might find the need to look up the word "ersatz" in a dictionary), and cleverly tweak thinking and deductive skills.

I especially like the love and acceptance of eachother's gifts that the three main characters show in the books, as well as their politeness to adults. I love how Snicket's characters understand their baby sister's unique language, even though no one else seems to listen. Perhaps we identify closely with the characters, as our youngest homeschooler has articulation challenges. Our oldest daughter exclaimed, "They're just like us!"

No, Lemony Snicket isn't paying me anything for this positive review, but Count Olaf might put me on his bad list for this. I haven't visited http://www.lemonysnicket.com , but when I do, perhaps I'll finally solve the mystery of what happened to Lemony Snicket's lost love, Beatrice. If not, I guess I'll have to read Lemony Snicket's Unauthorized Autobiography.

Even though the summer is about to end, and we're battling annoying colds, I can't stop looking for interesting, free and frugal resources for homeschooling. Here are some that I'm investigating now:

The Book Cellar, with new and used textbooks, discounted A Beka, BJU. Saxon, Rod & Staff, Christian Liberty Press and more, http://www.bookcellaronline.com
Academic Superstore, get discounted software for homeschool, teacher's, schools, 800-544-6615, free shipping from web site orders,
http://HS.AcademicSuperstore.com
AVKO Dyslexia and Spelling Research Foundation, free handwriting, spelling, keyboarding, reading, study resources and lessons, http://www.AVKO.org
Heart of Dakota, free sample pages of Christ-centered learning, http://www.heartofdakota.com
Video Text, free sample Algebra video, http://www.videotext.com
Beginnings Publishing, creation-based and God centered, student driven science curriculum, 800-831-3570, http://www.beginningspublishing.com
R and D Educational Center, God's Design Science, creation based science for grades 1-8, recommended by Dr. Wile of Apologia Science, http://www.rdeducation.com
A Reason For, with handwriting, spelling, science and Reading using scripture, 800-447-4332,
http://www.AReasonFor.com
Practical Homeschooling magazine (I write a column for Practical Homeschooling), offers a free email newsletter, as well as a free issue of the magazine, http://www.home-school.com . Look for my Preschool for Pennies column in the magazine.
Unless the Lord magazine, for Christian parents encouraging the building up of godly families, http://www.UnlesstheLordMagazine.com
Beautiful Feet, study guides, time lines, D'Aulaire biographies, Genevieve Foster's 'World' titles, Rea Berg's History Through Literature, http://www.bfbooks.com

Avoiding College Debt: Scholarships for Homeschoolers

Our family strategy to avoid college debt includes accelerating college through adult learning opportunities, gaining college credit through examination, investigating lifetime learning credit, check into work-study programs, and, of course, scholarship opportunities. All this can be somewhat overwhelming. Our homeschool graduate son is using the shotgun approach--fill out a lot of scholarship applications, write as many essays as he can, pray, and let God do the rest.

Find out about free scholarship money available to homeschool students at http://www.homeschoolzone.com/faq/free.htm . Use a free search program to locate scholarships for college at http://www.fastweb.com . Also visit the Student Services and the Financial Aid Information Page.

Intent to Homeschool, Special Needs Education and Unit Studies

I always wonder, when I send in my "Letter of Intent to Homeschool" to our local school superintendent every year, if the school actually reads my carefully compiled list of resources and curriculum. Well, you will surely be relieved to know, that they do indeed read it. I received a phone message from our local district, thanking me for sending in information on my youngest children. However, they wondered what happened to our oldest (who is not yet eighteen)--why didn't I send information about him? I truthfully replied that he was enrolled in Park University, so we were no longer including him in our notification. The school official simply thanked me for the information; evidently satisfied. Whew!

I am thankful that I'm homeschooling in a country that guarantees parents the right to train up their own children, and teach them according to their sincere beliefs. I realize that in many countries, this isn't possible. I am also thankful to God, who grants us wisdom to train our children according to their gifts--whatever labels or diagnosis they may have been given by education experts.

Everyone is gifted, in some area. God makes people different for a reason. Thomas Edison's schoolmaster called the seven year old inventor-to-be "addled." Edison's mother removed her son from school after only three months, and taught him at home. The trick is to find out what your child likes best, and then incorporate it into his education. Unit studies can be the open door for a labeled child. Read more about unit studies at my web page, http://www.eaglesnesthome.com/unit.htm .

Your family may enjoy a unit study on famous homeschoolers, such as Thomas Edison. Here are a few more, to get you started: Alexander Graham Bell, Agatha Christie, Albert Einstein (although he didn't talk until the age of four--some people believe he was challenged by autism-- he taught himself calculus, and other abstract subjects), Wolfgang Mozart, Mark Twain, George Washington.

Here are some of my favorite Special Needs Resources. Hint: Try mixing special needs resources up. Use some of the techniques for Kids labeled learning disabled to teach your gifted preschooler. Try some of the gifted programs on your learning disabled child. In my opinion, all kids are gifted by God; and we all have our limitations. Also, many resources can be borrowed through inter-library loan; it’s worth a try to ask your local librarian.

NATHHAN, P.O. Box 39, Porthill, Idaho, 83853, 208-267-6246; http://www.nathhan.com/ , North American support group for homeschoolers with special needs.
Special Ed., http://specialed.miningco.com/
http://www.songsoflove.org/ , offers free personalized songs for seriously ill children.
ADD, http://add.miningco.com/
Woodbine House, special needs books, http://www.woodbinehouse.com/
Communication Aids, http://www.communicationaids.com
Communicating Partners, James MacDonald's unique family-friendly speech program, http://www.jamesdmacdonald.org/

Organizing a New Homeschool Year

Yes, I know, this Blog is late. Is anyone else scrambling to get all their ducks in a row for the new school year? I'm putting the finishing touches on our homeschool program for our high schooler, as well as our first grade homeschooler with special needs.

This has been a week of high learning curves...we took the leap and enrolled our oldest, a homeschool graduate (John Morgan, Malex Media Network Consultant, http://news.mnet-media.com/ ) in Park University, http://www.park.edu . Park has students at forty-one campus centers, as well as on-line. In twenty states, Park University offers learning options to fit the needs of a very mobile student population--including homeschoolers.

Organizing is essential to a successful homeschool. To learn more about the art of organizing, read books by Bonnie McCullough such as 401 Ways to Get Your Kids to Work at Home, and Totally Organized. I also recommend Sandra Felton's book, The Messies Manual. In addition, try out these frugal resources:

*Free Homeschool Planner and Organizer, includes Month View Calendar, Weekly Planner, Weekly Assignment page, Unschooling Record Keeper, Unit Study Planner, www.thehomeschoolmom.com/planner.html.
*Eclectic Homeschool, www.eho.org , offers free downloadable homeschool planners, schedulers, reading lists, chores charts, etc.
*Education Plus offers an inexpensive ($15) kit with 2 audiocassettes and a 24-page booklet. The kit will help you identify 14 basic areas where every home needs an organization plan and step-by-step checklist to survive the demands of family life, http://www.edplus.com/.
*Free Homeschool Tracker software, www.tghomesoft.com.

Analyse Your Spending With Free Budgetometer

Looking for a way to find more dollars for homeschooling or travel? Try the free Budgetometer, which analyzes your spending in the three major "budget buster" categories: housing, auto, and debt, at Crown Financial Ministries, http://www.crown.org/Tools/budgetometer.asp .