Workerants.com

WorkerAnts is a social network through which you can support your favorite cause. It connect people & charitable organizations and generate awareness for causes. It provides the information and resources that cater the needs of charities, volunteers and activists.

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Ever feel alone when dealing with a problem? Whether you need support with a trauma, are fighting a disease or have lost a loved one, thousands of non-profits around the world provide help to people at no charge. You can find just a few of them on www.WorkerAnts.com/search.

Also, if you know about a great non-profit organization but don’t see them on our site, use the red “Suggest an Organization” button at the bottom of each page to tell us about them! We will list them for free, anywhere in the world and we grow by your referrals. Let's help each other.

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Volunteer at Special Olympics World Games 2015, http://www.specialolympics.org People participating in Special Olympics have learned to rise above any challenges they might face in life.  They have trained, worked hard and are meeting together to Go for Gold!  You can join in this festival of the human spirit by volunteering at the main games in Los Angeles this year or simply help at any facility that works with the athletes.  Special Olympics runs activities on every continent except Antarctica so almost anyone, anywhere can find ways to participate.  Join in an activity today and show your support!

http://workerants.com/organization/special-olympics/

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Arts Education for Everyone

The College of Adaptive Arts (CAA) is a revolutionary idea.  A not-for-profit organization of higher learning that focuses on offering education opportunities for adults with disabilities.  Painting, music, dance – anything you would expect to find at a performing arts college you can find at CAA – but they teach it in a way that allows people with differing abilities to comprehend, achieve and grow to their full potential.

Join us in celebrating the work that the College of Adaptive Arts is doing by reading about them here and maybe signing up for classes or offering other support! http://workerants.com/colony/neighborhood-gazette

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A Community Program

In my short time in Nassau, I met a community of people who make helping others as natural as breathing. Not just the amazing nonprofits that I visited, but pretty much every person I spoke to helped me in some way, like Patricia, a sales person for one of the Paradise Island hotels with whom I had chatted briefly one day, she saw me waiting for the bus a few days later and gave me a ride downtown.  Gary Watkins, my taxi driver and an ordained minister who gave me lists of charities in Nassau on my first day in country and told me stories about how people he knows have pulled together to help others (he also discussed Bahamian politics with me, which was fun).  Evie and Lynden Tinker, the landlords at the guesthouse I stayed at who took me to run errands, found nonprofits for me to visit and generally went out of their way to be helpful.  It is in honor of all of these people that I picked this final group to highlight for our Great Ways to Give Back in Nassau, Bahamas series.

This is not a registered nonprofit, instead it is a group of parents and students in the Foxhill community that are pulling together under the leadership of Anthony Taylor to start a student marching band.  Many of the over 85 students that are participating in this program come from the Sandiland Primary School, some travel there from other schools in the area to practice every Wednesday and Friday from 5-7 pm.  Classes consist of learning music theory, how to read music and instrument practice.

The man behind the program, Anthony Taylor is retired from the Ministry of Education in Freeport. After he returned to Nassau, he decided to put his years of formal musical education and training to use for his community.  He has ample experience with the discipline as over the course of his music career he began numerous bands across the Caribbean, including five in Freeport and four in Jamaica.  When I spoke to him I was struck by his dedication to the kids and his commitment to providing a practical and fun after school activity that keeps kids off the streets.

Even though this program is only three months old, the positive effects are already being felt in the community.  Good behavior is a requirement for participation and some students have straightened up in order to be stay in the band.  In fact, one child’s parent even stopped causing trouble in the community in order keep his child in the program!  The kids are also more confident about their future and have pride in being part of a prestigious tradition in the Bahamas.  As the students grow older and if they continue to play there is the potential for international travel with some of the award winning Bahamian marching bands.  

So how can WorkerAnts around the world who are reading about this program help?  Instruments.  The program is short of musical instruments and not all of the kids are able to practice even though they can still learn theory and how to read music.  If you are local or even just taking a cruise to the Bahamas and have your old high school trumpet, saxophone or clarinet in the attic, consider giving it to this program.  Maybe you have another cool idea on how to pitch in and help out, either way, contact Lynden Tinker at [email protected] for more information on this amazing community program.

Also remember to check out the WorkerAnts Colonies.  These are great online groups where people who care about the world and want to make a difference can meet. Find one you like or start your own! http://bit.ly/1FtFadu

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The Bahamas Crisis Centre

For over 30 years The Bahamas Crisis Centre has provided a safe haven for survivors of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, including incest, child abuse and all kinds of domestic violence issues.  They are the only Crisis Centre serving the Bahamas, and while serving all of the Bahamas may seem an overwhelming task for one centre the only word to describe founder Dr Sandra Dean-Patterson is “graceful”.  She exudes compassion and competence and the more you speak with her the more you realize how amazing her serene attitude is given the number of projects she is managing.  

From the centre’s one room beginnings in 1982 where a clinic was offered during one evening and two afternoons a week, Dr. Dean-Patterson has been the driving force behind what is now a 24/7 clinic with hotlines, counseling, victim advocacy and legal aide provided by volunteer psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed therapists, social workers and attorneys.  The centre also does community outreach, education and training programs, anti-bullying campaigns, public service programs, and legislative advocacy, in fact they are currently advocating for a constitutional amendment to address gender inequality and discrimination.

The list actually goes on, but it is sufficient to say that the Bahamas Crisis Centre is the heart of a network of people dedicated to ending violence, abuse and, as they say, “Bringing Peace to the Community”.  You can help.  They take volunteers, especially licensed therapists, lawyers/legal interns, and social workers.  Not in those professions or only a short-term visitor to the Bahamas? No worries! You can donate canned food, baby items and formula, books, old cell-phones (make sure they are unlocked and work in the Bahamas) or even bring them a color copier to help keep their brochure costs down.  Contact them next time you are in the area and find out how you can be a part of the solution.

Check out the Bahamas Crisis Centre and other great organizations on WorkerAnts.com

http://bit.ly/1eGGmEQ

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The Bahamas Crisis Centre

For over 30 years The Bahamas Crisis Centre has provided a safe haven for survivors of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, including incest, child abuse and all kinds of domestic violence issues.  They are the only Crisis Centre serving the Bahamas, and while serving all of the Bahamas may seem an overwhelming task for one centre the only word to describe founder Dr Sandra Dean-Patterson is “graceful”.  She exudes compassion and competence and the more you speak with her the more you realize how amazing her serene attitude is given the number of projects she is managing.  

From the centre’s one room beginnings in 1982 where a clinic was offered during one evening and two afternoons a week, Dr. Dean-Patterson has been the driving force behind what is now a 24/7 clinic with hotlines, counseling, victim advocacy and legal aide provided by volunteer psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed therapists, social workers and attorneys.  The centre also does community outreach, education and training programs, anti-bullying campaigns, public service programs, and legislative advocacy, in fact they are currently advocating for a constitutional amendment to address gender inequality and discrimination.

The list actually goes on, but it is sufficient to say that the Bahamas Crisis Centre is the heart of a network of people dedicated to ending violence, abuse and, as they say, “Bringing Peace to the Community”.  You can help.  They take volunteers, especially licensed therapists, lawyers/legal interns, and social workers.  Not in those professions or only a short-term visitor to the Bahamas? No worries! You can donate canned food, baby items and formula, books, old cell-phones (make sure they are unlocked and work in the Bahamas) or even bring them a color copier to help keep their brochure costs down.  Contact them next time you are in the area and find out how you can be a part of the solution.

Check out the Bahamas Crisis Centre and other great organizations on WorkerAnts.com

http://bit.ly/1eGGmEQ

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Hands for Hunger is a lean, efficient powerhouse of a charity staffed with a few people fiercely committed to ending hunger and solving food insecurity in the Bahamas.  Six years ago after they realized how much edible food was thrown away in Nassau a group of student leaders collaborated with Second Harvest, a food rescue service from Canada, to create Hands for Hunger.

Today, with only three full time staff and some volunteers, this incredible organization works with over 30 restaurants, hotels, wholesalers, bakeries, and farms that generously donate high quality food and their two refrigerated trucks collect and distribute an average of 2,500 lbs. of food a week.  They deliver the food daily to 14 agencies that provide more than 10,000 meals each week to Bahamians and they have more than seven distribution agencies on their waiting list.

Amazing, right?! Well, after I met with Sunny Dhillon, the volunteer coordinator, I realized that this was just the beginning for this organization.  Their current goals are to raise funds to buy an additional truck and hire another driver so that even more food can be rescued and the agencies on the waiting list can be serviced.  They also dream of having a mobile food truck that can take hot food on the road every day to where it is needed.  Like the United States and Canada, there is a surprising amount of working poor in the Bahamas; people who work full time, but after paying rent, utilities and bills end up with nothing in the fridge and struggling day to day with finding a meal for their families.

I love this group and there are great ways that you can help them help others.  Just don’t start envisioning running to their center and passing out food like a Bahamian Mother Teresa (was that just me?). What they need is practical - aluminum pans for the donated food, fuel for the trucks, salaries, and trucks. How sexy is that, you could have your very own food truck! Well you would know you helped buy it, not that your face would be painted on it or anything.  Have some other great ideas? Contact them and see how you can help end hunger in the Bahamas.

Check out Hands for Hunger and other great organizations on WorkerAnts.com http://bit.ly/1GBEU1u

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Great Commission Ministries International  

Every single local person I questioned about charities in Nassau named the Great Commission Ministries International. Not by the formal organization name, but with a conversation that inevitably went like this:

Me (a cheerful WorkerAnt): “So, do you know of any good local charities or do you have a favorite one on the island?”

Innocent Bahamian whom I have accosted on the street/ is driving my cab/ sat next to me on the bus: “Oh, well there is this minister who feeds the poor/runs a homeless shelter/ helps drug addicts.  He’s been doing it for years. I think his name is Hanchell, Walter Hanchell?”  

In fact this organization has made such an impact on Nassau over the past 20+ years that when I asked one man where the organization was located, he pretty much dropped what he was doing and took me there himself.  Two bus routes later, he walked me into the office and arranged for me to speak with the office manager.  

Their official website is still in development, but this organization takes their work seriously when it comes to helping others.  They have a food bank and two homeless shelters, a home for men and a home for women.  They provide more than 300 meals a day, including delivery to the sick and to shut-ins, from their feeding centers.  They provide job skills training, tutoring and after school programs, drug rehab services, a computer lab and much more.  When they say “We Care for the Poor”, they mean it! Volunteers and donations (including clothes for the thrift shop) are all welcomed.  Just give them a call at 242-325-5801 or 242-328-3140 to see how you can help.  

In closing, I want to give a shout out to the man who kindly took me to visit this organization. His name is Patrick and you can usually find him at Da Fish Fry restaurant.  Swing by and say Hi, since we WorkerAnts must stick together.

Find Great Commission Ministries International and other organizations on WorkerAnts at http://bit.ly/1IVzQGV

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Great Ways to Give Back in Nassau – The Bahamas Humane Society

Humane Societies around the world have a long and impressive tradition of helping less fortunate animals and The Bahamas Humane Society is a proud contributor to that history.  I had the pleasure of meeting with Percy Grant, the Shelter Manager for the Bahamas Humane Society.  He is quite the storyteller and I was in stiches over some of his anecdotes.  What he does not joke about though is the need for some serious support for his beloved Bahamas Humane Society.  As Nassau’s oldest charity, it has protected, cared for and rescued thousands of animals for over 90 years.  It is still home to over 200 cats, 30 dogs, some donkeys, roosters, ducks and pigeons (uninvited, but who know a good thing when they see it).  

The Bahamas Humane Society not only provides housing and care for abandoned and abused animals, it also organizes educational programs, spay/neuter campaigns and extends affordable vet care for local Bahamians, which is often covered by the center if the pet owners cannot pay.  Sadly, a recent outbreak of Canine Distemper reduced adoptions so there are more animals to care for and with the tough economic times there also has been a decrease in donations and funding, including a drastic reduction in the income from their primary donor trust fund caused by reduced investment returns. All this adds up to a severe shortage of funds (approximately $50,000) and the possibility of the Humane Society having to make stringent cuts in necessary services.

The great thing about the Bahamas Humane Society is that there are many ways that you can help out. Short-term visitors and cruise ship passengers can swing by to volunteer for an hour or so, take a tour or just stop by and check out their thrift shop.  Longer term residents can always volunteer their time and support, and no matter where you live if you are passionate about helping animals, you can always start a fundraiser for them to help them through these difficult times so that the Bahamas Humane Society can carry on its worthwhile work of helping the islands animals.

Find them on WorkerAnts today and search for other great organizations at http://bit.ly/1cThDvN

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Great Ways to Give Back in Nassau – The Brighter Bahamas Foundation

If you think the best gift you ever received was someone teaching you how to read, then you will love this Bahamian organization.  The Brighter Bahamas Foundation is a relatively new charity founded by a husband and wife with a shared passion for reading.  

Jehan Unwala and his wife Kristen are all about creating a culture of literacy and sharing the joys of reading with the newest generation of Bahamians.  Upon the birth of their first child, the Unwala’s doctor educated them about the importance of reading to an infant and they have since made this message a pivotal part of their programs.  They make it a point to visit new mothers to pass along the message and give them a free book.  They also provide free books to pediatricians and are working on an intra-Bahamas network of small-scale, free libraries, a used book distribution project and creating more storytelling circles on the island.    

Check out how you can support this organization through books, time or money (whichever you have) by visiting their site or just call them up if you are local.  

For the cruise ship crowd, an easy way to support this great organization is to use some of that space you saved in your luggage when you bought that E-Reader and bring some good quality used children’s books with you.  Just contact the Brighter Bahamas Foundation in advance to coordinate where to drop them off.

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This week WorkerAnts.com celebrates International Migratory Bird Day and World Migratory Bird Day. Why does this matter you might ask? Because there are hundreds of species of birds and other wildlife currently disappearing from our world. We encourage you to go on our site and find organizations that help endangered species, protect habitats, cultivate smart ecological practices and support sustainable development. There are many ways we can help ensure that our birds are here to stay. Find them at http://WorkerAnts.com.

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IMAGINE A WORLD WITH NO CANCER May is National Cancer Research month. Funding for cancer research has helped us take big steps forward in treatment and diagnosis but we still need a cure. If you or a loved one has struggled with cancer, you know how devastating the battle can be and how critical research is for treatment. This month lend your voice to support organizations doing cancer research. Find groups that support cancer research on www.WorkerAnts.com. Just searchfor the keyword “cancer”.

• You can share your story with others by writing a review for organizations you know. • You can learn about new cancer research organizations to support. • You can raise awareness for other non-profit cancer research organizations by adding them to the WorkerAnts.com database. Simply click on the Suggest An Organization button at the bottom of each page

Whatever type of cancer you are most passionate about fighting, your voice matters - make sure it is heard.

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Help us end cancer by supporting Cancer Research! You can find great organizations that do amazing work on WorkerAnts.com by doing a keyword search for "cancer". http://bit.ly/1JMfgZT

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Did you know that if you search for "Cancer Research" on WorkerAnts you find 33 amazing organizations? These are charities, research hospitals and other groups from around the world that are committed to finding a cure. Connect here to find them and support their amazing work.http://bit.ly/1P68PEA

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Today we remember those that have been wounded or killed by chemical attacks. Join us in calling for an end to all forms of Chemical Warfare.

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Most of you will now have heard of the devastating magnitude 7.9 Earthquake that rocked Kathmandu, Nepal and the surrounding areas of India, Mount Everest, and Bangladesh. At the time I am writing this they already have well over a 5000 listed as dead with hundreds if not thousands more missing in the rubble and the death toll is expected to keep rising. We have checked and many of the local Nepalese charity websites are offline but there are still ways you can help. Groups locally and around the world are rushing to coordinate relief efforts and you can assist by donating to their work. Just a few of them that already have relief effort campaigns posted on their sites are listed below. It is early days yet though so many more will join this list. You can search for others at http://workerants.com/search.

--- Care http://workerants.com/organization/care

International Medical Corps UKhttp://workerants.com/organi…/international-medical-corps-uk

International Medical Corps USAhttp://workerants.com/organ…/international-medical-corps-usa

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) http://workerants.com/…/the-international-federation-of-red…

Bangladesh Red Crescent Societyhttp://workerants.com/organ…/bangladesh-red-crescent-society

Islamic Relief Worldwide http://workerants.com/organization/islamic-relief-worldwide

Save the Children http://workerants.com/organization/save-the-children

UNICEF UK http://workerants.com/organization/unicef-uk

UNICEF USA http://workerants.com/organization/unicef-usa --- We strongly encourage you to post on our site anything you know about the above organizations or other groups you are supporting. Log into theWorkerAnts.com website, go to the home page for the organization you want to talk about, click on write a review, and then chose “I support this organization”. Then you can leave open comments to us all about your experience donating, what you have learned that group is doing in the country, how we can all help, etc…. Let’s use our Social Network to share with each other the latest insights into what is happening. Sharing knowledge can help!

As mentioned before many of the Nepalese websites are either down or they have not posted what they are doing yet for relief efforts. This is to be expected as everyone is actively working to dig people out of the rubble, find loved ones, shelter and food. As we know more about what is happening with these organizations we will keep you informed.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those local to the disaster and their friends and family around the world. Please join us in helping in any way you can.

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