Weather Reflections & How to Help Others

As January ends I've been reflecting on what a tough month it has been for many people. The weather has been CRAZY with Alaska being too warm and snow in the southern states. Snow and  extreme cold here in Indiana have caused school to be delayed or cancelled giving parents and kids a case of cabin fever. The impact of this weather has been huge in all areas of life. The school delays and closings have parents scrambling for childcare, businesses have closed due to cold or road conditions meaning lost profits and lost wages for employees, and people are getting sticker shock when they receive their heating bills. There have been power outages, traffic troubles, and cancelled flights. I'm not sure you could find someone who hasn't been impacted by the weather conditions in some way this month.
I've thought about how lucky we have been to be able to just stay home together as a family. We haven't lost power so the heat has stayed on. Our fridge and pantry are regularly well stocked with food so we only needed to pick up a few essentials. My daughter's preschool only closed for two days so we still had a reason to get out of the house. We are blessed in so many ways.

There are others who are not as fortunate. Monkey Do Project is a non-profit organization that works helping in the poorest areas of Appalachia. This is the most impoverished region in the country. One of their projects is purchasing food for a food bank in West Virginia. This food bank was literally empty when the founder of Monkey Do Project visited but through donations the shelves have been filled each month. Now though the weather is causing the need for food supplies to be even greater. Many of these families rely on the food programs at the schools for their children and since the schools have been closed so many days this month these kids have nothing to eat.
This is only ONE of the ways Monkey Do Project helps people.
Monkey Do Project can't continue to provide food, clothing, blankets, and other aid without help. Right now there are two easy ways that you can help:

1. Make a donation to Monkey Do Project. It doesn't have to be large - even $5 will help!
2. Vote for Monkey Do Project to win a small business grant from FedEx. There is no registration required, it only takes a click, and you can vote every day through February 23, 2014. Vote Here