We are 7 women trying to get a not for profit off the ground and need advice on where to find funding. We are attempting to keep computers out of the landfills by collecting discarded ones, refurbishing and giving them to those who need but can’t afford new ones. We also have a training component which has gotten us small change in grants, but we need real $$$ to pay the rent on our space that has been given to us free until June. All suggestions appreciated. Mona J

For the past several years I have been sending $10 a month to www.thetendollarclub.org. This is an idea started by a wonderful man who is a friend of my daughter’s, Adam Roberts. Each month a different needy cause is picked and money from the members sent. I have never felt so fullfilled that my small effort can impact so many in this world. I have been so impressed that, for the past few years, we have given a year’s donation as gifts to each of our children.

I have sent several emails to: talk-to-us…at wowowow. Does anyone reply or acknowledge the submissions sent to this site? I’m looking at all the presentations and am wondering if this forum will be shared with those who send in more than just their comments. Will you ever share the fotos, art, verse or other creative offerings of the women who respond to your new site? I’m a 74 year old women who wants to share whatever is encouraging, with the “children of mothers” who are interested in this new website. Will there be a mailing address or physical address associated with this venture? Or will all coorespondence and communication be done over the internet and web sites? Is this an international effort and what other countries are included in the interchange of thoughts and ideas? Thanks for replying to these questions at: gmomowow2@aol.com…….Gramma Pat

When I can’t breathe, the suffering is agonizing, and terrifying. Contact me, and I’ll tell you how to experience what it is like—family members cannot imagine such rapid turn-around in their loved one’s health, and no drugs help us, at all—asthma medications treat the lungs. Never in my life have I experienced such agony as the weeks when I was not able to breathe—I’ve had cancer twice, but the pain from the inability to breathe is the worse one can imagine. The breathing condition I have is related to my first determination to be a survivor—I had Polio as a child. My diaphragm is tired trying to function with less than ½ it’s motor neurons—and my remaining motor neurons try hard to keep me moving—and all I need is air, rest to protect those neurons I have left—but no stress chemicals that block the motor neurons from protein nourishment—you see, I know what I need to live on Mother Earth. I am college-educated, had 5 children, and cared for others professionally, or raised the money for them, most of my life. Few physicians know about neuro-muscular breathing disorders, and the importance of avoiding oxygen supplementation unless we’re at 94 or less, or the critical need for air by volume with back-up settings to breathe for us when our brain doesn’t respond in time due to earlier damage from either illness, trauma, or too much oxygen supplementation. Sleep Studies cannot diagnose neuromuscular breathing problems—but a respiratory therapist can, within 10 inexpensive minutes, in our home when we lie down—but my physician, and I had no idea this was the cause of my nightmarish symptoms for over 4 years—most doctors do not listen to the world expert in Polio-related breathing disorders, or MD’s kids. Yesterday, as they did 2 weeks ago, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services again announced more cuts in critical services to (then children, elders, the disabled), and yesterday “an average 26% cut in Medicare reimbursement for 10 classes of durable medical equipment, which also includes prosthetics, orthotics and other supplies…” not limited to apnea sleep disorder products, oxygen, ventilators, Diabetic test strips and much, much more. The actions by CMS flies in the face of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1999 Decision, The Olmstead Act. Equally serious is CMS’s lack of professional recognition for the registered, licensed respiratory therapists – when breathing disorders are now the 4th leading cause of death in the world, and will become 2nd very soon in the US, unless we get ahead of this oncoming train, or many of us die from lack of adequate, simple care. Why is CMS (Medicare), and the insurance companies, trying to kill us? We are now a throw-away society. “health care reimbursement structures in this country have created a paradoxical situation, dictating its own guidelines, often inconsistent with the principles of health management. As a result, most health care settings operate like factories. Acute care get gets reimbursement, while chronic care is often ignored or minimized (Dr. Reji Mathews, NYU http://www.post-polio.org/edu/pphnews/PPH23-4p8-10.pdf ).” The day I was able to sleep 3-1/2 hours without gasping, in a local hospital, I was discharged, only to go home and fall into respiratory distress, again. I begged and pleaded for help, without any response—unless I went to an ER, and I knew oxygen would kill me. I fled out of my region for care—with national expert physicians, polio survivors, and RRTs helping me from miles away. What is so difficult to understand? Diabetics need insulin, and they get it; if I have insulin, it’ll kill me. Some people have seizures, and need anti-seizure drugs, those drugs might kill me. Others need a hip transplant and get one, those of us who need a brace may get leg muscle atrophy OR fall down and break a hip; for some of us, oxygen may destroy our lives, for others with COPD, etc., it’s critically important, and helping us cough. Please! All I need is air by volume, and my registered respiratory therapists (RRT) to over-see my condition at home (far less expensive). RRTs know more than 99% of the MDs/DOs sought refuge from in 2005-7, and they act in compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1999 ADA decision, The Olmstead Act, to keep us out of institutional care – because many die within 2 years of entering “nursing homes,” and other institutional care, or suffer neglect, and abuse—its documented—thus the Supreme Court acted—and Texas leads the nation in compliance, but …? “Us” is those who are blind, deaf, or have ALS, MS, MG, CFS, MD, epilepsy, TBI, and other conditions, that with appropriate care we are viable (able to live). You see us around your neighborhoods, in the stores, libraries, mall, churches (where are the churches, now?), buses, planes, and trains, at the beach, the doctors offices, we are everywhere—with or without leg braces, wheelchairs, walkers, ventilators, and/or oxygen. We may be your elders—God have mercy on CMS. This triple standard must be stopped by Congress or the voters must be highly present and act, now. We only need air or oxygen…or a leg brace to protect us from falling—we must be treated equally! We are society’s firebreak! CMS’s actions are criminally irresponsible. They are killing us—and it’s now proven to be deliberate. The voters must act, now! Basta!

I was wondering if anyone else read the articles , about two weeks ago, that stated 1 in 4 girls have had or do have STD. There was an editorial in the New York Times and it only mentioned girls. The original articles just talked about girls as well. No where did it mention how the girls acquired the STD. Are we so complacent that only girls are mentioned. They didn’t obtain it by themselves. When are boys/men going to be held accountable and their fathers. Was anyone else outraged by this? Thanks.

Talking about college, I think that whoever offers scholarships should offer more to non-traditional students. While looking for scholarships for me I only found a couple that were for my age group, most were for kids that have just graduated high school. I am 45 and decided to go back to school, I have one son almost ready to grad fom NIU and the other is just started college this past Jan. I do get some help from my pell but it does’t cover everything so I have to try for scholarships.

Suzanne, women’s universities are highly responsive to women with multiple responsibilities. A colleauge and I brought the Displaced Homemaker program into national acceptance, with President Carter who created a specific place for it in his tenure—Charlotte went to DC to move it throughout the nation (my children were too young for me to relocate at the time). As a result, PELL and other grant programs recognize the importance and offer “handicap” for women returning to education. In fact, meet with the Financial Aid director, in person, and file an amended Pell application, ASAP. Your institution will grant you the funds based on the incoming Pell results, in advance - don’t worry about it - let Financial Aid handle it. Scholarships are pathetically inadequate, including AAUW’s. I’ve been with AAUW, and the Foundation in the past, and there simply are not enough women giving appreciable amounts of $ to same - they and the other “great philanthropists” send their $$ out of the country - as you can see! DON’T STOP - keep going to school, if you’re on a career track that’ll benefit you. If not, consider another option. Medical training, for example in respiratory therapy, will set people up for a lifetime career demand - and the BS can be attained afterward, with tuition-paid. ;-))