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Sunday, February 28, 2010

TODAY, Me, HomeLessCrisis is a "Friend In Need"

Today, 2/28/2010 is NOT a good day. Today, My 55 year old Sister lays in a hospital in Minnesota on a ventilator and a bypass machine to keep her heart beating. This morning sometime, they will be removing those machines to see if they can get her heart to beat on its own. Yes, she has had heart trouble for a long time, but this recent episode was sudden and unexpected to all of us.

So, i wait for the call. Will she come out of it? Or will it be the call nobody likes to get?

Yes, it will be whatever God's will is. I realize this.

However, Today as i write this is am angry at a number of things. Mostly my inability, due to lack of money to go be at her side to let her know I am there.

I have done this work of helping others for the last 24 years and never taken or requested any wages for doing so. To this day we try to raise money to help others. Thursday we paid $635 worth of donated money to help someone pay their past due rent bill in order to help them move towards getting better assistance for their current housing and we will be paying more soon. Nothing ever goes to us as a "wage" to cover what we need. We have needs also. We are people too. The money currently in our Straight Ahead Outreach (Taking Back Your Life) Inc. bank account is funds donated for "specific" reasons and it is money we cannot touch for ourselves, ethically or morally as we have given our word as to what those funds will be used for. Not for our personal needs.

For 22 of the last 24 years of doing this work we have funded everything we do out of our own pockets. For the last two years 90% of what we do has been funded by donors, two in particular. Today, personally i do not have a dime in the bank any longer as i have not had a regular job now in over one year. But yet, again, i continue to help others. Yes, it is my calling.

However, i am still a person. One with feelings. Should i have saved better in my life for myself instead of giving everything i had to others? Maybe. But then i would have not made the differences i have made in others.

So, i sit here Today beating myself up, ok, i guess feeling sorry for myself maybe and very very mad at myself for not having the money in the bank (that is mine that is) to jump on a plane , rent a car and stay in a motel to go be by my sisters side.

Is it my fault? Yes. Of course it is. BUT, again, i am human. It makes me frustrated and hurts to the very core of my soul.

Will i get through it? Yes. Unscathed? No.

So, TODAY, Me, HomeLessCrisis is a "Friend In Need."


So, here is what i am going to do. If you want to help, you may click on the Donate button here on the Blog page. Please leave a note when you submit your donation and say "For STA Wages" and we will send you a receipt showing that. If for some reason PayPal does not give you the window to leave a note, then please email me and let me know at: straightaheadlwg@gmail.com
If, she does not pull through before i am able to get there, then we will return your donated funds to you unless you specifically tell us to keep them.

Thank you for taking the time to come here today.

Take care of yourselves,

HomeLessCrisis/Lance Greene
Website: www.homelesscrisis.wordpress.com
Cell: 865-964-1461

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

DID YOU KNOW??

Did you know that our homeless assistance program is supported entirely by charitable donations?
Straight Ahead Outreach does not receive any funding from government, or other charities.

We are solely dependent on the donations our caring supporters provide.

So, please give generously towards the efforts of Straight Ahead Outreach (Taking Back Your Life) Inc., in our efforts to assist, educate and turn around the lives of our "Friends In Need" and the homeless of Knoxville, TN.

***2/23/2010- Also DID YOU KNOW? Currently, and for the last 24 years of helping homeless and people with suicidal tendancies, none of us at Straight Ahead Outreach (Taking Back Your Life) Inc. has never and does not currently take wages from any donations or funds received. ZERO wages. One day we hope to, but at this current time we do not.


Our March 2010 application for our 501c3 nonprofit determination states the following in regards to Current and Future wages:
CURRENT
1) Lance Greene – Founder/CEO/Sr. Case Mgr. – One Market Sq. Knoxville, TN. 37902
Wages: (Past/Present/Planned) = Zero Wages
**Please see separate attached packet of “Speculative/Proposed” wages we will seek once grants/donations are secured to allow.

2) Patricia Mishler – Vice President/Secretary/Treasurer - One Market Sq. Knoxville, TN. 37902
Wages: (Past/Present/Planned) = Zero Wages
**Please see separate attached packet of “Speculative/Proposed” wages we will seek once grants/donations are secured to allow.

3) Mr. Hossein Ghodrat – Advisory Group Member (Culinary Advisor) – Uncompensated Volunteer - One Market Sq. Knoxville, TN. 37902
Wages: (Past/Present/Planned) Wages = Zero Wages

4) Ms. Mary Hawk - Advisory Group Member (Resources/Social Services Advisor/Volunteer Case Manager) – Uncompensated Volunteer - One Market Sq. Knoxville, TN. 37902
Wages: (Past/Present/Planned) Wages – Zero Wages
**Please see separate attached packet of “Speculative/Proposed” wages we will seek once grants/donations are secured to allow.

"Proposed" or "Future" Compensation: Please keep in mind, we are a 24/7 operation, and only 3 of the 4 people listed below do all the work involved in this 24/7 operation, so you will see the "Proposed" or desired future wages are extremely reasonable. If you should have any questions, please feel free to call me. Lance Greene - Cell: 865-964-1461
Officers & Directors
1) Lance Greene – Founder/CEO/Sr. Case Manager
Past- 1985 - Present – Zero Wages
Proposed Wages - $39,400.00/yr includes (Health Ins, deferred retirement, Use of vehicle,). Wages will only be paid once we are able to raise tax deductible donations enabling us to provide first for those we assist. All wages including mine will be kept at a reasonable level and with a cap. Mine for example is not to exceed $60,000.00 and will only reach that level once if ever we reach a $5 million budget. Forms will be signed by myself and all other future compensated employees of STA stating their wages and wage caps. Wages for this position are to never exceed $85,000.00/year at any point in time no matter the budget level and may reach this level of $85,000.00/yr only once the $5 million budget is attained and the performance and or combined needs warrant the raise. This, is for all services provided to STA in this position.

2) Patricia Mishler – Vice President/Assistant Director:
Past –Present – Zero wages
Proposed Wages- $39,400.00/yr - includes (Health Ins, deferred retirement, Use of vehicle,). Wages will only be paid once we are able to raise tax deductible donations enabling us to provide first for those we assist. All wages including Patricia Mishlers will be kept at a reasonable level and with a cap. For example V.P Patricia Mishler is not to exceed $60,000.00 and will only reach that level once, if ever we reach a $5 million budget. Forms will be signed by myself and all other paid employees of STA stating their wages and wage caps. Wages for this position are to never exceed $85,000.00/year at any point in time no matter the budget level and may reach this level of $85,000.00 only once the $5 million budget is attained and the performance and or combined needs warrant the raise. This, is for all services provided to STA in this position.

3) Mr. Hossein Ghodrat – Advisory Group Member (Culinary Advisor):
Joined STA 1/15/2010 – Zero Wages - Uncompensated
(Past=Zero Wages/Present=Zero Wages/Planned= Zero Wages)

4) Ms. Mary Hawk – Planned Advisory Group Member (Resources/Social Services Advisor/Volunteer Case Manager)
Joined STA 1/15/2010 - Wages – Uncompensated – (Past/Present) – See below for Proposed wages as we will hire Ms. Mary Hawk as an STA employee as growth permits.
Proposed Wages - Full-time Case Manager I & Advisory Group Member – ie: Ms. Mary Hawk.
This will be a newly added position once funds warrant as we need this position filled as soon as is possible.
$39,400.00/yr (Includes Health ins., deferred retirement, use of company vehicle on as needed basis)
Wage cap for this position will be $45,000.00/yr.
This is for all services provided to STA in this position.

Proposed Part-time Case Manager II - Proposed Wages:
This will be a newly added position once funds & growth warrant.
$28,500.00/yr – (includes Health Ins.) – No retirement contribution planned at this time, but may change and no use of company vehicle planned at this time but, also may change.
Wage Cap is the $28,500/yr- Cap may include Health insurance to be determined. This is for all services provided to STA in this position.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Will YOU Give even $1.00 to Help DONNA??




***URGENT*** We are in desperate need to help Donna raise a minimum of $1070.06 to pay a past rent bill in order for Donna to keep her current housing in Oak Ridge, TN., and to prevent her from becoming homeless again. Your donated monies may go directly to the source which is KCDC of Knoxville. They will even take your payment right over the phone. We want to raise more then the $1070.06 for Donna so we may increase her quality of life. Please call me for details on how to help Donna and KCDC payment info. Your Donations are Tax Deductible.
Call me anytime, 24/7 on my cell: 865-964-1461
If we are able to pay off DONNA's past debt of $1070.06 then OAK RIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITY will be able to assist Donna properly, but cannot until KCDC is paid off

100% of every dollar YOU give this week will go directly to and 100% to DONNA's back rent at KCDC (Knoxville Community Development Corporation) Knoxville's Housing Authority. KCDC's contact information is 865-403-1201 (Linda T.). Your donations may also go directly to them in DONNA's name. Please call me for details.

You may read more about DONNA at our website: http://www.homelesscrisis.wordpress.com/

Thank you, Lance Greene/Founder - Straight Ahead Outreach (Taking Back Your Life) Inc.
CELL: 865-964-1461

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

What Will "Just" $1.00 Do???

What will "Just" $1.00 do ??? For example it will provide 5 bottles of water to our "Friends In Need."
YOUR $1.00 combined with everyone elses will help our "Friends In Need" along the path to what we call "Taking Back Your Life."
Any amount will help. You may give less and you may give more then $1.00, that is up to you. Anything you give will go towards providing a positive future and making a difference in the life of one of our "Friends in Need." It will go towards enabling them to "Take Back Their Life." Will you help us?

We Thank You in advance :-))!

Lance Greene / Founder
Straight Ahead Outreach (Taking Back Your Life) Inc.
Website: http://www.homelesscrisis.wordpress.com/
Cell: 865-964-1461
If you have any questions, please feel free to call me anytime, 24 Hours per Day / 7 Days a week.
**All funds raised will go to our "Friends In Need" and to reasonable operating expenses.