PLEASE HELP & SHARE!!!

We are trying to get Christmas cards for Lucas and Juno!

You remember Lucas & his faithful service dog, Juno? Lucas is the 4 year old little boy with the terminal illness MPS. There is no known treatment...there is no cure...and Lucas's life expectancy is only 10 -15 years (go to his FB page Lucas Hembree to see more).

His service dog, Juno, is always by his side. Juno was trained by Lucas's father, after he rescued her from a shelter, where she literally was to be put down in a matter of another few hours. Together, they have formed an inseperable bond.

Life is not the easy, carefree thing it is for most children. The family has gone thru many ups and downs, in fact as Chester Hembree wrote in a note to me, "It seems like for every ounce of good news we get it's followed by a pound of bad news...lol. We've just learned to take what ever happens and make the best of it."

We at the GSDC would like to bring a bit of cheer to this family.

Instead of finding bills in their mailbox, we'd like to fill it with CHRISTMAS CARDS! Holiday greeting and well wishes from around the globe! .... and we need YOUR help!

PLEASE...could you send the family a Christmas card? Let them know, that they are NOT alone in this. Tell them that there are people who truly CARE, this Christmas season. A card and a postage stamp, could make such a difference. So please, when you are sending your cards out, could you address an extra one to a little boy, & his Dog?

It would mean so very, very much.

Cards can be sent to:
Lucas Hembree & Juno
204 McKinley St.
Alcoa, TN 37701

THANK YOU!!!!
By: The German Shepherd Dog Community

Agent Orange Legacy: SUPPORT S.1798

Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 2011...

Agent Orange Legacy: SUPPORT S.1798 Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 2011...: Take Action NOW!!! PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT OPEN BURN BITS CREATE DIOXIN FOR OUR MILITARY. EXPOSURE IS SAID TO BE "THE NEW AGENT ORANGE...




Please take a minute and vote yes on S.1798!

We helped millions with diabetes in 2011.

A thank you from the American Diabetes Association...

Dear Angie,

What does fighting to Stop Diabetes look like?

It looks like 200 dedicated Diabetes Advocates storming Capitol Hill to meet with Members of Congress...Tens of thousands defending health insurance benefits for people with diabetes, stopping schools from discriminating against kids with diabetes, and more.

These are just some of the amazing things we were able to accomplish in 2011 – and all because of people like YOU who take the time to weigh in on crucial issues, talk to your elected officials, stay informed, and spread the word about critical issues affecting people with diabetes.

There's one more important thing you can do in 2011 to help fight diabetes in 2012: "Like" American Diabetes Association on Facebook to be the first to learn breaking news and get great tips and resources on how to advance the health and protect the rights of those living with diabetes. It's easy, and it helps!

With your help this year, we have:

• Held trainings, planning sessions, and over 250 meetings with Members of Congress at the Association's biannual Call to Congress;
• Participated in six Congressional briefings on issues ranging from diabetes research to launching our gestational diabetes bill;
• Protected the Affordable Care Act's key provisions for people with diabetes and supported funding for programs that provide free gestational diabetes screenings for pregnant women;
• Helped pass new provisions aimed at stopping discrimination against people with diabetes;
• Campaigned against school segregation for children with diabetes, including on a media tour that reached 2,000 radio stations and network affiliates and 5 million listeners;
• Worked directly with states to fight against reductions in insurance benefits that would impact those with diabetes; and
• Secured Congressional support for federally-funded diabetes research and prevention programs.

Check out our complete list of advocacy accomplishments in 2011 – again, none of this would have been possible without you!

Please take a moment to join us on Facebook. Together, we can build on our achievements in 2011 to make 2012 an even better year for the millions of children and adults with diabetes who are counting on us to protect their interests and continue to fight this deadly disease.

As I end my reign as the Chair of the Board, I want to thank you again for all your support and wish you and yours a very happy and healthy new year, which means we will be one step closer to realizing our efforts to Stop Diabetes!

Sincerely,

John Griffin, Jr. Chair of the Board American Diabetes Association

Thank you from Feeding America!

This was thoughtful of Feeding America to send me this letter....

Dear Angie,

On behalf of the nearly 49 million Americans struggling with hunger, Feeding America thanks you for your tireless advocacy efforts this past year. 

In 2011, several harmful proposals emerged in Congress that would have cut funding for programs that put food on the table for hungry Americans. 

Each of these proposals was defeated because advocates like you stepped up to urge Congress not to balance the budget on the backs of hungry Americans. 

Congress listened. Your voice was heard. 

Together, we sent more than 19,700 emails and made over 4,000 phone calls at just the right times to make our elected officials understand the importance of protecting programs that feed hungry Americans. In fact, thanks to you, we even saw a slight increase in funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which will help put food onto our food banks’ depleted shelves. 

Now as we look forward to the battles ahead, we take strength in knowing that our united voices can make a difference. 

Again, thank you for everything you have done to support Feeding America. We urge you to stay vigilant as we face new and continued challenges and opportunities in 2012 and beyond. 
Working together, we are Feeding America. 

Happy holidays and best wishes,

Vicki Escarra
President and CEO, Feeding America