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MEMORANDUM ************************************************************************** From: Stephen M. Apatow President, Humanitarian Resource Institute To: U.S. Interfaith Community Date: 8/19/96 Subj: Seventh-day Adventists Appeal to Interfaith Community Across the United States for Help with U.S. Based Humanitarian Initiative Seventh-day Adventist young adults are breaking away from organizational politics and agendas in an effort to embrace people in need, but not receiving help in every county demographic area in the United States. Unmet needs to untapped resources is our bottom line objective. Humanitarian Resource Institute was formed in 1994, by Seventh-day Adventist young Adults interested in U.S. based humanitarian relief efforts. At this time, Humanitarian Resource Institute is striving to locate individuals in every United States County to help with an initiative called Focus On America.. These individuals would serve as community leaders and mediate the construction of a grass roots communication network that would reach every church congregation, youth leadership program, senior volunteer program, public and private schools and media. The network would be used to communicate information defining the most serious unmet needs of frontline service programs and how citizens can best contribute professional time, talent, manpower and inkind donations in their own communities. This grass roots communications network would also be made available to each city/county emergency management coordinator, for appeals of resource and volunteer support during a state of emergency or disaster. To obtain more information regarding: 1. Guidelines for Focus on America Unmet Needs Coordinators. 2. Free print materials, audiovisual loan programs and access to information specialists at the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. 3. Access to a cyber copy of the resource booklet named "How To Help Hunger and Homelessness In America. We invite all concerned citizens across America to visit our new Focus On America World Wide Web site at: http://www.zachnet.com/~avenger/focus.html Note: For your convenience we have provided the following copy of the Focus On America Guidelines for City/County Coordinators ************************************************************************** FOCUS ON AMERICA: GUIDELINES FOR CITY/COUNTY COORDINATORS Thank you for your interest in the Focus On America Campaign. Your commitment to this work will directly help bridge unmet needs to untapped resources in your city/county area. The purpose for enlisting an unmet needs coordinator is not to replicate already existent programs, but to provide a comprehensive overview of service opportunities for individuals who would like to contribute professional time, talents, manpower and inkind donations to areas of greatest need. The following guidelines describe how to coordinate this program in your area: 1. Contact the key human services organizations and share with them that you are now serving as the city/county coordinator for the Focus on America Campaign. Explain that you will be working to study the most significant unmet needs of the front line service programs in your city/county region and developing a communications network for appeals of professional talents, manpower and in kind donations from members of local churches, youth leadership programs, senior volunteer programs, public school districts, and local media networks. Resources for unmet needs data collection will include: A. Local United Way Programs: United Way is usually a major funding source for programs in your community. Contact the executive director and volunteer coordinator. They will be able to share with you what work is already being done and so you can avoid duplicating efforts. B. Local Community Services Association: This contact will network you with all the organizations that are working in your area. Share with them your goals and request their help with gathering information regarding the key issues and unmet needs facing the frontline service programs. C. County directors for the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. D. Food Banks: Second Harvest and Foodchain: Association of Prepared and Perishable Food Rescue Program. E. County Human Services Departments. F. House to House Unmet Needs Assessment & data collection. Note: After initial contacts are made, you will be able to construct a fax network to each of the key front line service programs in your area. 3. The Resources Network: Your network for appeals will target a variety of different individuals and groups in your city & county region. Your list of contacts would include but not be limited to: A. Local churches: Work with the ministerial associations when possible. If there is not an active ministerial association in your city, develop a communication network that includes each church. The City/County Appeal is to be communicated to each pastor and congregation. Obtain contacts and fax numbers for all of the larger churches and ministerial associations and a mailing list for churches without a fax machine. B. Youth Leadership Programs: These wonderful programs are usually waiting for input on how they can play an effective role in helping meet needs in their community. Contact the directors of the local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, YMCA, YWCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, 4-H, etc. Obtain fax numbers and contacts for your network. C. Retired & Senior Volunteer Program: Here is a vast resource of individuals who could play a significant role in volunteering time to meet the needs in their community. Obtain fax numbers and names of the program directors for your network. D. Public School District: Contact the superintendent of each school district and share the scope of this program. Request his help in finding the most effective pathway to communicate the unmet needs appeals to the leaders who are coordinating group and individual community service projects. Obtain fax numbers and names of the program directors for your network. E. Local Media Networks: Contacts will include each newspaper, radio and television network in the county region. Obtain the fax numbers for each media contact for your network. F. Zip Code Mailings: Obtain a list of addresses from your city/county administrative offices for direct mailing of the unmet needs appeals into targeted zip code areas. 4. Constructing a City/County Appeal: The Focus On America Appeal includes both a contact and outline of the unmet needs of each frontline service program in your county area. This information is communicated, via an appeal, to each contact on your resources network. Note: One suggestion to offer each contact on your network, is to select an unmet need, develop a strategy to address that need and present a proposal of how an individual or group would like to help. If a group comes in with a plan, it will be much easier for a front line service program to help you achieve your goals. Especially if they don't have a volunteer coordinator. Plan on continuing an overall appeal process approximately 4 times per year. The fax network for both the front line service programs and resources network, will make this task simple and very effective. Humanitarian Resource Institute was formed to work one on one with you as you develop the Focus On America Initiative in your area. If you have any questions please call or write us at: Humanitarian Resource Institute: P.O. Box 21372 Carson City, NV 89721 (702) 884-4680 Email: [log in to unmask]