Search results for: Fellowship of Freethought Dallas

By Brittany Shoots-Reinhard

Our Heart of Humanism Award winner for Best Photo and Best Article were both submitted by Missi Adzima from Valley Skeptics in the Park. Her team has decided to award the two $50 grants they won to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in memory of Missi’s grandmother. From her walk page: “Last year I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer’s. She was a special lady and it was awful to watch her go from someone so full of life to someone that didn’t even know who I was. I’m walking and raising money in her memory in hopes that there will be a day that nobody has to go through that.” Valley Skeptics’ grants will be donated to Missi’s walk page. With the FBB grant, she is only $100 away from her goal.

Rookie of the Year team Humanists of Rhode Island is using their $50 grant to help the more than 6 million refugees displaced by civil war in Syria. Not only that, but they’re working to raise additional funds for International Rescue Committee via Foundation Beyond Belief’s Humanist Crisis Response.

Most Valuable Volunteer Josh Nankivel is directing his $100 grant to the National Center for Science Education. NCSE was a Foundation Beyond Belief Humanist Giving Education beneficiary in 2010 and 2011. Josh explains “I’ve been a member of the NCSE and decided to give this grant to them because they do great work defending the integrity of science education. I believe the public understanding of science is the primary way to ensure human flourishing and the long term well-being of our planet. The children are our future, and they NEED a solid foundation in science education to be productive citizens and voters.”

Triangle Freethought Society, winner of the Humanism at Work Award for Most Volunteer Hours, is using their $250 grant for their extraordinarily active community service programs. Fellowship of Freethought Dallas won two awards: Feed the Need Award for Outstanding Food-Related Volunteering and the Eat. Sleep. Volunteer. Repeat. Award for Most Volunteer Events. They are using their $150 for their community outreach programs, which will no doubt include something food-related.

We are overwhelmed with the generosity shown by our Heart of Humanism Award winners.

Foundation Beyond Belief is thrilled to announce the winners of our first-annual Heart of Humanism Awards. This year’s awards recognize the outstanding community service of local groups who participated in our Volunteers Beyond Belief (VBB) program in 2012, as well as individuals who made extraordinary contributions to compassionate humanism. Earlier this year, VBB became part of Beyond Belief Network, along with our Foundation Partners Program and Light The Night international team. In addition to recognition, winners receive grants they can direct to any 501(c)(3) organization they choose.

Volunteers Beyond Belief launched in 2011 with seven teams: Triangle Freethought Society, Fellowship of Freethought, Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, Harvard Humanists, Valley Skeptics in the Park, Humanity on Call, and Humanist Community of Central Ohio. As of this year, BBN has grown to more than 70 teams across the United States, with more than 4,000 volunteers and nearly 27,000 hours of community service to date. We are amazed by all the exciting service opportunities the BBN teams have planned so far in 2013, and we can’t wait to see who the 2013 award winners are!

2012 team winners are:

1.    Humanism at Work Award for Most Volunteer Hours (total hours volunteered divided by the number of people in group) and $250 grant: Triangle Freethought Society
2.    Eat. Sleep. Volunteer. Repeat. Award for Most Volunteer Events and $100 grant: Fellowship of Freethought Dallas
3.    Rookie of the Year for Best Team Added in 2012 and $50 grant: Humanists of Rhode Island
4.    Campus All-Star Award for Outstanding Student Team and $100 grant: SSA U Michigan
5.    Humanist Communication Award for Best Event Reporting and $50 grant: Minnesota Atheists
6.    Feed the Need for Outstanding Food-Related Volunteering and $50 grant: Fellowship of Freethought Dallas
7.    Best Service Article or Video and $50 grant: Valley Skeptics in the Park
8.    Best Photograph of Humanism at Work and $50 grant: Valley Skeptics in the Park

Light the Night Team Awards:

1.    Shining Star Award for Outstanding Light The Night Team: Triangle Freethought Society

Special thanks to all of the 2012 VBB LTN teams: Harvard Humanists, HCCO, FoF Dallas, Valley Skeptics, Triangle Freethought Society, Cleveland Freethinkers, SSA U of Chicago, Minnesota Atheists, SSA U Michigan, Humanists of Rhode Island, New Orleans Secular Humanist Association, CSRA Non-Theists

2.    Additional awards were provided by Stiefel Freethought Foundation. VBB team Harvard Humanists won the first place student team and home office award and received $2,000 in grants.

Individual Award winners:

Our 2012 Most Valuable Volunteer and recipient of a $100 grant is Josh Nankivel of Siouxland Freethinkers. Josh has donated blood, school supplies, and toys, and helped with highway cleanup and kids’ science events. He raised $12,000 for Autism Speaks and was the top individual fundraiser in South Dakota in 2012!

The Humanist Visionary Award goes to Greg Epstein for his groundbreaking contributions to the development of humanist community nationwide through his writing, speaking, and work with the Humanist Community Project at Harvard University.

The Humanist Innovator Award goes to Carmen Zepp for the creation of Human Beans Together, a program that grew out of the simple desire to share food with those who are hungry in the Raleigh area. Since January 2012, Human Beans has operated a weekly open-air “soup kitchen” in the center of the city, feeding hundreds of people each week. Carmen is a member of the Triangle Freethought Society.

Finally, the Heart of Humanism Award goes to Todd Stiefel, founding executive director of the Stiefel Freethought Foundation and Team Captain of FBB’s Light The Night Team. He and his family matched Light The Night donations dollar for dollar, contributing more than $200,000 in 2012. SFF also provided thousands of dollars for Light The Night incentives to top fundraising teams.

But as game-changing as Todd’s financial support has been, his time and leadership have made at least as great an impact. He works tirelessly to support the humanist movement, from volunteering for Camp Quest, to speaking at conferences, to organizing humanist programs and leading our LTN International Team.

Please join us in congratulating all of our 2012 Heart of Humanism award winners on Facebook! Go to our page and leave them some love.

If your group would like to make charity a larger part of your identity, consider joining Beyond Belief Network. We welcome any groups with a public secular humanist or atheist identity, with all levels of experience. We provide our teams with how-to guides, tips, and assistance planning and promoting events. Additionally, we award our top teams with recognition, t-shirts, and the opportunity to apply for grants for service projects. To be eligible for the 2013 awards, you must report at least eight events prior to December 31, 2013. Teams may submit backdated reports for all of their 2013 events.

Congratulations to Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) Non-Theists, Humanists of Houston, and Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry for reaching Level One of the Beyond Belief Network for having at least four service activities in 2013. Additionally, Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry are one volunteer event away from reaching Level Two! Quite a few other groups are close to Level One status, including Fellowship of Freethought Dallas, Siouxland Freethinkers, and Secular Student Alliance at the University of South Carolina.

If your team is already a member of Beyond Belief Network, remind your BBN liaison or volunteer coordinator to submit reports about your service activities (see the Volunteers Beyond Belief or Foundation Partners Program pages to see what qualifies)! If your team isn’t already a BBN team, consider joining our active network of service groups. We can help your local social group start volunteering, get your Light The Night team engaged in other community events, and give your experienced service team grants, t-shirts, and opportunities to mentor newer teams! For more information, contact Brittany, Beyond Belief Network coordinator.

By Daniel Hay

Foundation Beyond Belief’s Beyond Belief Network is a network of secular humanist groups interested in volunteering (Volunteers Beyond Belief) and raising money for FBB and our beneficiaries (Foundation Partners Program). BBN teams across the country came out in force in May to put their compassionate humanism to work and show how good we can be without god.

Humanists of Houston volunteered at the Houston Food Bank. Alongside other members of the community, HoH worked to sort and box food donations for individuals in need.

Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) Non-Theists helped out the CSRA Humane Society during the Humane Society’s annual “Paws in the Park” fundraiser by monitoring the trail taken by the walkers and keeping those playful pups on the right path.

Siouxland Freethinkers gathered on May 2, the National Day of Reason, at their local hospital to donate blood and took the advice of Humanist Rabbi Adam Chalom to Choose to Act!

Fellowship of Freethought Dallas had three May events. First, they worked with Youth First Texas, whose mission is to provide a safe space for LGBTQ youth in which they can find opportunities for improving themselves and finding peer support. Members of FoF Dallas helped cook a family-style meal for the group and were able to meet and connect with the teens.

They also volunteered with the AIDS Service of Dallas, a charity supporting low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS, helping to cook and serving meals to those affected. FoF Dallas plans to do this on a regular basis.

Finally, the members of FoF Dallas jumped into action following the tragedy of the Moore, OK, and Granbury, TX, tornados to help raise money for FBB’s crisis response. At their local Coalition of Reason Picnic, members sold refreshments and yo-yos to help raise money for the victims. They even brought in 1992 World yo-yo champion Dale Oliver to do demonstrations/tutorials.

Member of a secular humanist group? Want to help your community, raise awareness of nonbelievers doing good, and connect with other service-oriented groups? Ask your team to apply to join Beyond Belief Network! BBN staff can help you achieve your service goals and, as you submit event reports, your team will qualify for free t-shirts and the opportunity to apply for grants!

By Andrew Geary

The holidays provide some time to reconnect with friends and family, reflect on the year behind, set plans for the year ahead, and for our Volunteers Beyond Belief teams to find creative ways to give back to their community.

One of our newest teams, the Siouxland Freethinkers, served up some help for two local nonprofits. Fifteen members helped a local nonprofit dedicated to providing children and families in need with the help that they deserve. The group raised money for Project Joy while gift-wrapping and sharing the humanist cheer with all who came their way. In addition, the group hosted a toy drive benefitting the Children’s Home Society of South Dakota, which serves more than 2,000 children each year, primarily ages 4 to 13. The majority of these children are victims of severe abuse or neglect. The Siouxland Freethinkers collected seven bags of new toys, clothes, and books.

The University of Michigan’s Secular Student Alliance held a book drive for the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Store, which gives money to the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Volunteers from the group dropped off and sorted through the books, donating nearly 100 books to the thrift store.

The Humanists of Houston dedicated their holiday cheer to the Houston Area Women’s Center Holiday Store. For two weeks every holiday, the Center transforms their offices into a store where the women and families they serve can shop for holiday gifts. Read more about it our blog, where it was a featured story.

Two of our groups pitched in to help the stretch of highway they have adopted stay clean and free of any holiday clutter—the Fayette Freethought Society and Fellowship of Freethought in Dallas. In addition, the Fellowship of Freethought Dallas held a gift drive for Jonathan’s Place, a local organization that provides safe, loving homes and specialized services for children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected.

The Minnesota Atheists’ “War on Christmas” brought together 20 volunteers from the group. Each group member brought gifts as requested by the children’s hospital. After enjoying a festive feast, they wrapped the gifts, put a nice bow on each one, and dropped off the gifts at the hospital. In total, the group donated $600 worth of gifts.

The Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry volunteered at the Lowcountry Food Bank, an organization that helps ensure that affordable food gets to those who need it. The group helped sort and box hundreds of pounds of donations from retailers. Additionally, through the months of November and December they raised $1,092 for Begin with Books. This will help provide books for more than 30 kids.

Some of our other groups kept busy with their regularly scheduled events, including the Humanists of Rhode Island’s monthly efforts with Habitat for Humanity and the Humanist Community of Central Ohio’s blood drive, Bleed & Feed.

All of our VBB teams’ efforts during the holidays are just a snapshot of the great work they do all year long. To learn more about this program and to check out the application to join, click here.

This post is written by Melanie Clemmer of Fellowship of Freethought Dallas. Melanie is a registered dietician and certified diabetes educator and has kindly offered to share her expertise with us in this post.

I have noticed that in the nonbelieving community we definitely have our share of disagreements on what our diet should be like. Two things that most of us can agree on, however, are that eating healthy requires an investment of both time and money, and that many of us don’t make healthy changes in our diet until we are faced with some kind of health problem, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and/or heart disease (and sometimes we still don’t change our eating habits!). In other words, even people with a steady income can sometimes have trouble making healthy food choices, and when you are unemployed, underemployed, or otherwise on a fixed income, it can be that much harder to eat healthy. People who wind up in the aforementioned categories often turn to food pantries to supplement or provide their entire food intake. Unfortunately, many of the shelf-stable items donated to food pantries can present the following problems:

1) Many donated items are heavily geared toward carbohydrates (boxed macaroni and cheese, Hamburger Helper, rice, beans, ramen, etc.). Diabetes, pre-diabetes, and many other related health issues are a common problem in low-income communities. Usually people with these conditions need to control their carbohydrate intake to keep blood sugars under control, and this is very difficult to achieve if most of your diet consists of pasta, rice, and other refined flours. Plus, people usually feel like they have to eat a lot of these items to feel full, and that certainly doesn’t help with blood sugar control or weight loss.

2) When people donate shelf-stable vegetables and fruit, the items are often high in sodium and/or added sugars. The elevations in blood pressure, fluid retention, and elevated blood sugars that can result when certain individuals consume these foods can cancel out the benefits they might otherwise receive from eating fruits and vegetables.

3) Sometimes the items donated to the food pantry are a result of people cleaning out their own pantries to make their own diet healthier. (For example, a newly diagnosed person with diabetes might decide to get rid of the multiple bags of pasta sitting on the shelf.) While the desire to not waste food is certainly understandable, we do need to stop and ask ourselves about whether or not it is a good idea to give this food to someone else who may also have similar health issues.

So, when purchasing food for food pantry donations, or when considering what out of your own pantry to give away, I recommend you keep the following in mind:

1) Find out whether the food pantry you are donating to has any specific requests and try to honor them, even if they don’t always fall on the “healthy” list. That may sound like an odd point to make in a blog post about healthy food pantry donations, but we still want to make sure that we focus on helping meet the needs of the population we are serving and not make it about ourselves. So, for example, if the food pantry you are giving to has a request for bags of cornmeal/masa, but you don’t feel right about eating corn yourself, keep in mind that the pantry requested the cornmeal because that’s what their population is used to cooking with, and we are not there to force people into healthy choices. All that said, on to what foods to buy!

2) Emphasize protein foods–look for cans of tuna, salmon, sardines, chicken, or other meats that are packed in water or olive oil. Look at the list of ingredients for canned products and purchase items that have as much meat and as little “extras” added as possible. Other shelf-stable sources of animal proteins include powdered eggs and egg whites. To make sure the vegetarians are included, you can also purchase shelf-stable tofu, dried beans/legumes, canned beans with no added salt, and peanut butter and other nut butters. Unsalted nuts and seeds would also be a welcome addition to the protein category.

3) When purchasing canned vegetables, look for items that say “no added salt” or “low sodium” on the label.

4) When purchasing canned or dried fruit, look for items that say “no sugar added” on the label and check the ingredients to make sure what you are buying is actual fruit.

5) When purchasing carbohydrate foods, look for items with the least amount of processing, such as canned pumpkin with no added sugar, canned sweet potatoes/yams with no added sugar, beans/peas/whole-kernel corn with no added salt. If you purchase grains, go for items such as quinoa, wild rice, brown rice, whole-wheat pastas, and whole oats. Once again, though, check with the food pantry about who they serve. “Regular” pasta and rice will likely still be welcome if that’s what people are used to using.

6) Keep the people with food allergies in mind by buying shelf-stable dairy substitutes such as unsweetened almond milk and unsweetened coconut milk. Soy milk may also be an option for some. Rice milk usually lacks the nutritional value of almond milk, etc. Gluten-free pastas and gluten-free flours, such as almond meal, rice flour, corn flour, and gluten-free baking mixes, will also be welcome. Gluten-free cereals can also be added to the list.

7) Cooking staples such as olive oil, coconut oil, coconut milk, and dried herbs and spices can also be an addition to a healthy food pantry donation. 

8) Ask whether the food pantry has a place to keep donated perishables such as fresh meats and fruits and vegetables. Some may only take perishables at certain times because of limited refrigeration space.

9) And finally, do not be afraid to include some “fun” items, such as tea, coffee, or even sweets, especially if a holiday is approaching. Even those of us who eat healthy most of the time allow ourselves to have a treat on special occasions–the people who are served by the food pantry will probably appreciate it too!

The warm weather is beginning to take hold, the trees are blooming, and the birds are singing.  Spring is in full swing, and it’s an invigorating feeling! We’ve put together a list of seven ideas perfect for spring to get you out into your communities.

1. Go green for Earth Day. Serve the global community by being mindful of how your practices affect the environment. Earth Day this year falls on April 22 and there are lots of ways to help. Do maintenance on a nearby trail. Clean up a local park, lake, or beach. Several of our teams, such as Fayette Freethought Society, have adopted a stretch of highway that they clean regularly. Plant flowers or care for plant life that’s already there. Make a concerted effort to reduce your footprint, or do something to counteract it, such as planting a tree or advocating for environmental responsibility.

2. Run a charity race. Run? Walk? It doesn’t matter — sign up for a local 5k, 10k, or any other distance where the proceeds benefit a worthy cause. Get together a group of friends or family to walk or run with you.

3. Spring cleaning. Root through your house and find things you don’t want or need anymore, and take them to a local charity thrift store or find a local clothing or book drive. Remember not to donate junk—a good rule of thumb is that if it’s not in good enough condition to give to a family member or friend, it’s not good enough for charity, either. Donating your unwanted stuff is a win-win: you’ll feel great from getting rid of clutter and from knowing it will benefit others!

4. Walk a shelter dog. Visit your local animal shelter and show these needy animals some love. Dogs in shelters spend their days cooped up in cages or small pens, and they could always use some exercise, attention, and fresh air. While you’re there, be sure to spend some time with lonely cats or other animals, too!

5. Set up a lemonade stand or have a bake sale. A tried-and-true fundraising favorite, and especially perfect for kids! Choose your favorite charity and send them the proceeds. FBB’s beneficiaries are a great starting point! If you set up at a public place or business, be sure to seek appropriate permission first. Our team Fellowship of Freethought Dallas has a cool spin on this one—they bake cookies and bring them to the local police department!

6. Thank a volunteer. April 15th-21st is National Volunteer Week, the perfect time to thank someone in your life (including yourself!) who serves your community, and the perfect motivation to go out and volunteer some more! If you need some ideas, check out Volunteer Match for opportunities in your community.

7. Tell others. Whatever you choose to do, don’t do it alone! Recruit some friends or family members to join you, and encourage others to be active in their communities, too.

Have other ideas we didn’t cover? One of these strike your fancy? Tell us about it in the comments!

Happy Volunteering! 

Suzanne Nobles, Intern
Noelle George, Program Coordinator

Volunteers Beyond Belief
A Program of Foundation Beyond Belief
Visit the VBB page

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Last quarter, the members of Foundation Beyond Belief put on an amazing display of humanist compassion at work.

Total giving usually grows by about 5-8 percent per quarter, but in the fourth quarter of 2011 it leapt by a stunning 21 percent — NOT counting the Foundation fund drive — for a total of $38,450 in donations to our featured charities.

The increase was driven by the addition of almost 100 new members, including some at the higher giving levels, AND the choice of many members to increase their monthly giving (it’s easy now–ask how).

Final totals for Q4: 

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Is your humanist/atheist/skeptic/freethought group looking for opportunities to engage in charitable giving? If so, the new Foundation Partners Program might be just what you’re looking for.

How it Works

Partners collect member donations in any amount and submit to the Foundation each month. Contributions made by individual Foundation members who are also members of the Partner group will also accrue to the group’s total.

As with individual members, Partner groups can distribute their donations as they wish across our ten cause areas. The slate of beneficiaries changes each quarter, and Foundation Partners are an important voice in helping us choose future charities.

How Partners Benefit

Each Partner receives a web badge identifying the group as a Foundation Beyond Belief Partner. Additional awards/badges will be made available to groups that meet (optional, self-determined) contribution goals for a given period and as total contributions pass certain benchmarks. The name, logo, and link for each Partner organization is displayed on the Partners Program page in the main menu on our website. Groups have password access to the entire FBB website to nominate and debate future beneficiaries and to participate in our developing social network dedicated to humanist philanthropy.

The Foundation will forward regular reports on the work of our featured charities to keep Partners fully informed of the importance and impact of their donations. There is no fee for participation and no penalty for falling short of optional contribution goals. In short, there is no risk—just an opportunity to join us in encouraging and demonstrating the generosity and compassion of atheists and humanists.

Less than a month after joining the program, one of our charter Partners, Fellowship of Freethought Dallas, is hosting a fundraiser for FBB on Sept 24th called “Cocktails for a Cause.” Thanks FoFD!

Need more info? Ready to apply for partnership? Visit our Partners page, or drop us a note here.

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