Every music lover should start saving now for Lollapalooza. I know it's expensive, but I saw bands I already knew and loved (Louis XIV, Raconteurs, Mates of State...) and was exposed to a lot more that I really liked (Ting Tings, Kid Sister, Devotchka, The Whigs, MGMT, Foals...)!!! Start saving now! $100 bucks a month will give you enough for a ticket, room (sharing w/ @ least one person), flight, and food! It was totally worth it.
The food wasn't too pricey and there was tons of free stuff and tents to check out between shows I wanted to see. It was HOT but it didn't rain and that's ok with me - beer and water will cool anyone down. Most of the stages had areas where you could hang out in the shade and still see the music.
This is Devotchka - not that you can even see them...
I'm still semi-homeless until my floors are done. They said the last coat should be dry some time tomorrow...I would love to sleep in my own bed! But my house is going to be disorganized for at least another week until we're allowed to put the furniture back in. I took before pictures, and I can't wait to compare them with the after photos.
I'd agree with PUSH - a dedicated group of people doing good work in an area that needs it. Same with that gaggle of miscreants over at Lafayette! :D
I say this not only because (e:drew) is a fine person and I know him, but really... when you look up the cliche "doing God's work" you'd see a picture of (e:drew) and his church. Drew walks the walk when it comes to community involvement and helping the poor - people like that deserve support! Loaves and Fishes is an important and dare I say critical service for the poor in our community, particularly around the holidays when demand for food is high. I suspect (e:drew) would be modest though, and suggest CEM.
I've heard some really good things about UNYTS but I don't have any first-hand experience [thank God].
- Z
Loaves and Fishes, which is a CEM program.
CEM stands for Concerned Ecumenical Ministries. Started as a small coalition of West Side churches and now provides lots of social services to the West Side. (e:Drew) can probably be more specific.
PUSH.
What's CEM?
Literacy Volunteers and PUSH sound like a possibility to me - Thanks!
I can recommend a couple of organizations that don’t have huge budgets or a lot of “extra fat†in them, that I know do good things:
Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo - they work with people of all ages and do a lot of stuff with family literacy. Also, they help a lot of refugee families who have been resettled here with learning to read/write English.
AMI (Alliance for the Mentally Ill) of Buffalo & Erie County does a Christmas is for Kids project every year that provides holiday gifts and a party for kids (and their families) who receive out-patient services from the WNY Children’s Psychiatric Center. The vast majority of these are families living in poverty.
Lots of good choices. After, of course, Lafayette Church, PUSH would be high on my list. I als0 like CEM.