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8 Ways You Can Volunteer And Get Involved In Your Community

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 01:19:43 +0000

When it comes to getting involved in your local community and doing some volunteer work, there are many things that you can do. I feel it’s important to figure out how much time you can donate and what really interests you, before signing up for the volunteer work.

Here are 8 ideas you might want to consider.

1. The Local Library – Contact your neighborhood public library and offer to come in and read books to children. Our library is always looking for a few good volunteers.

2. Community Clean Up Days – Twice a year we help to organize a neighborhood clean-up day. Call your local center to see about a program in your area.

3. Meals On Wheels Programs – Does your area have a local Meals On Wheels Program? If so, call in and offer your help. There are thousands of seniors who need hot and healthy meals delivered to them on a daily or weekly basis.

4. Habitat For Humanity – This is a well-known national program that you can get involved in. You don’t need to be a professional carpenter, painter or plumber. Call them up and get involved.

5. The American Red Cross and Salvation Army – If you have a local chapter in your area, they are always looking for a few good volunteers to do a variety of tasks.

6. Public Parks and Recreations Department – Do you enjoy spending time outdoors? If so, this would be a great group to get involved in. Contact your local agency and see what is available and where they need some help.

7. Cancer Treatment Centers – If you are handy with a sewing machine and enjoy sewing, contact your local cancer treatment centers or physician’s offices who treat cancer patients. You could spend a few afternoons sewing up some chemo caps (hats) and donate them to your local centers. Cancer patients really appreciate them.

8. Local Hospitals – The majority of hospitals across the nation have some type of volunteer program. Hospitals need volunteers to help transport patients around the hospital, to bring deliveries of balloons and flowers to the patient’s rooms, deliver the newspaper and other helpful…but small tasks.

As a busy mother and wife, I still enjoy finding the time to get out into my community and doing some volunteer work. I feel it’s important to give back and to pay it forward.

Insurance Auto Auctions Drives Record Returns for Its Customers

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 02:00:17 +0000

Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc., a leading provider of automotive salvage and claims processing services in the United States, today announced record vehicle returns during the second quarter.

IAA’s dual bidding strategy has continued to drive more buyers to the Company’s auctions than ever before, resulting in increased bidding activity and higher vehicle returns for its insurance company suppliers.

“Combining the feedback we have been receiving from our customers with our internal data, we believe our vehicle returns were the highest in the industry during the quarter, which we feel is a direct result of our dual bidding platform and improved levels of customer service,” said Tom O’Brien, CEO. “On average, our returns have increased more than $300 per unit compared to 2003, providing a significantly better return for our insurance company suppliers. Our live auctions, most of which feature Run & Drive(R) auction lanes, are supplemented with our state-of-the-art Internet bidding capability, giving our growing customer base the flexibility to see and bid on our vehicles up close or through the Internet from anywhere in the world in a real-time setting. Enthusiastic buyer support of our auction model is clearly evident from the increase in buyer participation we have experienced, both at live auctions and via the Internet. By encouraging more buyers to come on to our bidding platform than ever before, we believe that during the quarter we were able to generate more bidding activity and the highest vehicle returns in the industry.”

Commenting further on the Company’s recent operating performance, O’Brien said, “We haven’t missed a beat throughout the organization since the close of the Kelso & Company acquisition in late May. The transaction has allowed us to focus even more of our time and energy on improving our operations and service levels to our customers, translating into much higher returns for our suppliers and higher profits for IAA. The Company generated revenues of $71.9 million in the second quarter, compared with $60.0 million in the same quarter of 2004. Gross profit margins improved to 26% in the second quarter, up from 22% in the same quarter of last year. We also continued to strategically expand during the quarter, specifically in Jacksonville, Altoona and Charleston, providing IAA with a greater geographic reach to meet the needs of our current and potential customers. Going forward we will continue to target new strategic opportunities that will further increase our buyer base and maintain our momentum of generating significantly higher returns.”

S-4 Filing: Insurance Auto Auctions also filed an S-4 today that provides supplemental financial information to the results provided herein. Please refer to this document for additional financial information about the Company and its quarterly results.

About Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc.: Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc., founded in 1982, a leader in automotive total loss and specialty salvage services in the United States, provides insurance companies with cost-effective, turnkey solutions to process and sell total-loss and recovered-theft vehicles. The Company currently has 80 sites across the United States.

Additional information about Insurance Auto Auctions is available on the World Wide Web at:

http://www.CarLackey.com

http://www.AutoLackey.com

http://www.RichLackey.com

Please Help Hurricane Katrina Victoms below: Visit “RED CROSS” by using the link below… http://www.redcross.org/

Victims of Hurricane Katrina are attempting to recover from the massive storm that is still making its way across the Mid-Atlantic States. American Red Cross volunteers have been deployed to the hardest hit areas of Katrina’s destruction, supplying hundreds of thousands victims left homeless with critical necessities. By making a financial gift to Hurricane 2005 Relief, the Red Cross can provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. http://www.redcross.org

Churches of Scientology Disaster Response Participates in the 2009 Annual National VOAD Conference

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 02:43:58 +0000

Salt Lake City—The Churches of Scientology Disaster Response (CSDR) was proud to participate with the national member organizations of the National VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters) attending the 17th annual conference last week in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme of the conference was “Life Elevated…A Celebration of Service.”

National VOAD is the forum where organizations share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle-preparation, response and recovery – to help disaster survivors and their communities.

Members of National VOAD form a coalition of nonprofit organizations that respond to disasters as part of their overall mission, promoting the cooperation, communication, coordination and collaboration needed in disaster response not only among themselves but with local, state and federal agencies as well.

“Service to those in need is paramount,” said Susan Taylor, National Director of the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response. “We do our best in times of disaster to provide whatever help is needed whether it is distributing food, water, or supplies; providing direct services to individuals in need; helping to clean up after floods; or providing spiritual care to responders, survivors or care-givers-helping them to overcome stress, shock, loss or trauma.”

Scientology Volunteer Ministers specialize in providing “Scientology Assists” — simple light, non-intrusive emotional and spiritual stress relief techniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. These assists help, among many things, to restore order and calm in an area, address and alleviate the emotional and spiritual effects of physical pain, shock and trauma, relieve stress, help orient a confused or distraught individual and help survivors, responders and care-givers to cope with the immediate situation more rapidly and effectively.

CSDR volunteers reach out to those in need in the field or from their field base. Their large yellow tents are often used as PODs (points of distribution) where water, food and supplies are given to those in need. CSDR activities have ranged from helping at recent fires in California, to assisting during floods in Washington State, tornados in the mid-west, and hurricanes in Florida and the Southeast.

This last week CSDR participated with other organizations at the National VOAD conference’s Exhibit Hall by having a booth where Scientology Assists demonstrations were given. During the final evening’s celebration at the Salt Palace, the CSDR yellow tent was on display alongside the Red Cross and Salvation Army trucks and other agencies’ emergency vehicles. CSDR volunteers offered Assists to the attendees, demonstrating their effectiveness.

Ms. Taylor noted that it is a privilege to work with so many other organizations to help those in need. “The collaborative efforts of all of us make it possible to bring real help and relief after a disaster,” she said.

In establishing the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program more than 30 years ago, L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology religion, wrote: “A Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence. Rather, he is trained to handle these things and help others achieve relief from them and new personal strength as well.”

For more information about the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Program, visit www.volunteerministers.org or the official Scientology web site at www.scientology.org.