The Official Modest Needs Blog

"No One Else Has Ever Done Something Like This for Me"

Those were the words of Becky Westbrook, a disabled single mom whose bald tires were replaced by anonymous Modest Needs donors a few months ago.

In this touching article from a local Phoenix newspaper, Becky includes those intimate details that donors don't often hear. When she arrived at the automotive shop, for example, she was so overwhelmed that she just broke down and cried. The mechanic explained that her old tires wouldn't have lasted another week.

I invite you to read Becky's full story if you have a moment. It's a wonderful example of the impact that a few hundred dollars can make for a family on the edge.

RSS Feeds Are Here

Stay up-to-date on all the goings-on at Modest Needs! We've recently launched four separate RSS feeds for your reading pleasure:

Modest Needs Blog
Profiles in Courageous Generosity
Modest Needs Newsletter
Newly Prequalified Applications

The gist of it is this: When you subscribe to a feed, you receive a little ping every time we make an update. If you're new to the concept of RSS, we've provided some basic instructions to get you started. It really is as easy as it looks!

Beat the Thursday Blahs

Today's just another ho-hum Thursday... right?  Well, that depends on me, and you, and the person sitting next to you at work. We each have the power to make today a life-changing event for someone who's fallen on hard times.

Just read through this application from a family in threat of foreclosure after their very sick newborn required hospitalization. These parents are checking their email every day, hoping against hope for some sort of miracle. With a bit of small change from hundreds of people, your uneventful Thursday might just become the best day of their lives.

Opening Our Eyes to the Disabled

Testimonials can be joyful, heart-wrenching, humorous, sad, and even shocking. But rarely are they as eye-opening as this one, from a gentleman who simply needed a pair of glasses. In a few lines, he managed to convey his immense gratitude, while also shining a light on the frustration, isolation, and financial hurdles that often accompany a disability.

"I just got back from my doctor's appointment to get my leukemia checked out and found your message that my application was approved for assistance. I am at a loss for words. Your generosity overwhelms me, and I just can't say how very happy I am. I thank God that someone cared enough for a disabled man in a very hard situation to help me see better. My eyes are very bad, and not being able to see has taken away joys like reading and using my computer. I have so much wrong with me that if I can't see, then I feel useless.

It's bad enough being disabled after working for 42 years. I know that this is America and people are supposed to help each other, but in my case it seemed like nobody cared about me being disabled and all the troubles I face every day, just to get by. Only people in situations like mine know what I speak of. I never thought I'd find help to get my glasses, until I heard of Modest Needs...

Today changed my outlook on life because it's nice to know that there are people who do care. I am one of the luckiest people in the world. I am overwhelmed with happiness, and please know that I will be seeing better soon. I just wish that people who are disabled, like me, didn't have to try so hard to find the help we need... My wife and I struggle every week to make ends meet.

I cried tears of happiness knowing that at least one bad thing in my life would soon be taken care of... So from my heart I thank you for making my wish come true by approving my request for glasses. For all who gave, may God bless you every day for the rest of your lives. You have given me the chance to see again, to read and do the only things I can, to make my struggle easier and my life so much happier.

Sincerely Yours, Gary"

Taking Philanthropy into Their Own Hands

Recently, a New York City Jewish events guide called CultureShook featured a beautiful story on Modest Needs. What the writer discovered by speaking to a handful of our donors is fascinating: that these supporters are as enterprising as they are loyal.

One contributor, a life coach, provides a complementary service for Modest Needs contributors. Another -- a part-time writer -– regularly publicizes our grants on her blog. It's just plain WONDERFUL. There's hardly anything I like better than learning about the creative (and often free) tactics that our donors employ to support low-income families in a financial bind.

Just don't do your innovative fundraising and publicity in silence! Ditch that modesty, and send us an email. And most importantly, keep up the great work!

Making the Most of Tax Day

It's an awful lot of fun thinking about how you'll spend that tax refund, isn't it? Because although a refund simply means you've overpaid on taxes, it still feels REALLY good. Like free money.

I'll let you in on a little secret that we nonprofit professionals know from personal experience. If you want to keep that warm, cheerful feeling going for a few weeks after your tax refund arrives, consider making a charitable donation with some portion of it. For as little as a few dollars, you can help this single mom of two teenagers, who has just been laid off, keep her head above water for another month. Or take your pick from dozens of other hardworking families in need of a helping hand.

Last year, Modest Needs contributions saw a remarkable spike just after tax-day, thanks to our incredibly generous donors. I hope the same trend will make its way into 2009!

A Fitting Testimonial for Spring

"I just can't believe how, in the middle of the storm, I can see so many people willing to share their umbrellas with me!"

What a beautiful metaphor, don't you think? And please don't forget that we've got absolutely oodles of thoughtful, heartfelt thank-you notes like these from funded applicants on our testimonials page.

I invite all of you to stop by sometime!

Answering Phones, and Prayers

As any applicant knows, Modest Needs' staff is an incredibly efficient and professional group. But that doesn't mean that they're lacking in the empathy department. Quite the opposite, in fact. I'd go so far as to say that these are the most caring people you're likely to meet. Ever. And plenty resourceful, too.

Take Jennifer Guerra, the Director of Operations in our West Coast office, whose responsibility is to keep that office running smoothly. She was especially moved when she came across a prequalified application from a cancer patient seeking a few hundred dollars for a wig. And, although her job description doesn't involve support for applicants per se,  she took it upon herself to do a little digging. A few hours later, she'd located several resources in the applicant's area designed to make women feel good about themselves despite the disparaging physical effects of chemotherapy. And, best of all, Jennifer had called and connected with the owner of one organization in particular, who’d graciously offered to create a custom headscarf for this applicant.

When our donors stepped up to fund this applicant, we included that list of resources from Jennifer, and a contact number for claiming that free custom headscarf she’d negotiated. The applicant was delighted.

It was a little thing. A little freebie that the applicant didn't expect and that didn't cost our donors a dime. But it’s the kind of work that happens every day here at Modest Needs. In so many ways, our donors’ generosity wears off on us. And, at least in my opinion, that’s just about as big and inspiring and powerful as you can get.

Modest Needs on msnbc

I actually caught this Modest Needs news story while sitting in a New York City cab! What a wonderful way to round out an afternoon...

For those of you who didn't see it air, here's a lovely news piece by NBC New York that interviews Lisa Bova, a single mom in Brooklyn whose mortgage was paid by Modest Needs donors when she found herself, for the first time, unable to make ends meet.

In her own words...

"I truly can't even begin to tell you what it meant to this family and for me because I want to do it on my own," she said. "I'm trying so hard, and without this help I wouldn't be able to do it. And I look forward to helping someone else as I've been helped."

It's Autism Awareness Month

You may not realize this, but your Modest Needs donations have gone toward autistic children and their parents more times than I can count. And so, in honor of Autism Awareness Month this April, I thought you might like to know about a few of them.

Autism can take a hefty financial toll on the families it touches. Parents cut their hours or leave their jobs entirely to attend to a special-needs child. Insurances often don't cover therapies and classes and a myriad of special support items.

Take these cases. Modest Needs donors paid a few hundred dollars for a weighted vest and blanket for this mother, to help her autistic daughter sit still during reading time, meal time, and during the night. Our donors gave this applicant the money to send her autistic teenager to a particularly useful therapy, at a time when she felt absolutely tortured that she needed to pay her mortgage instead. And they covered a crucial car repair for a father who'd left his job to stay home and care for his autistic son.

The list goes on and on.

In fact, right at this moment, there are two applications from the parents of autistic children who could really use a hand up. I invite you to take a look. For families trying to balance their monthly expenses with treatment for an autistic child, your small change wields an enormous amount of power.

Much Needed Car Repair
Help Autistic Child With Learning!

And with that, a happy April to all of you!